Communicated by Mr. James Waylen. 327 
personal, in this county, they cannot discover that he hath any at 
present, and in reversion hath only £50 per annum, fee simple, after 
the decease of his father, William Bennett, of South Marston, 
aforesaid, viz, £40 there, and £10 at Stratton. His father dying 
some few years after, he petitioned to compound for the said estates 
in July, 1650, and paid, ‘ata sixth,” £150. 
Tuomas Bennett, of Pyt House, Esq., and his son, John Bennett, 
gent. The most weighty charge against Mr. Bennett was his 
having sat with the judges on the illegal Salisbury Commission of 
1643. Another was contained in a letter sent from Falstone 
garrison to the effect that, notwithstanding that he had appeared 
before the Wilts Committee at Falstone, and made for his delin- 
quency, which was great, some compensation; yet both himself 
and his son were known to be great sticklers and ringleaders in the 
Club-business, especially at Shaftesbury, where he and others met 
to concert measures for resisting Sir Thomas Fairfax’s army at 
Sherbourn, and was along with the rest taken prisoner. In his 
defence Mr. Bennett admitted that, being aged, and living in the 
King’s quarters, he had been overruled to sit in some commissions 
for the King rather than forsake his house and family with his wife 
and thirteen children ; but he afterwards repaired to the Committee 
sitting at Fallersdown (Falstone) where he disbursed for his five- 
and-twentieth part, and for other matters objected against him, the 
sum of £67; and he also lent to Edmund Ludlow, to sustain his 
garrison at Wardour Castle, £100, receiving in return a warrant for 
his protection and indemnity for the future. Nevertheless, shortly 
after, by the menaces and threats of the country-people he was 
enforced to shew himself sometimes at the club-meetings ; but he 
never thought of doing anything against the authority of Parlia- 
ment; and after General Fairfax had deelared his dislike of them he 
abstained, and caused his neighbours to refrain. He craves dispatch, 
as his long abode in London is very pre} udicial to his age and con- 
stitution; and he hopes that consideration will be had to his great 
charge of children, to the harmlessness of his intentions, and to his 
former disbursements for the service of the Parliament. Signed, 
Ist November, 1645. In another petition he protests that when 
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