THE STORY OF THE BETTISCOMBE SKULL. 197 



demolished the Customs House, and burnt several other 

 institutions and houses. The case was tried at bar in the 

 King's Bench at Westminster by a special jury of the county of 

 Berks. The trial began on October 25th, 1832, and lasted 

 seven days, and ended, after an elaborate summing-up by 

 Littledale, J., in the acquittal of the defendant. Eminent 

 counsel were engaged on both sides. The case was further 

 interesting from the fact that after a day or two Lord 

 Tenterden, C.J., was obliged to discontinue his attendance 

 through i Iness, under which he had for some time been 

 labouring, and which in a few days terminated fatally. 



This brings me down to modern history, and to a time not 

 long after, I should say, the skull must have taken up its 

 abode at Bettiscombe, so that I will not attempt to trespass 

 further upon private family history. But I should be glad if 

 any later member of the Pinney family could say when the 

 occupation of the old home at Bettiscombe was given up (I 

 have said that for many years it had been let as a farm- 

 house),* or when the skull is first known to have made its 

 appearance there. 



It will have been noticed that two members of the family 

 were concerned in the Monmouth Rebellion, Azariah and 

 John. This circumstance, and the transportation to the West 

 Indies, are confirmed by a letter that I recently received 

 from the before-mentioned old Dorset lady to whom I had 

 written, telling her of the result of my visit to Nevis. She 

 writes to me : "It confirms a lot of the old legend, and 



* Colonel Reginald Pinney, a direct descendant of John (Pretor) Pinney, 

 and now re.siding at Broadwindsor, Dorset, has recently informed me that 

 the Pinneys lost Bettiscombe by not renewing the lease with the Brownes of 

 Frampton, Dorset. John Frederick Pinney had quarrelled with the owner 

 of Frampton at that time, and neither would nominate a life (the tenure 

 being lifehold), so, on the death of John Frederick Pinney, the manor reverted 

 to the survivor Browne. In the meantime, Azariah and his cousin, John 

 Frederick Pinney, had built Racedown Lodge, in the parish of Thorncombe 

 (the future home of Wordsworth, the poet), so their successor John (Pretor) 

 Pinney removed to this place. 



