336 



The Wiltshire Compounders. 



his account occur the words, " To be reviewed, for that he was an 

 attorney-at-law." The fact of his having served in the Salisbury 

 Commission aforesaid, commonly spoken of as " the Illegal Assizes," 

 was in itself sufficient to preclude any idea of mercy, notwithstanding 

 his having subsequently taken the Negative Oath and the National 

 Covenant. 



Mr. Tideombe's real estate consisted of messuages in Devizes and 

 lands round the base of the Castle, with other lands at Bedborough, 

 in Bishops Cannings, and Great Ashley, at Bradford-on-Avon ; all 

 which, more elaborately set forth, may be seen in the History of 

 Devizes. He appears in his latter days to have retired to Bradford. 

 It was there that he had married, in 1626, Susanna, sister and co- 

 heir of John Blanchard, of Great Ashley aforesaid. In the parish 

 Church a square slab surmounted by a plain shield, against the 

 north wall, memorialises his death in 1662, and that of a daughter, 

 Sarah, in 1661 ; and thus pronounces his requiem : — 



" Tidcomhus tumulo jacet hoc Michaelis in alto 

 Sosjpes dum clangit buccina 'Surge' manet" 



Edward Toppe, of Stockton, Esq. His delinquency lay in his 

 having acted in the capacity of a commander for the enemy, and 

 also in that of a local commissioner. He rendered in October, 1645, 

 that is to say, before the first war was fairly over ; and four weeks 

 subsequently he petitioned. In extenuation of his offence he urges 

 the usual plea of living under the power of the King's army, 

 whereby he was enforced to execute Sir Ralph Hopton's warrants 

 to levy money in Wilts and Dorset. He humbly acknowledges 

 that he hath justly offended the Parliament; but having made his 

 submission on the 24th October, and taken the two oaths, he prays 

 for a favourable composition, &c. For his personal estate, consisting 

 of corn, plough-oxen, horses, goods and chattels, he hath already 

 compounded with the Wilts Committee for £150, of which £50 

 still remains unpaid. His real property embraced farms at Stockton, 

 Fisherton Delamere, and Bridgmore, all in Wilts ; Crendon, in 

 Somerset; old-rents at Codford St. Peter, and a life estate in Gil- 

 ingham Forest; with sundry drawbacks, the most formidable of 



