William Loremer, January 27th, 1493.

THOMAS WALMESLEY, Resigned 1499.

JOHN MUNFRERE. 1499 to 1507. [Or Nunfrere].

By Thomas

Cornewaille, Kt., lord of Thunnok, on res. of Thomas Walmesley, June 28th, 1499.

THOMAS FRANKS. 1506 to 1511. By Richard Cornwall, armiger, on death of Henry Tomlynson, August 18th, 1506.

WILLIAM PORTING. 1507 to 1543. [Or Pettyng]. By Richard Cornwall, on death of John Munfrere, September 10th, 1507. Died 1543.

HUGH HUDSON. 1511 to 1533. By Richard Cornwaille, armiger, on death of Thomas Franks, April 25th, 1511.

JOHN WORALL. Died 1521.

JOHN THESAMOND. 1521. By Richard Cornewall, armiger, on death of John Worall, Sept. 21st, 1521.

THOMAS TUCKY. 1531 to 1532. By Richard Cornewalle, Kt., Lord of Thunnock, on vacancy, June 13th, 1531.

JOHN APRECE. 1582 to 1538. [Pryce or Ap Rhes.] By Richard Cornwell, Kt., on res. of Thomas Tokey, Jan. 14th, 1532.

THOMAS ATTERTON. 1533. By Richard Cornwell, Kt., on res. of Hugh Hudson, May 17th, 1533.

GEORGE PATIS. 1538. By George Cornewell, armiger, on death of John Ap Rhes, Aug. 20th, 1538.

RICHARD MARSHE. 1543. By Johanna Corwell, widow of Richard Corwell, Kt., on death of William Pekyng, Jan. 28th, 1543.

FAMILY OF TOWERS.

William Nauphan, of Thonock, was succeeded by his son Giles, who was lord of the Manor for a considerable period. In 1575 certain Commissioners were appointed to make a special survey of the Duchy of Lancaster, when it found that Giles Nauphan held the Barony of Thunnock of the Queen, as of her Duchy of

Lancaster, by military service. Lands in Yolthorpe, Southorpe, and Northorpe were included in the Barony, and Giles held also the Manor in Laughton, called the West Hall, of the Duchy by the same service, the other Manor there, called the East Hall, being held by William Dalyson.'

After this the main part of Thonock was sold to William Towers, and the rest to another member of that family, probably John, or perhaps Hugh. In 1587 William Towers and his son were forbidden by the Privy Council to disturb Lord Burgh in possession of his lands at Grainsburrowe, although they were afterwards allowed to keep such of his lands at Gramsborow as they then occupied. The Heralds' Visitation of 1592 shewed that the Towers had resided at Thonock for several generations, perhaps as lesser landowners, and that their arms were: Sable. A Tower triple-towered, Or. William Towers sold his portion of Thonock to William Godfrey, and the other portion passed by the marriage of Mary Towers to Richard Welby of Denton, in whose family it remained for several generations. Eventually, between 1810 and 1850, the Welbys gradually parted with their land, and the lord of the Manor acquired it by purchase.

FAMILY OF GODFREY.

In 1590 William Godfrey purchased the Manor of Richmonds, at Thaxted in Essex, but soon parted with it, probably when he bought Thonock. At his death in 1610, Thonock came to his son Joseph, whose wife, Catharine Willoughby, was a sister of Lady Hickman. Their son William Godfrey succeeded to the property in 1630, and when he died in 1657 left a son William, whose son Joshua removed to Read, near Godalming in Surrey, and sold Thonock to his cousin, Sir Willoughby Hickman, in 1714.

1. Special Commissions, Exchequer Q. R. No. 1288.

2. Acts of the Privy Council.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE NINETEEETH CENTURY.-LATER YEARS OF GEORGE III.THOMAS COOPER.-THOMAS MILLER.-THE MOZLEYS.-ADAM STARK.

R

EADERS of the Waverley Novels are wont to admire the consummate skill with which the writer interweaves and intertwines the different threads of his story; keeping some of them constantly in his hand, and letting others slip from his grasp during several whole chapters, till, when the reader has almost despaired of seeing them again, he dextrously catches them up, and combines them with the other parts, to make the woof and web of his story complete, in one harmonious and beautiful design.

Yet if it were difficult for the experienced hand of Sir Walter Scott thus to bring his delightful stories to perfection, how much more difficult must it be for the historian of a scattered and variously constituted parish to combine the different parts of his story into a readable history? The novelist has at least the advantage of spinning and colouring his own threads, creating his own characters; the historian must take them as he finds them. He cannot invent interesting occurrences. He can only endeavour to invest with an interest of their own such things as did occur.

We have, in this History, gone on the principle of relating things in the main chronologically, mentioning distinguished natives when speaking of the times in which they lived, and tracing families or series of officials from their origin down to the point at which they join in with the main line of the History. It is as though we were describing a river with many tributary streams. The main

stream is traced from its source down to the place where the first tributary falls into it. Then we turn to examine that tributary from its origin to the point of junction, and continuing our main narrative, repeat our wanderings when we meet with the next tributary, thus, with many unavoidable disgressions, approaching gradually nearer to the sea.

But the wide and open valley through which our river, now become a considerable stream, sweeps broadly to the ocean, is covered with villages and towns, each of which demands some notice. Many are the landing stages and the mills upon its banks. Turbulent and discoloured are the waters. The Nineteenth Century was a century of progress and development, and there are many interests to safe-guard. It is by no means easy to tell the story of Gainsburgh during the last hundred years of its eventful life. There are many things to say, and they are hard of utterance. We must crave for indulgence if we omit some important matters, and speak amiss of others.

We shall begin our account of the Nineteenth Century by picturing the life of Gainsburgh during its first twenty years, and shall then tell of the men themselves whose writings enable us to draw that picture. Afterwards we shall try, in somewhat playful fashion, to realise the personality of the more prominent of those who walked our streets during the first half of the century. And before passing into modern times we shall stroll through the town with the Oldest Inhabitant, transferring ourselves in imagination to the Gainsburgh of the early Victorian era.

It will be necessary afterwards to speak of the commercial development of Gainsburgh, on the river and in the factory, to relate the sub-division of the ancient parish, to describe the chief buildings of the town, and to enumerate the various charitable benefactions which it has received.

THE LATER YEARS OF GEORGE III.

"A strange, rambling, twisting, dreamy-looking place." Such was the description given by Thomas Miller of the "Old Town " that was the home of his childhood. Gainsburgh had remained in

outward appearance much the same for a century and a half, except that the growing prosperity of the leading inhabitants had led some of them to build comfortable villas in the direction of Morton, and others to fill their houses in the town with wainscoting and costly furniture, imported from London or abroad.

In the early part of the Nineteenth Century there were large colonies of sailors in the lower parts of the town, living usually in closed yards, and alleys with narrow entrances, so as to avoid the unpleasing attentions of the press-men. Their wives consorted together, attracted by the sympathy which is especially noticeable in those of the poor who have common seasons of anxiety, and by the friendship of their husbands, who often had berths in the same ships. Their children went to the Charity Schools, and played old-fashioned games, such as "the Snake's March," and “ Dan on the Sack," in which, as Miller believed, the Danish Viking defended himself against his Saxon foes.

Market Days were the excitement of the week, and the Butter Market was the great centre of country courtships, for there might be seen the handsome farmers' daughters, in their riding hats, veils, and habits, standing in long rows to sell their fragrant butter. Fish, too, was sold in the Market, haddock, hake, halibut. eels, large numbers of crabs, and sometimes Trent salmon. There was meat to be had, of course, but the sheep were large and woolly, and mutton was dear. The beef was coarse, and often tasted of oil-cake, so that many people preferred "hollow-fowl," by which they understood poultry, ducks, or rabbits, the last being plentiful enough, though they had been scarce in the Fourteenth Century. Immense quantities of cheese were sold, and the flesh of "the poor man's friend that pays the rint" was, as now, a favourite food of all classes, for what would a knife and fork tea be like without its plates of fat ham?

The Wharfs along Trent side were a busy scene in those times. It is difficult in these days of express trains, when a theatrical company can appear upon the boards six nights in the week in London, and the seventh night in Paris, to realise what an immense impetus to internal trade was given by the development of canal and river navigation that took place in the latter part of