Local Author’s Mistake: — I have recently been reading “Men and Mansions,” by Mr. Harold Spender, the famous author and journalist, and as he is a Somerset man (born at Bath 1864) was not a little surprised to find him stating that Burton Pynsent was in Wiltshire. Writing about the elder Pitt he says: — “He inhabited, indeed, many mansions in the course of his long and magnificent career — “Burton Pynsent,” in Wiltshire; “Hayes,” in Surrey; and often as a brother-in-law to Lord Temple, the great house at Stowe.” “Burton Pynsent” is the parish Curry Rivel, near Langport. In Kelly’s “Directory of Somersetshire” the following particulars arc given under the heading of Curry Rivel: — “On the summit of a hill, about one mile west, the Taunton-road, is Burton Pynsent, formerly the residence of Sir William Pvnsent, Bart., widower of Mary, daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Jennings, Esq. to whom the ancient Manor of Byrton Pynsent belonged. Sir William, who died 15th June, 1754, bequeathed it to William Pitt, the first Earl of Chatham, and the property, on the death of Lady Chatham, 3rd April, 1803, passed by sale to the Pinney family. . . . On the estate is a monument erected in 1768 to Sir William Pynsent by Lord Chatham.” — F.C.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.