[William] Stump was a wealthy cloathier at Malmesbury, tempore Henrici VIII. His father was the parish clarke of North Nibley, in Gloucestershire, and was a weaver, and at last grew up to be a cloathier. This cloathier at Malmesbury, at the dissolution of the abbeys, bought a great deale of the abbey lands thereabout. When King Henry 8th hunted in Bradon Forest, he gave his majesty and the court a great entertainment at his house (the abbey). The King told him he was afraid he had undone himself; he replied that his own servants should only want their supper for it. [See this anecdote also in Fuller’s Worthies, Wiltshire.—J. B.] Leland sayes that when he was there the dortures and other great roomes were filled with weavers’ loomes. [The following is the passage referred to (Leland’s Itinerary, vol. ii. p. 27.) “The hole logginges of th’ abbay be now longging to one Stumpe, an exceeding rich clothiar, that boute them of the king. This Stumpe was the chef causer and contributor to have th’ abbay chirch made a paroch chirch. At this present tyme every corner of the vaste houses of office that belongid to th’ abbay be full of lumbes to weeve cloth yn, and this Stumpe entendith to make a strete or 2 for cloathiers in the back vacant ground of the abbay that is withyn the town waulles. There be made now every yere in the town a 3,000 clothes.” See “Memorials of the Family of Stumpe”, by Mr. J. G. Nichols, in “Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica”, vol. vii.—J. B.] Mr. Paul Methwin of Bradford succeeded his father-in-law in the trade, and was the greatest cloathier of his time (tempore Caroli 2nd). He was a worthy gentleman, and died about 1667. Now (temp. Jacobi II.) Mr. Brewer of Troubridge driveth the greatest trade for medleys of any cloathier in England. CHAPTER XIII. FAIRES AND MARKETTS. FAIRES. The most celebrated faire in North Wiltshire for sheep is at Castle Combe, on St. George’s Day (23 April), whither sheep-masters doe come as far as from Northamptonshire. Here is a good crosse and market-house; and heretofore was a staple of wooll, as John Scrope, Esq. Lord of this mannour, affirmes to me. The market here now is very inconsiderable. [Part of the cross and market-house remain, but there is not any wool fair, market, or trade at Castle Combe, which is a retired, secluded village, of a romantic character, seated in a narrow valley, with steep acclivities, covered with woods. The house, gardens, &c. of George Poulett Scrope, Esq. M.P., the Lord of the Manor, are peculiar features in this scene.—J. B.] At Wilton is a very noted faire for sheepe, on St. George’s Day also; and another on St. Giles’s Day, September the first. Graziers, &c. from Buckinghamshire come hither to buy sheep.