HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 15 



of Keel-house and of the house of Mr. Fitzherbert at Swinncrton, 

 was soon afterwards resolved upon by the Committee. 



February 14, 1644, Captain Stone, under the orders of Sir Wil- 

 liam Brereton, marched against Patteshull-house, which had a 

 Popish garrison, and was strongly fortified; taking advantage of 

 the drawbridge being down, he suddenly surprised the sentinels, 

 fell on the garrison, killed many of them, and took the governor, 

 (Mr. Astley) several gentlemen of quality, two Jesuits, and sixty 

 men prisoners, together with the arms, ammunition, &c. 



On Sunday June 15, 1645, (after the battle of Naseby), the 

 King left Ashby-de-la-Zouch for Lichfield, where he slept that 

 night ; next day his Majesty marched to Wolverhampton, and on 

 Tuesday to Bewdley. After a long route through Herefordshire, 

 Wales, and Shropshire, we again find him (August 10) at Lichfield. 

 The King was subsequently defeated at Chester, (Sept. 24), and it 

 is well known his affairs soon after came to ruin. 



The battle of Worcester, fought September 3, 1651, proved 

 equally fatal to the affairs of Charles the Second ; and it is generally 

 believed, had the King fallen into the hands of Cromwell or his 

 party, he would have been sacrificed to their fury. It is intended 

 here to record only the general heads of the King's escape, so 

 far as this county was the scene of action, referring for details to 

 the histories of those times. 



The Royalists being totally routed, the King was compelled to 

 seek shelter in flight : he was accompanied by Lord Wilmot, Colonel 

 Gilfard, and some other of his faithful adherents. Colonel GiiTard, 

 who was a catholic gentleman of Staffordshire, and well acquainted 

 with the country, conducted the King to White Ladies, where, hav- 

 ing cut his hair short, and assumed the garb of a peasant, he dismis- 

 sed his retinue, and committed the safety of his person to one 

 Richard Pendrell, who resided at Boscobel. There were three 

 brothers of the Pendrells: Richard and John were labouring men at 

 or near White Ladies, and William was a tenant of the Fitzherberts 

 of Boscobel. Though death was denounced against all who conceal- 

 ed the King, and a great reward promised to any one who should 

 betray him, this noble peasant remained unshaken in his fidelity. 

 The King passed the first day of his concealment (Thursday) with 

 Pendrell in a neighbouring wood, where they pretended to employ 

 themselves in cutting faggots ; and when it grew dark, they set 

 out for Madeley in Shropshire, with the intention of passing the 

 Severn into Wales, but learning that all the fords and passes of 



