240 FISHES AND 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. 



