2i6 THE EXETER ROAD 



in short, bred a race of liigliwaymeii who preyed upon 

 the neio;hbourhood and levied contributions from all 

 the rich farmers and graziers who travelled between 

 the Cathedral City and other parts, and sometimes 

 graduated with such honours that they became 

 Knig-hts of the Road at whose name travellers alono- 

 the whole length of the Exeter Road would tremble. 



Amono- them was William Davis, the ' Golden 

 Farmer,' whom we have already met at Bagshot. 

 His career was a long one, and was continued, here 

 and in other parts of the country, for forty years. 

 They hanged him, at the age of sixty-nine, in 1689. 

 His most famous exploit was on the borders of the 

 Plain, near Clarendon Park, when he attacked the 

 Duchess of Albemarle, single-handed, and, in the 

 presence of her numerous attendants, tore her diamond 

 rings off her fingers, and would probably have had 

 her watch and money as well, despite her cursing 

 and torrents of full-flavoured abuse, had not the 

 sound of approaching travellers warned him to fly. 



' Captain ' James Whitney, too, was another desper- 

 ado who at times made the Plain his headquarters, and 

 harried the Western roads, in the time of William the 

 Third. He was probably a son of the Reverend James 

 Whitney, Rector of Donhead St. Andrews. He raised 

 a troop of highwaymen, and was captured at the 

 close of 1692 after his band had been defeated in 

 battle with the Dragoon Guards. He ' met a most 

 penitent end ' at Smithfield. 



Then there was Biss, perhaps a descendant of the 

 Reverend Walter Biss, minister of Bishopstrow, near 

 Salisbury, in the reign of Charles the First. Biss 



