A drive of ih miles through Tisbury brought the party to 

 Fonthill House, belonging to Mr. A. Morrison, who, though away 

 from home, had most kindly allowed the Club to see the whole of his 

 house and its contents, among which were specially noticeable some large 

 vases, 4ft. or more high, of very fine cloisonne work, and other vases 

 and ornaments of a similar elaborate and costly character. One long 

 room contained a number of large tables, the tops of which were made of 

 differently coloured agates, Labrador spar, malachite, and other beautiful 

 stones ; also massive vases composed of similar materials, A heavy 

 shower of rain overtook the party on their way back lo the carriages, 

 which had been left at the Beckford Arms, close to the entrance to the 

 drive, but the trees in the park afforded excellent shelter. 



Fonthill Abbey was next visited by kind permission of Sir Michael 

 Shaw Stewart, Bart., whose son, Mr. W. Shaw Stewart, led the Avay to 

 the old oratory and read the following paper on Fonthill, with some 

 account of Mr. Beckford's tower-building and other schemes : — 



" The Manor of Fonthill, so called probably from the abundant springs 

 that gush from the sides of its hills, derived its additional name of 

 Gifford from the ancient family of that name, who held it with fourteen 

 other manors in Wilts shortly after the Norman Conquest. ' Fontel ' is 

 described in Domesday Book as part of the possessions of Berenger 

 Gifford, in whose family it continued until King John's time, Avhen 

 Kobert Gifford sold it to Sir Piobert Mauduit, Knt. In the reign of 

 Edward III. his descendant, John Mauduit, obtained a charter from the 

 king of free Avarren in all his lands at ' Funtell ' and other manors in 

 Wilts. 



The family of the Lords Moleyns were the next possessors and were 

 succeeded by Sir Robert Hungerford, whose attainder in 1461 caused the 

 whole of his estates to be seized by the Crown. They were then granted to 

 Lord Weulock, slain in rebellion at Tewkesbury, and as he left no issue the 

 estate again reverted to the Crown. The Mervyns next held the manor, 

 and it remained in their family until 1631, the year of the attainder of 

 Mervyn Lord Audley, when it again became forfeited to the Crown. It 

 was then granted to Sir Francis, afterwards Lord Cottington, a distin- 

 guished Courtier and Minister of James I. and Charles L His son. Sir 

 Thomas Cottington, who appears to have offended Parliament 

 by assisting the Earl of Marlborough in his attempts to relieve 

 Wardour Castle, had the whole of his estates confiscated, 

 and Fonthill was given to President Bradshaw, upon whose death 

 Lord Cottington returned to his house with a large party of friends and 

 followers, and, driving out Bradshaw "s heir, maintained himself against 



