By the Rev. Thomas Miles. 



205 



viz., 10 bezants and a canton ermine. These are the arms of 

 ' Sir Edward Hungerford of Ileytesbury, who married Jane, 

 daughter of Lord Zouche of Harringworth, Northamptonshire. 

 Sir Edward Hungerford died cir. 1521. 2. Hungerford, impaling 

 Sandes, viz., a cross raguly. These are the arms of Walter Lord 

 Hungerford of Heytesbury, son of Sir Edward above named; 

 created a Baron b}' Henry VIII., and beheaded in 1540. He was 

 thrice married, and his second wife was Alice, daughter of Lord 

 Sandes of the Vine. On the attainder of Walter Lord Hungerford, 

 Heytesbury finally passed from the family. 



Stockton almshouse was endowed by John Topp, Esq., the 

 founder of the manor house, who by his will dated 1638, left 

 £1000 in trust for some charitable purpose, to be chosen by his 

 executors. The charity money was not made use of for several 

 years after the death of Mr. Topp; but in 1657, the surviving 

 trustees purchased the farm called " Speary Well," in the parish 

 of Mottisfont, Hants, with which they endowed the almshouse 

 built about this time. In 1658, farmer Pile rented Mottisfont at 

 £50 per annum. In 1670, it was lowered to £40. (From an old 

 paper at Stockton house.) In 1685, the tenant was allowed 

 £3 lis. 6d. for maintaining a soldier one month. 



John Topp, jun., brother of the founder, gave also by deed an 

 annuity of £4 out of a close at Stockton, called "Barnes Close," 

 formerly the land of Christopher Poticary, as the stipend for the 

 steward to collect the rents and manage the affairs of the charity. 

 Martin Tanner was the first person appointed to the office of steward. 

 The original almshouse consisted of the six tenements in the 

 court ; and in 1714, the trustees directed that all the stock in hand 

 except £250, should be expended in adding to the building, so 

 that the number of dwellings might be increased to eight. On 

 the 2nd of August, 1668, articles and constitutions for the better 

 government of the almsmen and women, and of the lands and 

 revenues of the almshouse, were made and established by John 

 Topp, Esq., of Stockton, son and heir of Edward Topp, Esq., of 

 Stockton, deceased ; Thomas Lambert, Esq., of Boyton ; Mathew 

 Davis of Shaston, Dorset, Esq. ; Henry Whitaker of Motcomb, 



