Earlier in this saga we learnt that George Burt farmed Hurst during most of the latter half of the 19th century. However, despite his importance in this area and in other parts of Worplesdon, he was only the tenant of Hurst and from about 1855 until 1873 his landlord was William Bovill who was a very important figure both in Guildford and in Worplesdon.

William Bovill, a younger son of Benjamin Bovill of Wimbledon, was born at Allhallows, Barking on 26th May 1814. He did not go to university but began his legal career by accepting articles with a firm of solicitors in London. He was said to be "remarkable for the zeal with which he pursued his legal studies" and as a result he became a member of the Middle Temple and was called to the bar in 1841. He was largely engaged in commercial cases and became a Q.C. in 1855.

Worplesdon Lodge Meanwhile in 1844, at the age of 30, he had married Maria Bolton, eldest daughter of John Henry Bolton of Lee Park, Blackheath. They lived at first in London, before moving to Worplesdon, where they made their home at Worplesdon Lodge (later renamed Worplesdon Place). The census of 1861, taken on a day when William Bovill was presumably elsewhere on legal business, gives us an impression of the life-style of an upper class Victorian family. At home with Maria Bovill were four sons and four daughters, aged between 9 months and 14 years, of whom only the two youngest had been baptised in Worplesdon. Another son, who was later appointed by his father to be clerk of assizes of the Western circuit, may have been away studying at the time of this census.
   The family were attended by a lady's maid and a young ladies' maid as well as a governess, two nurses and two nursery maids. The house was in the hands of a butler and under-servant, a cook and kitchen maid, and two housemaids. Those present also included a groom, giving a total of 14 staff, but presumably a valet and coachman were absent accompanying their master.

MP for Guildford William Bovill and his wife were very involved in both parish and town activities and in 1857 he was elected M.P. for Guildford. From 1858-1872 he was also President of Guildford Working Men's Institution (now the Guildford Institute which has a photographic portrait of him in its library). He was a Justice of the Peace and the Worplesdon Agricultural Association "almost owed its existence to his interest in agricultural pursuits, and his strong desire to encourage those connected with them." In 1870 he was made an honorary D.C.L. of Oxford and he was also a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Lord Chief Justice He took no leading part in the House of Commons at first but became more active after 1860 until on 6th July 1866 he was appointed Solicitor General under Lord Derby. This appointment was short-lived because in November 1866 he became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and had to relinquish his seat in the Commons. His most famous hearing was the first Tichbourne trial.

In August 1873 the annual ploughing match of the Worplesdon Ploughing Association took place at Hurst Farm, of which he was the landlord and George Burt the tenant farmer. According to the Surrey Advertiser "The distribution of prizes to the labourers was made by the Lord Chief Justice Bovill, who was accompanied by Lady Bovill." This was followed by "a long address" which appears to have been typical of Sir William. He opened by expressing "the pleasure he felt at having the opportunity of again coming among so many of his old friends and former neighbours in Worplesdon where he and his family had passed so many years of happiness" - so it seems that he had moved away (see the next paragraph). He added that "It was many years since, with the assistance of the farmers and landlords of that parish, they had been able to form the Association. They were told then it was a remote parish having no institution of note". Another long address followed at the Annual Dinner of the Association held in the evening at The Angel in Guildford.

Soon after this he became ill and on 1st November 1873 he died "at his home at Coombe House, Kingston". Reporting on his death and funeral the Surrey Advertiser said "During the time the sad and solemn ceremony was taking place at Kingston all the shops in Guildford were partially closed, and the bells of the churches were heard tolling.".

Following his death Dame Maria Bovill and other Trustees of her late husband signed a Deed of Enfranchisement in March 1877 to release them from certain "Quit Rents Reliefs and Heriots" due to the Lord of the Manor of Burpham, William Hillier, Earl of Onslow. These were in respect of certain lands described in the Court Rolls of the Manor as "Cox Wilcox and Birds" which Sir William had acquired from the trustees of John Smallpeice but we have not yet been able to establish the location of this property, which may have been part of Hurst.

The following month an auction sale of all Sir William's properties at Hurst was authorised by his Trustees. This auction of over 200 acres, described in the chapter on Hurst, was largely unsuccessful and a further auction was held in 1898, which finally severed the connection of the Bovill family with Hurst.