Page:VCH Norfolk 2.djvu/554

A HISTORY OF NORFOLK Norfolk money seems to have had a good deal to do with Fairfax's successful siege of Colchester during this period, for the House passed a special vote of thanks to the county, ' That this house doth take notice of the good affections of the county of Norfolk in their ready compliance and timely supply of monies to the army in the exigent of the siege before Colchester ; and that a letter be prepared and signed by Mr. Speaker and sent to them to take notice thereof ; and give them the thanks of this house/ The Royalists seem at this time to have had designs upon Yarmouth, for, on 6 July, 1648, there is a letter, dated from ' Leaguer before Colchester,' from General Fairfax to the bailiffs, aldermen, and common council of Great Yarmouth, announcing that the revolted ships, who have declared against the Parliament, are believed to have designs on Great Yarmouth, with a view to making it a garrison and seat of war ; and that the writer has despatched a considerable body of horse for the neighbourly protection of the said town, but not to possess it and make it a garrison/ The people of Yarmouth, though staunch supporters of the Parliament, appear to have been very unwilling to admit a garrison and to have been quite confident of their ability to defend themselves, for on 1 7 July Fairfax again wrote to the bailiffs. Gentlemen, I have by your severall letters received very good satisfaction concerning your resolution to preserve and defend your Town from being made a garrison by any forces against the Parliament. And I againe assure you that it is as much as I desire of you, it being farr from my thoughts to have any of the forces I send that way to be in the least putt into your Town (whiche hath hitherto approved itself so faithful to the Parliament). Butonely that in regard of the designesupon it from foreigne partes (whereof there have been very credible informations) those horse should be neere you to oppose the landing of the foreigne forces, And to assist you against them as you shall neede and desire, for which purpose they shall still be ready at hand when you shall call for them during the continuance of the present danger.^ That the Royalist ships did appear before Yarmouth and with what success is shown by a letter written in July, 1648, from Darby House and signed Pembroke, in the name and by the warrant of the committee of Lords and Commons, to the bailiffs, &c., of Great Yarmouth. This letter expresses the committee's lively sense of the devotion of the borough to the Parliament, and also the satisfaction of the committee at ' your letter of the 24th inst., giving notice of the coming of the revolted ships in the Roads before your Town, and of their departure thence.' The letter proceeds, ' Wee thanke you for your care of the public in not admiting the enemie there, and that you kept your town from giving entertainment to the enemy.' Finally, that Yarmouth had its way in the question of the garrison, and the strength of local feeling in the matter, are shown by another letter' from the committee of the Lords and Commons to the Lord-General Fairfax, dated i August, 1648, Darby House, announcing, in consideration of assurances given by the letter's bearer, Mr. Alderman Cobbe, that the writers have countermanded previous orders for troops to march into Great Yarmouth, there being reason for ' fearing least the putting in of forces at this tyme might breede some disturbance ' in the said town. There is a tale that the king was in hiding at the very end of his career for four days at the Castle Inn, Downham, and also slept at Snore Hall, near Ryston. There is no doubt that he reached Downham on ' Hist. MSS. Com. Re/>. ix, App. i, 3 1 3, 3 14. ' Ibid. 314. » Ibid. 512