Page:A History of Horncastle from the Earliest Period to the Present Time.djvu/72

Rh the county family, the head of which was Lord Hussey of Sleaford. The John Hamerton, churchwarden in 1675, was born Jan. 22, 1636, son of John and Dorothy Hamerton. The marriage of the parents is not given in the register, the father therefore probably married an "outener," as they are provincially termed. The interesting point however in connection with this family is, that although they have long ago been extinct, they have left their mark behind them still surviving in the town. Near the junction of East Street with South Street there still exists at the back of the second shop, in the former street (a repository for fancy needlework), a room lined with good oak wainscoting, with finely carved mantelpiece, over which is an inscription, richly carved in relief, with the letters "Ao Di" to the left, and to the right the date "1573;" while above, in the centre, are the initials "J H" and "M H;" separated by a floriated cross and encircled by a wreath. This would doubtless be John Hamerton and his wife Mary (or Margaret) Hamerton, the original builders of the house. Two doors beyond is Hamerton Lane, and the title deeds, which the present writer has inspected, show that the whole of this block of buildings now forming five shops and two private residences, once formed one large dwelling place, belonging to the Hamerton of that day, with a frontage in East Street of more than 20 yards, and in South Street of 70 or 80 yards, with extensive back premises and gardens attached. The J.H. and M.H., of whom we have here such interesting relics, were probably the grandfather and grandmother of the John Hamerton of the time of the Commonwealth and Charles II., and the extent of the buildings occupied by them show that they were wealthy.

Tanning was at one time the chief trade of the town, there being within the writer's recollection several tan yards, now no longer existing. The Bain water was said to be specially suited for this purpose. We have seen that several of the Hamertons were tanners, and they had evidently prospered in their calling.

One more name in the register deserves a brief notice, that of Snowden (spelt there Snoden). We have, at various dates, from 22 Oct.. [sic] 1629, onwards, the baptisms of the whole family of Mr. Rutland Snowden, and the burials of some of them. The Snowdens were originally a Notts. family, of the smaller gentry class, but Robert Snowden, third son of Ralph Snowden, of Mansfield Woodhouse, became Bishop of Carlisle, and, ex officio, Lord of the Manor of Horncastle. The Bishops of Carlisle had, as has been already stated, a residence in Horncastle, near the present Manor House, and the Bishop's widow, Abigail, probably resided there. In her will, dated 15 April, 1651, and proved 7 May in the same year, she mentions her sons Rutland and Scrope; there was also another son Ralph. Rutland married on Xmas day, 1628, Frances, widow of George Townshend, Esq., of Halstead Hall, Stixwould, and Lord of the Manor of Cranworth, Norfolk, by whom he had a large family. His granddaughter, Jane Snowden, married Charles Dymoke, Esq., of Scrivelsby; she died childless and founded and endowed the village school and almshouses at Hemingby. Another granddaughter, Abigail, married Edward Dymoke, younger son of Sir Edward Dymoke, of Scrivelsby, as shewn by the register there, on 18 July, 1654, and she thus became ancestress of the Tetford branch of the Dymokes, now also of Scrivelsby.

Rutland Snowden, who graduated B.A. at Christ's College, Cambridge, 1617-8, took his M.A. degree at St. John's College, Oxford, 1623, and was admitted a member of Gray's Inn in the same year. He was buried at