Antiquities of the city of Exeter collected by Richard Izacke ...

Regna Regum 27. Q. Elizabeth. An. D. 1585.

Mayors and Bayliffs

• Nicholas Martin
  • Thomas Chappell
  • William Spicer.
  • Gilbert Smith
  • Richard Pery.

At Lent Assizes held at the Castle of Exe∣ter, there were certain Prisoners arraigned before Serjeant Flowerdby (one of the Judges of Assizes for this Western Circuit) when suddenly there arose such a noisom smell from the Bar, as that a great number of the people then present were therewith infected, whereof in a very short space thereafter died the said Judge, Sir John

Chichester, Sir Arthur Basset, and Sir Bernard Drake Knights, Robert Cary, and Thomas Risdon Esquires, Justices of the Peace, and then sitting on the Bench, and eleven of the Jury impannelled and sworn for the Trial of the said Prisoners at the Bar, and the Twelfth man only escaped; The cause of the sickness was said to be thus, Sir Bernard Drake having been at Sea, took a Portugal Ship which had there hovered up and down a long season, inso∣much, that the Merchants and Mariners therein by diseases (chiefly occasioned through want of Victuals and Necessaries) were all worn out, These men he brought into Dartmouth; and caused them to be sent to the Gaol near Exeter Castle, with which contagious disease all persons therein were soon infected, (and most of them died) and no less both City and Coun∣trey.