Jeffreys rose to
be Lord Chancellor, but falling into disgrace after the abdication of
James II, he was committed to the Tower of London and there died in
1689, before he could be brought to trial. It saddened us to think that
this brute really belonged to our own county, and was at first the
Justice for Chester. The following entry appeared in the records of the
town:
To a Bill for disbursements for ye Gallows. Burning and boiling ye
Rebels, executed p. order L116 4s. 8d. Paid Mr. Mayers att ye Beare,
for so much hee pd. for setting up of a post with ye quarters of ye
Rebells att ye town end as p. his Bill 1s. 6-1/2d.
These entries bear evidence of this horrible butchery; but the
Dorcestrians seem to have been accustomed to sights of this kind, as
there had been horrible persecutions of the Roman Catholics there in the
time of Queen Elizabeth--sequel perhaps to those of the Protestants in
the time of Queen Mary--one man named Pritchard was hanged, drawn, and
quartered in 1583, and in 1584 four others were executed.
Dorchester, like other places, could boast of local celebrities. Among
these was John White, who in 1606 was appointed rector of Dorchester and
held that office until the day of his death in 1648.
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