WYMERSLEY HUNDRED 



CASTLE ASHBY 



which play a large part in the heraldry of the house. 

 His daughter was a great heiress, a circumstance of 

 which she seems to have been fully aware, for in a letter 

 to her husband just before 1618 she is exceedingly 

 peremptory as to what she would have and what she 

 would not have. .After indicating her very consider- 

 able wishes her final injunction is 'that you would pay 



Newsam in Yorkshire and Felbrigge Hall in Norfolk. 

 The legend on the east wing at Castle Ashby runs thus: 



NISI DOMINUS AEDIFICAVERIT DOMUM IN VANt'M LABOR- 

 AVERUNTQUI AEDIFICANT EAM 1624: 



that on the west wing thus: 



NISI DOMINUS GUSTOS CUSTODIVERIT DOMUM FRUS 



^ 



Plan of Castle Ashby 



your Debts, build up Ashby House, and purchase 

 lands; and lend no money (as you love God) to the 

 Lord Chamberlain'. This lady dwelt in a mansion at 

 Canonbury, near London, from which in later years 

 two fine chimney-pieces were removed to Castle Ashby. 

 It is hard to say how much of the work at Ashby 

 should be attributed to Henry Lord Compton, and 

 how much to his son William the first Earl. But the 

 latter was responsible for some of the upper rooms and 

 the lettered parapet. This is a feature to be found on 

 very few houses, but there arc examples at Temple 



and it is continued on the north side of the courtyard 

 thus: 



17 TRA VICILAT qui CUSTODIT EAM 7I. 



The latter part was evidently reworked in 1 771; the 

 character of the letters and their less clever spacing are 

 in keeping with their later date. The west wing has 

 also at its south end the words ficant eam, which may 

 be survivals of an original legend, corresponding with 

 that on the cast wing. The two staircase turrets have 

 similar lettered parapets. That at the south-east corner 



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