The mansion-house, called the NEW HALL, in Boreham parish, in Essex, was purchased by him in the ninth year of his reign, 1517, of Richard Fitz James, bishop of London, by virtue of the will of Thomas Boteler, earl of Ormond²; or, as others say, by exchange with Thomas Bullen, earl of Wiltshire.

This noble lordship was antiently part of the possessions of the monastery of Waltham. About 24 Edward II. the abbot and convent granted it to Sir John of Shardelow, knight, Joanna his wife, and Thomas his brother, with their manors of Campes and Orseye, c. Cambridge, in exchange for the manors of Copped-Hall and Shingled-Hall, in Epping³. But in the 47th of the same King, Sir Thomas de Shardelow granted this manor of New Hall, with its appurtenances in Boreham, Springfield, Little Badow, Little Waltham, Bromfield, and Hatfield Peverel, unto Sir Henry de Coggeshall, knight, in free and perpetual exchange for the manor of Bradeker, in Shropham and Holkham, c. Norfolk⁴. This Sir Henry de Coggeshall was of an antient family so named from the town of Coggeshall⁵, where they had considerable estates. He died about 49 Edward III. leaving Sir William, his son and heir, in whom the direct male line of the family failed; and a vast estate was, by his four daughters and coheirs, transferred into other houses. This estate was however settled on his brother Thomas, who had the lordship of Sandon, where he probably resided. He held the manor of New Hall, 15 Richard II. and died 10 Henry V.⁶ leaving Richard, his son and heir, 13 years old.

But at this time New Hall was holden by John de Boreham, and others; though on what account is not specified. And 6 Henry VI. Robert Darcy, of Malden, ancestor of the Barons Darcy Of Chiche, granted to Sir William Hungerford, &c. two parts of the manor called in New Hall, in Boreham⁷.

Note 2. Inq. 9 H. VIII.

Note 3. Writ ad quod damnum [Writ to what damage], 24 E. II.

Note 4. Cart. 47 Ed. III.

Note 5. In Boreham church several of the Coggeshalls were buried. See an account of their tombs, effigiess in windows, &c. in Symons's Essex Collection, in Coll. Armor.

Note 6. Inq. 10 H. V.

Note 7. Claus. 6 H. VI.

Richard de Coggeshall above mentioned died 11 Henry VI. leaving Elizabeth his sister and heir. This manor was still in the hands of John De Boreham and others².

Next we find it in Richard Alred, who may have married the said Elizabeth. He died 26 Henry VI. seised of the manor of New Hall, holden of Margaret, Queen of England, as of her manor of Great Badow, parcel of the Duchy of Lancaster; and 40 acres of arable land, in Boreham, lying near Cobbiswode, holden of John earl of Oxford; and one messuage, 100 acres of arable, 20 acres of meadow, 12 acres of pasture, and 6 of wood, lying in Springfield, Little Waltham, Great Leyes, Terling, Boreham, and Bromfield, called Nobatt, which was formerly the estate of Robert Nobatt and others; of Sir John Bourchier and Thomas Tyrel, knights, leaving William, his son and heir, 15 years old, to whom, by his will, dated March 8, 1446, he bequeathed particularly the manor of New Hall, with its appurtenances³.

Afterwards this estate fell to the crown; whether by forfeiture, during the wars between the houses of York and Lancaster, or otherwise, Mr. Morant could not determine. Perhaps, the manor of Great Badow being part of the Duchy of Lancaster, this might have fallen into it by escheat, exchange, or purchase.

We find it next in the noble family of Boteler, earl of Ormond, who had zealously adhered to the house of Lancaster. James Boteler, who was created earl of Wiltshire, 27 Henry VI. and became earl of Ormond on his father's death, 1451, was with Henry VI. at the battle of St. Alban's; and, on his behalf, also, at the battles of Wakefield, Mortimer's-cross, and Towton, at which last, being taken prisoner, he was beheaded, 1460, and attainted 1461, I Edward IV. John, his next brother, was also attainted 14 Edward IV.⁴ But Thomas, the third brother, living to see Henry VII. on the throne, that prince gave him the manor of New Hall, in recompense for the sufferings of his family; and in the 7th of his reign granted him licence to build there walls and towers⁵. He left only two daughters, whereof Margaret, the eldest, was married to Sir William Bullen, of Blickling, c. Norfolk. knight, who had by her Sir Thomas Bullen, his son and heir, advanced 18 June, 1525, to the title of viscount Rochford, soon after made knight of the Garter; and, 24 January, 1529, created earl of Wiltshire and Ormond; and the 24th of January following constituted Lord Privy Seal. All these honors were conferred on him out of the great regard Henry VIII. had for his daughter, the lady Anne, whom he soon after married.

In this king's reign one Mr. Colt lived at New Hall whose eldest daughter, Sir Thomas More married. He was John Colt of Nether-Hall, in Royden⁶

The king purchased this manor in the 9th year of his reign, 1517, of Richard Fitz James, bishop of London, by virtue of the will of Thomas earl of Ormond. Camden⁷ says that he procured it of Thomas Bullen, earl of Wiltshire, by exchange. So pleased was he with the situation, that he gave it the name of BEAU LIEU, which name, however, never came into general acceptation⁸ He also erected it unto an HONOUR, and greatly adorned and improved it. Here he kept the feast of St. George. 1524⁹

Leland dates the improvements made in several of the royal houses to the leisure which Henry enjoyed by the peace of Cambray between the Emperor and the King of France, on which occasion he had behaved so generously to the latter by giving him up the Emperor's bonds to restore his two sons, who were left as hostages, returning the jewels which France had pawned to him, and forgiving him all the expences he had been at to assist him, by a mutual discharge on both sides¹⁰.

Note 2. Inq. 11. H. VI.

Note 3. Inq. 26 H. VI.

Note 4. Dugd. Bar. II. 235.

Note 5. Pat. 7 H. VII.

Note 6. Morant, Essex. I. 490.

Note 7. Britannia, Essex.

Note 8. Camden ubi sup.

Note 9. Grafton's Chron. p. 553.

Note 10. Rapin VII. 310, 407.

See Note 11 below for translation.

Anglus tam placidae quietis autor

Gaudet munere pacis innovato:

Quoscunque artifices favens politos,

Hac lege ut laceros palatiorum

Muros restituant labore justo,

Conferantque suum novis nitorem.

Hinc crevit Viridis sinus² corona;

Hundesdenaque pervenusta sedes;

Hinc BELLUS LOCUS extulit serenae

Frontis lumina, Brigidae et sacer Fons³

Aedes magnifico decore festae.

Hinc Thornega⁴ vetus suos honores

Auxit splendida principum cathedra:

Shelfesega⁵ etiam domus renidens

Signis ventivolis et albicante

Crista. Sideris instar est Avona⁶

Ottelandaque⁷ verticem alta tollit.

Et Nulli titulo⁸ domus secunda

Caelo quae caput inserit corusco⁹

Note 2. Greenwich.

Note 3. Bridewell.

Note 4. Westminster.

Note 5. Chelsea.

Note 6. Hampton Court.

Note 7. Oatlands.

Note 8. Nonsuch.

Note 9. Cygnea Cantio.

Note 10. Translation: The English author of calm repose takes joy in his gift of renewed peace, showing all skilled artisans his favor on this condition: that they rebuild the dilapidated walls of his palaces with just labor and confer a splendor of their own making to new ones. Herefrom has grown the crown of Viridis sinus (Greenwich), and the very charming seat of Hundesdena (Hunsden); herefrom Bellus Locus (Beaulieu) has lifted up the lights of its serene brow, as has hallowed Brigidae Fons (Bridewell), a festive residence of magnificent beauty. Herefrom venerable (Thornega) Westminster, illustrious seat of rulers, has added to its honors. Shelfesega (Chelsea) too, a home resplendent with banners blowing in the wind and its white crest. Like a star is Avona (Hampton Court), and Ottelanda (Oatlands) lifts its head aloft. And his home, second to none in name (Nonsuch), which inserts its head into the gleaming firmament.

His daughter Mary, afterwards Queen of England, resided here some time¹³.

It received further improvement from Queen Elizabeth, who probably made it one of her retreats.

Over the house door were the arms of England as before, in a garter, supported by a crowned lion and a griffin sided by cariatides; over them this inscription.

VIVA ELIZABETHA. [Long live Elizabeth.]

Under the arms,

IN TERRA LA PIU SAVIA REGINA, EN CIELO LA PIU LUCENTA STELLA. VIRGINE MAGNANIMA, DOTTA, DIVINA, LEGIADRA, HONESTA, E BELLA. [On earth the wisest Queen, in Heaven the brightest star / Noble, learned, divine, graceful, honourable, and fair virgin.]

Note 13. Fox's Book of Martyrs.

May 28, 1573, Queen Elizabeth granted to Thomas Ratcliffe earl of Suffolk, all that capital mansion-house commonly called the Honor and Manor of Biewliew, alias Newhall, or Biewliew-house, and all the buildings and demesne lands thereto belonging, with the Old Park¹ And Dec. 31, following, she further granted to the same earl all the manor of Boreham, the manor of Walkfare, the manor of Oldhall, and the honour of Beauliew, alias Newhall² This nobleman was lord deputy and lieutenant of Ireland, in the reign of her predecessor, and was continued in that office by herself; he was also lord president of the North in her twelfth year, and made several successful inroads into Scotland. He was employed in several foreign negotiations, and sat as one of the peers on the duke of Norfolk's trial, and was lord chamberlain of the household at the time of his decease, June 9, 1583³. By a deed of feofment, dated Dec. 20, 1579, he settled the manor of Beaulieu, alias Newhall, with divers other lordships and lands in Essex and elsewhere, on the issue male of his own body until the tenth son: remainder to his brother Sir Henry Ratcliffe, knight, for life, and, after his decease on Robert Ratcliffe son and heir apparent to the said Henry and the heirs male of his body, and for a lack of such issue on Thomas Ratcliffe, esq. son and heir of Sir Humphrey Ratcliffe of Elnestow, c. Bedford, knight, deceased, and the heirs male of his body; remainder to Edward Ratcliffe second son of the said Sir Humphrey, and the heirs male of his body; and for default of such issue to the lady Frances his sister, then wife of Sir Thomas Mildmay, knight, and the heirs of his body by her⁴ He married first Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Wriothesley earl of Southampton, by whom he had two sons who died young; and secondly, Frances daughter of Sir William Sydney, knight, sister of Sir Henry Sydney Knight of the Garter, but dying without issue male surviving, he was succeeded in this and his other estates by his brother Henry earl of Sussex, who died April 10, 1594⁵, leaving his only son and heir Robert, who, though, as his grandfather, he married two wives, yet died without issue male surviving, Sept. 22, 1629⁶. Before his decease he had sold this estate for £30,000. to George Villiers duke of Buckingham, on whose murder by Felton, Aug. 23, 1628, it descended to his son George, a minor, duke of Buckingham, who having, 1648, engaged with the earl of Holland and others to rise in behalf of king Charles I. and being defeated and dispersed at Kingston upon Thames, the parliament voted him a traitor, and sequestered his estates. This was sold by the commissioners appointed by parliament for that purpose⁷ and purchased by Oliver Cromwell; the consideration money being 5s. and the computed yearly value £.1309. 12s. 3½d.⁸ But in 1653 he exchanged it for Hampton Court, paying the difference⁹ It was then sold to three wealthy citizens of London for £.18,000. Mr. Morant says, "Undoubtedly the duke of Buckingham recovered it at the Restoration." Whether he did or not, it was then purchased by George Monk duke of Albemarle, who lived here in a splendor which greatly reduced his fortune, and dying Jan. 4, 1669-70, was succeeded in his estate and title by his only son Christopher, who died 1688, in Jamaica, of which he had been appointed Governor the year before. He married Elizabeth eldest daughter of Henry earl of Ogle, son and heir apparent to William Cavendish duke of Newcastle, who being jointured in this estate was remarried 1691 to Ralph Duke of Montague. From that time this noble mansion was neglected and became ruinous. Her Grace died at Newcastle House, near Clerkenwell-church, Aug. 28, 1734, in the 96th year of her age.

Note 1. Pat. 16 Eliz.

Note 2. Pat. 17 Eliz.

Note 3. Dugd. Bar. II. 286.

Note 4. Ib.

Note 5. Ib. 287.

Note 6. Ib. 288, [sic]

Note 7. Scobell's Collection of Acts July, 1651. c. 10.

Note 8. Mr. Booth's MS. Collections for Essex.

Note 9. Parliamentary History, XX. p. 223.

Over the door leading to the chapel are, or were, these arms and quarterings carved in stone of Thomas Ratcliffe earl of Sussex, with those of his lady Frances Sydney, daughter of Sir William Sydney of Penshurst in Kent, knt. the celebrated founderess of Sydney Sussex College, Cambridge, and whose time by these arms we may conclude some additions were made to this mansion:

1. A bend ingrailed. Ratcliffe earl of Sussex.

2. A fess between two chevrons. Fitzwalter Arms.

3. A lion rampant crowned, within a bordure. Burnell.

4. A saltire ingrailed. Botetourt.

5. Three lucies hauriant. Lucy Arms.

6. Three bars. Multon Arms.

7. Semee Fleurs de lis. Mortimer of Attilborough.

8. An eagle and child. Culcheth.

Over the door leading to the hall those of Frances countess of Sussex, his consort:

1. A pheon. Sydney.

2. Two bars, in chief three shields. Clunford.

3. Three chevronells; a label of 3 points. Barrington.

4. On a bend three lozenges or muscles. Mercy.

5. Quarterly an escarbuncle. Mandeville Arms.

6. A chevron between three mullets. Chetwynd.

7. Three lions rampant. Baard.

8. Barry of 8 a lion rampant crowned. Brandon Arms.

A bear chained: the crest of Dudley earl of Leicester.

A griffin chained.

A rose crowned. Henry VIII.

A pomegranate crowned. Catharine of Arragon, his queen.

These coats and devices are here engraved from drawings taken by Mr. Vertue at the same time that he made those of the house.

The beautiful painted window now in the church of Saint Margaret at Westminster once contributed to the decoration of this palace. It was intended as a present to Henry VII. for his chapel at Westminster, from the magistrates of Dort in Holland; but he dying before that building was completed, it was set up in the abbey church of Waltham, and remained there till the dissolution, when it was removed to the chapel at New Hall, where it was preserved with great care for near two centuries. Mr. Olmius sold it for £50. to the late John Conyers, esq. of Copthall, who at that time had thoughts of placing it in the chapel of that venerable mansion of the abbots of Waltham. But soon after altering his intention of keeping that house in repair, and preferring the more expensive plan of building a new one on a higher situation, the window remained in the packing case till the parishioners of St. Margaret purchased it of him for four hundred guineas, in 1758. The print engraved by Mr. Basire, 1768, from drawings taken by Mr. Vertue, at the same time that he made those of the house and its ornaments, renders it unnecessary to enlarge on the subjects represented in this window, which are the crucifixion, accompanied by portraits of Henry VII. and his queen¹, taken from original pictures, sent to Dort for that purpose. Over the king is the figure of St. George, and above him a white rose within a red one: over the queen stands St. Catherine, and in a panel above her is a pomegranate Vert in a field Or. the arms of the kingdom of Grenada². The objections raised at the time against fixing up this window in the church of St. Margaret, and the admirable defence of the whole proceeding made by one of the residentiaries of the adjoining collegiate church, founded on arguments drawn from historical practice, supported by a suitable taste for the polite arts, as well as for the monuments of antiquity, are too well known to require a detail in this place.

Note 1. Of these portraits the Society have sketches of the original size by Mr. Vertue.

Note 2. From the badge over the queen some have supposed the portraits intended for prince Arthur and the princess Catharine of Arragon: but against this the royal crowns and mantles seem strongly to militate.

1786. The tesselated pavements exhibited in this plate were discovered, in March and November, 1786, in a common meadow, called Pitt-Mead, near Warminster, in the county of Wilts. Through the particular attention of a lady then in the neighbourhood, sketches of them were made before the greater part of them were destroyed by the ignorant peasantry. Her account of them, and of further discoveries which she procured to be made, were communicated in a letter to the Hon. Daines Barrington, which is here subjoined, as it was read before the Society of Antiquaries, Jan. 21, 1787.

Warminster, Jan. 6, 1787.

"Sir

"Pitt Meadow (or Mead, as it is more generally called), a common pasture field, is situated about a mile and three quarters east of Warminster (supposed Verlucio), between the two villages of Bishopsrow and Norton-Bavant, and about six hundred yards south of the turnpike road leading to Sarum. Through one side of it runs the river Wily; it is the property of divers persons, therefore divided by small trenches or gutters leading to the river. On one of these divisions, about an acre and a half, the property of a nobleman in the neighbourhood [Lord Weymouth], the tenant, in March 1786, being about to make the surface somewhat more level, discovered ruins[.] This induced him to go lower than he intended, and he presently came to the tesselated pavement which I have delineated No 1. The fame of this reaching Warminster, an ingenious person of this place took a sketch of the figure and colours; but, as the country people soon demolished and carried away the whole of it, and as nobody seemed to stir in the matter, he threw it by, and no more was thought of Pitt-Mead, till a Mr. Walker, lecturer in philosophy, came to the town, who was accidentally informed of what had been found, in consequence of which he visited the spot, saw some loose tesselae, broken tiles, &c. and inserted a paragraph in the Salisbury Journal, though very unsatisfactory. Seeing this (for, being a stranger in the place, I had heard nothing of it before), on the 16th of November, after applying to the occupier for permission, I took a man over, and began to dig, when to my great satisfaction, about two feet below the surface I hit upon the top of the pavement No 2, and traced it to its full extent. Continuing the search, on the eighteenth was discovered, by the Rev. Mr. Massey, at the head of the last-mentioned floor, but not more than half a foot below the surface, an imperfect floor, No 3, but so decayed that I could make little or nothing of it, nor could we at that time find a continuation of it; for which reason, added to the severity of the weather, we desisted from any farther investigation at that time. But the above-mentioned Nobleman, hearing of our discoveries, employed some men there, who in the course of a few days, Nov. 22, came to the beautiful remains No 4. This was likewise not more than half a foot below the surface, and in some places not more than four inches, which I suppose to be at the cause of so large a part of it being destroyed. The men still continued to open different parts, and on the west side of No 1 came to what I take to be a bath, or sudatory; the floor, a very hard cement, composed of something extremely white, like marble, broken in pieces, sand, brick, oyster-shells, broken together, what about three feet below the surface. Upon breaking up a point of it, I found some pieces of burnt wood, in a kind of drain or flew. The men then proceded lower in the mead (that is, nearer to the water), and at about eight feet from the pavements, No 1 and 2, discovered the foundation of a wall, two feet thick, running in a direct line, east and west, turned up, and continued by the outside of the pavement No 2, at about the distance of four feet from it. This is the last discovery; but one man is still at work, and as they politely gave me leave to direct his search, on Monday last I set him to open the uninvestigated part between No 1 and the above-mentioned wall, looking upon that as the most likely spot to find somewhat to gratify the curious: however he has as yet discovered nothing material, except you may think an iron star (which I look upon to be the rowel of a spur), a ring of the same metal, and, nearer the wall, an ivory bodkin or pin, together with part of a horn; the figures and sizes of all which I have faithfully given at No 5, 6, 7, 8. Though I have not the least doubt but there are many places yet untouched that would afford ample entertainment to the curious antiquary, were there a person well versed in these matters to superintend the search; at present, for want of skill and management, all is random work and confusion. In all our researches, nothing else has been found that is perfect; but great variety of worked tiles and broken pieces of pottery, of all colours, kinds, and shapes. I have the foot, and a small part of the body, of an urn, of beautiful black pottery, much resembling Mr. Wedgwood's tea-pots, and several bits of glass, very different to what is now made, or any I have ever seen, a great variety of bones, human and animal, one skull of astonishing thickness and magnitude, and four teeth in the lower jaw extremely sound and even.

I have nothing to add relative to this particular spot, save that there is evidently a raised causeway leading from it across the meadows to Bishopsrow; and that the learned and honourable Society may depend upon the accuracy of the draughts, as I took them all (except the first, which I copied from the before-mentioned sketch) upon the spot, which no other person had the opportunity of doing. As to the execution, conscious as I am of a great deficiency, having never had the least instructions, I can with truth say, nothing but an ardent desire of preventing what most people think so important a discovery from being hid from your learned body, could have induced me to let it meet the eye of taste and science. At the other end of the mead (which is about a quarter of a mile in length) stand two tumuli or barrows. I got permission to open one of them, had a cut made about two feet and a half wide, quite across it, and in the middle, about four feet from the top surface, found an unbaked urn full of burnt bones and ashes, but to my great mortification nothing else. Near to these barrows I also yesterday discovered evident ruins of an oblong form: I made a man dig a small hole, and I met with many worked tiles, Roman bricks, &c. &c. Upon informing Lord Weymouth's steward of it, he promised to have it properly investigated, when, if any thing is discovered of consequence, I will do myself the honour of again addressing you. In the mean time, permit me to say, if these indigested hints are capable of affording the least satisfactory information to the honourable Society, I shall be abundantly recompensed for the trouble of committing to paper; and have the honour to subscribe myself, with all imaginable respect, Sir, your most obedient, and very humble servant,

CATH. DOWNES.

P.S. I am possessed of a small collection of coins, and amongst them one of fine brass, inscribed, "DIVVS ANTONINVS:" the reverse, a kind of standard, without any legend¹.

Note 1. By the account of this discovery communicated to the Editors of the Gentleman's Magazine, 1787, printed in vol. LVII. p. 22, withs a sketch of the pavements, urns, stylus, &c. it appears that a coin of Claudius Gothicus was found sticking to the foot of an earthen vase.

The discovery of such considerable vestiges of a Roman villa at Mansfield-Woadhouse, in a part of Nottinghamshire where "there certainly never was any Roman Road⁶," will justify us concluding in favour of another Roman villa near Warminster, which is within 20 miles of a very considerable military way. The same articles present themselves in both villae: pavements, hypocausts, rings, horns, styles, coins. It is by no means improbable, that, at the distance which Warminster is from Bath, some Roman of distinction may have fixed his double villae, as well as others of his countrymen at Mansfield-Woadhouse, or as those who left marks of their magnificence and taste at Wellow near Bath⁷, at Nether-Hayford⁸ near Weedon, at Welton⁹ near Geddington, or at Cotterstock¹⁰ near Oundle, all in Northamptonshire, and not much nearer to stations; or those at Winterton and Roxby in Lincolnshire¹¹, where no station has been discovered, though the Fosse Road ends at the first of these places, or that at Hovingham near Castle-Howard in the North Riding of Yorkshire¹², or that most beautiful, but now entirely destroyed, one at Littlecoat, six miles from Marlborough, which seemed to have formed the floor of a temple¹³, and that smaller in Ridge coppice, near Froxfield, in the same neighbourhood¹⁴; all which are so many proofs that such monuments are not confined to stations, but scattered all over the kingdom, by the people who first conquered, and then civilized it, and kept possession of it 476 years.

Note 6. Major Rooke, Arch. VIII. 375.

Note 7. Engraved by this Society, Vet. Mon. I. pl. i.—lii.

Note 8. Moreton, 528. Bridges, I. 519.

Note 9. Drawn by John Lens, and engraved by Cole, at the expence of Lord Viscount Hatton, who preserved it by building over it.

Note 10. Engraved by this Society, Vet. Mon. I. xlviii.

Note 11. Engraved by this Society, Vet. Mon. 1750, II. ix.

Note 12. Engraved by Vertue, for the Earl of Burlington, 1747.

Note 13. Engraved by Mr. Vertue, with an account by Professor Ward, 1729.

Note 14. Engraved by Vandergucht, 1723.

SINCE the above was printed off, Mr. BARRINGTON received the following letter from Mrs. DOWNES, dated Warminster, March 10, 1788; in which, after expressing her acknowledgements for the attention paid to her description by the Society, she proceeds.

"Give me leave, Sir, to mention to you a small inaccuracy of the press in regard to the Lecturer in Philosophy; for Walker, read Warltire: the mistake was natural, as there is a Mr. Walker, a Lecturer also.

Not long since there was accidentally found, in some of the rubbish at Pitt Mead, a small, but perfect copper coin of Claudius, with a radiated crown, and also some quantity of burnt corn in a hollow stone. All farther intention of search there is, I believe, dropped, which I cannot but regret; as, I am certain, the parts hitherto unexplored are full as likely to contain wherewith to gratify the curious as those already opened. But Lord Weymouth having taken the matter into his hands, excludes any one else from attempting discoveries.

I cannot help observing to you, that at the distance of about half a mile north of Pitt Mead, and nearly upon a line with it, stands Battlesbury, a triple intrenchment, upon which Roman coins have been found, one of the first Constantine lately; and from this place a chain of intrenchments may plainly be traced for nine or ten miles towards Marlborough; and about a quarter of a mile south of Pitt Mead, on a rising ground called Sutton Common, is a circular level plain, about thirty yards over, inclosed by a bank four feet high, with two entrances, one east, the other west; and in the neighbourhood of Pitt Mead are several tumuli or barrows: and great numbers of Roman coins have been found, at different times, near to all these spots, many of which I have in my possession. With all due submission, do not these things bespeak something more than a mere VILLA at Pitt Mead or Warminster?

Many apologies are necessary for the length of this letter; but I shall forbear to trespass longer upon your patience: and have the honour to subscribe myself, with the greatest respect, Sir, your most obedient servant, CATH. DOWNES."