BURNHAM BEECHES. 265 
The Common consists of 374 acres, of which about 
half is planted with these splendid beeches, and forms 
part of the Manor of Burnham. 
This Manor was at the time of Domesday in posses- 
sion of the Bishop of Lincoln; later it was escheated 
to the Crown. Henry III. granted it to the Abbess of 
the neighbouring Convent of Burnham. On the disso- 
lution of the Abbey, the Manor was granted away by 
Henry VIII., and for generations remained in the pos- 
session of the Eyre family. The last representative of 
this ancient family was Captain Popple, who, in 1812, 
sold the reversion, after his death, of his property, 
including large demesne lands and the Manor, for a 
considerable sum, to Lord Grenville, the well-known 
statesman, the owner of the domain of Dropmore, 
within the same Manor. Dropmore itself is said to 
have been inclosed by Lord Grenville from a Common. 
Its park and pleasure grounds, consisting of 600 acres, are 
celebrated for their collection of trees. This and other 
purchases within the Manor, made Lord Grenville the 
owner of nearly the whole of it. 
The acquisitions were in pursuance of the policy of the 
Grenville family to consolidate their political influence 
in the county. Captain Popple, contrary to all actuarial 
expectation, lived on till 1830, and Lord Grenville then 
at last came into possession of the Manor, to enjoy it 
only for a few months, to appreciate that he had made 
a very bad bargain, and to be conscious that the Reform 
Act, then imminent, would sweep away the political 
influence which he had so carefully built up. His 
