312 Notes on the History of Great Somerford. 



times by Aubrey. Aubrey also speaks of the sou Kichard in the 

 following terms, " This was collected by my ingeniose friend Mr. 

 E. Browne, of Magdalen Hall, Oxon." I think these Brownes came 

 from London and were not connected with the Lucian Browne 

 family, long resident in Minety, one of whom married into the 

 Galley family, of Burderop. Mr. Robert Hanson seems to have 

 been a prosperous London man of business. Le Neve gives his 

 pedigree, two generations back, to Thomas Hanson, of Blewbury, 

 Berks, but plainly did not like him. After giving his coat of arms 

 he says, " This was the coat borne by him. Qre the right. Was 

 a silly drunken fellow and so were two of his sons with whom I 

 went to school at Merchant Taylors school in London." His ap- 

 pointment to be sheriff pleased the Government of the day, for in 

 the calendar of State papers, 28th September, 1665, it is noted, 

 " Aldermen Hanson and Hooper, honest and loyal men, are that 

 day chosen sheriffs." He became Lord Mayor in 1672. "London 

 Triumphant, or the City in Jollity and Splendour," is the title of 

 the pamphlet describing the pageants attending his coming into 

 office. His Majesty graced the triumph with his royal presence, 

 the expenses being borne by the Worshipful Company of Grocers, 

 of which Sir Robert was a member. A picture in oils of Sir Robert, 

 and his first wife, Barbara Norton, dated 1638, is in the possession 

 of Mrs. Wightwick, of Codford St. Peter. His son Berkeley, a 

 barrister of the Inner Temple, died at the age of 31, and was buried 

 in the Temple Church. By his second wife, Catherine Jones, he 

 left two sons and one daughter, to whom he bequeathed the whole 

 of his property, the Palmers not being mentioned in his will. 



Elizabeth Palmer, who, at such an early age, was wedded to Mr. 

 Richard Browne, was left a widow when only 27, with three young 

 children. Of these the eldest, Richard, afterwards lived with his 

 wife in the parish of St. Edmund ye King, London, but was laid to 

 rest in Great Somerford Church, December 29th, 1735, where he 

 had already buried the three children of his marriage. Mrs. 

 Elizabeth Browne within a year of her husband's death was married 

 to his successor in the rectory, Mr. Edmund Wayte. There were 

 many members of the Wayte family in Malmesbury and the 



