[Footnote 1: Pretenders, a name given to the son and grandsons of James II. of England. The Old Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart, Chevalier de St. George, born 10th June, 1688, was acknowledged by Louis XIV. as James III. of England, in 1701 proclaimed and his standard set up, at Braemar and Castletown, in Scotland, landed at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire from France to encourage the rebellion that the Earl of Mar and his adherents had promoted, 25th December, 1715. This rebellion having been soon suppressed, the Pretender escaped to Montrose (from whence he proceeded to Gravelines) 4th February 1716. Died at Rome, 30th December, 1765. The Young Pretender, Charles Edward, was born in 1720, landed in Scotland and proclaimed his father King 25th July, 1745; gained the battle of Preston-Pans, 21st September, 1745, and of Falkirk, 27th January, 1746; defeated at Culloden, and sought safety by flight 16th April, 1746. He continued wandering among the wilds of Scotland for nearly six months, and as £30,000 were offered for taking him, he was constantly pursued by the British troops, often hemmed round by his enemies, but still rescued by some lucky incident, and at length escaped from the Ulst Morilaix in September. He died 31st January, 1788. His natural daughter assumed the title of Duchess of Albany; died in 1789. His brother, the Cardinal York, calling himself Henry IX. of England, born March, 1725, died at Rome in August, 1807.] [Footnote 2: When he was about twenty-six years of age he was married to the daughter and co-heiress of Sir Henry Winchescomb, of Bucklebury, in Berkshire, Bart., and the same year, 1700, he entered the House of Commons, being elected for the Borough of Wotton-Basset in Wiltshire, by a family interest, his father having served several times for the same place.] [Footnote 3: The ceilings of three of the chambers upstairs are ornamented with stucco-work, and have in their centres oval-shaped oil paintings on allegorical subjects.] [Footnote 4: Bolingbroke House was pulled down about the year 1775. The pictures were sold by auction.] Lord Bolingbroke was born about the year 1672, or as some think, in 1678; he was baptized October 10, 1678; died December 12, 1751, and left the care and benefit of his M.S.S. to Mr. Mallet, who published them together with his former printed works in five vols. 4to.; they are also printed in 8vo.