
oe eee 
By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson, FS.A. 149 
at shooting.” Again, winning 35s. at cards, “ which my Lord did 
win that same night he did sup at Lambeth with my Lord of 
Canterbury.” 
King Henry’s visit to Wulfhall, just described, was in August, 
1539. He was there again in 1543—as I find some of his servants 
quartered at Burbage, and a bill for their expenses. (Appendix,No.vi.) 
He died about four years afterwards, viz., on 28th January, 1547, 
and Jane Seymour’s son, Edward VI., then between 9 and 10 years 
old, became King of England. His uncle, Edward Seymour, Earl 
of Hertford, became Protector of his nephew, and by that-title we 
must now call him. Sir John Thynne, the founder of Longleat 
(though this house was not built for many years afterwards), had 
been through life one of the most confidential friends of Protector 
Somerset, and whilst the Protector attended to affairs of State, Sir 
John conducted for him all private business and matters relating to 
his property. Hence it happens that so many of the Protector’s 
private papers are preserved at Longleat. His purchases and grants 
of land were enormous. The mere names of the manors fill two or 
three columns. — He had several residences in or near London, as at 
Richmond, Sion House, and elsewhere ; so that I fear our old timber 
house at Wulfhall, outside Savernake Forest, did not receive much 
attention.! It would probably be unable to contain so great a man 
as Protector Somerset, suddenly elevated from the rank of a Wiltshire 
gentleman to be King over the King of England _ It is well-known 
that one of the charges brought against him by his rivals was that 
he had dropped the ordinary singular pronoun “ I,” and began his 
communications with the Royal plural “We.” Of this there are 
several instances in his letters at Longleat. It used to be in former 
days—“ Good Mr. Thynne, I have received your letters, &c., ending, 

1§ir John Thynne held at this time by a lease of 1546 the Prebend or Par- 
sonage of Great Bedwyn from the Earl of Hertford: and Sir John seems also 
to have held the lands at Wulf-hall: for in 1547, being abroad with the Earl 
on the expedition to Boulogne (which ended in the peace made between Guisnes 
and Ardres), he writes from Newhaven (Havre) to his steward Mr. Dodd, 
“ Further I-wol you forget not to sell all my olde Jads (jades) at Wulfehaull 
whiche before I willed you to sell, & see that my mares & colts be marked, & 
sende me word how many I have of all sorts at Wulfhaull or Elvetham.” 
VOL. XV.——-NO. XLIV. Q 
