31 



By the Rev. Edwaed Peacock, M.A. 



/ Read before the Society at Trowbridge, August 7th, 1872, 



^UR Excursion to-morrow leads us through a large portion of 

 the parish of North Bradley, and my only excuse for 

 a^earing before you this evening, is, that, as I live in that parish, 

 your Secretary has requested me to say a few words about some of 

 the places we hope to visit. In what 1 am about to say, there will 

 be but little that is original, but will consist chiefly of extracts from 

 Leland's Itinerary, Aubrey, and Canon Jackson on that writer. I feel 

 sure that none, who belong to our Association, can see houses of 

 historical note passing away without regret— though such is a 

 matter of daily occurrence. When very young, I was witness to 

 the destruction of the house at East Stower, in Dorsetshire, where 

 Henry Fielding — the Novelist — in less than three years, ran through 

 his wife's (Miss Craddock of Salisbury) fortune, as well as the £200 

 a year which he had lately inherited at the death of his mother. 

 Probably there are but few remaining,'besides myself, who have a 

 recollection of the very picturesque old house which once occupied 

 the site of the very ordinary and ugly farm-house which stands close 

 to East Stower Church. 



North Bradley can boast of at least two old houses to which 

 some historical interest is attached. The first we shall come to 

 in our excursion to-morrow is Southwick Court, which we shall find 

 on the left hand side of the road leading from Trowbridge to Frome, 

 soon after we have passed Studley Church. 



Aubrey speaks of the Mortuary Chapel of the Stafi'ords of 

 Southwick Court in North Bradley Church : he also gives a sketch 

 of the house, which he must have seen some two hundred years ago, 

 and which can easily be recognized from its faithful likeness to the 

 house even yet. 



