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STORIES OF
Miss Mitford, in 1829 (" Life," vol. ii., 281), says the story belongs to Bramshill, Sir John Cope's house in Hampshire. But she adds: " This story is common to old houses; it was told me of the great house at Malsanger." This last house is near Basingstoke and at nearly the same date is said to have been un-occupied. There seems to be no doubt that the old oak chest of Bramshill was connected with some tragical event, but whether it took place in Italy or England it is hard to say, though I incline to the belief that it was in England, as the oak chest was at one time one of the prin-cipal articles of furniture in most family man-sions. The oak, too, is a special product of England, but not of Italy. Moreover, the same sad circumstance has been associated with at least four other houses. First at a Leicester-shire house, the house of the Hartopps; sec-ondly at Marwell Old Hall near Winchester, where the coffer sold at Basketts-Fletchwood was, previously to its passing into the possession of the late Rev. J. Haygarth, at Upham, Hants, at whose death it went to Mr. Lawson Tait's house in the New Forest; thirdly, at a house not far from Bridgwater. In the parish church of Bawdrip, about three miles from Bridgwater there is a monument to Edward |
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