plate, and utmost industry to destroy, be you no less liberal to preserve. Assure yourselves, if it please God to bless me with success, I shall remember the assistance that every particular man here gives me to his advantage. However, it will hereafter (how furiously soever the minds of men are now possessed) be honour and comfort to you, that with some charge and trouble to yourselves, you did your part to support your king and preserve the kingdom.” During the king’s residence here he kept his court at the Council House. The Princes Rupert and Morris were stationed with the army, which exercised in the fields near the Hall. The king caused the castle gates to be repaired, pulled down many houses near the castle, and brought the water from the Severn up to the gate, by means of a draw bridge. He also built a strong fort at the upper end of Frankwell, in which he planted cannon. Sir Michael Earnley was governor of the castle in 1644, and during the storming of the town by the parliamentary forces had command of the garrison. At this time, Colonel Mytton, a soldier of great valour, was governor of a small garrison at Wem, and general of Cromwell’s army in this county. Having made two unsuccessful attempts, on the night of the 3rd of February, he came with his forces consisting of two hundred and fifty foot, and the same number of horse, and marched towards Shrewsbury, where they arrived about three o’clock on Saturday morning. Eight carpenters went up the river in a little boat, and landed within the enemy’s breast work, under the castle hill on the east side. The sentinels, after some pause fired upon them, but they very soon sawed down so many of the palasades as gave the men a free passage.