302 President's Address. 
Trowbridge, we ought to see Great Chalfield. It is interesting as 
having been an outpost of the Romans, and for the remains of a fine 
Manor House of the 15th century. The best description of this 
building is to be found in Walker’s vol. iii. of “ Pugin’s Examples 
of Gothie Architecture.” It is said to have been built by Thomas 
Tropenell, who died in 1490, and who, with Agnes his wife, who 
was the daughter of Wm. Ludlow of Hill Deverill, lies buried under 
an altar tomb in Corsham Church. Chalfield is mentioned in 
Domesday Book under the name of Caldefelle, and was held by 
Ernulf de Hesding of the king. The manor of Great Chalfield was held 
by Sir William Rous of the Earl of Salisbury as part of the “ honour” 
of Trowbridge (which belonged to the Duchy of Lancaster). By 
virtue of this manor Rous and the Lords of Chalfield, for the time 
being, were Constables of Trowbridge Castle. Great Chalfield 
was in the possession of the Norman family of Perey, but a 
certain Constance Perey described in the old MS. as “Bedfellow 
and Cousin” of Master Robert Wayville, Bishop of Salisbury, 
and afterwards widow of Sir Henry Percy, did marry a second 
husband, and prove “ very naughty,” and an expensive lawsuit arose 
about the Manor of Chalfield; but at length, about the 24th year 
of Henry VI., Thomas Tropenell, who was connected by marriage 
with the Pereys, recovered the greater part, and afterwards the 
whole, except the constableship of Trowbridge Castle, which of right 
belonged to the Manor. Im the time of Edward III., Philip 
Fitzwaryn held the “Manor, which successively passed from the 
Tropenells through the want of male heirs to the family of Eyre, 
and to Sir John Hanham, by whom it was sold to Mr. Hall. A 
daughter of Mr. Hall brought the property to the last Duke of 
Kingston, who sold it to the family of Neale, descendants of the 
O’Neals, Dukes of Tyrone, Ireland. The church of Chalfield would 
appear to be even older than the manor house. In it is a beautiful 
chantry chapel built by Mr. Thomas Tropenell and adorned with the 
arms of his family, shewing his descent from the Pereys. Near 
Holt we see, on a grassy hill overlooking the river, the little church 
of Whaddon, which contains some interesting memorials of the 
Long family. At Whaddon there formerly stood a fine manor-house 
