Lucy Hutchinson (1620–1681). Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson. 1906.
Appendix XX: Capture of King’s Mills
‘Upon the melting of the snow there being a great flood, the horse went out with a design to pull down Muscam and Kellam bridges, but it was discovered to the enemy over night, so that the design was prevented, but they went to Aram grounds, and brought away 60 fat oxen of Sir Richard Biron’s and Mr Sutton’s and about 100 horse. The next week Sir John Gell sent to borrow all the horse which were sent to him, but Colonel Thornhagh being sent for by Sir John Meldrum went himself to Gainsborough. The horse that were at Derby marched out with Sir John Gell, but they both lost themselves all night, whereupon that design was broke. Yet the horse went with Sir John Gell to King’s Millnes, hard by Wilden Ferry, where there is a very strong house, wherein the enemy kept garrison, against which Sir John Gell had planted his ordnance on the other side the river, where his foot also were, but his horse and ours were all on the same side the house stood. The weather being very tempestuous they resolved to finish it at once, and thereupon drew out five men out of every troop to begin the assault, these five of every troop made thirty in all; they had attempted, but fruitlessly, to fire the house, so these thirty men in the night got over their works, and slided down the bank, which was very steep, till they came just under the walls, which when they within the house perceived they called for a parley, and desired to march out with bag and baggage, but the soldiers would grant them no conditions but to yield to their mercy, so when they were just about to open the door by force, the soldiers within the house let them in and yielded themselves, there being in the house forty-seven, a captain, a lieutenant, and two more officers.
The captain that kept the house was Captain Daniel, uncle to Captain White’s lieutenant, who desired of Sir John Gell that he might bring him and his lieutenant to Nottingham, which Sir John Gell condescended unto’.—Note-Book, p. 47 a-b.