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Lot 49
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Oliver Cromwell letter re: conflict between English Protestants and Irish!
Oliver Cromwell letter re: conflict between English Protestants and Irish!
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Description:

Cromwell Oliver 1599 - 1658 Oliver Cromwell clerical letter from the Cockpitt about testimony obtained to assist the English Protestants against the Irish!

Single page letter on laid paper, 8" x 8.75", scripted on both sides and laid into a page. Most likely in the hand of Cromwell's secretary as a "clerical copy" written to the "Commissioner of Parliament For the Affair of Ireland", dated "Cockpitt August the 26th, 1653", and signed by his secretary on his behalf at the bottom of the letter. Expected folds with slight professional restoration to repair separations at the folds and to strengthen the folds. Overall toned, and slightly grubby. Accompanied by a fine engraving of Oliver Cromwell, 5" x 6" laid into a page, along with documented provenance as noted below.

An intriguing letter both revealing that Cromwell dwelled in the Cockpitt at the writing of this letter. Several references to his residence there for the next few years are extant, but on 14th April, 1654, he removed to the main building in Whitehall. (After his death, on 3rd September, 1658, his widow returned to the Cockpit lodgings.). Of intrigue, Cromwell's letter references his collecting of "very good testimony concerning attestings his forwardness to assist the English Protestants against the Irish in the first siege of that town in Anno Dom 1641"

Cromwell was referring to The Irish Rebellion of 1641 which began as an attempted coup d'Õ©tat by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for Catholics. The coup failed and the rebellion developed into an ethnic conflict between native Irish Catholics on one side, and English and Scottish Protestant settlers on the other. This began a conflict known as the Irish Confederate Wars. Cromwell's letter note that "George Peppard of drogheda" assisted the English Protestants by offering "provisions" such as food and clothes "and other necessaries for the supply of the officers and souldiers(sic) in their extremites(sic) to a considerable value"

The rising was sparked by Catholic fears of an impending invasion of Ireland by anti-Catholic forces of the English Long Parliament and the Scottish Covenanters, who were defying the authority of King Charles I. The Irish rebellion broke out in October 1641 and was followed by several months of violent chaos before the Irish Catholic upper classes and clergy formed the Catholic Confederation in the summer of 1642. The Confederation became a de facto government of most of Ireland, free from the control of the English administration and loosely aligned with the Royalist side in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The subsequent Irish Confederate Wars continued in Ireland until the 1650s, (at the time of the writing of this letter), when Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army decisively defeated the Irish Catholics and Royalists, and re-conquered the country.

The letter is shown below in full, additionally noting that Cromwell requests from Parliament for them to extend favors to Peppard for his assistance and testimony and to "commend him to your special favor". As the letter is written in old English, a vast number of words are written differently and will therefore not appear with the (Sic) designation:

"Gentleman

Whereas I have received a very good testimony (illegible) George Peppard of drogheda in Ireland Merchant by the sign of divers certificates from such wherein I cannot but give credence unto, and which are ready to be produced in attestings his forwardness to assist the English Protestants against the Irish in the first siege of that town in Anno Dom 1641, both in (illegible) beefe and other provisions to the value of Eight hundred pounds, besides clothes (illegible) and other necessaries for the supply of the officers and souldiers in their extremites to a considerable value - who hath ever since constantly continued in those parts payinge a large contribution;

I do hereby thinke fitt to commend him to your special favor, that he may be look't upon by way of distinction from other ... of the like Cendicoo(sic), and as farr as itt may stand with Justice and Prudence he and his family may be dispenced with to continue upon the place where the remainder of his Estate lyes, and for what he hath ... opportunely and readily (illegible) burred for the state which hath engaged him in some debt here he may receive (illegible) satisfaction out of lands as others of the like nature (illegible) and soe I rest

Gents

Ye ...

O Cromwell

Cockpittt August

The 26th 1653

For the Right Honable the

Commisner of Parlimament

For the affair of Ireland

These"

A fantastic letter with great content, and impeccable provenance. Any letters by Cromwell, or dictated by him to his secretary are exceedingly scarce

Provenance: This item was recently discovered in an extra illustrated volume of "History of the City of New York" by Mary L. Booth, New York W. R. C. Clark, 1867. Originally two volumes, the monumental task of expanding the work to 21 volumes by none other than Emery E. Childs esquire of New York City. In volume 1 of this work exists a lovely india ink Drawing of Mary L. Booth along with a notation "presented by her to E E C" in pencil. Next to the title page we find an original letter of Booth to Childs dated April 4, 1872 " I am in receipt of your favor of the 4th inst., and am grateful to hear that you are taking the trouble to illustrate my History of the City of New York in the manner you describe. I shall be happy to see you, should you favor me with a callas I am usually in my office during business hours and should be pleased to facilitate your Enterprise by any means in my power"

It is assumed that the book took several years to assemble at which point, assumedly through Childs, it made its way to Senator Charles B. Farwell of Chicago who took the seat of John A. Logan in 1887. Farwell had an extensive library that fortunately survived the great Chicago fire in 1871 having been housed in his Lakeside home. In the American Bibliopolist of November 1871 there is an article about the devastation to libraries caused by the tragedy . "Mr C. B. Farwell's library is also fortunately far out from the city, at his country house, and is safe, The same remark will also apply to the extensive collection of books and curiosities belonging to Mr. E. E. Childs." This establishes the Chicago connection between Childs and Farwell.

That these letters were preserved for over 140 years and have never been on the market for that period is remarkable on many levels. It is the state of being wedged in these volumes that also account for what is mostly the pristine state of preservation.

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