268 PoUerne. 



fairly off the premises ? What became of the " Sanctus " bell or 

 where it hnng I cannot qnite tell you — anyhow the other four bells 

 were left to the parishioners^ and no plate was " secured to the King's 

 use." 1 



During this century the leading people seem to have been members 

 of the Grubbe family — it is now also that we first meet with the 

 name of Longe in connection with Potterne. Of the antiquity of 

 the name Flower in the parish mention has already been made. As 

 regards the Grubbe family, I may say, that they probably succeeded 

 that of Bower as lessees of the manor. In 1571 we haye Henry 

 Grubbe, M.P. for The Devizes. Mr. Waylen prints an amusing 

 document in which the Corporation of The Devizes make humble 

 application on 29th April, 1578, to the Court of Chancery, over 

 which then presided Sir Nicholas Bacon, praying that the said 

 Henry Grubbe might be commanded to appear before " his good 

 Lordship," to shew cause why he should not leave off a suit for the 

 recovery of " wages " for serving the Borough in Parliament. The 

 plaintiffs alleged that " on account of the poverty and small ability 

 of the town of The Devizes the said defendant Henry Grubbe and 

 one George Reynolds did faithfully promise and take upon them 

 that they would serve as burgesses in the said Parliament for the 

 said town without any wages, fee, reward, or allowance taking there- 

 for." The defendant in answer pleaded, that the promise o^ free 

 service was only for one session of Parliament, whereas he had served 

 for two sessions, and it was for his work in the latter that he wanted 

 to be paid. How the suit ended Mr. Waylen does not tell us — most 

 likely in a compromise. No doubt the good burgesses were very 

 angry with the said Henry Grubbe. Anyhow they did not again 

 honor him with their confidence, by electing him a second time as 

 their representative in Parliament.^ 



A little later in this century we find " our trusty and well-beloved 

 Thomas Grubbe of The Devizes " called upon to lend Her Majesty 



iSee Wilts Mag., xiv., 327. 

 * Some seventy years afterwards (in 1641) we find a record in the Corporation 

 Book of the payment of twenty pounds to Mr. Nicholas as a gratuity for his 

 pains and expenses in Parliament as member for Devizes. "Waylen's Devizes, 138. 



