For those who missed the last chapter, Muriel and May were invited their neighbouring noble household, in Malvern, for them to see if they could find anymore details about the Marquis of Winchester, who was one of Muriel's forebears.  They spent the day and made copious notes from the Proceedsings of the House of Lords, and are now trying to digest the information.

Next morning promptly at ten, May went to Muriel’s house and brought out her notebook. ‘Here is what I have found. I’ve put them all in order by date.’

7 August 1641

Proceedings against Recusants

Sir Wm. Lewis, by Appointment, went up to the Lords with this Message; to desire a free Conference, by a Committee of both Houses, so soon as may stand with their Lordships Conveniency, concerning Proceedings against Recusants.

“I’ll skip a lot of this and get to your cousin.”

Next, That Precedents are extant: That the Marquis of Winchester, the Earl of Arundell, and others, have been disarmed, being Recusants.

 ‘What do you think Recusant means exactly?’

‘I will get out my new dictionaries and look it up.’

Five minutes later she was back. ‘I’m not sure this makes sense. It says, ‘Having the back displayed instead of the front.’

‘I suppose it means people of the opposite opinion, or something like that.’

‘ What comes next?’

19 August 1641

Information concerning Arms.

Mr. Sewer, being called in to the Bar, did inform this House, that he did see, on Monday was Sevennight, a great many of Arms in the Marquis of Winchester's House at Basingstoke, a Recusant; and that the Keeper of them told him, there were Arms for Fourteen or Fifteen Hundred Men.

‘Interesting isn’t it how they talked about sevennight instead of week. We still use fortnight, but I never heard the word sevennight before.’
‘They obviously felt they had good reason to worry about your relative.’

 18th October 1643

Proceedings against Marquis of Winchester.

A Warrant of the Marquis of Winchester, to levy Monies, was read.
Resolved, &c. That the Marquis of Winchester's Estate shall be forthwith sequestred; and that it to be recommended to the Committee for Sequestrations, where his Estate lies, to put the same in Execution.

Resolved, &c. That the Marquis of Winchester be accused of High Treason: And Mr. Browne is to bring in a Charge against him.

‘Oh, oh, your relative is in trouble! But look at the next one. It took them over two years to go from worrying about the arms at his house to arresting him.’

14th October 1645

Marquis of Winchester to be attached.
Ordered, That the Gentleman Usher attending this House shall bring the Marquis of Winchester to this House presently, to acknowledge his Offence committed against this House, he being taken in Arms at Basing House; and then this House will take into Consideration how to dispose of him further; and the Gentleman Usher to take him into Custody wheresoever he shall find him.

Marquis of Winchester committed to The Tower.

This Day the Marquis of Winchester was brought to this Bar, as a Delinquent. And the Speaker, by the Direction of the House, told him, ‘That, for his High Offence, in deserting the Parliament, and for taking up Arms against the Parliament and Kingdom contrary to his Duty, this House for the present doth commit his Lordship to The Tower of London, there to be kept in safe Custody, during the Pleasure of this House.

11 November 1645

March. of Winchester, Leave to come to London, to her Husband.

Upon reading the Petition of Ja. Marquis of Winchester, Prisoner in The Tower of London; shewing, ‘That, by reason of his Imprisonment, he finds himself deprived of many Comforts he was wont to receive; and it being now Winter Season, and the Petitioner in Want of many Necessaries, and for the present somewhat infirm, he humbly beseecheth, that their Lordships would give Leave that his Wife may come up to the City of London, and have Access unto him, and to bring with her such Servants, and in such Sort, as their Lordships shall seem meet.

It is Ordered, That the Petitioner's Wife shall have a Pass to come to London, with her Servants and Necessaries,

‘I don’t expect prisoners now days have servants and necessaries. He’d only been there a month. And don’t you think it is interesting how they capitalise so many of their ordinary words?’

15 January 1646

Marquis of Winchester to have an Allowance.

The House was informed this Day of the great  Necessity of the Marquis of Winchester in The Tower; ‘that he hath nothing to feed him but what his Keeper voluntarily gives him:’ Therefore to send to the House of Commons, that he might have some Allowance of his own Estate, for his Maintenance.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Dr. Heath and Dr. Aylett:

“I’ve skipped the first five messages.”

6. To acquaint them of the distressed Condition of the Marquis of Winchester in The Tower; desiring some speedy Course may be taken for his Relief, that he may not starve.

‘I find that rather amusing. The rich look after their own. They were very worried that he might be inconvenienced by being in prison.'

7 September 1647

Passed the House of Commons the 7th of September, 1647.
‘It is Ordered, by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, That the Marquis of Winchester, a Prisoner in The Tower of London, shall have Liberty to go to Epsam Waters, for the Recovery of his Health; upon good Security given to the Lieutenant of the said Tower of London, to render himself a true Prisoner that Day Five Weeks that he shall go out of The Tower upon the said Security.’

‘Now he not only has servants and necessaries, and an allowance, and relief, but he also gets to go to take waters in Epsam. This is all really a joke.’

‘But look at the date. This is nearly two years after he was arrested. I think he had served his time.’

Marquis of Winchester's Bill.

The Lord Marquis of Winchester's Bill was reported, with the Amendments and Additions; which being read Twice, was Ordered to be ingrossed.
Memorandum, The Bond of Ten Thousand Pounds, entered into by the said Marquis of Winchester, for preserving of Woods, and preventing committing of Waste on the Lands, is to be kept in the Hands of the Lady Viscountess Savage, Grandmother to the Lord Marquis's Son.

‘So even though he was in prison, he was receiving funding, which was sent to his mother,’ said May.

‘That’s what it sounds like, but I wonder if you haven’t got that one out of order, and it happened before he went to prison.’

‘If that was the case, they wouldn’t need to give the money to his mother,’ said Muriel.

‘And then almost another year passed.’

‘So he was out after less than three years.’

‘So they not only put him in prison, but even after they let him out, they took his estate and sold it and gave the proceeds to these various people who they said suffered because of him,’ said Muriel.

‘That’s what it sounds like. Now we are skipping 11 years here, but your relative has done pretty well in the end.’

11 April 1659

Coney's Purchase.

The humble Petition of George Coney Esquire was this Day read; and was, concerning a Purchase made by him and others, from the Trustees for Sale of Delinquents Estates, of the Manor of Hooke, and several other Manors, and Lands, late Parcel of the Possessions of John now Marquis of Winchester, in the Counties of Dorsett, Devon, and Cornewall.

The humble Petition of Charles Lord St. John, eldest Son to John now Marquis of Winchester, was this Day read; and was, concerning his Claim and Title to the said Manors.

This Committee are to examine the Matter of Fact in the aforesaid Two Petitions of Mr. George Coney and the Lord St. John; and to report the same to the House: And have Power to send for Parties, Papers, Witnesses, and Records: And are to give timely Notice to all Persons concerned: And are to meet about the same in the Star Chamber, To-morrow in the Afternoon, at Two of the Clock.

Chief Baron of Exchequer.

‘Two of the Clock, yes sir. Notice how they spelled Cornwall and Dorset.’

14 August 1660

Order to restore the M. of Winchester to all his Estates sold without his Consent.
The House being this Day informed, ‘That the Estate of the Marquis of Winchester was illegally disposed of, aliened, and sold, without either Hearing, Summons, or Proof of any Charge against the said Marquis, and contrary to the Privilege of Peerage, and the fundamental Laws of the Land:’

It is ORDERED, by the Lords in Parliament assembled, That the said Dispositions, Alienations, and Sales, of the Estate of the said Marquis of Winchester, be, and are hereby declared to be, null and void (excepting those Lands which he hath consented to be sold); and that the Marquis of Winchester be, and is hereby, restored to the Possession of his Estate, in whose Hands soever the same is, together with all Arrears of Rents, Fines, and other Profits, which are now in the Tenants Hands, or in any other Persons, not accounted for, and to all Timber and Wood felled off any Part of the said Estate, and to all Materials of Houses and Buildings taken off any Part of the said Estate. And hereof all Persons whatsoever are to take Notice, and yield Obedience hereunto accordingly.

‘It sounds like he intends to get his pound of flesh. And speaking of flesh, let’s have lunch.’