Chapters from Family Chests Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887 Excerpt: ...his father, and notably a hard rider. The poor and the common people loved him. He always used to ride a favourite horse, and he had specially reserved this animal when he gave up all his other property. The horse was wellsaddled at the door for the last time, and Wild Darell was silent till he leaped into the saddle. Then, rising in his stirrups as the horse moved to turn from Littlecote, he cursed the despoiler of his house in the bitterest terms, vowing that the eldest son of the Pophams should never enjoy the inheritance or the estate. HaviDg spoken thus, he dashed in a frantic manner across the park to quit the place for ever. He had not gone far from the house when his horse fell in a headlong leap, and, with his rider, was killed on a spot which is still shown as 'Wild DareU's Leap.' This, however, is but tradition. History asserts that Littlecote passed by sale to Sir John Popham, and that it had the honour, in the time of Alexander Popham, the grandson of the Chief Justice, of receiving a royal visit from Charles II., who, at his coronation, created Sir Francis Popham, the heir of Littlecote, a Knight of the Bath. The last male representative of this distinguished branch of the ancient house of Popham was Francis Popham, Esq., of Littlecote, and of Houndstreet, Somersetshire, who died in 1730, having devised his estates to his nephew, Lieutenant-General Edward William Leybourne. That gentleman assumed in consequence the surname of Popham, and, seating himself at Littlecote, served as high sheriff of the county of Wilts in 1830. He died in 1853, and was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, Edward William, on whose death, in January, 1881, the property devolved upon his nephew, Francis William Leybourne-Popham, now of Littlecote and Houndstreet, who...