The Golden Falcon |
Chapter XI/6 - Cavalier |
28.6.1683:
"After the Popish Plot there was now new and (as they call'd it) a
Protestant Plot discover'd, that certain Lords and others should designe
the assassination of the King and the Duke as they were to come from
Newmarket, with a general rising of the Nation, and especially of the
Citty of London, disaffected to the present Government upon which were
committed to the Tower the Lord Russell, eldest son of the Earle of
Bedford, the Earle of Essex, Mr Algernon Sydney, son to the old Earle of
Leicester, Mr Trenchard, Hampden, Lord Howard of Escrick and others.
A proclamation was issued against my Lord Grey, the Duke of
Monmouth, Sir Thos. Armstrong and one Ferguson, who had escaped beyond the
sea; of these some were said to be for killing the King, others for onely
seizing on him and persuading him to new counsels, on the pretence of the
danger of Popery should the Duke live to succeed, who was now again
admitted to the councils and cabinet secrets.
The Lords Essex and Russell were much deplor'd, few believing they
had any evil intentions against the King or the Church; some though they
were cunningly drawn in by their enemies for not approving some late
councils and management relating to France, to Popery, to the persecution
of the Dissenters &c.
They were discovered by the Lord Howard of Escrick and some false
brethren of the club, and the designe happily broken; had it taken effect
it would, to all appearance, have expos'd the Government to unknowne and
dangerous events, which God avert!"
("The
Diary of John Evelyn"). On
13.7.1683 Evelyn was told the Earl of Essex had cut his throat with a
razor whilst in prison and Lord Russell (Frances Howard's grandson) had
been condemned to death. He
was beheaded on 21.7.1683 at Lincoln's Inn Fields. Lord
Petre died on 5.1.1684 in the Tower and James, Duke of York insisted on
Powis, Arundell and Belasyse being brought before Judge Jeffries and
allowed out on bail. On
10.5.1684 Oates was arrested in the Amsterdam Coffee House for referring
to the duke as "that traitor
James, Duke of York" when dining with the Bishop of Ely in April
1680. James was awarded £100,000 damages and Oates thrown into the
debtor's prison for non-payment. On
28.10.1680 and 12.1.1680 he was accused of perjury in his evidence against
Ireland in 1678. Charles II
died on 6.1.1680 and Oates was arraigned on the 8th.
His case opened on 8.5.1680, the jury declared him guilty, he was
fined £1,000 on each count and unfrocked.
On 18.5.1680 he was to be paraded through the Courts of Justice in
Westminster Hall with a placard round his neck proclaiming his offence,
then stand in the pillory for an hour.
This was to be repeated at the Royal Exchange in the City.
On the 20.5.1680 he was to be whipped from Aldgate to Newgate (1
and half miles) and on the 22.5.1680 from Newgate to Tyburn (2 miles).
He was to be imprisoned for life but on every 24th April, 9th, 10
and 11th August and 2nd September he was to stand in the pillory for an
hour at Tyburn, Westminster Hall, Charing Cross, Temple Bar and the Royal
Exchange. The
sentence was carried out and he was pelted with rotten eggs in the pillory
by the crowd. All
the Catholics executed as the result of the Titus Oates Plot were created "venerabile"
by Pope Leo XII in 1886 including 4 priests Edward Mico, Thomas
Bedingfield, Francis Neville and Francis Levison.
Robert Green, Lawrence Hill and the 9 priests who died in prison
were named as "Dilati".
Those executed, including Edward Coleman, were beatified by Pope
Pius XI except Nicholas Postgate, executed at York on 7.8.1679 and Charles
Mahoney, an Irishman executed at Ruthin on 12.8.1679.
On 25.10.1970 Pope Paul VI canonised 40 English martyrs including 6
executed after the Plot. Sir
Charles Winter died and was buried at the family vault in Lydney on
23.4.1698. Lydney passed to
his wife Frances (d. 1720) who married Thomas Nevill (b. 1714).
They sold lands at Aylburton in 1718 and their heirs and trustees
sold Lydney in 1723. Sir
Charles's Will reads: "In
the name of God. Amen. I,
Charles Winter of Lydney in the County of Gloucester Esq., being well in
health and of a good and perfect mind and memory, considering the
uncertainty of this life and out of a natural love and affection which I
bear to Frances, my now wife, with whom I have received and had the sum of
£6,000 in money and land as the portion of my said wife, and to the
intent and purpose that there may be a competent provision and maintenance
made for her answerable to the affection I bear to her, in case I shall
die in her lifetime before any settlement is made upon her and the heirs
of her body by me begotten or be begotten, do make and ordain this my last
Will and Testament in writing in the manner following: First
of all I command my soul to God who gave it and my body to the earth named
and for such estate real or personal as it shall please God to bless me
withal, I dispose thereof as followeth and I hereby give and bequeath unto
the said Frances Wintour my now wife all that my manor or manors of Lydney
and Aylburton with all and every of their rights ---- and situate, lying
and being in the County of Gloucestershire, aforesaid and all and singular
my lands, meadows, pastures, woods, tenements and heritements with they
and every of their appurts situate, lying and being in Lydney and
Aylburton aforesaid or either of them and in Naas and Alleston or either
of them in the said parish of Lydney and in the said parish of Newland or
elsewhere in the said County of Gloucester to have and to hold the said
manors, messuages, lands, tenements and hereditements and all and singular
premises aforesaid with their and every of their appurts and with all my
estate, right, title, interest in law or equity or power of redemption of
the premises aforesaid and in every part and parcel thereof unto the said
Frances Wintour my wife, her heirs and assignees forever, and I hereby
give unto my said wife all land singular, my good chattles, real and
personal of whatever nature or kind so-ever and I make my said wife
Frances Wintour by full and sole executor of this my Will. In
witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the twentieth day of
May in the two and twentieth year of his Majety's reign and now is and in
the year of our Lord One Thousand Six Hundred and Eighty. (20.5.1680). C.
Wintour. Signed,
sealed and delivered and published and declared to be the last Will and
Testament of the said Charles Wintour in the presence of: Richard
Holloway John
Holloway James
Almont This
present Saturday the twenty sixth day of April in the year of our Lord
God, One Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty (26.4.1680) being the six and
twentieth year of the King's reign. I
have confirmed and do hereby declare that the writing on the other side of
this paper is my last Will and Testament. In
witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year
above written. C.
Wintour Signed
and delivered in the presence of: Henry
Nevil
Richard
Nase William
Nation. Probatino
fuit hunm. The
Will was contested by Thomas Brome
Whorwood, guardian-at-law of Charles Winter, described as the natural
and legitimate son of Sir Charles Winter.
The case was heard in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury by Sir
Richard Raines, knight who ruled in Lady France Winter's favour.
The decree was dated the second juridical day after Feast of St.
Edmunds (being Wednesday 22nd November) and was signed by William Oldys,
George Braunston, Thomas Ayloffe, Everard Exton, Thomas Tyler and Edward
Shaw. "In
Dei nomine, Amen, auditis. Viio
et intellectis ac plenario et nature discussis per ... Domiam Richardus
Raine, militem, Legum Doctorem Curiae Prerogative Cantuarensis,
Magisterium Custodem sive comissarum legitime constitutum meritis
circumstantus cujusdem Negoty Testamentary sive Probaconis per Tested. Testamenti
sive ultima voluntatis inscriptis Domini
Caroli Winter nuper, Lidney in comitatus Gloucestriae, militis
defuncti habentisdum vixit et mortis sus tempore bona jura sive credita in
diversis Diecesibus sive peculiaribus Jurisdictionibus infra Cantuar
Probitiam sufficienta ad fiudandum Jurienem Curiae Praerogativa
Cantuarensis praedict quod coram nobis in juditio inter Dominam
Franciscam Wintour, relictam dicti defuncti unicam executricem in
testamento sive ultima voluntate praedict nominatum partem negotium
praedict promoventum exuna et
Carolum Wintour, armigerum minorum Thomam Brome Whorwood, armigerum ejus
curatorem ad lites legitime assignatum agentem filium
naturalemit legitime dicti defuncti partem contram quam idem negotium
promevetur. Partibu
exaltera nuper vertebatur et ponderbat indeciso rite et legitime
procendentea partibus praedictis perearum procuratores coram nobis in
judicio respective et legitime comparentibus. Parte
praefate sua Francisca Wintour
sententium fezziet justitiam fiezi pro parte suam part vero dicto Caroli
Wintour Ar(miger). per curatore in sum praedict agentis justitiam
etiam pro parte sua instantor respective postulan-- petentibus dimatg--
primitus per N--- toto et entegro processu (af) coram nobis in hujusmodi
negotio habito et facto ac diligentor recensitio servatio--. Per
nos de jure in hac parte servandis (a) nostra sententia definitiva sive
nostri finalis decreti in hujusmodi negotio fere-- prelaconem sic duximus
procedendum fore et mactitata procedimus in hunc qui sequitur modum quia
per acta mactitate procededum allegata exhibita proposita probata pariter
et confessa in hujusmodi negotio comperimus luculenter invemissias xteul
profata domina Francisca Wintour intentonem suam in Test(tament)o originalis
sive ultima voluntate dicti (afs) coram nobis exhibit cateris--
prpopositis (a) ex parto sua datia exhibitis et admiso ----- registrum
hujus curiae remanentibus deductam dud quidem. Testamentum
alia--- propisita praedicte pro lectis----- habemus et haberi volumus
sufficienter et --- in que (a) infra pronunciando fundasse et probasse. Nihil
effectuate ex--- ant per partem dicti Caroli
Wintour ar. per curatores suam praedi. Agentis in huusmodi negotio
exceptum deductum allegatus extun. propositum ant probatum fuissant esse
quod intentionem partis. dicti Domina
Frances Wintour quo (ad) infra pronuncianda libet---. Dominus
Richardus Raines, miles, Legum Doctor judex ante dictus Christi nomine
primitus invotata ac ipsum solum deum oculis nostris propanentes. et
habentuj de --- et cum consilio jurisperitorum cumquibus in hoc parte
comunicassimus nature-- deliberasium praefactum Domine Carolum
Wintour, militem testarum in hoc negotio defunctum dum vixit mentis
compotem et in sua sana et perfecta memoria existend. Testamentum sum in scriptis suam in confineus ultimatum
voltem alias coram nobis in hujusmodi negotio ex parte dicta Domina Francisca
Wintour exhibitum gereus datum vicesimo die mensis Maij (20.5.1684)
Anno Domini milecesimo sexcentismo octogesimo quarto dum sana fruebatur
condidisse et declarasse ac ejusdum dictam Dominam Franciscam
Wintour ejus nunc relictam unicam nominasse et constituisse
executricem sumia--et singula--- legasse et religuisse in eadem sive eaden
contuietur ac postea viz vicesime sexto die mensis Aprilis Anno
(16.4.1684) Domin. millesimo sexcentisimo octogesimo quarto dum sana
fruebatuz. volunatem rite rnemoria dictum sum testamentium sive ultinam
voluntatem rite legitime confirmasse et republicasse juxta probationes
legitime coram nobis inhujusmodi negotio habita et factas por--- viribus. Valore
et validicate dicti testamente sive ultima voluntatis dicte defuncti -----
prafertur gerentis datum vicesimo die mensis (20.5.1680) Maiij Anno Domini
millesimo sexcemo et confirmati et rebucati dicte vicesimo sexto die
mensis Aprilis Anno Domini (16.4.1684) coram nobis exhibiti pronunciamus
determinus et declaramus per habc nostrum sentitiam definitivum sive hoc
nostrum finale decretum quam sive quod forimus et promulagamus hys
scriptis. Lectata
et promulgata ---hace---secundo die juridice post festum Sancti Edmundo
Regius die Mercury vicesimo secundo die mensis novembris Anno Domini
Millesimo Sexcemo (22.11.1699) ---- venerabilem et egregimu virum Dominum
Richardus Raines, militem, Legum Doctorem Curiae Prerogativae Cantuarensis
magistrum custodem sive Comissarium legitime constitutem in ---. nacula
infra hospitium Dominorum Avocatorum de Arcubus in parochiam Sancti
Benedicti prope Ripam ----- Dominum London notorio acrituat ad pecitonem
magistri Willelmi ----notarij publici Procuratoris scritus supra nominate
D(omin)na. Franciscae Wintour ad in praesentia magistri Simonis Sandys notarij
publici procuratoris originalis supra nominata Thomae Brome Whorwood, armigeri curatoris praedicti super cujus
sentiae prolatem dictus -----requisivit me Thomae ---Notarium publicum
dicti Curiae Registrary deputatum tunc ibidem praesentem unum ve---- plura
Testamento seu. Testamentor
exinde conficero ac tente ---- inforius nominator coram testimonium de
super perhibero praesentibus tunc et ibidem venerabilius viris Guilielmo
Oldys, Georgio Braunston et Thomae Ayloffe legum respective Doctoris dicta
Curia advocatis ---- Magistris Everardo Exton, Thomas Tylott et Eduardo
Shaw, notarij publicis dicta Curiae procuratribum Testibus super
profatione sententiae. William
Whorwood and Charles Winter were mentioned in Thomas Monnington's Will but
there is some mystery about Charles Winter junior as all Sir Charles
Winter's children (except John) died in infancy and there is no record of
a former marriage nor of the baptism of Charles at Lydney. The
Register of Lydney dated from 1678 shows twin sons William (buried
18.5.1681) and John, both baptised on 15.5.1681, a daughter Anne born in
June 1683 and George buried on 23.7.1687. Thomas
Brome Whorwood may have been a son of Thomas Whorwood of Sandwell,
Staffordshire and Ursula Brome of Holton, Oxfordshire who have a brass in
the church of Holton which reads: "Thomas
Whorwood of Sandwell, Staffs, militi, chara coniux Ursula filia et haeres
George Brome of Holton in Oxon, armigeri, et qua tres suscepit filios,
filia q. duas. Hoc sacrum
amors memoriale cor de suo, prius impressum iam q. lapide hoc marmoreo
expressum cum perpetuae memoriae. Obit
22 September 1632 aged 52." (This
marble slab is in loving and eternal memory of Thomas Whorwood of Sandwell,
Staffs, knight, loving husband of Ursula, daughter and heiress of George
Brome of Holton in Oxfordshire, armiger and their 3 sons and 2 daughters.
Died 22nd September 1632 aged 52). The
Bromes appear to have held the manor of Holton and there is another brass
on the wall of Holton church to a medieval William Brome. Ursula,
Lady Whorwood was in residence at Holton during the Civil War. There
is also a brass in the church of Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire of
Sir William Leigh of Longborough, knight (d. 1631 aged 46), son of Rowland
Leigh of Longborough and grandson of Sir Thomas Leigh, Lord Mayor of
London (d. 1571). Sir William
married Elizabeth (d. 1664), daughter of Sir
Thomas Whorwood by whom she had 2 sons and 3 daughters (all three died
in infancy). The
Brome family of Norfolk were related to the Winters of Barningham; Olive
Winter was wife of Robert Brome (1445). Alice
Brome (bur. St. Dunstan's East) married Sir John Coventry, mercer buried
at St. Mary, Bow. Coventry
was Richard Whittington's executor, mayor of London in 1425 & 1433.
According to the antiquarian Sydney Grazebrook, he was a Winter
probably descended from John le Vinetier who held Coventry & Hardwicke.
The Whittingtons and fitzWarrens were Gloucestershire families;
Robert de Coventry was vicar of Newland. There
was a family of Brome who were tanners of Bridge End, Warwick.
John Brome became lord of Baddesley Clinton.
His son Nicholas (d. 1517 & bur. Warwick) avenged his father's
murder. Legends
grew up about Lady Frances Winter's extravagance but the forges in the
Forest of Dean were mortgaged and she was fined for recusancy. Her sons were supposed to have been led astray. Lady
Frances Winter married as her second husband Thomas Nevill or Neville,
brother of Henry Nevill of Holt. Lady
Frances and Thomas Nevill were registered as English Nonjurors and
Catholics after the 1714 Jacobite Rebellion.
The Bill regarding this was dated the 1st year of George I and
described as "an
Act to oblige Papists to register their names and real estate"
(1716-1717). The
Non-Jurors' foreign estates were registered 12 months later. The forfeited estates papers are in the Public Records.
A series of Wills in the register of non-jurors shows the
relationships between these families. Thomas
Nevill of Lydney and Dame Frances Wintour, his wife - the manor of Lydney
and c. in fee in Gloucester - £1,160.14s.8d
(MS p.57). Thomas
Nevill and Dame Frances Wintour his wife - 2 freehold houses at Monmouth (MS.p.70). Frances
paid the highest fine for refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance to
William II and she must have also paid fines for recusancy. There
is no doubt that the Winters of Lydney were Catholics. When the old manor house, Lydney Park was demolished in 1873
Catholic missals, a communion cup and paten were found walled up in the
corridor. Both Sir John
Winter and his son-in-law Benedict Hall of High Meadow were listed in the
Catholics records. The
Napiers and Nevilles served the exiled Stuarts and are listed in "The Jacobite Peerage" compiled by Melville Henry Massue,
Marquis de Ruvigny & Raineval (1868-1921) as follows: Household
Appointments- James III & VIII & Mary of Modena
16.9.1701-21.6.1706 01.03.1702
- Francis Neper to be Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. 12.02.1702
- Walter Strickland "saving
his rank next to Thomas Neville"
to be
Gentlemen
of the Bedchamber. 17.11.1701
- Mary Neville to be laundress to Her Royal Highness Princess Louisa. 13.09.1706
- Thomas Napier to be Gentleman of the Bedchamber. 17.10.1701
- Thomas Neville to be Groom of the Bedchamber. Military
Naval Commissions 7.6.1689-11.6.1759 Lt.Col.
Napier, June 1692 - 22.12.1693 with the English at Le Havre under Col.
Skelton. Thomas
Nevill, son of William Nevill died "sin
prole" (without heirs) in 1722-3. The
inscription on the tomb of his wife Frances at St. Pancras, Middlesex
reads: "Here
lyeth the Body of Lady Frances Wintour, widdow of Sr. Charles Wintour of
Lydney in Gloucestershire and late wife of Thomas Nevill Esq., of Holt in
Leicestershire who departed this life the 14th day of December 1720 in the
69th year of her age R.I.P." The
church was St. Pancras Old Church in St. Pancras Road about a quarter of a
mile north west of St. Pancras Station.
The heraldic portion of the ledger stone near the chancel steps has
two impaled coats of arms, one on a lozenge, the other on a shield.
On the lozenge is "sable,
a fesse ermine (Wintour) impaling "a
cross engrailed between four roses" (Burton?).
On the shield is "gules, a cross ermine" (Neville of Holt) impaling "engrailed
cross and roses." ["Survey
of London"
Vol. XIX, pp.87-88]. In
her Will dated December 11th, 1720 she mentions her nieces Frances, widow
of John Tasburgh of Flixton and Dame Margaret Conyers. "The
manor of Lydney was granted in fee by Queen Elizabeth to Sir William
Wintour, Vice-Admiral of England for his services against the Spanish
Armada in 1588. He built the
stately manor house called the White Cross which during the Civil War was
garrisoned by Sir John Wintour, his grandson, one of the most strenuous
supporters of the Royal cause but at last it was deserted and set on
fire" [Bigland ii
155-7; Nicholls "Leicestershire" ii
730; Rudder "Gloucestershire"
527; Close Roll 7 Geo. Pt. 22-10]. Henry
Nevill of Holt-on-the-Hill entailed his estates [Leicester MS p.67-8].
He also held a house in Middlesex in 1708. He
was son of William Nevill by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Gilbert Kniveton,
baronet, of Mircaston, Co. Derby and his wife Margaret who died in 1723. Henry had issue 2 sons and 2 daughters; in his Will dated
January 28th 1726, he gave the care of a lunatic son to his daughter Lady
Mary Migliorucci, wife of the Right Honourable Peter Joseph, Count
Migliorucci, Knight of St. Stephens [Nicholas "Leicestershire"
ii Close Rolls 2 George II. pt. 19-7]. John
Tasburgh held the manors of South Elmham and Flixton Hall, Suffolk and
married Frances, daughter of Henry Nevill of Holt.
His widow died in 1728. Fig.
111
- Nevill, Napier & Tasburgh. George
Napier (d. 4.9.1671 aged 54) = Margaret Ardern of Kertlington, Oxon (d.
24.4.1675, aged 64) >: a.
Margaret Napier = Henry Nevill of Holt, Leicester. b.
Frances Napier = (1) Sir Charles
Winter = (2) Thomas Nevill of Holt. c.
Mary Napier (d. 29.3.1672 aged 21). Nevills
of Nevill Holt near Market Harborough were lords of Pickhill manor, North
Riding of Yorkshire, came to Rolleston, Nottingham and inherited Holt,
Leicestershire by marriage. William
Nevill of Rolleston (d. 1510) = 1474 Katherine, d/h. of Thomas Palmer of
Holt > gt. grandson Thomas Nevill I (b. 1501), ward of Henry VII &
friend of Thomas Cromwell, JP & sheriff
= (1) Katherine Foljambe (obsp) = (2) Clara = (3) Margaret (obsp),
d. of Sir Edward Fiennes. By
(2) > Mary Nevill = Thomas Smyth of Cressing Temple, Essex who took the
name of Nevill > son Thomas Nevill II (d. 1636) > Henry Nevill (b.
1596, d. 1665), JP, held Nevill Holt & Cressing Temple = 1614 (1)
Alice (d. 1652), d. of Sir John Dackombe = (2) Ursula, widow of Sir Thomas
Markham > By (1) William Nevill in household of Mary of Modena =
Elizabeth, d. Sir Gilbert Kniveton of Mircaston, Derby by his wife
Margaret >: (1)
Thomas Nevill (d. 1722-3) named in his neice Frances' Will = when she was
aged
65 Francis née Napper/Napier (d. 1720), widow of Sir
Charles Wintour. (2)
Henry Nevill II (b. 1643, d. 1723), went to France 24.5.1679 = 1673
Margaret
Napper/Napier >:
a. Margaret Nevill = Sir
Basil Conyers of Gt. Stoughton, Hunts
b. Anne Nevill, a
nun
c. Frances Nevill = John
Tasborough of Flixton Hall, Suffolk >:
A. Margaret Tasburgh = ?
> Margaret Frances.
B. John Tasburgh bur.
Bordeaux.
d. Mary Nevill = Count
Peter Joseph Migliorucci, an Florentine banker
e. George Nevill, an
idiot (b. 1686)
f. Thomas Nevill (b.
1688, d. 1723 when aged 29). When
Frances died 3 years after her marriage, her estate was sold for £240,000.
Thomas died 3 years later in 1723 and his father Henry Nevill II in
1728, leaving £12,000. His daugher Margaret's husband Sir Basil Conyers tried to
sieze the Nevill estates but failed.
["The
Nevills of Nevill Holt, a Leicestershire Catholic Family"
- Bernard Elliott, ECA]. John
Tasburgh of Flixton's Will was dated 1st November 1698 and was proved by
his widow Frances (née Nevill) on 19.9.1719.
In her Will of 27.6.1724, proved the following 20th July she
requested: "I
desire burial at Holt about midnight, my heart to be sent over to Bordeaux
in France and deposited in the same chapel there where my son John lies
interred, over whose body is at white marble stone and a black marble
stone set over it." She
named her aunt Mrs Catherine Matthews, her friend Frances, wife of William
Woolfe of the parish of St. George the Martyr, Co. Middlesex "who
is to educate and be guardian to Margaret Frances, daughter of my
daughter, Margaret Tasburgh deceased."
Others named were her father Henry and uncle Thomas Nevill,
aunt Dame Frances Wintour, niece Harriet Conyers, cousin Percy Markham and
kinswoman Napier. Her
daughter Margaret Tasburgh described herself in her Will of 26.11.1720
(proved 21.7.1721) as "now
residing in Dublin and only surviving daughter of John Tasburgh of Flixton." In
Count Migliorucci's Will dated 18.12.1723, he is described as a merchant
of Florence. His wife Mary
Nevill in her Will dated 6.3.1735 left her estate to her son. Percy
Markham of Spinkhill named in his Will two cousins Cosmas Nevill of Holt
and his son Charles Nevill who was a testator, godson and William
Fitzwilliam described as "living
with my nephew Conquest." The
executors were his nephews Edward Markham and legacies were left to Lady
Barlow, Vincent Eyre of Sheffield and Vincent Eyre of Dronfield-Woodhouse
(15.8.1751-11.9.1753). The Eyres of Hassop, Derbyshire and Leicestershire were
confirmed Catholics. Henry
Eyre of Grays Inn, was a lawyer for the Catholics in 1716, he was the
third son of Thomas Eyre of Hassop and half-brother of Rowland Eyre.
His mother was Mary Bedingfield of Derby from another strongly
Catholic family. William
Fitzwilliam, father of John, named his son George, cousin Percy Markham,
daughter Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Ellerker, sister Elizabeth, wife of
Edward Monson and son George Monson. Henry
Nevill I was made guardian of Francis, 3rd son of John Monson. John Monson (1638) of Northorpe, Lincolnshire married
secondly Mary, daughter of William Fitzwilliam of Glaxby. ["A
List of Monumental Brasses in the British Isles" - Mills
Stephenson]. Another
Papist listed, Robert Throckmorton, baronet of Coughton, Warwickshire and
Weston Underwood, Buckinghamshire, held the manor of Buckland, Berkshire
in right of his wife Dame Mary and an estate at Hurst, Buckinghamshire in
trust for the 3 daughters of Martin Wollascott (who married Mary
Throckmorton, Robert's sister). Robert was son of Francis Throckmorton by Anne, daughter of
John Monson of Kinnersley, Surrey (of the family of William Monson of the
English Navy). Robert
Throckmorton married Mary, sister and heiress of Sir John Yate of Buckland. He
also held a life estate at Bampton, Oxfordshire, Ashford Bowdler,
Shropshire, the manors of Oversley and Coughton, Warwickshire and
Chaddesley-Corbett, Worcestershire. Weston
Underwood had a Catholic Register of births, deaths and marriages during
the times that Catholics could only marry, baptise their children and be
buried by Anglican clergymen under the rescusancy laws.
The Throckmortons of Weston Underwood probably protected many
Catholics in the area. "Bury'd
8.March 1720-1. Sir Robert Throckmorton.
A person of a good charitable temper extremely lamented by all that
knew him, both rich and poor. He dyed an unexpected but I hope not
unprovided death. Sweet Jesus
grant him an eternal rest." "7th
Mary 1722 - Dyed the Lady Mary Throckmorton having received all the rites
of ye Church. Requiesat in
pace". Fig.
112
- Monson Sir
John Monson (d. 1593) of South Carlton, 2 miles from Lincoln = Jane
Dighton >: (1)
Thomas Monson. (2)
John Monson. (3)
Sir Robert Monson. (4)
William (b. 1567-8, bur. St. Martin's-in-the-Fields 13.2.1642-3) =
Dorothy, d. of
Richard Wallop of Southampton and/or ___ Goodwin, widow of Richard
Smith of
Shelford >:
(a) John Monson born 10.9.1597 ("Northamptonshire
Peerage" -
Bugbrooke) =
Anne Mayne in 1641 > Anne Monson = Sir
Francis Throckmorton of
Coughton, Warwickshire. (b)
William Monson, Baron Monson of Bellingard Limerick, Viscount Catlemaine
(b. 2.2.1599-1600 in London = Margaret, d. of James Stuart, earl of
Murray,
second wife & widow of the earl of Nottingham whose
page he had been > son
obsp. (c)
Francis Monson baptised St. Giles, Cripplegate on 30.1.1607-8 died young. (d)
Anne Monson baptised 27.2.1600-2 in Boston, Lincolnshire. (e)
Elizabeth Monson baptised St. Dunstans-in-the-West on 27.6.1605. (f)
Jane Monson = Sir Francis Howard of Lingfield (the earl of, Nottingham's
nephew) 6
other daughters. William
Monson senior, third son of Sir John Monson, was born about 1567-8.
He entered Balliol College, Oxford in May 1581 when he was 14.
In September 1583, just before he was 17, he ran away to sea,
served as a volunteer in the Armada campaign and then entered the royal
navy on the Queen's pinnace "Charles"
after a period of privateering. He
was taken prisoner at sea by the Spanish, forced to become a galley slave
and imprisoned in Lisbon Castle in July 1592 but was released on 12.7.1592
without payment of any ransom so was later suspected of secretly dealing
with Spain. His
father left him estates in Lincolnshire.
The manor of Harwicke and lands in Yngham were left to his brother
John. Both properties later
passed to his brother Sir Robert Monson who probably purchased them when
William bought Kinnersley, Surrey. William
had a house adjoining the west gate of the Charterhouse that opens into
the older churchyard (Malcolm
"London
Redivivium"
I p.433). He also held
Skegness and the crown manor of Gimingham (which included Sidestrand,
Overstrand and extended to Cromer, Norfolk) passed to him after the death
in 1620 of Francis Southwell, relative of Sir Robert Southwell of Wood
Rising. In
early 1595 William Monson senior married Dorothy, eldest daughter of
Richard Wallop of Southampton but Bugbrooke in "Northamptonshire
Peerages" gives his wife as the daughter of Goodwin, widow of
Richard Smith of Shelford. They
had 5 sons Thomas, Francis, John, William and Robert and 9 daughters. In
1595 William Monson served with William Parker in the
"Rainbow" under Robert Devereaux, earl of Essex during the
attack on Cadiz and was knighted by Essex or Howard afterwards. He
quarrelled with his friend, the earl of Cumberland, in about 1597-8. In
1600, Robert Devereaux, 2nd earl of Essex (Frances Howard's father-in-law)
had openly expressed his belief that Robert Cecil was taking Spanish
bribes. It was thought to
have been malignant slander at the time but later information
substantiated his claim. Lord
Northampton was in Philip of Spain's pay in as early as 1582 and Sir
Charles Cornwallis, ambassador in Madrid wrote to Robert Cecil of his
suspicions that Monson was in Spain's pay which the Dutch also suspected. After
Essex's fall in 1600 or just before, he joined the Howard faction and by
their influence, he became one of Sir Robert Cecil's followers.
He soon met Sir Richard Leveson, son-in-law of Charles Howard, earl
of Nottingham, the Lord Admiral and in 1602-3 he sailed with Leveson. Monson already knew Henry Howard, earl of Northampton (to whom he was introduced by Thomas Monson, his brother) and Thomas Howard, earl of Suffolk married to Catherine Knevett of Malmesbury. Monson became MP for this town between 27.1.1601-19.12.1601. |