LITTLE SHEFFORD: John Prime, rector. With the exception of the Rector, none of the parishioners could sign their names, but all put their "mark."

GREAT SHEFFORD: Jo. Nixon, rector. Geo. Browne, Esq., Elleanor Browne, his wife, Elleanor Browne his daughter-These desired a long time to consider which was refused. George Browne sone of Geo. Browne, aforesaid, and Morrice Jonathan, servant-would sign in all except the part against Popery. Anne Cooper, Anne Northover -professing themselves simple maidens requested time to consider on the part of religion. Elizbh. Wylder, Ursula Wylder, widow, daughter of said Elizabeth-absolutely refuse to sign the Protestation. John Arundell, constable and churchwarden.

SPEEN; Thos. Castillian, Esq., Jo. Barker, and others, John Barker, minister.

WASING:-Thos. Walker or Walthen, rector,

WELFORD: Hinton, Esq., and others, John Mundy, clerk.

WINTERBORNE DANVERS in the parish of Chieveley:-Henry Greetham, clerk, Laurence Head, Thomas Kimber, and others.

VII.-LIST OF THE SEQUESTRATORS OF THE ESTATES OF "DELINQUENTS, PAPISTS, SPYES, AND INTELLIGENCERS," FOR THE COUNTY OF BERKS; APPOINTED UNDER ORDINANCE OF THE LORDS AND COMMONS, APRIL 1, 1643:

Sir Francis Pile, Bart. (1); Sir Francis Knollys, jun. Knt. (2); Peregrine Hobby (3); Henry Marten (4); Roger Knight (5); Henry Powl (6); Thomas Fettiplace (7), and Tanfield Vachell (8), Esquires.

(1). SIR FRANCIS PILE, second bart. Sat for the County of Berks in the second Parliament of 1640, succeeding on the disablement of Mr. John Fettiplace in 1646. The first of the family who was created a baronet was Francis, of Compton-Beauchamp,who received that honour from Charles I, 12 Sept. 1628, for his services to the Crown. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Francis Popham, of Littlecote, knt., and dying in 1635, he was succeeded by his eldest son, the member for the county above mentioned. The baronetcy became finally extinct 4 May, 1761, on the demise of the 6th baronet.

(2). SIR FRANCIS KNOLLYS, JUN, second son of the famous Sir Francis Knollys, K.G., Treasurer of Queen Elizabeth's household and captain of the Guard, who received from his royal mistress the grants of Whitley Park (the Abbot's park mentioned by Leland as being at the entrance to Reading town), and the manor or farm of Battle, which also belonged to Reading Abbey. Sir Francis resided at the Abbey-house of Reading at the period of the civil war. Captain

This Committee sat at Reading Abbey.

Symonds, who was at Reading in 1644, described the dining-room at the Abbey-house as having the arms and initials of Queen Elizabeth, for whose reception it was probably fitted up. Sir Francis, jun., the sequestrator, sat for the county of Berks in the Parliaments of 1614-25, and for Reading in those of 1625-26-28-40 until his demise in 1645.

(3). PEREGRINE HOBY, son of Sir Edward Hoby, of Bisham, co. Berks, who received the honour of a visit from Queen Elizabeth at Bisham in 1592, who when Princess had spent part of three years here under the guardianship of Sir Thomas Hoby. Edward, the son of Peregrine, was created a baronet 12 July, 1666, a title which became extinct on the death of the Rev. Sir Philip Hoby, fifth baronet, June 29, 1766.

(4). HARRY MARTEN. The Regicide. Son of Sir Henry Marten, of Longworth, near Faringdon, Dean of Arches, Judge of the Prerogative court and of the High Court of Admiralty, who was esteemed the first civilian of the age. His "ungodly_son," as Wood calls him, represented the county of Berks in the Parliaments of 1640-40, and was governor of Reading in 1642, but upon the approach of a party of the king's horse Marten quitted the town and fled with his garrison. After the Restoration, Marten surrendered on the Proclamation and was tried at the Old Bailey, he was found guilty, and petitioned for pardon, which he obtained on condition of perpetual imprisonment. He was first confined in the Tower, but soon removed to the Castle at Chepstow, where he was incarcerated twenty years. Marten was buried in the Church at Chepstow, and over his remains was placed a stone with the following inscription, the acrostic epitaph being written by himself.

(5)

(6)

"Here

Sep. 9, in the year of our Lord 1680,

Was buried a true Englishman,

Who in Berkshire was well known

To love his country's freedom, 'bove his own,
But living immured full twenty year,
Had time to write, as does appear,

HIS EPITAPH.

Here or elsewhere (all's one to you, to me,)
Earth, air, or water, gripes my ghostless dust
N one knows how soon to be by fire set free
Reader, if you an oft tryed rule will trust,
You'll gladly do and suffer what you must.

My life was spent in serving you, and you,
A nd death's my pay (it seems) and welcome too;
Revenge destroying but itself, while I

To birds of prey leave my old cage, and fly,

E xamples preach to th' eye, care then, (mine says)
Not how you end, but how you spend your dayes."

ROGER KNIGHT, of Greenham. See Appendix, "Second Battle." HENRY POWLE. Of the family of Powles of Shottesbroke. This Henry Powle was High Sheriff of the County of Berks, 8 Car. i, 1632. Mr. Powle's younger son Henry, sat for Windsor in the Convention Parliament of 1688, over which he presided as Speaker,

became Master of the Rolls, 13 March, 1689-90, and died 21 Nov., 1692. He married, in 1679, Frances, Countess Dowager of Dorset, relict of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset.

(7). THOMAS FETTIPLACE, of Fernham, near Faringdon.

(8). TANFIELD VACHELL, of Coley House. M.P. for Reading in the Second Parliament of 1640, succeeding to that seat on the demise of Sir Francis Knollys, jun., knt. in 1645. King Charles was at Coley House in May, 1644, which at this time belonged to John Hampden in right of his second wife, Letitia, daughter of Sir Francis Knollys, brother to William, Earl of Banbury and widow of Sir Thomas Vachell. "Mr. Tanfield Vachell whom the King made Sheriff of Berks in 1643, and who left his service and went to Rebellion, whose house on the south side of the town newly built upon the old priory and now pull'd down, is cousin and heir to ye said Sir Thomas Vachell, his uncle. "Tis reported in Reading an old story of Vachell, yt would not suffer ye Abbot of Reading to carry the hay through his yard, ye Abbot after many messengers, sent a Monk, whom Vachell in fury kill'd, he was forced to fly, and his kin after adopted the motto, "It is better to suffer than revenge." (Symond's "Church Notes," Harl. MSS., 965, Mus. Brit.)

YII.*

THE COMMISSIONERS FOR RAISING MONEY AND FORCES WITHIN THE COUNTY OF BERKS, AND FOR MAINTENANCE OF GARRISONS WITHIN THE SAID COUNTY FOR USE OF PARLIAMENT, APPOINTED JUNE 27, 1644, were:—

William Lenthall, Speaker and Master of the Rolls (1); Sir Francis Knollys, knt., Sir Francis Pile, Bart., Sir Robert Pye, sen. (2); Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, knt. (3); Richard Whitehead, Edward Dunch (4); Henry Marten, Peregrine Hobby, Tanfield Vachell, Daniel Blagrave (5); Major-General Richard Browne (6); William Ball, John Packer, sen. (7); Robert Packer (8); and Cornelius Holland (9).

(1). WILLIAM LENTHALL, (the speaker of the Long Parliament), of Besilsleigh, co. Berks, who purchased this property of the Fettiplaces in 1634. The old mansion which was a magnificent structure, surrounded by a quadrangular court is now destroyed except a picturesque portion of the offices and the massive stone pillars of the gateway. Cromwell and other distinguished characters of the day were frequent guests at Besilsleigh. The elder branch of the Lenthalls became extinct at the decease of William Lenthall, a gentleman of the Privy Chamber to Charles II., M.P. for Wallingford in 1680. The family is now represented by Edm. Kyffin Lenthall, Esq., of Besilsleigh.

(2). SIR ROBERT PYE, SEN. Upon the breaking out of the Civil War he sided with the Parliamentarians, and, as Colonel of horse in General Fairfax's regiment, headed an assault on his own house at Faringdon, in which he was repulsed by the royalist governor Sir Marmaduke Rawdon. During the protectorate he enjoyed many high favours; he nevertheless joined in the attempt to restore Charles II., and was subsequently committed to the Tower for a breach of privilege in presenting a petition from the County of Berks, complaining of the want of a settled form of Government. Pye was released at the Restoration and appointed Equerry to King Charles II. He married a daughter of John Hampden. He lived with her upwards of 60 years, and died in 1714 within a week of her death. Sir Robert Pye's great-great-grandson was the poet-laureat Henry James Pye.

(3). SIR BENJAMIN RUDYERD, KNT., of West Woodhay, near Newbury, descended from the Rudyerds of Rudyerd, co. of Stafford; third son of James Rudyerd, Esq. of Hartley, co. Hants, by Margaret his wife, daughter, and heiress of Lawrence Kidwelly, of Winchfield, in the same county, esquire. Sir Benjamin was born on St. Stephen's day, 1572, and educated at the public school, Winchester, and St. John's College, Oxford. By the influence of his patron, Sir John Harrington, afterwards Lord Harrington, of Exton, preceptor to the accomplished but unfortunate Princess Elizabeth, Rudyerd soon obtained a favourable reception at the Court of King James I. and in the abovementioned noble family, distinguished alike by their talents and piety, he, no doubt, received those lessons of moderation which so greatly distinguished his whole political career. From that family, too, he chose a partner in the joys and sorrows of his life, in the person of Elizabeth, one of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Sir Henry Harrington, next brother to John, first Lord Harrington of Exton. On the 9th March, 1617, Rudyerd was appointed to the then high and distinguished office of Surveyor of His Majesty's Court of Wards and Liveries, and on the 30th of the same month, King James honoured him with the degree of knighthood. Upon the differences arising between King Charles I. and Parliament, Sir Benjamin was one of the several members of both houses who did all they could to persuade the Parliament to an accommodation, and warned them of the miseries of a civil war. On the abolition of the Court of Wards and Liveries in 1647, £6,000 was voted to Rudyerd, and so great was the esteem of the House towards him, that they further voted him a part of the forfeited estates of the Marquis of Worcester as a reparation for the loss of his office, but notwithstanding these marks of favour, he was heartily disgusted with the disloyal attempts of the Independents, and he stood to his post to the last moment advocating moderation and deprecating destruction. In December, 1648, Rudyerd and other well affected members of the Parliament having been beaten on the 4th instant, question, "whether the King's answers to the propositions of both Houses were satisfactory," on the 6th, the question was varied by the King's friends, among whom Rudyerd stood prominently forward, in the hope of further averting the progress of the rebellion, and making a happy peace with the Sovereign, then a prisoner. It was now put in these terms,-that the answer of the King to the propositions of both Houses are a ground

for the House to proceed upon for the settlement of the peace of the kingdom," which was carried by a majority of 129 to 83. Such an unexpected occurrence threw Cromwell and the Parliamentary generals into the greatest consternation, and the result was the well-known coup d'état, when all the obnoxious members were seized as they arrived at the House: one of the victims on this occasion was Rudyerd, then 76 years of age, who was thrown into prison with the rest. It appears Rudyerd did not remain in confinement any length of time, as the Journals of the House of Commons record his release from the Gate-house shortly afterwards, owing, it is said, to the influence of Mr. Prynne. Sir Benjamin then retired to his house at West Woodhay, built for him by Inigo Jones, and spent the remainder of his days in the quiet to which his mind must have been a stranger while engaged in the political struggles of the times. Sir Benjamin died at West Woodhay on the 31st May, 1658, aged 86 years; a few months only before the death of Cromwell. No stronger example of the sincerity of Rudyerd's religious sentiments can be adduced than the following beautiful hymn which he composed in his declining years:

"O God! my God! what shall I give

To Thee in thanks? I am and live
In thee; and thou dost safe preserve

My health, my fame, my goods, my rent:
Thou mak'st me eat, whilst others starve,
And sing, whilst others do lament.
Such unto me thy blessings are
As though I were thy only care.

But oh! my God, thou art more kind,
When I look inward on my mind:
Thou fill'st my heart with humble joy,
With patience meek, and fervent love
(Which doth all other loves destroy),
With faith which nothing can remove,
And hope assur'd of Heaven's bliss:
This is my state, my grace is this."

Sir Benjamin was buried in the Church at West Woodhay, where in Ashmole's time there was "a neat black marble monument" to his memory, with an epitaph, written (according to the authority of Wood, "Athenæ Oxonienses," vol. iii.) by Sir Benjamin in his younger days. It is printed in Ashmole's "Collections," and in the "Hist. of Newbury," p. 289. The only son of Sir Benjamin married one of the five daughters and co-heirs of Sir Stephen Harvey, of Morton Murrell in the co. of Warwick (created Knight of the Bath at the coronation of King Charles I.); and by this connection Mr. Rudyerd was brother-inlaw to the celebrated Speaker Lenthall. Mr. John Rudyerd, the ingenious designer of the Eddystone Light-house erected in 1708, and which stood until destroyed by fire in 1755, was a lineal descendant of Sir Benjamin.

(4.) EDMUND DUNCH. Member for Wallingford in the Parliaments of 1628-40, and for the County in the Parliaments of 1654-56.

His