The Gunpowder Plot and Lord Mounteagle's Letter, Being a Proof, with Moral Certitude, of the Authorship of the Document / Together with Some Account of the Whole Thirteen Gunpowder Conspirators, Including Guy Fawkes :: CHAPTER XXXIX.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

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Gunpowder Plot Books— Part I., No. 52.

“The examinacon of William Kyddall of Elsam in the Countie of Lincolne s^rvant to Mr. Robert Turrett of Kettleby[A] in the said Com. taken the viii^th daie of November 1605 before S^r Richard Verney Knighte high Sherriff for the Com. of Warr. S^r John fferrers & Willm Combes Esq^r Justices of peace there saith as followeth.

[A] Kettleby is near Brigg, in Lincolnshire. Twigmore, where John Wright had lived, is also near the same town. (Communicated by R. H. Dawson, Esq., of Beverley, a descendant of the Pendrells, of Boscobel.)

“That he was intreated of Mr. John Wrighte, who was dwellinge at Twigmore in the Countie of Lincolne, to bringe his daught^r beinge eight or nine yere old to Lapworth to Nicholas Slyes[B] house where he hath harbored this half yere. He brought the child to Lapworth the xxiiii^th of October, and there was Mr. John Wrighte and his wife and Mr. Christopher Wrighte and his wife, soe he continued at Lapworth from Wednesdaie to Monday, from thence he goeth to London w^th Mr. Christopher Wrighte and came to London on Wednesdaie betwixt two & three a Clocke to St. Giles to the signe of the Maydenhead from whence Mr. Wrighte wente into the Towne and he stayed at the Inn, uppon ffriday one Richard Browne s^rvant to Mr. Wrighte wente downe into Surrey, and on ffriday at night Browne returned and he & Browne wente uppon Sattersdaie for the Child to a Towne he knoweth not about Croydon Race and broughte it to the Maydenhead at St. Gyles to Mr. Wrighte the ffath^r who seeinge the child too little to be carried sent them backe w^th it to the place whence thei fetched it on Sonday Morninge, and thei retorned Sondaie night to the Maydenhead and it was purposed by Mr. Wright to come awaie w^th this examinate uppon Mondaie morninge but staied because Mr. Wrightes Clothes were not made till Tuesdaie morninge and then Mr. Wrighte sent this examinate and[A] William Ward nephew to Mr. Wrighte downe to Lapworth in Warwickshire whither they were now goinge. He saith he lefte Mr. Wright at London and knoweth not the causes why he came not away w^th them he saith that Browne lyeth in Westminster neare Whitehall at one Bonkers house. Thei broughte in their Cloakbagge a suit of Cloathes for Mr. John Wright a Petronell and a Rapier & dagger thinkinge to find him at Lapworth.

[B] Probably Nicholas Sly and his house were well known to Shakespeare. John Wright appears to have gone to Lapworth (which belonged to Catesby) about May, 1605. Who Mrs. John Wright was I do not know.

[A] William Ward, one of the sons of Marmaduke Ward, it will be remembered, had an uncle who lived at Court. This surely must have been Thomas Ward. And I opine that the boy had been on a visit to this uncle; for at this time his father was at Lapworth, the house of John Wright. It is possible, however, that Christopher Wright and Kyddall may have brought young Ward up to London from Lapworth; but I do not think so, otherwise we should have been told the fact in Kyddall’s evidence, most probably. (The italics are mine.)

“Richard Verney.[B]
Jo: fferrers.[C]
W. Combes.”[126][D]

[B] Sir Richard Verney, Knt., would be a friend, belike, of Sir Thomas Lucy, Knt., of Charlcote (a Warwickshire Puritan gentleman).

[C] Of the Ferrers, of Baddlesley Clinton (a very old Catholic family).

[D] From whom Shakespeare bought land. To John Combes, brother to William, the poet bequeathed his sword by Will.

(No endorsement).

Mistress Dorothie Robinson, Widdow, of Spur Alley, on the 7th of November, 1605, also deposed as follows:—

Gunpowder Plot Books— Part I., No. 41.

“The examinacon of Dorathie Robinson[127] widdow of Spurr Alley.

“Shee sayeth that one Mr. Christopher Wright gent did lye in her house about a Moneth past for xviii^en dayes together and no more. And there did come to him one Mr. Winter w^ch did continually frequent his Company and about a moneth past the said Winter brought to her house two hampers[A] locked w^th two padlockes, and caused them to be placed in a little Closet at the end of Mr. Wright’s Chamber. But what was in the said hamps, was privately conveyed away by Winter w^thout her knowledge, and the hamps was geven to her use.

“Shee sayeth that Mr. Wright could not chuse but know of the conveying of those thinges w^ch were in the hamper as well as Mr. Winter.

“Shee sayeth that Mr. Winter by report of his man, was a Worcestershire man, and his living Eight score poundes by the yeare at the lest.

“The said Mr. Wright hath a brother in London,[B] whose servant came to him in this woman’s house, and the same morning of his going away, w^ch was a Moneth on Tuesday last.

“That the said Wright was to seeke his loding againe at this woman’s house; but she tould him her lodgings were otherwayes disposed of. And then he went his wayes. And since that tyme shee never saw him.

“She sayeth that shee saw Mr. Winter uppon Sunday last in the afternoone. But where he lodgeth she knoweth not. (The italics are mine.)

“I can find no manner of thing in this woman’s house whereby to geve us any incouragem^t to proceede any further.

“The said Mr. Wright did often goe to the Salutation to one Mr. Jackson’s house; And one Steven the drawer as shee thinketh will tell where hee is.”

[A] These hampers contained the fresh gunpowder, no doubt, mentioned by Thomas Winter in his “Confession” written in the Tower. This sentence tends to confirm the genuineness of the Confession.

[B] Who was this brother? I suggest that by brother is meant brother-in-law, and that as a fact Christopher Wright had married Margaret Ward, the sister to both Marmaduke and Thomas Ward. If this be correct, then we have demonstrative proof of the servant of Thomas Ward calling upon Christopher Wright (probably with a message from Thomas Ward) the very same morning as, I hold, that Christopher Wright went down into Warwickshire, where he would be within twenty miles of Father Oldcorne. This evidence is important. The word came, too, is noticeable, implying, I think, a habit of coming, a frequentative use of the past tense of the verb. Observe also “and the same morning,” implying cumulative acts of “coming,” the visit of that day being the last of a series of visits.

Mr. Jackson also deposed:—

“He sayeth that he knoweth Mr. Wright very well, But it is about a fortnight past,[128] since he ws at his house, and since that tyme he knoweth not what is become of him. (The italics are mine.)

“He sayeth further that he knoweth not any other of his Consorts or Companyons, yf hee did he would reveale it.

(Endorsed) “The examinacon of Dorathy Robinson Widdow of Spurr Alley.”

Furthermore, we have the following Evidence of Mistress Elizabeth More:—

7 Nov: 1605.

State Papers Domestic— Jas. I., Vol. xvi., No. 13.

“The Declaracon of Elizabeth More the wief of Edward More taken the 5th of November 1605.

“She saieth that the gent that lay at her howse w^th Mr. Rookwood this last night and the night before his name is Mr. Keyes and he took upp the Chamber for the said Mr. Rookwood.

“And she saieth that uppon ffryday night last Mr. Christofir Wright came to this exaite howse w^th the said Mr. Rookwood and lay that night in a chamber on the said Mr. Rookwoode Chamber.

(Endorsed) “5th No: 1605.

“The Declaracon of Elizabeth More.”

Mistress More, I find, lived near Temple Bar.[A]

[A] Where was Spur Alley? and how far were Temple Bar and Spur Alley from the town-house in the Strand of the Lord Mounteagle, and therefore of his Lordship’s secretary, Thomas Ward?

It will be noted by the judicious reader that the conjectured fact that Christopher Wright’s London lodgings were within a short distance of where, doubtless, his— I suggest— brother-in-law (Ward) was to be found tends to support my theory.

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