Owners or Tenants in the Fifteenth Century. 26U 



it was probably the work of either Bishop Wyvill or Bishop Erghum, 

 unless indeed the Earl of Salisbury or Sir Thomas Hungerford 

 helped them. It is to be hoped they did, for the two Bishops must 

 have had quite enough on their hands in "crenellating" their 

 mansions. 



Anyhow there is in the Tower of the Church what may fairly be 

 deemed a memorial of this century in a very ancient bell, which has 

 an inscription round it that hitherto has puzzled every one. A 

 copy of this inscription will be found at the foot of an engraving 

 of the ancient Pont. The bell itself is the second in the peal, 

 and would weigh about 8 cwt. Mr. Lukis considers that it may 

 be of the date of about A.D. 1400. The inscription looks very 

 like a foreign one. It is just ^possible conjecture that it may have 

 been the gift of Bishop Erghum, who was, I have already intimated, 

 himself a foreigner and was consecrated at Bruges by Archbishop 

 Sudbury and two French Bishops. If so, it is possible that the 

 supposed elevation of the Tower at this period was for the purpose of 

 receiving this bell. 



(A.D. 1400-1500.) — During the fifteenth century we meet with " 

 several well-known names as those of holders of estates in Potterne. 

 In 1407, John Lovell died possessed of lands in Poulshot, Marston 

 and Potterne. Then we have various members in succession of the 

 families of Stourton and Frampton. And in 1449 ihe In/iuisitiones 

 post mortem record the decease of Wm. Ryngebourne, described as 

 " Armiger " (esquire) a title then but charily given, who took his 

 name from Ryno-ebourne (now called Rangebourne Mill) which he 

 seems to have held. Sir Edmund Hungerford, Knight, a grandson 

 of Sir Thomas Hungerford, who held a lease of the Manor of 

 Potterne in 1367, was Constable of Devizes Castle in 1455, and 

 may fairly be presumed to have taken some interest in a manor which 

 had belonged to his family. 



There can be no doubt of the Manor House at Potterne having 

 been occupied by one at least of its episcopal lords during this cen- 

 tury. Bishop Mitford died there in 1407. According to some 

 authorities he was the last who kept up the Mansion House at 

 Potterne. 



s2 



