October 7, 1651 - Heale House and Stonehenge

Now thatCharles was safely hidden at Heale House and expected to be on a boat to Francesoon, Juliana Coningsby and the Wyndhams' servant Henry Peters returned toTrent on October 7.  Charles waspretending to be Colonel Carliss's servant, but Mrs. Hyde thought that in orderto evade curious eyes, it would be better if they both left in the morning asif for good.  So, as Charles told SamuelPepys, "Robin Phillips and I tooke our Horses and went as farr as Stoneheng;and there we stayd looking upon the stones for sometyme."
StonehengeAccording toPhelips, they "rid about the Downes, and tooke a view of the wonder of thatcountry, Stoneheng, where they found that the King's Arithmaticke gave the lyeto that fabulous tale that those stones cannot be told [meaning counted] aliketwice together.  But this ariseing wasthe effect rather of convenience than curiositie, for that day being a faire atSalisbury, Mistris Hyde gave leave to all her servants to goe thither, whilestthe King, who went away in their sight with Coll. Phelipps in the morning,after his toure taken about the Downes, returned to Hele again that afternoonin theire absence."

Phelips hadto make contact with Colonel Gounter about Charles's passage, so "that sameafternoon [he] having safely delivered the King into the hands ofDr. Henchman in the field nere Hele, went that evening (leading the Horse theking rode on) to his most faythfull friend Mr. Jones his house at Newton-Tony."

Racton House, Col. Gounter's home, in 1789
from Alan Fea's The Flight of the KingMeanwhile,Lord Wilmot had already reached the home of Colonel Gounter at Racton  As Gounter recalled, "Betwixt eight and nineof the clock at night, the Colonel came home. Entering in att his doore, the Colonel'sladye mett him and told him there was in the parlour a Deavonshire gentlemansent by Mr. Hyde aforesaid about a reference 'which none besides yourselfe candecyde.'  At the Colonel's coming in, hefound his Devonshire gentleman setting at one end of the chimney, [his brother]Captaine Thomas Gounter att the other, and his lady (which was gone in before)in the middle.  The gentleman rose and salutedhim.


Col. Gounter in 1642"The Colonelpresently knew him to bee the Lord Wilmot. Which the noble Lord perceyving, tooke the Colonel aside to the windowe:'I see you know mee (said he); do not owne mee.'"  Throughout his journeys, Wilmot continued tobe surprised that people who knew him recognized him, even though he was not indisguise.

"After abottle of sack, which afforded some matter of discourse by reason of twoewasps, or rather hornets, which came out at the opening, a short collationbeing made readie as soon as could [be] … my Lords man, one Swan, comming in towaite, whispered his master in the eare and told him my Lord Wentworth's boyPonie was without, and wished him to be carefull, for feare the boy shouldknowe him."

Aftersupper, "the noble Lord and Colonel being alone, he broke the busines unto theColonel with these words, sighing: 'The King of England, my maister, yourmaister, and the maister of all good Englishman, is neere you, and in greatdistresse.  Can you helpe us to a boate?'The Colonel, looking very sadly, after some pause said, 'Is he well? Is hesafe?'  He said 'Yeas.'  The Colonel replyed, 'God be blessed."

Wilmot toldGounter that the plan when he had left Salisbury was that the king should bebrought to Gounter's house on Wednesday. Gounter was very willing to help, but told Wilmot "for all he lived soneere the sea, yet there was noe man living soe little acquainted with"seafaring men, but he would do all within his power. Interior of Racton House in 1789When he leftWilmot and went to his bedroom, he found that his wife was very suspicious.  She was sure that Wilmot was not the Mr.Barlow he claimed to be, and that his presence surely meant danger.  He tried to reassure her that all was welland she didn't need to worry, but she said "Shee was confident there was morein it then soe, and enough, shee doubted, to ruine him and all his family,' …breaking out into a very great passion of weeping."So, "theColonel … tooke a candle, pretending to goe into the next roome; but privately tomy Lord Wilmot."  He told Wilmot howupset his wife was and asked permission to let her know what was going on.  Wilmot agreed.  Gounter explained the situation and "wiped theteares of his ladyes eyes, whoe, smiling, said 'Goe on, and prosper.  Yet I feare you will hardly doe it.'"

Mrs. Hyde of Heale House
Back at Heale House, Charles was safelyensconced in a hiding hole, and no one but Mrs. Hyde and her sister knew he wasthere.