By the Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald. 



129 



who came into possession of this property in the time of Henry VIII. ; 

 John son of William de Ernie having purchased the estate on the 

 dissolution of the monasteries ; the land being said to have been 

 Priory property, but for this we only have vague traditional autho- 

 rity, no account of any religious house there, being to be found in 

 any of the best works on the subject. The Ernie property at Echil- 

 hampton belonged to the ancient family of Malwyn, came into 

 the Ernie family with Joan Best wife of John Ernie, who had pro- 

 perty also in another part of this parish which will be mentioned ; 

 at Echilhampton in the neighbouring parish of All-Cannings; 

 at Maddington, and elsewhere in Wilts. Their residence at Bour- 

 ton has long been converted into a farm house. It seems to have 

 been a large mansion, gradually lessened as different parts fell into 

 dilapidation. Much of the building was removed a few years ago, 

 and there is no difficulty in tracing foundations of other portions. 

 The walks, orchards, and fish-ponds, still discernible through the 

 changes which the face of the residence and grounds have under- 

 gone, sufficiently indicate the wealth and importance of the Ernie 

 family. Their estate here, called in the deeds of the family, "the 

 manor farm of Bourton, within the manor of Bishop's Cannings, " 

 was conveyed by deed dated 10 March, 5 Charles I., by Sir John 

 Ernie of Whetham (near Calne) son and heir of Michael Ernie, 

 Esq. and Dame Margaret his wife, and by his son and heir, to 

 Robert Blackborrow of Bristol, brewer. Peter Blackborrow of 

 Bourton, gentleman, by deed dated the 28th of June 1658, conveys 

 the said manor to Robert Henley, Esq. of the Middle Temple, London, 

 (already mentioned as a Lessee of Cannings.) Sir Robert Henley 

 of the Grange, in the county of Southampton, knight, by deed 

 dated 5th December, 19 Charles II., conveys it to Henry Wool- 

 nough of Bramsholt, in the said county of Southampton, clerk ; 

 from Henry it descended to Joshua Woolnough his son, and from 

 him to Rollstone Woolnough his son. By will, dated 16th Nov. 

 1757, Rollstone Woolnough devised the manor to his three sisters 

 for their lives: and upon their deaths to his niece Elizabeth Smyth, 

 wife of John Hugh Smyth, Esq. eldest son of Sir Jarrit Smyth, 

 bart. Lady Smyth left her estate in this ty thing to the Rev. Israel 



