68 DIARY OF WILLIAM WHITEWAY. 



"The 17th of January here was held an extraordinary com- 

 mission for the tryal of some soldiers in which Sir Francis Ashley 

 sat judge, and condemned seven soldiers and one tapster to death 

 for burglary, but six of the soldiers had a pardon." 



Feb. 3. " This day the mariners of the King's ships assembled 

 in great troups and marched furiously through London to White- 

 hall and demanded pay with many threats against the Duke, 

 insomuch that he was fain to muster the train soldiers of Middle- 

 sex, and put them in arms and yet give the mariners good words 

 and their pay also to be rid of them." 



"The 10th hereof four German gentlemen all of the Palatinate 

 being banished for religion came hither for shelter and were 

 entertained. 



Dec. 10. "The sickness was suspected to be in the house of 

 Paul, a hatter of this town, because three of his house died in 

 fifteen days ; and his house was shut up 5 or 6 weeks, but God be 

 praised it was not so, but as it is supposed some pestilent fever." 



The shutting up of houses supposed to be infected with the plague was 

 one of the measures taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Watch- 

 men were appointed to watch suspected houses, and prevent the inhabitants 

 from leaving them and carrying the infection into the town. The healthy 

 members of a household did not submit very readily to being shut up for 

 weeks together with diseased persons, and conflicts frequently arose 

 between them and the watchers in consequence. The watchers were 

 sometimes authorized to inflict chastisement on unruly members of a 

 household who would not submit to the regulation, and old accounts 

 contain entries of small sums of money paid for whipping them. 



"This winter the Church of All Saints in Dorchester was 

 enlarged." 



1627. There are not many entries under this year. It is noted 

 that in April 500 died of " the sickness " at Salisbury and on May 

 20th " A woman was slain by mischance by a sledge (hammer 1) 

 that one was casting which beat out her brains." 



Sep. 8. " Woodbury fair at Salisbury was forbidden this year 

 in regard of the plague at Salisbury, last year for Blandford and 

 the year before for London." 



