The women
were in the majority, most of them hale and hearty, the wives and
daughters of laborers who were too busy to come in person. Nine sacks,
each containing fifty gallons of flour, were emptied by two sturdy
miller's men into an immense tub. The family being an old Roman
Catholic one, a religious ceremony was the prelude of the
distribution. The domestic chaplain offered up a short prayer, and
after invoking the blessing of Heaven on the gift, sprinkled the flour
with holy water in the form of a cross. It was no uncommon thing for
one person to carry away three or four gallons of flour: the largest
award was in the case of a family consisting of man, wife and seven
children, the wife carrying away with her five and a half gallons.
Many of those whose names appeared as witnesses for the defence during
the memorable trial were present--John Etheridge, the blacksmith, and
Kennett, coachman to the dowager Lady Tichborne, among the number. The
latter lives in a small freehold cottage, his own property, at
Cheriton, the next parish to Tichborne. Persons of all denominations
were relieved--Church people, Dissenters and Roman Catholics
alike--without the slightest favoritism being shown to any.
The same kind of charity, though on a smaller scale, and by the custom
of living patrons instead of the will of deceased ones, is dispensed
at various times in the year through the whole country by both large
and small landed proprietors.
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