58 THE COKE PAPERS AT MELBOURNE HALL. 



of Appletree, in two other farmers' houses being tenants to Mr. 

 Barnsley we found the Hke. 



Furthermore, for that we received notice from Mr. Levinge, a 

 counseller in the Inner Temple, and a gentleman of good credit, 

 that there had been examinations taken in Leicestershire by the 

 Lieutenant or Deputy Lieutenants there, and that one of the 

 examinants had confessed that there had been formerly divers 

 meetings secretly in Charnwood Forest in the county of Leicester, 

 by the recusants, and that they intended another meeting shortly 

 after at the house of one Steedman in Over Thurvaston in the 

 county of Derby, or else at Hedleston Hall not far from Steed- 

 man's house, who is baihff to Sir Henry Shirley and Sir Basil 

 Brook of Shropshire, we thought fit to search those two houses as 

 suspected. At Hedleston Hall we found nothing, nor no man 

 dwelling, but the house void of a tenant. But at Bailiff Steed- 

 man's house we saw a great preparation of bedding and victuals 

 brought in whilst we were there. And we demanding wherefore 

 all that provision was there, Steedman told us that Sir Henry 

 Shirley, his master, and Sir Basil Brook* were expected to come 

 thither either that night being the 2nd of November, or very 

 shortly after, with some others, there to hawk two or three days, 

 but we understand since that that meeting held not by reason 

 that Sir John Merry's house in Leicestershire, and also his house 

 at Barton in Derbyshire, were strictly searched for arms the day 

 before which made them forbear in respect that Sir Henry Merry 

 should have been a principal man there as we had good cause to 

 think. 



Thus have I been bold to certify you what we observed in 

 these papists' houses ; there are many other recusants and 

 Romish affected in these Hundreds, but of mean estate. 



Further there have been divers great assemblies of great persons 

 Romishly affected under pretence of a marriage had betwixt Mr. 

 Thomas Eare his son, of Hassop in this county, and Sir Francis 



* Proceedings against Sir Basil Brook ; Journals of the House of Commons, 

 24 April, 1641. 



