The Minor Family of Somerset

Samuel was the next son. I can well remember him after he was g
rown up to 19or 20 years of age. He was placed with Robert Hal
l, in Booth Town. Soon after the Civil Wars began betwixt the K
ing and Parliament, insomuch as all trade and business was inter
rupted and laid aside, Lord Fairfax, and Sir Thomashis son, cam
e to Leeds and those parts to list soldiers; my brother Sam wen
t amongst the rest, but he came over to Goodgreave to take h i
s leave of my mother, uncles, and friends. What entreaty and pe
rsuasions there was to keephimat home, but could not prevail
. My mother went along with him a quarter of a mile, and I wit
h her, as children use to do; she besought him with tearsnot t
o go; I remember his words, "Mother," saith he, "Pray be conten
t: ifI stay at home I can follow no "employment, but be force
d to hide myself in one hole or another, "which I cannot endure
; I had rather venture my life in the "field, and, if I die, i
t is in a good cause;" so most honest men thoughtin those times
, when hundreds of Pretestants were daily murdered in Ireland,a
nd fearing the same tragedy would be acted in England; so he wen
t, and waswith my Lord Fairfax, about Selby and Tadcaster, til
l the king's army had overrun Yorkshire, all but Hull.
We being banished into Lancashire, my brother Sam went to keep H
eptonstal (to prevent the king's army at Halifax from entering L
ancashire), under the command of Colonel Bradshaw, a very wise
, valiant, religious commander. I know a man alive at this da
y say, since I began towrite this, he hath heard many a sweet p
rayer from his mouth, int he field amongst the soldiers. Captai
n Helewel and Captain Taylor, of Brighouse, commanded under him
. The occasion of my brother Samuel's death was an act of compa
ssion to the enemy. The king's army from Halifax came against t
he town, and was beaten back, and many slain, and 300 taken pris
oners. Brother Sam, inthe pursuit, saw a wounded man inthe wat
er, ready to be drowned; being an object of pity, he went into t
he water in his boots and drew him out to dry land; be heing o
n guard, or some necessary service, had his wet boots on all nig
ht, got cold, came home, and fell, I think, into a fever, and di
ed in aboutthree weeks after. Divers soldiers came from Hepton
stal to visit him, some of them to us. I sHall not fo
rget how my mother, perceiving his endapproaching, kneeled down
, and all in the house with her, and most affectionatley praye
d for him. Immediately after prayer, he departed this life, i
nthe flower of his age, about 22. He was attended to his grav
e by many friends, then in exile, with the neighbours about us
. His body was interred in theChurch-yard at Rochdale. He wa
s a very portly, desirable you man; curled black hair, and comel
y. His death was a great affliction to my good mother. He died
, I think, in 1642, about one year before my father; so one trou
ble after another fell upon my poor mother like the waves of th
e sea.