DORSET SOLDIERS. 41 



the trained bands, in his diary of the years 1620 to 1634 

 mentions many of his brother officers, including Sir John 

 Meller and John Williams of Herringston, who were succes- 

 sively captains of the Dorchester troop of horse. The diarist 

 also contributes the item that in the summer of 1629 the 

 regiments of Dorchester, Sherborne, and Bridport were at 

 Modbury Down under Captain Napper. Modbury seems 

 to have been at this time a favourite training ground, as also 

 was Launceston in the Eastern part of the county. It may 

 be doubted if the more important gentlemen of Dorset now 

 held commands in the trained bands to the same extent as 

 in the previous century. Besides the mention of Captain 

 Napper as the principal officer of three regiments, a list of 

 defaulters in Captain Hoskyns's band at Bridport indicates 

 that Hoskyns was in command of the whole Bridport division, 

 and another Captain, Arthur Radford, commanded the 

 troops training at Launceston. This is borne out by a letter 

 among the Marquis of Salisbury's manuscripts dated in 1600 

 and addressed to Sir Robert Cecil. The writer states that 

 commissioners of musters had lately been appointed in 

 Dorsetshire, and that Mr. Browne of Frampton, who, as 

 colonel of the Bridport division, " a place of some credit 

 though of great charge," had performed his duty well, had 

 not been included in the commission, and in consequence 

 threatens to resign his colonelcy. If other gentlemen of 

 rank in the county felt with Mr. Browne that it was not 

 consistent with their dignity to be subject to the authority 

 of these commissioners, such a feeling would explain why 

 the leading officers of the foot bands in the 17th century 

 were not of the same social standing as had previously been 

 customary. The last return of the trained bands to be 

 mentioned refers to the year 1640 when, exclusive of men 

 in "the islands and maritime towns," 1,500 footmen were 

 organised in 14 companies. It is asserted in this return 

 that the captains of two companies in Purbeck (named 

 Robert Swayne and John Dolling) had refused to give 

 information respecting their bands, and that the men in the 



