Its owners and some historical connections - Lackham Countryside ...

The Manor of Alderton 3rd edition
cuckold of Aldrington alias Alderton – a figure that steps straight out of the
comedies of the past, obssessed with his own importance” 264 . This wasn’t an
isolated insult - in 1680 Aubrey asked Wood to “write to the cuckold at
‘Alderton, alias Aldrington’ to enquire &c &c. But he is a yare man and afraid of
my queries as many people are when we want to preserve the memories of their
Relations” 265 . This seems to suggest that Aubrey wanted information on a
family skeleton that Thomas wouldn’t provide. What this might be, if this is
the case, is unclear but a possibility was suggested in the records of Oxford
University. The entry for Charles Gore (Thomas’ brother) reads
Gore Charles arm fil nat Queen's Col matric 24 June 1653
2nd son Charles late of Aldrington brother of Thomas 1650
266
A natural son was nothing unusual, but there is no indication in the parish
records or in Jackson’s pedigree of this – one might wonder if this was what
Aubrey thought was behind Thomas’ refusal to answer his quaeries. Another
possibility is suggested by Aubrey’s reference to the “cuckold of Aldrington”
but this is probably just seventeenth century nastiness. Aubrey had, by this
time “lost all his property” 267 , so he may have just been upset that Thomas
(presumably) owned the property Aubrey had mortgaged to him.
Thomas Gore’s writings indicate an excessive pedantry; see for example the
accuracy of his descriptions in his will. He was always much concerned that the
village name was incorrect, having originally been Aldrington. He almost
invariably used the older spelling, but he frequently also used “Aldrington alias
Alderton” 268 and was almost certainly extremely tedious on the subject. Much
“Aubrey writes thus (to A. Wood) “Pray remember me to Mr. Browne. If he writes or
sees Mr Gore let him not tell him that he saw me: for he is a fiddling peevish fellow
and something related to my adversaries” ….
264 “EJK” (1961) Wiltshire Gazette 23 Feb 1961 article on a visit to Alderton.
265 Jackson, Rev JE (1873) The Last Will of Thomas Gore, the Antiquary WAM
XLIV, no LX p1
266 Alumni Oxiensis 1600 – 1715
267 Pitcairn Hill (1985) A History of Kington St Michael in Wiltshire p48
268 See, for example, Jackson, Rev JE (1873) ibid p3, line 14
83