Lucy Hutchinson (1620–1681). Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson. 1906.
Appendix XV: Town Meeting at Nottingham to Decide the Question of Fortifying the Town
‘The governor so soon as this was concluded on called a general and full Hall, wherein he read his commission, and desired them to choose out some men among them to come upon all occasions to consult with him in matter concerning the town, and that they might choose fit men he propounded to them two aldermen, two very honest religious men, and two neuters, rather Cavaliers than other, that so they might be pleased of all sides; but they on the contrary called to their Hall Serjeant Browne, a delinquent to the parliament, and put out these honest men, and made choice of the most malignant among them, which choice when the governor saw he sent them word that he could not accept their choice, nor yet would he do anything prejudicial or burdensome to them without their knowledge, and having called another Hall he propounded to the town whether they were willing it should be fortified or no, whereupon they all in general voted it should be fortified, only Alderman Drury and some other few malignant inconsiderable rascals, being but a very few, voted against it. Whereupon the works were presently set out, but the governor at that meeting, after he had satisfied all their doubts and some articles which they propounded to him, told them that if they fortified the town they must beforehand weigh the danger of it, which was that if the enemy should fall in while the works were imperfect, which was much to be feared they would, they still, though something further off, continuing in the country, they would utterly spoil the town and disenable it for ever being made a garrison any more; and on the other side, if it were not fortified but lay open, then all poor tradesmen would be undone, there being no possibility of trading in the town’.—MSS. Note-Book, p. 41, a-b.
A note on p. 42 gives the further information that during the fortification the horse were for a fortnight to have free quarter in the town, and after that the governor had promised they should not burthen it. He therefore in the meantime caused some certain houses to be appointed for their quarter, and a steward appointed to every house to see the diet ordered, a whole troop being to be quartered in every house.