Now! Then! Thomas Baynes (allegedly) compares Parliament’s sequestrators to an agricultural pest

10 November 1653: Thomas Baynes (allegedly) compares Parliament’s sequestrators to an agricultural pest

James Raine. 1861. Depositions from the Castle of York. London: Surtees Society. Get it:

Excerpt

July 17, 1654. At York assize, before Hugh Wyndham, one of the justices of assize. Thomas Baynes, of Twisleton, gentleman, being sequestered for his delinquency and recusancy by the Commissioners at York, did upon the 26th of February 1652, by writing and words say that the said Commissioners did basely and falsely and indirectly proceed against him in sequestering his estate, and that they had dealt knavishly and roguishly with him. That, upon the 27th of February 1652, being the Lord’s Day, he did most falsely and unjustly read a scandalous paper in Ingleton church before the congregation, full of malicious invectives against the said Commissioners, and prohibiting any persons, at their perils, for meddling with or giving assistance to the agents of the said Comm in the sequestration of his estate. That, on the 10th of November, 1653, he did say that Alderman Geldart, the present Lord Mayor of York, was the basest fellow that ever trod upon a shoe of leather, and that he never exchanged ten words with a baser rogue in his life, and that the Commissioners for Sequestrations were all of them caterpillars, and that there was a punishment reserved for such, and that the country all thereabouts were satisfied that they were all knaves and rogues. [Raine: Mr. Baynes may well be pardoned. The word “caterpillars” was a very appropriate term to apply to the sequestrators, for they did eat up many an honest gentleman’s estate.]

Order the book

Subscribe to the free daily email

To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.
Abbreviations:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Something to say? Get in touch

Original

LXVIII. THOMAS BAYNES, GEN. FOR SCANDALOUS BEHAVIOUR.
July 17, 1654. At York assize, before Hugh Wyndham, one of the justices of assize. Thomas Baynes,* of Twisleton, gentleman, being sequestred for his delinquency and recusancy by the Comm’s at York, did upon the 26th of Feb. 1652, by wryteing and words say that the said Comms did basely and falsely and indirectly proceed against him in sequestring his estate, and that they had dealt knaveishly and rogueishly with him. That, upon the 27th of Feb. 1652, beeing the Lord’s Day, hee did most falsly and unjustly read a scandallous paper in Ingleton church before the congregacion, full of malityous invectives against the said Comms, and prohibiteing any persons, at their perills, for medleing with or giveing assistance to the agents of the said Comm in the sequestracion of his estate. That, on the 10th of Nov”, 1653, he did say that Alderman Geldart, the present Lord Mayor of Yorke, was the basest fellowe that ever trode upon a shooe of leather, and that hee never exchanged tenn words with a baser rogue in his life, and that the Coms for Sequestracions weere all of them caterpillers, and that there was a punishment reserved for such, and that the country all thereabouts weer satisfyed that they weere all knaves and rogues.
* Mr. Baynes may well be pardoned. The word “caterpillars” was a very appropriate term to apply to the sequestrators, for they did eat up many an honest gentleman’s estate.

250 words.