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5. 
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By C. Penruddocke. 13 
Here King Charles very graciously dismissed his faithful Penderels,' 
and was duly introduced to the secret hiding-place intended for his 
lodging. Next day—Monday, September the 8th, some soldiers 
eame to the house, but did not make any serious search, though on 
the same day Boscobel House was searched narrowly by two parties 
of the Republicans, one of which plundered the family of their 
stock of provisions, and threatened the life of William Penderel, 
- from whom, however, they could extract no intelligence. 
On Tuesday, September 9th, the soldiers having traced the King’s 
route as far as White Ladies by information forced from a captured 
Royalist, despatched a party there, and threatening the family with 
their pistols, broke down the wainscoting in search of the Royal 
fugitive, and towards the evening more soldiers under the command 
of Southall, “the Priest Catcher,” very nearly discovered the lost 
traces of the King from White Ladies. Mr. Whitgrave shewed 
great presence of mind in receiving them, and so disarmed suspicion 
while Charles hastily scrambled up the brewhouse chimney and got 
to his hiding-place. The King’s appearance just now as he appeared 
before good Father Huddleston was not prepossessing. On his head 
a very greasy old grey steeple-crowned hat with the brim turned up 
—without lining or a hat-band—the sweat appearing two inches 
deep through it round the band place. A green cloth “jump” 
coat, thread-bare, even to the threads being worn white, and breeches 
of the same with long knees down to the garter, with an old sweaty 
leathern doublet, a pair of white flannel stockings next his legs, 
which the King said were his boot stockings (stockings worn by 
Cavaliers with lace on them), their tops being cut off to prevent 
their being discovered, and upon these a pair of old green yarn 
stockings, all worn and darned at the knees with their feet cut off, 
which last he said he had of Mr. Wolfe, who persuaded him thereto 
to hide his other white ones for fear of being observed. His shoes 
1The late Mr. Hodder, in Westropp’s article in the eighteenth volume of The 
Antiquary, mentions a silver ring set with a yellow tapering diamond and a 
small ruby, which has been preserved in the Penderel family as that given by 
King Charles II, in token of gratitude for the fidelity which saved him in the 
oak at Boscobel after the battle of Worcester. It now belongs to Mr. Whiteley, 
of Beckington, Somerset, fifth in descent from Penderel. 
