DIARY OP WILLIAM WHITE WAY. 63 



seems to be some confusion between this fire and that which occurred on 

 Dec. 16, 1623. 



1623. The 25th, May, being Sunday there landed at Wey- 

 mouth the Lord Gary out of Spain, Lord Chamberlain to the 

 prince with many of the prince's servants, they rode away 

 presently post to the Court, and ten days after came out an 

 extraordinary Ambassador from Spain, but his message is not yet 

 known. 



30th May died Mrs. Gould wife to John Gould Bailiff. The 

 1st June died Mrs. Arundel Friake of Up way daughter to Sir 

 George Trenchard, Knight. 



August. The twenty-fifth of this month the King's ships 

 arrived in Portland in their voyage for Spain to bring home the 

 Prince and his lady, they reported that the Prince was married the 

 24th ditto and was to come from Madrid four days after, and at 

 the end of 20 days to be at the sea side to take shipping. The 

 Earl of Rutland is Admiral of the Fleet. With him are divers 

 Lords. They departed from Weymouth the next day about 

 midnight. The Prince Royal bearing the Admiral is a vessel of 

 wonderful bigness strength and beauty. 



Dr. Wright our New Bishop kept his visitation here this year in 

 September. Mr. Cheek acted two comedies at the shirehall for his 

 coming, by his scholars. 



Robert Cheek was the head-master of the Free or Grammar School 

 which was built and endowed by Thomas Hardy in 1559. The school 

 suffered much injury in the great fire of 1613 and was in part rebuilt five 

 years before the date of this entry (1618) by this master Robert Cheek 

 who added the great School with the library over it. Robert Cheek was 

 also Rector of all Saints, in which post he was succeeded by James 

 Whitefield in 1629 (16 Dec.) There were formerly oak stalls in St 

 Peter's Church for the use of the scholars. These stalls had disappeared 

 long before the restoration of the Church in 1857, and the position they 

 occupied cannot now be determined. 



The three following entries give varied information. In the 

 beginning of the month September there came into Weymouth a 

 Polacra which had a crew of eleven men of different nationalities, 

 who slew 9 Turks, and brought home as prisoners 16 more. 



