Читать книгу Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle онлайн

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Mr. Weir, in his History of Lincolnshire (vol. I., p. 299, Ed., 1828), says that portions of the former residence of the Earls of Lincoln were at that date still standing, near the modern mansion of the Liveseys. Then the latter was re-constructed in 1873–5, the furniture and other arrangements, were of a very costly character. The present writer, with an acquaintance of the family, had the privilege of being shewn over the whole house, by the lady of the house, shortly after its completion. It might be called a repertoire of valuable works of art and vertu, in furniture, books, paintings, stuffed birds, and animals, among the latter being the famous lion “Nero,” from the Zoo. The owner, being devoted to engineering and mechanical operations, had one room, of which the walls were covered with clocks, of endless kinds, with various elaborate mechanism, such as cocks crowing, horns blowing, etc., etc., for chiming the hours. All these came to the hammer in 1891. Even the economy of the farm yard was elaborate. To give one instance:—At the back of the cattle sheds, ran a tramway of small trucks; doors opened at the back of the crib of each stall, and the trucks conveyed the exact modicum of provender, and it was injected into each separate crib, periodically, for the animals which were there fed. The lake in the park was formed from a small stream running through the grounds, it is well stocked with fish of various kinds, especially affording sport to the troller by the abundance of fine pike. It was originally stocked, as tradition avers, from the Moat of Langton Rectory, now no longer existing, but formerly of considerable size, and connected with a large pond, where fish of many kinds abounded. The vicarage is a substantial residence, with good garden, erected in 1857, on a site presented by Robert Vyner, Esq.