296 Chippenham, and the Neighbourhood, 



been miserably maimed by an explosion of gunpowder on Lansdown ; 

 blind, deaf, and unable to speak, he was borne on a litter in the 

 van of the advancing army ; he had a house at Langley, moated 

 and embattled, and still standing — but here was no safe shelter for 

 the wounded warrior. No doubt he found a kind resting-place 

 that night, and the gentle nurse he so much needed, in the house of 

 one of the devoted cavaliers of Chippenham. There is frequent 

 mention of the family of Goldney, and of a Gabriel Goldney also, 

 at this date. 



It was Sunday morning, the 9th of July, 1643, and Francis 

 Dewy was Vicar — he did not live to look upon the deadly strife 

 in which his parishioners were doomed so often to take part. He 

 died in September, the same year. "Whether on that Sunday 

 morning he was able to gather his flock into the house of God, 

 and whether that soothing Scripture out of the 2nd Lesson for 

 the morning service, " When ye shall hear of wars and commotions 

 be not terrified," brought any comfort of faith to any trembling 

 heart, we cannot say. No fight actually took place that day in 

 Chippenham ; the weight of the impending storm was reserved to 

 burst with double fury on Devizes. 



As the cavaliers left the town, Waller, with forces now consider- 

 ably increased, immediately entered : and as soon as there was 

 space on the south side of the town to deploy, launched his heavy 

 horses on the compact columns before him. They were repulsed 

 by Sir Nicholas Slanning, and the Cornish fusileers, but again and 

 again returned to the charge. All through Pewsham forest, up 

 Derry Hill, and along Sandy Lane, a running fight went on, till 

 about 12 o'clock a trumpeter with a white flag rode into the 

 royalists lines with a letter from Waller, ofiering a pitched field. 

 As this was evidently a mere stratagem to retard their progress 

 while he brought up his heavy guns, they carried the messenger 

 with them three or four miles on the march, and then dismissed 

 him. The refusal was followed by another combined onslaught — 

 again Slanning turned and inflicted a damaging recoil — near 

 Bromham Hall another desperate struggle took place, till fighting 

 foot by foot, from field to field, and hedge to hedge, the harassed 



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