100 



The Wiltshire Compounders. 



Ilcr ladyship now prayed to be admitted to compound for the 

 jointure which she held by her former husband ; from which it ia 

 clear that she was made to suffer for the "delinquency" of her 

 second husband. She acknowledged in petition that her present 

 husband, "William Ashburnham, had been actively engaged in this 

 unhappy war against the Parliament ; He was now abroad, and she 

 .had long been looking out for his return, that he might prosecute a 

 composition, but his infirmities of health preventing him, she was 

 compelled by her own necessities to make her addresses unto the 

 committee. Her jointure was worth £521 per annum for her life, 

 derivable from a freehold in the manor of South Tid worth, lands in 

 North Tidworth, a coppice in Chute Eorest, and lands called Sandy- 

 haven, in Pembrokeshire, where, however, the mansion and mill 

 were burnt down. Her personal estate at Tidworth had suffered 

 damage to the extent of £20,000, and to divers persons she owed 

 £2000. The committee rated her fine at one year's value as for 

 life, £521 ; and ordered the same to be reported to both Houses 

 before she be required to pay it, Lords 7 Journals, ix., 590, which 

 looks as though there was some reluctance to exact anything from 

 her j but eventually the full penalty was demanded. 



Simultaneously with her own affair, her sister, Lady Ellen Drake, 

 was giving evidence in the committee rooms against Lord Pawlet, 

 for his treatment of the Drake household ; and as Lady Marlborough 

 had been resident in Exeter at the time, as above narrated, it was 

 deemed advisable to obtain her testimony. This drew from her the 

 following singular declaration : — that when young Mr. Drake was 

 brought in prisoner to Exeter, she made personal application to the 

 Prince Maurice to procure his enlargement ; but the Prince replied 

 that he could not do it, for said he, " the Parliament's forces are 

 now on their march towards this city ; and if your nephew were to 

 recover his liberty just now, the result would be that the Lord 

 Pawlet's house would be immediately destroyed ; for I have been 

 told that your nephew has given out that he will certainly get it to 

 be fired in revenge for the burning of his own house at Ashe." 

 This was all Lady Marlborough had to state ,* and being unwell she 

 hoped that her personal attendance in the court would not be recpired. 



