By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson, F.S.A. 69 
the floor of the hall at the foot of a staircase, dead, but without any 
outward mark of violence. Bowes, the messenger, further told Sir 
Thomas Blount that on the Sunday, being Abingdon Fair-day, Lady 
Dudley had herself given the rather strange order that all her 
household should go to the Fair. Mrs. Odingsell (Mr. Hyde’s sister, 
the lady companion, or housekeeper) remonstrated with her, that 
the day was not a proper day for decent folks to go to the Fair; 
whereupon Lady Dudley grew very angry, and said: “she (Mrs. 
Odingsell) might do as she pleased, but all er people should go:” 
They accordingly went, leaving in the house, so far as appears, none 
but the three women, Lady Dudley, Mrs. Owen and Mrs. Odingsell: 
for there is no mention whatever in Blount’s account of the matter, 
of any man being then in or about the house. When Sir Thomas 
Blount had heard all this on the road, from Bowes the messenger, 
Bowes passed on to Windsor: and Blount, instead of going straight 
to Cumnor Place, stopped at Abingdon, four miles short of it; and 
being curious to hear what was said, ‘puts up his horse, stays the 
night (Monday night), calls in the landlord, pretends that he is 
riding into Gloucestershire, and by way of talk asks “ What news 
in these parts?” 
Says the landlord, “There was fallen a great misfortune within 
three or four miles of the town. My Lord Robert Dudley’s wife 
was dead.” ; 
Blount asked, “ How was that?” 
The landlord replied “ By a misfortune as he heard : by a fall from 
a pair of stairs.” ! 
Blount asked, “‘ By what chance ?” 
The landlord did not know. 
Blount asked, “ What was his judgment and the judgment of the 
people? ” 
He said, cautiously enough, “ Some said well, and some said evil.” 
What do you think?” asked Blount. 
The landlord said, “ He thought it must be a misfortune, because 
1A pair of stairs, in the West of England, means a stair-case with two 
landings. 
