▁became ▁part ▁of ▁Nat West ) ▁from ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁to ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁and ▁commanded ▁the ▁North ▁Som erset ▁Ye oman ry ▁Caval ry ▁as ▁its ▁Colonel . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁parish ▁church ▁at ▁Abb ots ▁Le igh ▁burn ed ▁down ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁he ▁paid ▁for ▁its ▁re building ▁from ▁his ▁own ▁pocket . This ▁afternoon ▁while ▁the ▁b ells ▁were ▁chim ing ▁for ▁divine ▁service , ▁a ▁fire ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁ra fter s ▁of ▁the ▁roof ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Church , ▁it ▁was ▁as cert ained ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁that ▁the ▁fire ▁was ▁caused ▁by ▁a ▁crack ▁in ▁the ▁chim ney ▁of ▁the ▁Store ▁which ▁was ▁most ▁neg lig ently ▁& ▁stupid ly ▁built ▁of ▁only ▁one ▁brick ▁thick ▁and ▁placed ▁in ▁immediate ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁wall ▁plate ▁upon ▁which ▁the ▁feet ▁of ▁the ▁ra fter s ▁rest ed . ▁The ▁fire , ▁not ▁with standing ▁the ▁most ▁active ▁ex ert ions ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁male ▁inhabitants ▁head ed ▁by ▁William ▁Mil es ▁E sq ., ▁whose ▁ex ert ions ▁were ▁almost ▁incred ible ; ▁the ▁aid ▁of ▁the ▁powerful ▁engine ▁from ▁Le igh ▁Court ▁and ▁after ▁an ▁interval ▁of ▁an ▁hour ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁three ▁engines ▁from ▁Br istol , ▁consum ed ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁the ▁roof ▁of ▁the ▁nave ▁and ▁south ▁A is le , ▁the ▁gallery , ▁pul pit , ▁reading ▁des k ▁and ▁nearly ▁all ▁the ▁p