CHAPTER XXXIX.
Gunpowder Plot Books — Part I., No. 52.
“The examinacon of William Kyddall of Elsam in the Countie of Lincolne srvant to Mr. Robert Turrett of Kettleby[A] in the said Com. taken the viiith daie of November 1605 before Sr Richard Verney Knighte high Sherriff for the Com. of Warr. Sr John fferrers & Willm Combes Esqr 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 daughtr 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 xxiiiith 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 wth 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 srvant 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 ffathr who seeinge the child too little to be carried sent them backe wth 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 wth 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 wth 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.)