View source for MRP: Letter from Margaret, Lady Oxinden, to Mrs Katherine Oxinden (her sister-in-law): Letter 4

'''Letter from Margaret, Lady Oxinden, to Mrs Katherine Oxinden (her sister-in-law): Letter 4'''

'''Editorial history'''

12/09/11, CSG: Created page
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(MS. 28,000, f. 93)
Printed as Letter CCXXXIV in D.K.Gardiner (1933:303-304)

Undated, but 1642

GOOD SISTER,

Heer was with me this morning my Cosin Adam whos plas that we all thought so fit for him is com to nothing, by reson my Lord of Lester is not like to go to eyrlland, to whose soldrigray my Cosin shold have bin one of the secrettarys, so he is wholy to seeke of an Imployement now.  M:rs broks that he is with is wery of his being ther, which I persave much discontents my Cosin Adam, and as he saith, meat and drink is not all that he must have, for that sut his master made him is bad now and more Clothes he is Shure he cannot have of him; my Lord of Lester's Secretary sayth if he can procure his frends to set him out with these, which he sayth 20 or thirty pound will do, he will plase him with a Captayne of his acquayntance, to be his Aynshant (Ancient).  Now his desire is that you wold give your Consent to this imployment and get his brother to send him 20:ll, which he sayth he will make serve his turne, and that it might be with speed, for the plas canot be stayed a bove 14 days for him.  I sent for my cosin barrow, who estemeth that and this plase may be had, and that if my Cosin Hary be not fited with present monies, he will lay it downe for him, a pon a condision that my cosin hary will prefix a time of paying it him a gayne, and that if my cosin have to returne, he will bethought that my cosin Adam shall pay it him a gayne, if my cosin dy than they say my Cosin Hary may pay himself.  For my advise, trewly Sister I see not any cors he can take but he must run hasards, and the plase he now is in he canot continue in, nether is it any advancment for him if he cold.  My brother partherich was now heer and teleth us my Cosin Richard's Cornell is now Sir William Ogell, who loveth my brother Parterich exceedingly and hath promised to befrend my cosin much, so as I doubt not if god send him life he will rays his fortunes very much.  What with this pay, and monyes put into his hands for to rays his men, and pay what was dew to him in the north, which he neer had payd him, and that mony for pay he had for his jorny with the king to winsor, (it) hath set him out in a very comendable way, as I beleve most kaptaynes wer, and moneys in his pers to; he toke his jorny from this towne this day senight.  I pray sister send me your speedy answer.  So with my harty love to you and the like from my daughter Dallison, I comit you to God allmighti and rest

Your most afectionat sister
MARGARET OXINDEN

NO DATE

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==Commentary==

(1) Does the fact that Margaret Oxinden include good wishes from her daughter Dallison imply that ED is living with her and Sir James and HO of Deane in London?  The letter appears to be sent from London, given conversations noted with her cousin Thomas Barrow regarding help for her nephew Adam Oxinden

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==Possible research==

(1) What military unit did Richard Oxinden's commander have?  Confirm that as implied Richard Oxinden was a captain in this unit

The Ogle (Ogell) family of Northumberland appears to have had a number of arms and to have  predated the Norman conquest. See wikipedia article on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogle_family - Ogle family].  The arms of the family included the Ogles of Eglingham, who were strongly parliamentarian,  the Ogles of Choppington and Burradon, and the Ogles of Kirkley.

It is possible that Sir William Ogle was with the cavaliers during the first English civil war.  There is a reference to a loan being made in Winchester in late 1643: "27th October, 1643. Fifty pounds lent to Sir William Ogle and Colonell Gerrard," when a secondary source states the cavaliers were occupying the city. (Winchester Corporation records, no full reference, cited in [http://www.marquisofwinchesters.co.uk/book-Civil-war-in-hampshire/chapter14.html - 'The Marquess of Winchester's Regiment English Civil War Re-enacting']).  The same secondary source quotes from  a history of Winchester published in 1773, referring to Sir William Ogle:

''"His first care was to strengthen his newly acquired garrison, and render it as inaccessible as art could invent, wisely considering that its situation rendering it the principal key of the whole western country, it might be made a convenient and serviceable rendezvous for his Royal master. He, therefore, lost no time in putting this business into execution, and happily meeting with the concurrence and mutual assistance of the Mayor and citizens, he not only fortified the Castle, but put the city itself into a much better posture of defence than it had been in for many years before ; immediately after which the western army marched into it, consisting of 3000 foot and 1500 horse, under the command of Lord Hopton."''

Sir William Ogle's "opportunistic capture of Winchester" in October 1643 is mentioned in the web guide [http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1643-south.htm - 'British Civil Wars, Commonwealth and Protectorate: 1643: Civil war in the south']

In September 1644 Sir William Ogle received an order from Oxford to assist Colonel Gage at  Basing, which was under siege by parliamentarian forces.  He declined to do so, informing Gage that some of the parliamentarian horse lay between Winchester and Basing.  He was later criticised for his inaction. See wikipiedia article on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Basing_House - Siege of Basing House]

A wikipedia article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ogle - Sir William Ogle] draws heavily on [http://books.google.com/books?id=3dbnAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&dq=%22Sir+William+Ogle%22&source=bl&ots=j-JHQOU3cm&sig=wdq7KjbCe1OKngeezFqEZ6wq1pM&hl=en&ei=1kxxTf-1Ks_KswaO9ryEDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBzge#v=onepage&q=%22Sir%20William%20Ogle%22&f=false - P.R. Newman, The old service: Royalist regimental colonels and the Civil War, 1642-46 (Manchester, 1993), p. 106]

For recent sources on royalist and parliamentarian military units see

Barratt, John, ''Cavaliers, the royalist army at war 1642-46'' (Stroud 2000)
Firth, C.H., ''Cromwell's Army'' (London 1902)
Haythornthwaite, Philip, ''The English Civil War 1642-51, an illustrated military history'' (London 1983)
Henry, Chris, ''English Civil War Artillery 1642-51'' (Osprey 2005)
C. Jorgensen, M. Pavkovic, R. Rice, F. Schneid, C. Scott, ''Fighting Techniques of the Early Modern World 1500-1763'' (Staplehurst 2005)
Reid, Stuart, ''All the King's Armies, a military history of the English Civil War'' (Staplehurst 1998)
Reid, Stuart, ''Scots Armies of the English Civil Wars'' (Osprey 1999)
Roberts, Keith, ''Cromwell's War Machine, the New Model Army 1645-60'' (Barnsley 2005)
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'''CSG synthesis: Sir William Ogle (b.?, d. 1670)'''

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