290 



Charles, Lord Stourton, fyc. 



It seems that a certain widow had lately lost her husband, and 

 that Mr. Roger Basyng, a Somersetshire gentleman (whose name 

 has occurred before) was, for reasons unknown, anxious that she 

 should marry again, and marry some particular person in whom 

 he was interested. Mr. Hartgill however had been beforehand 

 with him, and had prevailed upon the widow to marry his Chaplain 

 at Kilmington. Whereupon a report was set about (attributed in 

 this letter to Mr. Basyng and his friends) that Mr. HartgilPs 

 Chaplain and his new wife had poisoned the former husband. 

 Lord Stourton, as a Magistrate, orders an inquiry, and sends a 

 man of his own to take proceedings. The man attaches the Chap- 

 lain's goods, and (as appears from the second letter) takes the Rev. 

 gentleman himself into custody. Hartgill then applies to the 

 Sheriff of Somerset, Sir John Thynne, for a warrant to arrest Lord 

 Stourton's man. The Under Sheriff Gamege goes with Hartgill 

 to Wanstrow to execute it. On their way they chance to overtake 

 the old father of the first husband supposed to have been poisoned. 

 In order to find out from the old man what strength of evidence 

 there was to sustain the charge of poisoning, Hartgill and Gamege 

 (who must have presumed themselves to be personally strangers to 

 him) pass themselves off as of the party anxious to convict the 

 accused : and further, in order to throw dust into the old man's 

 eyes, they speak of " Hartgill and Gamege " as mere creatures of 

 Lord Stourton. The old father was at first a little suspicious ; but 

 upon their saying they would take no more trouble on his behalf 

 if he would not help all he could, he placed his best facts in their 

 hands. After hearing them, they treat the whole as frivolous and 

 so report it to Sir John Thynne. Under Sheriff Gamege is evidently 

 a strong Hartgill-ite and betrays ill will towards Lord Stourton's 

 party : not forgetting to make against the Coroner an insinuation 

 of partiality, which however will be more openly expressed by 

 Hartgill himself in the subsequent letter. 



(No. 26.) 1548, Dec. 17. John Gamege, Under Sheriff, to Sir John Thynne, 

 Sheriff of Somerset. ( Original at Longleat.) 



"Ryght Worship full. Of my bounden dewtie thes shalbe to certyfie yow 

 that immedyately after I had spoken with Mr. Hartgyll he wylled me to goo 

 with him to attach on of my Lord Stourton's men beyng then suspected of 



