POLITICAL HISTORY 30 April after his last long ride from Oxford by Uxbridge, St. Albans, and ' Ryston.^ In the examination of Michael Hudson it is stated that ' he went to Downham to the " Swan." The king and Ashburnham had like to be discovered by a barber who said "their hayres were cutt with a knife.'"' The king stayed at Downham until 2 May when he rode out by Melton Mowbray to Stamford, and thence to the Scots commissioners. In October, 1650, while Cromwell was absent in Scotland, there was a somewhat serious conspiracy in and about Norwich in favour of Charles 11. When it was first detected Robert Jermy wrote to William Lenthall, 4 December, 1650 :' 'In the first outbreaking of this insurrection the whole country seemed in a flame — and had been, had not the Lord even in the moment appointed for your and our sure overthrows showed he was God, Our God, who hath saved and would not now forsake us. . . . They had so many parties appointed and in so many places that we could apprehend no place safe. . . . There are many of power and eminency named as engagers with them. . . . But this is too plain that many, yea we justly fear so many of the middle ranks of men are engaged in it, that it will be to no end to try them by jury, but either to make some exemplary by a martial trial, or by the High Court of Justice.' This suggestion as to making some ' exemplary' was adopted by the government, which showed how serious the situation was considered by the steps it took to crush the rising. No less than 4,000 foot- men were raised in the county in November, and a special court of three judges was sent down to try the prisoners. The court sat on Friday, 20 December, and condemned six men who had but short shrift, for they were hanged on the following Monday. On Tuesday six more were con- demned, and on Christmas Day sentence of death was passed on the Reverend Mr. Cooper, of Holt,* who was afterwards hanged in that town. Five more were condemned the next day, and on Friday a Colonel Saul (Sail) and another, who were hanged at Lynn. On the Monday, Major Francis Roberts and Lieutenant John Barber and two others were condemned and afterwards hanged, and last of all one Mr. William Hobart,' of Holt, who had borne witness against Mr. Cooper, was in turn hanged at East Dereham.' This makes up a total of twenty-five who suffered death for their conspiracy, a number which shows how widespread it must have been. It is curious how little is known about this formidable conspiracy, but some light is thrown on it by the very ample confession and examination of Thomas Coke, esq., of Drayton in Shropshire, taken in the month of April, 1651,^ who begins his statement by admitting that he had 'not long since voluntarily and foolishly made an escape out of a messenger's custody, and not rendered himself according to the time prefixed, stands now by Act of Parliament attainted of treason, and ought thereby to suffer and forfeit as in case of treason.' The confession contains the following references to the Norfolk rising : ' The same day the rising was in Norfolke, one Curtis, Colonell Blake's man, came to this deponent's chamber, and told him of that rising. He, being angry at him, desired him to goe downe againe to appease ' Vide map in Gardiner, Civil IVar, iii, 90. Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xiii, App. i, 375. ' Ibid. 544. * He was not the rector there. ' He was brother to Edmund Hobart, esq. of Holt, who was a Royalist and died 1666. This is another instance showing how families were divided between the two parties. ' Blomefield, op. cit. iii, 399. ' Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xiii, App. i, 576. 2 513 65
