136 EPONYMOUS FAMILIES OF DORSET. 



who received from his leader the Manor of Bingham, in 

 Nottinghamshire, and that his descendants, taking the name 

 " De Bingham," established themselves at Sutton, in Somerset- 

 shire, afterwards known as " Sutton Bingham." About the year 

 1243 Robert de Bingham, younger brother of Sir William 

 Bingham, of Sutton, acquired by his marriage with Lucy 

 Turberville the Manor of Stafford, together with that of Mel- 

 comb. The name of " Bingham " thus became affixed both to 

 the lands in Stafford and to the estate that has been the property 

 of this ancient family for 600 years. 



It is impossible to deal adequately with each generation of 

 this typical English house, whose members sought honour 

 rather than wealth, and of whose icputation, both as soldiers 

 and as scholars, their county may well be proud. 



A monument in Westminster Abbey attests the military fame 

 of Sir Richard Bingham, temp. Elizabeth. Another member of 

 the family in the Parliamentary wars held the town of Poole for 

 the King, and assisted at the final reduction of Corfe Castle. 

 In later times another soldier, after a distinguished career in 

 the Peninsula, was selected to convey the ex-Emperor Napoleon 

 to St. Helena. 



Another Bingham represented his county in Parliament, while 

 others distinguished themselves at the University of Oxford. 



By marriage they were connected with most of the notable 

 families of this county Martins, Trenchards, Chaldecotts, 

 Strodes, Willoughbys, and Paulets. - Two junior branches have 

 been elevated to the peerage, but, except knighthood, titles have 

 never rested on the parental stem. 



Truly, such a stock is, in a sense, immortal. It may die, but 

 can never be forgotten at any rate, in its own county. 



BONVIL. 



Little is known of the Bonvils during the time they were in 

 occupation of Bonvil's Bridy, chiefly owing to the very scanty 

 chronicles of that period and to their further reduction through 

 lapse of time ; but we find one of them, William Bonvil, in 1 244, 



