296 Notes on the History of Great Somerford. 
House, and Demesne Lands” from the trustees of Sir Richard 
Hawkins, was the son of John Smith, of Wanborough, yeoman. 
His wife was a descendant of the Mayos, many of whom had been 
among the principal tenants in the parish during the last hundred 
and fifty years. Their house, now occupied by Mr. R. Tanner, 
retains much of the plan of the old fifteenth century manor house, 
with central hall flanked by two-storied buildings on each side. 
‘All the old work has, however, been removed. A son, John, on 
the death of the father in 1724, succeeded to the property, and by 
marriage with Elizabeth Alexander, a granddaughter of the 
William Alexander, already mentioned, acquired “Cockerells” and 
“ Blanchard’s.” Two other farms, one called “Sealey’s,” purchased by 
Henry Tuck in 1698 from the trustees of Sir Richard Hawkins, the 
other, called “ Church’s,” purchased by Mr. Wayte in 1692 from the 
same, came into the possession of the Smiths, apparently about 
1750, and thus at the time of the award in 1809 their estate was 
the most important in the parish. The Smiths also owned some 
land in Little Somerford and “Swinley” in Kington St. Michael. 
Mrs. Elizabeth Smith was left a widow in 1765, and her last 
surviving child, Elizabeth, succeeded to the estates in 1790, but — 
died unmarried in 1798. She had chosen as her heir William 
Jones, a cousin on her mother’s side, who took the name of Smith. 
There are in the Church several monuments to the Smith family, 
the last being to Dr. Smith, on whose death in 1833 the property? 
passed to the children of his sister—the Birtills, of Bristol, by 
whom it is still held. 
THE PYKES. 
The Pyke family held almost as much land as the Smiths at the time | 
of the award,and claim our attention next. In 1673 Sir Robert Jason — 
leases to Jasper Wheeler for £500 and 40s. a year a messuage, 
called the “Culverhouse,” with about thirty acres of land and five 
beastes leazes. This lease in 1686 was assigned to John Pike, of > 
Pewsey on his marriage with Frances, the daughter of Jasper and — 
Frances Wheeler, who purchased the property from Sir Richard 
1A portion of this, a farm in Startley, was sold to Lord Cowley some fifty 
years ago. . 
