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1650 - The Civil War: Royalist letter, Arran to Dunfermline, addressed to King Charles's court and very probably Intended for the King

47· ~.JZ!~ The Letter .Arran 13 Aug: 1650

Sir,
t77(,'& cllfa Just now I received yours of the 3 of this instant, so full of worthy expressions of friendship, that if I should ever forget them, I

should be the meanest man alive. I blush for my countrymen's persecutions of you and some others of your fellow servants and
tgi)rf~ as much at my own condition that can not alter it, nor otherwise serve you but we can expect no change to our fortunes until our

Master change his. If he be preserved we cannot fall, though for a time we be laid aside, a little time will let us know whether this
kingdom will own his Majesty's interest in England or not, and accordingly we that are proscribed persons, most moved. All I
shall desire of you is that the contemptible condition wherein you now see me, keep you not from laying your commands upon
me of serving you in anything wherein you can conceive me capable, for you may absolutely dispose on me, or anything that is
mine, being really your faithful and obliged servant
131h August 1650. Letter sent from William Hamilton, 2nc1 Duke of Hamilton on
the Isle of Arran to Edward Prager, Groom of the King's Bedchamber, who Hamilton
was accompanying King Charles II of Scotland, at this date living in the Royal
Palace of Dunfermline.
This letter was sent by the Duke of Hamilton, one of the four highest-ranking peers in the country, to a relatively
Historical Context minor courtier aged 29 years. It is not credible that the Duke would have written to a servant 'keep you not from
On 30th January 1649, King Charles I was executed. Two days later the Scottish Parliament proclaimed his eldest son laying your commands upon me of serving you in anything wherein you ran conceive me capable, for you may
King Charles II of Scotland, although, at that time, he was in exile in The Hague. On 241h June 1650, King Charles II absolutely dispose on me, or anything that is mine'. Almost certainly this offer was being addressed to the king.
landed at Garmouth, Morayshire intending to gather support for reclaiming his kingdoms. However, the Scottish
Covenanters that comprised the Kirk party, strongly influenced by the 1st Marquis of Argyll, insisted that Charles should William Hamilton, 2nc1 Duke of Hamilton (1616 -1651)
first banish a number of Scottish nobles that had accompanied him from the Netherlands, amongst them, William
Hamilton, r Duke of Hamilton. Charles agreed, with considerable reluctance, to these terms.
William Hamilton became Duke of Hamilton on the death of his brother, James, who
Oliver Cromwelrs response to Char1es's arrival in Scotland was to invade the country in late July 1650 with an army of was executed in London in March 1649. William escaped abroad to join King Charles
16,000. By the date of this letter, Cromwell had taken much of sout~ast Scotland and his army was occupying the Braid in the Netherlands. In Scotland, the Act of Classes was passed which deprived
Hills two miles to the south of Edinburgh. Three weeks later, Cromwell fought the Scots army at the Battle of Dunbar, Hamilton of all public offices. On returning to Scotland with the king in 1650, Hamilton
winning decisively. was banished to the Isle of Arran. He eventually was allowed to return to court in 1651.
Later that year he managed to raise a few hundred horse and joined the king on the
Clandestine correspondence between King Charles II and William, Duke of Hamilton Scots army's march into England. Hamilton fought bravely at the Battle of Worcester in
(the dates in square brackets are the dates of letters from Charles to Hamilton) September 1651 but was wounded by a musket shot in the leg and, following
complications, died of his wounds.
King Charles was forced by the Kirk to banish Hamilton to the Isle of Arran and was expected to discontinue all contact
with him. However, unbeknown to the Kirk, the King conducted an active secret correspondence with the Duke throughout
August 1650, seeking his advice on many matters. In his letters, Charles interspersed his words with numeric ciphers.

Charles was continually being watched by members of the Kirk: '/have been so nanowly watched by the severe Christians that Edward Proger (1621 -1713), Groom of the Bedchamber to King Charles II
I could not answer your letter before now' [Aug. 6). 'I dare not say any more for they are so watchful over me that I do nothing but
they observe if [Aug. 14]. Edward Prager had been brought up as a courtier, his father having served as
equerry to King James I and VI. Proger quickly established himself as a trusted
The King arranged for messengers and agents to deliver his letters to Hamilton: 1 have commanded 163 to give you a
servant to Chartes Stuart first as Prince of Wales and later as King Chartes II. To the
particular accounr (Aug 6]. 'I have sent the bearer 270:16:135:9:190 to acquaint you' (Aug. 14). '/have received your letters by him I
sent to you' (Aug 31). Charles always used codes to identify the carriers of his letters, never their names. king, Prager was always 'Poge'. During Charles's years of exile, the king relied on
Prager to undertake missions of particular sensitivity including handling secret
It is clear from the records that Charles's agents were also bringing back replies from Hamilton, but. with Charles being correspondences. In 1660, Proger was himself carrying confidential correspondence
watched so closely by the Kirk, it is inconceivable that these letters would have been addressed directly to the King in on behalf of the king and in the 1660's and 1670's it is believed he was a go-between
case they were intercepted. It is extremely likely that Charles would have appointed someone he could trust to receive the between the king and his mistresses. Edward Proger died in 1713 in his nineties and
letters intended for him. Edward Proger, a relatively minor courtier, but one who had immediate access to the king's an epitaph described him as having 'acquitted himself of many secret and important
bedchamber and who was greatly trusted by Charles, would have been an ideal choice to receive Hamilton's letters. employments with so much judgement and fidelity'.