Communicated by Mr. James Waylen. 77 
Long, Esq., and others, he utterly refused it, as Mr. Arthur Violet, 
of Swindon, was ready to prove. On the submission of the county 
to the Parliament’s sway, he at once waited on the committee at 
Malmesbury, foreswore all adherence to the Royal party, took the 
National Covenant and the Negative Oath, and paid a fine which 
he hoped would purge his delinquency and save his estate from 
sequestration. But this final deliverance could only be effected in 
London, where he lost much time in waiting about at the doors of 
committee rooms. At last he got his petition and his “ particular ti 
received in August, 1647, and two years later learnt that his fine 
amounted to £413. A lengthy testimonial in his favour, describing 
his good offices towards his neighbours and his journeying twice to 
Oxford in their behalf, asserting moreover that he had never borne 
arms or acted in any respect contrary to the Parliament’s proceedings, 
closes thus :—‘ We, whose names are subscribed, being sworn 
before the committee sitting at the Devizes, do attest the abovesaid 
premises touching Richard Goddard, Esq., to be true. John Sadler, 
William Yorke, John Fisher, Giles Aldworth, Peter Keeblewhite, 
William Lawrence. A true copy examined by me, John Strange, 
clerk to the Wilts Committee.” 
Mr. Goddard had an estate in fee simple of lands in Wroughton 
and Swindon of the yearly value of £276 18s. 4d., and in old rents 
there, £3 lls. 8d., but he claimed allowance in respect of the 
following encumbrances (with what success does not appear) :— 
George Fettiplace, of Lincoln’s Inn, trustee for the compounder’s 
deceased father, Thomas Goddard, maketh oath that Richard has to 
“pay £500 apiece to his two brothers, Oliver and Edward, at the 
age of 22, the amounts being still due. William Alford, of Pirton, 
claims a debt of £200, besides interest, charged on said lands by 
deed of compounder’s father. Lucy Stephens, of Steventon, Berks, 
wife of Edward Stephens, claims an annuity of £16, chargeable on 
the same lands. Anne Sichell, wife of John Sichell, of Swindon, 
makes a similar demand for £20 per annum, 
Richard Goddard’s will, dated 29th April, 1650, makes bequest, 
inter alia, of land and tenements, now worth about £12 per annum, 
to the poor of Swindon ; which remained undiscovered by the parish 
