The Rumboll Family
Investigating the bygones of the Lyneham Estate and in particular Lyneham Court, we find various documents including early Census records that show the Rumboll family lived in Lyneham Court farm, which stood in the centre of the village up until the Air Ministry decided to surrender the land to build a new military estate.

Lyneham Shooting
On the 17th of January 1738, Mr Bryan Rumboll was returning from Calne market, on horseback, in the evening, and in passing through a gate into his grounds, he was shot at by some person secreted close by, and wounded in the left arm. The Gentleman's Magazine Vol CCXIV page 803 records the events surrounding the shooting and we also have the court hearing evidence of the case, with witness statements. It is an interesting read, in particular the account of the guilty party making various excuses, who was later hung at Devizes Gaol for his offence. If you would like to know more click here

Rumboll - Is that the doctor?
Reading some letters in the Wiltshire List we realise a quote from the history of the Calne GPs in Wiltshire 'Is that the Doctor' by Norman Beale mentions the Rumboll family have ties in the medical scenes. Doctor George Page lived in Church Street Calne in the early/mid nineteenth century. He once had a famous house guest who may also have been one of the doctor's patients. The poet Coleridge (who wrote 'The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner' and 'Kubla Khan') lived in Calne between 5th December 1814 and the 26th March 1816. For the first month or so of this period he was with the Pages and the doctor may have been one of the long succession of medical men who completely failed to cure the poet of his laudanum (morphine) addiction.

Among the medical contemporaries of George Page was his new next door neighbour, Dr Henry King, a native of Moreton in Somerset, he was born in 1806 and married Mary Henly Rumboll of Tockenham. Mary was living at the time in Lyneham Court farm as a governess. Dr Henry King and Mary had three sons and four daughters. The sons all trained as doctors. Mary's parents were Jasper Rumboll born 1745 and Mary Henly born 1748 at Tockenham. Both parents died at Lyneham Court Farm 10 January 1816 and 2 April 1829 respectively.

The eldest son Jasper Rumboll King, born 10th January 1806 practiced at Lowbourne House Melksham. He died on the 22nd January 1889 and the practice remaining in the family name. He was succeeded by his nephew Charles Rumboll and there are still people in Calne today, who can remember Dr Rumboll, surviving as he did until 1936.

Their middle son Thomas Henly King, born 1814 first married Sophioa Gaby of Bromham on the 26th November 1840 and second married Eugina Tanner of Yatesbury in 1854 who was the daughter of his cousin. Thomas Henly King died on the 8 December 1896 aged 82 at Kensington Bath and was buried two days later at Calne.

The third son George King born c1819 and died at 42 on the 15th March 1861. Mary his 81 year old mother died less than three months later on the 1st June 1861. Henry King snr died on the 18th January 1865.

1851 Census Record
The 1851 Census records show Mr Bryan Rumboll as head of Lyneham Court, widow aged 72. The record shows he was a farmer of 880 acres who employed 10 men and five boys. Other residents to Lyneham Court at the census documentation were Susanna Wyld aged 30, as housekeeper. There were also two servants namely Mary Ovens aged 28 years and 11 years her junior Henry Theobalds who was a farm servant born in Lyneham village.

1861 Census Record
The 1861 Census records show Mr Bryan Rumboll as a retired farmer living in Marsh Lane Calne , widow aged 82. Other residents in this property documented were Susanna Wyld aged 40, as housekeeper servant, also a domestic servant living there too, namely Mary Compton aged 20 years born in Lyneham village. Mr Bryan Rumboll is laid to rest with his wife Mary at St Giles Church Tockenham.