Communicated by Ur. James Waylen. 65 
writing this he was at Lacock, visiting Lady Stapylton, on his way 
out of Devonshire towards Yorkshire, protected by a pass from Sir 
Thomas Fairfax. The family prejudices were, no doubt, in favour 
of royalism rather than of the Parliament’s cause, for Sir Francis 
had been knighted at the coronation of King Charles, who enter- 
tained at the commencement of the war so high an opinion of his 
attachment as to entrust him with the government of Doncaster 
Castle, and afterwards with that of Lincoln Castle. How long he 
held these posts is not stated; he appears to have laid down his 
arms in the spring of 1644; his first petition to Goldsmiths’ Hall 
to be admitted to compound is dated 29th December, 1645, and 
his signing the Covenant, in the presence of William Barton, 
minister of John Zachary’s, is dated 7th May, 1646. His petition 
** Sheweth—that whereas power and authority is committed unto 
this honourable committee to receive petitions from such as, having 
taken arms ov the King’s party, do dona fide desire to come in and 
submit themselves, the petitioner, who hath unadvisedly served in that 
kind, to take up arms on the King’s party, and desires unfeignedly 
to come in and submit to the Parliament, doth humbly beseech this 
honourable committee to admit him to make composition and hereafter 
to remain in the grace, favour, and protection of Parliament, &c.” 
Sir Francis’s estates were dispersed in Yorkshire, Huntingdon- 
shire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and “the Savoy near London.” 
In Wiltshire he is seised of a freehold during two lives of and in 
the rectory of Melksham and the manor of Cannounhold, held of the 
Dean and Chapter of Sarum, worth before the troubles £100 per 
annum. Another freehold during one life of certain lands and 
tenements in the forest of Blackmore, worth before the troubles £50 
per annum. In mitigation of his fine he declares that his debts 
amount to £2550, besides interest thereon for two years. Moreover, 
his personal estate, to the value of near £5000, has all been seized 
and sold for the use of the State. He further prays for abatement 
in consideration of his having, previous to his marriage with the 
Lady Darcy, and before any act of delinquency on his part, handed 
over to the following feoffees, Sir William Armyn, William West, 
and John West, £400 a year levied on lands in Yorkshire, parcel of 
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