CAME AND OWERMOIGNE. xli. 



FIRST SUMMER MEETING. 



CAME AND OWEKMOIGNE. 



THE FIRST SUMMER MEETING was held on Tuesday, June 

 22nd. With the exception of a few slight showers, the weather 

 during the day was bright and pleasant. About 70 members and 

 friends assembled at the South-Western station for the start at 

 10.15. 



CAME HOUSE. 



Mr. CORNISH BROWNE, after bidding the Club a cordial 

 welcome to Came House for the first time, gave a short sketch 

 of the history of Winterborne Came, a name which is supposed 

 to be a corruption of Caen, Came having been given by the 

 Conqueror to the Abbey of St. Stephen's, Caen. It pertained to 

 the friary of Frampton, and at the dissolution of the alien 

 priories was given to the College of St. Stephen's, Westminster, 

 in whose possession it continued until the general dissolution, 

 when it was granted by Edward VI. to William, Earl of 

 Pembroke. 



From him it came to one Meller, who was remarkable chiefly for his habit of 

 depopulating most of the land he bought. For this reason there was no village 

 round about the house. During the Civil War the Mellers fell upon evil times, 

 and soon after left Dorset to live in Buckinghamshire. About the year 1700 the 

 estate passed by purchase to the Darner family, and in 1756 the present house, 

 which had all the characteristics of the Georgian period, was built by Mr. George 

 Darner. The present front door and conservatory were added early in the 

 19th century, and these, while somewhat disturbing the balance of the building, 

 added much to the comfort and convenience of the house. Mr. Cornish Browne 

 went on to mention illustrious guests who have been entertained at the house. 

 Here in 180-t came, as the guest of Lionel Darner, then Colonel of the Dorset 

 Volunteer Bangers, after a review of the regiment iu Fordington Field, 

 George III. and his Queen and the Princesses and Dukes of Gloucester and 

 Cambridge. Here nearly 40 years later came Prince Louis Napoleon, who was 

 shortly afterwards elected President of the French and four years later Emperor. 



Mr. Cornish Browne then conducted the club over the house in convenient 

 parties. As the members passed through the suite of elegant apartments they 

 admired the beautifuHy- moulded plaster ceilings, the carved chimney-pieces, 



