Stourton, (the seat of the Lord Stourton) was belonging to this family before the conquest. They say, that after the victory at Battaile, William the Conqueror came in person into the west, to receive their rendition; that the Lord Abbot of Glastonbury, and the rest of the Lords and Grandees of the western parts waited upon the Conqueror at Stourton-house; where the family continue to this day.

The honourable family of the Hungerfords, is probably of as great antiquity as any in the county of Wilts. Hungerford, (the place of the barony) was sold but lately by Sir Edward Hungerford, Knight of the Bath; as also the noble and ancient seat of Farleigh-Castle, about anno 167. But that this estate should so long continue is not very strange; for it being so vast, 'twas able to make several with-standings against the shock of fortune.

The family of Gawen, have been long at Norington, in the parish of Alvideston in Wiltshire. It was sold by Gawen, Esq. to Sir Wadham Wyndham, one of the Judges of the King's Bench, about 1665. They continued in this place four hundred fifty and odd years. Then also was sold their estate in Broad-Chalk, which they had as long, or perhaps longer. On the south down of the farm of Broad-Chalk, is a little barrow, called Gawen's Barrow (which must be before ecclesiastical canons were constituted; for since, burials are only in consecrated ground). King Edgar gave the manor and farm of Broad-Chalk to the nuns of Wilton-Abby, which is 900 years ago.

Mr. Thynne, in his explanation of the hard words in Chaucer, writes thus, Gawen, fol. 23, p. 1. This Gawyn was sisters son to Arthur the Great, King of the Britains, a famous man in war, and in all manner of civility; as in the acts of the Britains we may read. In the year 1082, in a province of Wales, called Rose, was his sepulchre found. Chaucer, in the Squire's Tale.

This straunger night that came thus sodenly
All armed, save his head, full royally
Salued the King, and Queen, and Lordes all
By order as they sitten in the Hall
With so high Reverence and Obeisaunce
As well in Speech as in Countenaunce,
That Gawain with his old Courtesie,
Though he came again out of Fairie,
He could him not amend of no word.

Sir William Button of Tockenham, Baronet, (the father) told me that his ancestors had the lease of Alton-farm (4001. per annum) in Wilts, (which anciently belonged to Hyde-Abby juxta Winton) four hundred years. Sir William's lease expired about 1652, and so fell into the hands of the Earl of Pembroke.

Clavel, of Smedmore, in the Isle of Purbec, in the county of Dorset, was in that place before the conquest, as appears by Dooms-day book. The like is said of Hampden, of Hampden in Bucks: their pedigree says, that one of that family had the conduct of that county in two invasions

of the Danes. Also Pen of Pen, in that county, was before the conquest, as by Dooms-day book.

Contrariwise, there are several places unlucky to their possessors, e. g. Charter-house, on Mendip in Somersetshire, never passed yet to the third generation. The manor of Butleigh near Glastonbury, never went yet to the third generation.

Bletchington, in Oxfordshire, continued in the family of the Panures, for about 300 years: it was alienated by Panure, to Sir John Lenthal, about the year 1630, who sold it again to Sir Thomas Coghill, about 1635. He sold it to William Lewis, Esq. whose relict made it over to the Duke of Richmond and Lenox, about the year 166. His Grace sold it to Arthur, Earl of Anglesey, about the year 166.

Fatality of proper names of Princes, e. g. Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, and Augustulus the last. Constantine, the first Grecian Emperor, and Constantine the last. The like is observed of the first and last Mexican Emperors. And the Turks have a prophesy that the last Emperor will be a Mahomet.

John hath been an unfortunate name to Kings. All the second Kings since the conquest have been unfortunate.

London-Derry was the first town in Ireland that declared for the Parliament against King Charles I. and for

the Prince of Orange against King James II. It was closely besieged both times without effect. The King's party were once masters of all the kingdom, except London-Derry and Dublin, and King James had all in his power but London-Derry and Inniskilling. One Taylor, a minister, was as famous for his martial feats in the first siege, as Walker in the last.

'Tis certain, that there are some houses unlucky to their inhabitants, which the reverend and pious Dr. Nepier could acknowledge. See Tobit, chap. 3, v. 8. "That she "had been married to seven husbands, whom Asmodæus, "the evil spirit, had killed, before they had lain with her."

The Fleece-tavern, in Covent-garden, (in York-street) was very unfortunate for Homicides:* there have been several killed, three in my time. It is now (1692) a private house.

A handsome brick house on the south side of Clerkenwell church-yard had been so unlucky for at least forty years, that it was seldom tenanted; and at last, no body would adventure to take it. Also a handsome house in Holborn, that looked towards the fields; the tenants of it did not prosper, several, about six.

At the sign of

over against Northumberland house,

* "Clifton the master of the house, hanged himself, having perjured himself." MS. Note in a copy of the Miscellanies in the Library of the Royal Society.

near Charing-Cross, died the Lady Baynton, (eldest daughter of Sir John Danvers of Dansey.) Some years after in the same house, died my Lady Hobbey (her sister) of the small-pox, and about twenty years after, died their nephew Henry Danvers, Esq. of the small-pox, aged twenty-one, wanting two weeks. He was nephew and heir to the Right Honourable Henry Danvers, Earl of Danby.

Edmund Wild, Esq. hath had more Deodands from his manor of Totham in Essex, than from all his estate besides : two mischiefs happened in one ground there.

Disinheriting the eldest son is forbid in the holy scripture, and estates disinherited are observed to be unfortunate; of which one might make a large catalogue. See Dr. Saunderson's Sermon, where he discourses of this subject.

Periodical Small-Poxes.

The small-pox is usually in all great towns:* but it is observed at Taunton in Somersetshire, and at Sherborne in Dorsetshire, that at one of them at every seventh year, and at the other at every ninth year comes a small-pox, which the physicians cannot master, e. g.

Small-pox in Sherborne † during the year 1626.

* This account I had from Mr. Thomas Ax.
+ Extracted out of the register-book.