table to bee sett there,-till about three of the clocke of the afternoone, the said day, about which time Sir Nathaniel had another table sett there, a little remote from the other. And when they went about to poll, they wanted a clarke. I, Samuell Duncon, standing by, some requested mee; and upon the Under-Sherriff's allowance, I did take names, and one Mr. Fishar with mee, he for Sir Nathaniel, and myselfe for Sir Philip; although many that came for the one, came for the other; and if any came for Mr. North (as there did some), wee tooke them likewise for him. And Mr. John Clinch of Creting, Sir Roger North's brother-in-law, or some other of Mr. North his ["North his" means North's] friends, stoode by all the time. And after the space of one quarter of an houre, came Sir Robert Crane, 10 and did oppose against Mr. Fishar; and then came the said High-Sherriffe himselfe to the table, wheere wee weere writing, and discharged Mr. Fishar, and tooke his papers of him; and at the request of Sir Roger North did appoint one Mr. John Sheppard to write in his place, who then tooke names for Sir Nathaniel, and myselfe for Sir Philip. About one houre after, Sir Robert Crane and the rest of Mr. North his friends moved Sir Nathaniel that wee might leave off polling for him and Sir Philip, and take the Poll only for Mr. North; for, they said, Mr. North's table was much pestred, and many of his men would be gone out of towne, being neare night,—and the like reasons. Which reasons might as well have been alledged in the behalfe of Sir Nathaniel and Sir Philip: but without reasoning, Sir Nathaniel did grant them their desire; and presently Sir Robert Crane went and called all that were for Mr. North to come to that table; and soe Mr. Sheppard and myselfe tooke for Mr. North as long as wee could well see; which I think was about one houre. Having done, wee gave upp our Bookes, and did goe to Mrs. Penning's house in Ipswich, where Sir Roger North was then with the said High-Sherriffe: and heard no oppositions at that time taken against any thing that had passed that Monday at the taking of the said Poll; but Sir Roger North and the said High-Sherriffe did part very courteously and friendly, each from the other.

But by the next morning it was generally thought, that Sir Nathaniel and Sir Philip had outstripped Mr. North, about 500 voices apiece, at the Poll taken on the Monday foregoing; soe as the said Sir Roger being, it seemes, much vexed thereat, came to the said High

9 The family of Clinch, or Clench as it should be spelt, were of note in 'Suffolk. They descended from John Clench of' &c. &c., 'buried in 1607, with a handsome monument to his memory. He was one of the Justices of the King's Bench. His Grandson, John Clench, Esq., was High-Sheriff ' of the County in 1639.'-Dryasdust Mss. This, I think, is our and Samuel Duncon's Clench.

10 Sir Robert Crane was descended from a Norfolk family, which migrated,' &c. 'He was created a Baronet in May 1627. He was of Chilton Hall, near Sudbury; he died in 1642.'-Ibid.

Sherriffe's lodging about eight of the clocke, the same Teuesday morning, and begann to make cavills against what had passed at the taking of the Poll the day past. And then they went to the Poll againe; and two tables were sett in the Markett Crosse," whereat the Poll was taken for Mr. North by four clarkes on oath, two writing the same names. About 12 of the clocke, the same forenoone, the Court was adjourned to two of the clocke in the afternoone. About which time the said High-Sherriffe repairing thither againe, did with much patience attend the same Mr. North's Poll, sitting sometimes about a quarter of an houre before any came in to give their voice, for the said Mr. North. And as the said High-Sherriffe was soe attending his [Sir Roger North's] said sonne's Poll, about three of the clocke the same afternoone, came Sir Roger North, accompanied with divers gentlemen, most of them armed with swords or rapiers [Lo, there!], into the said Mearkett Crosse; and the said High-Sherriffe very respectfully attending with silence to what the said Sir Roger North had to say, he fell into most outrageous, unjust and scandalous criminations against the said High-Sherriffe ; charging him to have dealt partiallie and unjustlie, and to have wronged his said sonne. To all which violent accusations, the said High-Sherriffe, having desired silence, did answeare soe fully and readily, as it gave all unpartiall and honest men full satisfaction. A while after the said High-Sherriffe's speech was ended, the said Sir Roger North with divers others went upp and downe in such a manner on the said Corne Hill, as I, the said Samuell Duncon, fearing that much danger and bloudshedd might ensue, and being one of the constables of Ipswich, did in the King's Majestie's name charge some of the said company to desist [Highly proper, in such a place as the Corne Hill!]. 'SAMUEL DUNCON.'

No. II.

[Samuel Duncon testifieth for the second time.]

'Monday, the 19th of October 1640.

'When I came into the field where the Polling was for the Knights of the Shire, the first place I settled at was an Elm [Nota bene] in the middle of the feild, where there were polling for Sir Nathaniel Barnardiston and Sir Philip Parker: and there was a long table, at one end whereof was Mr. Robert Dowe, clerke; and he did write for both the foresaid knights; and Mr. Farran, Under-Sherriffe, 12 did sweare the people; and at the other end of the same table did Mr. Robert Clarke write

11 'A spacious place; there was room enough in it: see the old copperplate of 1780.'-Dryasdust Mss.

12 Under-Sheriff,' so Duncon calls him; but the real Under-Sheriff was Mr. Choppine, to whom this Mr. Farran must have been assistant or temporary substitute.

for Sir Philip, and Mr. Peter Fisher wrot for Sir Nathaniel; and sometimes Mr. Chopping13 did sweare the people at that end, and sometimes Mr. Robert Clerke did sweare them.

'After I had stood there one houre or thereabout, Mr. Robert Clerke his nose did bleede [Ominous ?], so as he coulde not write, and then he called mee to write in his stead, and the Under-Sherriffe required me so to doe; which I did till his nose left bleeding, and then he tooke the Booke again and wrot himselfe. Then I stood by againe about another. houre, and then with the violent presse of the people, the tressolls brake, and the table fell downe to the ground [Aha!]. There was a cessation of writing until the table was set up againe. In that interim, Peter Fisher and Samuel Duncon went to the Conduit-head [Mark!]; and having a table sett up there, they did write there for the two foresaid Knights: and then, at the former place [Beside the big Elm, namely, under its creaking boughs, and brown leaves dropping], when the table was up againe, Mr. Dowe wrot still for the two Knights, and then [" Then" signifies “meanwhile”] at the other end of the table was Mr. Robert Clarke writing for Sir Philip. And then there was no man at that end writing for Sir Nathaniel; which presently bred this confusion inevitable, viz. when men had with much trouble pressed to the end of the table (where Mr. Clarke did only take for Sir Philip), and desired to be sworne and entered for both, Mr. Clerke would sweare and take them onely for Sir Philip; and would send them to the place where Mr. Fisher was writing for Sir Nathaniel [And I for Sir Philip still? No, I had ceased; the official nose having done bleeding: see presently], at the foresaid Conduit-head: whereupon men, being unwilling to endure so much trouble as to presse twice into such great crowdes, began to murmure and complaine [Very naturally!], saying they would not endure this, but desired they might be discharged at one place; also Mr. Fisher came to Mr. Clerke, and demanded the reason Why there was no one to take for Sir Nathaniel at that end of the table, where the said Clerke did take names for Sir Philip? and Mr. Fisher said that men complained because they were not despatched for both at once; and said also they would goe away, and not endure this crowding twice. When I [Having now quitted the Conduit-head, and come to the Elm again] saw no clerke to write for Sir Nathaniel, I desired this inconvenience aforesaid might be prevented; and seeing a Paper Booke in Mr. Farran his hands, I sayd to him, "Mr. Farran, you see there wants a clerke at the other end of the table to write for Sir Nathaniel;" and then Mr. Farran gave me the Paper Booke in his hands, and sayd to mee, "Write you, for Sir Nathaniel at that end of the table," where Mr. Clerke did write for Sir Philip. And then I, having the Booke, did write for Sir Nathaniel till the evening. And at that end of the table

13 A.D. 1640. John Choppine, Gent., Under-Sheriff; Tallemach Chop'pine of Coddenham's brother.'-Harleian Mss. No. 99, fol. 7.

where ["table where," not "end where"] Mr. Robert Dowe did write at one end, and Mr. Clerke and myselfe at the other end, there were present two or three knightes or gentlemen, all the whole time, of Mr. North's partie: sometimes Sir Robert Crane, and Mr. Waldegrave, and Mr. John Smith, 14 and Mr. Henry North sen. [This is the Candidate's Uncle, come over from Laxfield, I think, to see fair play.] No man, all that time, made any observation against mee; and yet they stoode, some of these and sometimes some others of that side, all the afternoone, and did supravise all the clerkes. Also, at night, when wee were breaking up, Mr. Clerke demanded of Mr. Clinch [Clinch of Creting, – whom we saw above] if he could find any fault with us in doing any wrong? To which he answered, "He could not as yet, if there were no other carriage than there had yet beene," or to that effect. Neither was there any, that day, who did find fault with the clerkes, in my hearing; but sometimes some muttering and complaining about some particular questions in the oaths, which (as soon as they came to the High-Sherriffe his intelligence) were rectified and settled.

'And at night, when wee broke up, I gave my Booke that I wrott in, unto the Under-Sheriffe, Mr. Farran, before I stirred from the table where I wrott; and then wee came home with the High-Sheriffe to Mrs. Penning's howse [Did she keep the King's Head?]; and there did the High-Sheriffe call for all the Bookes from the Under-Sheriffe, and in the presence of Sir Roger North, and Mr. North his brother, and more other gentlemen, locke up all the Bookes in a little truncke; and sett that truncke in his owne lodging-chamber; and gave the key thereof to his Under-Sheriffe, who lodged not in that howse where the Bookes were.

'Tuesday, the 20th of October 1640.

'In the morning Mr. High-Sheriffe came into the Corne Hill at Ipswich and the Knights, to make an end of polling. Whereupon the clerkes who wrot the day before appeared, and wrot againe as before. But Mr. High-Sheriffe commanded that wee should all of us make new Bookes to write in; for he would not stirr those that were wrot-in the day before: and so wee did, and wrot in new Bookes.

'And all that day also while wee wrot, there were divers supravisors; but they found no fault with the clerkes in my hearing; and at noone, when wee brake upp, I gave my Booke againe into Mr. Farran, before I stirred from the table where I wrot. And in the afternoone, wee came together againe, and made an end of polling; and towards the end of polling, before wee had done polling at the table where I sat

་

14 Smith is undecipherable; being 'very frequent' in Suffolk, as elsewhere. Of Waldegrave, the Monitor says, 'There being no Christian name mentioned, it is hard to say what individual is meant. Doubtless he was one of the 'Waldegraves of Smallbridge. Wm. Waldegrave, Esq., son of Sir Wm. Waldegrave, Knight, of Smallbridge in Bures, Suffolk, would be about 'forty years of age about this time:'-let us fancy it was he.

YOL. VII.

F

to write, Sir Roger with the rest of the knights and gentlemen went about the Corne Hill, swinging their caps and hats crying, "A North! A North!" [Questionable]; which caused me to admire; because I knew the Bookes were not cast up [And nobody could yet tell who was to win].

'Then after that, Mr. High-Sheriffe went to Mrs. Penning's, and the Knights followed him, and the clerkes to summe up the Bookes. But the night grew on so fast, that they could not be ended that night: then Mr. High-Sheriffe did againe locke up the Bookes in the same truncke they were in before, and gave the key to Mr. North, and sett the truncke into his chamber, and appointed to meete the next day upon [Means, in it, not on the roof of it; the figure of Justice stands on the roof] the Townhall.'

[Samuel Duncon still testifieth.]

'Memorandum, That on Tuesday October 20, in the afternoone, this present year 1640, the High-Sherriffe of the county of Suffolk, sitting in the Markett Crosse [Note him!], in Ipswich, where hee kept his County Court, and had that afternoone taken the poll of divers that came to give their voices for Mr. Henry North, sonne of Sir Roger North [Grammar fails a little]. And when it appeared, after some stay, that noe more weere likely to come, and Mr. Gardener Webb's speaking concerning the said election averred That the said High-Sherriffe had been damnably base in all his carriage. Whereupon I, Samuel Duncon, hearing the same, did [As an enemy of blasphemy, and Constable of this Borough] enforme the said High-Sheriffe of that outrageous and scandalous speeche; who thereupon asking the said Webb, Whether hee had spoken the said wordes or not? he answered, with much impudence and earnestness, That he had said soe, and would maintain it. And did thereupon in the presence of the said High-Sherriffe call mee, the said Samuel Duncon, base rascall and rogue [He shall answer it!] because I had acquainted the said High-Sherriffe with his said injurious speeches. SAMUEL DUNCON.'

No. III.

[Samuel Duncon still testifieth, though without signature.]

'The truncke was brought up into the Townhall, and the HighSherriffe and the rest of the knights and gentlemen came up together to make end of their Bookes: and they passed quietly untill my Booke was produced; and then Mr. North protested against my Booke, and Sir Roger came up and exclaimed at mee, and said I was no fitt clerke,

15 Gardiner Webb was the son of William Webb of Ixworth in Suffolk, attorney-at-law. He became heir, in right of his mother (who was one of 'the Gardiners of Elmswell), to considerable landed property' (Dryasdust Mss.); and seems to have been a hot-tempered loose-spoken individual.