Charlecote Park The cost to the Lucy family for being supporters of King Charles 1 by Kevin Coleman The National Trust guide book to Charlecote states that as far as Spencer Lucy was concerned that "when the civil war was lost, his influence in the county and bribes to Parliament saved Charlecote from confiscation or worse". Alice Fairfax-Lucy in her book Charlecote and The Lucys states that Charlecote was saved because of "Richards position as MP for the county town, and the fact that, probably by his advice, Spencer compounded with Parliament for his estates. How much he paid is not known." In fact Spencer Lucy compounded with Parliament and the amount paid is known and is detailed below: In 1643, near the start of the English Civil War, Parliament set up two committees 1) the Sequestration Committee which confiscated the estates of the Royalists who fought against Parliament, and 2) the Committee for Compounding with Delinquents which allowed Royalists whose estates had been sequestrated, to compound for their estates — pay a fine and recover their estates — if they pledged not to take up arms against Parliament again. The size of the fine they had to pay depended on the worth of the estate and how great their support for the Royalist cause had been. To administer the process of sequestration, a sequestration committee was established in each county. If a local committee sequestrated an estate they usually let it and the income was used "to the best advantage of the State". If a "delinquent" wished to recover his estate he had to apply to the Committee for Compounding with Delinquents based in London, as the national Sequestration Committee was absorbed by the Committee for Compounding in 1644. After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, most of the sequestrated land was returned to the pre-war owners. The following is the actual entry in the HOUSE OF LORDS JOURNAL 5 JANUARY 1648 "Whereas Spencer Lucy, of Charlecott, in the County of Warwick, Esquire, hath by both Houses of Parliament been admitted to his Fine of Three Thousand Five Hundred and Thirteen Pounds, for that he was in Arms against the Parliament: The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament do hereby authorize and appoint His Majesty's Solicitor General to prepare a Pardon to the said Spencer Lucy, for his said Offence, in such Form as is agreed by both Houses for like Offenders, together with a Grant of, and Restitution to him, his Heirs and Assigns, of all his Lands, Goods, and Chattels, and other Estate for which the said Fine was accepted, according to a Particular thereof made, and entered with the Committee at Gouldsmiths Hall, and of all Mean Profits thereof, to the said Spencer Lucy, from the Day of the Payment of his said Fine, with an Exception of the Right or Estate of the said Spencer Lucy in or to all Advowsons, Presentations, and Rights of Patronage, to any Church or Chapel; which said Pardon, so prepared, the Commissioners of the Great Seal of England for the Time being are hereby authorized to pass under the said Great Seal accordingly: Provided always, that this Ordinance, or the said Pardon thereon to be passed, shall not extend to free the said Spencer Lucy from any further Composition, for any other Lands, Goods, or Chattels, than what are contained in the Particular aforesaid; and that, in case the said Lands mentioned in the said Particular were of greater Yearly Values (fn. *) than are therein expressed during Three Years before the Year of our Lord 1640, then the said Spencer Lucy shall pay such further Fine, by Way of Composition, as both Houses of Parliament shall appoint." As this Journal makes clear the fine was imposed for being "in Arms against the Parliament:" The journal entry also makes it clear that the fine was based on the the yearly values of the estates held i.e. the income from them and that should it transpire that the value was greater then "the said Spencer Lucy shall pay such further Fine , by Way of Composition, as both Houses of Parliament shall appoint." The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography confirms that the income of Thomas Lucy III at time of his death in 1640 was £3500 - "Wealth at death approx. £3500 p.a.: Hughes, Politics, 34n." How big a sum was £3513? What is it worth today? The correct measure is one based on average earnings, as the figure itself relates to the earnings from the estates. Earnings of £3513 in 1648 are worth £7,410,000 today. http://www.oxforddnb.com/templates/article.jsp?articleid=17152&back=   Kevin Coleman

Len Mullenger is a Sunday volunteer guide. Any comments are welcome and can be sent to len@musicweb-international.com

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