HINDLIP HALL
The capture of Father Garnet and "Little John" with two others,
Hall and Chambers, at Hindlip, as detailed in a curious manuscript
in the British Museum, gives us an insight into the search-proof
merits of Abingdon's mansion. The document is headed: "_A true
discovery of the service performed at Hindlip, the house of Mr.
Thomas Abbingdon, for the apprehension of Mr. Henry Garnet, alias
Wolley, provincial of the Jesuits, and other dangerous persons,
there found in January last,_ 1605," and runs on:--
"After the king's royal promise of bountiful reward to such as
would apprehend the traitors concerned in the Powder Conspiracy,
and much expectation of subject-like duty, but no return made
thereof in so important a matter, a warrant was directed to the
right worthy and worshipful knight, Sir Henry Bromlie; and the
proclamation delivered therewith, describing the features and
shapes of the men, for the better discovering them. He, not
neglecting so a weighty a business, horsing himself with a seemly
troop of his own attendants, and calling to his assistance so
many as in discretion was thought meet, having likewise in his
company Sir Edward Bromlie, on Monday, Jan. 20 last, by break
of day, did engirt and round beat the house of Mayster Thomas
Abbingdon, at Hindlip, near Worcester. Mr. Abbingdon, not being
then at home, but ridden abroad about some occasions best known
to himself; the house being goodlie, and of great receipt, it
required the more diligent labour and pains in the searching.
It appeared there was no want; and Mr. Abbingdon himself coming
home that night, the commission and proclamation being shown unto
him, he denied any such men to be in his house, and voluntarily
to die at his own gate, if any such were to be found in his house,
or in that shire. But this liberal or rather rash speech could
not cause the search so slightly to be given over; the cause
enforced more respect than words of that or any such like nature;
and proceeding on according to the trust reposed in him in the
gallery over the gate there were found two cunning and very
artificial conveyances in the main brick-wall, so ingeniously
framed, and with such art, as it cost much labour ere they could
be found. Three other secret places, contrived by no less skill
and industry, were found in and about the chimneys, in one whereof
two of the traitors were close concealed. These chimney-conveyances
being so strangely formed, having the entrances into them so
curiously covered over with brick, mortared and made fast to
planks of wood, and coloured black, like the other parts of the
chimney, that very diligent inquisition might well have passed
by, without throwing the least suspicion upon such unsuspicious
places. And whereas divers funnels are usually made to chimneys
according as they are combined together, and serve for necessary
use in several rooms, so here were some that exceeded common
expectation, seeming outwardly fit for carrying forth smoke;
but being further examined and seen into, their service was to
no such purpose but only to lend air and light downward into
the concealments, where such as were concealed in them, at any
time should be hidden. Eleven secret corners and conveyances
were found in the said house, all of them having books, Massing
stuff, and Popish trumpery in them, only two excepted, which
appeared to have been found on former searches, and therefore
had now the less credit given to them; but Mayster Abbingdon
would take no knowledge of any of these places, nor that the
books, or Massing stuff, were any of his, until at length the
deeds of his lands being found in one of them, whose custody
doubtless he would not commit to any place of neglect, or where
he should have no intelligence of them, whereto he could [not]
then devise any sufficient excuse.
[Illustration: HINDLIP HALL, WORCESTERSHIRE]
Three days had been wholly spent, and no man found there all
this while; but upon the fourth day, in the morning, from behind
the wainscot in the galleries, came forth two men of their own
voluntary accord, as being no longer able there to conceal
themselves; for they confessed that they had but one apple between
them, which was all the sustenance they had received during the
time they were thus hidden. One of them was named Owen, who
afterwards murdered himself in the Tower; and the other Chambers;
but they would take no other knowledge of any other men's being
in the house. On the eighth day the before-mentioned place in
the chimney was found, according as they had all been at several
times, one after another, though before set down together, for
expressing the just number of them.
"Forth of this secret and most cunning conveyance came Henry
Garnet, the Jesuit, sought for, and another with him, named Hall;
marmalade and other sweetmeats were found there lying by them;
but their better maintenance had been by a quill or reed, through
a little hole in the chimney that backed another chimney into
the gentlewoman's chamber; and by that passage candles, broths,
and warm drinks had been conveyed in unto them.
"Now in regard the place was in so close... and did much annoy
them that made entrance in upon them, to whom they confessed
that they had not been able to hold out one whole day longer,
but either they must have squeeled, or perished in the place.
The whole service endured the space of eleven nights and twelve
days, and no more persons being there found, in company with
Mayster Abbingdon himself, Garnet, Hill [Hall], Owen, and Chambers,
were brought up to London to understand further of his highness's
pleasure."
That the Government had good grounds for suspecting Hindlip and
its numerous hiding-places may be gathered from the official
instructions the Worcestershire Justice of the Peace and his
search-party had to follow. The wainscoting in the east part of
the parlour and in the dining-room, being suspected of screening
"a vault" or passage, was to be removed, the walls and floors
were to be pierced in all directions, comparative measurements
were to be taken between the upper and the lower rooms, and in
particular the chimneys, and the roof had to be minutely examined and
measurements taken, which might bring to light some unaccounted-for
space that had been turned to good account by the unfortunate
inventor, who was eventually starved out of one of his clever
contrivances.
Only shortly before Owen had had a very narrow escape at Stoke
Poges while engaged in constructing "priests' holes" at the Manor
House. The secluded position of this building adapted it for
the purpose for which a Roman Catholic zealot had taken it. But
this was not the only advantage. The walls were of vast thickness
and offered every facility for turning them to account. While
"Little John" was busily engaged burrowing into the masonry the
dreaded "pursuivants" arrived; but somehow or other he slipped
between their fingers and got away under cover of the surrounding
woods.
The wing of this old mansion which has survived to see the twentieth
century witnessed many strange events. It has welcomed good Queen
Bess, guarded the Martyr King, and refused admittance to Dutch
William. A couple of centuries after it had sheltered hunted
Jesuits, a descendant of William Penn became possessed of it,
and cleared away many of the massive walls, in some of which--who
can tell?--were locked up secrets that the rack failed to
reveal--secrets by which Owen "murdered himself" in the Tower!
One of the hiding-places at Hindlip, it will be remembered, could
be supplied with broth, wine, or any liquid nourishment through
a small aperture in the wall of the adjoining room. A very good
example of such an arrangement may still be seen at Irnham Hall, in
Lincolnshire.[1] A large hiding-place could thus be accommodated,
but detection of the narrow iron tube by which the imprisoned
fugitive could be kept alive was practically impossible. A solid
oak beam, forming a step between two bedrooms, concealed a panel
into which the tube was cunningly fitted and the step was so
arranged that it could be removed and replaced with the greatest
ease.[2]
[Footnote 1: The fire which destroyed a wing of Irnham Hall a
few years ago fortunately did not touch that part of the building
containing a hiding-place.]
[Footnote 2: Harvington Hall, mentioned hereafter, has a contrivance
of this kind.]
The hiding-place at Irnham (which measures eight feet by five,
and about five feet six inches in height) was discovered by a
tell-tale chimney that was not in the least blackened by soot
or smoke. This originally gave the clue to the secret, and when
the shaft of the chimney was examined, it was found to lead direct
to the priest's hole, to which it afforded air and light.
Had not the particular hiding-place in which Garnet and his
companions sought shelter been discovered, they could well have
held out the twelve days' search. As a rule, a small stock of
provisions was kept in these places, as the visits of the search
parties were necessarily very sudden and unexpected. The way down
into these hidden quarters was from the floor above, through
the hearth of a fireplace, which could be raised an lowered like
a trap-door.[1]
[Footnote 1: See Fowlis's _Romish Treasons._]
In a letter from Garnet to Ann Vaux, preserved in the Record
Office, he thus describes his precarious situation: "After we
had been in the hoale seven days and seven nights and some odd
hours, every man may well think we were well wearyed, and indeed
so it was, for we generally satte, save that some times we could
half stretch ourselves, the place not being high eno', and we had
our legges so straitened that we could not, sitting, find place
for them, so that we both were in continuous paine of our legges,
and both our legges, especially mine, were much swollen. We were
very merry and content within, and heard the searchers every day
most curious over us, which made me indeed think the place would
be found. When we came forth we appeared like ghosts."[2]
[Footnote 2: _State Papers_, Domestic (James I.).]
There is an old timber-framed cottage near the modern mansion
of Hindlip which is said to have had its share in sheltering the
plotters. A room is pointed out where Digby and Catesby concealed
themselves, and from one of the chimneys at some time or another
a priest was captured and led to execution.