By W. W. Bavenhill, Esq. 129 



Of what happened there the newspaper called the Perfect Pro- 

 ceedings, (March 29th to April 6th J gives the following particulars. 



" Tuesday, April 3rd, His Highness the Lord Protector had information that 

 when Wagstaffe was in Blandford in the West, Penruddock forced the Cryer 

 to go to the Market Cross to proclaim Charles Stewart King, who made ' Ho 

 Yes' four times, but still when Penruddock (who dictated to him) said Charles 

 II. King, he the Cryer stopt, and said he could not say that word, and he was 

 every time much beaten by them, and yet told them they might kill him, but 

 he could not say that word, though they should call for faggots and burn him 

 presently, his constancy and faithfulness is taken notice of." 



From Blandford, they proceeded to Sherborne, where they stayed 

 two hours. Thence they marched to Babylon Hill, the commanding 

 height east of Yeovil, which they reached at 1 o'clock on Tuesday 

 morning, and halting, kept the Sheriff on the ground till daylight. 

 Then they entered Yeovil, where they quartered till 1 o'clock, Tues- 

 day afternoon. On their leaving that place the High Sheriff was 

 allowed to depart, the idea that he could be exchanged for some 

 better prisoner having by this time past away. By Wednesday 

 morning they were at Collumpton in Devon, 10 miles from Exeter, 

 then Tiverton was passed, and they pressed on to reach Cornwall, 

 where they hoped to find many friends who would join them, and if 

 they failed, escape by sea would be possible. 1 On reaching South 

 Molton in North Devon at 7 o'clock that evening, utterly worn out, 

 they determined to rest there for the night. 2 Quarters were soon 

 found. To their weary limbs, however, there was but short repose. 

 Three hours after their arrival they were attacked by Captain 

 Unton Crook and his troop of horse, from the garrison of Exeter. 

 Though their numbers were diminished by frequent desertions on 

 their march to little more than 100, yet had they been prepared and 

 fresh, they would have been more than a match for their enemies. 

 As it was, many amongst them Sir Joseph Wagstaffe, fled in the 

 darkness, the rest fought on for three or four hours, house after 

 house was taken by the fresh and zealous Crook. Some surrendered 



1 Perfect Proceedings, March 22nd, 1655. 



2 The distance from Salisbury to South Moulton via Blandford is about 110 

 miles. 



