By W. W. Ravenhill, Esq. 



48 



Mr. Wake's own account of the matter is merely incidental to 

 the narrative he gives of his father, the Rector of Wareham. 1 



M This (narrative) I aver to be a true and just account, to my knowledge and 

 perfect remembrance, who was in the time of the rebellion 18 times a prisoner, 

 and twice condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, got off from the first 

 by a rebel uncle, and the second time by the articles I made with Captain Crook 

 at South Molton.* 



Mr. Hutchins 9 gives a copy of what he says is the identical 

 certificate which once saved his (Mr. Wake's) life, and which was 

 at the time he wrote in the possession of Mr. Bartlett of Wareham. 

 Here it is : — 



"These are humbly to oertifie that William Wake of Blandford, in the 

 County of Dorsett, before he was taken prisoner at South Molton in the last 

 Western insurrection, had articles given unto him for life and estate by the 

 officers then commandinge there for his highnesse the lord protector, and that 

 there was some kind of necessity for the giveinge of these articles ; intelligence 

 being that there was a second party cominge on for their assistance. This att 

 the request of the sayd William Wake, I cannot but in honour and honesty 

 certifie. In witnesse whereof, I have hereunto sett my hande 23 rd day of 

 February, 1657 (1658). 



Rob. SHAPCOTE."f 

 Mr. Hutchins is probably in error when he says " that Mr. Wake 

 owed his life to the above certificate ; " unless he means that by 

 it he avoided the fate of Sir John Eliot and Colonel Hutchinson. 

 It bears the signature of Robert Shapcote, (no doubt the Colonel 

 of the Devon Militia, and M.P. for Tiverton, in His Highnesses 

 Parliament of September 3rd, 1654, and who assisted Capt. Crook 

 at South Molton ; ) but the date, nearly three years after the original 

 articles were made, suggests that this certificate was given for the 

 purpose of effecting Mr. Wake's release from Exeter Gaol. When 



1 2 Hutchins's Dorset, (2nd ed.) 518. 



•The heading to this Note must have been penned by Mr. Hutchins between 1705 and 1715, for 

 he speaks of the Archbishop as "the present Bishop of Lincoln." The Archbishop's daughter 

 Ethelred married Thomas Bennett, Esq., of Norton Bavant, Wilts. 



2 Vol. i., 2nd ed., p. 148. 



+ Hutchins, vol. i., p. 140. According to Mr. Hutchins, in Mr. Bartlett's possession was also the 

 following commission : — " Suffer the bearer hereof, Ensigne Wake, with his horses and other 

 necessaries passe your guarde to Blandford or Wareham, in Dorsetshire, without let or molestation, 

 there to remaine, he havinge, engaged himself not to bear arms against the parliament without first 

 renderinge himselfe prisoner to the parliaments forces. Given under my hand and seale this xiith 

 day of May, 1646, Fairfax. 



To all officers and soldiers under my command or in the service of the Parliament. Indorsed by 

 Captain Harrison. 



