<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div id="yiv590258813"><div><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt;"><div id="yiv590258813"><div id="yiv590258813yui_3_2_0_18_134194936450253"><div id="yiv590258813yui_3_2_0_18_134194936450254" class="yiv590258813yui_3_2_0_18_134194936450248" style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt;"><div id="yiv590258813yui_3_2_0_18_134194922429340">John Camp's posting on Tuesday 10 July 2012 at 18.18 is fascinating and perhaps Dr William Poole can establish if there was a link between Elias Ashmole and William, the Second Lord Brereton. They were both Loyalists, lawyers and were both under siege in Biddulph Hall during the civil war. It is possible that the "Loyal Youths" were College Youths who
were established in 1637.<br>I wrote an article for 'The Ringing World' of 15/1/2010 and enclose a relevant extract from that article.<br><br><br>"Bellringers and freemasons have mingled together over many centuries and
indeed many ringers have become freemasons. An example of this mixing
occurred during the civil war when in 1643 a well known ringer and
Royalist of his day, William, the Second Lord Brereton, fled with his
family to the garrisoned Biddulph Hall, Staffordshire following his
defeat at the battle of Nantwich. Also holed up in Biddulph Hall was a
budding young lawyer and fellow Royalist Elias Ashmole (born Lichfield
1617) who later became the most well known freemason of all. Biddulph
Hall was thought to be a centre for freemasons in those days. The Hall
was under siege from the Parliamentarian forces led by Lord Brereton’s
cousin Sir William Brereton of the Malpas family line. The siege lasted
some three months before the Parliamentarian forces brought up ‘Roaring
Meg’ a mighty cannon from Stafford that reduced the Hall to ruins and
brought about the surrender of the Royalists. The holes made by this
huge cannon can be seen to this day punched into the walls of the ruined
Hall. <span id="yiv590258813yui_3_2_0_18_134194936450261"></span><span>"</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>