Vol 3 - Lackham Countryside Centre

The Manor of Lackham Vol 3 : The Montagu family
family. He believed that his wife and children were acting against him. In
a letter to his Wiltshire lawyer, 193 Thomas Michell, 194 he talks about
the plot of my children, my wife joining with old Snell and Sir
John, [which] keeps me hence [in the King’s Bench]
In his reply Michell assures James that although
you have been further informed that your noble Lady and
most worthy children hath joined with your enemies to bar you
of your liberties
Michell is emphatic that this is not the case and seeks to assure James
that Mary was
always ready to do you all the honour that possibly she could.
And as for your four eldest sons they are gentlemen that are
endowed with many virtues, and by the sweetness of their
dispositions have won the hearts of all that know them 195
which only says they were popular. Michell doesn’t say they haven’t
been involved, that is certainly the sense he is giving but the words do
not actually say so.
James had hopes of being released in the near future – he mentions
that
193 James Waylin’s note to accompany the letters above when he sent the copies to
Cunnington in 1834
194 WANHS copy of WAM III Devizes Museum, copy of a letter to Mr Michell, dated
18 th August 1664 interleaved between pp90-91 This letter, and Michell’s reply, are
presented in full in Appendix 1
195 From A true copy of a letter sent to Mr Jas Montagu, senior, in answer to his, when
he was in the Kings Bench Prison interleaved in WANHS copy WAM III ibid
52