326 Broughton Gifford. 
Horton, utterly ignoring the Breretons and the will, positively 
conveyed all his estates to Elizabeth Blanche and Eleanor Roberts 
(his two sisters) and their descendants. On 1st October 1746, by 
virtue of a writ de lunatico inquirendo, Thomas Horton was found 
a lunatic, and the custody of his person given to Eleanor Roberts, 
of his estates to Richard Roberts and William Blanche (the husbands 
of the two sisters). Thomas Horton died December 1755. Ad- 
ministration of his goods and personal estate was granted to the 
Blanches and Roberts. 
Thereupon Richard Brereton and his two sisters, Michaelmas term, 
1756, filed a bill in chancery against them, served ejectments for 
the recovery of the real estates, and instituted a suit for the recall 
of the letters of administration, and to prove the will of 1735. To 
prevent expensive litigation, all the parties interested entered into 
an agreement, Michaelmas 1758, to divide the real estates into 
three parts, one for John Roberts son and heir of Eleanor, another 
for William Blanche son and heir of Elizabeth, another for 
Richard Brereton. No doubt this was a prudent measure on all 
sides; for, though unquestionably the indenture of 1739 cancelled 
the will of 1735, a question would have arisen as to the mental capa- 
city of Thomas Horton to execute the deed (he seems to have been 
hardly sane four years before). This question would have been 
submitted to a jury, the evidence might have been very embarrassing, 
and the verdict very doubtful: it was good policy then for the blood 
relatives to sacrifice one third, rather than risk all. 
An Act of Parliament, 1763, gave the compromise the security 
of law, “freeing, discharging, exonerating the estates of the said 
Thomas Horton from and against the uses, trusts, debts, annuities, 
legacies, devises, limitations, and incumbrances,” contained in the 
unhappy owner’s inconsistent and irreconcileable provisions. Com- 
missioners were appointed to divide the property into three lots. 
Lot 1, comprehending the manor of Broughton Gifford, the chief 
rents, the royalties and appurtenances, what we now call Church 
farm, the farm on the Common, with various smaller pieces, and 
tenements, and 24 acres of wood, was selected by John Roberts, 
and is now the property of Lord Broughton. Lot 2, comprehend- 
