F89 .P9 A85 ** f ** v. V -l o V *W ■fa' <"> 'o . » " £v ■v- il#! ^ An Account of the English Homes of Three Early " Proprietors " of Providence William Arnold, Stukeley Westcott and William Carpenter By FRED A. ARNOLD Member of the Rhode Island Historical Society PROVIDENCE 1921 F*1 IxjL ^lJ^uiAaa ister and father of William Arnold.) No other Arnold bap- tisms arc found, although the entries appear to be complete for several years; the real reason being that between the birth of Tomasine in 1571, and Joane in 1577 their father Nicholas bad removed with bis family into the compact part of Ilches- ter and established himself there in business, as a Merchant tailor. The only Arnold marriages found are those of "1558 — Margaret Arnold and Christopher Tuck. 1603. Margery Arnold and Thomas Curnard." (The latter being the sister of William, horn in 1581.) No Arnold burials are found at Northover before 1700. John and Alice Gully the parents of Alice Arnold were propably born there before 1508, the last year of the reign of Henry VII., before the era of registration had commenced in England, but the Northover records show the birth to them of 8 children before that of Alice in 1553, the burial of 3, Elizabeth, Robert and Christian between 1543 and 1546, and the burial of a grand daughter lone, the daugh- ter of John Gully, Jr., in 1550. From this last date we ap- proximate the birth date of John Sen., John Gully Jr. was buried 1559, his mother and father, "Alice Gullye ye wife of John Gullye n° Aprilis Anno Dm 1583° aged about J$, John Gullye was buried 15 Septembris Anno Dm 1591 " age about 81. At this latter date their grand son William Arnold, 4 years old was living at Ilchester. All of the Gully family except Alice (Arnold,) are buried in the church yard of "Old St. Andrew." The records furnish us nothing more than these bare names and dates, to throw any light upon their history or character. We only know that they were of strong, virile stock, raised a large family and lived here four score years, during one of the most interesting and important periods in English history, that of the reformation, which redeemed it from popish rule, and placed the Church and nation under the supremacy of the King. A short sketch of the location, and the times in which they lived will be of interest and perhaps serve as a background for what little personal knowledge we have gleaned of them from the records. The little parish or hamlet of Northover is on the Foss road, on the north side of the river Ivel, at its crossing by the ancient Roman ford, and is really only a suberb of Ilches- ter, on the south side of the river, with which it is now con- nected by an arched stone bridge. The living is a vicarge in the deanery of Ilchester. Its church, "St. Andrew," has a 10 square tower with four bells, and is in sight of, and but half a mile distant from "St. Mary Major" in Ilchester. The rector of St. Andrew, at the date of the baptism of Alice Gully, 1553, was Thomas Mayster, who held that office 48 years, from his appointment in 1508, until his death, Aug. 18, 1556. Her parents, John and Alice Gully, were born about the time of his appointment and may have been christened and married by him ; It is certain that all their children were recorded in his time. His incumbancy, commencing in the last year of '"he reign of Henry VII., covered the entire reign of Henry VIII., 38 years; 6 years under his son "the boy King" Edward VI. and 3 years of that of his daughter, the "Bloody Queen Mary," who came so near restoring the popish regime that had been overthrown by her father. During this time he saw the destruction of the monasteries and Abbeys of the old religion, .the supremacy of the Pope overthrown, and the substitution of that of the King pro- claimed ; he had been already in office 30 years when the royal injunction of Henry VIII. was issued, making it the duty of the clergy to keep a parish register. He commenced his regis- ter that year and continued it until his death in 1556. Mr. Jones says, it commenced with sparce entries in 1531, those before 1538 being some privately kept by him before receiving the order. Mr. R. E. Chester Waters in his "History of Par- jsh Registers in England," says that but 812 of these registers, commenced in 1538, have survived the negligence of their legal guardians, and of these, 8 only have been discovered with dates earlier than 1538, those of St. James, Garlickhithe, St. Mary Bothaw, of London and 6 others, which begin in 1536. As the Northover register antedates all of these, it must be the earliest extant register in England. The injunction of 1 538, was sent by Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal, to all Bishops and Curates throughout the realm "charging them to God that in every parish church the Bible of the largest volume should be placed for all men to read on : and that the Curate of every parish should keep one book of record, which book he shall every Sunday take forth, and in the presence II of the church wardens or one of them, write and record in the same all the weddings, christ'nings and burials made the whole week before ; and for every time that the same shall be omitted, shall forfiet to the said church 4 shillings, 4 pence." The Wardens were not appointed by Rectors as assistants but elected by the parishioners, to see that he attended to his duties, and to attest his returns. The first records commenced under this order were written on paper, and it was soon real- ized that something more durable was necessary, and so Oct. 25, 1597, a new ordinance respecting registers was adopted at Canterbury and approved by Queen Elizabeth under the Great Seal. Under this "every parish was to provide itself with a parchment book in which the entries from the old paper books were to be fairly transcribed and signed by the minister or church wardens, to be kept in a sure coffer with three locks, of which the minister and wardens was to keep a key ; and for further security against loss, a true copy of the names of all persons, christened, married or buried in the year before was to be transmitted to the bishop of the diocese within a month after Easter to be preserved in the Episcopal archives." A note in Vol. 1., Somerset Parish Registers, Northover marriages, page 14, says, "The earliest register is a transcription parchment, made in 1598, by Thomas Lover- ige, Vicar, of the paper Register that began in 1534. Three entries appear to be of the date 1531." It was this transcript, that Mr. Jones found at Northover in 1902, and it was from this same book that William Arnold before embarking for the new world, copied the baptism of "Alee Gully the daughter of John Gully 29, Sept., 1553," adding so lovingly, "who was my mother." Having finished his search of the two old records of North- over and Yeovil, and finding that at Ilchester, Limington, Yeo- vilton and Muchelney there were no records earlier than 1635 ; Mr. Jones then went to Wells to examine the "Bishop's Transcripts" there, and see if they contained any additional information from this locality. This was a new field, and his 12 search here was amply rewarded. First he found that the "Transcript" was not a record hook, such as was kept in the parishes, but that they were the original yearly reports, usually in the full autograph of the Rector or Vicar and attested by the church wardens, and filed, not recorded, just as received. From Ilchester he found very few remaining, and many of these badly mutilated and much decayed. Evi- dently the clergy in many years had failed to make returns, and the bishops had at times neglected their care, while many more had been destroyed during the wars of the Common- wealth and James II. From the few he did find, he copied the following items, in some way connected with his search : 1594, June 30. Earliest record. "1595/6 Feb. 15, christened Mary, daughter of Melchiseck Joanes." He was warden with William Arnold in 1622, and had then been living here more than 26 years. "1595, Oct. 5. Married, Robert Hacker and Thomasine Arnoll." See baptism of their oldest son Rob- ert, Jan. 22, 1597/8 and six more children on family record. "1595, Oct., Burial, Agnes d. of Nicholas Arnoll." Not on family record, probably died young. "1596, April 25. Burial, Alee W. of Nicholas Arnoll tailer." (mother of William.) These items have since been printed by Mr. Edward Dwelly in Vol. II., Wells Transcripts, p. 31, with this note, "The above three years are written on paper now very much decayed and are not signed." 1616, christened, April 7, "Thomas son of William Hopkins" (son of Joane Arnold, see family record.) 1622, December 22, Baptizat, "Stephanus filius William Arnoldi, 1622/3 Janury 26, Sepultus. Nicha- laus Arnold." This transcript of 1622, has not as yet been printed by Mr. Dwelly but will be soon, with others already copied. It is the first time that the name of William Arnold has been found on a public record, and strange to say, in it, under his own hand, as church warden, he attests the record of the baptism of his youngest son Stephen, and the burial of his father Nicholas. Through the kindness of Mr. Dwelly, I am enabled '3 -«p~»f "'<-'.? vwfttW?. ; : ^«s ft**? %$ ^JhiyiUf** ^.> \irtrf)<~& L..YffK* JWwifi*. v» rtyj^^f *««« /»^*^*?V ^<«v.«. kv«-* 'H.-.T ,.'"'... .u'«;* ,'2« IX ? /^Tm*/7?"'«- ***«*W £«£j •. •'cfcliefaJiYt r-.fwj) W'cW ■ fahJj 14 [The dark mark at top is no doubt due to nut gall or other solu- tion applied to document to make it more legible, while helping to obliterate it in the photo, it makes writing clear in original. The 8 items before "Elizabetha filia Thome Bartlet" are given on the fol- lowing page (I translated them when copying from original so can- not give literatim copy) It is one of the few instances I have come across where the human eye can read writing easier than the camera. The blur was on the transcript when I copied it but by getting the skin at various angles the items were deciphered with a little care.] 1622. Baptisms Baptizat Elizabetha filia Thome Bartlet baptizat prima die Novembris. Stephanus filius williami Arnolde baptizat vicessimo sexto die decem- bris. Dorothea filia Thome Avorde baptizat quinto die Januarij. Elizabetha filia Richardi Hancocke baptizat decimo nono die Januarij. Gratia filia Williami Hopkins baptizat septimo die Februarij. Robertus filius Johanis Hacker baptizat vicessimo die Februarij. Francisca filia Gervasii Saunders baptizat octavo die Martij. Thomas filius Williami Spracklin baptizat nono die Martij. Maria filia Johais Sims baptizat eodem die nono Martij. 1622. Sepulti Sepult Edvvardus filius Edwardi Howman sepultus decimo nono die Aprilis. Rose James sepulta fuit vicessimo quinto die Aprilis. Alicia Bartlet uxor Stephani sepulta vicessimo quarto die Maij. Joana Gullie sepulta fuit tricessimo die Maij. Richardus Mannsell sepultus vicessimo primo die Julij. Elizabetba filia Thome Golde sepult vicessimo quinto die Julij. Gawin filius Johais Sharlocke sepultus tricessimo primo die Julij. Maria serva Walteri Glover sepulta duodessimo die Augusti. Alicia Lacie vid : sepulta vicessimo secundo die Septembris. Ambrosius Baunton sepult vicessimotertio die Septembris. Joanna Philips vid : sepult : fuit quinto die Octobris. Nicholaus Arnolde sepultus vicessimo sexte Januarij. Maria filia Stephani Geiland sepulta quarto die Martij. Thomas Pawley sepultus vicessimo primo die Martij. 1622. _ Mariages. Nuptiae. Henricus Collens et Elizabetha Brangwell nupt. sexto die Maij Williamus Lockier et Deanes Jeanes nupt duodecimo die Maij Jasper Alambert et Maria Hodges nupt decimo octavo die Julij Chnstopherus Bennct et Thomas,. n nupt septimo die Novembris pr me Johnne Ravens , . , . _ . rectore de Ilchester melchesadeek Jones I , William Arnold ) church wardenes 15- 1622. Baptisms. Cicely daughter of John. Joanna daughter of John Ourbury (Overbury). Thomas son of William Dawe. May 6. Walter son of Walter Glover. William son of Robert Morris Aug. 6. Edward son of Dawber als Trowe Sept. 21. Angell daughter of John Smith Sept. 28. Thomason daughter of Edward Bartlett Oct. 26. Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Bartlet baptised 1st day of November. Stephen son of William Arnold baptised 26th day of December. Dorothy daughter of Thomas Avorde baptised 5th day of January. Elizabeth daughter of Richard Hancock baptised 19th day of January. Grace daughter of William Hopkins baptised 7th day of February. Robert son of John Hacker baptised 20th day of February. [1622/3] Frances daughter of Gervaise Saunders baptised 8th day of March. Thomas son of William Spracklin baptised 9th day of March. Mary daughter of John Sims the same day 9th of March. 1622. Burials. Burials. Edward son of Edward Howman buried 19th day of April. Rose James was buried 25th day of April. Alice Bartlet wife of Stephan buried 24th day of May. Joan Gullie was buried 30th day of May. Richard Mannsell buried 21th day of July. Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Gold buried 25th day of July. Gavin son of John Sharlock buried 31st day of July. Mary servant of Walter Glover buried 12th day of August. Alice Lacy widow : buried 22nd day of September. Ambrose Baunton buried 23rd day of September. Joan Philips widow : was buried 5th day of October. Nicholas Arnold buried 26th day of January. (1622/3) Mary daughter of Stephen Geiland buried 4th day of March. Thomas Pawley buried 21st day of March. 1622. Marriages. Marriages. Henry Collens and Elizabeth Brangwell married 6th day of May. William Lockier and Deanes Jeanes married 12th day of May. Jasper Alambert and Mary Hodges married 18th day of July. Christopher Bennet and Thomason married 7th day of November. by me John Ravens Rector of Ilchester. Melchizedek Jones ) , , , ,„•„■ a ij r church wardens William Arnold ) i6 to give reproductions from photographs of this record, and also the churches of "St. Mary" at Ilchester, and "St. Andrew" at Northover, where his parents and grand parents arc buried. In the Probate Registry of Wills, lib. 43, fol. 5, is found "The Will of Nicholas Arnold." In the name of god Amen the 18th Day of January, 1622, I Nicholas Arnold of Ilchester in the Countie of Somersett, Tayler, Doe make & constitute and ordeyne this my last will & testament in manner & forme following: First I revoke recall & Disanull all former wills made before the Date of this my last will. Item. I give & bequeath my soule into the hands of god my blessed saviour and redeemer hopinge by him alone to be saved and my body to be buried in Christian buriall at the Discretion of my executrix. Item. I give and bequeath unto Grace Arnold my wief all my goods movable and immovable w'thin and wth thout Dores to thintent she shall guid & bringe up my two youngest Daughters, her children, and when it shall please god to take her out of this mortall lief to Dispose the said goods at her pleasure unto theis two children. Item. I make & ordeyne the said Grace my wief my sole and only executrix to this my last will & testament to see my Debts and funeral chargs paid and Discharged. Alsoe I Doe by theis presents constitute ordeyne and appoynte my sonne Warn Arnold & Ambrose Chappell my frend over seers to this my last will & testament. Witnesses hereunto John Raven, Thomas Arnold." Proved at Wells, 28 July, 1623. Inventory £7. 16s. 5d. Going back to the transcripts, we find, 1623, Oct. 18, Burial, "Margaret W. of Thomas Arnold," If this is the first wife of Thomas, the half brother of William, he soon married (2) Jane — and had sons, Thomas, 1625, and Nicholas, 1628, as shown in the family record. "1635, Oct. 15, Baptised, George son of Thomas and Jane Arnold." This son George was born more than six months after his unckle William had sailed for New England. No proof has been found that his father 17 Thomas the half brother of William, ever emigrated, or that Thomas' children died young, as stated by Somerby and Aus- tin, but without any evidence of record by either. The Thomas Arnold who was in Watertown, Mass., before July, 1636, and who removed about 1656 to Rhode Island, is not that half brother, but is probably the son of Richard, and grand son of William and Katherine Arnold of Kelsale Co., Suffolk, about 20 miles N. E. of Ipswich where his wife Phebe Park- hurst, daughter of George Parkhurst was baptised 29 Nov., 1612, and where they were probably married. Plis cousin Richard Arnold, Goldsmith, London, in his will 8 Nov., 1644, leaves a legacy of 20 shillings to be paid to "Thomas Arnold who is now supposed to be in New England or some other part beyond the seas" or to his assigns. No other Thomas Arnold appears in N. E. before 1644. See N. E. His. & Gen. Register Vol. 48, p. 374; Vol. 68, p. 2>72> and Vol. 69, p. 68. 1635 Jan. 15, (1635/6), "Burial Jane W. of Ambrose Chappell" (Overseer of Will of Nicholas Arnold.) This last item concludes all the record evidence found by Mr. Jones during his visit of 1902 at the close of which he writes, "in the time I devoted to the matter I could not find the father of Nicholas Arnold of Ilchester ; more investiga- tion is necessary. I do not pretend to have covered the whole field, let somebody do better." But the mine has been dis- covered and the leade is very promising ; Mr. Dwelly who commenced publishing the Wells Transcripts in 191 3 is work- ing the same vein, and cannot fail I believe to uncover much more material to be added to that already secured. From the Somerset records already collected, in spite of some larg gaps, the following pedigree of the Arnolds of Northover is compiled. 1. Nicholas Arnold, the testator of 1622, was born about 1550. He appears on the register of Northover, Co. Som- erset, as the father of Thomasine Arnold, 4 Jan. 1 571/2, and was buried at Ilchester 26 Jan. 1622/3. He married before 1571, Alice, daughter of John and Alice Gulley who i8 was baptised at Northover 29 Sept. 1553, and buried at II- chester 25 April 1596. Married (2.) before 1599. Grace who survived him. Cbildren by first wife: I. Thomasine, bap. 4 Jan. 1 571/2 at Northover. Mar- ried, 5 Oct. 1595, Robert Hacker at Ilchester. Chil- dren: 1. Robert, bap. 22 Jan. 1597/8. 2. Francis, bap. 24 Jan. 1599/1600. 3. Jobn, bap. 25 Oct. 1601. 4. William, bap. Oct. 1604. 5. Alee, bap. 25 Aug. 1607. 6. Mary, bap. 4 March, 1609/10. 7. Thomas, bap. April 1616. II. Joane, bap. 30 Nov. 1577 at Ilchester, and was buried 10 March, 1621/2 at Yeovilton, in the church yard of "St. Bartholomew." Married before 1613, William Hopkins of Yeovilton. Children: 1. Frances, bap. 28 May, 1614. Came with her husband, William Man, to N. E. in 1635, and died 26 Feb 1700 at Dartmouth Mass. Children : Abraham and Mary. 2. Thomas, bap. 7 April, 1616. Came with his sister Frances Man, and their uncle William Arnold, and died 1684 at Littleworth, in the township of Oyster Bay, Long Island, N. Y. where he had gone during the In- dian War. Children : W'illiam and Thomas. He was the great grand father of Gov. Stephen Hopkins, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Esek Hopkins, who was the first Commander in Chief of the American Navy. 3. Elizabeth, bap. 3 July, 1619. III. Margery, bap. 30 Aug. 1581 at Ilchester and mar- ried 1603 Thomas Burnard at Northover. IV. William, born 24 June, 1587 at Ilchester. V. Robert, bap. 18 Oct. 1593. (No more.) VI. Elizabeth, born, 9 April 1596. No baptism or burial is recorded. As her mother Alice, was buried at Il- chester the 25th of the same month, it seems probable 19 that both died in child bed, and were buried in one grave. Children by second wife Grace . VII. Thomas, bap. 18 April, 1599, at Ilchester. Mar- ried before 1623, Margaret , who was buried 18 Oct. 1623, at Ilchester, married (2), Jane...., Children by second wife: 1. Thomas, born, 3 May, 1625. 2. .Nicholas, born, 15 Jan. 1627/8. 4. George, bap. 15 Oct. 1635. VIII. Elenor, bap. 31 July, 1603. IX. A daughter mentioned in fathers Will but not named. William Arnold (Nicholas), born 24 June, 1587, at Il- chester, where he was Church Warden in 1622, died prob- ably in the early spring of 1676, at Pawtuxet, Rhode Is- land, during the Indian War. He married before 1610, Christian, daughter of Thomas Peak of Muchelney Somerset, who was bap. there, 15 Feb. 1583/4. and died after 1659, at Pawtuxet. Children: I. Elizabeth, born, 23 Nov. 161 1. at Ilchester. died after 7 Sept. 1685. at Pawtuxet. Married, before 1635, Wil- liam son of Richard Carpenter of Amesbury, Wiltshire, who died 7 Sept. 1685, at Pawtuxet. Children: 1. Jo- seph. 2. Liddea. 3. Pricilla. 4. Silas. 5. Benjamin. 6. Timothy. 7. Ephraim. II. Benedict, born 21 Dec. 1615, at Ilchester, died 19 June, 1678, at Newport, Rhode Island. Married 17 December, 1640, Damaris daughter of Stukley West- cott at Providence. She was born about 1620, prob- ably at Yeovil, Somerset and d. at Newport after 1678. He removed to Newport 19 Nov. 1651, and 19 May 1657, succeeded Roger Williams as President of the Colony under the Patent. In 1663, he was named in the Charter of King Charles II, as the first Governor, holding that office by seven re-elections until his death 20 in 1678. Children: I. Benedict, b. 10 Feb. 1641/2. 2. Caleb, b. 19 Dec. 1644. 3. Josiah, 22 Decern. 1646. 4. Damaris, 23 Feb. 1648/9. 5. William b. 21, Oct. 1651. d. 2T,, Oct. 1651. Named for his grand father William and the first death in the family after their emigration, jnst as his father was about to move to Newport, he was probably buried at Pawtuxet. 6. Penelope, 10 Feb. 1652/3. 7. Oliver, 25 July, 1755. 8. Godsgift, 27 Aug. [658. 9. Freelove 20 July, 1661. III. Joane, b. 2"/ Feb. 1617, at Ilchester, d. after 11 Feb. 1692/3. Married (1) Zachary Rhodes of Rehoboth, Mass. as early as 7 March 1646. who was drowned "off Pawtuxtt Shore" late in 1665. M. (2) 11 Jan. 1665/6. Samuel Reape of Newport, who d. after 11 Feb. 1692/3. Children by first husband: 1. Jeremiah, b. 29 June 1647. 2. Malachi, 3. Zachariah, 4. John, b. about 1658. M. 12 Feb. 1684/5. Waite, d. of Re- solved and Mercy (Williams) Waterman. 5. Peleg, b. about 1664. IV. Stephen, baptised 22 Decern. 1622, at Ilchester, died 15 Nov. 1699, at Pawtuxet. Married 24 Nov. 1646. Sarah, daughter of Edward Smith of Rehoboth, Mass. She was born 1629 and died 15 April 1713. at Paw- tuxet. Children: 1. Esther, b. 22 Sept. 1647. 2. Israel, b. 30 Oct. 1649. 3- Stephen, b. 27 Nov. 1654. 4. Eliza- beth, b. 2 Nov. 1659. 5. Flisba, b. 18 Feb. 1661/2. 6. Sarah, b. 26 June, 1665. 7. Phebe, b. 9 Nov. 1670. No public record had been found of the birth or marriage of William Arnold, nor of the birth or baptism of any of his children, until the Ilchester transcript of 1622, signed by him as church warden, giving the baptism there of his youngest son Stephen, as of Dec. 26, 1622 (four days later than his birth as given in the family record), and the burial of his father Nicholas. This is of course easily explained by the entire loss of all the earlier Ilchester registers, but the Well's transcript of [596, giving the record of the burial at Ilchester 21 of "Alice wife of Nicholas Arnold taller." is like a flash from a light house illuminating the whole situation. It is the key that explains why the name of Nicholas Arnold appears and disappears from the Northover records, with the one entry of the Birth of his daughter Thomasine in 1572, shows where he went, and the reason of his removal. The explana- tion is that at the time of his marriage he was working at Northover as a journeyman tailor, having already served seven years as an apprentice, and desiring to go into business as a merchant, he moved across the river half a mile into a larger community, the compact part of Ilchester, established himself as a merchant tailor and carried on that business there from about 1575 until his death in 1623. It was the common usage at this period for men, on legal documents, to add their title or occupation, but it was unusual if not unique to do this in case of a wife as was done by the Rector Joseph Collier A. M., in recording the burial of Alice as the wife of Nicho- las Arnold toiler in 1596. John Raven A. M., who wrote and witnessed his will in 1622/3 a ' so called him tailer. It could only mean that he had become and remained an influential merchant, and a member of the Gild of Taylors in Ilchester nearly 50 years. In this period the trade gild was an important feature, formed for the association of all the members of a given trade, for its regulation and support. No person could work at any trade in any capacity unless he belonged to its gild. These trade gilds grew to be very influential in local politics taking to a great extent the place that political parties do, at the present time. From their ranks were taken the mayors, burgesses and aldermen, both in small towns and large cities ; they became very wealthy, and built magnificent gild houses, in all the great cities, those of London, Bristol, Exeter, and many other places remain to-day, next to the great cathe- drals and churches, the finest buildings in England. These trade gilds should not be confounded with the older church gilds, devoted entirely to religious work, that disappeared with the destruction of the monasteries and nunnerys under 22 the edict of Edward VI. Nor should they he compared with the lahor unions of to-day, organized as a class, to fight against their employers, another class, like an army of pri- vates clashing against their officers for control. In the trade gild, master, journeyman, and apprentice were banded to- gether for the protection of his trade, not his class. They were chartered by the Sovereign, with many privileges, recog- nized by the church ; each had its patron saint, that of the tailors being St. John the Baptist, whose feast day was their election day, and celebrated with great displays. A curious account of one of their festival occasions at Wells is found in Phelp's History of Somerset, on the occasion of a visit of Queen Anne the wife of James I in 1613. As Nicholas Arnold was living, and an active member of his gild at that time, he may have been present as a participant or spectator, and this description gives us some idea, of the manner of the man, and under what conditions and surroundings he lived at Northover and Ilchester from about 1575 to 1623. "The order and manner of the shews by the masters and wardens of every trade and occupac'on within the citie or buroughe of Welles, as it was presented before the Queenes Matie in Welles, upon Fridaie the XX° daie of Auguste, Anno D'ni 161 3. "It is ordered that the Mayor and his brethren shall attend in their scarlet gownes neere about Brownes Gate, and the residue of the XXiiij or to attend likewise in person in blacke gownes, and the residue of the burgesses to attend likewise in their gownes and best apparell ; and this be done by the oversight of Mr. Mayor, Mr. Baron, and Mr. Smyth. "The Hammer-men, which were the carpenters, joyners, cowpers, masons, tylers and blackesmthes. And they pre- sented a streamer with their armes ; and Noath building the arke ; Vulcan workinge at the fforge ; Venus carried in a char- riot, and Cupid sittinge in her lapp with his bowe bent; a Morrice daunce; the Dragon which devoured the virgins. "The S'hermen and Tuckers, and they presented a streamer with their armes. 23 "The Tanners, Chaundlers, and Butchers and they pre- sented a carte of old virgins, the carte covered with hides and homes, and the Virgins with their attires made of covv- tayles, and braceletts for their attires made of cowtayles/ and braceletts for their neckes of homes sawed and hanged about their neckes for rich Jewelles. Their charriot was drawne by men and boys in oxe skins, calves skins, and other skins. "St. Clement their St, rode allsoe with his booke. And his Frier rode allsoe, who dealt his almes out of Mrs's bagge (which he carried very full of graynes) verie plentifullie. Acteon with his huntsmen. "The Cordyners, who presented St. Crispian and — both of them sonnes to a kinge, and the youngest a shoemaker, who married his master's daughter. They allsoe presented a morris daunce, and a streamer with their arms. "The Taylors, who presented a streamer, Herod and Herodias, and the daughter of Herodias who dannced for St. John the Baptists hedd ; St. John Baptiste beheaded. "The Mercers, who presented a streamer; a morris daunce of young children; The giant and the giantesse ; Kinge Ptolemeus, with his Queene and daughter which was to be devoured by the Dragon ; St. George with his knightes, who slew the Dragon and rescued the Virgin ; Diana and her nymphes carried in a charriot, wdio tured Acteon to a Harte." I have here shown where Nicholas Arnold was, and what he was doing from the time he disappeared from North- over, soon after the birth of his daughter Thomasine until we find the record of her marriage, at Ilchester, and the next year 1596, the death there of his wife. He had now been established there as a merchant tailor for about 20 years, and the sudden death of his wife and her infant child was not only a sad blow to him, but out of it grew some great changes in the future plans of his children. — He was now left with a family of four children, the oldest of which was Joane, just of marriageable age 18, Margery 14, William 8, and 24 Robert 2. Joane remained with her father until she was 36 years of age, and although he married later a young wife Grace, Joane was indeed the foster mother of his young sons, William and Robert. Between William and Joane there grew up a most tender relationship. They were both married about the same time, as is shown by the birth dates of their children, Joane died suddenly, early in the same year 1622, with their father Nicholas, leaving three small children between the ages of 2 and 7. She was buried at Yeovilton the home of the family of her husband William Hopkins. William Arnold now the head of the Arnold family at Ilchester, seems to have taken her children into his own family of little ones of about the same age, and when he emigrated in 1635, they accompanied him to New England. What has been accomplished since 1902, by Mr. Jones and Mr. Dwelly is the finding at Northover of the early parish register giving the date of baptism of Alice Gulley the mother, and Thomasine Arnold the oldest sister of Wil- liam, as the daughter of Nicholas Arnold, fully confirming the "family record" and giving us for the first time the true name of their father. Next the finding at Wells of the Il- chester transcript of 1595/6 showing that Nicholas Arnold and his family had been living at Ilchester, where he had been in business as a Merchant tailor since about 1575, the date of their removal from Northover, and that all his chil- dren except Thomasine were born there. Next the Ilches- ter "transcript" of 1622, with the autograph signature of William .Arnold as church warden, showing that he was there, a child 8 years old, when his mother Alice died in [596, and in 1622 when his youngest son Stephen was born. The very fact of his election as warden in 1622, is sufficient to show that he must have been long there and well known, and as all his four children were born in the II years between [6] 1 and io_>_>. it follows that they were all born there, al- 25 though the records of all but one, Stephen, have disap- peared. To connect these three generations of the Arnold and Gulley families for about 127 years, from John Gulley's birth about 1508, to William Arnold's emigration in 1635, with the English history of their time, we note, that John Gulley's life, beginning in the last year of the reign of Henry VII, lasted through that of Henry VIII, 38 years, Edward VI, 6 years, Mary Tudor 5 years, and 23 years of the reign of Q. Elizabeth, until his death in 1591, about 83 years of age. His daughter Alice Arnold born in 1553 the first year of Mary Tudor's reign, lasted through that, and 48 years of the reign of her sister Q. Elizabeth. Her hus- band Nicholas Arnold born about 1550, lived through those reigns, and to the 20th of James I., while William Arnold born the 29th of Queen Elizabeth, lived through the reign of James I., 22 years and emigrated 1635 m tne Iot h °f Charles I. All of William Arnold's children were born in the reign of James I. Going back to the William Arnold "family record," let us examine some of its peculiarities. He does not mention his father, or give any marriages or burials. He gives the bap- tisms, or christenings of his mother, and all her children except himself and the infant sister Elizabeth, and then in his own case gives only the births of himself and his children. Why does he make this difference? In 1622, he served one year as church warden, under the tutelage of John Ravens, A. M., an educated man, and Rector at Ilchester, and it was to him a school in which he learned not only the system of parish reg- isters and diocesan returns, but also to realize the great value to himself of keeping a family record as he was contemplating the possibility of emigration. His father had not kept a rec- ord himself and so the son went to the two registers of Il- chester now lost, and Northover close by, and accessible to him, for he could have found them nowhere else, and copied the baptisms. Then he took a step in advance of his times, and 26 began to keep a family record, beginning with his own birth, 1587, which was continued in one line of his family for four generations. Here we see in the case of his son Stephen, listed in the family record as born 22 Dec. 1622, and on the transcript, as baptised, four days later, 26 Dec. 1622 (the rule being that all children should be baptised three days after birth or on the succeeding Sunday). Comparing these two records and those given of the baptism of his mother and sister in the family record and 011 the Northover register, agreeing as they do so exactly, gives us the greatest confidence in the reliability of the entire family record. While some records supporting it are still missing, not one has been found which weakens or disproves a single statement in it. the one record explaining and showing the connections with the other. Taken together they compleitely prove that William Arnold and all his children were born in Ilchester, Somersetshire, and lived there until their departure for New England in 1635. Just as surely and completely, it disproves all the fables and errors of family tradition, that have grown up and been spread broadcast be- tween that date and 1850, seeming to show that they were born and lived elsewhere. Savage thought that they were born in Co. Nottingham, but offers no evidence to support his opinion. Mr. H. G. Somerby says that William Arnold was the son of Thomas Arnold of Cheselbourne, Co. Dorset, by bis first wife Alice, daughter of John Gulley of North Over, in the parish of Tolpuddle, a short distance from Chesel- bourne, gives him a brother John, and makes Elizabeth, the youngest daughter of Alice Gully, the daughter of Grace -. the second wife of Nicholas Arnold, and marries her to John Sayles, Jr. No record evidence is given to support these state- ments. None exist. lie did not go to Northover, Somer- setshire, where he would have found the Gully records, there then, and there now. There is no place called North Over in Dorset, or in any other county in England, excepting Somerset. There is no record showing that Alice Gully mar- ried Thomas Arnold, or had a son John born in 1585. Mr. 27 Somerby carried with him from America the W. A. "family record" then printed, with instructions to find a father Thomas for him. The most regrettable feature in Somerby's work is, that in the absence of any English record, known here to dis- prove it, so reliable a genealogist, as Mr. John O. Austin was lead to accept and use it in his dictionary, although neither give any record evidence. Very rarely has Mr. Austin accepted another's statement, unless he has himself seen evi- dence to support it. The Rev. Charles T. Brooks, in his "Old Stone Mill at New- port," suggests still another birthplace for the Arnolds, namely, Leamington, Warwickshire. This pamphlet was published at Newport, by Charles E. Hammett, Jr., in 185 1. It is an ac- count of a controversy between certain "Antiquarians" at Brown University, Providence, and "one of the oldest inhabi- tants of Newport," as to whether the old mill was built by the Northmen, or by Gov. Arnold, and has been commonly called the Mill Hoax. Both sides of this controversy accuse the other of filling their communications "with fabulous stories, founded on deceptions, entirely without foundation." These accusations were true, and about the only truth in the pam- phlet. Mr. Brooks only suggests that Gov. Arnold may have seen mills of this kind in his youth, as he was living in Eng- land at the precise period with Inigo Jones who designed the "Leamington Mill," and again page 84, he says, "The Chester- ton Mill is only 5 miles from Leamington in the west of Eng- land from which part we have ascertained the Arnold's came." The Arnolds did come from the west of England, but War- wick is in the centre. Mr. Hammett, who printed this book in 1 85 1, in his Bibliography of Newport of 1887, says, "At the time of writing this hook much labor was bestowed on an attempt to ascertain the exact birthplace of Gov. Arnold, but without result. About 20 years later (T871) Dr. David King visited England and found satisfactory proof that he was born in Warwickshire." Neither Brooks, Hammett nor King have given a single record to substantiate their statements, 28 and yet there is not a Newport historian to-day that ever mentions the Stone Mill or Gov. Arnold in connection with it, but what repeats the old hoax, that he was horn in Leaming- ton, Warwickshire, because in his will he mentions his Lem- mington farm. The record evidence I have given that he was born in Ilchester near Limington shows this Warwick- shire story to be pure fiction. Stukeley Westcott whose initials S. W. stand first on the proprietors deed of 1637, at Providence, was in Salem where he was received in 1636, and in 1637 had a one acre house lot laid out to him, the record showing that his family then con- sisted of eight persons. And as the names of only five of his children appear later on Rhode Island records, he must have lost one by death, perhaps Samuel, after 1636. At Providence, he signed the agreement of 1640, for a form of civil government, and about 1645, ne removed to Warwick ; and in 165 1 his daughter Damaris went with her husband Benedict Arnold to Newport. His oldest son Robert bought land soon at Quidnessett, and was killed there, during King Philips War, the other children all dying at Warwick. We cannot without further research say with certainty where he was born, or lived before coming to New England in 1635. Hon. Jonathan Russell Bullock, who published in 1886, "The life and times of Stuckley Westcott," says — "He was born in England about 1592, probably in Co. Devon, and died at Portsmouth, R. I., 12 Jan. 1676/7, aged about 85." These dates are taken from the unsigned will, made the day of Westcott's death. Judge Bullock gave much time himself to the work of investigation and had the co-operation of more than a score of persons, both here and in England, who had done more or less work in the same line, before him, among whom was Sir George Stuckley, of Stuckley, Baronet, the present owner, by succession of Hartlarid Abbey and Affeton Castle, West Worlington, Devon, the seat of the Stuckleys in England. He suggested that the name implied that he was a descendant of St. Ledger Westcot who about the year 1300 married a 2 9 daughter of the Stuckleys of Affeton. This place is on a stream called the Lesser Dart, ahout 10 miles W. of Tiverton and 15 miles N. W. of Exeter in Devonshire. Thomas Westcott Gent., in his "View of Devonshire 1630," says p. 271, Affton, the seat of the Worshipful family of Stuckeley stands between the two Worlingtons East and West. It came to Stuckeley grand son of St. Leger who also owned Westcot wherein lived a tribe of the name. A grand son Sir Hugh Stuckeley lived here in 36th of Henry VIII. (1545), owned "Westcot," and had two grand daughters named Da- maris. His Arms — Argent, a chevron between 3 escalops sable, a crescent. The arms here given, describe the arms on the tombstone of Benedict Arnold, Jr. The oldest son of Gov. Benedict at Newport, whose mother was Damaris Westcott, except that the crescent has been changed to a 5 pointed star, one appearing at the top of the chevron and another at the top of a helmet on the crest. The Arms on this stone have always been called "Arnold Arms" by those who have seen it, but it seems more likely to have been "Westcott." The Arnold arms on the tomb of Hon. Oliver Arnold in the North burying ground in Providence, as well those found by Gov. Samuel G. Arnold in the Herald's College in London, are described thus Gules, a chevron ermine, between 3 pheons Or. Before 1900, every county in England had been combed to find the name of Stukeley Westcott, without success, until in 1902, Mr. Edson S. Jones found the name at Yeovil, as the father of a son Samuel, baptized there March 31, 1622. This, without support of record, does not prove that he was the Stukeley who came in 1635 to New England, but circumstan- tial evidence very strongly favors that conclusion. The name of Stukeley, and of Westcott is common in Devon and Somer- set, but the combination of these names has so far been found nowhere, before 1622 at Yeovil, and so far as we know is unique, and the name of his daughter Damaris is also very unusual. In Westcott's "Devonshire," containing thousands of family names, Damaris appears but twice, and both times 30 in Stuckley families near Affton. At the time of the Yeovil record, Damaris was about two years of age and of course with her father there. About five miles down the river Ivel, at Ilchester, was living her future husband Benedict Arnold a lad of J. Both came to New England in 1635 an( l to Provi- dence in 1636 or 3J, where they were married in 1640. In 165 1, with five small children born in Providence, they re- moved to Newport. Here Benedict was chosen President, the highest office in the gift of the Colony, under the first Charter, before 1663 ; and that year under the second Charter granted by King Charles II. he was chosen the first Governor, which office, he contined to hold, with the exception of 6 years, until his death 19 June 1678. His wife Damaris survived him, and both lie buried in the plot appointed in his will, as "being be- tween my dwelling house and my stone built wind-mill." Dur- ing the progress of the Indian war of 1675/6 Stukeley West- cott now 84 years old, wifeless and infirm, was carried to the house of his grand son Dr. Caleb Arnold in Portsmouth, while two of his sons, Amos and Jeremiah, were granted temporary lots of land on the nearby island of Prudence for the support of their families, as were many of the refugees from the main- land. On the 12 of January 1677; seeing his end approaching the aged man attempted the making of his will, which was drawn up under his direction, but never signed ; night approach- ing, he was persuaded by his g. s. Caleb Arnold to wait until morning, expecting his sons from Prudence, but before their arrival he had passed away and his remains were carried across the bay, the war now over, and laid beside his wife at their old Warwick homestead. William Arnold whose name appears second upon the "Initial deed" at Providence, upon his arrival in Massachusetts Bay, June 24, 1635, found a party from Hingham, Co. Suffolk, lately arrived, and about to establish a new township to lie called Hingham which was done September 18, William Arnell appears as Xo. 13. on the first list of those who "drew house lots from the Cove on the north side (if the road to Fort Hill." If he reallv intended to settle here, he soon changed his 3i plan for in 1636 we find him in Providence where he was as- signed a home lot in the row of lots on North Main St.. north of Star St., the east end of this lot is now covered by a part of Hope reservoir. Here he probably built and lived a shorl time for a contemporary (\t:ci\ of land in this vicinity is bounded on William Arnold's "Wolf trap" evidently built by him for protection of his cattle. The initial deed of [637, which made him one of 13 proprietors of Providence was fol- lowed by another which divided all the meadow ground on the Pawtuxet river between the same 13 persons and about [638 William Arnold and William Carpenter with their families settled here at the ford or indian wading place, where the Pequot trail crossed the Pawtuxet river. This ford is quite a distance up the river from the present centre at the falls and the bridge, and lies a few rods only below the present bridge on Warwick Ave. From this ford northerly the "Pequot road was made the dividing line between William Carpenter's home- stead extending from it, west to Pauchasset river, and that of William Arnold extending from it, easterly to the salt water. Later Arnold's son Stephen, and son-in-Law Zachery Rhodes settled at the falls, where with Joseph Carpenter they built a corn mill and laid out to it a road through the woods northerly (now Broad St.) which joined the Pequot rath, near the pres- ent Junction of Broad St. and Warwick Ave. Upon this homestead, situated very much as was his old home at Ilches- ter at the Roman Ford on the Ivil, William Arnold passed tf years, until July 1675, when the horrors of King Phillip's burst in all its fury upon the Colony. The story of what hap- pened to him, is best told by an affidavit made by his young nephew Major William Hopkins, the original of which is pre- served in Prov. Town papers, 0268. "Oct. i(>. [678 William Hopkins aged 31, testified before John Whipple, Asst. that at the beginning of the war, and at the desire of some neighbors, he went to Pawtuxet to try to persuade William Arnold to go to some garrison or down to his son Benedict's, at Newport, on account of the danger he was in. That he. William Arnold, refused to go to Newport, but would go to Providence, but 32 afterwards said that that was too far, but be would go to his son Stephen's garrison, so presently his son Stephen went to bis father and desired his father to goe to his garrison, and the sayd William Arnold did goe along with his son Stephen and this deponent to his son Stephen's Garrison." The "garrison" to which William Arnold was carried in such a feeble condition, and now 88 years old, and where he prob- ably died, was the Mansion house of his son Stephen, whose homestead covered nearly all the land west of Broad St. to the Pawtuxet river, and from the falls, north to the swamp where the brook from the east runs under Broad St. to the river The driveway to his house from Broad St. is now Lockwood St., and behind it now stands the Rhodes' Casino, and the canoe club houses. On the bluff at the north end of this home- stead farm, overlooking the swamp was the burial lot of Stephen Arnold's family. This burial lot has now been built upon, the only grave stones upon the lot those of Stephen and Sarah (Smith) Arnold, were removed about i860, to Swan Point Cemetery. As this Stephen was the last survivor of the emigrant party of 1635, I give the inscription: "Here Lies the Body of Stephen Arnold. Aged yy Years Deceased 15TH Nov 1699. During the summer and fall of 1675, nothing of a serious nature occurred at Pawtuxet, until in December, detachments of the Massachusetts troops under Gen. Winslow, on their way to the "Swamp Fight" at Kingston, encamped at the gar- rison, and were supplied by Stephen Arnold with provisions, the requisitions made by Gen. Winslow were paid by Mass. some years later. January 27, 1676, after the Kingston fight, 300 Indians attacked Pawtuxet, burning William Carpenter's outbuildings, corn and hay, and drove away 180 sheep, 50 bead of neat cattle, and 15 horses. William Harris, whose farm adjoined Carpenter on the west at Blackamore Pond, in a 33 letter (Vol. 10, 171, R. I. His. Soc. Collection), describes this attack as following one on Rehoboth and Providence, "And then went to patuxet & ther burnt some houses and an empty garrison and fought against another, and shotl tire upon ar- rows forty or fifty but ye English put them out, and in ye night time went ther way." This attack did not drive away the Stephen Arnold garrison, but in March a still larger party of Indians swept through this part, and Harris writes again "the enemy hath burnt all ye houses in Warwick all in patuxet and almost all in Providence and the inhabitants are gone some to one place and some to another." During one or the other of these attacks all the buildings on the Harris farm were burnt, his son Tolleration, and a servant were killed, and Wm. Carpenter lost "his son William Jr. and a servant; Carpenter and Thomas Hopkins probably going to Oyster Bay. Long Island, where both had children living. No hint has been discovered as to where Stephen Arnold went at this time, with his wife and seven children. It seems probable that his father William, in his great age and feeble condition had died and been buried by the side of his wife Christian and grand-son William, at Pawtuxet, as his name is not men- tioned among the refugees at Newport or Long Island but this is conjecture. Callender refers to his death as about 40 years after the settlement of 1636. Nov. 3, 1677, Gov. Arnold at Newport, calling himself "Benedict Arnold Senr. Eldest son and heire to William Arnold late of pautuxett," made a warrantee deed, on the nominal condition of one hundred Pounds to his "Brother Stephen Arnold of Pawtuxett afore saved," of .all Land of our sayd father being within the Bounds of patuxett, between patuxett river and Providence bounds" &c. This was not an uncommon way at this period of settling an intestate estate, and shows that as soon as the war was ended and civil government restored, a mutual agreement between William Arnold while living, and his two sons, was honorably carried into effect by the legal heir under English law. after his death. 34 We do not know with certainty the birthplace or age of Wil- liam Carpenter the third mem'ber of our party who was as the head of a family named in the initial deed as one of 13 propri- etors of Providence. Assuming that he was about the same age as his wife, Elizabeth Arnold and born before 161 1, he was about 60 years of age and had been living at Pawtuxet more than 30 years when 14 Dec, 1671 he made a deed of free gift to his sister Fridgswith Vincent of "my dwelling house and all what land belongith to me adjoining to the said house the which said house is standing in the town of Amestmry in Wilt- shire and in a street commonly called Frogg lane, my sister being an inhabitant of the said town, the which said house did in the original belong to my father Richard Carpenter now de- ceased, but fell to my right as I was the son and heir of my said father." It does not necessarily follow that Richard was in Amesbury in 161 1, or that William was born there, although possible. Fridgswith Carpenter married Thomas Vincent be- fore 1635, and had children: — Thomas, bap Oct 18, 1635, 2. William, bap June 17, 1638, and 3. Joan. William and Joan Vincent came to Providence about 1660, where Joan, married John Sheldon that year, and received a deed of land from her uncle William Carpenter Aug. 2, 1660 — May 31, 1670. Wil- liam Vincent was married to Priscilla Carpenter his cousin by her father William Carpenter, assistant. Jan. 20, 1676, his house was attacked by about 300 Indians, his son William, and a servant killed, two hundred sheep, 50 neat cattle and 15 horses carried off, and his buildings left in flames, but saved by the defenders. April 25, 1683, he made a confirmatory deed to the heirs of the 13 original proprietors of Pawtuxet lands, calling himself the last survivor and owning three shares. His will, Feb. 10, 1670, was proved Oct. 1, 1685. He died Sept. 7, 1685, and was buried on his homestead by the side of his wife Elizabeth Arnold. In Dwellys' Wells parish transcripts, Vol. II., at Nettle- combe, 15 miles west of Taunton, I find some records that seem to connect in some way with a John and Richard at Salisbury 1 Jj 37 7 miles from Amesbury. I give it, hoping to a&sisl further seareh. Married, Sept. i, 1606, Air. Richard Carpenter and Mrs. Susanna Trevelian. Christened, Oct. 28, 1607, Susanna, dan. of Mr. Richard Carpenter. Clarke, (i e. Minister.) On the same register occurs the unusual names of Fridiswade Clark, 1607, and Frediswade Davis, 1640. In Somerset Wills, 11.109. I find the will of Richard Car- penter, Pastor of Sheviock Devenport (near Plymouth), Aug- ust 9, 1625. Proved Feb. 17, 1627/8, by the relict, Susan Carpenter daughter of John Trevelian Esq. of Nettlecombe, mentions, son John Carpenter, student at Exeter College, Oxon, eldest dau. Susan, dau. Mary, my son Richard, 3d, dan. Ann, 4th dau. Elizabeth, 3d. son Edward, 5th dau. Sarah, 4th son, and youngest child Thomas, my brother John Carpenter of Salisbury (1628), and 3 sisters Jane, Ann & Agness. The Rev. A. W. Phelps, Rector of the church at Amesbury, Wilts, writes Oct. 25, 1800, "The register has — 18. Oct. 1635 baptised — Thomas son of Thomas and Frittisweed Vincent. 17 June William son of Thomas and Frittisweed Vincent. The first book of Amesbury records begin 1610 and end 1638, has Elizabeth d. of John Carpenter bap. Nov. 30, 1628. John, son of John Carpenter bap. Aug. 5, 1632. Margaret, dau. of John and Joan Carpenter bap. March 2, 1635 ; and Richard Car- penter buried Sept. 21, 1625. William Man, who came with his wife Frances Hopkins in 1635, was town clerk of Providence in 1646, (see Prov. town papers 07), and died before 1650. His son Abraham, was wounded in the Indian war, and was allowed by the Colony Oct. 29, 1684, £3 for the curing of his wound. His widow Frances Man removed to the home of her daughter Mary, who had married John Lapham at Dartmouth, Mass.. where she- died 26 Feb. 1700 aged 84. The parishes whose records prove them to have been the homes of our emigrants, are situated on the little river Ivel or Yeo, a branch of the Parret. The valley of the Ivel is de- Q Z r. o. O Church of St. Mary Major, Ilchester Nicholas Arnold and wife Alice, parents of William Arnold, are buried in this yard. William Arnold and all his children were baptized here. 40 scribed in Camden's Brittania, Edition of 1610 — (about the date of Wm. Arnold's marriage) as follows: "The river Ivel springeth in Dorsetshire and no sooner entereth Somerset but he giveth name to Evil (Yeovil) a great market town, which rose by the decay of Ilchester, and taketh into him a rill, near which is Camelet a steep hill, hard to get up : on the top whereof be tokens of a decayed castle, surrounded by triple rampires of earth and ditches, enclosing many acres of ground. The in- habitants name it, King Arthur's Palace: Near by is Cadbury where K. Arthur defeated Saxons in battle. At the junction of these two rills, lie Yeovilton on the north bank, and Liming- ton on the south, and runneth on a mile to Northover, and Ilchester, called Ischalis by Ptlomee, and Ivelcestre by Nin- nius, and by others Pontavel-coit (Ivel bridge in the Wood), and Givelcestre, at this day of small account for its antiquity. At the time of the Normans coming in, it was well populated, at one time having 107 Burgesses. A little beneath by Lang- port the rivers Ivel and Pedred (Parret) running together, make between them the island called Mulcheney that is to say the Great Island. Wherein are to be seen the defaced wall and ruins of an old Abbey." The map accompanying this article is from Camden 1610. Muchelney, the island at the junction of the rivers Ivel and Parret, was the home of Christian Peak, William Arnold's wife. Retracing our steps up the Ivel five miles is Northover, the home and burial place of John and Alice Gully, and just across on the south bank, Ilchester, where Nicholas Arnold was a Merchant tailor about 47 years, and where he and his wife Alice are buried, and where William Arnold and all his children were born. A mile further up the river on the north hank is Yeovilton the home of William Hopkins, where his wife Joane was buried in 1622, the sister and foster-mother of William Arnold. Across the river on the south side is Limington with its parish church, "St. Mary Virginis," and its ancient Free Grammar School, where Thomas Wolsey, afterward Lord Cardinal, and Primate of England, was both curate and school- master from 1500 to 1509, and where the children of the Gully, 41 Arnold, Hopkins and other families of the neighborhood were probably educated. In his will Gov. Arnold mentions his Lemmington farm, named evidently from some place near his English home. When he wrote this word Lemmington. in its broad Wessex pronunciation, he meant Limington in Somerset, and not Leam- ington in Warwickshire, or Lymington in Hants, places that it is not at all likely that he or his father William, ever saw. From the date 1623, of Nicholas Arnold's will, until his de- parture in the spring of 1635 for New England, William Ar- nold's name does not appear on any Somerset record. On his own "family record" the latest English date he gives is that of the baptism of Nicholas, the son of his half brother Thomas, Jan 1627/8. We can only conjecture when and where he gathered his iarge party together with their baggage and supplies, or the route they took from the valley of the Ivel, to their point of de- parture. The nearest and most practicable route would be from Ilchester through Yeovil, Crewkerne, and Axminster to Exeter, and then turning south, down the Devonshire coast, by Teignmouth and Torquay to Dartmouth, a seaport about 25 miles east of Plymouth and the same distance south of Exeter. A modern writer Mr. Charles G. Harper in "A summer tramp from London to Landsend" thus pleasantly describes it. "A waft of more spacious times has come down to us, and lingers yet about the steep streets and strange stairways, the broad caves and bowed and bent frontages of Dartmouth. An air in essence salty, and ringing with the strange oaths and stranger tales of the doughty hearts who adventured hence to unknown or unfrequented seas, or went forth to do battle with the Spaniards. "The mouth of the river widens into a deep, land-locked har- bour with an entrance to the English Channel through a narrow opening between tall cliffs. Here to guard it there were built in ancient times, the twin-towers of Dartmouth and Kingswear Castles, facing one another across the water, and between them 42 was stretched an iron chain drawn taut by windlasses in time of peril. "The parish church of St. Saviour, is old and decrepit and rendered dusky by wooden galleries, a wonderful and almost inconceivably picturesque building, without and within and what is not often seen nowadays a very much unrestored church. It is closely girdled with steep streets, paved with painful but romanic looking cobbles, and the churchyard rears itself high above the heads of wayfarers in its narrow lanes. The doorway of the south porch has a gate or grille of wrought iron dated 1631." Ancient ironwork, south door of St. Saviour's Church, Dartmouth, Devon. 43 In this quaint old seaport, some of our party must have spent several days, in the process of collecting their goods, and loading their vessel, and although they were strangers, here- only for a few days, I cannot help fancying that the steep streets of Dartmouth the last spot of English earth upon which their feet were to tread, its ancient St. Saviour church with it> then new gate, the beautiful harbour where had lain only a few years before them, the ships of Drake and Raleigh, and the .May- flower and Speedwell of the Pilgrims, never faded entirely from their memory. While their eyes rested upon these last scenes in the home land, the minds of the young people, Joane Arnold, soon to become the mother of all the Rhodes' of Rhode Island, Damaris Westcott later to be the first lady in the Colony, as the wife of Gov. Benedict Arnold, and their younger brothers and sisters were perhaps thinking more of the village greens of Ilchester and Yeovil, remembering that it was the first of May. Mayday, "the maddest, merriest day of all the glad new year" in England, and that their playmates from whom they were now separated were engaged in the happy songs and dances so dear to their young hearts ; while the older ones were more likely turning their thoughts toward the unknown sea with some doubts and misgivings mayhap, but yet with stout hearts and strong hopes facing the great adventure that lay before them in a new world. 1622 Baptizat Stephanus filius Williami Arnolde baptizat Vicessimo Sexto die decembris. per me Johnne Rauens rectore de Ilchester % i6qo ' m\ '/- i WW'--'" PD 18 i ^ V" 1 * ,1T J ^v \ v . i • o „ "V: ,> V- ^ * . r^ o . * , ^° .. «*' A, DOSBS BROS. LIBRARY BINDING ST. AUGUSTINE Jj^/LA. ^1^32084 •<•: