lyte's cary. 27 



more iinportance, and dining and drawing-rooms were 

 introduced, so tliat tlie family coiild retlre, when they 

 wished to do so, to their private apartments. The chapel, 

 which is a beautiful example of arcliitecture, was examined 

 with evident interest, and the compaliy also went through 

 the hall (now used as a eider cellar), in which an original 

 fireplace of the time of Henry VIII. was observed. The 

 drawing and dining-rooms were equally, or perhaps more 

 carefuUy noticed, Mr. Parker pointing out the chief peculi- 

 arities. The ceiling of the latter is in a highly perfect 

 State, and of a remarkably fine description. The letters 

 J. E. and L. H., appearing on one of the fronts, were 

 shewn by the arms to be the initials of the Christian and 

 surnaraes respectively of John Lyte and Elizabeth Horsey. 

 A portion of the house is now occupied as a farm-house by 

 Mr. Withy. Two plates of this interesting Manor House 

 are given in the present volume, presented by F. H. 

 Dickinson, Esq., from whom the Secretaries have also 

 reeeived the foUowing notice of the place and the family 

 of Lyte : — 



" 8, Upper Harley Street, March 24, 1860. 

 " My dear Mr. Jones, 

 "I am sorry I can give but an imperfect account of 

 Lyte's Cary. The title deeds — almost the only means of 

 information I have, besides the county histories — are at 

 the Bankers, and I do not like to trouble my trustees just 

 now by asking for them. They do not, so far as I re- 

 member, disclose much, merely the gradual squeezing out 

 of the Lyte family by successive mortgages in the middle 

 of the last Century, when it is my impression that the 

 property passed to the Lockyers, who were the patrons of 

 the borough of Ilchester, and from them to my father or 

 grandfather, about the beginning of this Century. 



