By the Rev. Thomas Miles. 



203 



seems to have been partly built on the site of an older edifice, an 

 interesting portion of which remains. The first of the family of 

 Poticary noticed at Stockton, is Jerome, described in the parish 

 register as an eminent clothier, and evidently a person of some 

 importance. The inscription on his monument shews that he was 

 engaged in an extensive business, part of which was carried on at 

 Stockton, then a much more populous place than it is at present. 

 The register shows that many of the inhabitants were at that time 

 weavers. Jerome Poticary was probably the builder of the more 

 modern part of the house, as there was a date over the old porch 

 1587. He was twice married, and had a numerous issue. There 

 seems to have been some awkwardness connected with his second 

 marriage which took place within three months after the death of 

 his first wife. The Poticarys were allied by marriage with some 

 respectable Wiltshire families, and the following entry in the 

 register of burials at Stockton, shews a connection of some kind 

 with the Topps : — 



" Joanna Poticary, an aged Matron and Widow, of the Topp family, and 

 relict of Elisha Poticary, descended from the Poticarys of Wilton ; buried in 

 the Church March 1st, 1603, aged 80 and upwards." 



There was also a sort of connection with the Topp family through 

 the Hoopers of Boveridge. James Hooper, brother of Mrs. Topp, 

 married the sister of Mary, wife of the first Christopher Poticary. 

 The Poticarys of Wylye are probably a branch of this family, as 

 Eleanor, daughter of Jessie Poticary of Wylye, was buried here in 

 1611, aged 17. The last notice of the family in the parish register 

 is the burial of the elder Christopher Poticary in 1650 ; he died 

 at Heytesbur}'. His grandson Christopher, was baptized at 

 Stockton in 1639, and probably the family removed from hence to 

 Heytesbury soon after. There is reason to suppose that the 

 Poticarys of Warminster and those of Hookswood near Farnham, 

 Dorset, descended from the Stockton family. 



The house in which this family resided at Stockton, remained 

 much in its original state till the year 1832, when it was repaired 

 and the interior re-arranged. The part supposed to have been 

 built by the first Jerome Poticary, is attached to an old half- 



