190 THE STORY OF THE BETTISCOMBE SKULL. 



returned from Nevis evidently a prosperous man*, and who, 

 it is said, died in 1710 and was " buried in London," the 

 same person as the " Azarias Pinney, of Axminster," sen- 

 tenced to be executed at Bridport by Judge Jeffreys in 

 September, 1685 ? Is it a fact that after that clear 

 sentence and place of execution named, he was respited and 

 shipped to Nevis ? I should have thought that it would be 

 very unusual for any person sent out under such circumstances 

 not only to obtain his freedom so soon, but to amass money or 

 estates. What authority had Miss Palgrave for the statement 

 that Azariah Pinney (" from Bettiscomb ") was transported 

 to Nevis in 1688, as the above extract from her book would 

 infer ? Is this date not a mistake for 1685 ? At that time 

 these doubts appeared so serious to me that I asked the 

 question whether there must not have been two Azariah 

 Pinneys, one " of Axminster," sentenced by Jeffreys and 

 executed at Bridport in 1685 and the other, " from Bettis- 

 comb," shipped to Nevis in 1688 (1685 ?) as stated by Miss 

 Palgrave ? But the coincidences were almost too startling to 

 credit this. One thing, however, was certain that Azariah 

 Pinney of Nevis, who died in 1719 and whose tablet is in 

 Bettiscombe church, could not have been the Azariah Pinney 

 who, as Hutchins states, restored the old manor-house at 

 Bettiscombe and died in 1760. Fortunately for me, a 'ew 

 months later (December, 1903) in the same periodical, 



* That Azariah Pinney was well-established in business in Nevis may be 

 gathered from the Court records in that island, amongst which may be found 

 a certificate of purchase to Azariah Pinney and Richard JVleriwether, of London, 

 merchant planters, of land formerly of Robert Lorey, containing 20 acres, in 

 satisfaction of a certain judgment dated 2nd May, 1710 (?). Two Powers of 

 Attorney from merchants in London to Mr. Azariah Pinney of Nevis, merchant, 

 dated 20th December, 1714, and 25th October, 1715 respectively, arc 

 also recorded. 



I have recently (1909) been perusing some very fragile old papers, temp : 

 Queen Anne and George I., sent me by Miss Huggins, in which Azariah Pinney 

 is referred to one dated 26th May, 1719 (the year of his death), conveying an 

 estate in Gingerland, Nevis, to him to secure the advance of 1,000. 



