The Narrative of General Venables; With an appendix of papers relating to the expedition to the West Indies and the Conquest of Jamaica, 1654-1655

180 pages. Some soiling inside boards, Ex-library with some of the usual markings; bookplate removed from inside front cover. Pencil erasure residue on fep. The papers printed in this volume are a collection from various sources. It was originally intended to insert this material into an appendix of another work, but as these narratives proved more lengthy than at first calculated, it was judged more appropriate to print these separately. Includes Preface, The Narrative of General Venables (pages 1-105), and Six Appendices (pages 106-173). Also contains an index at the end of the book (pages 175-180). Several pages before the title page are torn and partially separated. Sir Charles Harding Firth FBA (16 March 1857 - 19 February 1936) was a British historian. He was one of the founders of the Historical Association in 1906. Born in Sheffield, Firth was educated at Clifton College and at Balliol College, Oxford. At university he took the Stanhope prize for an essay on Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley in 1877 and was a member of the exclusive Stubbs Society for high-achieving historians. He became lecturer at Pembroke College in 1887, and fellow of All Souls College in 1901. He was Ford's lecturer in English history in 1900, was elected FBA in 1903 and became Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford in succession to Frederick York Powell in 1904. Firth's historical work was almost entirely confined to English history during the time of the English Civil War and the Commonwealth; and his books were highly regarded. Robert Venables (ca. 1613-1687), was an English soldier from Cheshire, who fought for Parliament in the First English Civil War, and later took part in the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. When the Anglo-Spanish War began in 1654, he was made joint commander of an expedition against Spanish possessions in the West Indies, known as the 'Western Design'. Although he captured Jamaica, which remained a British colony for over 300 years, the project was considered a failure. This ended his military career, and he retired to an estate near Wincham, Cheshire. Prior to the 1660 Restoration, he briefly served as Governor of Chester. Although considered politically loyal, he was also a Congregationalist; his religious views made him unacceptable to the new regime, and he was removed from office. First in order of importance and size is the narrative of General Venables himself, consisting for the most part of an apology for his conduct while in command of the expedition, and concluding with an account of his examination and imprisonment after his return to England. The object of the narrative is to vindicate the reputation of Venables as a general, and to prove that the disasters which befell the expedition under his command were due to the fault of others. He supports his case by quoting letters written by officers serving in the expedition, some addressed to himself, others to officials or friends in England. The narrative also contains an account of the imprisonment of Venables in the Tower, and of his examination by Cromwell's council. It concludes with a refutation of an anonymous pamphlet published in 1655. This pamphlet is entitled "A brief and perfect Journal of the late Proceedings and Success of the English Army in the West Indies, continued until June the 24th, 1655. Together with some Queries inserted and answered. Published for the Satisfaction of all such as desire truly to be informed in these Particulars. By I. S. an eyewitness. …