44 Kington St. Michael. 



acres now Captain Clutterbuck's. The feeding was common to tlie 

 Abbey tenants, and they also had certain parcels of land in the 

 Westfield then unenclosed, between Kington and Draycote. The 

 new owner wishing to enlarge his prospect and grounds shut them 

 out of the Park and took away their Westfield allotments. " So," 

 says Aubrey, " heretofore they had been able to keep a whole plough, 

 but since, having only work enough for half a plough, they lived 

 poorly and needily :" and probably wished the Abbot back again. 

 The first of this Kington family of Snell came from Biddestone, 

 having married a Keynell, of an ancient house from which Yatton 

 takes its name. After the step from Steward to Landlord, they 

 were returned to Parliament, married well, and were Knighted. 

 Nicholas the purchaser, was Sheriff of Wilts 1565 : M.P. for 

 Chippenham 1555, for the County 1557, and for Malmsbury 1570. 

 He rebuilt the Court-house at Kington, which still remains, in a 

 decayed condition, but presenting at the back (which was formerly 

 the front) some architectural features not without elegance, in the 

 Italian style then newly in fashion. Over the entrance on a stone 

 shield is a cross flory, the arms of his family.^ His grandson Sir 

 Thomas Snell married a daughter of Sir Robert Long of Draycote. 

 He was in the Navy, " a good astrologer," says Aubrey emphati- 

 cally, " and a Captain in the Iceland voyage." He died 1612. 

 His only son and successor Sir Charles Snell was one of the early 

 associates of Sir Walter Ealeigh : but on what sort of footing, and 

 for what particular object, (not very creditable to so eminent a 

 name,) we are informed by the same authority. " Sir Walter's 

 companions in his youth were boisterous blades, but generally those 



1 The House is now the property of Mr. Coleman. The ■west front is sur- 

 mounted by a very large carving in stone six foot high, representing bii'ds eating 

 out of a basket on a human head. Perhaps an allusion to the dream of 

 Pharoah's butler, (Gen. xl. 17.) previous to his " head being lifted up from off 

 him," and applicable here to the then recent and similar fate of Mr. Snell's 

 predecessor and late master, Abbot Whiting. It was at this house Aubrey saw 

 one of his wonders. " Having spoken of mists it brings to my recollection that 

 in December, 1653. being at night in the Court of Sir Charles Snell's house at 

 Kington St. Michael, there being a very thick mist, we saw our shadow on the 

 fog, as on a Avail, by the light of the lanterns, about 30 or 40 foot distance or 

 more." Nat. Hist, of Wilts, j). 15. 



