Catalogue description The INFORMATION of GEORGE WILSON to the SECRETARY OF STATE.

--"This informant, upon his oath, saith that in or about the monthes of April or May, 1689, one Dr. Bromfield came to William Fitzherbert, esquire, of Wapra (?), near West Chester, in Flintshire, where he, the said Bromfield, ley concealed for some time, for a passage into Ireland, from whence he was recommended to this informant to assist him, who then lived near the sea-side, at a place called Redland, where, after the said Bromfield had stayed about a week, this informant did assist him in the buying of a boat of about a week, this informant did assist him in the buying of a boat of about 25 tunn, which said boat, being vitualled and ready to sail, was seized by Mr. Morston [Mostyn ?], and Bromfield escaped to Mr. Crosbye's in Lancashire, from whence, by the assistance of Mr. Perce Morston [Piers Mostyn?], Mr. Wynne of Gup (?), Mr. Loyde of Greith, Mr. Robert Briarwood of West Chester, Mr. George Pennant, Mr. Pue of Pendrell, and this informant, afterwards gott over in a open boat.

"This informant further saith that being searched for by troopers from West Chester and other souldiers, and by the civil officers of the country, was forced to leave his house and family, and hide himself in the woods for many days, and could never returne to his house again, but gett into Lancashire, whither his wife and family followed him, where hee, this informant, was received and entertained by Lord Mollineux, Collonel Tildesley, Mr. Standish of Standish, Sir Rowland Stanley, Sir Thomas Poole, Sir William Gerrard, Collonel Townley, and others, sometimes in the house of one gentleman, and for some time at another.

"This informant saith, about Midsummer, 1689, he, this informant, and others, were ordered and directed by the gentlemen aforesaid, and others, to look out about the sea coast thereaboates, for any gentlemen that should come from Ireland, for at that time he, this informant, was told they expected some friends and news from Ireland, which hee, this informant, did. And about the beginning of July, 1689, Mr. Edmund Threlfall of the Ashes, in Goosener, and one Mr. Lunt, arrived at Cockram, and came imediately to Colonel Tilsdley, with several bundles of papers and other things in several cloackbaggs, where this informant then was attending their comeinge. This informant saith that upon their coming to the said Colonel Tilsdley, the said Mr. Threlfall and Mr. Lunt imediately opened their cloackbaggs and took out several commissions, declarations, blanks, and sealed papers, from King James to several persons and gentlemen of quality in that countrey, and divided them ; and those for Yorkshire Mr. Threlfall put up and undertook to deliver, and had a guide imediately provided. The others for Lancashire and Cheshire, Staffordshire and partes thereaboutes, Mr. Lunt tooke to himself to deliver, and had this informant with him, from place to place, to guide and assist him in the delivery of them, and after they had left, and delivered to Colonel Tilsdesley his, for being a Colonel (which hee, the said Colonel, recieved upon his knees and kissed it), with the blankes for his inferiour officers they proceeded and went to the Lord Mollineux his house, and delivered one Colonell's commission to Mr. Mollineux his son, for a regiment of horse, with blankes for his inferior officers, hee, the said Collonell Mollineux, immediately filling that blanke for the Lieutenant Colonell, delivered it in the presence of this informant, to Mr. William Gerrard, who was with the said Colonell Mollineux when hee, this informant, and Mr. Lunt came in.

"This informant further saith hee, this informant, was present and did see Mr. Lunt deliver to --- Sherburne of Stonyhurst, esquire, a Colonell's comission, with blankes, as aforesaid, for a regiment of horse; to Townley of Townley, esquire, the like for horse ; to Girlington of Girlington, esquire, a Colonell's comission ; to Westby of Mobricke, esquire, the like for dragoones ; to Lee of Lyme, a Colonel's comission, with blanks as aforesaid ; to Sir Thomas Stanley of Aldersay, the like for horses; to Chumley of Vale Royall, the like for horses ; to Sir Roland Stanley, the like for horse, etc.; to Sir Robert Throgmorton, the like for horse, etc.; to Sir Henery Tichbourn (hee being then at the Lord Mollineux'), the like for horse; to Sir--- Giffard of Chillington, the like for horse; to Sir James Simmons of Ashton in Staffordshire, the like for horse. This informant saith that he alsoe saw Sir Robert Throgmorton fill up a Lieutenant Colonel's comission to his own regiment, and deliver it to one Sir Charles Weale, who accepted the same, and kissed it on his knees. And that hee, this informant, also was present and saw Sir James Simmons deliver a Captain's commission to Mr. William Fowler of St. Thomas, near Stafford, and alsoe when Sir Thomas Gifford delivered a Captain's commission to Mr. Augustin Gifford, and also to Captain Gowre, the like Captain's commission, and to Bazill Brookes, esquire, the like Captain's commission, and to Mr. John Pursell a Cornett's commission, and to Thomas Pursell, a warrant for quarter-master, and to several other inferiour officers, under the several Colonells aforesaid.

"This informant saith that all those Collonel's commissions, with the blankes as aforesaid, were delivered by Mr. Lunt in the presence of this informant; and this informant saith he knows they were such commissions, because he saw them, and heard most of them read at the end of the delivery of them. And for the Lieutenant Collonel's and other inferior officers' commissions hee, this informant, saw most of them filled up by the superiours, and delivered to the inferiour officers, as aforesaid. And this informant further saith that at the same time aforesaid hee, this informant, saw the aforesaid Mr. Lunt deliver to my Lord Mollineux a sealed paper which hee, this informant, saw him, the Lord Mollineux, open and read, which, to the best of this informant's memory, was purporting a commission and instructions for the care and government of Liverpoole. This informant also saith that hee was at a meeting at Sir John Lawson's, in Yorkshire, about the month of March, then next following, with Mr. Lunt, where were the gentlemen Mr. Lunt names in his information (page the 6th), where hee, this informant, then heard most of them publickly own that they had received comissions, by Mr. Thriefall, some time before, from King James, and would there have oblieged this informant and Mr. Lunt to have engaged with them the gentlemen of that country, etc.

"This informant further saith that about the beginning of the year 1691, hee, this informant, heard that Mr. Lunt was imployed in and about London to list men. And this informant saith that some short time after, several men came into Lancashire, as from London, and said they were listed by the said Mr. Lunt, and sent down to serve under the command of some of the officers aforesaid. And hee, this informant, saith that as fast as they came down, he was ordered by my Lord Mollineux, Sir Thomas Cliffton, Colonell Mollineux, Colonel Tildesley, Colonel Townley, Sir William Gerrard and his son, and severall others, the officers aforesaid, to take care of them and provide quarters or lodgings for them, which the informant did accordingly ; and that at several times he, this informant, had and did receive money from my Lord Mollineux and Colonell Tildesley, Colonell Townley, Sir William Gerrard, and some others, to pay the said souldiers for their subsistance. And this informant saith hee did pay and distribute the money he soe received, amongst them, which this informant saith, in the whole, did amount to (to the best of his memory) about 3 or 400li. .... And this informant saith that hee is very well assured that the said Mr. Lunt did, at several other times, before and after, list a great many moore than these aforemencioned.

"This informant further saith that, about the month of February 1691, hee, this informant, was at a general meeting of several gentlemen att Collonel Walmesley's at Dungenhall, in Lancashire, many of whom he yet remembers, namely, Collonel Townley, Collonel Tildesley, Collonel Mollineux, Collonel Dalton, Sir William Gerrard, Mr. Gerrard, Mr. Dicconson, Mr. Stanley, Mr. Shuttleworth, Mr. Tilsdesley of Stansacre, Mr. Macy of Puddington, Mr. Langton of the Low, Mr. Gerrard of Ince, Sir Thomas Cliffton, Mr. Blundell of Crosby, Collonel Westby of Mabrick, Collonel Parker, and others. The said Collonel Walmesley being then lately came out of France, hee, the said Collonel, then produced publickly, in the said meeting, several comissions, declarations, grants, or patents, that hee had then lately brought from King James, of several gentlemen's esstates of that country, to other gentlemen there, that were King James' friends, as to Collonel Treldesley (sic), Lord Mollineux, Colonel Westby of Mobricke, Collonel Townley of Townley, Sir Thomas Cliffton, Sir William Gerrard, Collonel Mollineux, Mr. Gerrard of Ince, Mr. Langton of Low, and some others. This informant further saith that about a fortnight after, hee, this informant, was at the like meeting att Phillip Draycott's of Painsley Hall, in the county of Stafford, esquire, of most of the aforesaid gentlemen and others, as Mr. Bazill Brookes, Sir James Simons, Sir Richard Fleetwood and his sons, William and Rowland, ---- Cuny of Cuny, esquire, and others, where were produced several of the like grants and patents, as aforesaid, brought over by the Lord Stafford, and there alsoe given out to those they did belong to.

"This informant saith that, at this meeting aforesaid, Collonel Parker being also there, and was then alsoe lately come out of France, hee, the said Collonel, did then publickly produce and deliver to one Captain George Penny (then in the company) a comission from King James for the said Penny to bee a Major of horse, which hee, the said Captain Penny, accepted of, with many thankes and promisses to doe the King the best service with it hee could.

"And this informant further saith that at another time, being at a meeting with the said Collonel Parker, at the signe of 'the Starr,' an inn in Holywell, in Flintshire, and about twenty gentlemen, where hee, this informant, there saw the said Parker deliver one other commission from King James to one Mr. Pue of Pendrell, to bee a Captain of horse, and at the same time hee, the said Parker, delivered another comission, in the presence of this informant, to one Mr. George Davis of Treloughnell, and to several others, and that the said Parker did there, and at several others, as well as at the aforementioned meetings, order, direct, and desire, all the officers to take care to have their men ready at an hour's warning, with a pound of powder and ball, preportionable to each man, for that hee expected newes of the King's landing every day.

"This informant saith that about the beginning of the year 1689, hee, this informant, was ordered and imployed by Mr. Massey, Sir James Simmons, Sir Thomas Gifford, and Captain Fowler, to list as many men as hee could, in Staffordshire and North Wales, for King James and his service, under their command; and that hee, this informant, had money of the aforesaid gentlemen for that purpose. And this informant saith that hee did at that time (that is to say) within the space of three weekes, list about sixty men, whose names this informant has by him, ready to produce, as hee then tooke them.

"This informant alsoe saith that hee hath been since imployed to list men, several times, in the latter end of the year 1691, and in the beginning of the year 1692, by severall other gentlemen, as Collonel Walmesley, Captain Penny, Mr. Standish of Standish, Mr. Morston [Mostyn ?] of Delalery, and Captain Pennant of Baggall [Baghilt?].

"And this informant saith hee did at those times, by the order and directions of those gentlemen last above mentioned, list about the number of six score, and had money of the said gentlemen, by the hands of Captain Pennent, for that purpose.

"And this informant further saith that hee did, severall times, after hee had soe listed the said souldiers, pay them subsistance money, by the order of Penny and Pennant, from whom hee had the same.

"And this informant further saith that hee has severall times seen great quantity of armes, in the houses of the gentlemen hereafter mentioned, in North Wales, Cheshire, Staffordshire, and Lancashire, viz.:--in the house of Mr. Massy of Puddington, Captain Penny, Captain Pennant, Sir James Simmons, Sir Thomas Giffard, Mr. Fowler, Mr. Draycott, Sir William Garrard, Mr. Walmesley, Mr. Standish of Standish Hall, and in some other houses that hee cannot att present remember.

"In the whole, this informant verily believes that there were in the several houses abovesaid, that hee, this informant, saw armes for att least a thousand men, and that it is not above two years, at the most, since hee, this informant, saw them there."