Extract from Kingdomes Weekly Intelligencer June 10-17th 1661 - Issue 24 

 And now we must give you some news from Colchester, of which we should have told you 12 years since, if the iniquity of the times had not forbid it; and that is of the funeral of those two most valiant and renowned Knights, Sir CHARLES LUCAS, and Sir GEORGE LISLE, who you cannot forget were most savagely and cowardly shot to death in cool blood at Colchester, (Aug 28 1648) by order of those bloody wretches, Ireton, Whaley, Baxter and the rest, who afterwards arraign’d and murther’d our blessed Soveraign of ever glorious Memory

Now the ancient Town of Colchester, desirous to manifest  their abhorrency of this barbarous Fact, and the honour they bear to those famous  Commanders, who laid down their lives in defence of it did most willingly joyn with the Neighbour Gentry in this Solemnity. Therefore on Fryday morning last, (June 7) Capt. Peeke and Capt. Lambe (two Captains of that Town’s Trained Bands) caus’d their Drums to be beaten for their Companies to appear by one of the clock that afternoon : which they chearfully did, to the number of full 300 men, very completely arm’d; the Solemnity began at the Recorder’s house, as well it might, not onely because the Recorder himself (John Shaw Esquire, a Member of this Parliament) took much worthy care to have it Honorably  performed, but also in regard ’twas that very house, in which the Corps of those two Noble Knights were first brought, after they had been so basely murther’d and stripp’d; when the language of those Butchers was, Now make much of your great Friends.

Thence therefore were two coffins sent down, and about three in the afternoon the Trained Bands being come to the House, they marched in this manner:  First Mr. Fromarteel, Captain Lambs Lieutenant, and after him the Musqueteers of both bands: Then Mr Cresfield, Capt. Peek’s Lieutenant, after whom followed the Pikes of both bands: Then Mr. Flanner and Mr Emans the two Ensigns and then both the Captains in their several Funeral postures, (wherein Captain Tyrrel, and Captain Waghorn were willing Associats) Next these marched Mr Thurston who carried the gilt spurs upon a black staff; after him a gilt sword in a velvet scabbard, born by that loyal and valiant Capt. William Harris (an Officer under  Sir Charles Lucas from the beginning of the War) the Gantlet carried by Mr Tho. Tulcot, the Helmet by Mr. Andrew Fromarteel; the breast by Mr John Robinson; and the back by Mr. John Merridale. Then Sir Charles Lucas his Eschutcheon was born by Mr, Tho. Ruse, and another for Sir George Lisle : Then two led Horses covered with mourning. After them two Trumpets, and then Mr. Laifield who preached the Funeral sermon (attended by two Clergy men, one on each hand) Then followed Sir Charles Lucas his Coffin carried upon six Pikes tied with match, born by Capt. Street, Mr. Mason, Mr. Wiggs, and Mr. Peter Soans in mourning;  all of Sir Charles his own Regiment ; and the Pall supported by six; viz, John Eldred sen. Hen. Ayloffe,   Tho. Tulcot, Francis Nicholson, John Eldred junior, and George Sandford, all Esquires of good quality in that county , each of which were attended by an Officer bare-headed. Then followed three Clergy-men more, and after them Sir George Lisle’s Coffin carried as the former upon pikes by four of his Officers in mourning, and his Pall born by six proper Gentlemen, viz. Mr. Thomas Beasen, Mr. Francis Wheeler, Mr. John Aylett, Mr. Mott of Stoake, Mr. Thomas Wyatt, and Captain Stephens; each of these also had a Town Officer bare-headed attending him. After these Coffins was born the great Mace of the Town cover’d with black Cypress: Then followed in their black Gowns , the Deputy-Mayor, and the Recorder (the Mayor himself being out of Town) Then all the Aldermen, with the Chamberlain, Town-Clerk, Assistants and Common- Councel all in their Gowns, accompany’d with at least Ten thousand Gentlemen and Inhabitants of the Town and County, (had they been millions they had not been a man too many) In this manner they went through the chief streets of the Town to St Gyles’s Church, where the Lord Lucas his Ancestors are interr’d . Being come to Church after Prayers Mr Laifield made a very learned and pious sermon, and then  gave a Narrative of the Life and Death of Sir Charles Lucas, who was well known to him, and as much as he knew of Sir George Lisle, concluding with a commendation of the Magistrates and Inhabitants of Colchester for their Loyalty, and of the Town it self, which anciently had been a famous City.  After Sermon the door of the Lord Lucas his Vault being open’d, the two Coffins were carried down, & the Gentlemen that bore the several pieces of Armor went into the Vault, the Drums beating a march until they all came out of the Vault, and then the Musquetiers gave three great Volleys with great acclamations,  and then march’d back into the Town, where again they gave several Volleys, concluding the Ceremony with ringing of bells in all Churches of the Town.

Thus these two right-valiant Knights had all the Retribution that Colchester (we might say Essex) could pay unto them; though all their own Friends (be they twice Ten thousand) cannot honour them more then their Enemies did,  when out of so many Commanders and persons of Honour as were lockt up in Colchester, the Enemy excepted these two brave Knights, confessing thereby they were afraid to let them live; But know ( when Ireton and others who butcher’d them basely in cold blood, are themselves found unworthy of a Grave, their loathsome carcasses being dragg’d and buried by the common-Hangman) these Noble Knights are revived again by this living Funeral, on the seventh of June, which was the very day that they first took Arms in the County of Essex.

Acknowledgements:

Researcher: Tony Rowland With thanks to The Sealed Knot and in particular the Sir George Lisle's - A Royalist Regiment of The Sealed Knot who have corrected and provided this evidence of the date of reinterment, a date which for many years has been recorded five days too early.