HISTORY OF HARTING. 227 



with three effigies, remarkable for its elaborate dress, 

 marks the spot. Dalloway says that Major John 

 Cowper lost his life in Winton Castle in the service 

 of King Charles the First, and was plundered and 

 sequestered of all he had by the Rebels. The Cowpers 

 were connected by marriage with the Lewknors of 

 Leigh in Kent, Palmers of Parham, Unwins of Horton, 

 Morleys of Halfnaked, Drewrys of Watergate, Bolds 

 of Nursted. William Cowper, " the celebrated an- 

 atomist," was the fourth son of Rich d - Cowper of 

 Ditcham,who died 1695, aet. 70. Richard Cowper is said 

 to have purchased the estate of Paulett, co. Somerset, 

 and to have become the ancestor of the Earls of 

 Shaftesbury. The identification, however, seems 

 hardly satisfactory. In 1762 Rich d - Cowper devised 

 Ditcham to his cousin John Coles of Putney, whose 

 grandson, Captain Cowper Phipps Coles, perished on 

 board the " Captain" (1870), which foundered in the 

 Bay of Biscay. One of his brothers, Colonel Coles, 

 served with distinction in the Indian Campaign, 1857 ; 

 and another, Colonel Richard Coles, commanded the 

 1st Regiment (Royal Scots) for many years. The 

 only surviving member of the ancient Ditcham family 

 is Mrs. Hornby, wife of Admiral Phipps Hornby, 

 K.C.B., Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet. The 

 Ditcham Estates were recently sold to Chas. Cammell, 

 Esq., the present proprietor. 



Near Ditcham Lodge a young oak tree about seven 

 feet in girth was struck by lightning in 1868, and was 

 apparently unhurt, save that a very minute fissure was 

 seen in the centre of the bark proceeding from the 

 fork, about five' feet high, and running vertically down 

 to the ground. On examination the tree was found 

 completely split through as a child would split a hazel 

 wand. The inmates of the house within a few feet 

 from the tree were stunned, and on recovery, said that 

 the lightening appeared blue. 



On the road between Tarberry and Ditcham (Peters- 



Q 2 



