Wiltshire's Contribution to the Piedmontese Fund in 1655. 113 



As for the Protector Oliver, he lost no time in despatching Sir 

 Samuel Morland as ambassador extraordinary, to remonstrate with 

 the Court of Turin in words which, if unheeded, would soon have 

 become acts. At home he ordained a general fast throughout 

 England ; collections at the same time to be made in all the Churches 

 to relieve the homeless survivors in the valleys. He headed the 

 subscription list by a gift of two thousand pounds out of his privy 

 purse ; and so cordially was his challenge accepted by the nation, 

 that, judged by the money standard of the age, their contributions 

 may be said to have risen to munificence. £16,500 is the sum 

 accounted for by Morland in the copious memorandum occupying 

 twenty-eight pages of Thurloe's State Papers ; though he admits 

 that this was only " part of the moneys collected for the poor people 

 of the valleys." 



Scanning the contribution list of Wiltshire, we remark at first 

 sight that some parishes of importance are totally omitted, Malmes- 

 bury, Hindon, and Downton, for example ; while on the other hand 

 sundry obscure villages surprise us by the largeness of their donations. 

 Leading families in this or that locality, as also the known principles 

 of the resident incumbent may have had something to do in this 

 matter. May we not reasonably conclude, for instance, that the 

 influence of the Frowd family is discernable at Edington (spelt 

 Edingston in the list) ? the Protestantism of the Frowds, always 

 of a pronounced character, being subsequently illustrated by alliance 

 with the Huguenot family of Faugoin, 1 who settled in the south-west 

 quarter of Wilts and enjoyed the friendship of the Hoares of 

 Stourhead. The Frowds (of Tinhead) have long disappeared from 

 Edington parish, but the title of Frowd- Seagram, of Bratton, 



1 The Huguenot family of Faugoin, in South Wilts. The last household 

 bearing this patronymic comprised five daughters renowned for their beauty, and 

 one son ; hut as the son died unmarried the name is well-nigh forgotten. Of 

 the daughters, one married Mr. Partridge, the Vicar of Stourton ; another, Mr. 

 Turner, a clergyman of Mere ; a third married Mr. Hyatt, a farmer near 

 Stourhead ; a fourth was the wife of Edward Frowd, of Tinhead aforesaid ; and 

 the fifth died unmarried. Through Camilla Sloper, a grand-daughter of Edward 

 Frowd, but maternally deriving from the Houltons, of Farley Castle, we trace 

 the progenitors of the present Lieut. -Colonel Frowd Walker, the energetic 

 commander of our Sikh troopa in the Straits Settlements. 

 VOL. XXV. — NO. LXXIII. I 



