12 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



from the Peninsular War, but as he was at that time 

 rather a local hero, on finding who their captive was they 

 released him without ransom and set him free. He was 

 in the habit of keeping up great state — in the fashion of 

 those days — and his outriders and men-servants being 

 always dressed in crimson livery, his equipages were 

 frequently taken for those of Royalty. When attend- 

 ing church on Sundays, a footman in crimson livery 

 used to walk behind him, carrying the prayer books. 

 The permission to use the Eoyal livery and the Royal 

 Lion as a crest was a special grant made by King 

 Charles I. on I7th June 1641, after paying a visit 

 to Sir Christopher Croft, and obtaining a subsidy from 

 him. Sir Christopher, however, afterwards joined the 

 Commonwealth, and being attainted at the Restora- 

 tion, he lost the right to use both the liveries and 

 the crest, and it was not restored until 1834. In that 

 year, in consequence of Sir John Croft's services in the 

 Peninsular War, he was granted the right — so unusual 

 for a commoner — to have " supporters," and it was then 

 discovered that the attainder had never been removed. 

 Sir John was most anxious to regain the right of using 

 the Royal liveries, the Royal Lion as crest and the Cross 

 of St. George, but was informed this could only be done if 

 he was able to prove a Royal descent. Fortunately he was 

 able to do so, and the ancient privileges accorded to his 

 ancestor were given back, with the exception that, in 

 consequence of the attainder, the liveries were to be 

 crimson instead of scarlet for the future. 



He had brought back a clever Portuguese horse with 

 him, and was rather fond of backing him to do unusual feats. 

 One of these was to ride half-way down the Devil's Dyke 



