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career, and his opinions were within an ace of costing 

 him his life and fortune. He was, with Sir John 

 Cotton and Sir William Wyndham, the most active 

 of Jacobite members throughout Sir Robert Walpole's 

 long government, and keen on impeachment when 

 that Minister fell. "A man of great note among the 

 most disaffected to the present Ciovernment," thought 

 Speaker Onslow, and as he was also " a brave, open, 

 hospitable gentleman " of great fortune and energy, 

 his disaffection might be a serious thing. There is 

 no doubt that he was engaged to rise for the Pretender 

 on his proposed landing in 1 743, and that when, two 

 years later, the idea was realised and Kngland was 

 invaded from the Highlands, Sir \V.itkin was in 

 active correspondence with the rebels. He was of 

 those who sent word to Derby to assure Charles 

 Edward, " in the name of many friends, that they 

 were ready to join in what manner he pleased, either 

 in the capital or every one in his own country." But 

 both the invasion and the retreat of the Highlanders 

 were too rapid for any general organised movements 

 under existing conditions of communication, and the 

 messenger arrived too late for concerted action. 

 Kngland and Wales remained quiet while the tide of 

 war flowed back to Scotland, and after Culloden it 

 was Scotchmen only who went to the block and the 

 gibbet. Yet there was an anxious moment when 

 John Murray turned informer. The (iovernment 

 learnt exactly what part had been played by >ir 

 Watkin and the other Southern Jacobites ; but the 

 danger was over, and the wise policy of stirring 

 up as little mud as possible prevailed. So 

 Murray was encouraged to whisper in the closet 

 but not blab iti open court which annoyed 

 a born gossip like Horace Walpolc, who wanted to 

 hear. Writing in March, 1747, to Horace Mann as 



to Lord I .oval's trial, he tells him that " Murray, the 

 Pretender's .Viret.iry, was the chief evidence, who, in 

 the course of his information, mentioned Ixird 

 Traquair's having conversed With Lord Barrymorc, 

 Sir Watkyn Williams and Sir John Cotton on the 

 Pretender's affairs, kit that they were shy. 1 lc was 

 proceeding to name others, kit was stop|xrd by I/>rd 

 Talbot and the Court acquiesced I think ver\ 

 indecently." Sir Watkin's " shyness " saved him 

 and the estates, and all was right but one thing. 1 k- 

 had been married thirty years, hut no child survived 

 to inherit the great position he had built up 

 True, his wife had copied the example of the previous 

 Ijdy Wynn, and had made over all her property 

 unconditionally to her husband. Now she went 

 further. To supply the desired heir was beyond her, 

 so she made way for one who could. On May 24th, 

 1748, she died, and on July I9th following Sir 

 Watkin married again, "at the request of his late 

 lady under her hand," as the GtHuamui'i Magazine 

 informs us. As Sir Watkin was but fifty six, this 

 may be considered precipitate, even " under the 

 hand " of the " late lady." But it was most prescient 

 and fortunate. In April of the following year the 

 Citntleman's Magazine has the entry : K Lady of Sir 

 Watkin Williams Wynne of a son " ; and in the 

 following September it records Sir Watkin's death 

 "by a fall from his horse, in hunting," and describes 

 him as " a steady senator, a fine patriot . . . and 

 a noble example <>t loniugal fidelity ; his house 

 was a daily relief to the p<x>r : there was both 

 good bread for the hungry and good drink for 

 the thirsty, and none let to go empty aw 

 The time, however, had been enough, for the heir- 

 ship was doubly assured. I- our \ears later, that great 

 traveller and letter-writer, Bishop Pococke, was at 



