202 History of the Parish of Stockton, Wilts. 



was in tho house when the estate was purchased by TTenry Biggs, 

 Esq., who sold it at the request of Major Hartley, (of Buckleburyj 

 Berks) then residing here as tenant. Probably the carved oak 

 chairs, bedsteads, &c, which have been found in some of the 

 cottages in the neighbourhood, once formed part of the furniture 

 of Stockton house. The old kitchen garden behind the house 

 remains, surrounded on two sides by the original wall, but all 

 traces of the ancient pleasure grounds have disappeared, excepting 

 perhaps a very fine old cypress tree, which may have grown within 

 the enclosed parterre. The family of Biggs, or Bygges, appears 

 to have been settled in this neighbourhood before the reign of 

 Edward VI., and to that period the pedigree is traced from 

 authentic evidences. The Biggs's were seated at Stapleford, where 

 they held lands and the presentation to the vicarage. " Johannes 

 Byggs of Stapleford" presented in 1551, in 1554, and in 1571. 

 The Biggs's were connected by marriage with the Snows of Ber- 

 wick St. James, an old family there, and for many generations 

 Lords of the Manor. The family of Biggs may be traced in this 

 part of the county in the reign of Edw. III. In the None Roll 

 in the Exchequer, made 15th of Edw. III., A.D. 1342, is an 

 application to Bishop Ergham of Sarum, for an augmentation of 

 the Yicarage of Tisbury, when Robert Bigge was one of the 

 principal parishioners who made the application. The Ecclesi- 

 astical Survey, made the 26th of Hen. VIII., names John Biggs 

 as Vicar of Tisbury, presented in 1502. John Biggs was Rector 

 of Tisbury in 1532, when he presented Barker to the vicarage. 

 Another John Byggs was presented to the rectory of Chilmark in 

 1508, and held it till the year 1544. Edmund Bigges was pre- 

 sented by the King in 1611, to the vicarages of Wilsford and 

 "Woodford near Stapleford ; and Richard Biggs was Rector of 

 Shrewton in 1663. 



Stockton farm-house, an interesting old mansion, was built about 

 the same period as Stockton house, by one of the family of the 

 Poticarys, who were rich clothiers, and resided here for two or 

 three generations. (The pedigree of Poticary is printed in Mr. 

 E. Kite's " Wilts Brasses," p. 76.) The house of the Poticarys 



