37 
if they had not retained the castle of Banbury, which the 
opposing party never succeeded in taking, although 
they often so endeavoured. The church, situate a short 
distance north of the mansion, seems to have incurred 
the vengeance of the Parliamentary leaders, when they 
destroyed the monuments it contained, as the present struc- 
ture appears to have been built soon after the Restoration, 
A.D. 1662. The mutilated sepulchral effigies it contains 
have been well cared for, being arranged on raised slabs. 
They are a monument of the barbarous warfare, worthy of 
the Paris Commune, against the effigies of departed worthies 
here, as elsewhere, carried on by the forces of the 
Parliament. 
A few years ago this mansion was in a state of partial 
dilapidation; it has since been properly restored with judg- 
ment and taste. It still remains a seat of the Compton 
family, of the present Marquis of Northampton. I shall 
have occasion to refer to it again. 
In the possession of the Earl of Denbigh, of Newnham 
Padox, are two volumes of valuable manuscript letters, 
relating to the Civil Wars, mostly addressed to Basil, second 
Earl of Denbigh, when commander of the Parliamentary 
forces for the Midland Associated Counties. I am indebted 
to the late Earl of Denbigh for a leisurely perusal of these 
yolumes, with permission to make extracts. Few of these 
letters, however, relate to incidents which took place in 
Warwickshire. 
One of them contains particulars relating to a contest in 
and near Alcester, of which I have not yet met with any 
other account. It is as follows:— 
“My Lord,—Since your departure from Warwickshire 
maior Freeser myselfe and some of your Lordships Captins 
