THETHE PATRIOTPATRIOT

Newsletter of the John Hampden Society No. 44 - Autumn 2005

The John Hampden Society is a registered charity which exists to bring together people with an interest in John Hampden, and to encourage wider knowledge of this great 17th century Parliamentarian, his life and times

were up in armes all night: Colonel Mar- ANNUAL DINNER 2005 A MYSTERY tin’s regiment is to goe downe to the armie This event took place on Saturday, 18th To my highly honoured with all convenient speede: there is nothing June at The Spread Eagle Hotel and was at- Colonel Sir Thomas yet done in your Committee since you want tended by Society members and guests. in- Barrington att his although I pressed it for the other armies cluding Mr Garry Heath and his wife House in Queene which concerns Essex I will doe anything Monica. Garry very kindly undertakes the Streete you shall command: I have nothing else for printing of ‘ The Patriot’ and it was good to By the present thus in hast my humble service be able to publicly thank him for his help and xxxxxx being presented to your selfe and my Ladie support with this. ______I take my leave and with ease rest

The speaker this year was Professor Mal- June 26 1643 colm Wanklyn, the subject of his talk being

“Military Strategy as it affected Bucking- Yours to Serve you hamshire in the first Civil War”. Honoured Sir

You shall understand that this present I beseech you present my Monday morning, being the 26 of June, service to Sir John and we received the sad tidings of Colonel his Ladie and all the rest Hamdens death; he died on Saturday of his Ladies. Rob: Goodwin night last.; it being to all honest men a cause of much relinctation?? and sorrow this day likewise was read in the howse a Who was Rob Goodwin? proclamation which came from Oxford, granting pardon to all members of either A copy of this letter has come into the howse that would come in to Oxford hands of Derek Lester, but so far it has within ten daies excepting out of that not been possible to find out who wrote pardon only 5 Lords and 13 Commoners it. Was he a relative of Arthur Goodwin? the Earles of Essex Warwick Manchester Stamford and my Lord Say and Seale; Sir If you have any knowledge of our mys- Professor Malcolm Wanklyn John Hotham, Sir Ac: Haselrick, Sir tery letter-writer, or can throw any light As reported in the summer edition of ‘ The ffran: Popham, Sir Ed: Hungerford, Sir on his possible identity, the Society would Patriot’, the dinner took place on the actual Hen: Lindloc??, Mr Pym, Mr Strode, Mr be interested to hear from you. anniversary of the Battle of Chalgrove and Natha: ffrinas?? , Mr Alex: Popham, Mr the Society held a wreath laying ceremony at Hamden, My Lord Major Colonel Mann the Hampden Monument prior to the dinner. the proclamation did seeme to anihilate this Parliament; the Lords voted that they Together with the AGM, the annual dinner would maintaine this Parliament with offers an excellent opportunity to get to their lives and sent it downe at the con- know other Society members in a friendly ference; and so fixed a declaration might relaxed atmosphere, whilst enjoying a good be sett forth concerning this proclama- meal. tion; our howse did concur; my Lord General is yet at Tame; but we had this This event is always scheduled to take place day an intimation given us by Mr Pym on the 3rd Saturday in June, so make a note that he would goe forward upon some now in your diary and join us in 2006. designe tomorrow : some commanders in the armie doe refuse the Covenant, I wish The Society would also welcome sugges- the number be not many; I cannot write THAME tions for speakers at the dinner, so if you you any good newes our forces at Leister OXFORDSHIRE know of anyone who can give a short but have taken some of their Commanders; OX9 2BW interesting talk on a suitable subject, please TELEPHONE (01844) 213661 my Lord Fairfax is in great want of horse; let us know, the Queene advanceth : the last night the ACCOMODATION, RESTAURANT Cavaliers plundered Wickham and tooke & BANQUETING We are happy to pay travelling expenses a troope of my Lo: Generals horse; and and provide dinner, or alternatively pay a this City tooke an alarum upon it and reasonable fee.

THANKS Background fighting which he describes as “after once firing, suddenly to advance up to push of It was John Hampden’s legacy to Chal- On 12 October 1642, after learning that pikes and the butt end of muskets”. The grove that brought Gill and I together parliament’s field army under the Earl of royalists were delayed for between two and many years ago. I was a ‘young’ sergeant Essex was at Worcester, King Charles I three hours until parliament’s soldiers, who in John Hampden’s Regiment of Foote left Shrewsbury with his army, taking the had become almost surrounded, eventually and Gill, Chalgrove’s Parish Clerk. The opportunity to march on London unop- routed. Some ran back toward London, but Regiment had visited Chalgrove many posed. But Essex, discovering the King’s others tried to swim the ; times for banquets and AGMs, being as it departure, gave chase and caught up with many drowned. was the Regiment’s spiritual home. So the royal army at Edgehill in Warwickshire when the 350 th anniversary of the battle on 23 October. The royalists pursued the retreating parlia- drew near, Gill approached me to organ- mentarians until they encountered a fresh ise the battle. From there our lives en- parliamentary regiment under John Hamp- twined with the Society, John Hampden den, probably at . Lord Nu- and Chalgrove, each playing a crucial gent claimed, unsourced, that Hampden’s role in our interests in life. Together we green coats had marched from Uxbridge got the Battlefield listed with English before encountering the royalists. But this Heritage, helped to get the Monument seems improbable, not least because parlia- checked for stability and the railings ment’s messenger to the King found royal- around it painted. We also wrote a book ist dragoons at Uxbridge during the after- on his exhumation. None of this would noon of 12 November; it is more likely the have happened without the Society. regiment was stationed in Acton. Hamp-

th den’s regiment was said by one parliamen- Saturday June 4 2005 at St. Mary’s tary report to have charged the royalists Church, Chalgrove Gill and I were mar- five times to cover the broken regiments ried. We were so pleased to see our The Earl of Essex retreating from as night fell. friends from the Society in the congrega- tion and at the reception. The video Although the battle there was inconclu- shows that it was the Society’s members sive, the parliamentarians retreated through who really enjoyed themselves at the the Chilterns to London and the royalists evening ceilidh. advanced on the capital, occupying Oxford Thank you all for your generosity and before continuing along the Thames val- that of the Society, who presented us ley. Parliament sought peace with the King with ‘The Household Book (1510 - 1551) and believed an agreement for negotiations of Sir Edward Don. We read the book had been reached at Colnbrook on 11 No- while soaring in a Hot Air Balloon; our vember. But early in the morning of 12 wedding present wish. We were booked November the royal army commanded by to fly on the 19 th August. General Patrick Ruthven, with the King’s nephew, Prince Rupert, leading the horse, Print of a painting of the Battle of Brentford We flew from Heathrow to Ecuador and marched via toward London. commissioned by Col Grant Morden MP, do- then on to the Galapagos Islands for our nated by Florence Last to the Battlefields Trust Honeymoon. The wild life, if you can The Battle of Brentford Brentford was badly looted by the royal- call it that, as they were all so friendly, The leading elements of the royal army was fabulous. We also went to Cuzco in ists after the battle. Nehemiah Wallington, a first encountered parliamentary soldiers, London artisan, described the King’s army Peru and visited many Incan sites, includ- probably belonging to Denzil Holles’ regi- ing Machu Picchu. as having made the town “…a miserable ment, at Sir Richard Wynn’s house on the spectacle for they have taken from them….. Now it is back to reality, married life west side of Brentford in the early after- all that they have“. Around 50 parliamen- and John Hampden Society meetings. noon of 12 November. tarian soldiers, including many officers, were killed in the fighting with perhaps 90- Thank you all for sharing our magical Royalist cavalry had to wait until the foot 100 drowning during the rout. A further day . came up to clear parliament’s troops from 400 were captured. Royalist losses were behind a hedge. Pursuing the retreating Gill and Derek Lester . less than 20. parliamentarians, the royalists next met a THE BATTLES OF barricade at Brentford bridge defended by On the night of 12/13 November, parlia- more of Holles’ men. This position took BRENTFORD AND ment tried to move cannon and ammunition around one hour for the royalists to over- from Kingston-upon-Thames to London by TURNHAM GREEN come. Syon House may have been taken barge down the Thames. But these vessels by the royalists during this phase of the were scuttled after being fired upon from The battles of Brentford and Turnham battle. Syon House and threatened by royalist can- Green have been largely overlooked by non located near to the modern day Kew Pressing-on east through Brentford on the Civil War military historians and their Bridge. importance neglected. But the combina- London road, the royalists were faced with tion of these actions forestalled a royalist a second barricade, on the rising ground Battle of Turnham Green assault on London and ensured that par- around the modern day Ferry Lane, de- Overnight, the remainder of the parliamen- liament was willing and able to fight-on fended by troops from Lord Brooke’s par- tarian field army was reinforced by the to eventual victory in 1646. John Hamp- liamentary regiment of foot. The fighting London trained bands and auxiliaries, vol- den played a key role in both engage- here was hard with six royalist regiments unteers, sailors, Members of both Houses of ments, demonstrating his credentials as a of foot brought up to assault the barricade. Parliament, and many gentlemen volunteers military commander. John Gwyn, a royalist soldier during the battle, gives some idea of the nature of the and leading citizens. By the morning of

2 Sunday, 13 November this army of about soldiers demonstrated at Turnham Green,

24,000 men was concentrated at Turnham this gave Essex the freedom to campaign Green. A leading royalist described it ad- away from the capital. Never again were miringly as ‘a full army of horse and foot, the royalists able to threaten London and fit to have decided the title of a crown’. It their efforts were aimed at inciting an was indeed the largest army that was de- uprising, but they, too, were unsuccess- DIARY DATES ployed on a Civil War battlefield. ful. 2005 Although the royalists had attracted some Simon Marsh new recruits, their army was only about Battlefields Trust Saturday 12th November. A Day School 12,000 men, matching the Parliamentarians run by the Cromwell Association at The Royal Armouries in Leeds. The theme for in the number of horse, but with far fewer The Battlefields Trust walks the battles infantry. Even so, only at Marston Moor in the day is “1655 - Year of Crisis?”, of Brentford and Turnham Green on the exploring aspects of the Protectorate and 1644 were there more troops present on a first Sunday of November each year. the events of 1655. Further details Civil War battlefield than the 36,000 men Details of the walk on 6 November 2005 available on www.olivercromwell.org drawn up on Turnham Green that morning. are as follows: All meetings commence at 8 pm, unless The modern open spaces of Turnham Brentford: 11:00 - meet outside the otherwise stated. Green, Back Common, Acton Brentford Magistrates’ Court on the Lon- For up-to-date information, see the Common and Acton Green are the rem- don Road (not to be confused with the Diary page on the Society’s website at: nants of the original Turnham Green. On County Court Building outside which is a its south side Chiswick common field ex- pillar commemorating the battle). www.johnhampden.org/diary.htm tended to the village of Chiswick and the walled gardens of the Jacobean Chiswick Turnham Green: 14:00 - meet outside House. This open space of the green and Chiswick Park underground station. the common field, surrounded by small Each of the walks will last approxi- hedged fields, was the battlefield. mately one and a half hours. To protect their left flank, the royalists No charge is made for the walks al- sent troops on to the rising ground towards though donations to the Battlefields Trust Acton. The parliamentarians drove them charity will be welcome. The John Hamp- off and Essex then ordered two regiments den Society has worked closely with the of horse and four of foot apparently under Trust in the past and their work is worthy John Hampden’s command to march be- of your support. More information about • Planning ahead? tween Turnham Green and Acton, to out- the Trust can be found on their website • Reviewing the areas where flank the King’s army. But when the de- www.battlefieldstrust.com . tachment had covered about a mile, Essex you need advice? recalled it, much to the chagrin of those Contact Sam Hearn the Society’s Treas- • Talk to us! We offer a personal, involved in the manoeuvre, including urer on 020 8995 2666 for more informa- local source for :- Hampden. tion about the walks and arrangements - Strategic planning for lunch. - Wealth management / plan- The battle then settled into a stalemate, ning punctuated by exchanges of artillery fire - Tax planning and royalist attempts to provoke the inex- - Audit and accountancy perienced parliamentarian troops to break - Outsourced accounting ranks. But they stood fast and as the King’s - Payroll & HR army was too small to risk an assault, dur- - VAT returns & planning ing the late afternoon it withdrew. Essex - Equipment finance dared not launch an attack in the fading • Contact Helen Johns now and ask light and so it could retreat unscathed, for a free consultation : marching to and then Kingston, before erupting into Surrey. Is Your Life Complex? E-mail: [email protected] or

Syon House was also attacked from the Telephone: 01494 452921 The Special Risks Bureau has been Thames by parliamentary ships during 13 created to help those who might find Haines Watts, Sterling House November. obtaining life assurance difficult by 5 Buckingham Place, Bellfield Road West virtue of a previous medical condition, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP13 5HQ At Turnham Green the royalist command- hazardous pursuits or occupations or ers discovered that the Londoners were expatriate residency. www.hwca.com/highwycombe prepared to defy a royalist army. Not only had the parliamentarian army been rein- Special Risks Bureau Ltd 46a Duke Street Published by forced by citizen-soldiers, but there had Chelmsford been no revolt or even demonstration in CM1 1JA The John Hampden Society support of the King, even though his army Tel: 01245 491417 Little Hampden, Cryers Hill See www.specialrisksbureau.com was just a few miles from the city. Both High Wycombe, Bucks HP15 6JS sides realised that any further royalist Special Risks Bureau Ltd is an Tel: 07985 607224 march on London was likely to fail. appointed representative of Johnston e-mail: [email protected] Financial Services Ltd who are Parliament had already organised the con- Authorised and regulated by the Web Site: www.johnhampden.org/ struction of earthwork defences, which Financial Services Authority Registered charity no. 1098314 were extended in the spring of 1643. With the military capability of the citizen- 3

lor asked him to repeat it which he refused In spite of his Pardon, Wharton had to THE BELLS OF ST to do. The four Lords were subsequently endure the religious reforms taking place MARYS …….. sent to the Tower. One year later they even though the Declaration of Indulgance were released after submitting Petitions to 1662 came to little. It was quickly fol- As all aspects of John Hampden’s life are the King. During 1678, all four were back lowed by an Act of Uniformity in the same of interest to us, it might be apposite to re- in Parliament with Wharton and Shaftes- year. The Bishops returned to their cathe- mind ourselves that in 1625, when he was bury active in various committees. 31 years old, he had three bells cast by drals and regained their endowments. The Knight of Reading, for the tower of St Mary Act meant that Presbyterians were not wel- At the accession of James II to the throne Magdalene Church at Great Hampden. come in the Reformed Church of England. in 1685, Wharton withdrew to the Conti- These were the original bells of the tower. The effect was that, though many came to nent and returned in October, 1686 to be They bear the following inscriptions: hear the sermon, most did not take the one of the first to declare for William III in communion, unless they needed to qualify 1688. Upon Williams’ arrival, Wharton 1 “Our Hope is in the Lord.” for office as it was felt, “It is madness to was offered the office of Privy Councillor; 2. “Prayes ye the Lord” lose an office for a bit of bread and a cup of however, during the next few years he did 3. “Let your Hope be in the Lord”. wine.” The majority of the gentry at least not attend the House regularly. His last It would be interesting to know if they showed some signs of conformity to the recorded appearance in Parliament was in were part of a thanksgiving. Some time ago church, although some attended conventi- June, 1691. Wharton suffered a tragedy it was found that the first bell was cracked, cles or kept non-conformist chaplains. similar to that of his uncle the third Lord and this was removed for safe keeping to Wharton was found many times at a con- Wharton, as in December, 1689 his favour- Hampden House. A replacement was pro- venticle but was not punished because of ite son, William, was killed in a duel (it vided by the 7th Earl of Buckinghamshire. his privileges as a Peer. Wharton and those was thought unfairly) by a Mr. Wolsley. of like mind had to wait until 1690 for the Although Wharton wanted Wolsley to be Toleration Act which gave them freedom punished, Wolsley obtained a pardon and to worship as long as they did not meet left the country. Another of the sons, a behind closed doors. Colonel Henry Wharton, was a colourful figure, brave soldier and accomplished However, stricter penal laws were intro- swordsman. He was often involved in duced and the conventicles were broken up. fights and brawls. In 1680, he was ban- The King’s speech to Parliament in April, ished from Court for duelling (from which 1675 maintained the enforcement of the he almost died) and, “running through one laws against dissenters. Wharton and eight of Madame Gwyn’s horses who drove too other Peers objected. There soon followed near him”. In 1687, he and another the ‘Non Resisting Test Bill’ which im- brother, Thomas, were involved in a brawl posed upon Members of Parliament and when they desecrated Bramlington Church officials not to attempt to change the gov- in the West Country. He also knocked ernment of State or Church. Wharton spoke down one of the Duke of Norfolk’s coach- There is little doubt that the original bells on this matter a couple of times. His main men in Tunbridge Wells. In 1686, he rang a mournful peal on that Sunday morn- points were that a debate in the House is joined the Prince of Orange in Exeter and ing, June 25th 1643, when the body of the necessary and changes can only be estab- was made Colonel of a regiment. He died Patriot was escorted along the magnificent lished by an Act of Parliament. The Bish- whilst on active service in Ireland. glade of beeches and Spanish chestnuts by a ops also claimed Divine Right and Whar- large company, including Hampden’s ton put it to them, “could they excommuni- Philip, the fourth Lord Wharton, died in Greencoats, with drums and banners muf- cate their Prince?” The Bishops did not 1695 aged eighty three. He had great taste fled and arms reversed, singing the 90th answer for they preached non-resistance to for architecture and gardens and formed a Psalm. the King. Wharton and the Opposition fine collection of portraits by Van Dyck Bob Hammond Party made full use of the right to protest. and Lely. In his house at Winchendon, The Court Party voted that this ‘Protest’ Wharton had a gallery, one hundred and was a breach of privilege. This Parliament twenty feet in length, in which hung por- had continued for fourteen years and the traits of the royal family, contemporaries THE HOUSE OF WHARTON King had received more money than any of and portraits of his family. He commis- his predecessors in the last fifty years, but sioned several pictures from Van Dyck 3, Part 3 [concluded] as this Parliament opposed his view on the twelve full lengths and six half length por- Non Resisting Test Bill and other matters, traits. After Van Dyck’s death in 1641, Lord Wharton did not have to wait too the King prorogued it for fifteen months Peter Lely was also commissioned. As a long for, at the Restoration of the Monar- (from November, 1675 to February, 1677). young man of nineteen, Wharton ‘sat’ for chy in 1660, he was granted a Pardon by Lord Shaftesbury seized upon this pro- Van Dyck. It is one of Van Dyck’s earliest Charles II. Interestingly, he was assisted in rogugation as being illegal as the statutes of English works and is considered to be one obtaining his Pardon from the King’s Edward III and Richard II, which had not of the most romantic. Also in the collec- brother, James, Duke of York, who said a been repealed, state that Parliaments must tion there were full length portraits of few friendly words in his favour. Wharton be held every year. When Parliament as- Charles I and a companion portrait of Hen- felt that this unsolicited help from the sembled in 1677, Buckingham declared, rietta Maria. Portraits of his family in- Catholic heir to the throne was part of a “This is not a Parliament as it has not been cluded his father in law, Arthur Goodwin, political calculation on his behalf. At the dissolved.” A parallel motion in the Com- full length, noted for its harmonious tones Restoration, Wharton was part of the escort mons collapsed and the King’s chief minis- of brown and gold, Lady Wharton, full when the King travelled from Greenwich ter, Danby, proposed punishment for those length, plucking a rose and Jane, his second into London on the twenty eighth of May who supported this view. Wharton and wife, full length, holding a tulip. Portraits 1660. At the King’s Coronation, Wharton 2 three other Lords were charged with main- with two females together are rare but in was dressed in black in mourning for his taining this view. Eventually they were the Wharton collection there was a picture wife, Jane 1. He wore diamonds as coat asked to seek a pardon from the King and of Philadephia and Elizabeth Wharton, buttons to enlighten his attire, and he spent the House for their assertions. Although aged four and five. eight thousand pounds on horse furniture. Wharton did ask for a pardon, the Chancel- 4

FOOD FOR THOUGHT SOCIETY LEAFLETS Dear Sir, You will find enclosed with this edition of ‘ The Patriot’ two copies of the Soci- I see in the last edition of ‘The Patriot’ ety’s new leaflet. Please feel free to pass that another lock of hair from the body these on to anyone that might be interested exhumed in 1828 has emerged. in finding out a little more about John Hampden and the Society. If you need In 1996 Rosemary Cooper showed me more copies of the leaflet you should con- and several Society members a purported tact the Hon Secretary, Anthea Coles lock of J.H.’s in Carisbrooke Castle (‘ The 07985 607224. There is no charge for Patriot’ No 16) in 1996. It occurs to me these leaflets but a stamped addressed that if we could get the DNA of both envelope would be much appreciated. specimens identified and they coincided at least we should know if they came from Members of The Executive Committee the same corpse, though it does not prove try to ensure that stocks of the Society’s that they were from J.H. A leaflets are available in local museums, further thought occurs. If we could get the tourist information centres and libraries. DNA from some known descendents of Existing members can assist the Society in J.H. and match it against the hairs, there is attracting new members by identifying a chance that we could establish once and suitable places for displaying the leaflets for all if the corpse was John’s or at least a and keeping the displays well stocked. member of the family. Of course it might be expensive and I do not know how one Philadephia and Elizabeth Wharton If you have any suggestions for improv- ing the leaflet please contact the Treasurer would go about it but the Society has con- Considerable sums of Wharton’s wealth Sam Hearn on 020 8995 2666. nections with Oxford and I have no doubt were applied to charitable purposes, namely that it could be done at the University. I the purchase and distribution of Bibles and can think of no project of greater moment other religious books for the poor. Over one MEMBERS’ NEWS for the Society than this. thousand Bibles, with singing psalms and catechisms were to be distributed annually, Since the last update of the Membership It set me thinking again about what actu- and it was expected of the recipient to learn List in June 2005 the following have ally caused John’s death and I went back by heart several psalms. It is fairly obvious joined the Society: to all sources available to me here from that these books and Bibles were intended for Clarendon to Adair and Lester/Blackshaw the benefit of Dissenters of whom Wharton Mr John Walker of Newquay. and tried to think about it anatomically (I was one. Mr Kenneth Griffiths of London. was once an anatomy lecturer). What was Ms Pamela Brown of New South Wales, he wearing in the battle? He was got out of Wharton had lived a long life and through Australia. bed in the early hours in haste; did he have several reigns, including a Puritan Lord Pro- time to put on his buff coat and back and tector. He managed to keep his wealth and Our Vice-Chairman, Mr Robert V. breast plates?; the latter might have a vital titles intact. After the Restoration he always Hammond has changed his address. He bearing. He was riding his horse holding had influence, albeit apart for a short spell in now resides at Flat 4, No 8, High Street, the reins in his left hand (if he was right- the Tower, he suffered personal tragedies Haddenham, AYLESBURY, Bucks, HP17 handed) and in his right he would have with the loss of his favourite son. 8ER. either his sword or pistol. To the layman He married three times and had thirteen chil- the shoulder is a large area and can mean dren. In Parliament he received no comfort His telephone no is 01844 292635. anywhere from the side of the chest to the from the Tories who sang, Liz Morris upper arm. Let us be specific; the shoulder “I prithie good Lord, take old Wharton Membership Secretary joint is the articulation between the scap- away, ula and the upper humerus - the gleno- That young Lord Wharton may come in his humeral joint and that alone; there is also place, the articulation between the lateral end of to drink and to whore and a thousand tricks the clavicle and the acromial process of more the scapula - the acromio-clavicular joint. With a damned fanatical face.” Many vital structures lie in close proximity to the gleno-humeral joint mostly below Whatever the insults, Wharton could finally and medial to it including the brachial see in William and Mary the foundations of plexus supplying all the nerves to the arm national unity being laid, something that pre- and the large subclavian artery, any of vious monarchs were unable to do. Whar- which could be damaged by an injury to ton’s monument in St. Paul’s Church, the joint. .Wooburn is inscribed, “an active supporter of the English Constitution, a loyal observer, Clarendon states that the was ‘shot into the advocate and patron of the reformed religion, shoulder by a brace of bullets which brake a model alike of good works and a true and the bone’. Which shoulder? Which bone? living faith.”. He would have got his information at 2nd or 3rd hand in Oxford so is of doubtful 1 Jane Goodwin, his second wife, who died in 1658. The Earl of Buckinghamshire being inter- veracity. Essex says only that he was 2 Nottingham, Salisbury and Shaftesbury viewed about his ancestor in Hampden House in early August by NHK [Japanese ‘shot through the shoulder’. This seems to 3It has been observed by an art expert that Wharton Broadcasting Corporation] for their pro- have been the accepted fact at the time. did not insist that all the portraits should be wholly by gramme about the Palace of Westminster Van Dyke’s hand. Nugent states that ‘he was struck in the Mike Portsmouth shoulder by two carabine balls which 5 breaking the bone entered his body, and

BUCKS LOCAL HISTORY FAIR his arm hung powerless and shattered by his THE OLD KIND OF side’. Then ‘his head bending down and his PLUNDERING AND CONFERENCE hands resting on his horse's neck, he was seen This is a copy of the letter distributed by the riding off the field’. This might suggest that Society to attendees at this year’s Bucks His- Held at The Winslow Adult Education Cen- tory Fair held at Winslow. It gives some idea tre on Saturday, 1 October 2005 both hands were injured otherwise he would of the anarchy reigning in that part of Buck- have used his good hand on the reins. Nugent inghamshire only a month before the Battle of This was the 6 th Conference and Fair. The Chalgrove. in his biography does not mention the exhu- John Hampden Society has been represented mation nor the ‘Pye-pistol’ theory, which at all of them. County wide historical and ar- only became known prior to the exhumation. LORD WENTWORTH TO PRINCE RUPERT chaeological organisations seem to be getting Gardiner states briefly that he was ‘sorely to know us better every year. The Society’s Buckingham 15 th May 1643 wounded in the shoulder’ and dismisses the book stall was manned by Sam Hearn, Liz two theories as ‘utterly unimportant’; perhaps 4 of the clock in the afternoon Morris and June Wailling. Our new Hampden he is right! green display stand was put to use for the first MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HIGHNESS, time. The exhibition was assembled off site John Adair in ‘The Patriot’ No 21 repeats We came this morning to Winslow, but they and then raised and dismantled at Winslow in Essex’s statement and then rather surprisingly were gone before we came, nor as it provided, under two minutes. in his biography states ‘a cavalier trooper had was it indeed other ways likely, for they were ridden up and shot him from behind with a only a sort of country people that never were The first lecture entitled “Baptists in Central double-loaded pistol. The two balls bit deeply settled there, but sometimes when they gath- Bucks in the C17th and Benjamin Keach the into the flesh behind his shoulder blade’. This ered together did use to quarter there; some of Winslow Tailor” was delivered by the Rev apparently written in London shortly after the the stragglers were killed, but we found no Eric Eyre. He was an entertaining speaker. He battle. I find this difficult; had he been wear- considerable proportion of arms and ammuni- was hugely enthusiastic about Keach who ing his back-plate his scapula would have tion, nor horses they having been driven away made his name as a preacher, writer and theo- been covered and the bullets would not have them all almost, and having had timely notice logian in Southwark having been forced out of entered; if he was not then the bullets would enough to disperse themselves in safety with Winslow. Keach was the instigator of hymn have gone through the scapula and entered their arms. singing in Baptist chapels and the Rev Eyre the chest probably resulting in a pneumotho- gave us a few choruses of a well-known rax. There is no evidence that he had a chest Our men are not very governable, nor do I hymn. He was unable to throw any light on the injury, and if he had a pneumothorax I doubt think they will be, unless some of them be tradition that John Hampden had given land to hanged, for they fall extremely to the old kind if he would have got as far as Thame. Baptists at Wendover in order for them to of plundering, which is neither for their own build a chapel. good nor his Majesty’s service: this considera- Lester and Blackshaw 1 did a wonderful tion makes Sir John Bryon and myself very hatchet job on Nugents’ exhumation, and I weary of this employment, so that if there would only add a couple of points. If the pis- intervene no other accident, we hope to return tol did indeed explode in John’s hand I can- your Highness’s troops into their old quarters not think there would have been anything to by tomorrow night. put into a bag, but it is possible that the force of the recoil transmitted up the forearm bones We have already driven off a few sheep and and the humerus could have been sufficient to cattle, from a knight that is notoriously known cause a dislocation of the acromio-clavicular to be ill-affected to the King’s service. I am joint. I agree that the idea of amputating the informed we shall find some more such tomor- arms with a penknife is laughable, but I think row on our journey home, we shall do like from they are wrong to suggest that raising up the them, but I think not we can be ill-natured body on a shovel would have broken the enough to do it any but such. This is all I have A visit to Keach’s Baptist Chapel [est. 1695] shoulder bones, though it could have dam- to trouble your Highness with, also I humbly in Winslow aged the thoracic or lumbar spines. And the take my leave, and rest your Highness’s most The second lecturer Dr David Noy spoke on idea that tearing off the ‘top knot’ leaving the humble and most obedient servant. “Medieval Winslow and the St Albans Con- brain underneath exposed alone makes Nu- THOMAS WENTWORTH nection - Buying their Blood at the Abbots gent incredible. What about the scalp and the Printed for The John Hampden Society Will”. The lecture examined the relationship underlying cranium? Is it possible that his between the Abbey at St Albans and its ten- arm could have been paralysed without any Oxford University is holding a Day School at ants at Winslow. In addition to tithes and rents bone injury? Yes, I think it might. A bullet Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford on Saturday, 5th November, entitled the Abbot levied at least nine different fines fired from the front could have entered the body just below the lateral end of the clavicle, “Recusants and the English Local including one known as leyrwrite imposed on women convicted of having sexual relations passed through the brachial plexus and below Community” outside of marriage. the gleno-humeral joint and just lateral to to consider the Catholic community in early modern England and its place in local society, the outer border of the scapula and out of the The final lecture was on “The Claydons: the body, and the arm would be paralysed. In how they lived with their Protestant neighbours and why we should not be surprised that Guy role of the Verneys in transforming an English doing so it might have damaged the sub- Rural Society 1600-1820”. Dr John Broad clavian artery in which case he would have Fawkes and his friends attracted little support - note that this event is scheduled to take place outlined how the Verneys had gained control bled profusely and died before he left the on the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder of the Claydons (Middle, East and Steeple) battlefield. We shall never know. As Lester Plot! and how over two centuries consolidated their and Blackshaw wrote ‘let him remain the position and changed the landscape. hero of Chalgrove and of Parliamentary De- Fees are £38 without lunch, £40.10 with a ba- mocracy’. Would he were alive today. guette lunch or £47 with hot lunch. The cost of the day at £7.50 was not exorbi- tant. The guided tour of historic Winslow in

the afternoon would have been worth £7.50 on Paul Hooper Contact The Day School Administrator, its own. How else would we have found the 1 OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 The controversy of John Hampden’s Death, tiny but numinous so called Keach’s Chapel? by Derek Lester & Gillian Blackshaw, 2JA, tel: 01865 270368 Liz Morris & Sam Hearn available from the Society—£3.50 plus 50p 6