264 



Great Bedwyn. 



Ailesbury ; and in this family the estates have continued to the 

 present day, being now vested in George William Frederick, Mar- 

 quis of Ailesbury, the noble owner of Tottenham Park in this 

 parish. 



The former mansion of the Seymours was at Wolf hall, the TJlfela 

 of Domesda}'. Before the Seymours it was the seat of the Esturmys, 

 who held lands in this immediate vicinity at the Conquest, and were 

 Wardens of Savernake Forest for many generations, till all their 

 possessions passed through females into other hands in the fifth 

 year of the reign of Henry VI. Maud Esturmy, co-heir of Sir 

 William Esturmy, having married Roger Seymour, brought all his 

 lands in this parish and in Burbage into that family. The Sey- 

 mours, also, had the wardenship of Savernake Forest continued to 

 them by the Grown. 



The old house at Wolf hall was partially destroyed about the 

 year 1662, and nothing remains now but "The Laundry" and an 

 ancient barn, in which, it is said, the feast was kept on the mar- 

 riage of Henry VIII. with Jane Seymour. William, second' Duke 

 of Somerset, commenced the building of a new mansion at Totten- 

 ham. He also laid out a princely place, and planted many trees, 

 but neither he nor his grandson, the third Duke, lived to see the 

 completion of their plans. The present house was enlarged under 

 the eye of the celebrated Earl of Burlington; but was entirely re- 

 modelled by the late Marquis of Ailesbury, who added many noble 

 rooms to the former building. 



Among the curiosities at Tottenham Park are three ancient 

 swords, about one of which there is no certain information. The 

 others are both Andrea Ferraras. One of them belonged to Robert 

 Bruce, King of Scotland, the arms of which country are repeated 

 six or eight times on the hilt; the other was the sword of the 

 Black Douglas. The hilt is inlaid with silver, and bears the cog- 

 nizance of the Douglas. The blade, which seems to have been 

 used with effect, records the service in which it was engaged, in 

 the following couplets, engraved one on each side : — 



" This is the sword that once was worn 

 By the Black Douglas at Bannockburn." 



