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POLITICAL HISTORY good cause for watching the recusants in Staffordshire ; Thomas Morgan, Mary's most trusted agent, advised her 'if possible not to go out of Stafford- shire which is altogether in her favour,' SM and ' Ridworth ' (Ridware ?) is described as being ' a town where all are recusants.' 22S In 1585 people refusing to attend church were disarmed, and later on the arms taken from such persons were given to the queen's good subjects ; !2 * consequently fifteen recusants were formally disarmed, of whom Sampson Erdeswick of Sandon was one. The commissioners appointed to search for recusants displayed in some cases too much zeal, some of them having searched Sampson Walkeden's house at Stone in a manner which led to inquiry by the sheriff on the order of the council. There is a list dated I592 225 of recusants in the county divided into three classes, first those remaining at liberty, who were John Draicot of Painesley and Francis Gatagrea of Swynnerton, esquires ; William Stapleton of Bradley, John Stapleton of the same place, Philip Draicot of Leigh, Samp- son Erdeswick of Sandon, William Maxfield of Mere, gentlemen ; secondly those imprisoned, Humphrey Cumberford of Cumberford, Erasmus Wolseley of Wolseley Bridge, Hugh Erdeswick of Sandon; and thirdly those at liberty upon bonds, John 'Jifford ' of Chillington, Brian Fowler of the 'Manor upon Sow.' Queen Elizabeth visited the county in 1575 after her entertainment by Leicester at Kenilworth, from which place she came to Lichfield on 27 July, and thence went for some days to Chartley, whose owner, Walter Devereux, 226 had just sailed to Ireland. Stafford made great preparations for her coming ; every house was newly painted, the streets gravelled, and the cross repaired. She arrived on 8 August, and was met by the bailiffs on foot, who presented to her a cup ' two foote or more in height,' which she most lovingly received, ' saying most gracious favourable words,' which were duly responded to. She then passed on to the market-place, and pausing there, asked the cause of the decay of the town, and was told that the decay of ' Capping ' and the taking away from the town of the assizes were the chief causes. Elizabeth answered she would renew and establish better the statute relating to capping, and the assizes should be held there for ever. After this gracious promise, she passed on through the town to the castle, where she dined and ' sopted.' The petition of the Stafford citizens to the queen on the matter of the capping statute was backed up by a letter dated 27 September in the same year from Lord Paget to Burghley, bringing to his recollection a petition of the poor cappers of Lichfield for the better execution of the statute for the wearing of caps, and commending the petitioners to his lordship's notice as the cappers were so poor. 227 Elizabeth kept her promise, for not long m Rep. on Salisbury MSS. (Hist. MSS. Com.), iii, 148. m Cal. S.P. Dom. 1581-90, p. 540. *" Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. iv, 330. 2 " Ibid, iv, 272. 8M Walter Devereux, created Earl of Essex in 1572, was the grandson of Walter Devereux, Viscount Hereford, the grandson of Sir Walter Devereux, who had married the heiress of Lord Ferrers, and fell at Bosworth. The family of Devereux provided recorders of Lichfield for eight successive generations, probably a unique record. Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xi, App. v, 122. Rep. onSaRsbury MSS. (Hist. MSS. Com.), ii, 116. I 249 32