2o6 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



" And it was agreed that a certain Ale should be 

 made in the name of some poor man, without any 

 license or authority, to procure the people and 

 inhabitants of sundry Parishes thereabouts to come 

 to the said Ale, and then to expend divers sums of 

 money, which w^as indeed to no other end than that 

 such benefit as should arise and come by means 

 therof should be bestowed on the maintenance of 

 such suits so commenced against your subject . . . 

 which Ale the said Robert Langham proclaimed to 

 be sold at Skilgate Church," of which Robert 

 Sydenham, the ranger, was churchwarden. Langham 

 and others put the ale in the church, which Roger, 

 not liking, put it out and some of it was wasted. 

 Whereupon Langham and his friends " did in very 

 riotous and disordered manner break open the 

 Church " and put in some 300 or 400 gallons, and 

 about Easter sent to sixteen or seventeen churches 

 near Skilgate, requiring the parson, vicar, or curate 

 "openly in their Churches, at the tyme of Divine 

 Service, upon some Sunday or HoUyday to signify 

 and make proclamation to the Parishioners to come 

 and spend their money at the aforesaid Ale, which 

 was done at every one of the aforesaid Parishes 

 accordingly." 



This looks very much as if there was a strong local 

 sympathy with the malcontent party. Humphrey 

 Sydenham, " Captain of a certain Band of trained 

 soldiers in the s'' county," sent to them to come 

 to Skilgate and muster there "with their furniture," 



