William Rawlinson Earle - the MP who diverted the road

In 1755, an Act of Parliament was passed which created the Farringdon to Acton Turville Turnpike Trust.

For two thousand years, the ancient route from Oxford to Bristol had passed through the village of Purton before heading off to Malmesbury. But this changed with the creation of the new turnpike road; it was diverted at Blunsdon to go up the old Roman road to Cricklade, before heading out across the north of the Braydon Forest to Malmesbury. This new route completely bypassed the old route through Purton, and was the reason the section of the North Wessex Way between Blunsdon and Malmesbury fell into dis-use and became forgotten.

The Act of Parliament (pictured above) lists the route of the road and then the trustees of the new Turnpike Trust. These are the good and the great of the North Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire area.  Look closely and you will see two names on the list; William Rawlinson Earle and Thomas Gore. These two gentlemen are the Members of Parliament for Cricklade. In 1755, Cricklade was a 'Rotten Borough' with both men paying handsomely to have become the town's MPs for no more than a few hundred electors.

How much influence did they bring to get the lucrative route diverted away from Purton and through Cricklade? They could have helped the Act pass through Parliament and as trustees they stood to benefit financially from the Trust. Not only that, both men listed relatives as Trustees as well. Maybe it is harsh to label them as 'dodgy' when viewing it through our modern eyes. In the 18th Century, this was how politics was done.

 William Rawlinson Earle was a career politician who lived at Eastcourt House near Crudwell.