391 



Wiltshire during the Civil Wars : Proposed History. — 

 J. Waylen proposes to re-publish a Political, Military, and Domestic 

 History of this county, during the contests of the 17th century; 

 to be illustrated with Engravings designed by himself. In 

 furtherance of such a work, the loan of, or privilege of access 

 to, original documents, such as warrants, inquisitions, parish entries, 

 and private letters, connected with that period, will be esteemed a 

 favour, and will be duly acknowledged. To be published by sub- 

 scription, in the form of a thick imperial octavo ; price not to exceed 

 a guinea. 



[N.B. The work will contain an account of the estates of all 

 the royalists in the county.] 



The accompanying woodcut represents the killing of Captain 

 Henry Penruddocke, which was perpetrated at West Lavington, 

 in the house (still standing) of Mr. Beckett, by a party of Ludlow's 

 troopers, in December, 1G44. A contemporary newspaper describes 

 the circumstances as follows : — 



" Finding young Mr. Penruddocke, (second son of Sir John 

 Penruddocke, late sheriff of the county), in one of the rooms where 

 he was fallen asleep in a chair, after two nights of hard service, 

 they pulled him by the hair, knocked him down, and broke two 

 pistols over his head, without so much as tendering him quarter. 

 The gentlewoman of the house and her two daughters then fell 

 upon their knees before the soldiers, begging for the life of their 

 guest, declaring that he was a gentleman, and whose son he was; 

 upon which one of the troopers, who was a collier, swore that he 

 should die for his father's sake, and putting a pistol to bis belly 

 shot him dead." 



i Be was brother to Col. John Penruddocke, who was beheaded 

 by Cromwell at Exeter, May, 1665. Ed. ] 



3 i 



