2 48 THE EXETER ROAD 



Pimperne, marched up the road through the night, 

 and headed by a Sergeant of Dragoons, then quartered 

 at Bhmdford, poured through the Thickthorn Toll-gate, 

 armed with weapons called ' swindgels,' which appear 

 to have been hinged cudgels, like flails. It would 

 seem that the object of this expedition was the 

 bludgeoning of a few keepers, rather than the stealing 

 of deer. At any rate, the keepers expected them, 

 and armed with sticks and hangers, awaited the attack. 

 The fight was by no means a contemptible one, for in 

 the result one keeper was killed and several disabled, 

 while the stealers were so badly knocked about that 

 the whole expedition surrendered, together with the 

 Sergeant of Dragoons, who had a hand sliced off at 

 the wrist by a hanger. The hand was subsequently 

 buried, with military honours, in Pimperne church- 

 yard. 



Leader and followers alike were committed to 

 Dorchester Gaol, and were eventually sentenced to 

 seven years' penal servitude, reduced to a nominal 

 term, in consideration of the severe wounds from 

 which they were suffering. One wonders how far 

 mercy, and to what extent the wish not to be at 

 the expense of medically attending the prisoners, 

 influenced this decision. As for the Dr. Jameson of 

 this raid, he retired from the Dragoons on half-pay, 

 and, coming to London, set up shop as a dealer in 

 game and poultry ! 



Ten years later, a keeper killed a stealer, and 

 another murderous encounter took place on 7th 

 December 1816 near Tarrant Gunville, at a gate in 

 the woods which the melodramatic instincts of the 



