50 



Records of the Rising in the West, A.D. 1655. 



But it is time to be moving" to Chard. What a stir the arrival 

 of " the circuit " must have made in that quiet town ! The 

 Commissioners going in procession to the fine old parish church, 

 and then to the court house. There were two public buildings 

 formerly at Chard where the assizes may have been held. The first 

 stood in the centre of the main street, the second at the side of it. 

 The former was a town hall, having been before that a Chapel ; some 

 years since it was pulled down. 1 The latter combined a court with 

 a market house. This has also been removed, and a modern building 

 substituted, which in these days when Chard is well nigh forgotten, 

 suffices for all purposes. Tudor houses are to be found in the 

 street, where the judges or counsel may have lodged ; or whence they 

 may have been looked upon as they passed along. There are but few 

 records of this assize. The Western Circuit Order Book has none. 

 Probably, as was originally arranged, Mr. Recorder Steele presided, 

 and charged the grand jury. He would be accompanied by Lord 

 Lisle, Baron Nicholas, and possibly Mr. Justice Wyndham. 



It seems clear that the commission opened and the charge was 

 delivered on Wednesday, the 25th day of April, the day noted in 

 the margin of the Draft Order Book of the Council of State, 2 from 

 Perfect Diurnal April 30th, 1655. 



" The Judges are gone for Chard where they are to sit this Wednesday (25th) 

 for the trial of prisoners there."* 



And specially from the following letter: — 3 



Attorney -General Prideaux to Secretary Thutloe. 

 Sir, 



We are come unto Chard, and upon enquirie doubte wee shall not be 

 able to proceede against many of the prisoners heare, because, though we can 

 prove them to have beene in armes in other places, yet in this county we cannot ; 

 they only past through this county, and did not any notable actes ;f and were 

 taken only by the country people as straglers, and were not taken in armes. 

 But as against the chiefe we shall proceed, and hope to have cleare evidence 



1 See Photograph of this on opposite page. 



2 See vol. xiii., p. 145, Wilts Arch. Mag. 



* K. P., Sm. Qto., 640. 



3 3 Th., 407. 



+ In the teeth of this, Mr. Collinson states that Colonel Penruddock and the Royalists proclaimed 

 the King in person, and suffered a severe defeat in the town of Chard. Hist. Somerset., (pub. 1791) 

 vol. ii., p. 474. There is no evidence of any such event, and the contrary may be presumed from 

 the letters already given in these Records. 



