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Robert Howcott and the Regicides |
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Before returning to England in May
1660, Charles II had issued the Declaration of Breda, which set out the terms
on which he proposed to rule. These included a free and general pardon of
those who had rebelled against him and his father. However, an exemption was
made of unidentified people who were to be chosen by Parliament. After some
debate, the Indemnity and Oblivion Act became law on 29 August and pardoned
previous treason against the crown, but excluded the men involved in the
trial and execution of Charles I. 31 of the 59 Commissioners who had signed
the King’s death warrant were still alive at that stage. Efforts had already
started to apprehend these people, who are generally known as the
“regicides”. Amongst those arrested were John
Downes on 18 June 1660 [1] and Vincent Potter [2], both of whom had signed
the death warrant. A petition by Robert Howcott, seeking the reward of an
office under the Crown, describes his role in apprehending them. The Petition To the kings
most Excellent Majestie The humble
Petition of Robert Howcott Humbly Sheweth
unto your majestie That your Petitioners
Grandfather was servant to his late majestie your
Father of Blessed memory nere 20 yeres And your petitioners Father alsoe,
whoe lost by the Parliamentary Forces at the last
siege of Leicester whilst he was in his majesties service under the Lord of
Loughborough above the value of £800 in Cattle and household goods and was
long imprisoned, And your petitioner his sonne
being Allsoe his servant at ye last siege of Pontifrat Castle under Collonell
morrice, until it was yielded up, upon condition
for the soldiers to march without any molestation, But when your petitioner
with diverse others were gott forth about a mile,
they were striped by ye perliament forces as naked
as they were borne, And your petitioner ere since hath beene
your majesties faithfull subject as my providing Armes in Sir George Boothes busines & powder and Bullets which I have still by me
will evidence & I can make appeare if your Majestie require, Discovering alsoe
and apprehending Collonell Downes of Hampstead one
of ye Judges of our Late Soveraigne your Gracious
Father and brought him before your majestie by vertue of warrant from Sir Edward Nicholas, and your majestie ordered your petitioner to cary
him before the Lord Generall Monke,
whoe gave your petitioner a warrant to carry him to
the martiall Generall, Sithense which your petitioner discovered and apprehended
Collonell Vincent Potter another of those Judges
and had him before the Lord Mayor who sent him to ye Serjant
at armes, But your petitioner being servant to one
Mr Almery whoe was of nere
kin to Collonell Downes that very night turned him
out of his house and service wherein he gained more £110 per Annum, soe that your petitioner for noe
other Reason But for serving your Majestie is
undone without your Gracious Benevolence – All which your petitioner was
bound in conseyense & Duety
to performe May it therefore please your majestie to grant unto your petitioner, out of your
abundant goodness not any Desert of his, The office of a surveighor,
waighter or Solicitor in your majesties Custome house in London either by land or water which
your gracious Majestie shall please, and which may
first become void And emptie, = whoe
shall ever pray etc. [3] The document is not dated but it
appears to have been submitted to the King about July 1660. Arresting Downes and Potter were
not the only efforts Robert made to help track down the King’s enemies. On 1
August 1660, Robert Howcott appeared before the House of Lords to report
"That one Talley told him, that one Tench brought Irons to the Scaffold
at the Murder of the King, and dipped his Handkerchief in the Blood of the
King." As a result it was ordered that Talley and Tench be summoned to
appear before the House of Lords to be examined. [4] On 13 October 1660, at
the trial of another regicide, Hugh Peters (1598-1660), Richard Nunelly
testified that Peters was present at the execution and had ordered Tench, a
joiner of Houndsditch, to drive staples into the block so that Charles’ head
could be held in place if he should refuse to submit to the executioner. [5] People and
Events mentioned in the Petition (in order of appearance, with spelling modernised)
The Petitioner’s Father It is not certain which son of
Robert Howcott (c.1575-1635) was father of the Petitioner. The grandfather
had married Katherine Sacheverell at
Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire in 1600, where they had these children
christened:
The only one of these offspring
whose own children have been identified is Robert Howcott (alias Holcott), who married Jane Greenhill at Upton, a short
distance west of Northampton, in 1631. The couple lived at Stoughton Grange,
Leicestershire and had the following family christened at Stoughton parish
church:
The children described as “Alive
in 1655” were mentioned in their father’s will, which was written on 4
January 1655 and proved at the Court of Civil Commission on 26 February 1658. If the Petitioner were the son of
Robert Howcott of Stoughton, he would have been only about 13 years old at the
time of the last siege of Pontefract Castle. The Outcome When he returned from exile,
Charles II received many requests for favours from those who claimed to have
supported him. It is not known whether Robert was among those whose petitions
were successful. Later references It is feasible, but not certain, that some or all
of the following Leicestershire references may be to the Petitioner:
Historical
background The BCW Project
website provides a vast amount of information and insight into the
people, battles and other memorable aspects of the British Civil Wars,
Commonwealth & Protectorate 1638-1660. Notes [1] “Commons’ Journals, viii, 61, 65, 68” as
cited in “Oxford Dictionary of National Biography” edited by Leslie Stephen. [2] “Oxford Dictionary of National Biography”
– entry for Vincent Potter. [3] The National Archives (TNA): SP29/9. [4] 'House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 1
August 1660', Journal of the House of Lords: volume 11: 1660-1666, pp.
113-114. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=14015
Date accessed: 24 October 2016. [5] “A Complete Collection of State Trials and
Proceedings for High Treason etc.” by Thomas Bayly Howell and Thomas Jones
Howell, 1816, volume V. [6] Historical Manuscripts Commission, Various
collections I (Worcs.) [7] TNA: C24/637 (part 2) (case 17). [8] TNA: E157/16 – folio 62. [9] TNA: E179/241/9. [10] TNA: E179/240/279. |
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