362 The Falstone Day- Book. 
witnesses told how he had been seen associating with King’s 
officers at the White Bear, in Salisbury, and that his man carried a 
“‘snaphance-piece.”? And they add a graphic touch to their narra- 
tive which may as well be recited for its singularity. Lord 
Clarendon tells us that when Sir Ralph Hopton’s musket-match 
was running short during his occupancy of Devizes, he replenished 
that article by collecting all the bed-cords and bedding throughout 
the town and converting the material into regulation-fusees. So 
it came to be said that Sir Ralph had “ held out Devizes with bed- 
cords” ; and a piece of hempen cord worn as a hat-band continued 
for some brief period among the Royalists to be an emblem of 
triumph. Mr. Thistlethwayte, it was shown, had been guilty of 
indulging in this species of decoration, and his delinquency was 
therefore unchallenged. This examination at Falstone House took 
place on 13th October, 1646; but no fine is recorded. 
Alexander’s successor in the shrievalty was his friend Sir Anthony 
Ashley Cooper, afterwards Lord Shaftesbury. Leave was given 
him by the Parliament to reside out of Wiltshire during his shriev- 
alty ; he nevertheless spent much time here, and accordingly rented 
Mr. Hyde’s house in the Close next to the Deanery. When he 
revolted from the King, the Goldsmith’s Hall Committee proposed 
the moderate composition of £500, which the House confirmed ; 
but it does not appear to have been ever levied. There is a note 
among the Shaftesbury papers, says Mr. Christie, his biographer, 
stating that this fine was discharged by Cromwell in 1657. On 
16th December, 1646, soon after his nomination as sheriff, he was, 
by ordinance, added to our Wilts and Dorset Committee for contri- 
butions to Sir Thomas Fairfax’s army. See Sir Anthony’s private 
journal, an interesting record of events in Wiltshire durmg the 
period now under review. 
10th January. Several horses were brought in this day; one bright bay, by 
Thomas Whiteheart, value £7—allowed in the rent of Mr. Thomas Mompesson’s 
farm at Little Bathampton—with others contributed by Bridget Ballard, of 
Wiley, Francis Collyer, of Steeple Langford, John Lawes, of Newton, Jane 
Bundy, of Great Amesbury, and Anthony Trotman. 
Vaughan Friend, accused of detaining in his custody certain arms belonging 
