to the kindness of mr. joseph j. green, of tunbridge wells, the quaker antiquary and genealogist, and a collateral descendant of the harfords, i am indebted for some of the particulars relating to my hero’s family. dr. bridstock harford is also mentioned by the historian, webb, and in duncomb’s “history of the county of hereford,” as one of the few residents in hereford who sided with the parliament, and there is a reference to him in the interesting old account-book of mrs. joyce jefferies, of widemarsh street. the celebrated physician lived until 1695, surviving both his sons; the elder one is buried at bosbury; the second son, bridstock, was m.p. for hereford in the reign of charles ii., and died in 1683. dr. bridstock harford is buried in hereford cathedral, and a long latin epitaph speaks of the ancient and honourable family from which he was descended, and of the way in which the city grieved for the loss of its greatest physician, whose skill had rescued so many from death, and who had never taken fees from the poor.
particulars as to sir robert harley and his household have been gathered from the “letters of lady brilliana harley” (camden society). the archbishop’s visitation at hereford is mentioned in baine’s “life of laud,” and details of the fines and penalties, described in chapters ii. and v., are given in dr. s. r. gardiner’s “history of england from the accession of james i. to the outbreak of the civil war,” vols. vii.-x., and in brook’s “lives of the puritans.” the words as to the proposed escape from the tower of london in chapter xxvi. were really spoken by laud to his friend pococke.
for the sketch of lord falkland’s character the books consulted were gardiner’s “history of the great civil war,” tulloch’s “rational theology in the seventeenth century,” “history of the falklands” (longmans), falkland’s “discourse on infallibility,” with a memoir by dr. triplet, whitelocke’s “memorials,” and clarendon.
with regard to bishop coke, “even prynne could find nothing to say against the bishop of hereford save that he had a hand in the canons.” he is described by a contemporary as “a serene and quiet man above the storm” (see webb’s “memorials of the civil war in herefordshire,” vol. i., p. 51). of his son, william coke, vicar of bosbury, tradition says that bosbury cross owes its preservation to the considerateness of a parliamentary captain who yielded to his entreaty to spare it, the condition being made that the words “honour not the cross, but honour god for christ,” should be graven on it. these words may still be read on the cross. the fact that william coke held the living of bosbury continuously from 1641 to 1690 speaks for itself as to his tact and his tolerant spirit. his epitaph, partly effaced, is as follows:
i lay me down at expect.. . .
i crave no more. but
christus jesus meus est omn.
will: coke, 1690.
the sufferings of the prisoners of war at oxford under provost-marshal smith are mentioned by many contemporary writers, and an account of their hardships will be found in nehemiah wallington’s “memoirs,” also details of the way in which prisoners were treated on the march, and of the use of churches as prisons. the escape of forty of the prisoners at one time from oxford castle really happened. sir william waller’s letter to sir ralph hopton is taken from webb’s “memorials,” vol. i., p. 261. see also dr. s. r. gardiner’s “history of the great civil war,” vol. i., p. 197, footnote. webb also mentions prince rupert’s saying, “we will have no law in england henceforward but of the sword.”
a letter from sir richard hopton, of canon frome, has been preserved, in which he complains of the misdoings of the garrison and the harsh treatment and great loss of property he had been forced to endure at the hands of the governor. norton appears to have been succeeded by colonel barnold as governor of canon frome, but of his personal character nothing is known. with regard to the siege of hereford in 1643, and many other local matters, i am indebted to the kind help of prebendary michael hopton, of canon frome, and of miss hopton, of clehonger. the clemency of lord hopton, in chapter xlv., though in accord with his character, is not historic. but some time after writing this scene i came, across a very similar incident in nehemiah wallington’s “memoirs”—a royalist officer named tarverfield intervening in much the same way.
the latter part of this novel was first written by me in the form of a play, which was produced by the ben greet company under the direction of mr. a. s. homewood, at eastbourne, on january 4th, 1900, and was subsequently given at cambridge and at the comedy theatre, london.
edna lyall.
the end
