By the Bev. W. II. Awdry. 327 



well-known school-boys' copy, " If thou art ignorant, be not ashamed 

 ..." but he never finishes the copy or practises the moral it is 

 intended to convey. 



Ludgershall would seem to have had its iales of romance in later 

 years. I remember a nephew of mine who was staying with me 

 for his holidays getting hold of a then very popular novel, in which 

 he appeared deeply interested. I asked him how he liked his book. 

 " Awfully," was the reply, " it's all about love and murder." It 

 was his idea of romance, you see, and I suppose the author's. If 

 it be a correct idea Ludgershall has had its share, for I read that a 

 son of a former occupier of the Castle Farm (1789) being crossed 

 in love, first destroyed the object of his affections and then died by 

 his own hand. He was buried as a suicide at the foot of Windmill 

 Hill. A tradition also exists of a maiden who drowned herself for 

 love (1729) in the village pond. It must have been a hard matter, 

 one would think, but the register tells me that by that time she had 

 reached the somewhat mature age of 39 years, and had, no doubt, 

 become a very determined character. 



A few years ago there was found among the rubbish in a loft at 

 Crawlboys Farm a diary, written on parchment, kept by a certain 

 John Capps — who by his own showing was a servant to Mr. Borlase 

 Webb (the achievement hanging up in Ludgershall Church shews 

 that General Webb was twice married, (1) to one of the Borlase 

 family of Cornwall ; (2) to a Vilett, of Swindon) , which contains 

 many curious allusions to events which happened in his time. It 

 begins thus : — 



" 1713. Dyed my grandfather, James Capps." 

 " 1714. Dyed that great Princess Queen Anne." 



It goes on to tell of eclipses, meteors, and the prices of provisions, 

 meat being very dear at 2>\il. a lb. in 1759; it had risen to hcl. and 

 M. in 1771. His accounts of the struggles of party politics in his 

 time are very interesting, but too long to re-produce here to-night. 

 I shall be happy to show the diary to anyone who is curious on the 

 subject. I must, however, read you the account of how there was a 



