TfrE PEtYS OF SOUTH DORSET. 37 



Grange to old Mr. Serjeant Bond's welcome home and dined 

 with him." Mr. Richards was not slow in shewing his 

 appreciation of the friendship of his more valued acquaintances. 

 Some time afterwards he dined again with Mr. Bond " to 

 whome," he says, "I then presented my 12 silver-hafted knives 

 and ye 12 forks belonging to 'em." * No evidence here of the 

 boorishness of the country squire of the seventeenth century, of 

 which Macaulay wrote ! 



When Mr. Weld presented Mr. Richards with a haunch of 

 venison, he at once called together his friends to partake of it. 



About this time the 'squire wished to enlarge his borders. 

 Watercombe is a farm in Warm well Parish, and Mr. Richards 

 coveted it. "This 26 April, 1698, at Puddletown Fair, told old 

 Mr. Loder, of Dorchr.,f that I could propose something to him 

 that might be worth him some guineas." On the face of it a 

 very kind proposal! " Monday, the 2 May, 1698. Meeting old 

 Loder this day at the Antelope yard at Dorchr., I took him 

 thence to Mrs. Baker's coffee-house and told him my inclination 

 to purchase Watercomb, and that if he could bring it abot. I 

 would give him cinq ps d'oru " (i.e., five pieces of gold; guineas 

 we may suppose). Cunning Mr. Richards! But it does not 

 seem that his wish was ever gratified. Next year, however, he 

 did buy another estate close to Warmwell, viz., the Manor of 

 Lewel. The 'squire shall tell the story of how it came about in 

 his own words: "Sunday, the iyth Sept., 1699. This day Mr. 

 Jno. Wms., of Lewell, was here and dined with me, when he 

 offered me Lewell farme and all its appurtenances and estates 

 at Lewell for ^5,200." "Wednesday, the 20th, ditto. This 

 morning Mr. Jno. Wms., of Lewell, came, as he pretended, to 

 shew me an old Lease of letting his farme at ^240 p. ami., but, 

 indeed, as it appeared, to tell me he would sell it for ,5,000." J 



* Mr. Nathaniel Bond, of Creech Grange, the Great-great-great-grandson of 

 Serjeant Bond, tells me that he now has these knives and forks in his possession. 



t Doubtless Andrew Loder, sen., Mayor of Dorchester, 1694 (2 Hutchim' Hist. 

 Dorset, Ed. 3, 354), buried at All Saints' Church, 1707 (ibid 378). 



$ The equivalent of about 10,000 at the present day. 



