The Huntleys of Boxwell Court

 Proceedings of the Bath Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, Volume 7

From pgs 157-160

Boxwell Court, May 20th, 1890.—A morning of misty rain and South-east wind succeeding a most thoroughly rainy day, did not promise well for the 18 miles drive in prospect, and probably was the cause of the small muster opposite the Post Office at 9 a.m. Thirteen members only took their seats in the break out of the seventeen whose names had been sent in to the Secretary. Sosoon, however, as the high Cotteswold plateau was reached the ,weather improved and glimpses of blue sky every now and then were cheering. The foliage, too, of the trees in the Parks of Dyrham and Dodington looked their greenest and freshest after the rain. A short halt took place at the Cross Hands where the party was increased by Mr. Skrine and three visitors. After passing Petty France, instead of following the road to Didmarton> Badminton Park was left on the right hand and the main road taken to Boxwell Farm. Several tumuli were passed, connected no doubt more or less with the numerous camps which surmount the edge of the Cotteswolds, and indicative of many a hard fought fight on this border line in days gone by. A room at the Manor Farm was most courteously placed at the disposal of the members on their arrival, 11.15, by Mr. Clark, the tenant, and a fire was most acceptable after the somewhat breezy ride of the morning. Before starting for the morning's ramble, Mr. Skrine gave a short account of the family of the Huntleys, former possessors of the Court. From which it appeared that this family had descended from a stock that came over with William the Conqueror from Normandy, and derived their name from the Lordship of Huntley in Gloucestershire, near the Forest of Dean, given by the King, to Wythenoc Fitz. Baderon, and by him granted to his nephew, William Fitz Baderon,. Baron of Monmouth, and ancestor of the Huntleys. The third son of this Fitz Baderon was styled Sir Walter de Huntley and from him the present life tenant of the Boxwell Estate, the Revd. Osmond Currie Huntley, is lineally descended. The Huntley's were connected by marriage with the Throgmortons, of Tortworth, and the Ferrers, of Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire. John Huntley, the grandson of George Huntley and Constance Ferrers espoused the cause of the Parliamentarians in the Civil War, was mortally wounded at the siege of Cirencester and was succeeded by his Uncle Mathew, who was an officer of Prince Eupert's Horse, and is said to have taken part in most of the great battles ,of the period, Roundeway Down in 1643, Cropredy Bridge in 1644, &c. &c. After the downfall of the monarchy he retired to Boxwell Court, but on the appearance of Charles II. he joined the royal army at the battle of Worcester, and on the defeat of the army again took refuge at Boswell with his son George and ,son-in-law, Sir John Wynyard. It was during one of the domiciliary visits to Boxwell Court in search of this determined cavalier {i.e. in 1650) that a melancholy event occurred which threw a dark shadow over the family, and gave rise to certain stories connected ,with the Court. The wife of Sir John Wynyard, who was at that time near her confinement, was so frightened at the approach of the armed searchers that she and her babe succumbed to a premature confinement. The following legend of the Cotteswold Hills describes this event:—

THE LADY CONSTANCE.

Oh! ask not who that Ladye fair
Who silent glides the Hall around,

The chamber and the stair,
And moves without a sound.

And ask not whose that gentle Child

Wrapt in her silken fold,
Whom, mother still, with aspect mild

She bosoms from the cold.

All nightly from ye storied Tomb,

While the sun goes round by north,
On a saintly errand athwart the gloom

From the Chancel she passes forth.

In haste to the Chamber away she has sped,

In haste to ye Panel has gone,
She hath stood by the Bed and uplifted her head,

And whispered " Thy will be done."

She passes to bless each loyal bed

And holy dreams to inspire,
That the sleepers may pray when the morning's sped.

For the end of their travel is nigher.

Then she waits dawn to count ye stars in the west

And see the moon retire,
When she patient retires with the babe at her breast,

For the end of their travel is nigher.

Soon after this another refugee comes to Boxwell, no less a. personage than that of King Charles II. under the guise of a groom riding before the daughter of Col. Lane, on his.road to Bristol, September 12th, 1651. The friendly shade of a wood called the "King's Walk," now the property of Mr. John Rolt, affording him concealment for a time. Tn memory of the King's, visit the Inn at Leighterton is called the Royal Oak. The losses arising from the adherence of Mathew and his son to. . the Royalists caused the lapse of several manors. The grandson of this Mathew married into the Guise family, and his wife dying without issue he married, as his second wife the niece of the Right Rev. Dr. Chandler, Bishop, first of Lichfield and then of Durham. Several other intermarriages were alluded to, and Mr. Skrine, whose great grandfather was a Huntley, concluded with the narrative of a daring burglary which occurred at the Court about the middle of last century (Circiter, 1750), and was very illustrative of those times. During the occupation of the Court by some friends and relatives, one Crewe, who kept a notorious gang of outlaws iu the neighbourhood, and one of whose strongholds was supposed to have been Robin Hood's Hill, near Gloucester, then (according to Mr. Webster Huntley's memoir from which Mr. Skrine quoted) covered with beech timber, ,obtained access to the Court one Christmastide when it was fully prepared and provisioned for the reception of numerous guests, and, having duly imprisoned the family inside their sleeping portion of the house, proceeded to pillage the plate and wellfurnished larder, at their departure leaving a note of thanks for their entertainment and the abundant stores which they had ..enjoyed. A fall of snow concealing the traces of the robbers, Crewe succeeded in escaping, and was never called to account for this outrage—which he confessed when he arrived at the natural termination of his career—the Gallows.

The narrative read by Mr. Skrine was abstracted from a MS. memoir of the Family written by the Rev. Richard Webster Huntley, late Rector of Boxwell, and illustrated by drawings and illuminations by the hand of his wife—and the volume was shown to the members.

At the conclusion of Mr. Skrine's notes the members walked through the woods to the Court, turning aside to see the great Boxwood, covering about 20 acres of ground, and the largest but one of that species of tree in England. The spring which issues from this wood gives its name to the estate, and meanders through the valley by Ozleworth, and so through the hills to the great western vale. Those who went through the house (the consent of the present tenant, Lady Guise, having been first obtained) were shown the Elizabethan chimney-piece in the dining-room, portraits by Sir J. Reynolds and Kneller, the usual four-posters, «aid to have been reposed in by Royalty, and then visited the -small Church attached to the Court at the South side. 

The Priory of Walsingham

Walsingham Village, Norfolk, England

Here Mr. Skrine gave the following account of the Manor and Church. The Church of St. Peter de Gloucestre (so states Domesday Book) held the Manor in the reign of William the Conqueror. Tha Abbey of Glo'ster held the Manor, temp., Edward III. A moiety of the lands in Boxwell—" Leighterton and Wast"—was afterwards granted to Sir Walter Raleigh, and on his attainder for high treason fell again to the crown and was..granted to Peter Vaulore, a merchant, who was Lord of the Manor, 1608. The other moiety came to the Huntleys, temp., Queen Elizabeth. The advowson of the Rectory belonged to the Priory of Walsingham, in Norfolk, founded by "Sir Geffray Favercbes Knyth " for the Black Canons. The little Church, consisting of a nave, chancel and South aisle, divided from the nave by three bays, is the mother church of the parish, and had regular services down to the latter years of the former Rector, Richard Webster Huntley, who then removed to the Rectory house of Leighterton. Many of the adjoining cottages having been pulled down, there was less reason for holding services. The Church necessarily falling into decay from damp and neglect, presented a pitiable aspect when seen two or three years ago, the rain comingthroughthe roof, and the walls often being encrusted with green damp. Through Mr. Skrine's cousin, Mr. 'Osmond Huntley, and himself, and the assistance of the Rector, this state of things has been remedied and the little church been placed in good repair, the only thing wanting now being seats, reading desk and lectern, which it is hoped will be provided ere long by the assistance of the Diocesan Church Building Society. The font, situated in the North aisle attracted attention ; it is ,octagonal in shape and rests upon eight rudely rounded short shafts and raised upon a square base. It was apparently an Early English font, since altered. The pointed arch leading into the ,chancel is of that date, as is the rather unique bell cot, which was successfully photographed by Mr. Powell (one of the members), and through the kindness of Mr. Skrine has been reproduced in Platinotype for this number. High up on the South wall were indications of a sun dial, the usual hole for the gnomon and two radiating lines cut in the masonry. Ozleworth Church was the next point of interest, and the members wound round in front of the court and down theromantic combe under the guidance of Mr. Skrine who accompanied them a portion of the way. Following the little stream from Boxwood as it found its rippling way through the wooded valley, they crossed by a little bridge at the bottom, turned to the right, and, after a pleasant walk of about 1£ mile, found themselves in front of the comfortable looking mansion belonging to. the Rolt family. The keys of the adjoining church having been obtained, the Secretary read some notes prepared by Mr. Skrine, from which it appeared that the Church, given to the Priory of Leonard Stanley by Roger Lord Berkeley, is an ancient building of singular construction, having an hexagonal tower rising up between the Nave and Chancel from Transition arches. A sharp. . pointed arch beneath the Tower exhibits highly relieved zig-zag ornament. The font is of peculiar construction somewhat resembling that at Boxwell, but whether a copy of an ancient font originally existing there or entirely new was not evident. The South porch, probably Transition, has its columns ornamented with foliage of an unusual type, but the whole structure has been so rebuilt or modernized that it is difficult to. . trace what is original and what is the freak of the so-called restorer. The Tower, however, seems to have been untouched, and is of Transition period and very interesting. Passing through the neatly kept churchyard into the garden the members were shown the latter by the gardener, and then taking a short cut through the grounds, descended through the wood, remarkable for its fine beech trees, recrossed the stream, and found their way back to the farm. After partaking of some refreshments which they had fortunately provided for themselves, and thanking Mr. Skrine for the trouble he had taken in arranging the day'sprogramme and for the notes he had prepared, the party left for Bath at 5 p.m. At the Cross Hands a short halt was made fortea, which was very acceptable after their cold ride, and Bath was reached about 7.45 p.m.

SOURCE:  http://books.google.com/books?id=-FNKAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA157&ots=tRA1ecZEVB&dq=%22walter%20de%20huntley%22%20baderon&pg=PA157#v=onepage&q=%22walter%20de%20huntley%22%20baderon&f=false