84 HISTORY OF HARTING. 



his eldest son, Edward Ford (whom the King had 

 made high Sherieffe of Sussex), from whence he was 

 carried away prisoner with his sonne to London House. 

 After ten months' imprisonment, being exchanged, he 

 moved the Earl of Essex, then General, to give him 

 his " passe to go to Hartinge in Sussex, where his land 

 lay, and there to abide." His Highness refused this. 

 " Two years since he was forced to go into the King's 

 Quarters, his land being sequestered, his house spoiled, 



and his personal estate taken from him And 



being at Winchester when S r - Ralfe Hopton marched 

 into Sussex with his Armie, y r - Petitioner went along 

 with him to see yf he could gett any Rent of his 

 Tenants, but none of them payd him any money, yet 

 he procured as many as spake unto him protections ; 

 and at the return of the Army (Hopton's retreat from 

 Arundel) the Souldyers wanting bread were appointed 

 to fetch the same front the countrey mens houses, but they 

 fearing to be plundered of their goods under colour of 

 fetching bread, divers of the countrey came to y r - Peti-* 

 tioner and intreated him to be a Meanes that they 

 might send some Bread, and not to have the Souldyers 

 to fetch y l , and according to their desire he sent a note 

 to have y l done soe (for their good), and he had not 

 any of his Tenants taken prisoners, nor any of their 

 cattle taken away for his Rent behinde, as he might 

 have had. And yo r - Petitioner being at Winchester 

 when Lieutenant Generall Cromwell lately tooke the 

 same Towne and the Castell there, his passe was made 

 for him to goe to Oxford, but he desired to have a passe 

 to goe to London, and he noblie granted him a free 

 passe, not forcing him to go into the King's Quarters." 

 I have quoted this interesting document at length, 

 as giving a graphic picture of the sufferings of all 

 classes at Harting in the fatal winter of 1643 : the 

 country far and wide ransacked for bread, rents un- 

 paid, two sets of hungry soldiery in turn masters, 

 Church, cottage, mansion, and park alike pillaged, the 

 squires in gaol, the parson and the farmers fined. 



