acres now Captain Clutterbuck's. The feeding was common to the Abbey tenants, and they also had certain parcels of land in the Westfield then unenclosed, between Kington and Draycote. The new owner wishing to enlarge his prospect and grounds shut them out of the Park and took away their Westfield allotments. "So," says Aubrey, "heretofore they had been able to keep a whole plough, but since, having only work enough for half a plough, they lived poorly and needily:" and probably wished the Abbot back again. The first of this Kington family of Snell came from Biddestone, having married a Keynell, of an ancient house from which Yatton takes its name. After the step from Steward to Landlord, they were returned to Parliament, married well, and were Knighted. Nicholas the purchaser, was Sheriff of Wilts 1565: M.P. for Chippenham 1555, for the County 1557, and for Malmsbury 1570. He rebuilt the Court-house at Kington, which still remains, in a decayed condition, but presenting at the back (which was formerly the front) some architectural features not without elegance, in the Italian style then newly in fashion. Over the entrance on a stone shield is a cross flory, the arms of his family. His grandson Sir Thomas Snell married a daughter of Sir Robert Long of Draycote. He was in the Navy, "a good astrologer," says Aubrey emphatically, "and a Captain in the Iceland voyage." He died 1612. His only son and successor Sir Charles Snell was one of the early associates of Sir Walter Raleigh: but on what sort of footing, and for what particular object, (not very creditable to so eminent a name,) we are informed by the same authority. "Sir Walter's companions in his youth were boisterous blades, but generally those

The west front is sur1 The House is now the property of Mr. Coleman. mounted by a very large carving in stone six foot high, representing birds eating out of a basket on a human head. Perhaps an allusion to the dream of Pharoah's butler, (Gen. xl. 17.) previous to his "head being lifted up from off him," and applicable here to the then recent and similar fate of Mr. Snell's predecessor and late master, Abbot Whiting. It was at this house Aubrey saw one of his wonders. "Having spoken of mists it brings to my recollection that in December, 1653. being at night in the Court of Sir Charles Snell's house at Kington St. Michael, there being a very thick mist, we saw our shadow on the , as on a wall, by the light of the lanterns, about 30 or 40 foot distance or Nat. Hist. of Wilts, p. 15.

wit, except otherwise upon designe to gett them engaged as for instance Sir Charles Snell of Kington St. Michael, 1 Wilts, my good neighbour, an honest young gentleman, t a perpetual sott. Sir W. engaged him to build a ship (The Gabriel) for the designe for Guiana, wh cost him the of Yatton Keynell, the Farme at Easton Piers, Thornhill e Church Lease of Bps. Canning, wh ship upon Sir Walter's der was forfeited." Sir Charles was further "famous for g till the Civil Wars as good hounds for the hare as any were ngland for handsomeness and mouth (deep-mouthed) and ness, and suited one another admirably well.”2 He was the

male owner and died unmarried and intestate in 1651. Upon death the Manor of Kington descended to his three sisters and s-at-law, or their representatives. A partition was made in

-6.

The three sisters were Mrs. Penelope Newman, Mrs. Bara Stokes, and Mrs. N. Gastrell.

The eldest, Penelope, having died in her brother's lifetime, the presentatives claiming her third at the partition, were the families Sadler, Coleman, and Edward Stokes. The Sadler's share, lying Allington and Peckingell, is now the property of their descendant de Rev. Isaac Sadler Gale. Mr. Walter Coleman of Langley, inerits his ancestor's portion.

was

The second sister Barbara, wife of Charles Stokes, also died in her brother Sir Charles's lifetime. In 1679 this undivided one third was sold by her grandson John Stokes for £5500, to the Trustees of the marriage of John Lawford, Esq., of Stapleton, Co. Glouc., and his wife Jane, daughter of Sir William Duckett. In 1713 it again sold, to Mr. Ayliffe White, of a family fomerly of Langley Burrell and Grittleton. His grandson (of the same names,) dying in 1826, his estate was purchased by Mr. R. H. Gaby, Mr. N. Atherton, and Mr. W. Whitworth. Mr. Atherton's house and lands were again sold (1856) to Captain Hugh Clutterbuck, second son of the late Thomas Clutterbuck of Hardenhuish, who now resides at Kington. The Lodge farm, late Mr. Whitworth's, has

1 Lives of Eminent Men, II. 514.

2 N. H. of Wilts, p. 60.

descended (1857) to his son-in-law, William Peel, Esq., of Swindon Lodge, near Manchester.

The youngest of Sir Charles Snell's sisters, Mary the wife of Nicholas Gastrell, was living at the time of the partition in 1656. Her third share descended entire to her great grandson Jonathan Power, Esq., of Kington St. Michael, who died unmarried in 1748. Mr. Power's estate was apportioned under an Act of Parliament in 1783 amongst his four sisters. Haywood farm, the share of his eldest sister Margaret (wife of Wm. Clifford), is now the property of her descendants the Misses Mascall of Allington. The share of his second sister Elizabeth, Mrs. Gilpin, has since passed into various hands. The share of his third sister Rebecca wife of John Knott, was purchased by the late Joseph Neeld Esq., of Grittleton. And that of the fourth sister, Mrs. Sarah Coleman, including the old Grange or Manor House north of the Church, now forms a further part of the property of Mr. Walter Coleman of Kington Langley.

All the above were included in the estate formerly belonging to Glastonbury Abbey. The House in which Captain Clutterbuck lives is said by a doubtful tradition to have been a summer residence of the Abbot: and the hill near it, south of the Church, is still called "the Tor Hill," after the more celebrated one of that name at Glastonbury.

SWINLEY. (Swine-lea.)

Is a Farm on the N.E. side of the parish, divided from Stanton St. Quintin's by a grassy hollow called Stanton Dene, along which runs the boundary brook. It was held under Glastonbury by the Fitzurse family. A William Westbury, Hen. VI., had land here as also at a neighbouring farm called Whitman's (now Whitelands). Some Estcourts "of Swinley" were buried in Kington Church, 1706. The property was purchased by the late Mr. Neeld of Grittleton.

MORESHALL.

A smaller farm than the last, between Swinley and Leigh Delamere probably takes its name from some ancient owner. An