270 



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



aocord) y e Judges & ye rest ftolls & Nicholas declared themselves (as before) 



uppon ye bench for the pties., therefore could not be Judges, 

 same fact. 



Au honest man and good Note alsoe y e gallantrie of Mr. Dove, high, 



soldier, who rather then shereife of Wiltshire, who after he had but a little 



should appeare like myselfe forsworne himself'e in open Court (uppon his oath) 



a modest Christian & a p r . to agravate the Incivilites, of our p r ty towards him, 



server of my king and said y\ one of our men did runn him through the 



country wold prejudicious- side w th . a carbine, 

 ly [?] perjure himselfe 

 though he ruine his owne 

 soule to distroy my body. 



Such is the account Colonel Penruddock gives of his trial. 



It was probably written the 3rd or 4th of May, 1655, (which 

 would be about " two days before the Sheriff's notice of execution/'') 

 the former being the day on which the Protector signed the death 

 warrant. 



Of Grove's trial the only note I have found is the following, 

 Perfect Proceedings, May 3rd, 1655. 1 



" The sheriffe of Wilts was commanded down into Devon, having a Lycense 

 given to go out of his County, to give evidence against such of the rebells as he 

 did knowe ; amongst which was one Mr. Hugh Grove, a tenant of the Sheriffe, 

 whom he was required to give evidence against, the sheriffe refused to be sworn, 

 desiring to be excused from giving evidence against his tenant for life. The 

 Court would not excuse the sheriffe, but required him to take his oath, which he 

 did, seeing he could not be excused. The sheriffe declared in open Court, that 

 in whatever the said Grove did hold for his life, in case he were taken off for 

 this his fact, the sheriffe then promised, he would make it good that Grove's 

 wife shall have her life freely ; so long as she lives, in the place of her said 

 husband, and after the promised engagement, seeing the Court would not excuse 

 the said sheriffe from giving his testimony, he did take his oath and declared 

 the truth, &c." 



The evidence against all the principal prisoners, of levying war 

 against the Protector and his Government, would be simple and 

 easily proved; that they appeared at Salisbury armed, and proclaimed 

 King Charles, and arrested the course of Justice, in taking the 

 Judges' Commissions from them, thereby closing the assize; 

 seizing and carrying off the sheriff ; breaking open the gaol ; then 

 at Blandford proclaiming the king, and endeavouring to compel the 



l K.Y., Sm. Qto. Vol. 642. 



