By the Rev. W. H. Jones. 367 
cestershire, where they still have their representative in the Rogers 
family at Dowdeswell. Towards the close of the same century we 
find a ‘Tuomas Rocers’ at Bradford-on-Avon, designated a Ser- 
jeant-at-Law (serviens ad legem) a dignity of much greater relative 
importance, and much more rarely conferred, in olden times than 
now.! A marriage with Cecilia, daughter and co-heiress of William 
Besill—(the other daughter and co-heiress, Margaret, we have 
already spoken of, as the wife of Nicholas Hall)—brought the 
learned ‘counsellor’ to our town, and here, or in the neighbourhood, 
his descendants remained for many years afterwards, as residents 
and landed proprietors. 
We find the son of our ‘Serjeant-at-Law,’ ‘William’ by name, 
adding to his patrimony by a marriage with ‘Joan’ daughter of 
John Horton, styled in one pedigree ‘Johannes de Ifford,’”? but 
more commonly designated as ‘of Lullington, Co. Somerset.’ We 
may perhaps draw an inference from this fact, that the Horton 
family came as residents into our neighbourhood at a somewhat 
earlier period than is generally thought.* 
From Anthony, the e/dest son of the last-named William Rogers, 
descended only two generations when Dorothy his grand-daughter 
and the ultimate heiress of the eldest branch of the family, by a 
marriage with John Hall, of Bradford-on-Avon, took into that 
family, the whole, not only of the Rogers, but also of the Besill 
‘There were very few advanced in olden times to the dignity of the cotf, as 
the degree of ‘Serjeant-at-Law’ was designated. Even as late as the time of 
Edward VI., Serjeant Benloe wrote himself ‘solus serviens ad legem, there 
being for some time none but himself. See ‘Jacob’s Law Dictionary,’ under 
‘Serjeant.’ 
2 Harl. MS., 1141. p. 141. 
* The first of the ‘Horton’ family that is described in their own pedigree as 
of ‘ Westwood,’ or ‘Iford,’ (the latter is a small hamlet in the former parish) 
is the grandson of ‘ John’ of Lullington. In the will however of ‘Thomas,’ 
the son of John of Lullington, he is described as ‘ of Iford’ where, or at West- 
wood, he died, 1530. The direction, in his will, that he should ‘‘be buried 
with his father in the aisle of our Lady on the north side of Bradford Church” 
seems to imply that the family may have been residents for some time previously 
in our town or neighbourhood. See above pp. 221. 233.. By the way, in 
the Horton pedigree, the husband of ‘ Joan Horton’ is called ‘Anthony Rogers.’ 
His name, most authorities tell us, was ‘ William.’ 
