Our course turned back east, our London apartment rental beginning in two days. Happily, the course was adjusted to include Nunney, the home of Vicki's ancestral castle ruins.
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| Nunney castle and moat; built by John de la Mare in the 14th; modeled on the Bastille or other French castles, which he must have seen during his various travels in France during the Hundred Years War |
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| Less a castle than a fortified residence; bought by wealthy London resident Richard Prater in the 16th; attacked and damaged by the Parliamentarians but never slighted; remained in use for a couple centuries more but then declined in disuse, and its fallen stones taken by villagers; came to English Heritage nearly a century ago |
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| Vicki is descended from the Praters on her father's side; we actually attended a Prater (now Prather) reunion in Texas back in the 80s; the original Prater (Praetor?) is said to have come over from Normandy in 1066 |
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| Nunney parish church; older foundations, etc. but re-done in the 19th c. |
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| Very old effigies of John de la Mare (top) and Mr. and Mrs. Prater |
1 comment:
It's so interesting that you can trace your ancestry back this far. We get hung up pre-Revolutionary War. I should really spend some time trying to get farther back. I can verify DAR and a generation or two beyond, but not anybody who is in the "Old Country." Love that you have photos even of the effigies in the church!
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