WOOTTON BASSETT, a market town in Wiltshire, Eng land. Pop. (1920 2,1I 2. It is the junction of the railway between London and the Severn tunnel with the main line of the Great Western. Wootton Bassett received its first charter from Henry VI., and returned members to parliament from 1446-1447 until the Reform Act of 1832. WORCESTER, EARLS AND MARQUESSES OF. Urso de Abitot, constable of Worcester castle and sheriff of Worcestershire, is erroneously said to have been created earl of Worcester in 1076. Waleran de Beaumont (I104-1166), count of Meulan in France, a partisan of King Stephen in his war with the empress Matilda, was probably earl of Worcester from 1136 to 1145. He was deprived of his earldom, became a crusader a monk. From 1397 to 1403 the earldom was held by Sir Thomas Percy (c. 1343-1403), who in 2403 joined the other Percies in their revolt ; he was taken prisoner at Shrewsbury, and subsequently beheaded, the earldom becoming extinct. The title of earl of Worcester was revived in 1421 in favour of Richard Beauchamp, Lord Abergavenny, but lapsed on his death in 1422.
The next earl was John Tiptoft, or Tibetot, a noted Yorkist leader during the wars of the Roses, who was executed in 147o (see below). On the death of his son, Edward, in 1485 the earl dom reverted to the crown.
In February 1514 the earldom was bestowed by Henry VIII. on CHARLES SOMERSET (c. 1460-1520) , a bastard son of Henry Beaufort, duke of Somerset. Having married Elizabeth, daughter of William Herbert, earl of Huntingdon, he was styled Baron Herbert in right of his wife, and in 1506 he was created Baron Herbert of Ragland, Chepstow and Gower. He was chamberlain of the household to Henry VIII. His son Henry, 2nd earl (c. 1495-1548), obtained Tintern Abbey after the dissolution of the monasteries. The title descended in direct line to Henry, the 5th earl (1577-1646), who advanced large sums of money to Charles I. at the outbreak of the Great Rebellion, and was created mar quess of Worcester in