An early Hubert of Ryes[4] is known in legend as the loyal vassal who saved the life of William the Conqueror in his flight from Valognes during a revolt in 1047.

It is believed he was the builder of the Norman great hall, which still survives as the core of the present 16th-century house built by Rev.

[6] His armorials can be seen above the front door and over the entrance hall fireplace, and consist of two addorsed bird's necks and heads emerging from a demi-sun.

The crest, which surmounts the escutcheon directly, consists of a prothonotary's hat, which is similar to that of a cardinal, but is black with three rows of tassels in place of five.

He built Appleton Hall, West Newton, Norfolk, where the family lived for several generations until a fire destroyed the house in 1767.

She having punctually performed all the duties of a most loving wife, a tender mother, a faithful friend, in the care she took of her last husband's children by his first wife, her dear friend who lies interred by her, ended her life in a most tedious and painful sickness, suffered with the greatest courage and patience, on the 10th February MDCCXXXI (1731) cuius animae propitietur Deus" ("To whose soul may God look on favourably").Edward Somerset was fourth in descent from Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester (1553–1628) who had purchased Pauntley Court, near Newent, Gloucestershire, from Sir Henry Poole of Sapperton, Gloucestershire, whose family had inherited it by marriage to Eleanor Whittington, one of the five daughters of Thomas Whittington, eldest son of John Whittington (d.1525).

It was noted by Philip Bliss (1787–1857):[15] "The last of the family lived at Horton, and becoming involved, fell into the hands of an attorney in the neighbourhood, to whom he ultimately became so indebted, that dying, he paid his debt by leaving the estate to this gentleman.

"The following mural tablet exists in the south transept of Old Sodbury Church: "In memory of Fitzherbert Brooke of Stanshaw Court Esq.

Horton Court passed to his grandson Sir Frederick Richards (1833–1912), Admiral of the Fleet, who had married his daughter Lucy Fayle Brooke (d.1880), which marriage was without progeny.

When she died in 1946, she left the property to the National Trust in memory of her nephew Sir George Peter Vernon Wills, 3rd Baronet of Blagdon (1922–1945), of the Coldstream Guards, who had been killed in action in Italy.

[18] Horton Court has been used as a filming location in several television series including the BBC's Poldark, The Living and the Dead[19] and Wolf Hall.

The house was empty from 2008 to 2011 but the National Trust opened the ground floor during July and August 2011 and were considering how to make it more readily accessible to the public.