The Compton-Burnett family in fact descended from small tenant farmers of Gavelacre Farm, near Winchester, Hampshire (who despite owning no land called themselves "yeomen"), pretended since the time of Ivy's grandfather Charles to be descended from the younger branch of the landowning Scottish Burnett (also Burnet) family through Alexander Burnett, 12th Laird of Leys, his son, judge Robert Burnet, Lord Crimond, and his grandson Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury from 1689 to 1715.