Excerpt from The History of the Ancient Borough of Pontefract: Containing an Interesting Account of Its Castle, and the Three Different Sieges It Sustained, During the Civil War, With Notes and Pedigrees, of Some of the Most Distinguished Royalists and Parliamentarians

The work now presented to the public, origi usted m the wish of a respectable friend, richard awoara. Esq. Who had made a collection of such materials towards it as he had met with in the course of his reading. These he offered to the Author, and generously promised any assistance which it was in his power to afford; and during the pro gress of this work, he has faithfully adhered to his engagement. On perusing these materials, the Author found that much was yet to be done that beside the task of arranging, diligent research was necessary in order to explain and illustrate valions facts which wete only noticed en passant by our Historians.. He availed himself of all the' sources of inlormation within his reach; and in the course of his researches, he met with materials far beyond what he had expected.

The most valuable communication the Author received from the Rev. F. Drake, Lecturer, of Pontefract. This was the ms. Journal of the siege wrote at the time by his ancestor, Captain Drake, and which had been carefully preserved in the fa mily. By the aid of this valuable ms. The history of the siege is more particular and interesting than it could possibly otherwise have been.

The notes, containing some account of the fa milies of several distinguished persons in the castle; and of some in the army of the Parliament, hate been derived from Wilson' 8 ms. Pedigrees, in the Leeds library, compared with another valuable copy in the possession of the Rt. Hon. J. Smyth, Heath, nea1 Wakefield. Both these ms. Are copies hom one in the possession of the late Dr. Richard son, of Bierly, near Bradford, collected by Mr. Hopkinson, the h iend of Dugdale, item the records in Pontefract Castle, previous to its demolition.

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