328 



" Ludgershall Castle and its History." 



contest for Ludgershall in 1734, and how the election was won. It 

 all comes as follows, under the heading of the year 1734 : — 



"1734. Mr. Richard Earle of Chute dyed in the month of April and on the 

 27th of this same month and year came on at Ludgershall an election of members 

 to serve in Parliament for that borough. The candidates were my master Borlase 

 Webb Esq : John Dalston Esq : Peter Delme Esq : Daniel Boone Esq : and a 

 great, great struggle it was at the polling. But as there happened to be two re- 

 turning officers by name William Crouch and John Sturgess the latter of whom 

 was in the interest of Mr. Delme and Mr. Boone, and by means of art and power 

 obtained the writt and so returned them as duly elected to the sheriff of Wilts 

 who was also of the same side of the question, and likewise absolutely refused 

 William Crouch's return, tho' carried by Mr. Webb himself in person to Westbury 

 Leigh, the place where the sheriff: lived, whose name was Thomas Phipps Esq : I 

 likewise attended Mr. Webb in this journey. But the principal person interested 

 in this affair was John Selwyn Esq : commonly called Colonel Selwyn who had 

 at this time purchased a considerable number of valuable tenements so that Mr. 

 Delme and Mr. Boone was nominated by him (at least Mr. Delme was), and both 

 sat in all that parliament." 



There is also an account of a contest for the county in the year 

 1772, between Mr. Herbert and Mr. Goddard, when Mr. Goddard 

 was returned with 1000 majority, and " 'tis said £20,000 was spent 

 in one week." 



I will read only one more extract from the diary of this worthy 

 old man, and a very touching one it is : — 



" Friday the 20th of October, 1752, about 11 o'clock in the morning dyed my 

 wife and left me four children, the eldest but 14 years of age, the youngest 6 

 years and a half and was buried Sunday Evening following in the Churchyard at 

 Ludgershall. Her bearers was Thos : Smith, Thos : Pavey, Wm. Stone, Thos : 

 Crouch, John Finn, and Wm. Munday. Mr. Yaldwyn buried her corpse — and 

 the children all attended at the grave. A dolefull time." 



He died in 1778, and there is a gravestone which marks his last 

 resting-place. 



He also speaks, or rather writes, of wars and rumours of wars, of 

 exploits by land and sea, of riots, cattle disease, &c , &c, but, as 

 I said before, if anyone is desirous of so doing, he may come to 

 Ludgershall and read for himself. 



My paper has somehow spun itself out to a greater length than 

 I had anticipated, and than you in all probability have desired. I 



