. ▁A ▁small ▁Royal ist ▁force ▁was ▁quarter ed ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁when ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁December ▁ 1 6 4 3 ▁they ▁were ▁surprised ▁by ▁a ▁Parliament ary ▁army ▁of ▁around ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁men . ▁The ▁Royal ist ▁caval ry ▁fled , ▁leaving ▁Sir ▁Richard ▁Bol le ▁( or ▁B oles ) ▁and ▁his ▁inf antry ▁to ▁fight . ▁Out number ed , ▁the ▁Royal ists ▁were ▁forced ▁into ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁St ▁Lawrence , ▁where ▁Bol le ▁was ▁killed ▁along ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁men . ▁Over ▁ 7 0 0 ▁Royal ist ▁soldiers ▁were ▁captured ▁and ▁bullet ▁holes ▁from ▁the ▁battle ▁are ▁still ▁visible ▁in ▁the ▁church ▁today . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 6 5 , ▁Al ton ▁suffered ▁an ▁out break ▁of ▁b ub onic ▁pl ague , ▁but ▁soon ▁recovered . ▁On ▁Saturday , ▁ 2 4 ▁August ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁an ▁eight - year - old ▁girl , ▁F anny ▁Adams , ▁was ▁murder ed ▁in ▁Al ton . ▁Her ▁ass ail ant , ▁Frederick ▁Baker , ▁a ▁local ▁solic itor ' s ▁cl erk , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁crim inals ▁to ▁be ▁executed ▁in ▁Win chester . ▁F anny ▁Adams ' ▁grave ▁can ▁still ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁Al ton ▁c emetery . ▁The ▁brut al ▁murder , ▁so ▁the ▁story ▁goes , ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁t inned ▁meat ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy , ▁and ▁the ▁sail ors ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁like ▁the