attorney's clerk, who had formerly lived in Bristol. The
following is a copy of it:--

"I, Sir Hugh Smyth, of Ashton Park, in the county of Somerset, and of
Rockley House, in the county of Wilts, do declare that, in the year
1796, I was married in the county of Cork, in Ireland, by the Rev.
Verney Lovett, to Jane, the daughter of Count Vandenbergh, by Jane,
the daughter of Major Gookin, of Court Macsherry, near Bandon.
Witnesses thereto--The Countess of Bandon and Consena Lovett. In the
following year, Jane Smyth, my wife, came to England, and, immediately
after giving birth to a son, she died on the 2d day of February, 1797,
and she lies buried in a brick vault in Warminster churchyard. My son
was consigned to the care of my own nurse, Lydia Reed, who can at any
time identify him by marks upon his right hand, but more especially by
the turning up of both the thumbs, an indelible mark of identity in
our family. My son was afterwards baptized by the Rev. James Symes of
Midsomer Norton, by the names of Richard Hugh Smyth; the sponsors
being the Marchioness of Bath and the Countess of Bandon, who named
him Richard, after her deceased brother, Richard Boyle. Through the
rascality of my butler, Grace, my son left England for the continent,
and was reported to me as having died there; but, at the death of
Grace, the truth came out that my son was alive, and that he would
soon return to claim his rights. Now, under the impression of my son's
death, I executed a will in 1814. That will I do, by this document,
declare null and void, and, to all intents and purposes, sett
asside(_sic_) in all its arrangements; the payment of my just debts,
the provision for John, the son, of the late Elizabeth Howell, and to
the fulfilment of all matters not interfering with the rights of my
heir-at-law. Now, to give every assistance to my son, should he ever
return, I do declare him my legitimate son and heir to all the estates
of my ancestors, and which he will find amply secured to him and his
heirs for ever by the will of his grandfather, the late Thomas Smyth
of Stapleton, Esq.; and further, by the will of my uncle, the late Sir
John Hugh Smyth, baronet. Both those wills so fully arrange for the
security of the property in possession or reversion that I have now
only to appoint and constitute my beloved brother John Smyth, Esq.,
my only executor for his life; and I do by this deed place the utmost
confidence in my brother that he will at an