Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

of their fate, and endeavouring by mutual confolations to alleviate each others diftrefs. They could not, however, long bear this restraint upon their inclinations; Leonora was soon after privately married to the captain, and Rosalinda to young Wilful. They all formed a refolution to keep their union fecret till the death of old Wilful; and as they found means to have frequent interviews in private, perhaps tafted the pleasures of conjugal love in a more exquifite manner, as it by that means had a refemblance to unlawful. This diffimulation was not, however, neceffary for a long time; an accident (which I shall mention hereafter) produced an entire change in the behaviour of old Mr. Wilful. From the most defpotic of fathers, he all on a sudden became one of the most indulgent. Young Wilful and his fifter obferving this, formed the defign to discover their being married to the old gentleman, and implore his forgivenefs. This they did, and the latter after fome hesitation granted it; but, added he, it is upon condition that you in your turn, bear with my frailties and imper

Thus

fections. You must know my children
that I have married privately myself;
behave well to your mother-in-law, and
you fhall never have any reafon to com-
plain of me. Both young Wilful and his
fifter were tranfported at receiving this
information, and affured their father in the
most emphatical terms, that they would
behave in the fame dutiful and affectionate
manner to their mother-in-law, that
they had done to their mother.
were all parties fatisfied at laft; though
old Mr. Wilful found himself exposed to
the raillery of his acquaintances, for hav-
ing fallen a victim to love in his old age;
and by marrying a young woman with-
out a portion, violated thofe prudential
maxims to which he had for many years
fo ftri&ly adhered. Some time after, he
died, leaving his eftate to his fon, and a
confiderable jointure to his widow, who
fhewed her great affliction at his lofs, by
marrying a colonel of dragoons before the
year was expired.

I am, Gentlemen, yours, &c.

C. L.

A Genealogical Account of Pelham Holles, Duke of Newcastle.

PElham, the original furname of his

Grace's ancestors, was derived from the lordship of Pelham, where there was for merly a castle, in Hertfordshire; and where, according to Doomsday-book, Ralph held, of the bishop of London, two hides and an half, the poffeffion of two thanes in the reign of Edward the Confeffor, one under the protection of Anfehil Waras, and the other of Godwine Benefell. Another Ralph de Pelham, bis fucceffor, in the days of Henry II. held of the bishop of London, a knight's fee in the fame county, which his fon Jordan de Pelham poffeffed in the reign of king John. The proprietor of Pelham, in the 49th of Henry III. was fined 401. for not attending an inqueft, ordered to be taken concerning a trefpafs of the Mint.

The aforefaid lordship was, in 1292, the 21ft of Edward I. part of the estate of Walter de Pelham, he then dying feized of the manor of Cottenham in Kent, and of Twinsted in Effex.

He was fucceeded by his eldeft fon William, who, with his wife Margery, deliverSeptember, 1761.

ed feifin of 40 acres of land, and three of

meadow, of 14d. rent, and two parts of a meffuage in Wellinghale, and Rokele, to John de Plefingho.

This William dying without iffue, his poffeffions devolved to his only brother Walter de Pelham, to whom William le Hupere, on the 3d of Auguft, 1300, gave a confirmation-grant of one meffuage, with gardens, pafture, &c. in the parish of Heylefham in Suffex, one meffuage at Efcetune, with lands, &c. extending from Heylesham to Horfye; alfo the lands of the Eagle, Stony-land, Hedge-grove, and the parcels of land called Weft-field, Stoke, and Hamme, to be held in capite by him, his heirs and affigns, at the yearly rent of fifteen pence half-penny, which the former occupiers of the faid lands had feverally paid.

Thomas de Pelham, his fon and heir, lived in the time of Edward II. in the 14th year of whofe reign, a complaint was made to parliament, by Humphry Stracy, of one John Pelham, for not accounting for divers of the king's goods, &c. which he had received.

[ocr errors]

The

The fon and heir of the above-mention ed Thomas de Pelham was another Thomas, the father of

Sir John de Pelham, renowned for his military exploits under Edward III. whom he accompanied in his wars against the French, and at the battle of Poitiers, Sept. 19, 1356, with Sir Roger la War, lord la War, and other knights, was very inftrumental in retaking John king of France, after he was refcued from Sir Dennis de Morhec, a knight of Artois, to whom he had surrendered. In acknowledgment of the said king's giving up his fword to the faid Sir Roger, lord la War, and John de Pelham, the former got the crampet of his majesty's fword, and the latter had the buckles of the belt, which his defcendants fometimes used for a device on their feals, and at other times bere for their creft, with a cage between them, as an emblem of the faid monarch's captivity. The buckles and belts are now frequently quartered in their coats of arms. Sir John de Pelham was not lefs confpicious for his probity and knowledge in private life, than for his bravery in the field: he was nominated by John de Vere, earl of Oxford, one of the executors of his last will and teftament; he was chofen one of the efquires of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancafter, in whofe fervice he received the honour of knighthood; he was conftituted attorney by Sir John Sutton, and Thomas Teuwe, to deliver feifin of the manor of Laughton, and hundred of Shiplake, to Thomas de Vere, earl of Oxford; and was, by William archbishop of Canterbury, 8th March, 2d Richard II. appointed master and furveyor of his whole demelnes, woods, and fisheries, in the bailiwick of Stoneham, in Sudex. His wife Joan, daughter of Vincent Herbert, or Finch, predeceffor of the prefent earl of Winchelfea and Nottingham, brought him divers lands and houses in Winchel fea; and bore to him a fon of his own

naine.

This Sir John de Pelham not only inherited his father's eftate, but likewise his martial prowess, of which he gave early proofs in the fervice of Henry of Bolingbroke, fon of the above-mentioned John of Gaunt, from the latter of whom he had a grant of the office of conftable of the caftle of Pevenfey, with the fees, &c. thereto belonging, during life, as alfo of all the lands in the marshes of Pevenfey, and

their whole appurtenances, being then his Efq. About two years after, 1339, when the faid Henry of Bolingbroke was invited by the difcontented barons, to dethrone their Sovereign Richard II. Sir John de Pelham accompanied him in his expedition to England, and strenuously exerted himself in raifing him to the throne, which he mounted by the name of Henry IV. While Sir John was acting for Henry in the North, his lady maintained Pevensey castle against the royalists: in confideration of which fervices, the faid Henry granted to him, and his heirs male, the office of constable of the castle of Pevenfey, with the honour of the Eagle, and all thofe his manors, lands, &c. as also all perquifites of courts of the hundred, heriots, &c. and all other profits whatever, and franchises of the Cinque-ports, within the rape of Pevensey. He was alfo created a knight of the Bath at the coronation of the faid Henry IV. who gave him the privilege, during his life, to carry the royal fword before him, at all places and times requifite. In the 3d of faid Henry, he was, with others, commiffioned to view, and cause repair the banks of Pevensey-marsh, between Bixle and Bechief, and likewife thofe of the marsh of Romney. He was alfo in 1404, one of the commiffioners of array for the county of Suffex, and for borrowing money on the faith of the fupplies granted by the illiterate parliament. That affmbly, which met on the 6th of October, the fame year, affigned to John Talbot, lord Furnival, and him, the application_of_the_subfidies then voted, and nominated them treafurers for that purpose. Sir John Pelham was moreover, in 1405, entrusted with the keeping of Edward Plantagenet, duke of York, who was accused of being acceffory to the taking out of Windforcastle, with a defign to convey them to Owen-Glendourdrey, in Wales, the fons of Roger Mortimer, earl of March, the rightful heir to the crown: and in 1409, the cuftody of the faid fons was committed to him. In the ninth year of the fame reign, he was declared chief butler of Chichester, and all the other parts in Suffex, and jointcommiffioner with Sir John Dalyngrugge, for infpecting and repairing the banks on the coaft between Haftings and Bexly. In 1412 he had a grant of the manors of Crowehurst, Burwash, and Benylham, from Henry IV, to whom he was then

treasurer,

treasurer, and foon afterwards one of the executors of his laft will and teftament. He was alfo greatly favoured by king Henry V. who, in the first year of his reign, nominated him one of his ambassadors, to negotiate a marriage between him and Catherine, daughter of Charles VI. king of France, and to treat of a peace with that king. Henry likewife entrusted him with the tuition of James I. king of Scotland, who had been, about feven years before, illegally made prifoner in his paffage to France. In this reign he was twice a commiffioner of array for the county of Suffex, an inspector of the banks on the coafts of that county, and as often employed to borrow money to enable his majefty to profecute his wars in France, in which Sir John attended him in 1418, at the fiege of Rouen, where the king committed to his cuftody queen Joan (the laft wife of Henry IV.) who had been arrested on fufpicion of a design against the life of Henry V. and whom Sir John confined in his castle of Pevensey. He was allo one of the executors and administrators of the last will of that prince, with whofe fon and fucceffor Henry VI. he was likewife in great favour and confidence, as appears by his being empowered to treat with divers perfons in Kent and Suffex, for a loan of money for the king's ufe; by his being one of thofe appointed in 1423, to treat with the Scottish ambassadors, for the release of the before-mentioned king James I. and by being twice a commiffioner for the repair of the feabanks in Suffex. Befides enjoying the offices above-mentioned, he was once high-fheriff of Suffex, and in eight parliaments one of the knights for that county. He was poffeffed of above forty lordships, manors, &c. at his death, which happened on the 12th of Feb. 1428-9, his corpfe was interred in the church of the Virgin Mary, at Robert's-bridge (formerly called Rother-bridge) in Suffex. By Joan his lady (before-mentioned) he had one fon, and two daughters, viz. Agnes and Joan, the refpective wives of John Colbron, and Sir John Seynclere.

His fon and heir, another Sir John Pelham, appears likewife to have served in the wars in France, under Henry V. whofe queen, Catherine, nominated him her chamberlain, surveyor of all her towns, caftles, &c. and mafter of her royalties and forefts

in Normandy. She alfo appointed him one of her commiffioners to remove the bishop of Lifieux, her chancellor in France, and to take from him her feal. Being affected with the devotion of those days, he was admitted into feveral religious orders or fraternities. By his first wife Joan, daughter and co-heir to Sir John de Efcures, he had no children: but by his fecond, Joan Courcy (who was received with him into the religious focieties) he had three fons, viz. John, William, and Thomas, and three daughters, Catherine, first married to John Bramshot, (who had by her an only child, Elizabeth, efpoufed to the grand-father of John Dudley, duke of Northumberland) and lastly to Sir John Lewknor; Cicely, the wife of William Lunsford, Efq; and Joan, who was first married to John Covert, and fecondly, to William Ashbornham, Efqrs.

Sir John Pelham, the eldest fon, having by his wife Alice, daughter of Sir Thomas Lewknor, an only child, Ifabella, married to John Covert, Efq; the eftate defcended to his next heir-male and brother, William Pelham; and he dying Feb. 24th, 1503, without any iffue by his wife Emeline, daughter of Nicholas Carrel, the eftate devolved on Thomas his younger brother.

The faid Thomas Pelham died on the Ift of Feb. 1515-16, leaving four fons, John his heir; Thomas, who died unmarried; William, who fucceeded his brother John; and Anthony, the progenitor of the Pelhams of Swinfhead, in Lincolnshire, and of Compton-Valens in Dorsetshire; and two daughters, Catherine, the wife of Thomas Morley, Efq; and Joan, who died unmarried.

John, the eldest fon, dying without issue, was fucceeded by his brother Sir William Pelham, who for his great fervices to Henry VIII. obtained the privilege of inclosing and imparking 500 acres of wood, and 200 acres of land called the Herthwode, or the Old Brule, and of having free warren and fishing in his feveral manors, &c. in Suffex; as is evident from a patent granted in the 16th of the reign of that prince, who afterwards, in 1532, chofe him for one of his attendants at his interview with Francis I. king of France, at Boulogne. This Sir William Pelham died about the 30th of faid Henry VIII. and by his two wives, Mary, daughter 0002

of

of Sir Richard Carew, of Bedington, and Mary, daughter of William, lord Sands of the Vine, had fix fons and five daughters. The names of the latter were Bryget; Margaret, married to...... Hawkins; Mary; Anne, the wife of Sir Edward Capel, the earl of Effex's predeceffor; and Jane, married to Richard Dryland, Efq. 7 The fons by his first lady were, Sir Nicholas his heir, Edward, and William: thofe of the fecond venture were, Sir William Pelham, (the ancestor of the Pelhams of Brokeliby, in Lincolnshire) well known for his proceedings in Scotland, France, Ireland, and the Low-Countries, where he died, at Flushing, 24th Nov. 1587; Francis; and Sir Edward, who was by queen Elizabeth, appointed chief baron of the exchequer in Ireland; and dying in 1606, was the progenitor of the Pelhams of Cottesfield, in Suffex,

Sir Nicholas Pelham, their brother, and eldest fon of Sir William Pelham, was high-fheriff of Suffex, and twice one of its reprefentatives in parliament, as he had been formerly for Arundel. He died a

proteftant on the 15th of Dec. 1559, leaving, by his wife Anne (the daughter of Sir John Sackville, predeceffor to the duke of Dorfet) three fons, viz. Sir John, his fucceffor, Sir Thomas, who fucceeded the faid John's fon, and Robert; and four daughters, whereof, Mary was married to John Thatcher, Efq; and Anne to Thomas Shirley, Efq.

Sir John Pelham, his eldest fon, ferved in parliament for the county of Suffex, and dying on the 13th of October, 1580, left by Judith his wife, (daughter of Oliver lord St. John of Bletfhoe, who is buried with him in Trinity-church, of the Minories without Aldgate, London) an only fon, named Oliver.

The faid Oliver dying without issue, the aforefaid Sir Thomas Pelham, his uncle, fucceeded to his eftate; and was one of the knights in parliament for the county of Suffex, in the 28th of queen Elizabeth, and high-fevin for that county and Surry, in the 31ft of that reign. At the erection of the dignity of baronets, he was promoted to that order by king James I. on the 22d of May, 1611, being the 11th in precedency. His wife was Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Wallingham; and by her, he had Sir Thomas his heir, and Judith, married to Henry Caly, earl of Dover.

The faid Sir Thomas Pelham fucceeded his father on the 22d of Dec. 1620, and ferved for the county of Suffex in feveral parliaments, particularly in that convened in 1640. He died in August 1654, having had three wives, 1ft Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir Thomas Wilbraham, by whom he had Sir John his fucceffor; Judith, married to the predeceffor of the prefent lord Monson, and Elizabeth the wife of Henry Pelham of Lincolnshire; zd, Judith, daughter of..... Shirley, whofe children died young; and, 3d, Margaret, daughter of Sir Henry Vane of Fairlane, in Kent, who was mother of Philadelphia, married to Francis lord Howard of Effingham: and of Sir Nicholas Pelham of Cattsfield-place, who, by his wife Jane, daughter and co-heir of James Huxley, Efq; was father of Thomas Pelham, Efq; member in several parliaments for Lewes, and one of the commiffioners for trade and plantations; of James Pelham, Efq; fecretary to the late duke of Grafton, when lord-chamberlain, and member in divers parliaments; and of Margaret, the wife of Sir William Ashburnham of Bromham, in Suffex, bart. and one of the chamberlains of the Exchequer.

Sir John Pelham, eldest son and heir of the last-mentioned Sir Thomas Pelham, was elected knight of the fhire in four parliament for Suffex, in the reign of Charles II. By his wife, lady Lucy Sidney, daughter of Robert earl of Leicester, he had three fons and two daughters, who lived to the years of maturity. Elizabeth was married to Edward Montague, Efq; to whom the bore George, late earl of Halifax ; and her fifter Mary was the wife of Gervafe, lord Pierrepont, but died without iffue. His fons were, Sir Thomas, the firft lord Pelham; John, who died a batchelor; and Henry, clerk of the Pells in the Exchequer; who by Frances, daughter and co heir to John Bine, Efq; had three fons and four daughters. Henry and John, the eldest of the faid fons, dying unmarried, Thomas the youngest became heir to their eftate at Stanmere, in Suffex; and by his wife Anne, daughter of---Bridges, Efq; left Thomas his fon and heir, who married in 1754, daughter of Fred. Frank. land, Efq; and Harriot, efpoused first to Henry Temple, Efq; fecond fon to the viscount Palmerston, and afterwards to

.......

George

« ZurückWeiter »