OF FATALITIES OF FAMILIES AND PLACES.
[NEARLY the whole of this chapter, with some additions, is included
under the head of “Local Fatality” in Aubrey’s Miscellanies. 12mo.
1696.—J. B.]
“Omnium rerum est vicissitudo”. Families, and also places, have their
fatalities,
“Fors sua cuiq’ loco est.” OVID, PAST. lib. iv.
This verse putts me in mind of severall places in this countie that are
or have been fortunate to their owners, or e contra.
The Gawens of Norrington, in the parish of Alvideston, continued in
this place four hundred fifty and odd yeares. They had also an estate
in Broad Chalke, which was, perhaps, of as great antiquity. On the
south downe of the farme of Broad Chalke is a little barrow called
Gawen’s-barrow, which must bee before ecclesiastical lawes were
established. [Aubrey quotes a few lines from the “Squire’s Tale” in
Chaucer, where Gawain, nephew to King Arthur, is alluded to.—J. B.]
The Scropes of Castle-Comb have been there ever since the time of King
Richard the Second. The Lord Chancellor Scrope gave this mannour to his
third son; they have continued there ever since, and enjoy the old land
(about 800li per annum), and the estate is neither augmented nor
diminished all this time, neither doth the family spred.
The Powers of Stanton St. Quintin had that farme in lease about three
hundred yeares. It did belong to the abbey of Cyrencester.
The Lytes had Easton Piers in lease and in inheritance 249 yeares; sc.
from Henry 6th. About 1572 Mr. Th. Lyte, my mother’s grandfather,
purchased the inheritance of the greatest part of this place, a part
whereof descended to me by my mother Debora, the daughter and heire of
Mr. Isaac Lyte. I sold it in 1669 to Francis Hill, who sold it to Mr.
Sherwin, who hath left it to a daughter and heir. Thos. Lyte’s father
had 800li. per annum in leases: viz. all Easton, except Cromwell’s farm
(20li), and the farmes of Dedmerton and Sopworth.
The Longs are now the most flourishing and numerous family in this
county, and next to them the Ashes; but the latter are strangers, and
came in but about 1642, or since.
Contrarywise there are severall places unlucky to the possessors.
Easton Piers hath had six owners since the reigne of Henry 7th, where I
myself had a share to act my part; and one part of it called Lyte’s
Kitchin hath been sold four times over since 1630.
’Tis certain that there are some houses lucky and some that are
unlucky; e.g. a handsome brick house on the south side of Clarkenwell
churchyard hath been so unlucky for at least these forty yeares that it
is seldom tenanted; nobody at last would adventure to take it. Also a
handsome house in Holbourne that looked into the fields, the tenants of
it did not prosper; about six, one after another.