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[H.P.KINGSTON]

BILSTON EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

CENTRAL SCHOOL, BILSTON.

Headmaster: W.S. PEACH, M.A.

19. ix. 29

John Buchan Esq. c/o Messrs Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd. Publishers London.

Sir,

I have lately read, & much enjoyed, your admirable little book called "A Book of Escapes & Hurried Journeys." Your account of the "Escape of King Charles after Worcester" interested me in particular, for all my life I have known that part of the Staffordshire & Shropshire country-side, into which his wanderings led the King; & I think I may claim, without arrogance, to be as well acquainted with the geography of Moseley Old Hall as I am with my own home. I hope therefore that you will not take it amiss in me that I venture to point out to you what I think to be three small inaccuracies in your account of the King's stay in & near Moseley.

Moseley is about five miles from Whiteladies, & not nine as you state on p.44 line 5, while the water-mill mentioned on page 42, line 9, is Evelith Mill & is about three miles from Whiteladies, not one.

There are four "priests' holes" known & shown at present in Moseley Old Hall, & none answers to the one which you describe. In the eaves of the third storey is a small chamber which may be closed with a diamond-shaped door, or shutter; behind the chimney-stacks of the same storey is a fair-sized room; a perilous descent, now blocked up, led down the chimney from the top storey to the kitchen, & a fourth hiding-place is found under the floor of a small closet opening out of Father Huddlestone's bedroom, which was the one occupied by the King. Neither the first, second nor third of these "priests' holes" corresponds to your description, while the fourth - the hole under the closet-floor - is certainly not behind the panelling, though the door of the closet itself was possibly panelled before the walls of this room were stripped, as they appear to have been. So far as I am aware there were no arrangements for feeding the unfortunate occupant of this hole.

Last edit over 1 year ago by Stephen
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My third point is concerned with the purpose of the soldiers' visit to Moseley. They came, according to contemporary narratives, to arrest Mr Whitgrave as a Royalist who had fought at Worcester, & not to search the house for the King. Mr Whitgrave was able to prove that he had been ill at Moseley at the time of the battle; & his bold behaviour, with that of Lord Wilmot, in coming downstairs leaving all doors open behind them, & in offering no show of reluctance to the searching of the house, had such been intended, doubtless succeeded in its purpose, for the soldiers left without making any search.

I trust, Sir, that you will not consider these points too trivial to have been brought to your notice, & beg to remain

Yours faithfully,

H.P. Kingston

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