lodged at the Angel in 1598, and received from the Corporation a "pottell of claret and a pottell of secke"; while Mr. Thomas Cave, who was sitting that year "for the subsidy," received there a present of wine and sugar. And in 1609 there is a charge for wine and sugar given to the Justices of the County at their first sitting at the Angel in Leicester "about aide to make the noble Prince Henry, The King's Majesty's eldest son, Knight."
Even men of quality staying in Leicester for the races were entertained at the expense of the town. Thus, in 1603, a gallon of sack and 2 gallons of claret were given to "Sir Thomas Griffyn, Sir William Faunt, and other gentlemen at the Angel at the horse running." During the civil wars the Angel was the scene of great activity. It was probably occupied by Prince Rupert, when, after extracting £500 from the Corporation, he established his headquarters at Leicester in 1642. He had visited the town once before in that year, and received a gallon of white wine, one pottle of claret, one pottle of canary and one pound of sugar. In the Chamberlains' accounts for 1642 the following items refer to his doings:— "Item, paid, which was spent at the Angel by Mr. Mayor's appointment, when the Prince sent in carriages to be guarded by the town ............... v.s. od. Item, paid, for a dinner at the Angel for Sir Henry Hungate by Mr. Mayor's appointment, himself and diverse aldermen being then present there ............... j.li iiij.s. od.".. Sir Henry Hungate, it will be remembered, was the bearer of Prince Rupert's letter demanding £2,000 from the Leicester Corporation. Again in 1643-44:— "Item, paid to Mr. Browne for a pottle of sack, one gallon of clarrett and suger which Mr. Mayor gave to the Governer and certaine captaines at the Angell, and by his appointment ...... viij.s iiij.d."
After the defeated King had been delivered up to the Parliament, he was taken by the commissioners under a guard to Holdenby House in Northamptonshire, and on his journey thither he passed the night of February 13th, 1647, in Leicester, probably at the Angel, where lodging had been bespoken for him, if necessary. Thompson, in his History of Leicester, says definitely that Charles slept the night at the Angel Inn. His
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