AT WIMBORNE MINSTER. 35 



in the parish of Wimborne. Before him was the Duke 

 brought for preliminary investigation of the charges brought 

 against him ; and just a week later he was beheaded on Tower 

 Hill. 



In the Churchwardens' Accounts for Wimborne Minster 

 is the following entry : (1685). 



" pd to the Ringers for Ringing wn Monmouth was taken 



. . 00.02.06." 



We read in the second edition of Hutchins that, towards 

 the close of his life, Anthony Ettrick 



" grew very humoursome, phlegmatic and credulous, of an impulse of 

 spirit, insomuch that having once (as I have been credibly informed) 

 a share in a ship and cargo, and receiving advice that the same was 

 safely delivered in Portland road, he was so far persuaded that the same 

 ship would be lost before she could arrive at the port of London, to 

 which she was consigned, that he sold his share therein, though at a 

 considerable discount. He had, however, the good fortune to be a 

 great gainer in the end, for (agreeably to his forebodings) the ship was 

 lost in her passage. Whether these or other accidents in life gave 

 him occasion I cannot say ; but he afterwards remained fully per- 

 suaded that he should die in the year 1691,* and accordingly procured 

 his tomb to be made, and had that date cut on as may be plainly seen, 

 the same being altered to 1703, in which year he died and was buried." 



Report says that Anthony Ettrick, being offended with the 

 inhabitants of Wimborne, made a solemn protest that he 

 would never be buried within their church or without it 



* The Rev. R. Grosvenor Bartelot has pointed out to me that there 

 was a common impression that some remarkable event would happen 

 in the year 1691, the number being the same when read upside down ; 

 and he has given me the following extract from the Parish Register 

 of West Stour in Gillingham. It is to be found in the volume commenc- 

 ing in the year 1653 : 



" When numbers four turned upside downe 

 Makes numbers even and numbers years y e same 

 Downe goee y e f rentch men and their crown 

 Together with their fame 1691." 



It might be noticed that West Stour must have been well known to 

 Anthony Ettrick, seeing that his wife was daughter to the Vicar of 

 Gillingham. Will there be the same superstition about the year 1961 ? 



