74 Kington St. Michael. {^Eadon Percy. 



The name of one of the Incumbents appears in the Sanim Re- 

 gistry. In 1319 "John de Gyvleton" (no doubt, for " Yeovilton" 

 the Family to whom, as will be seen, the Estate then belonged,) 

 was presented to the Chapel of Easton Piers by Ralph de Cromhale 

 Patron.^ "The Font Stone was serving" (in Aubrey's time,) "at 

 ' Cromwells' for cattle to drink." 



The Cross stood at " the crosse way by the Pound, at the 

 entrance into the Lane which heretofore went to Lye Delamere, 

 close to the Mannour House." 



Manorial History. 



In the Reign of King Edward the Confessor, the Saxon owner 

 was one Osward. At the Conquest it was part of the fee of Drogo 

 de Fitz Ponz, of Seagry and Alderton, and was held under him by 

 Gislebert. In Hen. III. Walter de Clifford held it under the 

 Crown : Patrick Chaworth under him : under Chaworth, Henry 

 Kaignel, and Philip de Lye ; the latter by grand serjeanty of being 

 the King's bowbearer. John of Eston, had J of a Knight's fee. 

 The Tything bore the name of Easton only until its connexion with 

 the family of Piers, now commonly spelled Percy f which addition 

 appears to have been made about a.d. 1250. 



To John Aubrey's partiality for his native nook of Wiltshire 

 ground, we are indebted for the means of ascertaining its history at 

 this period. His undigested " Collections for North Wilts" contain 

 a number of ancient Latin documents relating to it, taken from the 

 Title deeds of the farm, then his own. These occupy sixteen pages 

 in Sir Thomas Phillipps's printed copy, pp. 69-85. Many of them 

 being without date and all without arrangement, the labyrinth is 

 not easily unravelled ; but the substance seems to be this. 



The proprietor about the year above mentioned, 1250, was Piers, 

 or Fitz-picrs : using more frequently, after the fashion of the 

 times, a sirnamc from the property, De Eston. The first is Sir 

 John, who gave to the Nuns of Kington a coppice and other groimd 



MV'^ilts Instit. p. 17. 

 2 That Piers and Percy, if not one and the same name, were similarly pro- 

 nounced, would appear from Falstaff's quibble ; " Well, if Percy be alive, I'U 

 pierce him." 1. Hen. IV., A. 5. Sc. 3. 



