240 FISHES AXD FISHING. 



time. When James came to the throne, this man 

 shuffled off, and finally and totally evaded the pay 

 ment of a fee-farm rent for part of his estate. Having 

 no heirs, he contrived to get his nephew into the 

 property at his death ; the line failed again in the 

 person of a descendant of this nephew, who left it by 

 will to many reversioners in succession, provided that 

 the park, gardens, house, furniture, paintings, plate, 

 &c., should be preserved as heir looms for ever ; the 

 second of these reversioners was the brother of Wil 

 liam Gee, whose wife managed to induce the next 

 reversioner, but who was led to believe he was very 

 distant, to sell his birthright for, comparatively, a 

 mess of pottage. Mrs. W. Gee obtained a will in her 

 favour, from her brother-in-law, who devised to her 

 all his real and personal estate, under which, amongst 

 other things, she took this park, &c. ; and it would 

 have been a curious coincidence if the crown had 

 asserted a right to the property (in consequence of 

 failure of heirs male, to whom it was limited) and the 

 subject had gone before John Scott, Lord High 

 Chancellor, formerly Mr. Attorney-General, to whom 

 Gee would not give a day's fishing. 



Mrs. Gee died, and left this park and estate to an 

 alien in blood, and name. What has become of the 

 plate, paintings, and other heir-looms I do not know, 

 but suppose they must be where they ought to be. 



