CASTLE CART. 99 



September, 1651.* Here, according to the account given 

 in the Boscobel Tracts, the king rested for the night at 

 Mr. Edward Kirton's house ; sending forward Lord 

 "Wilmot, one of bis faithful cornpanions, to Col. Wynd- 

 ham's house at Trent, to prepare him for his reception 

 there the next day. Mr. Edward Kirton is believed to 

 have been the Steward of William Seymour, Marquis of 

 Hertford, aud afterwards Duke of Somerset, then the 

 proprietor of the manor house of Castle Cary, in which 

 house his steward probably received the king.j 



* The following is the exact copy of the passage in the Boscobel Tracts: 

 —First, as the king dictated to Mr. Phelps: "Accordingly the next morn- 

 ing (September 16, 1651) we went directly to Trent, to Frank Wyndham's 

 house, and lay that night at Castle Cary, and next night came to Trent, 

 where I had appointed my Lord "Wilmot to ineet me, &c." 



Boscobel Tracts, p. 151. 



Again, p. 244-5 : " Lord "Wilmot rode to Trent on Monday, to make 

 way for his (y e king's) more private reception, &c. Tuesday morning, 

 September 16, his majesty's ague being then (as was pretended) in ye recess, 

 he repaired to the stable, and there gave order for making ready the horses, 

 and then it was signified by Mrs. Lane (tho' before so agreed) that William 

 Jackson (ye king) should ride Single, and carry the portmanteau. Accor- 

 dingly they mounted, being attended part of the way by one of Mr. 

 Norton's men as a guide, and that day rode thro' the body of Somersetshire, 

 to Mr. Edward Kirton's house, in Castle Cary, near Bruton, where his 

 majesty lay that night, and next morning arrived at Col. "Wyndham's said 

 house, &c." 



t N.B.— Edward, the first Duke of Somerset, is said to have bought the 

 estate and manor of Castle Cary. It is certain they were now in possession 

 of William, Marquis of Hertford and Duke of Somerset. See a MS. note 

 of the Et. Hon. H. Hobhouse, in Phelps's Somerset, ad locum. 



