310 Notes on the History of Great Somerford. 
who afterwards married Mr. Thomas Petty, Rector of Langley 
Burrell. William Lake, who purchased the advowson in 1702, 
was also Vicar of Chippenham, Rector of Hardenhuish, and Canon 
of Salisbury, but only held the living two years, as he died in 1704. — 
Isaac Reekes, his successor, was the son of Robert Reekes, of Alton ~ 
Barnes, and was Rector for twenty-four years. His widow, Mary 
Reeks, presented the Church with a silver paten in 1735 and silver 
communion cup in 1743. Thomas Seale was the first Rector ap- 
pointed by Exeter College. Originally a Metfiber of Pembroke 
College, he obtained a fellowship at Exeter. He held his office at — 
Somerford for forty-three years, and during some part of the time 
was also Rector of St. Clement’s, Jersey. Mr. Demainbray, who was 
appointed in 1799, has the honour of mention in the Dictionary of 
National Biography. He was Chaplain in Ordinary to George ITI. 
and Superintendent of Royal Observatory at Richmond. His 
assistance was of value in smoothing over many of the difficulties 
connected with the successful arrangement of different claims under 
the Inclosure Act. He improved the glebe property by building 
a farmhouse, which, with the much increased glebe land, had become 
a necessity. Later on he seems to have been impressed with 
the advantages that his poorer parishioners might gain from the 
allotinent system, and induced the college authorities, about 1830, to — 
allow him to let some of the glebe in this manner. Their sanction 
was not very readily obtained because the idea of allotments was — 
then a novelty. Mr. Demainbray also wrote a pamphlet, entitled 
“The Poor Man’s Best Friend,” upon the subject in the hope that — 
he might persuade owners of property in other parishes to follow _ 
his example. 
I must now return to two succeeding Rectors, Richard Browne 
and Edmund Wayte, in whom I have something of a poteontiall - 
interest. A small monument, in the chancel, placed over the . 
south door, has this scription :— 
“Underneath lyeth ye body of Mr. Richard Browne, late Rector of this — 
parish who died ye 24th of May, Anno Domini 1687, aged 35 years.” 
A rough stone tablet, on the north wall of the tower, tells us: 
‘4 
EF 4 
