24 Notes from the Diary of Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, 



this day a Justice of the peace for the County of Wilts before Mr. Turner. The 

 Justices present this day were Mr. William Eyre the younger, Mr. Edward 

 Tooker, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Joy, Mr. Hussey, Mr. Giles Eyre, Mr. Turner, Mr. 

 Dove, Mr. Barnaby Coles, Mr. Francis Swanton. I am in commission for oyer 



and terminer this whole circuit. On the 11th Sir John Danvers came and 



sat with us. Seven were condemned to die, four for horsestealing, two for 

 robbery, one for killing his wife ; he broke her neck with his hands ; it was 

 proved that he touching her body the day after, her nose bled afresh ; four burnt 

 in the hand, one for felony, three for manslaughter ; the same sign followed one 



of them, viz., of the corpse bleeding. 12. I and the SherifE of Wilts begged 



the life of one Prichett one of those seven condemned, because he had been a 

 Parliament Soldier. I waited on the Judges to Dorchester. 



"August 15. Sat at the Dorchester Committee .... I got the par- 

 sonage of Ahers for the repair of Harnham bridge at Salisbury. 17th. 



Went to Wimborne to my cousin Hannam's. Met my cousin Earle and divers 

 other gentlemen at Brianston bowling-green, where we bowled all day, and in 



the evening Mr. Earle and I went to Tollard to Mr. Plott's. 28th. Came 



to Madington in Wiltshire to see my uncle Tooker. 10th Sep. Came to 



my house in Holborn whei'e my wife and her mother were. 



" October 6. Came to Marlborough to the Quarter Sessions, where Mr. 

 Hussey, Judge, myself, and Mr. William Eyre the younger, Edward Tooker, 

 Francis Swanton, George Joy, Mr. Bennett of Norton, and Mr. Howe of Berwick 



■were Justices. 7th. Sat at the quarter sessions all the day. 8th. 



Sat at the quarter sessions part of the morning and went afterwards to Purton. 



12th. Came from Purton to Marlborough and lay at the Bear. • 



13th. Came to Salisbury and lay at my uncle Tooker's. 



" December. 1 was by both houses of Parliament made High SherifE of the 

 County of Wilts. I was by Ordinance of Parliament made one of the Committee 



of Dorset and Wilts for Sir Thomas Fairfax's army contribution. Mr. 



William Eyres a hencher of Lincoln's Inn, died, a special friend of mine, and 



made me one of his executors in trust and gave me £10 in plate. 16th. I 



and my wife and sister removed from my house at London towards Salisbury 



and came to Egham. 17th. To Basiugstoke. 18th. Came to my 



house at SaKsbury. I rented Mr. Hyde's house in the Close nest to the Deanery. 



" 1647. March 13th. The Judges came into Salisbury, Justice Rolle and 

 Sergeant Godbolt. They went hence the 17th. I had sixty men in liveries, and 

 kept an ordinary for all gentlemen at Lawes's, four shillings, and two shillings 

 for blue men. I paid for all. There were sixteen condemned to die, whereof 

 fourteen suifered. George Phillips condemned for stealing a horse, I got his 

 reprieve, and another for the like offence was reprieved by the Judge. There 

 were more burnt in the hand than condemned. 



" 29th. My wife miscarried of a child she was eleven weeks gone with. 



" This month I raised the country twice and beat out the soldiers designed for 

 Ireland, who quartered on the county without order and committed many 



robberies. April 5th to 8th. Came to Pawlet and kept my court there. 



■ 2-lth. I was bound in three bonds for my brother John Coventry, first 



to Giles Eyre of Whiteparish in Wilts Esq. for £150, we two only — 2nd to 

 Dorothy and Anne Awbery daughters of William Aubery of Meere Esq. for £390, 



