East Anglia: Personal Recollections and Historical AssociationsRitchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
History
East Anglia: Personal Recollections and Historical Associations
Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
East Anglia (England)
Mrs. Bendish, in whom the Protector was said to have lived again, was
quite a character in Yarmouth society. Bridget Ireton, the granddaughter
of the Protector, married in 1669 Mr. Thomas Bendish, a descendant of Sir
Thomas Bendish, baronet, Ambassador from Charles I. to the Sultan. She
died in 1728, removing, however, in the latter years of her life to
Yarmouth. Her name stands among the members of the church in London of
which Caryl had been pastor, and over which Dr. Watts presided. To her
the latter addressed at any rate one copy of verses to be found in his
collected works. She recollected her grandfather, and standing, when six
years old, between his knees at a State Council, she heard secrets which
neither bribes nor whippings could extract from her. Her grandfather she
held to be a saint in heaven, and only second to the Twelve Apostles.
Asked one day whether she had ever been at Court, her reply was, ‘I have
never been at Court since I was waited upon on the knee.’ Yet she
managed to dispense with a good deal of waiting, and never would suffer a
servant to attend her. God, she said, was a sufficient guard, and she
would have no other. She is described as loquacious and eloquent and
enthusiastic, frequenting the drawing-rooms and assemblies of Yarmouth,
dressed in the richest silks, and with a small black hood on her head.
When she left, which would be at one in the morning, perched on her
old-fashioned saddle, she would trot home, piercing the night air with
her loud, jubilant psalms, in which she described herself as one of the
elect, in a tone more remarkable for strength than sweetness. In the
daytime she would work with her labourers, taking her turn at the
pitchfork or the spade. The old Court dresses of her mother and Mrs.
Cromwell were bequeathed by her to Mrs. Robert Luson, of Yarmouth, and
were shown as recently as 1834, at an exhibition of Court dresses held at
the Somerset Gallery in the Strand. As was to be expected, Mrs. Bendish
was enthusiastic in the cause of the Revolution of 1688, and the printed
sheets relating to it were dropped by her secretly in the streets of
Yarmouth, to prepare the people for the good time coming. Her son was a
friend of Dr. Watts as well as his mother. He died at Yarmouth,
unmarried, in the year 1753, and with him the line of Bendish seems to
have come to an end. Another daughter of Ireton was married to Nathaniel
Carter, who died in 1723, aged 78. His father, John Carter, was
commander-in-chief of the militia of the town in 1654. He subscribed the
Solemn League and Covenant, being then one of the elders of the
Independent congregation. He was also bailiff of the town, and an
intimate friend of Ireton. He died in 1667. On his tombstone we read:
‘His course, his fight, his race,
Thus finished, fought, and run,
Death brings him to the place
From whence is no return.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account