i66 ECHOES OF OLD COUNTY LIFE. 



Captain JMorgan, became possessed of Stowe, and 

 succeeded to the title of Baroness Kinloss. The 

 dukedom, in default of male heirs, became extinct for 

 the fourth or fifth time. It is remarkable that there 

 have been so many Dukes of Buckingham, in so many 

 different famiHes, which have in turn died out for want 

 of heirs male : the celebrated Duke in the time of 

 Richard IIL, the Staffords, the Villiers in the time of 

 Charles, and now the Grenvilles — it would seem that a 

 fatality attached to this great and historic title. 



Another excellent specimen of the old country gentle- 

 man was Sir Thomas Aubrey, He was Chairman of 

 the Quarter Sessions for many years ; he wore generally 

 a blue coat, gilt buttons, a buff waistcoat, and large shirt 

 frill projecting from the front. Many a quaint story is 

 told of him when on the bench. A man was once tried 

 before him for stealing ducks, and the jury found him 

 " Not guilty." Sir Thomas then addressed him and 

 said : " Prisoner at the bar, you have had a very narrow 

 escape, and when you go next over Priestwood Common, 

 dont you steal ducks again!' Once a witness came up 

 to give a man under trial a character; the prisoner was 

 quite unknown to the Bench, and the witness on being 

 asked what he knew of the prisoner gave the usual 

 stereotyped answer, " He never knowed nothing amiss 

 of him before then." Sir Thomas said, " Nor more did 

 I ; if that's all you have to say about him you may sit 

 down." Sir Thomas, when Colonel Aubre}^ once started 

 as a candidate for the Borough of Aylesbury, but did 

 not venture to go to the poll. He was nephew to Sir 

 John Aubrey, of Dorton, who, when he died, left all the 



