212 WEYMOUTH AND THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



subsequently held), 500. The scheme of this cleverly- 

 hatched conspiracy was that Melcombe should be attacked 

 by Sir Lewis Dyve on that night, and that, simultaneously, 

 part of the King's forces in Portland, reinforced by the 

 Islanders there, should come out and seize the Chapel and 

 Nothe forts on Wey mouth side. Besides these, there 

 were conspirators in some of the adjoining villages, especially 

 Preston and Sutton Poyntz, whence about 60 men were to 

 be let into the town to join in the attack on 

 Melcombe. The conspirators were to take the following 

 oath, framed by Fabian Hodder : " You shall swear by the 

 Holy Trinity that you will conceal the intended plot." 

 The pass-word was " Crabchurch," and round the arm a 

 white handkerchief was to be worn. The town gates of 

 Melcombe were to be opened to let in Sir Lewis, the Main 

 Guard was to be seized, the Major of the Parliamentary 

 regiment was to be slain, and the doors of the marshalsea, 

 or prison, in which the prisoners of war taken by the Round- 

 heads were confined, were to be broken open, so that they, 

 being released, might join the attacking forces. Some 

 of the gunners in the Chapel and Nothe Forts were parties 

 to the conspiracy. The time, too, was opportune, for there 

 was no Parliament ship in the Roads. 



THE NIGHT SURPRISE OF THE CHAPEL AND NOTHE FORTS 

 BY THE ROYALISTS, FEBRUARY 9ra, 1645. 



When the eventful Sunday came round, an order was 

 given during Divine Service, in the picturesque old church at 

 Churchope, that part of the Portland garrison and the 

 Islanders should appear, with their arms, at the Castle at 

 Castletown, by five o'clock in the evening of that day. The 

 men having assembled, two companies were formed, under 

 the command of Sir William Hastings one to go by land 

 and the other by water to Weymouth proper. One company 

 accordingly proceeded along the road by the Chesil Beach to 



