Henry Machyn's Diary. 28 Jan 1557. The xxviij day of January was had to the Towre [Map] my lorde Sturton (age 37) for murder of ij gentyllmen, the father and the sune and ere [heir], master Argylles[Hartgill] and ys sune, the wyche was shamfully murdered in ys own plasse.

Note. P. 125. Lord Stourton's murder of the Hartgills. Some account of this tragedy will be found in Holinshed, Stowe, Strype, and the other historians of the period: but Sir R. C. Hoare, in his History of Modern Wiltshire (Hundred of Mere, pp. 152–157) has collected at considerable length the particulars preserved of it—the first page and a half derived from various passages of our own diarist, but the narrative of the crime itself from an authentic MS. of the time. Some years before, lord Stourton's arbitrary violence had attracted the censure of the privy council: see its minutes under July 17, 21, 28, 1551. (MS. Harl. 353.)

On 28 Feb 1557 Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton (age 37) was tried for the murder of [his father] William Hartgill and his son John Hartgill.