176 Swindon and its Neighbourhood—No. 2. 
had the very best reason in the world for remembering it, and 
might well be curious to knew whether Henry VIII. had erased 
him as well as Bishop Becket from the calendar. 
FASTERNE. 
One meets all over the county with country houses, that are now 
converted into farm-houses, or sometimes divided into labourers 
cottages, but which were once occupied by gentry or nobility, 
perhaps even by royalty. One of these is Fasterne, a mile or so 
from Wootton Basset. There is nothing now very striking in its 
appearance, but it becomes interesting when we know its history. 
It was once the chief residence, the manor-house, of the Despensers, 
the well-known favorites of Edward II., in the middle of their large 
property here. The fall of these omnipotent noblemen was owing 
to the French lady Isabella, King Edward’s wife. Being brought 
over to be Queen of England, she determined to be a Queen, and 
would never rest till she had got those two out of her way, which 
she accomplished at last by promoting them to a gallows 50ft. 
high. After their execution all kinds of complaints against them 
for arbitrary acts of violence poured in from the neighbourhood. 
One Henry of Hook, near Lydiard, had refused to give up his 
right to some land, whereupon he had been seized, shut up in a 
dungeon at Fasterne, and kept there a whole week till he consented. 
On the other hand, the heir of the Despensers had his grievances to 
report. He complained that Fasterne had been invaded violently 
by his father’s enemies, naming men of the Audley, Berkeley, and 
Clifford families. They had rifled the house and inmates, carried 
off the furniture, arms, armour, &c.; had taken the rents from 
the tenants, broken up the park, killed the deer, and caught the 
fish; total damages estimated at £30,000. Also that they had 
forced their way into Stanley Abbey, near Chippenham, and carried 
off Hugh Despenser’s strong boxes, deposited there for safety, con- 
taining his deeds, plate, and money. That they had done the same 
to his castle at Marlborough, where the plunder consisted of books, 
vestments, sacramental cups, crosses of gold, tapestry, and other 
things, to the value of £6000. The heirs, however, of the Despensers, 
did not succeed in recovering the lands that had been forfeited to 
