By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson, F.8.A. 149 



at shooting." Again, winning 355. at cards, « which my Lord did 

 win that same night he did sup at Lambeth with my Lord of 

 Canterbury." 



King Henry's visit to Wulfhall, just described, was in August, 

 1539. He was there again in 1543 — as I find some of his servants 

 quartered at Burbage, and a bill for their expenses. {Appendix ,No .v\.) 



He died about four years afterwards, viz., on 28th January, 1547, 

 and Jane Seymour's son, Edward VI., then between 9 and 10 yev/:s 

 old, became King of England. His uncle, Edward Seymou-, Earl 

 of Hertford, became Protector of his nephew, and by that title we 

 must now call him. Sir John Thynne, the founder of Longleat 

 (though this house was not built for many years afterwards), had 

 been through life one of the most confidential friends of Protector 

 Somerset, and whilst the Protector attended to affairs of State, Sir 

 John conducted for him all private business and matters relating to 

 his property. Hence it happens that so many of the Protector's 

 private papers are preserved at Longleat. His purchases and grants 

 of land were enormous. The mere names of the manors fill two or 

 three columns. He had several residences in or near London, as at 

 Richmond, Sion House, and elsewhere ; so that I fear our old timber 

 house at Wulfhall, outside Savernake Forest, did not receive much 

 attention. 1 It would probably be unable to contain so great a man 

 as Protector Somerset, suddenly elevated from the rank of a Wiltshire 

 gentleman to be King over the King of England It is well-known 

 that one of the charges brought against him by his rivals was that 

 he had dropped the ordinary singular pronoun " \" and began his 

 communications with the Royal plural " We." Of this there r e 

 several instances in his letters at Longleat. It used to be in former 

 days— " Good Mr. Thynne, I have received your letters, &c, ending, 



x Sir John Thynne held at this time by a lease of 1546 the Prebend or Par- 

 sonage of Great Bedwyn from the Earl of Hertford : and Sir John seems also 

 to have held the lands at Wulf-hall: for in 1547, being abroad with the Earl 

 on the expedition to Boulogne (which ended in the peace made between Guisnes 

 and Ardres), he writes from Newhaven (Havre) to his steward Mr. Dodd, 

 V Further I wol you forget not to sell all my olde Jads (jades) at Wulfehaull 

 whiche before I willed you to sell, & see that my mares & colts be marked, & 

 sende me word how many I have of all sorts at Wnlfhaull or Elvetham." 



VOL. XV. — NO. XLIV. Q 



