ROUNDCHIMNEYS. 221 



consists chiefly of rich pasture lands, and abounds with oak and 

 other timber. 



Roundchimneys was originally a royal manor ; and until quite 

 recently the Lord of the Manor had the right to appoint his own 

 constables, waywardens, and overseers. But I am afraid that the 

 regime of the District Councils has knocked all such prerogatives 

 on the head. However, the royal grant to Simon de Monteacute 

 gave the Manor the right of appointing its own officers. The 

 old Court Rolls commenced in 1612. 



13 Edward II. William de Monteacute held a certain waste 

 in the Forest of Blackmore ; there \vas a certain free tenant who 

 paid i os. per annum, which rent, waste, and lands were held of 

 the King in chief as parcel of the Barony of Monteacute. It was 

 held of him by Giles Blakemore, being a carucate of land in free 

 socage. 



1 8 Henry VI. It was held by Thomas Blakemore and Henry 

 Blakemore, Canon of Wells, whose names occur in an old deed. 



24 Henry VI. A fine was levied between Sampson Brown 

 and John Holwel, querents, and Thomas Blakemore, deponent. 

 In 1573 it was purchased of William Holwel by John Clavel, of 

 Barnston, in the Isle of Purbeck, an ancestor of our respected 

 President. In later times these lands appear to have been 

 included in the Manor of Newland. The house stood in the 

 orchard adjoining the farmhouse of Over Newland, where still an 

 ancient yew tree stands as a relic from the past. There used to 

 be a picturesque rookery close to Roundchimneys, but about 60 

 or 70 years ago the ravens came and drove all the rooks away. 



The origin of the names King's Stag and Vale of White Hart 

 is explained in the following story : King Henry III., having 

 disported himself in the Forest of Blackmore, spared a goodly 

 and beautiful White Hart, which afterwards one Sir John de 

 la Lynde with his companions hunted and killed at King's Stag 

 Bridge, in the parish of Lydlinch. On hearing of it the King 

 was so enraged that he not only punished them with imprison- 

 ment and a fine, but taxed the land over which the White Hart 

 was known to go, the owner having to pay a yearly sum of money 



