MR. CHARLES PHILIP DUF FIELD 211 



When asked by the Presiding Ofificer for 

 whom he voted, he said : " Thesiger ; no, I 

 mean Caufield." The Poll Clerk, immediately 

 on his uttering the word Thesiger, entered 

 the vote, and it was immediately claimed by 

 both the election agents, but the Presiding 

 Officer gave the vote to Sir Frederick, it 

 having been recorded before the voter corrected 

 himself. The vote is said to have carried the 

 election. 



Mr. Thomas Duffield also served as High 

 Sheriff for the county. The following amusing 

 story of him during the year of his shrievalty 

 is related in a book called " The Wanderer 

 Brought Home ; or the Life and Adventures of 

 Colin," by the Rev. B. Richings, M.A. Colin 

 had been a vagrant, but became "converted," 

 and gave the reverend gentleman and the 

 public the benefit of his experiences. In the 

 year of Mr. Duffield's shrievalty this nomadic 

 individual wandered into Abingdon, and made 

 up his mind to beg, " as his stomach recoiled 

 at peas and turnips." The first gentleman he 

 accosted was none other than Mr. Thomas 

 Duffield. Taking off his crownless hat, the 

 vagrant begged in orthodox fashion. The 

 stern reply was : " Can you read ? " " No, 

 Sir," said the man, for before his face was 

 a board: "Take notice, all vagrants found 



