By W. W. Ravenhill, Esq. 



28 



Church " by some thousand persons of a depressed party of which 

 number I then thought myself happy to be one/'' 

 It must have been a sad interesting sight. 



After the Restoration a small brass tablet was placed in the churc^ 

 to record his memory, with the following admirable inscription : — 



11 Hie jacet Hugo Grove De Enford in Comitate Wilts Armiger, In restituendo 

 Ecclesiani, In asserendo Regem, In propuguando legem, et libertatem Angli- 

 canam, Captus et de collatus. 16 Maii 1655." 



Hugh Grove left two sons. The eldest died young, but the second 

 John carries on the story of their family with the following petition 

 to Charles II. : — 



Petition of John Grove, Esq., to the King. 

 " To the King's most excellent Majesty 



The humble petition of John Grove Esqre.* 

 Sheweth 



That you petitioner is the only sonne of Collonell Grove, who being in person 

 with your Maj tie 's Royall ffather in all the late Civill warrs was at last beheaded 

 in Exceter in the year 1655 for asserting the Rights of the Crown against the 

 Usurper Oliver Cromwell his whole estate being then seized and ruined by the 

 then Anarchicall powers. 



And whereas your petitoner nor any of his ffamily since the happy Restaur- 

 aton of your Maj tie 's Royall ffamily to this kingdom ever yet tasted any of the 

 Bounty or favour of the Crown (tho alwaies persevering in the strictest 

 principles of Loyalty). 



Your petitioner in all humble maner prayes that your Maj* ie would order the 

 payment of what moneys was owing your petitioner upon the Bankers assignment 

 from the Exchequer when shutt upp, it being a great part of the small Remaines 

 on which your petitioners livelihood and maintenance depend. Or that your 

 Maj tie would please to confer some office upon your petitoners in lieu of the same. 



And your petitoner shall ever pray &c. 

 [No date.] John Geove." 



What happened further on this I know not ; but there was a suit 

 which some years afterwards he prosecuted with success. In 1686 

 he married Mary, the daughter of William and Mary Chafyn, 1 the 

 heiress of Zeals House, and so that estate passed to the Grove family. 



* Endorsed (by his sister) " My brother Grove's petition to ye King." MS. at Zeals House. 

 1 Mrs. Chafyn was a daughter of Mr. Thomas Freke, of Hinton, Dorset, one 

 of the sons of Sir Thomas Freke, of Shaston, and therefore a relation of Mrs. 

 Penruddock's. 



