DORSET ASSIZES IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 21 



leave them unles hee would loose his life before his time," 

 on which the unfortunate carrier went back to his waggon. 

 It was considered that the robbers showed remarkable bold- 

 ness, owing to the fact that the Judges on their way to the 

 Assizes at Dorchester had passed the spot only half an hour 

 previously. A coachman named Kinge was suspected of 

 being concerned in the robbery, but was acquitted at the 

 Assizes, and neither robbers nor money were ever discovered. 

 The perpetrators of the other highway robbery in 1696 were 

 not so lucky. On this occasion William Sampson, John 

 Dampier, and Robert Everett were escorting a horse carrying 

 750 of money belonging to the Royal Treasury (probably 

 tax money) on the King's highway, when a party of four des- 

 cended on them and carried off the whole of the treasure. 

 It must have been evident that somebody had to suffer for 

 such a daring exploit, and three men (it is to be hoped the}'' 

 were the real culprits) were hanged for the robbery and one 

 transported. It is a curious circumstance that the three 

 tax-gatherers (if such they were), shortly after losing the 

 money entrusted to them, met with another gang of thieves 

 who relieved them of the horse, some small sums of money 

 in their pockets, and, attracted by some silver buckles, left 

 one of the wayfarers shoeless. 



Perhaps the most remarkable crime recorded in the Assize 

 Books was the murder or manslaughter of Robert Knight, a 

 collector of hearth tax at Bridport. In an Order Book under 

 the date 1668 it is stated that a large number of Bridport 

 people had a share in the matter, and that some of them had 

 been indicted, some were in gaol, and others had not been 

 discovered. An inquiry was to be held by certain Justices, 

 a Coroner, and some officials of the borough. The result of 

 the inquiry does not appear, but a letter among the Domestic 

 State Papers throws some light on the affair. The writer 

 says 



" From first entring into the Towne the greatest part of the Towne, 

 men, women, and children, followed them (the tax-collectors) about 

 the streets throwing stones at them, and little appearance of the 



