Nottingham Yorke and Northumberland where without respect of age or sexe they laid all wast and left the Land whence they departed like to a desolate wildernesse From thence they came with the like furie into Edmunds territories and sacked Thetford a frequent citie in those daies but hee not able to withstand their violence fled into â—his Castle at Framingham wherein he was of them besieged and lastly taken in a village then called Heglisdune of a wood bearing the same name or rather yeelded himselfe to their torments to saue more christian bloud for it is recorded that because of his most constant Faith and profession those Pagans first beat him with bats then scourged him with whips he still calling vpon the name of Iesus for rage whereof they bound to a stake and with their arrowes shot him to death and cutting off his head contemptuously threw it into a bush after he had raigned ouer the East Angles the space of sixteene yeares Camden out of Abbo Floriacensis saith that the bloudy Danes hauing bound this most christian King to a tree for that he would not renounce christianity shot him with sharpe arrowes all his body ouer augmenting the paines of his torment with continuall piercing him with arrow after arrow and thus inflicted wound vpon wound so long as one arrow could stand by another as a Poet of midle time versified of him I am loca vulneribus desunt nec dum furiofis Tela sed hyberna grandine plura volant Though now no place was left for wound yet arrowes did not faile These surious wretches still they flie thicker then winter haile His body and head after the Danes were departed were buried at the same royall Towne as Abbo termes it where Sigebert the East Anglean King and one of his predecessors at his establishing of Christianity built a Church and where afterwards in honour of him was built another most spatious and of a wonderfull frame of Timber and the name of the Towne vpon that occasion of his buriall called vnto this day Saint Edmundsbury This Church and place to speake more fully to that which I haue written before Suenus the Pagan Danish King in impiety and fury burned to ashes But when his sonne Canute or Knute had made conquest of this Land and gotten possession of the English Crowne terrified and afrighted as saith the Legend with a vision of the seeming Saint Edmund in a religious deuotion to expiate his Fathers sacriledge built it anew most sumptuously enriched this place with Charters and Gifts and offered his owne Crowne vpon the Martyrs Tombe of whom for a conclusion take these verses following Vtque cruore suo Gallos Dionisius ornat Grecos Demetrius gloria quisque suiâ— Sic nos Edmundus nulli virtute secundus Lux patet patrie gloria magna sue Sceptra manum Diadema capud sua purpura corpus Ornat ei sed plus vincula mucro cruor The 20. day of Nouember in our Calender was kept holy in remembrance of this King and Martyr Puer Robertus apud Sanctum Edmundum a Iudeis fuit Martirazatus 4. Id. Iunij An. 1179. et illic sepultus Alanus Comes Britannie obijt An. 1093. his iacet ad hostium australe Sancti Edmundi ex eod lib. de chateris This Allan here buried or as some will haue it in the monastery of Rhedon sirnamed the Red or Fergaunt was the sonne of Eudo Earle of Britaine and entred England with William the Conquerour his Father in Law To whom the said Conquerour gaue the honour and County of Edwyn within the County and Prouince of Yorke by his Charter in these words I William sirnamed Bastard King of England giue and grant to thee my Nephew Allan Earle of Britaine and to thy heyres for euer all those Villages Townes and Lands which were late in possession of Earle Edwin in Yorkeshire with knights fees Churches and other liberties and customes as freely and honourably as the said Edwyn held them Giuen at the siege before Yorke Alban being a man of an high spirit and desirous to gouerne the Prouince entirely which he had receiued built a strong Castle by Gillingham a village which he possessed by which he might defend himselfe not onely against the English who were spoiled of their goods and lands but also against the fury and inuasions of the Danes When the worke was finished he gaue it the name of Richmond of purpose either for the greatnesse and magnificence of the place or for some Castle in little Britaine of the same name Here sometimes vnder a goodly Monument in the Quire of this Abbey Church lay interred the body of Thomas surnamed of Brotherton the place of his birth the fifth sonne of Edward the first after the Conquest king of England by Margaret his second wife the eldest daughter of Philip king of France surnamed the Hardy He was created Earle of Norfolke and made Earle Marshall of England by his halfe brother King Edward the second which Earledomes Roger Bigod the last of that surname Earle of Norfolke and Earle Marshall leauing no issue left to the disposition of the king his Father This Earle died in the yeare of our redemption 1338. Here lay buried the body of Thomas Beauford sonne of Iohn of Gaunt begotten of the Lady Katherine Swyneford his third wife who by King Henry the fourth was made Admirall then Captaine of Calis and afterwards Lord Chancellour of England He was created by the said King Earle of Perch in Normandy and Earle of Dorlet in England And lastly in the fourth yeare of King Henry the fifth he was created Duke of Exceter and made knight of the order of the Garter He had the leading of the Rereward at the battell of Agincourt and the gouernment of king Henry the sixth appointed to that office by the foresaid Henry the fifth on his death-bed He valiantly defended Harflew in Normandy whereof he was gouernour against the Frenchmen and in a pitched field encountring the Earle of Armiguar put him to flight He died at his House of East Greenwich in Kent vpon Newyeares day the fifth of Henry the sixth for whom all England mourned saith Milles The body of Mary Queene of France widow of Lewis the twelfth daughâ—er of King Henry the 7. and sister to king Henry the eight was here in this Abbey Church entombed After the death of Lewis with whom she liued not long shee married that Martiall and pompous Gentleman Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke She died on Midsomer Eeue 1533. Iohn Boon Abbot of this Monasterie had his tombe and interrement here in this Church who died in the beginning of February in the ninth yeare of the raigne of king Edward the fourth as appeares by the said kings Conged'eslire or permission royall to the Prior and Couent of this House to make choise of another Abbot as followeth Edwardus Dei gratia Rex Anglie Francie
in whose commendations Nicholas Harpsfeld sometime Archdeacon of Canterbury thus writeth I will vse his owne language Tobias a Brithwaldo Archiepiscopo consecratus vir ampliore honoratiore sede si locus hominem et homo locum non commendaret dignissimus qui Theodori Adriani discipulus fuit Quantum vero sub his praeceptoribus profecerit luculenter ostendit Beda qui cum omnium humanarum diuinarumque rerum scientissimum fuisse Latinam Graecamque linguam tam accurate atque maternam calluisse affirmat Hee dyed about the yeare 726. Here lyeth interred Gundulphus a Norman by birth the thirtieth Bishop of Rochester a man not greatly learned but very wise and industrious for he handled the matter so as hee procured not onely his Church to be new built but also the reuenues to be encreased He recouered diuers lands and possessions encroched vpon and taken away in former times by Odo Earle of Kent And besides diuers summes of money which hee contributed he bought a certaine Mannor called Heddre and gaue it to this his owne Church In all these matters hee was much helped by Lanfranke Archbishop of Canterbury who caused him to take into his Church not secular Priests as before had beene accustomed but Monkes Benedictines Gundulph himselfe being a Monke of that order vpon his first admittance to this See he found onely sixe secular Priests in the Church who were endowed scarcely with sufficient meanes to liue according to their place and callings Before his death he encreased his Church-reuenues to that height that it did and was able to maintaine fifty Monkes some say threescore The yearely value of this Monastery at the suppression amounted to 486. l. 5. s. The donations to this Monastery were confirmed by Pope Vrban the second in these words following Vrbanus Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei. Dilectis filijs Priori capitulo Ecclesie Roffen Ordinis sancti Benedicti Salutem et Apostolicam benedictionem Cum à nobis petitur quod iustum est et honestum tam vigor equitatis quam etiam ordo exigit rationis vt id per solicitudinem officij nostri ad debitum perducatur effectum Ea propter dilecti in Domino filij vestris iust is postulationibus grato concurrentes assensu personas vestras et Ecclesiam Roffen in qua diuino est is obsequio mancipati cum omnibus bonis que impresentiarum rationabiliter possidetis aut in futurum iust is modis prestante domino poteritis adipisci sub beati Petri protectione suscipimus at que nostra Specialiter autem terras decimas domus possessiones vineas prata et alta bona vestra sicut ea iuste et pacifice obtinetis vobis et per vos eidem Ecclesie auctoritate Apostolica confirmamus et presentis scripti patrocinio communuimus Salua in predictis decimis moderatione Concilij generalis Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre confirmationis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire Si quis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit indignationem omnipotentis Dei et beatorum Petri et Pauli Apostolorum eius se nouerit incursurum Dat. Ianu. III. Id. Ianuar. Pontificatus nostri Anno octauo When as William the Conquerour built the great white square Tower of London hee appointed this Bishop to bee principall Surueyor of that worke who was for that time lodged in the house of one Edmere a Burgesse of London as it is in the booke of the Bishops of Rochester in these words Gundulphus Episcopus mandato Willelmi Regis magni presuit operi magne Turris London quo tempore hospitatus est apud quendam Edmerum Bargensem London This Bishop built a great part of the Castle of Rochester namely the great Tower which yet standeth Hee founded an Hospitall in Chetham which hee dedicated to the honour of Saint Bartholomew for the reliefe of such people as were infected with the foule disease of the Leprosie hee endowed it with sufficient reuenues which grant was confirmed by king Henry the third and discharged of all taxes and tallages by King Ed. the third He founded the Abbey at Malling which he consecrated to the blessed Virgine and placed therein blacke Nunnes Which Nunnery he gouerned himselfe during all his life time And lying at the point of death hee commended it to the charge of one Auice to whom notwithstanding he would not deliuer the Pastorall staffe before shee had promised canonicall obedience fidelitie and subiection to the See of Rochester and protested by oath that there should neither Abbesse nor Nunne bee from thenceforth receiued into the house without the consent and priuitie of him and his Successours This Nunnery was valued at the suppression at two hundred fourty fiue pounds ten shillings two pence halfepeny of yearely reuenue Ouer the Abbey gate yet standing is the likenesse of a Pastorall staffe This good Bishop dyed the seuenth of March 1107. and was buried where you see the pourtraitures of certaine Bishops sometimes artificially cut in stone and Alabaster but now cut almost all in peeces dismembred and shamefully abused as all other Monuments in this Church are of any antiquity so that neither reading nor tradition can giue vs any true notice of their names Gilbert de Glanuil before mentioned a gentleman of an ancient family was consecrated to this Bishopricke September 29. Ann. 1185. Betweene this man and his Monkes of Rochester was long and continuall debate by occasion whereof hee tooke away from them all their moueable goods all the ornaments of their Church their writings and euidences yea and a great part of their lands possessions and priuiledges wanting money to follow their suites against him they were forced to coyne the siluer of Saint Paulinus Shryne into money These controuersies were ended no otherwise then by his death which happened Iune 24. 1214. hauing ruled his contentious charge 29. yeares But the hatred of these Monkes against him was so dying with him as they would afford him no manner of Obsequies but buried him most obscurely or rather basely without either ringing singing or any other solemnitie and furthermore abused him with such like rime-doggerell Glanvill Gilbert us nulla bonitate refertus Hic iacet immitis amator maxime litis Et quia sic litem dum vixit solet amare Nunc vbi pax nulla est est aptior inhabitare These blacke Monkes whom I thinke if the matter were well examined would proue to be in the fouler fault were too malitious to remember that this Bishop founded S. Maries Hospitall at Strowd neare adioyning to this Citie called the New worke and endowed it witha liuelihood of 52. l. of yearely profits which it now enioyeth Here lyeth entombed the body of Walter de Merton so surnamed of Merton a village in Surrey where he was borne sometimes Lord Chancellour of England Bishop of this See and Founder of Merton Colledge in Oxford
Epitaph is engrauen Abbas Richardus de Wara qui requiescit Hic portat lapides quos hic portauit ab vrbe After the death of Richard de Ware Walter Wenlocke was chosen Abbot and preferred to the honour of Lord Treasurer by King Edward the first Hee was Abbot sixe and twenty yeares lacking sixe dayes died vpon Christmas day at night in the yeare 1307. And lieth buried vnder a marble stone whereupon this Epitaph to his high commendation is inlayed in brasse Abbas Walterus iacet hic sub marmore tectus Non fuit austerus sed mitis famine rectus Here lieth Richard de Barking Abbot of this Monastery who was an especiall Councellour to King Henry the third chiefe Baron of the Exchequer and Treasurer of England Who hauing beene Abbot 24. yeares died the 23. day of Nouember 1246. He was first buried in our Ladies Chappell in a Tombe of marble which was pulled downe by Frier Combe a Sacrist of this house Who layed a faire plaine marble stone ouer him with this Epitaph thus inscribed Richardus Barking Prior est post inclytus Abbas Henrici Regis prudens fuit ille minister Huius erat prima laus Insula rebus opima Altera laus eque Thorp census ocham decimeque Tertia Mortone castrum simili ratione Et Regis quarta de multis commoda charta Clementis festo mundo migrauit ab isto M. Domini C. bis xl sextoque sub anno Cui detur venia parte pia virgo Maria. Here in the Cloister vnder a flat stone of blacke marble lie the remaines of Gervais de Bloys so called of the place or Earledome which his father possest in France who was Stephen Earle of Bloys and Champaigne afterwards king of England He was his base sonne begotten of one Dameta a gentlewoman of Normandy He was brought into England by his father the fifth yeare of his raigne and in the same yeare made Abbot of this place In which gouernment he continued for the space of twenty yeares He deceased the 26. of August 1160. His Epitaph De Regem genere Pater hic Gervasius ecce Monstrat de functus mors rapit omne genus Euen father Gervase borne of kings race Loe is dead thus death all sorts doth deface Here lieth the body of Nicholas Litlington Abbot of this house who in the time of his gouernement which was for the space of 〈◊〉 yeares built the Abbots hall and the faire roome now called Ierusalem the West and South part of the Cloister and a Granary now the Schollers long Bed-chamber with the Tower adioyning as also the Water-Mill and many other Edefices He died Anno 1386. I found his Epitaph in a namelesse Manuscript in that neuer enough admired Librarie of Sir Robert Cotton Hacce Domo Ductor Nicholaus erat quoque structor Et sibi tunc sedem celo construxit edem M. semel C ter erat annus sex octuagenus Cum perit iste Abbas diuino flamine plenus Quinta dies fit ei requies in fine Nouembris Detur ei pietate Dei merces requici Amen Here lieth in the Cloister one Vitalis Abbot of this Couent preferred thereunto by William the Conquerour in the 16. of whose raigne 1082. he died vpon whose Tombe this Epitaph was engrauen alluding to his name like as for Laurence his successor Qui nomen traxit a vita morte vocante Abbas Vitalis transijt hicque iacet Here lieth the body of one Lawrence Abbot of this Monastery who obtained of Alexander the third that ambitious Bishop of Rome to himselfe and his successors the vse of the Miter the Ring and the Gloues the Pastorall Staffe before his time being their onely comportment as by the differing portraitures of the Abbots vpon their Tombestones may be easily discerned He died Anno 1176. to whose memory this allusiue Epitaph was made Clauditur hoc tumulo vir quondam clarus in orbe Quo preclarus erat hic locus est et erit Pro meritis vite dedit illi laurea nomen Detur ei vite laurea pro meritis Here lieth Gislebert Crispine Abbot who flourished in the raigne of King Henry the first and died in the yeare of our redemption 1114. His picture is vpon the graue stone inlaid with brasse with his Pastoral staffe onely without Miter Ring or other ornament with these verses Hic Pater insignis genus altum virgo senex que Gisleberte iaces lux via duxque tuis Mitis eras iustus prudens fortis moderatus Doctus quadriuio nec minus in triuio Sic tamen ornatus nece sexta luce Decembris Spiramen celo reddis ossa solo Here lieth interred the body of Edmund Kirton Abbot of this Monastery Doctor of Diuinity and a profound learned man he adorned Saint Andrewes Chappell wherein he lieth buried with the armes of many of the English Nobility These verses are inscribed vpon his monument Pastor pacisicus subiectis vir moderatus Hac sub marmorea Petra requiescit humatus Edmundus Kirton hic quondam qui fuit Abbas Bis denis annis cum binis connumerandus Sacre Scripture doctor probus immoprobatus Illustri stirpe de Cobildic generatus Coram Martino papa proposuit iste Ob quod multiplices laudes habuit honores Qui obijt tertio die mensis Octobris An. Dom. M. cccc.lx.vi Eleison Kyry curando morbida mundi Iohn Islip Abbot of Westminster a man of great authoritie and speciall trust with King Henry the seuenth lieth here interred He built the Deanes house as now it is and repaired many other places in this Monasterie in the windowes whereof saith Camden he had a quadruple deuice for his single name for somewhere he set vp an eye with a slip of a tree in another place one slipping boughes in a tree in other places an I with the said slip and in some places one slipping from a tree with the word Islip I cannot learne the time of his death by his Tombe yet I finde in a Manuscript wherein are diuers funerall collections and other Inscriptions of this Abbey which were gathered about the time of the dissolution that he died the second of Ianuary in the yeare 1510. the second of Henry the eight and also that in the Chappell of Saint Erasmus where he lieth buried vpon the wall ouer his Tombe was the picture of our Sauiour Christ hanging on the Crosse seeming to call and to giue good councell vnto mankind in these rimes Aspice serue Dei sic me posuere Iudei Aspice deuote quoniam sic pendeo pro te Aspice mortalis pro te datur Hostia talis Introitum vite reddo tibi redde mihi te In cruce sum prote qui peccas desine pro me Desine do veniam dic culpam corrige vitam Vnder this Crucifixe was the picture of the Abbot holding vp his hands and praying thus in old Poetrie En cruce qui pendis Islip miserere Iohannis
of Edward Barry Ioan Lady Barry Sir Iohn Barry knight Isabell â—â—dy Barry Sir â—ill Barry knight Humfrey Barry Robert Barry the first in 〈◊〉 land that broughthawke to hand Vide Vincent contra Brooke pag. 130. * M S. Tho Talbot clerici Rotulorum in um Lond. Mathew Paris pag 342 Selden in his Titles of Honour of Barons Plota 18. H 3. apud Westm. Bracton de Exceptionibus li. 5. cap. 9 pag. 5. Supersedeas de An. 8. Ed. 2. in dorso â— Austin Archbishop â—olidor the Popes collectour â— Honorius Archbishop Hist. Eccl. Ang. Sexâ— sar c. 8. S. Deodat Archbishop M Drayton Polyol 24 Song S. Theodore Archbishop â— Odo Archbishop S. Dunstane Archbishop * instant * holy Capgraue Song 1â— S. Elphege Arch. Martyr Rob. Glocest. S. Egelnoth Archbishop Godwin â— Eaâ—â—â—â—e Archbishop S. Lanfranke Archbishop S. Anselm Archbishop S. Thomas commonly called Thomas of Canterbury * honourd S. Edmund Archbishop Miss in bib Cott. 〈◊〉 Popes absolute power Hâ—s tyâ—â—nny The conclusion of this Diocesie The 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 Conuention for the 〈◊〉 The Archbishops 〈◊〉 the generall 〈◊〉 Lambard The end of the strife for the Primacie Hardinâ— ca. 88 Lamb. peramb. Paulinus Bishop of Rochester and first of Yorke Beda l. 2. c. â— Mss. in bib Cot. Bedal 〈◊〉 â— Camd. in Ricâ— Bâ—l. l. 2. c. 2 Hist. Archiepis Ebor. in bib Cot. Ex lib. Anon. in bib Cott. Ithamar Bishop of Rochester Cap. in vit S. Ithamari M. Draiâ—on Polyol 24. Song Tobias Bishop of Rochester Harps Hiâ—â— Eccles Angl octaâ—um Saecul c. â— Gundulph Bishop of Rochester Godwin de praeâ—ul Ang. Bulla Vrbani secundi in bib â—im D'ewes Equit aurat M ss in bib Cot. The Hospitall of Chetham Malling Abbey Lamb peramb. Gilbert de Glanvill Bishop of Rochester Godwin The Hospitall in Strowd Walterus Merâ—ton Bishop of Rochester Sir Hen. Sauill Haymo s. S. Barthol Hosp. in Hithe In bib Cott. Iohn de Shepey Bishop of Rochester Lord Treasurer Io. Lowe Bishop of Rochester Bale Cent. 4. Godwin Priory of Rochester Lib. Rossen in bib Cott. Lamb. per amb S. William of Rochester Neua Legenda Capgrauiâ— Lib. Rossen in bib Cot. Io. Beaufits and Isabel his wife Io. Beaufits and Alice his wife Rob. Beaufits Sara his wife Will. Beaufits Ioane Bamme Iohn Bamme her sonne The â—â—iery Com. in â—enâ— The Almes-house oâ— Hospitall Catigern and Horsa The battell of Ailesford Horsted Catigern his sepulchre Ric Charles Alice his wife Will Suayth Alice his wife Rob. Watton Will. Watton Benet and Alice his wiues Rob. Watton Alice his wife Io. Norwood The Mannor of Norwood Io. Constenton and Sara his wife Otteham Abbey In Archiâ—is Turris London Sixe pence for exceedings vpon S. Laurence day In Arch. Tur. London Begham Priory Ela de Sackvile and Sir Robert Turnham founders Rob. Glocest. The death of Sir Robert Turnham Rob. Gloâ— * haire Sir Tho. Sackvile knight In the prerogatiue office Sir Stephen Pensherst knight Ex Arch. Turrâ—â— London Sidney â—amd in Kenâ— Sir Philip Sidney knight The Epitaph for Mons. Boniuet Hugh Lord Staff and Tho. Bradlaine his Bow-bearer Camd in Kent Priory of Tunbridge Richard de Clare Earle of Gloucester Lib. Theoles Mss. Camd. Remaines Hugh de Audley Earle of Glocester and Margaret his wife Vincent Discouery of errors Raph Earle of Stafford and Margaret his wife Bagot Baron of Stafford Vincent Dis. errours The foundation of the free-Schoole at Tonbridge Edward Bourchier vulgo Bowser and Agnes his wife Haydok Haymund Robert Lawe Priest Tho. Brooke and Clemence his wife Tho. Gregby Robert Totleherst Iohn Yardly and Ioane his wife William Potkin and Alexandra his wife The foundation of the Schoole and Almeshouse in Sennock Lamb. Peramb Tho. Brenten Bishop of Rochester Godwin Catalogue of Bis. Sir Bruin knight Câ—md in Essex Stow. Annal. Reg. Stratton Parson Camd. in Camb Rich. Ieames a Blacksmith Tho. Gawge Iames Peckham and Margaret his wife Reynold Peckham and Ioice his wife * Cupbearer Will. Peckham and Katherine his wife Tho Peckham and Dorothie his wife Iames Peckham and Agnes his wife Martin PeckhaÌ„ and Margerie his wife Sir Thomas Willoughby and Bridget his wife Iohn Loft Priest Io. Alphegh and Isabel his wife Thinne Collect. Camd. in Lincol. Willoughby Earle of Vandosme Io. Wood. Edmund Read S. Katherines Chappell Sir Ric. Clement knight and Anne his wife Ric. Astall Hawte Glouer Somerset Ioane Lady Cobham Margery Lady Cobham Lib 〈◊〉 in hil Cot. Henry Lord Cobham Margaret Lady Cobham Ioane Lady Cobham Tho. Lord Cobham and Maud his wife Iohn Lord Cobham Cobham Colledge Sir Iohn Oldcastle knight Lord Cobham Ioane Baronesse Cobham Sir Reignold Braybroke knight Lord Cobham Reignold and Robert Braybroke Lamb. pâ—ramb Nicholas Hawberke Lord Cobham Io. Broke Lord Cobham and Lady Margaret his wife Tho. Lord Cobham and his three wiues Raph Cobham Io. Terrye Io Clauering in bib Cot. Henry Lord Cobham prime Iustice of England Stephen de Penchester or Peâ—shuâ—st Lord Warden Ioane Alice his daughters and heires Ioane maâ—ned to the said H. Lord Cobham Alice to Philip de Columbars Io. Smith and Margery his wife Tho. Sharpe The Nunnery at Heigham Robert Ereby Ioane and Ioane his wiues Tho. Ereby and â—sode his wife Almeshouse Tho. Buckland Alice Walleys Ric Downe and Margery his wife Io. Bederenden Tho. Petle and Isabell his wife In a window Iohn Donat and Alice his wife Eckisford William Alisander Io. Pole Palme Hic Daâ—â— master of the Iewell house Maryd Davy William Rikell and Katherine his wife Sâ—ow Annal. Sir Peter Lacy Priest Tho. Brendon and Ioane his wife Rich. Hunt and Ioane his wife 〈◊〉 Hesilt Baron of the Exchequer and Agnes his wife 〈◊〉 Martyn 〈◊〉 his wife S. Hildeferths Nicholas Boneuant and Agnes his wife Reignold Thomas Ric. Bonâ—uant Io. Sorewell Priest Sir Iohn Lumbard Priest Maud Laken and Ioane her daughter Sir Io. Dew Priest Roger Payname Will Banknot Anne his wife Sir Io. Wilshyre knight and Margaret his wife Stow. Annal. Sir Ric Wingseeld knight of the Garter Bridget his wife Io Hornley Katherine Burlton and Richard her husband The Priory of Dartford Burials in this Prioâ—y The birth and death of Bridget Plantagineâ— Rob. Woodford Ioane his wife Ro. Apleton and Agnes his wife Elisabeth CouÌ„tesse of Shrewsbury * Iohn dyed in his infancy Sir Ric. Walden knight and Dame Margery his wife Richard Walde Allin Atticor Sir Io. Stone Priest Iohn Crioll Roger Sentcler Mathew Paris Ric. de Lucie the founder Râ—g Heuâ—den An. 1179. Ex vet Mss. in â—o Cot. Godfrey Lucy Bishop of Winchester Io. Colin and Maud his wife Sir William Prâ—ne Priest Inser vpon the great Bell. Margery Roper Iohn Morton Tho. Pierle Foundation of Peckham Schoole Richard Bâ—shop of Rochester Walter Hench Parson George Hatteliffe The Priory of Lewsham Priors Aliens Their goods and lands consiscate King Edward surnamed Longshanks did the like An. Reg. â—3 vpon the like occasion Restitution of the 〈◊〉 Aliens
not die Wholly nor shall my best part buried lie Within my Graue And Martial lib. 10. Ep. 2. thus speakes of bookes and writings Reader my wealth whom when to me Rome gaue Nought greater to bestow quoth she I haue By him ingratefull Lethe thou shalt flie And in thy better part shalt neuer die Wilde fig-trees rend Messalla's marbles off Chrispus halfe horses the bold Carters scoffe Writings no age can wrong nor theeuing hand Deathlesse alone those monuments will stand My books are read in euery place And when Licinius and Messalla's high Rich marble Towers in ruin'd dust shall lie I shall be read and strangers euerie where Shall to their farthest homes my verses beare And in another Ep. thus much of his bookes 'T is not the Citie onely doth approue My muse or idle eares my verses loue The rough Centurion where cold frosts orespread The Scythian fields in warre my books are read My lines are sung in Britaine farre remote And yet my emptie purse perceiues it not What deathlesse numbers from my penne would flow What warres would my Pierian Trumpet blow If as Augustus now againe doth liue So Rome to me would a Mecaenas giue In like manner Ouid giues an endlesse date to himselfe and to his Metamorphosis in these words Iamque opus exegi c. And now the worke is ended which Ioues rage Nor Fire nor Sword shall raze nor eating Age Come when it will my Death 's vncertaine houre Which onely of my bodie hath a power Yet shall my better part transcend the skie And my immortall name shall neuer die For where-soere the Romane Eagles spread Their conquering wings I shall of all be read And if wee Prophets truly can diuine I in my liuing Fame shall euer shine S. Ierom in like manner in one of his Epistles writeth of the perpetuity of a funerall Elegie which he made himselfe to the deare memorie of his beloued Fabiola who was buried in the citie of Bethlem not because the said Elegie was cut or engrauen upon her Sepulchre but for that he had written it down in one of his volumes according to these his own words following Exegi monimentum tuum aere perennius quod nulla destruere possit vetustas incîdi Eulogium Sepulchro tuo quod huic volumini subdidi vt quocunque noster Sermo peruenerit te laudatam te in Bethlem conditaÌ„ Lector agnoscat Varus Tribune of Rome hath beene and will be longer remembred by Martials Epigram lib. 10. ep 26. then euer hee could haue beene by any funerall monument which is lately made thus to speake English Varus which as Romes Tribune didst command An hundred men renown'd in Aegypt land Now as a stranger Ghost thou dost remaine On Nilus shore promisd to Rome in vaine We could not dew with teares thy dying face Nor thy said funerall flames with odours grace Yet in my verse eterniz'd shalt thou bee Of that false Egypt cannot cousen thee Thus Lucan lib. 9. of his owne verse and Caesars victorie at Pharsalia O great and sacred worke of poesy Thou freest from fate and giu'st eternity To mortall wights but Caesar enuy not Their liuing names if Romane Muses ought May promise thee whilest Homer's honoured By future times shalt thou and I bee read No age shall vs with darke oblivion staine But our Pharsalia euer shall remaine Bookes then and the Muses workes are of all monuments the most permanent for of all things else there is a vicissitude a change both of cities and nations as we may thus reade in Ouids Metamorphosis lib. 15. For this wee see in all is generall Some nations gather strength and others fall Troy rich and powerfull which so proudly stood That could for ten yeares spend such streames of bloud For buildings onely her old ruines showes For riches Tombes which slaughtered fires inclose Sparta Mycenae were of Greece the flowers So Cecrops citie and Amphions Towres Now glorious Sparta lies vpon the ground Lofty Mycenae hardly to be found Of Oedipus his Thebes what now remaines Or of Pandions Athens but their names Thebes Babell Rome these proud heauen daring wonders Loe vnder ground in dust and ashes lie For earthly kingdomes euen as men doe die Bellay in his ruines of Rome translated by Spenser makes this demonstration or shew of that citie to the strange countrey man or traueller Thou stranger which for Rome in Rome here seekest And nought of Rome in Rome perceiu'st at all These same old walls old arches which thou seest Old palaces is that which Rome men call Behold what wreake what ruine and what wa st And how that she which with her mighty power Tam'd all the world hath tam'd her selfe at last The prey of Time which all things doth deuoure Rome now of Rome is the onely funerall And onely Rome of Rome hath victorie Ne ought saue Tyber hastning to his fall Remaines of all O worlds inconstancie That which is firme doth flit and fall away And that is flitting doth abide and stay It is a vanitie for a man to thinke to perpetuate his name and memory by strange and costly great Edifices for Not sumptuous Pyramids to skies vpreard Nor Elean Ioues proud Fane which heauen compeerd Nor the rich fortune of Mausoleus Tombe Are priuiledg'd from deaths extreamest doome Or fire or stormes their glories do abate Or by age shaken fall with their owne waight We haue many examples here in England of the small continuance as I may so call it of magnificent strong buildings by the sudden fall of our religious houses of which a late namelesse versifier hath thus written What sacred structures did our Elders build Wherein Religion gorgeously sat deckt Now all throwne downe Religion exild Made Brothell-houses had in base respect Or ruind so that to the viewers eye In their owne ruines they intombed lie The marble vrnes of their so zealous Founders Are digged up and turn'd to sordid vses Their bodies are quite cast out of their bounders Lie vnâ—interr'd O greater what abuse is Yet in this later age we now liue in This barbarous act is neither shame nor sinne Of walls towres castles crosses forts rampiers townes cities and such like monuments here in great Britaine which by age warres or the malignitie of the times are defaced ruined or utterly subuerted you may reade in learned Camden onely thus much out of famous Spenser personating the Genius of Verlame or Verulam sometimes a citie neare to S. Albons I was that Citie which the garland wore Of Britaines pride deliuered vnto me By Romane victors which it wonne of yore Though nought at all but ruines now I bee And lie in mine owne ashes as ye see Verlame I was what bootes it that I was Sith now I am but weeds and wastfull grasse Another English muse now liuing vnder the name of Watling one of the foure imperiall high wayes sings thus of the ruines of this citie Thou saw'st when Verlam once her head
these Ethnicke lamentations and fearefull howlings for the dead by hired mourners were prohibited yet moderate weeping and mourning at Funeralls was neuer dissallowed nay it hath been euer highly commended accounted the chiefe grace of Funerals promised for a blessing to the godly and the want thereof a malediction or curse and moderately to mourne after the interment of our friends is a manifest token of true loue by it wee expresse that naturall affection wee had to the departed with a Christian-like moderation of our griefe whereby our faith to God ward is demonstrated For as God hath made vs liuing so hath he made vs louing creatures to the end we should not be as stocks and stones voide of all kinde and naturall affection but that liuing and louing together the loue of the one should not end with the life of the other And now to go a little further I say that to mourne and sorrow for parents children husbands wiues kindred and friends is not any matter of noueltie but most ancient Abraham mourned and wept for his wife Sarah Dauid could not hide his fatherly affection toward his sonne Absolon although he was a traitour to his father Dauid the King for so soone as hee heard of his death he went up to the chamber ouer the gate as the text is and wept and as hee went thus he said O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne Dauid also hearing of the death of murdered Abner whom he respected as a deare friend said vnto Ioab who slew Abner and to all the people that were with him Rent your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourne before the corps of Abner and king Dauid himselfe followed the Beere And when they had buried Abner in Hebron the king lifted vp his voice and wept beside the Sepulchre of Abner and all the people wept Now it being the custome of the Israelites to feast and banquet at their burials â—he people came to cause Dauid such is the Scripture phrase to eate meate while it was yet day but Dauid sware saying So doe God to me and more also if I taste bread or ought else till the Sunne bee downe and aâ—l the people knew it and it pleased them saith the Text. Our aâ—l perfect and Almighty Sauiour Christ Iesus wept ouer the graue of dead Lazarus whom he reuiued wherupon the standers by said among themselues behold how he loued him The ancient Romanes before they were Christians mourned nine moneths but being Christians they vsed mourning a whole yeare clothed in blacke for the most part for women were clothed partly in white and partly in blacke according to the diuersitie of Nations And if any Christian man or woman in those parts wearing mourning came to agree againe in a second marriage during the yeare appointed for mourning the Matrimony was stayed but thenceforward hee nor shee were bound to weare any more mourning These examples considered I obserue that wee in these dayes doe not weepe and mourne at the departure of the dead so much nor so long as in Christian dutie we ought For husbands can burie their wiues and wiues their husbands with a few counterfeit teares and a sowre visage masked and painted ouer with dissimulation contracting second marriages before they haue worne out their mourning garments and sometimes before their cope mates be cold in their graues Young heires may attend vpon the corps of their parents to their buriall places seemingly making great shewes of inward griefe and sorrow but Haeredis flectus sub persona risus est The weeping of an heire is laughing vnder a visard or disguise And if his father haue impaired or not augmented his state and inheritance this young master will reduce the conuoy of his fathers obsequies to some vnwonted parsimonie answerable to these verses of Persius in the sixth and last Satyre if thou impaire thy wealth thy angred heire Of thy last funerall feast will take small care And with neglect into thy vrne will throw Thy bones without perfumes carelesse to know Whether he buy dull-smelling Cinnamum Or Casia corrupt with cherry gumme Now howsoeuer the procuration of funerals the manner of buriall the pompe of obsequies bee rather comforts to the liuing then helpes to the dead and although all these ceremonies be despised by our parents on their death-beds yet should they not be neglected by vs their children or nearest of kindred vpon their interments But funerals in any expensiue way here with vs are now accounted but as a fruitlesse vanitie insomuch that almost all the ceremoniall rites of obsequies heretofore vsed are altogether laid aside for wee see daily that Noblemen and Gentlemen of eminent ranke office and qualitie are either silently buried in the night time with a Torch a two-penie Linke and a Lanterne or parsimoniously interred in the day-time by the helpe of some ignorant countrey-painter without the attendance of any one of the Officers of Armes whose chiefest support and maintenance hath euer depended vpon the performance of such funerall rites and exequies So that now by reason of this generall neglect of Funeralls and the sleight regard wee haue of the needfull vse of Heraulds many and great errours are daily committed to the great offence and preiudice of the ancient Nobilitie and Gentrie of this Kingdome and to the breeding of many ambiguous doubts and questions which may happen in their Descents and issues in future ages And nothing will be shortly left to continue the memory of the deceased to posteritie pilfery and the opinion some haue that Tombes and their Epitaphs taste somewhat of Poperie hauing already most sacrilegiously stolne erazed and taken away almost all the Inscriptions and Epitaphs cut writ inlaid or engrauen vpon the Sepulchres of the deceased and most shamefully defaced the glorious rich Tombes and goodly monuments of our most worthy Ancestours It could bee wished that some order might betaken for the preseruation of these few which are as yet remaining for to mine owne knowledge by the obseruation I haue made in many Churches the Monuments of the dead are daily thus abused CHAP. V. The reasons wherefore so many haue made their owne Monuments in their life-time Of the care that all or most of all men haue of decent buriall The buriall of the dead a worke acceptable vnto God A funerall Hymne of Aurelius Prudentius to the like purpose IT was vsuall in ancient times and so it is in these our dayes for persons of especiall ranke and qualitie to make their owne Tombes and Monuments in their life-time partly for that they might haue a certaine house to put their head in as the old saying is whensoeuer they should bee taken away by death out of this their Tenement the world and partly to please themselues in the beholding of their dead countenance in marble But most especially because thereby they thought to preserue their memories from
pompe are deckt The custome is to spread abroad White linens grac'd with splendour pure Sabaean myrrhe on bodies strow'd Preserues them from decay secure The hollow stones by caruers wrought Which in faire Monuments are laid Declare that pledges thither brought Are not to death but sleepe conuay'd The pious Christians thus ordaine Beleeuing with a prudent eye That those shall rise and liue againe Who now in freezing slumbers lie He that the dead dispers'd in fields In pitie hides with heapes of molds To his Almighty Sauiour yeelds A worke which he with ioy beholds The same Law warnes vs all to grone Whom one seuere condition ties And in anothers death to mone All fun'rals as of our allies That reuerend man in goodnesse bred Who blest Tobias did beget Preferr'd the buriall of the dead Before his meate though ready set He while the seruants waiting stand Forsakes the cups the dishes leaues And digges a graue with speedy hand Which with the bones his teares receiues Rewards from heau'n tâ—is worke requite No slender price is here repaid God cleares the eyes that saw no light While fishes gall on them is laid Then the Creatour would descry How farre from reason they are led Who sharpe and bitter things apply To soules on which new light is spred He also taught that to no wight The heau'nly kingdome can be seene Till vext with wounds and darksome night He in the worlds rough waues â—ath beene The curse of death a blessing findes Because by this tormenting woe Steepe wayes lie plaine to spotlesse mindes Who to the Starres by sâ—rrowes goe The bodies which long perisht lay Returne to liue in better yeares That vnion neuer shall decay Where after death new warmth appeares The face where now pale colour dwels Whence foule infection shall arise The flowers in splendour then excels When bloud the skinne with beauty dies No age by Times imperious law With enuious prints the forehead dimmes No drought no leannesse then can draw The moisture from the withered limbes Diseases which the body eate Infected with oppressing paines In midst of torments then shall sweate Imprison'd in a thousand chaines The conquering flesh immortall growes Beholding from the skies aboue The endlesse groning of her foes For sorrowes which from them did moue Why are vndecent howlings mixt By liuing men in such a case Why are decreâ—s so sweetly fixt Reprou'd with discontented face Let all complaints and murmures faile Ye tender mothers stay your teares Let none their children deare bewaile For life renew'd in death appeares So buried seeds though drie and dead Againe with smiling greennesse spring And from the hollow furrowes bred Attempt new eares of corne to bring Earth take this man with kinde embrace In thy soft bosome him conceiue For humane members here I place And genâ—rous parts in trust I leaue This house the soule her guest once felt Which from the Makers mouth proceeds Here sometime feruent wisedome dwelt Which Christ the Prince of wisedome breeds A cou'ring for this body make The Author neuer will forget His works nor will those lookes forsake In which he hath his picture set For when the course of time is past And all our hopes fulfil'd shall be Thou op'ning must restore at last The limbes in shape which now we see Nor if long age with powerfull reigne Shall turne the bones to scatter'd dust And onely ashes shall retaine In compasse of an handfull thrust Nor if swift flouds or strong command Of windes through emptie aire haue tost The members with the flying sand Yet man is neuer fully lost O God while mortall bodies are Recall'd by thee and form'd againe What happie seat wilt thou prepare Where spotlesse soules may safe remaine In Abrahams bosome they shall lie Like Lazarus whose flowry crowne The rich man doth farre off espie While him sharpe fiery torments drowne Thy words O Sauiour we respect Whose triumph driues blacke death to losse When in thy steps thou wouldst direct The Thiefe thy fellow on the Crosse. The faithfull see a shining way Whose length to Paradise extends This can them to those trees conuay Lost by the Serpents cunning ends To Thee I pray most certaine Guide O let this soule which thee obay'd In her faire birth-place pure abide From which she banisht long hath stray'd While we vpon the couer'd bones Sweet Violets and leaues will throw The title and the cold hard stones Shall with our liquid odours flow CHAP. VI. Of the care and cost anciently vsed in the preseruing whole and entire the bodies of the dead Strange wayes customes and fashions of buriall AS in former times the most of all Nations were ardently desirous of decent buriall so Histories doe shew that the Ancients and namely the Egyptians were no lesse carefull and curious to preserue whole and entire the bodies of the dead laid within their Sepulchres and to keepe them from putrifaction so much as they could possible which they did by this meanes So soone as any one amongst them especially of exemplary note was dead they would draw out the braines of the defunct at the nostrils with an instrument of iron replenishing the same with preseruatiue spices then cutting vp the belly with an Aethiopian stone called Laigne and extracting the bowels they cleansed the inside with wine and stuffing the same with a composition of Cassia myrrhe and other odours closed it againe The like the poorer sort of people effected with Bitumen as the inside of their skuls and bellies yet testifie saith Sandvs lib. 2 who saw such their strange embalmed bodies fetcht from the lake of Asphaltis in Iury. So did they by the iuyce of Cedars which by the extreame bitternesse and siâ—catiue qualitie not onely subdued forthwith the cause of interiour corruption but hath to this day a continuance of aboue three thousand yeares preserued them vncorrupted Within their bellies besides their odorous compositions they enclosed certaine painted papers and strange shapes of their Gods in little models of stone or mettall this done they wrapt the bodie with linen in multitudes of folds besmeared with gumme in manner of a seare-cloth swathled with bands of the same staining their breasts with Hierogliphycall characters and so laid them downe in such vaults as did belong to euery mans particular familie Camerar in his Hist. Meditations saith That the Ancients fixed nailes of brasse within their dead bodies knowing well that brasse is a mettal very solid and lasting in which qualitie both Horace and Virgil do commend it that it keepeth a long time from rust and corruption and that it is endued with a particular vertue against putrifaction And not long since saith he there was found in a certaine wood neare to Nuremburgh very ancient Tombes and amongst the bones of the dead nailes and buckles of brasse It is reported by Fulgosus and other forraigne Authours as also by our owne countrey-men William of Malmesbury and Matthew of Westminster that in the yeare of Grace one
oppressours of his people for so shalt thou quoth hee obtaine fauour of God and loue and feare of thy subiects who whiles they haue wealth so long shalt thou haue their obedience but made poore by oppressions will be ready for insurrections Let this memoriall of him in such rimes as I haue it stand for his Epitaph Aftur hym regnyd than The iiii Harry that doughty man At Westminstre crouned he was Wher of al Engelond made solas In hys tyme was a blesyng Sterre That al men myght see ryght ferre Walis was rebel but noght for thy For owyn Glendor was the caus truly A doughty man he was and wyse In euery Batail he had the pryse At Batail of Sheresbury truly Off hys enemyse he hadde the victory He regnyd here almost xiiii yere And to Canterbury men hym bere Another of his raigne his death and gouernment thus rimes This king dyed of his reygne in the yere Fourtene accompted of March the xix daye The sondaye was then by Kalendre Of whom the realme great ioye at first had ay But afterward they loued not his arraye At his begynnyng full hye he was commende With commons then and also litell at the ende Io. Gower in the last part of his Tripartite Chronicle giues vs this various Character following of this Henry and his predecessour Richard the second Kings O quam pensando mores variosque notando Si bene scrutetur R. ab H. distare videtur Clarus sermone tenebrosus et intus agone R. pacem fingit dum mortis federa stringit Duplex cautelis fuit R. Pius H. que fidelis R. Pestem mittit mortem pius H. que remittit R. Plebem taxat taxas pius H. que relaxat R. proceres odit et eorum predia rodit H. fauet heredes que suas restaurat in edes R. regnum vastat vindex in omnibus astat Mulcet terrorem pius H. que reducit amorem O Deus Henrico quem diligo quem benedico Da regnum tutum nulla grauitate volutum Vite presentis pariter viteque sequentis Da sibi quodcunque felicius est ad vtrunque The same Authour in another place to the laud and memory of this King hath these nicking Hexameters Electus Christi pie Rex Henrice fuisti Qui bene venisti cum propria regna petisti Tu mala vicisti que bonis bona restituisti Et populo tristi noua gaudia contribuisti Est mihi spes lata quod adhuc pro te renouata Succedent fata veteri probitate beata Et tibi nam grata gratia sponte data And the said Gower makes a ballade to this king to his no little commendations Whereof take the first Stanza for an Essay O noble worthy Kyng Henry the fearth In whom the gladde Fortune is befall The people to gouerne here vpon earth God hath thee chosen in comfort of vs all The worship of this land which was dounfall Now stant vpright through grace of thy goodnesse Which euery man is hold for to blesse Caxton the continuer of Polychronicon saith that this King Henry the fourth found great riches whereof Richard his predecessour was possest at the time of his resignation of the Scepter royall These are the wordes Thenne he fonde in Kyng Rychads tresorye nyne hundryd thowsand nobles besydes Iewels and Vessels whyche was as moche worthe or more And there was found in the Tresorers kepyng of Englonde an hundryd and fyfty thowsand nobles and Iewels and Vessels as moche worthe or more Vpon which saith Fabian It shulde seme that Kyng Rycharde was ryche whan hys money and Iewelles amounted to seuen hundryd thowsand pounds Sir Simon D'ewes Knight a diligent searcher of Antiquities gaue me the copie of King Henries Will here entombed examined by the originall vnder the priuie Seale according to the orthographie in the said originall which is not vnworthy I hope of my Readers perusall In the name of God Fadir and Son and holy Gost thre persons and on God I Henry sinful wretch be the grase of God Kyng of Englond and of Fraunce and Lord of Irlond being in myne hole mynd mak my Testament in manere and forme that suyth First I bequeth to Almyghty God my sinful Soul the whiche had neuer be worthy to be man but through hys mercy and hys grase whiche lyffe I haue mispendyd whereof I put me whollily in his grase and his mercy with all myn herte And what tym hit liketh him of hys mercy for to tak me to hym the body for to be beryed in the Chirch of Caunterbury aftyr the descrecion of my Cousin the Erchbyshcoppe of Caunterbury And also I thank all my Lordis and trewe peple for the trewe servise that they haue don to me and Yask hem forgiuenes if â— haue missentreted hem in any wyse And al 's far as they haue offendyd me in wordis or in deâ—is in any wyse I prey God forgeue hem hit and Y do Also Y devyse and ordeyn that ther be a chauntre perpetuall of twey Precitis for to sing and prey for my soul in the aforseyd chirch of Caunterbury in soche plase and aftyr soch ordinaunse as hit semeth best to my aforseâ—d cousin of Canterbury Also Y ordeyne and deuise that of my goodors restitution be made to all hem that Y haue wrongfully greuyd or any good had of theirs without iust tytle Also I will and ordeyne that of my goodis all my debtis be al paied in all hast possible and that my seruants be rewardyd aftyr ther nede and desert of seruise and in especyal â—â—lkin Iohn Warren and William Thorpe Gromes of my chambre Also Y will that all those that be bond in eny debt that Y owe in eny wyse or haue vndyrtake to eny man for eny debt that Y owe or that they can dwlye shewe hit that all soche persons be kept harmlysse Also I will that a â— sees and wages that ar not paied to be paied and in especiall to my seruaunts of my houshold befor eny oder And also that all myn Annuityes fees and donacions grauntyd by me byfor this tym be my lettres patents be kept and paied aftyr the effect of the forseyd lettres patents and yn especiall to all hem that haue bene trewe seruaunts to me and toward me alway Also Y will and prey my Son that he haue recomendyd Thomas de lâ— crois that hath well and trwly seruyd me and also in the same wyse Iacob Raysh and Halley Also I will that the Quene be endowyd of the Duche of Lancastre Also I will that all my Officers both of houshold and other the which nedeth to haue pardon of eny thing that touch here offices both of losse and oder thing they haue pardon therof in semblable mancre as y of my grase haue bewont to do befor this tym And for to execut this Testament well and trulich for grete tryst that I haue on my Son the Prince Y
ordeyne and mak him my Executor of my Testament foreseyd kalling to him soche as him thinkyth in his discrecion that can and will labor to the sonrest spede of my will comprehended in this myn Testament And to fulfill trwly all things foresaid y charge my foreseyd Son vpon my blessyng Wetnessyng my welbelouyd Cousins Thomas Erchbyshop of Caunterbury foreseyde and Edward Duke of Yorke Thomas Bishchop of Duresme Richard the Lord Grey my Chamberlaine Iohn Tiptost myn Treasuror of Englond Iohn Prophete Wardeine of my priuie seale Thomas Erpingham Iohn Norbery Robert Waterton and meny oder being present In witnessyng wherof my priuy Seele be my commaundement is set to this my Testament I yeue at my manere of Grenwich the xxi dey of the moneth of Ianuer the yere of owr Lord M. CCCC.VIII and of our Reigne the tenth He departed this world the twentieth of March as aforesaid some three yeares and odde moneths after the making of this his last Will and Testament in a Chamber belonging to the Abbot of Westminster called Ierusalem hauing beene prophetically foretold that hee should die in Ierusalem The words saith Harding that the King said at his death were of high complaint but nought of repentance of vsurpement of the Realme ne of restorement of right heires to the Crowne Which he thus versifies O Lorde he sayd O God omnipotent Now se I well thy Godhede loueth me That suffered neuer my foes to haue their entent Of myne person in myne aduersitie Ne in myne sicknesse ne in myne infyrmyte But ay hast kept it fro theyr maleuolence And chastised me by thy beneuolence Lorde I thanke the with all my herte With all my soule and my spirites clere This wormes mete this caryon full vnquerte That some tyme thought in world it had no pere This face so foule that leprous doth appere That here afoâ—e I haue had such a pryde To purtray oft in many place full wide Of which right now the porest of this lande Except onâ—y of their benignite Wolde lothe to â—â—oke vpon I vnderstande Of which good Lorde that thou so visyte me A thousande tymes the Lord in Trinyte With all my herte I thanke the and commende Into thyne handes my soule withouten ende And dyed so in fayth and hole creance At Cauntorbury buryed with great reuerence As a kyng shulde be with all kynde of circumstance Besyde the Prynce Edward with grete expence His funerall Exequies were solemnised here in all pompe and state his Sonne Henry the fifth and his Nobilitie being present vpon Trinitie Sonday next following the day of his death The reason as I take it wherefore King Henry made choice of this Church for his buriall place was for that his first wife the Lady Mary one of the daughters and coheires of Vmphrey de Bohun Earle of Hereford Essex and Northampton was here entombed who died before hee came to the Crowne Ann. Dom. 1394. leauing behinde her a glorious and faire renowned issue of children to the comfort of her husband and good of the common-wealth viz. Henry afterwards King of England Thomas Duke of Clarence Iohn Duke of Bedford Humphrey Duke of Glocester Blanch married to William Duke of Bauaria and Emperour and Philip married to Iohn King of Denmarke and Norway Here in the same Sepulchre lies the body of Ioane his second wife daughter of Charles the fifth King of Nauarre who died without issue at Hauering in the bower in the County of Essex the tenth of Iuly Anno Dom. 1437. Reg. H. 6.15 hauing continued widow 24. yeares This Queene endured some troubles in the raigne of her Stepsonne King Henry the fift being charged that shee should by witchcraft or sorcerie seeke the Kings death a capitall offence indeed if the accusation was true vpon which furmise her goods and lands were forfeited by Act of Parliament and shee committed to safe keeping in the Castle of Leedes in Kent and from thence to Pemsey attended onely with nine of her seruants but belike her innocency within a little time deliuered her from imprisonment and she liued a long time after in all princely prosperitie Here betweene her two husbands Iohn Beaufort Marquesse Dorset and Thomas Plantaginet Duke of Clarence Margaret daughter of Thomas and sister and one of the heires to Edmond Holland Earles of Kent lieth gloriously entombed by her first husband she had issue Henry Earle of Somerset Thomas Earle of Perth Iohn and Edmund both Dukes of Somerset Ioane Queene of Scots and Margaret Countesse of Deuonshire she died full of yeares the last of December Ann. Dom. 1440. Iohn her first husband lieth on her left side as appeares by his armes and portraiture for I finde no inscription at all vpon the Monument who was the eldest sonne of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster by his last wife Katherine Swinford and surnamed Beaufort of Beaufort a Castle in Aniou where he was borne He was created first Earle of Somerset and after Marquesse Dorset by Richard the second being but of small meanes to support such a swelling title He made therle of Somerset Marques Of Dorset then Sir Iohn Beaufort that hight Of poore liuelode that was that tyme doubtles But hee was depriued of this title of Marquesse Dorset by Act of Parliament in the first of Henry the fourth his halfe brother for whom afterwards the Commons became earnest petitioners in Parliament for his restitution But he himselfe was altogether vnwilling to be restored to this kinde of newly inuented honour being but begun in the ninth yeare of this Kings raigne and giuen to Robert de Vere his mignion the first stiled Marquesse of England as it is obserued by that most learned Antiquarie and Lawyer Io. Selden Esquire I finde little of him remarkable being belike sore weakened both in power and spirit by the foresaid Parliament whereby with others of the Nobilitie he was reduced to the same estate of honour and fortune which was but weake in which he stood when first Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester was arrested and besides it was not lawfull for him nor any of the rest to giue liueries to retainers or keepe any about him but necessarie seruants Hee died on Palmesonday the 16. of March Ann. Dom. 1409. On her right side is the pourtraiture of her second husband Thomas Duke of Clarence second soune of King Henry the fourth Lord high Steward of England Constable of the Kings Host and Lieutenant Generall of his Armie in France who after his many fortunate euents in warre was the first man that was slaine in the battell of Baugy vpon Easter Eue An. Do. 1420. by one Iohn Swinton a Scot who wounded him in the face with his Launce as he was remounting hauing giuen singular demonstration of his great valour and so threw him to the ground And with him that day were slaine many of exemplarie note besides 4500. common Souldiers This Duke had borne forth his youth
was elected sworne and blessed by the Popes Legate at Winchester before the king and many of the Peeres of the kingdome This Abbot was religious honest prouident and with learning and a godly life life greatly adorned and so departed from all worldly employment the third day of Nouember 1224. and was buried by the Altar of the holy Crosse vnder a flat marble stone thus engrauen Prosuit in populo Domini venerabilis Hugo Et tribuit sancte subiectis dogmata vite A prouident and discreete Brother of this house succeeded Hugh in the Abbotship to whom in like manner as hee did to Alexander the Archbishop vtterly denyed benediction and admittance for which he was enforced to trauell to Rome and there was sacred by the hands of Patrick Bishop of Albania and Cardinall by the Popes commandement This Abbots name was Robert de Bello belle rexit for the space of eleuen yeares Et obijt crastino sancti Mauri Abbatis ann 1252. His Epitaph Abbas Robertus virtutis odore refertus Albis exutus iacet hic à carne solutus Roger of Cicester by way of comprimise succeeded Robert for whose admittance or holy blessing Pope Innocent the fourth writ his powerfull letters to Boniâ—â—â—â— then Archbishop of Canterâ—urâ— but what 〈…〉 tooke I do not finde He founded the Church or Chappell of 〈…〉 in this Countie and sumptuously â—â—shâ—yned the reliques of Saint 〈…〉 He dyed on Saint 〈◊〉 day 1272. and was buried before S. 〈…〉 Altar vnder a marble-stone with his poâ—traiture engrauen thereupon and this short Epitaph Prudens et verus iacâ—t hac in â—â—robe Rogerus Constans et lenis popâ—li pastorque fidâ—lis The next that enioyed this dignitie was Nicholas de Spina he was conâ—secrated at Rome by the Bishop of Portua by the commandement of Pope Nicholas the third of whom hee was approued to be Virum prudentem 〈◊〉 us et doctrina multipliciter decoratum in temporalibus et spiritualibus 〈◊〉 Who when hee had with great wisedome gouerned his 〈◊〉 the sâ—aâ—e of ten yeares hee tooke his iourney by the kings permission to the Pope before whom he resigned his Abbotship to one Thomas Fiâ—â—on 〈◊〉 Findon succeeding by way of resignation bad benediction by the Popes appointment at Ciutta Vecchia not farre from Rome he performed 〈◊〉 worthy actions for the good of his Church and was euer ready with 〈…〉 and armour for the seruice of the king With great care and cost 〈…〉 the reliques of Saint Austine as I haue said before 〈…〉 had strenuâ—uslâ— gouerned his Church the space of 26. yeares 〈◊〉 eternitatis vocatus erat die sancte Iuliane virginis ann 13â—9 and was buried in a little Chappell wherein vsually euery day a Masse was 〈◊〉 for the whole Estate of the Church militant vpon earth vnder a marble stone inlaâ—d with brasse after the manner of a Bishop With this Epitâ—ph En iacet hic Thomas morum dulcedine tinctus Abbas egregius equitatis tramite cinctus Firma columna Domus in iudicio bene rectus Nec fuct hic Presul dono um turbine â—lâ—xus In pietate pater inopum damnis miseratus Nec fraudes patiens curarum Presbyteratus Iussu Pontificis summi .... capit isle Câ—tibus Angelicis nos Thome iungito Christe After the death of Findon one of this Fraternitie called Raph de Borne was elected Who presently vpon his election tooke his iourney to Avi 〈◊〉 the Popes Court where he was confirmed and consecrated by the Bishop of Hoâ—tia Hauing laudablie gouerned this house 25. yeares he dyed a venerable old man ann 1334. and was here honourably entombed in the North-wall Pervigil in populo morum probitate decorus Abbas hoc tumulo de Borne iacet ecce Radulphus Mille trecentenis triginta quater quoque plenis In Februi Mense celo petebat inesse This man is commended by Pope Clement the fifth as I finde it in the redde booke of Canterbury to haue beene Abbatem Religionis feruidum Zelatorum morum et etatis grauitate decorum scientia preditum in spiritualibus prouidum et in temporalibus circumspectum In the same yeare the first of March Thomas Poucyn Doctor of Diuinitie was chosen Abbot of this Monasterie he tooke his iourney for benediction to the Popes Court which then lay at Auinion in France the nine and twentieth of the same moneth of March whither hee came vpon Saint George his Eue following hee had his admittance and blessing at the hands of Pope Iohn the two and twentieth the day after the feast of Saint Barnabie he stayed at Auinion vntill the feast of S. Lawrence from whence taking his iourney for England he landed at Douer vpon S. Gregories day Now if any man of his coat dignitie and reuenue be desirous to know the expences of a iourney to Auinion here he may haue it taken out of the red booke of Canterbury to a single halfe-pennie His expences from Douer to Auinion which hee performed in three weeks and three dayes came to the summe of 21. l. 18. s. 2. d. his expences staying there from S. George his Eue vntill the Eue of S. Lawrence 18. l. 4. s. 5. d. ob and in his voyage backe to this Monasterie his expences came to 28 l. 8. d. About some nine yeares after this trauell he made an end of all his trauels by death on the day of the translation of Saint Augustine ann 1343. being all his time a carefull Shepherd ouer the flocke committed to his charge he was entombed by his predecessour Est Abbas Thomas tumulo presente reclusus Qui vite tempus sanctos expendit in vsus Illustris senior cui mundi gloria vilis L.V. à primo pastor suit huius oâ—ilis The next that succeeded Poucyn was one William Drulege a man of stature like little Zacheus but of a minde immense and vigorous or like Homers noble little Captaine Tydeus corpore paruus ingenio pugnax Maior in exiguo regnabat corpore virtus For to enlarge the reuenues of his Church he was euer wondrous solicitous and in defence of her liberties stout and magnanimous persisting still as deuoute and watchfull in his Ecclesiasticall contemplations as hee was wise and circumspect in his temporall employments Non quarendus quantus sit quisque seà qualis neque quam procerus sed quam probus A little man is as much a man as the greatest man of the Gard. But I may bee thought quickly to speake somewhat partially being none of these high puissant pikemen enough then of little men if not a little too much So to returne to this diminutiue Abbot Drulege who by the consent of the Couent ordained the feasts of Ianibert Nothelm Brithwold and Tatwin Archbishops to be celebrated twice in the yeare But to conclude when for the short time he sate he had much aduanced his Monasterie he dyed on the Vigils of Saint Mauritius which is the 11. of September 1349. and was buried in
fashion in former times fetched from the French which they call rebus or name-deuises examples of the same are frequent Neare to this Church sometime stood that goodly Abbey founded by Stephen king of England grandchilde to the Conquerour dedicated to Saint Sauiour replenished with blacke Monkes of Cluni valued at the suppression to be well worth according to the fauourable rate of such endowments in those dayes 286. l. 12. s. 6. d. ob yearely such was the charter of his donation Stephanus Rex c. Archiepiscopis Episcopis c. salutem Sciatis me pro salute anime mee Matildis Regine vxoris mee Eustachij filij mei aliorum puerorum meorum antecessorum Regum Anglie dedisse c. Manerium meum de Fauresham ad fundand Abbatiam vnam ibidem ae ordine Monachorum Cluniacensium c. Sciatis etiam quod dedimus ego et Matildis Regina mea Willelmo de Ipra in Escambium pro eodem Manerio de Fauresham Lillechire cum pertinencijs suis de hereditate Regine Teste H. Episcopo Winton fratre meo Rogero Episcopo de London Richardo de Lucy Hen. de Essex c. This king died at Douer of an Iliack passion mixed with his old disease the Emrods Octob. 25. 1154. hauing raigned 18. yeares ten moneths and odde dayes and was buried in this Church of his owne foundation Of which heare these ancient rimes Aftur king Harry euyn Then regnyd king Stevyn The Erlys son Bloys he was truly He wedded Mold the doghter of Mary A good man he was bedeme I trow king Harry was his Eme He regnyd here XUIII yere And to Feuersham in Kent men him bere He deyed without issue truly Then regnyd his cosin Harry Stephen was a most worthy Souldier saith one and wanted nothing to haue made him an excellent king but a iust title but that was wanting The whiche he found whyles he was liuing so And reigned here in much trouble and wo. And had this Realme without any ryght Fro th'emprise Maude that faire Lady bryght And this was the cause that he was driuen perforce to defend his vsurâ—ped authoritie by the sword which must needs procure him the hatred of many who thus speake of him in old English King Stephen his luthenesse withdrew yers a fewe But er Uyer were goo he ganne to wex a shrewe For he wende aboute and robbyd the lond and to grownd broght Then the toune of Wyrcester he brent all to noght But to conclude with the words of a late writer This Stephen was a man so continually in motion saith he that we cannot take his dimension but onely in passing and that but on one side which was warre on the other we neuer saw but a glaunce on him which yet for the most part was such as shewed him to be a very worthy Prince for the gouernment Hee kept his word with the State concerning the relieuement of Tributes and neuer had Subsidy that we finde But which is more remarkable hauing his sword continually out and so many defections and rebellions against him hee neuer put any great man to death Besides it is noted that notwithstanding all these miseries of war there were more Abbeyes built in his raigne then in an 100. yeares before which shewes though the times were bad they were not impious the king himselfe being mente piissimus as he was miles egregius His body rested here in quietnesse vntill the dissolution when for the gaine of the lead wherein it was encoffined it was taken vp and throwne into the next water So vncertaine is man yea greatest Princes of any rest in this world euen after buriall Here sometime likewise lay interred Maud his wife the daughter of Eustace Earle of Bulloigne the brother of Godfrey and Baldwin of Bulloigne kings of Ierusalem by her mother Mary sister to Maud Queene of England wife of Henry her predecessour who dyed at Heueningham Castle in Essex the third of May 1151. Whose Epitaph I found in a namelesse Manuscript Anno milleno C. quinquagenoque primo Quo sua non minuit sed sibi nostra tulit Mâ—thildis selix coniux Stephani quoque Regis Occidit insignis moribus et titulis Cultrix vera Dei cultrix et pauperiei Hic subnixa Deo quo frueretur eo Femina si qua Polos conscendere queque meretur Angelicis manibus diua hec Regina tenetur Eustace the sonne and heire apparant of Stephen and Queene Maud liued not long after his mother for being highly displeased with the agreement betwixt his father and Henry Fitzempresse afterwards king of England by which he was made hopelesse euer to haue the Crowne as his fathers Successour in a fury he departed the Court purposing to raise himselfe by his owne meanes and so marched along destroying the countrey alwayes as he went vntill he came to Saint Edmundsbury where he was honourably receiued of the Monkes of that Monastery But hee came not for meat but money and thereupon vngratefully vrged them for a great summe to set forward his heady designes yet the wiser amongst them vnwilling to be wagers of new warres which though ill for all sorts yet proued euer worst for the Clargie mens possessions denyed his request Wherewith eâ—raged be commanded his owne men to carry their corne and other prouision into his owne Castle situated hard by But being set at dinner the very first morsell he put into his mouth draue him into a Frensie whereof shortly after he dyed His body was brought to this Abbey and here interred by his mother His death happened the tenth day of August 1152. He was married to Constance sister of Lewis the seuenth king of France daughter of king Lewis the Grosse by whom he had no issue In this Abbey saith Robert of Glocester is a pece of ye hely croys which Godfrey Boylon forkyndred had sent to king Stephene Tunstall Hic iacet Margareta filia Iacobi Cromer militis vxor Iohannis Rycils heredis de Elsingham .... qui obiit ... 1496. Sittingborne Here lyeth Iohn Crowmer Esquire and Ione his wife who died Ann. Dom. 1539 .... on whose soules A family of knightly descent and ample reuenues one of which house called William Crowmer Esquire sonne of Sir William Lord Maior of London high Shiriffe of Kent in the fury of Iack Cade and the Kentish and Essex rebells was sacrificed at Mile-end and cut shorter by the head like as the day before they had serued Sir Iames Fienes Lord Say and Sele and Treasurer of England in Cheape-side whose onely daughter this Crowmer had married Whose heads giue me leaue to go a little further pitched vpon high poles were carried by the villaines through the Citie of London who caused their trunklesse faces in spight and mockerie to kisse one the other at euery street-corner as they marched along in this their damnable triumph and
great Commander in the warres which by some English wit was happily imitated and ingeniously applyed to the honour of this our worthy chiefetaine Sir Philip written vpon a Tablet and fastened to a pillar in S. Pauls Church London the place of his buriall as the sequele will more plainly shew La France et le Piemont les cieux et les Arts Les Soldats et le Mondeont fait comme six parts De ce grand Bonniuet cor vne si grand chose Dedant vn seul tombeau ne pouuoit estre enclose La France en a le corps que elle aurit esleue Le Piemont a le ceur qu'il auoit esprouue Les cieux en ont l'esprit et les Arts la memoire Les Soldats le regret et le monde la gloire In English as followeth France and Piemont the Heauens and the Arts The Souldiers and the world haue made sixe parts Of Great Bonniuet for who will suppose That onely one Tombe can this man enclose France hath his body which she bred and well loued Piemont his heart which his valour had proued The Heauens haue his soule the Arts haue his Fame The Souldiers the griefe the world his good name A briefe Epitaph vpon the death of that most valiant and perfect honorable Gentleman Sir Philip Sidney knight late Gouernour of Flushing in Zealand who receiued his deaths wound at a battell neare Zutphen in Gelderland the 22. day of September and dyed at Arnhem the 16. day of October 86. Whose Funeralls were performed and his body interred within this Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul in London the 16. day of February next following in the yeare of our Lord God 1586. England Netherland the Heauens and the Arts The Souldiers and the world haue made sixe parts Of noble Sidney For who will suppose That a small heape of stones can Sidney enclose England hath his body for she it fed Netherland his bloud in her defence shed The Heauens haue his soule the Arts haue his Fame The Souldiers the griefe the world his good Name These Elegies also following penned in the praise of the said Philip by our late Soueraigne Lord King Iames that sole Monarch of many Nations giue a glorious lustre to his Heroicke actions In Philippi Sidnaei interitum Illustrissimi Scotorum Regis Carmen Armipotens cui ius in fortia pectora Mauors Tu Dea quae cerebrum perrumpere digna Tonantis Tuque adeo biiugae proles Latonia râ—pis Gloria deciduae cingunt quam collibus artes Duc tecum et querula Sidnai funera voce Plangite nam vester fuerat Sidnaeus alumnus Quid genus et proauos et spem floremque iuuentae Immaturo obitu raptum sine fine retexo Heu frustra queror heu rapuit Mors omnia secum Et nihil ex tanto nunc est Heroe superstes Praeterquam decus et nomen virtute paratum Doctaque Sidneas testantia Carmina laudes The same translated by the said King Thou mighty Mars the Lord of Souldiers braue And thou Minerve that dois in wit excell And thou Apollo who dois knowledge haue Of euery art that from Parnassus fell With all your Sisters that th aire on do dwell Lament for him who duely seru'd you all Whome in you wisely all your arts did mell Bewaile I say his vnexpected fall I neede not in remembrance for to call His race his youth the hope had of him ay Since that in him doth cruell Death appall Both manhood wit and learning euery way But yet he doth in bed of Honor rest And euermore of him shall liue the best Eiusdem Regis in Eundem Hexasticon Vidit et exanimem tristis Cytheraea Philippum Fleuit et hunc Martem credidit esse suum Eripuit digitis gemmas colloque monile Mars iterum nunquam ceu placitura foret Mortuus humana qui lusit imagine Diuam Quid faceret iam si viueret ille rogo In English When Venus sad saw Philip Sidney slaine She wept supposing Mars that he had bin From fingers Rings and from her necke the chaine She pluckt away as if Mars nere againe She ment to please In that forme he was in Dead and yet could a Goddesse thus beguile What had he done if he had liu'd this while Tunbridge In this ruinous Church which like the Caâ—tle carries with it a shew of venerable antiquitie I finde no funerall Monument of elder times remarkable in the north window onely are depicted the pourtraitures of the Lord Hugh Stafford kneeling in his coate-armour and his Bow-bearer Thomas Bradlaine by him with this inscription Orate pro animabus Domini Hugonis Stafford et Thome Bradlaine Arcuar .... This Hugh Lord Stafford afterwards Earle of Buckingham was Lord of this Mannor of Tunbridge by his grandmother Margaret the onely daughter and heire of Sir Hugh Audley Earle of Glocester of whom hereafter when I come to Stone in Staffordshire the place of his buriall Neare to the ruinous walls of the Castâ—â—â—stood a Priory pleasantly seated which in the shipwracke of such religious structures was dasht all a peeces founded by Richard de Clare Earle of Gloucester about the yeare 1241. for Canons of Saint Augustines order and consecrated to S. Mary Magdalen Which Priory was valued by the Commissioners at the suppression to be yearely worth 169. l. 10. s. 3. d. This Richard the founder dyed at Emmersfield in the Mannor-house of Iohn Lord Crioil here in Kent 14. Iulij Ann. 1262. his bowels were buried at Canterbury his body at Tewxbury and his heart here in his owne Church at Tunbridge Hee was Vir nobilis et omni laude dignus To whose euerlasting praise this Epitaph was composed Hic pudor Hippoliti Paridis gena sensus Vlissis Aeneae pietas Hectoris ira iacet Chaste Hippolite and Paris faire Vlisses wise and slie Aeneas kinde fierce Hector here ioyntly entombed lye Here sometime lay entombed the bodies of Hugh de Audley second sonne of Nicholas Lord Audley of Hâ—leigh Castle in the County of Stafford who was created Earle of Gloucester by king Edward the third and by the marriage of Margaret second daughter of Gilbert de Clare Earle of Glocester surnamed the red and sister and coheire to Gilbert the last Earle of that surname Lord of Tunbridge This Hugh dyed the tenth of Nouember 1347. Ann. 21. Ed. 3. I finde little of him remarkable saue his good fortunes being a younger brother to marry so great an inheritrix and to be exalted to such titles of honour His wife Margaret first married to Pierce Gaueston Earle of Cornwall dyed before him in the yeare of our Lord 1342. the 13. day of Aprill They were both together sumptuously entombed by Margaret their daughter the onely heire of her parents wife to Raph de Stafford Earle of Stafford The said Raph de Stafford and Margaret his wife were here likewise entombed at the feet of their father and
seruiens Abbati et Conuentui de Lesnes qui obiit primo die mensis Ianuarij 1425. Cuius anime Lesnes Abbey In the yeare of our Lord 1178. the third of the Ides of Iune Richard Lucie a Councellour of State and chiefe Iustice of the Realme began the foundation of an Abbey at Lesnes or Westwood neare vnto this Towne of Eâ—â—th The extent of whose yearely reuenue as it was prized by the Commissioners at the suppression amounted to one hundred eighty sixe pounds and nine shillings When this his goodly fabricke was in all parts finished he presently forsooke and surrendred into the kings hands all both his offices and honours And betooke himselfe to the habite and profession of a Canon Regular in this house of his owne foundation where within a short while after euen in the same yeare to wit the fourteenth of Iuly 1479. he exchanged his Conuentuall blacke coole for a glorious bright heauenly crowne And here in the Quire of his Church hee was sumptuously entombed vpon whose Monument this Epitaph was engrauen Rapitur in tenebras Richardus lux Luciorum Iusticie pacis dilector vrbis honorum Christe sibi requies tecum sit sede piorum Iulia tunc orbi lux bis septena nitebat Mille annos C. nouem et septuaginta mouebat Now giue me leaue to go a little further with him and his heires as I finde the words in the Collection of Englands Protectours by Francis Thinne Lancaster Herald Sir Richard Lucie knight chiefe Iustice of England saith he was Protectour of England in the twelfth yeare of the raigne of king Henry the second in the absence of the king when hee was in Normandie and in the parts beyond the Seas Which Lucie in the thirteenth yeare of the same King did valiantly resist and politikely driue backe the Earle of Bolloigne inuading this kingdome He built the Abbey of Leosnes or Westwood in the Parish of Erith in Kent and not in Southfleet as some haue written in the yeare of Christ 1178. and the Castle of Chipping Augre in Essex He had issue Godfrey Bishop of Winchester and three daughters who after the death of Godfrey their brother were his heires Maude the eldest daughter was married to Robert the first called Fitzwater Aueline the second daughter was married to Richard Riuers of Stanford Riuers in Essex Rose the third daughter was married to Richard de Warren the naturall sonne of king Iohn as appeareth by a deed belonging to my selfe who had the Rectory of Leosnes beginning thus Rosa de Douer quondam vxor venerabilis viri Richardi filij Regis de Chillam And king Iohn by his Charter grants to another Rose her grandfathers lands in these words Rex reddidit Roesie de Douerita totam terram suam cum pertenenc qua eam contingit de heredit Richardi de Lucy avi sui tenend sibi hered c. Cart. 24. Reg. Iohannis numero 37. in Archi. Turris London The foresaid Godfrey de Lucy was consecrated Bishop of Winchester the first of Nouember 1189. And died Ann. 1204 hauing gouerned that See fifteene yeares He purchased of king Richard the first the Mannors of Wergraue and Menes which in times past had belonged to his Bishopricke he was a great Benefactour to this Religious house of Leosnes founded by his father wherein according to his will hee was enterred To whose memory this Epitaph was engrauen vpon his Tombe Lux mea lux Christi si terre ventre quiesco Attamen in celo sanctorum luce lucesco Presul de Winton fueram quondam Cathedratus Multum resplendens alto sanguine natus Nunc id sum quod eris puluis rota non retinenda Voluitur inuigila prudens nec differ agenda M. C. bis quatuorque annos his insuper addas Carnis vincla dies soluit secunda Decembris Vos qui transitis ancillam poscite Christi Sit Dominus mitis pulso purgamine tristi Wolwich Orate pro anima Iohannis Colin et Mathilde vxoris eius qui Iohannes obiit 27. Ianuar ..... Mathilda 25. Octob. 1397. Hic tacet Dominus Will. Prene quondam Rector huius Ecclesie viz. tempore Regis Edwardi quarti et postea Rector Ecclesie de Lymming qui fieri fecit istam Capellam et Campanile huius Ecclesie et in uita sua multa alia bona .... ob I. die Decemb. 1464. Willelmus Prene me fecit in honorem sancte Trinitatis Eltham Pray for the sowl of Dame Margerie Roper late wyff of Iohn Roper Suier daughter and one of the heires of Iohn Tattersall Suier who dyed 2. Februar 1518 Roper a name of eminent respect in this County honoured with the title of Baron Roper of Tenham by our Soueraigne Lord Iames late King of England giuen to Iohn Lord Roper now liuing Pray for the sowl of Iohn Morton sonne and heire of Margaret Morton of Asheby de la Zouch in the County of Leicester late wife to Tho. Squier who dyed 23. Aug. Prier pur l'alme Thomas Pierle qi morust le primer iour de Iuyl l'an de Grace Mil. ccc.lxix ..... Here lyeth Iohn Pasley yeoman Porter to king Henry the eighth and Agnes his wife which Iohn dyed .... 1509. Hen. 8.1 West Peckham Iohn Culpeper one of the Iustices of the Common Pleas in the raigne of king Henry the fourth founded here a Preceptorie or free-Schoole which he endowed with threescore and three pounds sixe shillings eight pence of yearely allowance Bromley In the Church wall lyeth the pourtraiture as I learne by tradition of Richard Wendouer Bishop of Rochester and Parson of this Towne He was consecrated 1238. and dyed 1250. yet it is said that his body was buried in Westminster by the kings speciall commandement for that he was accounted a very holy and vertuous man which I cannot much contradict Icy gist Mestre Water de Henche Qi fut Persone de Bromleghe 1360. Lewsham Hic iacet Georgius Hatecliffe Ar. Thesaurarius Domini Regis in Hibernia ac vnus clericorum compoti Hospitii regis obiit 1. Aug. 1514. Iohn Norbury founded a Priory in this Towne of Lewsham which hee replenished with blacke Monkes Aliens belonging to the Abbey of Gaunt in Flanders and thereupon called Aliens because they were Celles to some Monastery or other beyond the Seas The first foundation of these houses I do not finde but in the raigne of king Edward the third they were encreased to the number of one hundred and ten in England besides them in Ireland Aquitane and Normandy The goods of all which Priories the said king Ann. Reg. 12. because of his warres with France caused to be confiscated to his owne vse letting out their houses to farme with all their lands and tenements for the space of three and twenty yeares At the end of which Terme Peace being concluded betweene the two Nations he restored to the Priors Aliens their
T.R. apud Douer 24. Ian 2. Pars. Pat. Ann. 7. Ric. 2. Per versus patet hos Anglorum quod iacet hic flos Legum qui tata dictauit vera statuta Ex Hengham dictus Radulphus vir benedictus This flower of our English Garden this learned father of the Law this blessed man as this Epitaph would make him was no better then a bribing Iudge for being a chiefe Commissioner for the gouernment of the kingdome in the absence of Edward the first he with many others of his profession were at the kings returne found guiltie by act of Parliament of manifest corruption in their administration of Iustice and deeply fined for such their intolerable extortions First this Sir Raph Hengham chiefe Iustice of the higher Bench was fined to pay to the king seuen thousand Markes Sir Iohn Loueton Iustice of the lower Bench 3000. Markes Sir William Brompton Iustice 6000. Markes Sir Salomon Rochester 4000. Markes Sir Richard Boyland 4000. Markes Sir Thomas Sodington 2000. Markes Sir Walter Hopton 2000. Markes These foure last were Iustices Itinerants Sir William Saham 3000. Markes Robert Lithbury Master of the Rolls 1000. Markes Roger Leicester 1000. Markes Henry Bray Escheater and Iudge for the Iewes 1000. Markes Robert Preston 1000. Markes But Sir Adam Stratton chiefe Baron of the Exchequer was fined in thirty foure thousand Markes And Thomas Weyland found the greatest delinquent and of greatest substance had all his goods and whole estate confiscated to the king and withall banished the kingdome This Sir Raph Hengham was a Norfolke man borne as I haue it out of an old Record these are the words Radulphus de Hengham ex eadem ortus esse videtur familia ex qua Willielmus filius Ade de Hengham et Richardus de Hengham in Pago Norfolciens plerumque Thetfordie Iusticiarij ad Assisas capiendas et ad Gaolam deliberandam sub initijs Hen. 3. in Archiuis sepe memorantur Rot. Parl. He flourished in the raignes of Henry the third and Edward the first and died in the first yeare of Edward the second 1308. Hic iacet Magister Fulco Louel quondam Archidiaconus Colcestrie floruit sub Hen. 3. Rege I finde no more of this man then what I reade in this Inscription but much more of his name being both ancient and honourable Orate pro animabus Iohannis de Boys in Com. Essex Ar. Nicholai Rikkil Ar. Domine Isabelle quondam vxor eorum que Isabella obiit 28. Iulij Ann. 1443. quorum animabus propitietur altissimus It seemes by his armes vpon the pillars that this Boys was a great repairer of this Chappell sacred to S George wherein he lyeth interred Orate pro anima Magistri Williel Worsley legum doctoris istius Ecclesie Sancti Pauli London Decani dum vixit .... qui obiit 15. die mens Augusti 1488. Cuius anime propitietur Deus Vermibus hic ponor sic ostendere conor Hic veluti ponor ponitur omnis honor And vpon the pillar adioyning to this Monument these verses following are engrauen in brasse Vnde superbis Homo cuius conceptio culpa Nasci pena labor vita necesse mori Vana salus hominum vanus labor omnia vana Inter vana nichil vanius est homine Post hominem vermis post vermem setor horror Sic in non hominem vertitur omnis homo Mors venit absque mora nescis cum venerit hora Esto paratus ei cum venerit hora diei Orate pro .... Domini Rogeri Brabazon de O devy Iuris Canonici Doctoris huius Ecclesie Cathedralis Residentarij qui obiit tertio die mens Augusti 1498. Cuius anime propitietur Deus Nunc Christe te petimus Miserere quesumus qui venisti redimere perditos noli damnare redemptos In memoriam venerabilis viri Iohannis Coleti sacre Theologiae Doctoris ad Dinum Paulum Decani Scholae ibidem fundatoris Inclyta Ioannes Londini gloria gentis Is tibi qui quondam Paule Decanus erat Qui toties magno resonabat pectore Christum Doctor interpres fidus Euangelij Qui mores hominum multum sermone diserto Formarat vitae sed probitate magis Quique scholam struxit celebrem cognomine Ihesu Hac dormit tectus membra Coletus humo Floruit sub Henrico 7. Hen. 8. Regibus obijt Ann. Dom. 1519. Disce mori mundo vinere disce Deo Vnder his liuely pourtraiture alluding to his artificiall Askelliton these words Istuc recidit gloria carnis Loue and liue His Monument is lately reuiued by the Companie of the mystery of Mercers to whose charge he committed the ouersight of S. Pauls Schoole with lands worth an hundred and twenty pounds or better of yearely value for the maintenance of a Master an Vsher and a Chaplaine to teach and instruct one hundred fiftie and three poore mens children freely without any reward And as I am told Vijs modis more comes to the Schoolemaster at this day then the whole endowment Iohn Bale saith that of twenty and two children which his father Henry Collet Mercer and Lord Maior of London had by Christian his wife he was the onely childe liuing at his fathers death that he died of the sweating sicknesse aged sixtie three yeares that he was brought vp in Oxford that he trauelled into France and Italie that he disputed with the Sorbonists in Paris from whose Tenets hee much dissented that hee inuayed against Monkes which did not leade an Euangelicall life and Bishops Qui pro Pastoribus lupos agebant that he was eruditione facundus that he writ many Treatises left in loose papers which but by himselfe could not bee made perfect That hee taught in his Sermons that it was vnlawfull for a Clergie-man to accumulate riches and for any man to worship Images that by Richard Fitz-Iames then Bishop of London and two Minorites Bricot and Standish he was accused of heresie and that his corps had beene cast out of his Tombe and burnt if an vnexpected accident had not preuented his enemies designes Gulielmo Lilio Paulinae Scholae olim perceptorio primario Agnetae Coniugi in sacratissimo huius templi Coemiterio hinc a tergo nunc destructo consepultis Georgius Lillius huius Ecclesie canonicus Parentum memoriae pie consulens Tabellam hanc ab amicis conseruatam hic reponendam curauit Obijt ille G. L. Ann. Dom. 1522. V. Calend. Mart. vixit annos 54. This man integer vitae scelerisque purus as Bale saith liued for a certaine time in the Isle of Rhodes and some yeares in Italie where hee instructed himselfe in all good literature and made himselfe perfect in many languages withall he was quicke apprehensiue and ingenious and therefore entirely beloued of Sir Thomas Moore He writ diuers bookes but he is best knowne by his Grammer Hee was borne in the Towne of Odiham in Hampshire The Epitaph of Agnes the wife of William Lily as
the holy crosse so denominated of wearing a Crosse anciently called a Crouch vpon their garments and of bearing the crosse for the badge and Armes of their house This house was valued at the suppression to 52 l. 13 s. 2 d. of annuall profits A Petition to Secretary Cromwell against the Prior of this house a little before the dissolution thereof Pleasethe it your honourable mastoreship to be aduertesid that in the time of Lent last past your continuall orator Iohn Bartelote with others to the number of fiue persons of good conuersation found the Priore of the Crossyd Friores in London at that time being in bed with his whoore both naked about xi of the clocke in the forenoone vpon a Friday at which time the said Priore to the intent his misdemeanour and shamefull fact should not be knowne whereby he should sustaine open shame kneeled vpon his knees and not onely desired your said orator and his company to keepe secret his said act and not to disclose in any wife the same but for the same intent freely and of his owne motion gaue amongst them about xxx l. which he then was possessed of of the which summe your Orator had by the said gift about vii l. And also the said Priore promised to giue amongst the said company xxx l. more by a certaine day and after by mediation of friends of the said Priore the said xxx l. was released to the summe of vi l. which sixe pounds the said Priore bound himselfe to pay to the said Orator by his Bill obligatory at a certaine day in the same limeted Yet this notwithstanding for by cause your said Orator for non paiment of the said vi l. did arrest the said Priore he hath so hainously informed the Lord Chancelour against your Orator that he will onely put him to shewertie making the premisses a hainous Robbery saying openly that your Orator is worthy to be hanged but also will by his high authoritie compell your Orator to repay agen to the said Priore the some of xxx l. vnlesse your most charetable goodnesse bee therein otherwise shewed It may therefore plese your good Mastershipe of your abundant goodnesse to prouide that the premeses may be duly examined according to equitie for this is the very and hole truth in the same And your seid Oratore shall prey to God for your honor and preseruation long to endure By your humble Oratore to his power during his life Iohn Bartelote Saint Katherines by the Tower This was the Church belonging to the Hospitall dedicated to the honour of Saint Katherine founded by Queene Maud the wife of King Stephen and much augmented by Eleanor the wife of King Edward the first and Philip wife to King Edward the third who left to it sufficient liuelihood for a Master 3 Brethren Chaplaines and 3 Sisters tenne poore women and sixe poore Clarkes This house was valued at the generall suppression at 315 l. 14 s. 2 d. per annum Here vnder an Ancient monument â—ouly defaced lieth entombed the body of Iohn Holland Duke of Exceter Earle of Huntington and of Iuory in Normandy Lord of Sparre Admirall of England Ireland and Aquitaine Lieuetenant Generall of the Duchie of Aquitaine Fellow of the honourable order of the Garter and Constable of the Tower of London as he writ in his stile when Henry the fift in the fift of his raigne was to goe ouer into Normandy this puissant Iohn Holland as then but Earle of Huntington was sent before to scoure the seas who meeting with nine Carrickes of Genoa which were going to aide the French King fought with them and sunke sixe of them and tooke the other three with great store of money and treasure and brought them with his prisoners to the King This battaile was fought nere Harflew vpon the fall of the Riuer Seyne into the narrow seas of which an old versifier They faught full sore afore the water of Sayn With Carrickes many well stuffed and arayed And many other shippes great of Hispayn Barges Balyngers and Galleys vnfrayed Whiche proudly came vpon our Shippes vnprayed And by th'euen their sailes aualed were set Their enemies slaine in battayll and sore bet And many dryent were that daye in the Sea That as our flete rode there then alway Vnto the feast next of his Natiuitee The Bodies flete among our Shippes eche daye Full piteous was and to see theim ay That thousandes were twenty as they then told That taken were in that same batayll bold This valiant braue Duke died full of yeares the fift of August in the 25. yeere of King Henry the sixt Anno 1447. Here lye entombed by him his two wiues the first was Anne daughter of Edmund Earle Stafford by his wife Anne the heire of Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester by whom hee had issue Henry Duke of Exceter She had bin formerly married vnto Edmund Mortimer Earle of March and Vlster I cannot finde the time of her death His second wife here entombed was also Anne daughter of Io. Mountague the third of that name Earle of Salisbury who formerly had bin twise married to Sir Richard Hanckford to Sir Iohn Fitz-Lewis Knights She died the 27 of Nouember 1457. Here lieth likewise entombed the body of Constance sister of the foresaid Iohn Duke of Exceter daughter of Iohn Holland first of that name Duke of Exceter married to Thomas Lord Mowbray the sonne of Thomas who died in banishment Duke of Norfolke Earle of Nottingham and Earle Marshall of England and remarried to Sir Iohn Grey Lord Grey of Ruthin she died the sixteenth of Henry the sixt New Abbey in East-Smithfield Before the foundation of this Abbey there stood in the same place a little Chappell within a Coemitorie or Church-yard dedicated to the honour of God by Raph Stratford Bishop of London wherein were interred innumerable many of such persons as died in the first great Pestilence the 23 of King Edward the third Now the said King liking well this plot of ground and hauing before in a tempest on the sea and perill of drowning made a vow to build a Monastery to the honour of God and our Lady of Grace if God would grant him grace to come safe to land builded here a Monastery wherein he placed white Monkes of the Cistercian order which house at the generall suppression was valued at 546 l. 10 d. yearely The Kings store-house for victuall and for baking of Biskets to serue his Maiesties Ships is built in the same place where this Abbey stood The Minories Here was an Abbey of Nunnes of the order of Saint Clare founded by Blanch Queene of Nauarre and her husband Edmund Earle of Lancaster Leicester and Darby brother to King Edward the first in the yeere 1293. This house was valued to dispend yeerely 418 l. 8 s. 5 d. and was surrendred by Dame Elizabeth Sauage the last Abbesse there vnto King Henry
serued It was valued at the suppression to 305. l. 6. s. 7. d. yearely The Church remaineth a Parish to the Tenants dwelling in the precinct of the Hospitall in which are many faire Funerall Monuments Whose Inscriptions or the most of them are set downe in the Suruay of London these following onely omitted Hic iacent Thomas Malefant Miles Baro de Winwore et Dominus de S. George in Com. de Clamorgan et Dominus de Okneton et Pile in Com. de Penbroke in Wallia qui obijt 8. die Maij 1438. et Domina Margareta vxor eius filia Thome Asteley Ar. Nep. de Domino de Asteley et Henricus â—ilius â—orundem Tho. et Margarete Quorum animabus propitietur Altissimus Amen The xiiiic yere of our Lord seventy and three Passyd Sir William Knyght to God Almightie The fiftenth dey of Iuil Master of this place Iesu for his mercy reioyce hym with his grace The xiiiic yere of our Lord and eight Passyd Sir Robart Greuil to God Almight The xii dey of April Broder of this place Iesu for his mercy reioice him with his grace Philip Lewis restyth vnder yis ston Yat in Iun deseisyd the dey six and twenty Wyth Agnes hys wyf yat were both on The xiiiic yere of our Lord and seuen and fifty Subiacet ecce pede Iohn Stafford mortis in ede Iustus deuotus discretus et ad pia motus Qui bona plura loco dum vixit contulit isti Mille quater centum quater et sexto quoque Christi Luce Nouemberis deca ter .......... Vt sit propitius anime Christus precor Amen Saint Sepulchers In this Church lyeth buried the body of that vnfortunate Lord Thomas Fiâ—es Baron Dacres of the South Who was executed at Tiborne the 29. of Iune 1541. for that hee with others going to hunt in Master Pelhams Parke at Laughton in Sussex and meeting with some companie casually by the way with whom and his confederates ensued a quarrell in which a priuate man one Iohn Busbrig was slaine by the said Lord or some of his associates which were Io. Mantell Io. Frouds and George all three executed for the same fact at Saint Thomas Waterings The death of this Lord was generally lamented being an hopefull gentleman of 24. yeares of age This happened in that bloudie yeare when Henry the eight vnsheathed his sword vpon the neckes of the Nobilitie Here lieth the heart of Iohn Goodfellow for his sowl and al yat died wyth hym and al Christen sowls I prey yow for cherite sey a Pater Noster and an Ave Mary Saint Bridgets or Brides Vndyr this ston William Weuer doth ly Cityzon and Elisabeth his wyf hym by He died the viii and she the vii dey of September Leuing Geffrey Mary and Ellin thar children as I remember Who 's sowls God receyve to fauor and pease Wyth Ioyes to lyve that neuyr sal cease 1409. The White Friers These Friers were called Fratres beatae Mariae de monte Carmeli first founded by Sir Richard Grey knight ancestor to the Lord Grey of Codnor in the yeare 1241. King Edward the first gaue to the Prior and brethren of that house a plot of ground here in Fleetstreet whereupon to build their house which was afterwards new builded by Hugh Courtney the third of that Christian name Earle of Deuonshire the yeare before he died which was Aun 1350. Sir Robert Knolles knight was a great builder here also in the raigne of Richard the second and of Henry the fourth who being borne but of meane parentage in the County of Chester was by his valiant behauiour aduanced from a common Souldier in the French warres vnder Edward the third to a great Commander and being sent Generall of an Armie into France in despite of their power he draue their people before him like Sheepe destroying Townes Castles and Cities in such a manner and number that long after in memory of this act the sharpe points and gable ends of ouerthrowne houses and Minsters were called Knolles Miters After which minding to make himselfe as welbeloued of his countrey as he was feared of forraine nations hee built the goodly faire Bridge at Rochester ouer the Riuer of Medway with a Chappell and a Chantrie at the East end thereof He founded a Colledge with an Hospitall adioyning thereunto in the Towne of Pontefract in Yorkeshire of which hereafter He founded also an Hospitall in the Citie of Rome for entertainment of English trauellers or pilgrimes to that Citie in place where Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury had builded a Chappell of the holy Trinity which to this day retaines the name and is a Seminarie for our English Fugitiues He deceased at his Mannor of Scone Thorpe in Norfolke was brought to London and honourably buried by the Lady Constance his wife in the body of this Church which he had newly builded Ann. 1407. the 15. of August Of whom in his life saith Stow were made verses in Latine thus by him put into English O Robert Knowles most worthy of Fame By thy Prowesse France was made tame Thy manhood made the French to yeeld By dint of sword in towne and feeld Here sometime lay entombed in a goodly Monument of Alabaster the body of Robert Mascall Bishop of Hereford a man for his good learning and good life admired and beloued of all men He was often employed by Henry the fourth to whom he was Confessor vpon Embasies to forraine Princes and in the yeare 1415. sent with two other Bishops to the Councell of Constance Hee built the Quier Presbytery and Steeple of this Church and gaue many rich ornaments to this religious house wherein he died 22. Decemb. 1416. William Lord Montacute Earle of Salisbury and king of the Isle of Man was here entombed Whose noble Acts saith Walsingham to write worthily were a commendable matter He founded the Abbey of Bisham Montague in Barkshire and died at a Iusts and Turney at Windsore in the yeare 1343. For the rest here interred I referre my Reader to the Suruay of London This house was valued at 26. l. 7. s. 3. d. and was surrendred the tenth of Nouember the 30. of king Hen. the eight Since the writing of the premisses I chanced to haue the perusall of a Manuscript penned in the praise of this religious Order out of which I collected diuers Epitaphs which in times past had beene engrauen vpon the Sepulchers of certaine Carmelites here in the Church of this Priory interred And first I finde that Stephen Patrington vir omnibus praestantioribus animi dotibus omnibus virtutibus preditus et multiplici doctrinae varietate instructus was here buried in the body of the Quire He was borne in the County of Yorke and brought vp in the Vniuersitie of Oxford where he proceeded Doctor of Diuinitie He writ many learned bookes and was an admirable Preacher to whose Sermons alwayes
and vowed virginitie cast off all care of hauing issue and exposed the kingdome to the prey of ambitious humours Yet some that would excuse him in this affirme that this holy king was not willing to beget any heires that should succeed him out of a treacherous race Here lieth without any Tombe Maude daughter to Malcolm Camoir king of Scots and wife to king Henry the first who brought vnto him children William Richard and Mary which perished by shipwracke and Maud Empresse who was wise to Henry the fift Emperour She died the first day of May Maij prima dies nostrorum nocte dierum raptam perpetua fecit inesse die 1118. She had an excellent Epigram made to her commendation whereof these foure verses onely remaine Prospera non laetam fecere nec aspera tristem Aspera risus erant prospera terror erant Non decor effecit fragilem non sceptra superbam Sola potens humilis sola pudica decens Thus paraphrastically translated No prosperous state did make her glad Nor aduerse chances made her sad If Fortune frown'd she then did smile If Fortune smil'd she fear'd the while If Beauty tempted she said nay No pride she tooke in Scepters sway She onely high her selfe debast A Lady onely faire and chast She went euery day in the Lent time to this Church bare-foot and bare-legd wearing a garment of haire she would wash and kisse the feet of the poorest people and giue them bountifull Almes For which being reprehended by a Courtier shee gaue him a short answer which I haue out of Robert of Glocester Madame for Goddes love is this wel i doo To handle sich vnclene â—ymmes and to kisse so Foule wolde the kyng thynk if that hit he wiste And ryght wel abyse hym er he your mouth kiste Sur sur qd the Quene be stille why sayste thow so Owr Lord hymself ensample yaf so for to do She founded as I haue said before the Priory of Christ-church within Aldgate and the Hospitall of S. Giles in the Fields She builded the Bridges ouer the Riuer of Lea at Stratford Bow and ouer the little Brooke called Chanelsebridge shee gaue much likewise to the repairing of high-wayes But I will take my leaue of her with these words of Paris Obijt eodem anno Matildis Regina Anglorum cuius corpus apud Westmonasterium quietem sepulturae accepit anima eius se coelum possidere evidentibus signis et miraculis crebris ostendit Here lieth vnder a rich Monument of Porphery adorned with precious stones the body of Henry the third king of England In the fifth yeare of whose raigne and the Saturday next before his second time of Coronation the New worke the old being ruinous and pulled downe of this Church of Westminster was begun To which sacred Edifice this king was a perswader he was the Founder and laid the first stone in the ground-worke of the building The Newerke atte Westmynstre ye kyng tho ganne anone Aftyr hys coronyng and leyde the fyrst stone As if he meant the world should know his intention was to consecrate his future actions to the glory of God He gaue to this Church royall gifts of Copes Iewels and rich vessels and for the holy Reliques of Edward the Confessor he caused a coffin to be made of pure gold and pretious stones and so artificially by the most cunning Goldsmiths that could be gotten that although the matter it was made of was of an inestimable valew tamen Materiam superabat opus yet the workmanship excelled the matter saith Mathew Paris A Prince he was as our histories affirme of greater deuotion then discretion in permitting the depredation of himselfe and his subiects by papall ouerswayings This King saith Robert of Glocester as in worldlich doyng was not hald ful wyse but mor deuout to spiritual things he was euery dey woned to here thre Masses by note Quante innocentie quante patientie quanteque deuotionis et quanti meriti in vita sua erat apud Deum testantur post ipsius mortem miracula subsecuta Of how much integrity of how much patience of how much deuotion and of how much merite he was in his life time before God the miracles which followed after his death doe testifie saith the compendious chronicle of Canterbury He died the 16 of Nouember 1273. when he liued sixty fiue yeares and raigned fiftie sixe yeares and eighteene daies this Epitaph following is annexed to his Tombe Tertius Henricus iacet hic pietatis amicus Ecclesiam strauit istam quam post renouauit Reddet ei munus qui regnat trinus et vnus Tertius Henricus est Templi conditor huius Dulce bellum inexpertis Which is thus Englished by Robert Fabian The frende of pyte and of almesse dede Henry the thyrde whylome of Englande Kyng Who thys Church brake and after hys mede Agayn renewed into this fayre buylding Now resteth in here whiche did so great a thinge He yelde his mede that Lord in Deyite That as one God reygneth in persones thre Henry the thyrde is the buylder of thys Temple War is pleasant to those that haue not tryed it In the additions to Robert of Glocester a Manuscript in the Heralds Office these rimes are written to his remembrance Aftur hym regnyd the thurd Harry A good man and eke an hely In hys tym werrys were full strong And eke mickle stryf in Englond The Batayl of Lewys was than And alsoo the Batayl of Euesham And that tym alsoo ther was The Translacyon of Sent Thomas In hys tym as I vndyrstond Come Freres Menores into thys lond He regnyd Kyng lvi yere And to Westmynstre men hym bere At the head of the foresaid King Henry his sonne Edward surnamed Long-Shanks lieth entombed King of England the first of that Christian name since the Conquest and as he was the first of his name so was he the first that setled the law and state deseruing the stile of Englands Iustinian and freed this kingdome from the wardship of the Peeres shewing himselfe in all his actions after capable to command not the Realme onely but the whole world At the time of his Fathers death he was abroad in Palestine pursuing his high desires for the Holy Warres and after sixe yeares from his first setting out he returnes into England receiues the Crowne without which he had beene a King almost three yeares at the hands of Robert Archbishop of Canterbury and with him is Eleanor his vertuous Queene likewise crowned at Westminster To the which their magnificent pompous Coronations the presence of Alexander King of Scotland who had married Margaret his eldest sister was required as appeares by this Record following Rex dilectis et fidelibus suis Iohanni Louetot et Galfrido de Newbald Custodibus Episcopatus Deunelm Salutem Mandamus vobis quod de primis denarijs prouenientibus de exitibus Episcopatus predicti habere faciatis Alexandro
a masse of money from our credulous king Henry who had so deeply swallowed the gudgeon that his heart being ouer-ioyed saith Mathew Paris and raised euen to the height of exultation hee swore by Saint Edward to make a present voyage to Apulia and take possession of these dominions But at length this counterfeit ring vpon the touch was discouered and the good king knew himselfe deluded his Exchequer emptied and this Titulary-king his sonne Edmund abused Thus writes Mathew Paris the Monke of S. Albans who liued in those dayes and deciphers the Legerdemaine and iugling deuises of the Bishops of Rome to get money This Edmund was Lord Steward of this kingdome and Lieutenant of Gascoigne Who being sent into Aquitaine with an armie where he performed notable seruice died at Bayon in the yeare 1296. And within two moneths after his death his body was honourably transported into England Here lieth also entombed his first wife Aveline daughter and heire of William de Fortibus Earle of Albamarle by whom he had no issue who died the yeare 1269. Here lieth buried in a most magnificent Tombe befitting the greatnesse of his birth and the worthinesse of his Of-spring William de valence Earle of Penbroke so sirnamed of Valencia the place of his birth sonne of Hugh le Brun Earle of the Marches of Aquitaine and halfe brother by the mothers side to King Henry the third This William saith Stow was slaine at Bayon by the French in the yeare 1296. and with him Edmund Earle of Lancaster of whom I lastly spoke if wee may beleeue these verses of Harding But erle Edmond the kynges brother dere With twenty and sixe baners proud and stout The fift daye of Iune was accompted clere Of Christ his date a thousand yere all out Fourscore and sixteene without doubt At Bayon faught with the French menne certain Wher he in the feld that daye like a knyght was slain So was Sir William Valence erle of Penbroke than Sir Iohn Richmond and many other Baron Sir Iohn Saynct Iohn right a full manly manne Thenglishe hoste felly ther was bore doune By a bushement laied by colucion That brake on theim sore fighting in the feld Out of a wode in whiche that day were beld About the verge or side of his monument these verses are inlayd with brasse Anglia tota doles moritur quia regia proles Qua florere soles quem continet infima moles Guilielmus nomen insigne Valentia prebet Celsum cognomen nam tale dari sibi debet Qui valuit validus vincens virtute valore Eâ— placuit placidus sensus morumque vigore Dapsilis et habilis immotus prelia sectans Vtilis ac humilis deuotus premia spectans Milleque trecentis cum quatuor inde retentis In Maij mense hunc mors proprio ferit ense Quique legis hec repete quam sit via plena timore Meque lege te moriturum inscius hore O clemens christe celos intret precor iste Nil videat triste quia preculit omnibus hisce Here lyeth entombed the body of Simon Langham who was first a Monke of this Abbey then Prior and lastly Abbot thence elected Bishop of London from thence before his consecration to London aduanced to the Bishopricke of Ely and from that place remoued to Canterbury hee held diuers liuings in commendam as the Archdeaconry and Treasureship of Wels with others He was both Treasurer and Chancelour of England at seuerall times It is scarce credible saith Godwin now Bishop of Hereford in his catalogue de presulibus Anglie that is reported of his wonderfull bounty and liberality to this monastery When hee was first made Abbot he bestowed all that he had gathered together being Monke and Prior in paying the debt of the house which was to the value of two thousand and two hundred markes and discharged diuers other summes of money also which particular Monkes did owe he purchased good land which he gaue vnto them When hee went out of England hee left them bookes to the value of 830 pound and Copes Vestments and other ornaments for the Church worth 437. pound At his death he bequeathed vnto them all his plate prised at 2700. pound and all his debts any where due which amounted vnto 3954. pound thirteene shillings and foure pence He also sent vnto this Abbey the summe of one thousand markes to buy forty markes a yeare land to encrease the portion of foure Monkes that daily should say Masse for the soules of himselfe and his Parents The money that he bestowed vpon this Abbey one way or other is reckoned by a Monke of the same to be no lesse then 10800. pound who thereupon compiled this Distich Res es de Langham tua Simon sunt data quondam Octingentena librarum millia dena But men of eminent place and authoritie cannot haue their due praise of all sorts of people nay rather in requitall of their best actions they shall reape nothing but opprobrious language for vpon his translation from Ely to Canterbury these two rayling riming Hexameters were made to his disgrace Letentur celi quia Simon transit ab Ely Cuius in aduentum flent in Kent millia centum The Isle of Ely laught when Simon from her went But hundred thousands wept at 's comming into Kent He sate Archbishop of Canterbury onely two yeares for being made Cardinall of Saint Sixtus by Pope Vrban the fift hee left his Archbishopricke and went to Auinion where shortly after he was made Bishop Cardinall of Preneste by Gregory the eleuenth where he liued in great estimation about eight yeares and died of a palsie wherewith hee was suddenly taken as he sate at dinner Iuly 22. 1376. he was buried first in the Church of the Carthusians which he himselfe had founded in the Citie of Auinion but after three yeares his bones by his appointment while he liued were taken vp and buried here a second time vnder a goodly tombe of Alabaster vpon which this Epitaph was sometime engrauen Simon de Langham sub petris hijs tumulatus Istius Ecclesie Monachus fuerat Prior Abbas Sede vacante fuit electus Londoniensis Presul et insignis Ely sed postea primas Totius Regni magnus Regisque minister Nam Thesaurarius et Cancellarius eius Ac Cardinalis in Roma Presbyter isâ—e Postque Prenestinus est factus Episcopus atque Nuncius ex parte Pape transmittitur istâ—c Orbe dolente Pater quem nunc reuocare nequimus Magdalene festo milleno septuageno Et ter centeno sexto Christi ruit anno Hunc Deus absoluat de cunctis que male gessit Et meritis Matris sibi celica gaudia donet Here lyeth Robert Waldby who being a yong man followed Edward the blacke Prince into France where he continued long a Student and profited so much as no man in the Vniuersitie where he liued might compared with him for all kinde of learning he was a good linguist very well seene
Sanguine perfuso reparasti quem pretioso Here lieth entombed the body of Raph Selby descended from the ancient family of the Selbies of Billesdun in the County of Northumberland a Monke of this fraternitie a learned Doctor in the ciuill and canon lawes and one exceedingly beloued and fauoured of King Henry the fourth and Henry the fift in the eight yeare of whose raigne hee departed this world Anno 1420. as by this Epitaph appeareth Ecce Radulphus ita Selby iacet hic Cenobita Doctor per merita prepotens lege perita Legibus ornatus a regibus et veneratus Ordo eiusque status per cum fit conciliatus M. C quater x bis post partum virginis iste Michaelis festo tibi spirauit bone Christe Not farre from this Selby lieth buried vnder a marble stone the body of Iohn Windsore one of the noble familie of the Windsores sometime residing at Stanwell in this County a great commander in the warres of Ireland vnder Richard the second and in the battaile of Shrewesbury vnder King Henry the fourth who died in the second yeare of King Henry the fift vpon Eester Eue the seuenth of Aprill 1414. as this Epitaph sheweth Est bis septenus M. Christi C quater annus Vespera Paschalis dum septima lux fit Aprilis Transijt a mundo Io. Windsore nomine notus Corde gemens mundo confessus crimine lotus Fecerat heredem Gulielmus auunculus istum Miles et Armigerum dignus de nomine dignum Dum iuuenilis erat bello multos perimebat Postea penituit eorum vulnera fleuit Recumbens obijt hic nunc in carcere quiescit Viuat in eternum Spiritus ante Deum But now I will conclude the funerall Monuments of this Abbey with the death and buriall of our most learned English Poet Geffery Chaucer whose life is written at large by Thomas Speght who by old copies reformed his workes which the Reader may see a little before the beginning of his bookes He departed out of this world the 25. day of October in the yeare of our Lord 1400. after had liued 72. yeares Thus writeth Leland Chaucer liued till he was an old man and found old age to be grieuous and whilest he followed his causes at London he died and was buried at Westminster The old verses which were written on his graue at the first were these Galfridus Chaucer vates et fama Poesis Materne hac sacra sum tumulatus humo Thomas Occleue or Okelefe of the office of the priuie Seale sometime Chaucers scholler for the loue he bare to the said Geffray his master caused his picture to be truely drawne in his booke De Regimine Principis dedicated to Henry the fift according to which that his picture drawn vpon his Monument was made as also the Monument it selfe at the cost and charges of Nicholas Brigham gentleman Anno 1555. who buried his daughter Rachell a childe of foure yeares of age neare to the Tombe of this old Poet the 21. of Iune 1557. such was his loue to the Muses But to returne againe to Chaucers picture to which these verses were added by the said Occleue Although his life be queint the resemblaunce Of him that hath in me so fresh liuelinesse That to put other men in remembraunce Of his Person I haue here the likenesse Doe make to the end in soothfastnesse That they that of him haue lost thought and minde By this Peniture may againe him finde The Inscriptions vpon his Tombe at this day are after this manner Qui fuit Anglorum vates ter maximus olim Galfridus Chaucer conditur hoc tumulo Annum si quaeras Domini si tempora mortis Ecce notae subsunt quae tibi cuncta notant 25 Octobris 1400. Aerumnarum requies mors N Brigham hos fecit musarum nomine sumptus About the ledge of the Tombe these verses were written Si rogitas quis eraâ— forsan te fama docebit Quod si Fama negat mundi quia gloria transit Haec monumenta lege Now it shall not be amisse to adde to these Epitaphs the iudgements and reports of some learned men of this worthy and famous Poet and first of all let vs heare his Scholler Occleue Vir tam bonis literâ—s quam generis prosapia clarus these are his lines of him in his foresaid booke de regimine Principis Alas my worthy maister honourable This lands very treasure and richesse Death by thy death hath harme irreperable Vnto vs done her vengeable duresse Dispoiled hath this land of the sweetnesse Of Rhetorige for vnto Tullius Was neuer man so like among vs. Also who was heire in Philosophy To Aristotle in our tongue but thee The steppes of Virgill in Poese Thou suedst eken men know well inough What combre world that thee my master slough Would I slaine were Iohn Lidgate a Monke of Burie in his Prologue of Bocchas of the fall of Princes by him translated saith thus in his commendation My Master Chaucer with his fresh Comedies Is dead alas chiefe Poet of Britaine That whilome made full pitous Tragedies The faule also of Princes he did complaine As he that was of making soueraine Whom all this Land should of right preferre Sith of our Language he was the load-sterre That excellent and learned Scottish Poet Gawyne Dowglas Bishop of Dunkeld in the Preface of Virgils Aeneados turned into Scottish verse doth thus speake of Chaucer Venerable Chaucer principall Poet without pere Heuenly trumpet orloge and regulere In eloquence baulme conduct and dyall Milkie fountaine cleare strand and rose ryall Of fresh endite through Albione Island brayed In his legend of noble Ladies sayed Spenser in his Fairie Queene calleth his writings The works of heauenly wit Concluding his commendation in this manner Dan Chaucer Well of English vndefiled On Fames eternall beadrole worthy to be filed Sir Philip Sidney likewise and M. Camden speake much in the deserued praise of this worthy Poet whom I leaue to his eternall rest Vnder the Clocke in the Church I haue read this Inscription Dic mihi quid prodest horas numerare fugaces Cum cessant perdas quod numerare libet This Church hath had great priuiledge of Sanctuarie within the precinct thereof as Stow saith in his Suruay of London to wit the Church Churchyard Close and all that which is still called the Sanctuarie Which Priuiledge was first granted by Sebert king of the East Saxons the first Founder thereof Since encreased by Edgar King of the West Saxons renewed and confirmed by King Edward the Confessor as appeareth by this his Charter following Edward by the grace of God king of Englishmen I make it to bee knowne to all generations of the world after me that by especiall commandement of our holy Father Pope Leo I haue renewed and honoured the holy Church of the blessed Apostle Saint Peter of Westminster and I order and establish for euer that what person of what condition or estate soeuer he be from
of the pot There hath also beene found in the same field diuers coffins of stone containing the bones of men these I suppose to be the burials of some speciall persons in time of the Brittaines or Saxons Moreouer there were also found the sculls and bones of men without coffins or rather whose coffines being of great timber were consumed Diuers great Nailes of Iron were there found such as are vsed in the wheeles of shod carts being each of them as bigge as a mans finger and a quarter of a yard the heads two inches ouer Those Nailes were more wondred at then the rest of the things there found and many opinions of men were there vttered of them namely that the men there buried were murthered by driuing those Nailes into their heads a thing vnlikely for a smaller Naile would more aptly serue to so bad a purpose and a more secret place would lightly be imployed for such buriall But to set downe what I obserued concerning this matter I there beheld the bones of a man lying as I noted the head North the feet South and round about him as thwart his head along both his sides and thwart his feet such Nailes were found Wherefore I coniectured them to be Nailes of his coffin Which had beene a trough cut out of some great tree and the same couered with a planke of a great thicknesse fastened with such Nailes and therefore I caused some of the Nailes to be reached vp to 〈◊〉 found vnder the broad heads of them the old wood â—eane turned into earth but still retaining both the graine and proper colour Of these Nailes with the wood vnder the head thereof I reserued one as also the 〈◊〉 bone of the man the teeth being great sound and fixed which amongst many other Monuments there found I haue yet to shew but the nayle lying dry is by scaling greatly wasted And thus much of ancient Funerall Monuments in the fields Certaine Burials of British Kings in and about London the places of their interments vncertaine And first to begin with Guentoline the sonne of Gurgunstus King of Britaine who flourished about the yeare of the world 3614. Who was a wise Prince graue in counsell and sober in behauiour and studied with great care and diligence to reforme anew and to adorne with iustice lawes and good orders the British commonwealth by other Kings not so framed as stood with the greatnesse thereof But as he was busie in hand herewith death tooke him away from these worldly employments when hee had raigned 27. yeares He had a wife named Martia Proba a woman of perfect beautie and wisedome incomparable as by her prudent gouernment and equall administration of iustice after her husbands decease during her sonnes minoritie it most manifestly appeared She was a woman expert and skilfull in diuers sciences but chiefely being admitted to the gouernment of the Realme she studied to preserue the common wealth in good quiet and decent order and therefore deuised established and writ a booke in the British tongue of profitable and conuenient Lawes the which after her name were called Martian Lawes These Lawes afterwards Gildas Cambrius the Historicall Welch Poet translated into Latine and a long time after him Alured King of the West Saxons holding these lawes necessarie for the preseruation of the common wealth put them into English Saxon speech and then they were called after that translation Marchenclagh that is to meane the Lawes of Martia adding thereunto a Booke of his owne writing of the Lawes of England which he called A certaine Breuiarie extracted out of diuers Lawes of the Troians Grecians Britaines Saxons and Danes She flourished before the birth of our Lord and Sauiour 348. yeares or thereabouts Her sonnes name was Sicilius who vpon the death of his Father was but young for I reade that Martia his mother deliuered vp the gouernment of the kingdome to her sonne when he came to lawfull age which she had right politiquely guided and highly for her perpetuall renowne and commendation the space of fourteene yeares He died when hee had raigned seuen yeares some say fifteene yeares Of Bladud king of Britaine the sonne of Lud hurdibras many incredible passages are deliuered by our old British writers and followed by sundrie Authors of succeeding ages which say that he was so well seene in the Sciences of Astronomie and Necromancie that thereby hee made the hote springs in the Citie of Bathe that he built the Citie of Bathe that he went to Athens and brought with him foure Philosophers and by them instituted an Vniuersitie at Stanford in Lincolnshire And further to shew his Art and cunning that he tooke vpon him to flie into the aire and that hee broke his necke by a fall from the Temple of Apollo in Troynouant before the incarnation of Christ 852. yeares in the twentieth yeare of his raigne Geffrey of Monmouth and Mathew of Westminster would approue as much as here is spoken of him And learned Selden in his Illustrations vpon Draytons Polyolbion sets downe an ancient fragment of rimes wherein these strange things of him are exprest But of him here in this place will it please you take a peece out of Harding and you shall haue more hereafter Bladud his sonne after him did succede And reigned after then full xx yere Cair Bladud so that now is Bath I rede He made anone the hote bathes there infere When at Athens he had studied clere He brought with hym iiii Philosophers wise Schole to hold in Brytaine and exercyse Stanforde he made that Stanforde hight this daye In which he made an Vniuersitee His Philosophers as Merlin doth saye Had scholers fele of grete habilitee Studyng euer alwaye in vnitee In all the seuen liberall science For to purchase wysedome and sapience In Cair Bladim he made a temple right And sette a Flamyne therein to gouerne And afterward a Fetherham he dight To flye with winges as he could best discerne Aboue the aire nothyng him to werne He flyed on high to the temple Apoline And ther brake his necke for all his grete doctrine Likewise the vncertaine buriall of Vortimer that victorious British king was in some part of this Citie he was the eldest sonne of Vortigern king of the Britaines and raigned as king in his fathers dayes who demeaned himselfe towards his sonne then his Soueraigne in all dutifull obedience and faithfull counsell for the space of foure yeares euen vntill Vortimer was poysoned by the subtiltie of Rowena the heathen daughter of Hengist the Saxon the wife or concubine of his Brother and the mother of the Britaines mischiefe which happened about the yeare of Grace 464. This Vortimer was a man of great valour which altogether he employed for the redresse of his countrey according to the testimonie of William Malmesbury whose words are these Vortimer saith he thinking not good to dissemble the matter for that he saw himselfe and countrey daily
Prynces in pease most amate In Grece Archbyshop elected worthely And last of Carlyel rulyng pastorally Kepyng nobyl Houshold wyth grete Hospitality On thowsand fyve hundryd thirty and sevyn Invyterate wyth pastoral carys consumyd wyth age The nintenth of Iun reckonyd ful evyn Passyd to hevyn from worldly pylgrâ—mage Of whos soul good pepul of cherite Prey as ye wold be preyd for for thus must ye lie Iesu mercy Lady help Here lieth Sir Henry Collet knight twise Maior of London who died in the yere of our redemption 1510. This Hâ—nry was sonne to Robert Collet of Wendouer in Buckinghamshire and father to Iohn Collet Deane of Pauls in the first time of his Maioraltie the Crosse in Cheape-side was new builded in that beautifull manner as it now standeth Richardus iacet hic venerabilis ille Decanus Qui fuit etatis doctus Apollo sue Eloquio forma ingenio virtutibus arte Nobilis eternum viuere dignus erat Consilio bonus ingenio fuit vtilis acri Facunda eloquij dexteritate potens Non rigidus non ore minax affabilis omni Tempore seu puero seu loquerere sexi Nulli vnquam nocuit multos adiuvit omnes Officij studuit demeruisse bonos Tantus hic et talis ne non deleatur ademptus Flent Muse et laceris mesta Minerua comis Obijt anno 1532. etat circiter 40. This Pace succeeded Collet in the Deanrie of Pauls a man highlie in fauour with king Henry the eight by whom he was employed as Embassadour to Maximilian the Germane Emperour as also to Rome in the behalfe of Cardinall Wolâ—ey who stood in election for the Popedome Hee writ diuers learned treatises yet extant Nam vir erat saith Bale viriusque literaturae peritia praeditus Nemo ingenio candidior aut humanitate amicitior He was a right worthie man and one that gaue in counsell faithfull aduâ—ce learned he was also and indued with many excellent good gifts of nature curteous pleasâ—nt and delighting in Musicke highlie in the Kingsfauour and well heard in matters of weight Here was I borne and here I make myne end Though I was Citizen and Grocer of London And to the office of Schrevalty did ascend But things transitorie passe and vanische sone To God be geeuen thanks if that I haue ought done That to his honowre and to the bringing vp of youth And to the succowre of the Age for sewerly this is soth By Avise my wyff children were left me non Which we both did take as God had it sent And fixed our myndes that ioyntly in on To releue the poore by mutuall consent Now mercifull Iesu which hast assystyd owre intent Have mercy on owre sowles and as for the residew If it be thy will thou mayst owre Act continew Vpon the same marble these verses following The fyve and twentyth day of this monyth of Septembyr And of owre Lord God the fifteenth hundryd and fowrty yeere Master Nicholas Gibson dyde as this tombe doth remembyr Whose wyff aftyr maryed the worschypful Esquier Master William Kneuet on of the kings privy chamber Much for his time also did he endeuer To make this Act to continew for euer This pious act here mentioned in this Epitaph is a free-Schoole founded at Radcliffe in this Parish by the said Nicholas and Avise for the instruction of threescore poore mens children by a Schoolemaster and an Vsher with an Almeshouse for fourteene poore aged persons and this Foundation continues to this day Saint Leonards in Stratford Bow This religious structure was sometime a Monasterie replenished with white Monkes dedicated to the honour of our alone Sauiour Iesus Christ and Saint Leonard founded by King Henry the second in the 23. yeare of his raigne And valued at the suppression to be yearely worth an hundred one and twenty pounds sixteene shillings In this Abbey Church sometime lay entombed the body of Iohn de Bohun eldest sonne and heire of Humfrey de Bohun Earle of Hereford and Essex Which Iohn de Bohun to vse the words of Milles in his Catalogue of Hereford Earles after the death of his father Humfrey was fifth Earle of Hereford Constable of England and Patron of the Abbey of Lanthony fourth Earle of Essex of that Surname and fifth Lord of Brecknock Because this Earle Iohn in regard of his weaknesse of body by a continuall sicknesse was not able to performe this office of the Constableship of England Edward the third at this Earles intreatie did substitute Edward Bohun the Earles younger brother Vice-Constable vnder him for the tearme of his life But Earle Iohn died at Kirby Thore the 20. of Ianuary vpon Saint Fabian and Sebastians day 1136. the tenth of Edward the third leauing no issue and was buried at Stratford Abbey not farre from London This Iohn married first Alice the daughter of Edmund Fitz-alan Earle of Arundell who died in childbed and was buried at Walden with her Infant sonne after it was christened His second wife was Margaret daughter of Raphe Lord Basset of Drâ—yton a Baron of the best ranke in those dayes by whom hee had no issue Hertfordshire For Ecclesiasticall gouernment onely some part of this Shire belongeth to the Diocesse of London the rest to the Bishopricke of Lincolne Now because the Bishop of Lincolne hath so large a Territorie vnder his iurisdiction I wâ—ll be so bold as to borrow a few Funerall Inscriptions which I haue collected in this County and within his charge and imprint them with those which are properly for London Diocesse Alhallowes in the Towne of Hertford Off yowr cherity prayeth to God and Alhalwin hertely For Ser Ion Chappilaine somtym of yis plas Vicary Almighty Iesu resseve his sowl to grase and mercy Icy gist Isabele Newmarche iadis Damosele a tresâ—oble Dame Isabele Roigne d' Engletere This Isabell Newmarch or de nouo Mercatu a name of great reputation in the raigne of King Henry the third was Maide of Honour to that Isabell Queene of England who was second wife to Richard the second daughter of Charles the sixth King of France Hic iacet Lodouicus Baysbury Capell Henrici sexti ac Prebend Ecclesie Cathedral Lincoln .... M. ccccxxviii Here lyeth vndyr this ston William Wake And by him Ione his wyff and Make Somtym yeman of Iohn Duc of Bedfords hors And lat Survayor wyth king Henry the sixt he was Gentylman mad he was at the holy Grav On qwos sowls Almyghty God mercy hav Hic iacet Iohannes Prest quondam Ianitor Hospitii Katherine nuper Regine Anglie ....... This Priest was Porter to that Katherine Queene of England who was the onely wife of that inuincible Conquerour of France Henry the fifth and daughter of Charles the sonne of Charles aforesaid King of France Saint Nicholas Hic iacet Alicia Tymyslow quondam Dominella Domine Ducisse Lankastrie que obiit 17 Septemb. 1396. This faire yong waiting Chamber-maid for so much the word
holy Saints the reliques of blessed Martyrs and the very places of their martyrdome did kindle in times past no small heate of diuine charitie in the mindes of our first Christian Saxon Kings which made Offa the glorious King of the Mercians to recall himselfe from the trace of bloudy warres in great deuotion to goe to Rome and to obtaine of Pope Adrian the first the canonyzation of this martyr Alban in honour of whom the first to our Lord Iesus Christ he founded this monastery about the yeere 795. the Church whereof still remaineth which for bignesse beautie and antiquity is to be had in admiration in the very place where the foresaid Alban suffered his martyrdome He endowed this his gâ—odly fabricke with sufficient reuenues for the maintenance of one hundred blacke Monkes Benedictins and caused the reliques of his new Saint to be taken vp and put in a shrine adorned with gold and pretious stones of inestimable value which was further enriched by his sonne Egfrid and many other succeeding Kings and Princes but now at this day nothing is remaining of this rich Shrine saue a marble stone to couer his sacred Ashes ouer against which on the wall these verses are lately depicted onely to tell vs that such a man there was to whose memory a Shrine was erected Renowned Alban knight first Martyr of this land By Dioclesian lost his life through bloudy hand Who made him soueraigne Lord high Steward of this Isle And Prince of Britaine knights to dignifie his stile He veritie embrac't and Verulam forsooke And in this very place his martyrdome he tooke Now hath he his reward he liues with Christ aboue For he aboue all things Christ and his truth did loue Here Offa Mercians King did Albans bones enshrine So all things were dispos'd by prouidence diuine Nought but this marble stone of Albans Shrine is left The worke of all forme else hath changing time bereft I haue read in an old Mss. in Sir Robert Cottons Librarie that this following was anciently the Inscription vpon his Shrine Here lieth interred the body of Saint Alban a Citizen of old Verulam of whom this towne tooke denomination and from the ruines of which Citie this Towne did arise He was the first Martyr of England and suffered his martyrdome the xx day of Iune in the yeare of mans redemption 293. Vnder a curious and costly funerall monument here in the Quire lyeth interred the body of Vmfrey Plantaginet surnamed the Good fourth sonne of King Henry the fourth By the grace of God for so begins his stile by Charter sonne brother and vncle of Kings Duke of Glocester Earle of Henault Holland Zeland and Pembroke Lord of Friseland great Chamberlaine of England Protector and defender of the Church and kingdome of England Thus great thus glorious by birth creation and marriage was hee in his honourable titles and Princely attributes but farre more great and illustrious in his vertuous endowments and inward qualities But in his praise may it please you reade learned Clarentieux in his tract of Suffolke where he writes of the Abbey of Bury these are his words That father of his countrey Vmfrey Duke of Glocester a due obseruer of Iustice and one who had furnished his noble wit with the better and deeper kinde of Studies after he had vnder King Henry the sixth gouerned the kingdome fiue and twenty yeares with great commendations so that neither good men had cause to complaine of nor enuill to finde fault with was here in Saint Sauiours Hospitall brought to his 〈◊〉 by the spightfull enuie of Margaret of Lorain who was wife to Henâ—â— the â—ixâ—h his Nephew But his death was the stroke of an euill Angell 〈…〉 ent to punish England and to roote out all her Nobles Fidior in regno regi duce non â—uit isâ—o Plusue fide stabilis aut maior amator honoris Saith the Abbot of this house Io. Whethamsted yet for all this was he arrested of high Treason in the yeare 1446. and within few dayes after strangled to death without any triall Some say he died for sorrow because hee might not come to his answer Hee built the Diuinitie Schoole in Oxford and was an especiall benefactour to this Abbey Here is an Epitaph pensild on the wall neare to his Tombe to the same effect with an Item of the miracle which he wrought vpon the blinde imposture The story is frequent Hic iacet Vmphredus Duxille Glocestrius olim Henrici Regis Protector fraudis ineptae Detector dum ficta notat miracula caeci Lumen erat Patriae columen venerabile Regni Pacis amans Musisque fauens melioribus vnde Gratum opus Oxonio quae nunc scola sacra refulget Invida sed mulier regno Regi sibi nequam Abstulit hunc humili vix hoc dignata Sepulchro Invidia rumpente tamen post funera viuit Vnder a large marble stone thus inscribed lieth Iohn Stoke an Abbot of This Church Hic iacet oblitus Stoke stans velut ardua quercus Semper in adversis perstitit intrepidus Wallingford Prior hic gregis huius pastor Abbas Donet ei requiem celsa dei pietas Celica regna bone mihi dentur queso Patrone Penas compesse requiem da virgula Iesse Me precor Amphibale soluens ad sidera sume This Abbot as it is in this Epitaph and in the golden Register of this house was a stout defender of the lands and liberties of his Church hee adorned Duke Vmfreys Tombe hee gaue money by his Will to make a new bell which after his owne name was called Iohn and also to new glase the Cloisters Sibi igitur saith the booke ea sit merces que dari solet illis qui ad honorem sue Ecclesie laudabilia student opera in temporibus suis. Vir crucis Christi tumulo iacet inclitus isti Carcere de tristi saluetur sanguine Christi Armacrucis sumpsit intrando Religionem Mundum contempsit propter celi regionem Hic studuit claustri Pondus sufferre laboris In stadio studij brauium percepit honoris Flatus fortune grandes patiens tolerabat Gaudia tristitia equalilance librabat Nil aduersa timens nec multum prospera curans Se medio tenuit per ferrea tempora durans Omni gestura constans nil triste timebat Omni pressura Christo laudes referebat Armis Iustitie cinctus deitatis amore Hostibus Ecclesie restitit in facie Ad tumulum Proceres mors impia transferet omnes Vt puerilis amor defluit omnis honor I finde this Inscription following vpon a faire marble vnder the pourtraiture of one of the Abbots who modestly thus suppresseth his name Hic quidem terra tegitur Peccato soluens debitum Cuius nomen non impositum In libro vitae sit inscriptum Hic iacet Dominus Michael quondam Abbas huius Monasterij Bachalaureus in Theol. qui obiit pridie Idus Aprilis Ann. M.ccc xlii Michael Abbas
Scripta ferunt post se que liquerat exposuisse Pro dilectoris anima tui dulciter ora Albani sancti conventus qualibet hora His next successor was Iohn Stoke of whom as also of all the rest in the Catalogue I haue already spoken and now I will returne backe againe to the rest of the Epitaphs and Inscriptions which I finde in the Church In a wall in the body of the Church ouer a vault Vir Domini verus iacet hic Heremita Rogerus Et sub eo clarus meritu Heremita Sigarus Memoriale Domini Thome Rutland quondam subprior is huius Monasterij qui ex luce migrauit M. ccccc.xxi cuius anime propitietur altissimus Amen Ecce sacerdos eram iam factus vile cadauer Et cito puluis erit queso memento mei Siste gradum qui ad me venit hic funde precator Me deus vt leuet ducat ad vsque polum Vpon his brest on the portraiture this English Distick is ingrauen Iesus Chryst Marys son Hav mercy on the sowl of Rychard Stondon This Towne vaunts her selfe very much of the birth and buriall of Sir Iohn Mandeuill Knight the famous Trauailer who writ in Latine French and in the English tongue his Itinerary of three and thirty yeares And that you may beleeue the report of the Inhabitants to bee true they haue lately pensild a rare piece of Poetry or an Epitaph for him vpon a piller neere to which they suppose his body to haue beene buried which I thinke not much amisse to set downe for although it will not bee worth the reading yet doe but set it to some lofty tune as to the Hunting of Antichrist or the like I know it will be well worth the singing marke how it runs All yee that passe on this pillar cast eye This Epitaph read if you can 'T will tell you a Tombe onâ—'t stood in this roome Of a braue spirited man Iohn Mandeuill by name a knight of great fame Borne in this honoured Towne Before him was none that euer was knowne For trauaile of so high renowne As the Knights in the Temple crosse-legged in marble In armour with sword and with sheeld So was this Knight grac't which time hath defac't That nothing but ruines doth yeeld His Trauailes being donne he shines like the Sun In heauenly Canaan To which blessed place O Lord of his grace Bring vs all man after man That he was borne here in this Towne I cannot much deny but I am sure that within these few yeares I saw his Tombe in the Citie of Leege within the Church of the religious house of the Guilliammits with this Inscription vpon it and the verses following hanging by on a table Hic iacet vir nobilis D. Ioannes de Mandevile Al D. ad Barbam miles Dominus de Campdi natus de Anglia Medicine professor deuotissimus orator bonorum largissimus pauperibus erogator qui toto quasi orbe lustrato Leo â—ij diem vite sue clausit extremum Ann. Dom. M.CCC.lxxi Mens Nouemb. die xvi Aliud Hoc iacet in tumulo cui totus patria viuo Orbis erat totum quem peragrasse ferunt Anglus Eques que fuit nunc ille Britannus Vlysses Dicatur Graio clarus Vlysse magis Moribus ingenio candore sanguine clarus Et vere cultor Relligionis erat Nomen si queras est Mandevil Indus Arabsque Sat notum dicet finibus esse suis. The Church-men will shew you here his kniues the furniture of his horse and his spurres which he vsed in his trauells Vndyr this Ston lyeth beryed here He that whylom was Balyff of this town Callyd somtym William Smyth Esqwyere To whom of his Sins God grant remission Elisabyth his wyff a woman of renown Here lyeth alsoo enterryd in this grav Cryst on her sowl hav compassion And grant them in heuen a plase to hav Vpon the same marble vnder the picture of the Crosse these words are engrauen which the foresaid Smith seemes to speake By this tokyn of the holy cross Good Lord sav owr sowls from loss Elisabeth his wife these Cryst who dyed for vs on the Rood tree Sav the sowl of my Husbond owr chyldren and mee Here lieth .... Raph Rowlat Citizen of London Merchant of the Staple and Ioan his wife Which Raph dyed M. cccccxix on whose This familie is now extinct and the inheritance diuolued by marriage vnto the Maynards as appeareth by an Epitaph vpon the wall not long since made for on of the Maynards who married one of the heires of Sir Raph Rowlat knight To the picture of Christ hanging on the Crosse this inscription was lately to be read vpon one of the pillars in the Church Fly the falshode of the fiend for he wil fownd the Dread not my dreadful doomes for I dyed for the. Cal on me thy Sauyour Chryst I can chere the My mercy is more than thy misse I may amend the See how my syde was perced for the and I shal help the. In this Abbey Church is a goodly Font of solid brasse wherein the kings children of Scotland were wont to be baptized which Font Sir Richard Lea knight Master of the Pioners brought as a spoile out of the Scottish warres and gaue it to this Church As may appeare by this loftie and arrogant inscription about the same as if the Font in it owne person did proclaime the knights act to all passengers in these words lately Englished When Leeth a Towne of good account among the Scots and Edinbrough their chiefe Citie were on a fire Sir Richard Lea knight saued mee from burning and brought mee into England And I being mindfull of this so great a benefit whereas before I was wont to serue for baptizing of none but Kings children haue now willingly offered my seruice euen to the meanest of the English Nation Lea the Victour would haue it so Farewell In the yeare of our Lord M.D.xliii and of the raigne of King Henry the eight xxxvi These already written are all the Epitaphs or inscriptions which I finde in this Abbey Church howsoeuer it doth retaine the ashes of many a worthie man conquered by death both before and since the Conquest As of Egfrid king of the Mercians sonne to great Offa the Founder who added to those twenty Lordships or Mannors wherewith his father at the first endowed this foundation Terram quinque Maneriorum in loco dicto Pynefeld cum terminis suis antiquis manerium de Sauntridge et Tirefeld Cartas que Patris sui benigne in suae serena concessione confirmauit pro confirmatione regni sui sua prosperitate nec non pro salute paterne sueque anime antecessorum suorum Ecclesiam suam per omnia salubriter protegendo saith the golden Register of this Abbey The first businesse that this King vndertooke after hee came to the Crowne was the restauration of ancient priuiledges to the Church and great hope
in hys lusty age Owr Lord list cal to hys mercy and grase Benign and curteys free withoutyn rage And Sqwire with the Duc of Clarence he was The eyghtenth dey of Iun deth did him embrase The yer from Crists incarnatioon A thowsand fowr hundryd seuenty and oon Hic iacent Iohannes Dentwel .... Christiana vxor ... 1388. Here lyeth William Warner and Ioan his wyf Whych William dyed .... 1531. and Ioan 1588. on whos sowls Here vndyr this marble ston Lyeth Lucas Goodyer departyd and gon It pleasyd the Lord God in Octobre the tenth day She being in chyldbed decessyd withoutyn nay And Edmond her liffe sonne lyeth her by On whos sowlys Iesu have mercy 1547. Here lyeth Raph Stepney Esquyre the first Lord of the Lordshyp of this Towne of Aldenham and Patron of this Church Who dyed 3. Decemb. 1544. on whos sowl Iesu haue mercy Amen In the South wall of this Church the proportion of two weemen lye cut in stone who as I haue it by relation were two Sisters here entombed the builders of this Church and coheires to this Lordship which at their deaths gaue the said Lordship to the Abbey and Couent of Westminster Here is now the seate of that right honourable Lord Sir Edward Carey knight Baron of Falkland lately Lord Deputie of Ireland Some of which familie lie here fairely entombed South Mimmes A seat of a worshipfull familie of the Coningesbies saith Camden descended to them by Frowick from the Knolles ancient possessors thereof In the Belfrey of this Church is a goodly marble stone inlay'd all ouer with brasse vnder which one of the Frowicks lieth interred A gentleman who made his recreations for the good of his neighbours as appeares by his Epitaph composed by Iohn Wethamsted Abbot of S. Albans aforesaid Hic iacet Thomas Frowick Armig. qui obiit 17. Mens Februar 1448. Elisabetha vxor eius que ob 1400 ac pueri eorundem quorum animabus propitietur altissimus Amen Qui iacet hic stratus Thomas Frowick vocitatus Moribus et natu victu gestu moderatu Vir generosus erat generosaque gesta colebat Nam quod amare solent generosi plusque frequentant Aucupium volucrum venaticumque serarum Mâ—ltum dilexit vulpes foueis spoliauit Ax Taxos caueis breuiter quecunque propinquis Intulerant dampâ—a pro posse fugauerat ipsa Inter eos etiam si litis cerneret vnquam Accendi faculas medians extinxâ—rat ipsas Fecerat et pacem Cur nunc pacis sibi pausam Det Deus et requiem que semper permanet Amen Standon In the Quire of this Church lieth entombed the body of Sir Raph Sadleir the last knight Banneret of England priuye Counsellor to three Princes A man so aduanced saith Camden for his great Seruices and stayed wisdome Hee was brought vp vnder politicke great Cromwell Earle of Essex as appeares by the prose and verse engrauen vpon his Monument who when he came to mans estate employed him as his Secretary But Henry the eight conceiued so good an opinion of his discreet comportement and ingenious pregnancie that he tooke him from the seruice of the sayd Cromwell about the twentie and sixt yeare of his raigne made him his principall Secretary and vsed his aduice in matters of greatest trust and importance especially in the affaires and passages betwixt the two Realmes of England and Scotland He continued his loue towards him to the end of his life and for the speciall trust and confidence hee had in his approued wisedome and fidelitie together with the Earle of Arundell the Earle of Essex and others he made choise of him for the ayding and assisting of the Executors of his last Will and Testament by which his last Will the copie whereof I haue in my custody he gaue him two hundred pounds as a Legacie In the first of Edward the sixt hee was chosen Treasurer for the Armie sent into Scotland vnder the conduct of Edward Duke of Somerset Protector and Iohn Earle of Warwicke where in the battell of Musselborrow he shewed great manhood and prowesse His great diligence saith Hollinshead in bringing the scattered troopes into order and ready forwardnesse in the fray did worthily merit no small commendacions After which Battle he with Sir Francis Brian Captaine of the light horsemen and Sir Raph Vane Captaine of all the horsemen were honoured for their valiant good seruice with the dignitie of Knights Bannerets In the tenth yeare of the raigne of Queene Elisabeth hee was preferred and aduanced by her to the Chancellourship of the Dutchie of Lancaster But his honours and offices are most succinctly engrauen vpon his goodly Tombe in these Hexameters Radulphus Sadlier titulum sortitus Equestrem Principibus tribus arcanis a sensibus vnus Auspiciis sum Cromwelli deductus in Aulam Henrici octaui quem Secretarius omni Officio colui Regique gregique fidelis Vexillarum Equitem me Musselburgia vidit Edwardus sextus Scotiam cum frangeret armis Ducatu Lancastrensi sublime Tribunal Cancellarius ascendi quod pondus honoris Elisabetha meae posuit diadema senectae Explesset Natura suas gloria partes Maturus facili decerpor ab arbore fructus Obijt Ann. Dom. 1587. 29. Elis. aetatis 80. His Motto Servire Deo sapere His sonne and heire Sir Thomas Sadleir knight lieth interred by him of whom in another place for I haue already come nearer to these times then I determined the father of Raph Sadleir Esquire that bountifull good House-keeper now liuing Ann. 1630. Neare vnto the faire builded mansion house of the said Raph Sadleir some time stood a little religious fabricke of Austine Friers but by whom founded or how endowed I doe not finde It was a cell to the Priory of Clare in Suffolke some part of which cell is standing at this day Here lyeth Syr William Coffyn knyght somtym of the privy Chamber to king Henry the eight and master of the Horse to Quene hygh Steward of the liberty and Mannour of Stondon Who dyed viii of December M. cccccxxxviii Here lyeth Iohn Iseley somtym Alderman of London Who dyed .... M. cccclxxiiii and Iohn his sonn who dyed the same yere Here lyeth Iohn Curteys Stockfishmonger of London Who dyed the the xxiiii of September M. cccclxv Here lyeth Phillep Astley Esquyre who dyed the xiiii of Iuly in the yere M. cccc .... He had foure wiues Lettis Margaret Elisab and Alice Digswell Hic iacent Iohannes Perient Armiger pro corpore Regis Richardi secundi et Penerarius eiusdem Regis Et Armiger Regis Henrici quarti Et Armiger etiam Regis Henrici quinti Et Magister Equitum Iohanne filie Regis Nauarr et Regine Anglie qui obiit ........ et Iohanna vxor eius quondam capitalis Domicilla ...... que obijt xxiiij Aprilis Ann. Domini M ccccxv ...... This Inscription here engrauen to the memory of such a remarkeable man being Squire for the Body
Sone men cluped Constantyn Without the walls of this Towne stood a large and stately Monastery which Eudo Sewar to king Henry the firsâ— founded and consecrated to the honour of Christ and Saint Iohn Baptist wherein he placed blacke Monkes The Ancestors of the right honourable Sir Edward Sackvile knight of the Bath and Earle of Dorset were great benefactours or rather cofounders of this religious structure For in the booke of the Abbey of Colchester I haue read that Iordanus de Saukevil miles et Baro de Bergholt Saukevil filius heres Roberti Saukevil superstes tempore Stephani Regis Henrici secundi confirmavit Ecclesie Sancti Iohannis de Colecestria in perpetuam Eleemosinam manerium de Wicham or Witham quod pater sâ—us Robertus eidem Ecclesie donauerat The foresaid Eudo founded likewise in this Towne an Hospitall for people infected with the contagious disease of Leprosie which he dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalen Here was another religious house wherein were placed brethren of the holy Crosse but by whom founded I cannot finde Valued at the suppression to 7. l. 7.5.8 d. per annum Robert Lord Fitzwater in the yeare 1309. founded here an Abbey for Friers Minors into whose order and House he entred himselfe in the yeare 1325. and then and there tooke vpon him the habite of a religious Votary wherein he spent the rest of his dayes Ann. M.ccc.ix saith the booke of Dunmow Robertus filius Walteri custos de Essex fundamentum posuit Ecclesie Fratrum Minorum de Colcestria And in the Catalogue of such Emperours Kings Princes and other potent personages which from the beginning haue entred into this religious order This Robert is reckoned for one These are the words Frater Dominus Robertus Fitzwater Baro fundator Conventus Colcestrie intrauit ibidem ordinem Ann. Domini Milesimo tricentesimo vicesimo quinto This house was valued at the suppression at 113. l. 12. s 8. d. of yearely reuenewes Earles Colne So called of the Sepulture of the Earles of Oxford which deriue their descent saith Camden from the Earles of Guines in France and haue the surname of Vere from Vere a Towne in Zeland In this parish Church are two Monuments of this familie of the Veres the one lieth crosse-legd with a Sarasins head vpon his tombe which Sarasin say the Inhabitants this Earle slew in the holy Land The other of them with his wife lieth entombed at her feet is the Talbot at his feet the Boare they are both shamefully defaced They were remooued out of the Priory neare adioining at the suppression as I was told This Priorie was first founded by Aubrey de Vere soone after the Conquest which he dedicated to the honour of God and Saint Andrew and placed therein black Monks translated from Abingdon to which Abbey he made this Priory to be subiect vpon this occasion as I haue it out of the booke of Abingdon Godfrey de Vere the sonne and heire of the foresaid Aubrey by Beatrice his wife dying in his fathers life time was buried in the Monastery of Abingdon to which he had beene a benefactor whereupon saith the Story Aubrey his father and Beatrice his mother were determined to choose Abingdon for their buriall place in respect of the tender affection they bore to their child But their Lands lying here in Essex farre off they procured a Grant from King Henry the first to build a religious House at Colne in Essex for their soules health their Sonnes and others as also for their Sepultures et hanc domum Sancto Andrâ—e Apostolo dedicatam subiectam et coherâ—ntem Ecclesie Abingdonen si faciebant Not long after the finishing of this worke and a little before his death Aubrey the Founder tooke vpon him the habite of Religion in this his owne house wherein hee died and was here buried by a younger sonne of his named William in whose remembrance this Epitaph was engrauen vpon their Monument Cedunt a vita votis animisque cupita Barbarus et Scita Gentilis et lsraelita Has pariter metas habet omnis sexus et et aes En puer en senior Pater alter filius alter Legem fortunam terram venere sub unam Non iuvenie â—ote quas epotavit Athene Non vâ—tulo vote vires velopes valuere Sed valuere fides et predia quae memoramus Vt valeant valeant per secula cuncta precamus For the said Aubrey de Vere and Beatrice his wife I found this Inscription to be engrauen vpon their Monument in the booke of Colne Priory Here lyeth Aulbery de Veer the first Erle of Guisnes the sonne of Alphonsus de Veer the whyche Aulbery was the fownder of this place and Bettrys hys wyf syster of kyng Wylliam the Conquerour This Priorie was valued at the fatall ouerthrow of such like buildings to be yearely worth 175. l. 14. s. 8 d ob The house is standing at this day conuerted into a priuate dwelling place as also the old Chappell to it wherein are diuers Monuments vnder which lie buried many of this thrice honourable Familie of the Veres but they are all gone to decay and their Inscriptions by time and stealth quite taken away Vpon one Tombe of Alabaster which is thought to bee the ancientest is the pourtraiture of a man lying in his armour crosse-legged but what was carued at his feet cannot be discerned Vpon another is one lying armed wtih the blew Bore vnder his head which was also crosse-legged as I was informed but now is nothing remaining from the middle downeward A third of wood armed crosse-legged on his Target the Armes of the house of Oxford and there lieth by him a woman made of wood which is thought to haue beene his Lady and Countesse Here are two more likewise in wood armed and crosse-legged the one hath an Hound or Talbot vnder his feet the cote Armour of the other is quite broken away with his Target Here is one in Alabaster not crosse-legged the Garter about one of his legges what is vnder his feet cannot be discerned A woman pourtrayed in Alabaster with a Falcon vnder her feet and a little Monument of Alabaster vpon which is the image of one in a Gowne with a purse hanging at his girdle hee is in length about foure foot But I will shew the Reader the names of such Earles and others of this house which by supposition and certainty are said to haue beene heere interred which may giue some light to the further knowledge of these in this manner intombed Aubrey de Vere the sonne of Aubrey Chamberlaine vnder King Henry the first or Camerarius Anglie as I finde it in old Cartularies hauing lost this his Office of great Chamberlaine and other dignities in the turmoiles betweene King Stephen and Maude the Empresse was by the said Empresse and Henry the second as you may haue it more fully in Vincents discouery of errours
restored to all his former honours and withall created Earle of Oxford He died in the yeare 1194. the sixth of king Richard the first and was here buried by his father His wife Agnes or Adeliza lieth buried by him who was the daughter of Henry of Essex Baron of Ralegh the Kings Constable Such was the Epitaph or inscription vpon his Tombe as it is in the book of Colne Priory Hic iacet Albericus de Vere silius Alberici de Veer Comes de Guisney primus Comes Oxonie magnus Camerarius Anglie qui propter summam audatiam effrenatam prauitatem Grymme Aubrey vocabatur obiit 26. die Decembris anno Christi 1194. Richardi â— sexto Aubrey de Vere the sonne of the foresaid Aubrey succeeded his father in all his dignities I finde little written of him in our Histories saue that out of his Christian pietie he did confirme the gift of septem librat terre which Aubrey his father gaue to the Chanons of Saint O sith here in Essex adding thereto something of his owne He dyed in the yeare of our Lord 1214. and sleepeth now in the same Bed with three other Aubreyes his Ancestors To whom this Epitaph vpon Conrad the Emperour at Spires in Germany may be fitly applied Filius hic Pater hic Auus hic Proauus iacet istie The great Belsire the Grandsire Sire and Sonne Lie here interred vnder this Grauestone Hugh de Vere the sonne of Robert the first of that Christian name Earle of Oxford and Lord great Chamberlaine of England was here entombed with his Ancestors who died in the yeare 1263. He had the title of Lord Bolebeck which came by his mother Isabell de Bolebeck daughter and heire of Hugh de Bolebeck a Baron who was Lord of Bolebeck Castle in Whitechurch within Buckinghamshire and of Swaffam Bolebeck in Cambridgeshire Hee had to wife Hawisia the daughter of Saier de Quincy Earle of Winchester as appeares by this Inscription sometime insculpt vpon their Tombe Hic iacent Hugo de Veer eius nominis primus Comes Oxonie quartus magnus Camerarius Anglie filius heres Roberti Comitis Hawisua vxor cius filia Saeri de Quincy comitis Wintonie qui quidem Hugo obiit 1263. Quorum animabus propitietur altissimus Robert de Vere the sonne of Hugh aforesaid Earle of Oxford who enioyed his fathers inheritances and honours the space of thirtie and two yeares lieth here entombed with his ancestours who died in the yeare 1295. Alice his wife the daughter and heire of Gilbert Lord Samford Lord of Hormead in Hertfordshire was interred by him who died at Caufeld house neare Dunmow the ninth day of September 1312. Here lieth buried the body of Robert de Vere sonne and successour to the foresaid Robert whose gouernment both in peace and warre was so prudent his hospitalitie and other workes of charitie so wisely abundant and his Temperance with a religious zeale so admirablie conioyned that he was of all surnamed the good Earle of Oxford and the vulgar esteemed him as a Saint He died the 19. of Aprill 1331. Here lyeth entombed Robert de Vere Richard the seconds Mignion who to adde to his honours created him Marquesse of Dublin a title not knowne before that time in England and in the yeare following Duke of Ireland with commission to execute most inseparable prerogatiues royall These Stiles were of too high a nature and therefore infinitely subiected to enuy Whereupon like a second Gaueston he was hated of the Nobilitie especially for that he was a man nec prudentia caeteris proceribus nec armis valentior as Walsingham saith 9. R. 2. But it was not long before he was banished England by the Barons for abusing the Kings eare to the hurt of the State He had to wife a young faire and noble Lady and the Kings neare kinswoman for she was grandchilde to King Edward by his daughter Isabell he put her away and tooke one of Queene Annes women a Bohemian of base birth Sellarij filia saith Walsingham a Sadlers daughter some say a Ioyners an act full of wickednesse and indignitie Yet this intollerable villanie offered to the bloud-royall King Richard did not encounter neither had the power some say who deemed that by witchcrafts and forceries practised vpon him by one of the Dukes followers his iudgement was so seduced and captiuated that he could not see what was honest or siâ— to doe But where Princes are wilfull or slothfull and their Fauorites flatterers or time-seruers there needs no other enchantments to infatuate yea and ruinate the greatest Monarch Vpon his banishment he went into France where he liued about fiue yeares and there being a hunting he was slaine by a wilde Boare in the yeare 1392. King Richard hearing thereof out of his loue caused his body to be brought into England and to be apparrelled in Princely ornaments and robes and put about his neck a chaine of gold and Rings vpon his fingers and so was buried in this Priory the King being there present and wearing blackes After the death of Robert Duke of Ireland who died without issue his Nephew Aubrey de Vere succeeded him in the Earledome of Oxford he enioyed his honours not passing eight yeares but dyed die Veneris in festo Sancti Georgij Ann. primo Hen. quarti 1400. and lieth here entombed with his worthie Ancestors Here lieth buried in this Priorie Iohn de Vere the third of that Christian name and the thirteenth Earle of Oxford Lord Bolebecke Samford and Scales great Chamberlaine and Lord high Admirall of England Who died the fourth of Henry the eight 1512. hauing beene Earle of Oxford full fifty yeares a long time to tugge out in the troublesome raignes of so many kings especially for men of eminent places and high spirits euer apt to take any occasion to shew their manly prowesse which fire of honour flamed in this Earles breast at Barnet field where in a mist the great Earle of Warwickes men not able to distinguish betwixt the Sun with streames vpon King Edwards liuery and the Starre with streames on this Earles liuery shot at this Earles followers and by that misprision the battell was lost After which he fled into Cornwall and seized vpon Saint Michaels Mount But Edward the fourth got him in his power and committed him prisoner to the Castle of Hames beyond the Seas where he remained for the space of twelue yeares vntill the first of King Henry the seuenth with whom he came into England and by whom he was made Captaine of the Archers at Bosworth-field where after a short resistance hee discomfited the Foreward of King Richard whereof a great number were slaine in the chase and no small number fell vnder the victors sword This Earle gaue a great contribution to the finishing of Saint Maries Church in Cambridge His hospitalitie and the great port he carried here in his country may be gathered out of a
Maria miserere nobis Ioanna Sancta dei genetrix virgo virginum miserere nobis Here lieth interred vnder an ancient monument very ruinous the body of one Leche a great benefactor to this Church as appeareth by this his broken Epitaph ................... Quo non est nec erit nec clarior extitit vllus .... clausum hoc marmore .... habet Huic Lech nomen erat diuine legis amator Huius quem Templi curam habuisse palam est Iste huic multa dabat sacro donaria Fano Inceptique operis sedulus Author erat Pauperibus fuit inde pius pauit miserosque Et me qui temere hec carmina composui Sit Huius ergo anima ..... celum .... vt altum Huc quiades instanti pectore funde preces Prey for the soul of Katerin Semar Walter Coke Roger Pirke and Thomas Semar husband to the seyd Katerin principall founder of the preest which singeth before the Trinity For thees soulys sey a Pater noster and an Aue of cherite Who so hym bethoft ful inwardly and oft How hard t is to flit from bed to the pit From pit vnto peyne which sal neuer end certeyne He wold not do on sin al the world to win Orate .... Hugonis Price Abbatis Monasterij de Conwey Cicestrens ordinis Assauens Dioces qui ab hac vita migrauit ad Christum viii Iulij M. ccccc.xx.viii Conditur hoc tumulo corpus Chynt ecce Iohannis Doctrine speculum plebi qui fulfit in annis Istius Ecclesie regimen contraxerat ipse Atque cacumine Doctorali vixit ille M. C quater anno sexagenoque secundo Martini festo decessit ab orbe molesto Autor Sophie suffragia facta Marie Per te Magdelena sint mihi remedia Vicarius gratus Robertus Wylde vocitatus Hic iacet et mundus prudens fuit atque facundus Pacem seruauit et oues proprias bene pauit Et residens annis bis denis plus quoque trinis Anno milleno sic C quater octuageno Quarto lux dena septena fuit sibi pena Ianuar. .... cuius celo sit amena This Towne was famous in times past saith Clarentieux for a Castle of the Magnauilles which now is almost all vanished out of sight and an Abbey adioyning founded in a place very commodious in the yeare 1136. wherein the Magnauilles founders thereof were buried The principall and first founder hereof was Geffrey Magnauile or Mandeuill the first Earle of Essex with Rohesia or Rose his wife daughter of Aubrey de Vere chiefe Iustice of England who consecrated this their religious Structure to the honour of God the blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Iames the Apostle endowed it with large reuenues and placed therein blacke Monkes to which effect will it please you reade a few words out of his deed of Grant Gaufridus de Mandeuilla comes Essex c. salutem Ad vniuersitatis vesire noticiam volo peruenire me fundasse quoddam monasterium in vsus Monachorum apud Waldenam in honore Dei et sancte Marie et beati Iacobi Apostoti pro salute anime mee et omnium parentum antecessorum successsorum meorum c. To which by the same deed hee giueth the Churches of Walden Waltham Estrene Sabridgworth Thorley and others This house was valued at the suppression to be yearely worth foure hundred sixe pounds fifteene shillings and eleuen pence This place is now called Audley End of Sir Thomas Audley Lord Chancelour of whom I haue spoken before who changed the Abbey into his owne dwelling house whose sole daughter and heire Margaret was second wife to Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke and mother of Thomas Lord Howard of Walden Earle of Suffolke lately deceased who liued to finish here a most magnificent building belonging at this present to that worthy gentleman Theophilus his sonne and heire Lord Walden and Earle of Suffolke Geffrey de Mandeuill the founder aforesaid a man both mighty and martiall was shot into the head with an arrow a quodam pedite vilissimo saith Houeden out of the Castle of Burwell in Cambridgeshire of which wound after certaine daies hee died being at that time excommunicated Lying at the point of death ready to giue his last gaspe saith Camden out of the Register booke of Walden there came by chance certaine Knights Templars who laid vpon him the habit of their religious profession signed with a red crosse and afterwards when he was full dead taking him vp with them enclosed him within a coffin of lead and hung him vpon a tree in the Orchard of the old Temple at London in the yeare 1144. for in a reuerend awe of the Church they durst not bury him because he died excommunicated so fearefull in those daies was the sentence of excommunication a violent inuader he was of other mens lands and possessions and therefore iustly incurred saith the same Author the worlds censure and this heauy doome of the Church but I must leaue him where buried or where not buried God knowes As the Church of this monasterie was honoured with the funerall monuments of the Mandeuills so was it with those of the Bohuns Earles of Hereford and Essex of which you may reade in the Catalogues of Nobility It was also honoured with the Sepulture of Humfrey Plantaginet Earle of Buckingham the onely sonne of Thomas Earle of Buckingham and Duke of Glocester commonly called Thomas of Woodstocke the yongest sonne of King Edward the third who after the vntimely death of his father was banished into Ireland by King Richard the second and being recalled backed againe by King Henry the fourth in the first yeare of his raigne in his returne died of the plague in Chester from whence his mother Elianor daughter and coheire of Humfrey de Bohun Earle of Hereford Essex and Northampton caused his body to be conueyed to this Abbey which shee sumptuously here interred amongst his and her noble progenitors his mother the said Elianor liued not long after him but died the third of October in the same yeare as in a French Inscription vpon her monument in Westminster you may reade and scarce two yeares after the murder of her husband at Callis of whose deaths thus writeth that old Poet Sir Iohn Gower Knight in his booke intituled Vox Clamantis Interea transit moriens nec in orbe remansit Humfredus dictus redit ille Deo benedictus Defuncto nato cito post de fine beato Mater transiuit dum nati funera sciuit Primo decessit Cignus dolor vnder repressit Matrem cum pullo sibi mors nec parcit in ullo Liston Hic iacet ..... Liston de Ouerhal .... que ob .... All that I can make of this maimed inscription is that Ioane the wife of William Liston held the Mannor of Ouerhall in this parish by grand Sergeantie namely by the seruice of paying for bringing in and placing of fiue Wafers before the King as he sits
Brudnell of Stouton as followeth Margaret daughter of Richard Vere of Addington magna in Com. Northampton Esq. by his wife Isabell sister and heire of Sir Henry Greene of Drayton in the said County which Margaret was sister to Sir Henry Vere whose eldest daughter and coheire Elisabeth was wife of Iohn first Lord Mordant lieth here buried with her husband Iohn Barners Iohn Barners of Writle in Essex Esquire Lord of a place there called Turges or Cassus was gentleman Vsher to Princesse Elizabeth eldest daughter to King Edward the fourth after Sewer to King Edward the fifth as appeareth by his Monument in Writle where he lieth buried Constance daughter of Sir Robert Pakenham of Streetham in Surrey was his second wife she is likewise buried by her husband at Writle ob 1522. Finchingfeeld Iohn Barners of Peches in Finchingfeeld Parish Esq died Ann. Dom. 1500. and there lieth buried by him his first wife Elisabeth daughter of Symon Wiseman .... Debden or Depondon Here lieth buried Nicholas Barners with his wife Margaret one of the daughters and coheires of Iohn Swyndon Esquire who died ... 1441 ..... Of this name thus much as followeth Sir Iames Barners or Berners for it is written both wayes saith Mils was so great in fauour with Richard the second that it cost him his head though he were restord in bloud by Act of Parliament the one and twentieth yeare of the said King Richard was the onely off-spring of so many knights of the Berners of Berners Roding in Essex This Sir Iames Berners had three sonnes Sir Richard Berners of Westhorsley in Surry whose daughter and heire Margerie was married to Iohn Bourchier created Lord Berners From whom Sir Tho. Knyvet of Ashulthorp in Norfolke knight Tho. whose Grandchild Iohn Berners Esquire Sewer to Prince Edward the fifth was great Grandfather of William Berners of Tharfield in Hartfordshire And William of whom are come the Berners of Finchingfield in Essex Great Thorndon Hic .... here 's Iohannis Eton Ar .... que quidem Isabella sedere matrimoniali nupsit Roberto Tyrell Armig. vni filiorum ..... Voluitur in terra magne virtutis alumpna Elisbet que Tyrell generoso sanguine clara ............. vxor veneranda marito ................. amica deo ........ oro vobis dignetur vt miserere Vt gratiamque Dei sic famuletur ei Hic iacet humata Alicia filia Willelmi Cogeshale militis Antiochie consortis sue quondam vxor Iohannis Tyrell militis qui quidem Iohannes Alicia habuerunt inter se exitum filios filias quorum nomina sunt scripta ex viraque parte istius lapidis .... M. cccc xxii Filii 1. Walterus 2. Thomas 3. Willelmus senior 4. Iohannes 5. Willelmus iunior 6. Iohannes Tyrell Clericus Filie 1. Alicia 2. Elizabetha 3. Alionora 4. Another whose name is worne out of the Tombestone Here lyeth Thomas Tyrell sonne and heire of Iohn Tyrell knyht and Dame Anne his wyff doughter to Syr William Marney knyght which Thomas deceysyd the xxii of March in the yeare of ..... In the glasse of the East window .... Tyrell knyth and Dame ...... and for al the soulys schuld be preyd for Prey for the welfar of the seyd Thomas Tyrell knyth of Iohn Tyrell knyth Alyce hys wyffe and for al christen souls .... The wellfar of the seyd dame Anne ... ter of William Marney knyth and .... and .... bet hys wyffe and for all christen souls There be other funerall Monuments in this Church erected to the honour of this familie but their Inscriptions are all torne or worne out and their Sepulchers like all the rest foulie defaced These Tirells me thinks hauing beene gentlemen for so many reuolutions of yeares of exemplarie note and principall regard in this Countrey might haue preserued these houses of rest for their Ancestors from such violation But the Monuments are answerable to the Church both ruinous This Surname hath euer beene as remarkable as ancient since Walter Tirrell the French knight slue his cosin king William Rufus Of whom thus much out of the Norman History Gualter Tirrell a knight of Normandy cosin to William Rufus and the killer of the said William after the vnfortunate death of the said William departed into Normandy where he liued long in the Castle of Chawmont and there deceased The place where he swomme the water vpon the sudden death of his Soueraigne is called Tirrells Foard to this day Willingale Hic iacet Domina Catherina filia Domini Rogeri Beauchamp militis de Com. Bedsord nuper vxor Thome Torell Armig. que obiit vi die Nouemb. Ann. Dom. 1436. et Ann. Regni R. Hen. vi post conquest ...... Stanbridge Edward Mackwilliams Esq. and Henry his Sonne with Anne Spelman wife of the said Henry lye here buried in the Chancell vnder a faire Tombe whereupon this Epitaph following is engrauen or inlaid in brasse Remember all yee that by this toune be to pass And groundly revolue in yowr rememberance Both the world is frayle and britle as glass The end is death of euerye mans chance All worldly peple must lerne to foot his dance As Edward Mackwilliham that lith vndre this stonn Out of this transytorye liff is past and gonn Harry Mackwilliham his sonn lith here also with Ann Mackwilliham his lovyng wiff and dere Thes thre persons togidder and no mo Vndre this Tombe interred they be here Prey for their souls I prey yow with harte inteere A Pater Noster an Ave and a Creede And iii hundryd deyes of pardon yow have for yowr meede This Anne is figured on the Tombe kneeling with the Spelmans Armes of plates all ouer her gowne and so in the great East-window of the Chancell Ashdon In the south Isle of this Church and in the south window thereof there are seene three seuerall Cloptons kneeling in their compleat Armour with their seuerall Escurchions of Armes vpon their breasts being S. a bend Or betweene 2 cotizes dauncitee Or of which three the first is sir William Clopton Knight there mentioned to haue died in the fifth yeare of King Edward the third The second Sir Thomas Clopton Knight mentioned to haue died the second yeare of the raigne of King Richard the second and the third Edmund Clopton the yeare of whose decease is there set downe to haue beene the thirteenth yeare of the said King Richard And it is very likely the said Edmund lieth there buried vnder the Window for Sir William de Clopton of Clopton the father of these three and of other brethren buying the Mannor of Newenham lying for the most part in this parish of Iohn de Lacy the brother and heire of Sir Henry de Lacy Knight in anno 2. E. 3. of which I haue seene the originall deed left to the said Edmund his second sonne by Iuetta the daughter of William de Gray his first wife his said Mannor from whom
Clementis Ade et Radulphi dum vixerimus et pro animabus nostris cum ab hac luce migrauerimus ac pro animabus Willelmi Cote clerici Iohannis Smyth nuper de Bury Sancti Edmundi Armigeri et Anne vxoris eius ac pro animabus parentum benefactorum et quorumcunque Fratrum et Sororum de Gilda predicta existencium seu esse volencium et successorum suorum et animabus omnium fidelium defunctorum imperpetuum celebratur aliaque pietatis et miserecordie opera iuxta ordinationes stabilimenta et constitutiones per presentes Hen. Tho. Rich. Will. Clem. Adam et Radulph seu eorum aliquem heredes execusiue assignatos suos predict seu corumaliquos vel aliquem in hac parte faciend factur ac subitur ac quandam mansionem pro eisdem custode et Capellanis infra dictam villam de Bury Sancti Edmundi facere fundâ—re erigere creare et stabilire possint Et quod Canteria et Gilda ille cum sic sacte fundate erecte create et stabilite fuerint Cantaria et Gilda dulcissimi nominis Iesu infra villam de Bury Sancti Edmundi in Com. Suff. perpetuis suturis temporibus nuncupentur et appellentur Et quod custo set Societas Capellanorum ac fratres et sorores Cantarie et Gildae predict et successores sui custos et societas Capellanorum ac fratres et sorores Cantarie et Gilde dulcissimi nominis Iesu infra villam de Bury Sancti Edmundi in perpetuum vocentur habeantque successionem perpetuam ac commune Sigillum sibi et successoribus suit custodibus et societati Capellanorum ac fratribus et sororibus Cantarie et Gilde predictarum c. He giues liberty to the foresaid Henry Thomas Richard William Clement Adam and Raph to endow the said Colledge with lands to the value of twenty pounds per annum vltra reprisas and such lands as were not holden of the king in Capite He also grants many priuiledges and immunities to the said Colledge too long here to rehearse In cuius rei Testimonium has literas nostras fieri fecimus patentes T. me ipso apud Westmonasterium quinto die Nouembris Anno Regni nostri vicesimo primo Per ipsum Regem et de dat predict auctoritate Parliamenti et pro sexaginta et vndecim libris solicitis in Hanapario Mortonus This religious Foundation as it is in the Charter was called a Chantrie and a Guild Cantaria est Aedes sacra ideo instituta et dotata praedijs vt Missa ibidem Cantaretur pro anima fundatoris et propinquorum eius saith Sir Hen. Spelman Glossar lit C. A Chantrie is a sacred Edifice therefore instituted and endowed with possessions that Masse might there bee song for the soule of the Founder and his kindred Gilda est societas quorundam pura charitatis religionis vel mercaturae gratia confaederatorum A Gild is a societie of certaine persons confederated or liuing together for the onely pure cause of charitie Religion or for the trade of Merchandise It is a Colledge a sodalitie or fellowship a brotherhood or companie incorporate or it is an adunation or a commonaltie of men gathered into one combination supporting their common charge by a mutuall consent In the yeare and on the day of the moneth of a great part of this Towne of Bury was burnt downe to the ground Vpon the rebuilding whereof on the Frontispice of one of the Houses this distich following is in golden letters Vt Prior illa domus violento corruit igne Haec stet dum flammis terra polusque flagrent 1609. Kediton or Kedington In the South window of this Church is to be seene a Barnardiston kneeling in his compleate armour his coat-armour on his breast and behinde him seuen sonnes In the next pane of the glasse is Elisabeth the daughter of Newport kneeling with her coat-armour likewise on her breast and seuen daughters behinde her and vnder it is thus written now much defaced Orate pro animabus Thome Barnardiston militis et Elisabethe vxoris eius qui istam fenestram fieri fecerunt Anno Domini M. ccccc .... anima ..... Deus Amen Ouer against the said South window vnder the second Arch of the said South side of the Church is the Monument of the said Sir Thomas Barnardiston in stone at length in his compleat armour and the said Dame Elisabeth his wife by him And in a table of stone vnder their coat-armours this Epitaph or Inscription This is the Monument of Sir Thomas Barnardiston knight beying buried in Corys in the Countie of Lincolne and of Dame Elisabeth his wyffe buryd vndre this tombe whych Sir Thomas by his last will gaue certen londis in the towne callyd Brokholes of the yerly value of vii markis towardys the mantenens of a Cantrie in this Church and the seid Dame Elisabeth aftyr his deth optened lyeens to a mortyse the seid Cantrie perpetually and made the possessions therof to the yerly value of xii markis and besids buylt the Church roif new and coueryd it with lede Whych Dame Elysabeth dyed the .... day of ... Anno Domini M. cccccxx ... On the North side of the said Church is a very faire Monument or tombe with the pourtraiture of another Sir Thomas Barnardiston and his Lady Elisabeth who died not long since In the second window of the North side of this Church is to be seene a Barnardiston kneeling in his compleat armour and his coat-armour on his breast and vpon both his shoulders the writing vnder him is wholly-perished ouer him is written .... Non Peccata nostra .... nobis ..... This seemes to be very ancient Ixworth or Ikesworth Here sometimes stood an ancient Priory founded by Gilbert Blund a man of great Nobilitie and Lord of Ikesworth whose issue male by the right line ended in William that in king Henry the third his dayes was slaine in the battell at Lewis and left two sisters his heires Agnes wife to William de Creketot and Roise wedded to Robert de Valonijs saith Camden This Priory was valued to be yearely worth two hundred and fourescore pounds nine shillings fiue pence Clare Here stood a religious House of Augustine Friers whose Foundation may be gathered out of certaine rythmicall lines which not many yeares since I copied out of an ancient Roll as then in the custody of my deare deceased Friend Aug. Vincent Windsore Herald the Rubricke or the Title in red letters of this Roll is as followeth This Dialoge betwix a seculer askyng and a Frere answering at the graue of Dame Iohan of Acres sheweth the lineall descent of the Lordis of the honoure of Clare fro the tyme of the fundation of the Freeris in the same honoure the yere of our Lord a M.ccxlviii vnto the first of May the yere a M. cccclx The Pictures of the Secular Priest and the Friere are curiously limmed
Office will it please reade thus much out of the Interpreter as followeth Master of the Court of Wards and Liueries saith he is the chiefe and principall Officer of the Court of Wards and Liueries named and assigned by the King to whose custody the Seale of Court is committed He at the entring vpon his Office taketh an Oath before the Lord Chancellour of England well and truly to serue the king in his Office to minister equall Iustice to rich and to poore to the best of his cunning wit and power diligently to procure all things which may honestly and iustly be to the kings aduantage and profit and to the augmentation of the right and prerogatiue of the Crowne truly to vse the Kings Seale appointed to his office to endeuour to the vttermost of his power to see the King iustly answered of all such profits rents reuenues and issues as shall yearely rise grow or be due to the King in his office from time to time to deliuer with speed such as haue to doe before him not to take or receiue of any person any gift or reward in any case or matter depending before him or wherein the King shall be partie whereby any preiudice losse hinderance or disherison shall be or grow to the King Ann. 33. Hen. 8. cap. 33. Buers Hic iacet Andreas de Buers Robertus de Buers filius eiusdem Andree militis qui Andreas obijt 12. die Aprilis Anno Dom. 1360. et dictus Robertus obijt 7. die mens Octob. Ann. Dom. 1361. quorum animabus Hic iacet Richardus Waldegraue miles qui obijt 2. die Maij Anno Dom. 1400. Ioanna vxor eius que obijt 10. Iunij 1406. Quorum animabus propitietur Deus Amen Qui pro alijs oras pro se laborat Hic iacet Richardus Waldegraue miles qui obijt 2. Maij An. Dom. 1434. Iohanna vxor eius filia Thome de Montecamisij militis que obijt in festo Sancti Dionisij Anno Dom. 1450. Quorum animabus Amen Hic iacet Thomas Waldergraue miles Elisabetha vxor eius prima filia vna beredum Iohannis Fraye militis nuper capitalis Baronis Scaccarij qui quidem Thomas obijt 28. die 1500. Of your cherite prey for the souls of Edward Waldergraue and Mabell his wyff doughter and heyre of Iohn Cheney of Pynehoo in Deuonshyre and one of the heyres of Iohn Hill of Spaxton in the County of Somerset The which Edward decessyd the yere of our Lord God 1506. and the said Mabell ..... on whose souls Iesu haue mercy Amen Orate pro animabus Willelmi Waldegraue militis Margerie consortis sue qui quidem Willelmus obijt ... This Church of Buers is very neatly kept Out of the pedegree of the Waldegraues this story following was collected by Iohn Rauen Richmond Herald On a time a Gentleman of Northampton being at the signe of the Growne in Sudbury and hauing conference with master Edward Waldgraue of Bilston in Com. Suss. Esquire did make vnto him a very credible report of one Waldegraue in Northamptonshire affirming that he heard it reported of old time that these Waldgraues were of a very ancient antiquitie before William the Conquerours raigne and that his name should be Iohn who hauing one onely daughter and meeting with one Waldgraue which came out of Germany and was employed in the Conquerors seruices the said Germane Waldgraue related with Waldgraue of Northamptonshire concerning the marriage of his said daughter told him that if he would giue his consent that he might haue his daughter in marriage that then he would procure him a pardon from the Conquerour for the quiet enioying of his lands and liuings By which meanes he obtained the Conquerours grant with his owne hand and Seale for confirmation of all his lands vnto him and his posterity The which Pardon and grant remayneth to be seene at this day 1612. in the French tongue and is in the possession of the Lords of that Mannour Iohn Rauen Richmond Herald Thebarton Hic iacet Willelmus Iermey miles vnus Iusticiar Domini Regis de Banco suo et Elisabeth vxor eius qui quidem Willelmus obijt xxiij die Decembris Anno Domini M. cccclxxxiij Quorum animabus propitietur Deus Amen Wingfield Here sometimes stood a Colledge or Chantrie by whom founded I haue not yet found out But the de la Poles Earles of Suffolke were the Patrons of it Valued it was at the dissolution to amount to fifty pounds three shillings fiue pence halfe penny of yearely reuenues Surrendred 36 H. 8. In this Colledge was buried the body of William de la Pole Lord Wingfield Earle Marquesse and Duke of Suffolke as also Earle of Penbroke After all these honours giuen him he was banished England for fiue yeares for being too familiar with Queene Margaret priuy and consenting to the yeelding and losse of Aniou and Mayne as also to appease the murmuring of the people for the murthering of the Duke of Glocester and as he was â—aking of ship to passe for France he was surprised and taken on the sea by a ship of warre called the Nicholas belonging to the Duke of Exceter then Constable of the Tower of London and there presently beheaded and his body cast into the sea which was after found and taken vp againe at Douer brought to this Colledge and here honourably interred saith Hall as also the Catalogue of Honour by Brooke This happened in the yeare 1450. Iohn de la Pole sonne and heire of William aforesaid after the death of his Father Duke of Suffolke was likewise buried here at Wingfield Of which he was Lord and owner He died in the yeare 1491. In the Parish Church are these Inscriptions or Epitaphs Hic iacet Richardus de la Pole filius Domini Michaelis de la Pole nuper Comitus Suff. qui obijt 18. die Decembris Ann. Dom. 1403. Cuius anime propritietur Deus Hic iacet Magister Iohannes de la Pole silius Domini Michaelis de la Pole quondam Comitis Suffolcie Baccalaureus vtriusque iuris Canonicus in Ecclesia Cathedrali Ebor. ac in Ecclesia Collegiata de Beuerley qui ob 4. die mens Februarij Anno Dom. 1415. Hen. 54. These two were the sonne of Michaell de la Pole the first Earle of Suffolke of that surname Hic iacet Dominus Wingfild de Letheringham ....... Cuius anime This towne of Wingfield hath giuen name to a familie in this tract that is spread into a number of branches and is besides for knighthood and ancient gentilitie renowned and thereof it was the principall seat Donnington Hic iacet tumulatus Dominus Willelmus Wingfeld miles Dominus istius ville ac patronus istius Ecclesie qui obijt 1 Iunij Ann. Dom. 1398. Cuius anime propitietur Deus Hic iacet Willelmus Wingfeld Armiger Katherina vxor eius Dominus et Patronus istius
ville Quorum animabus obijt ille ...... Hic iacet Dominus Robertus Wingfeeld miles et Elisabetha vxor eius qui quidem Robertus obijt tertio die Maij 1409. Quorum animabus propitietur Altissimus Waldingfield magna ...... Iohn Appulton of Waldingfeeld magna ..... ob anno 14. of Hen. 4. 1416. Three Aples Gules leaues and stalkes vert Orate pro animabus Iohannis Appulton et Margarete vnxoris eius quidem Iohannes obijt 9. die Aprilis Anno Domini 1481. et predicta Margareta obijt 4. die Iulij Anno Dom. 1468. quorum ..... Orate pro anima Thome Appulton de Waldingfeeld magna qui Thomas ab hoc luce migrauit 4. die Octob. ann Dom. 1507. Orate pro anima Margerie Appulton que obijt 4. die Nouemb anno Dom. 1504. Cuius anime propitietur altissimus Amen Orate pro animabus Roberti Appulton generosi et Marie vxoris eius qui quidem Robertus obiit 27. Augusti 1526. Quorum ..... Amen Barton magna Hic iacet corpus Alicie Harpley quondam vxoris Ricardi Harpley ...... que quidem Alicia .... Hic .... Cotton ..... Of these Cottons I haue read as followeth The ancient seat of the Cottons in Cambridgeshire is Lanwade Hall many descents were higher and before the father to the elder Sir Iohn Cotton knight who died neare the beginning of Queene Elisabeth This Sir Iohn being the elder had three brothers whereof Edmund Cotton was the third from Sir Iohn aforesaid and sisters they had c. This elder Sir Iohn Cotton had one sonne called by his fathers name sir Iohn Cotton Knight who dying in the time of King Iames left to inherite his estate one onely Sonne begotten of his wife Anne eldest daughter of sir Richard Hoghton of Hoghton Tower in the county of Lancaster Knight and Baronet now in being whose name is likewise Iohn Edmund Cotton the third brother aforesaid married Ela Coniers the daughter and heyre of Iohn Coaniers the onely sonne of Robert Coniers Knight of neere allyance to the Lord Coniers of Hornby Castell in Richmondshire who liued in the seuerall raignes of Ed. 2. and Ed. 3. A sister of the forenamed Robert Coniers Knight was married in that time to Sir Richard Harpley knight now lieth interred in the Chancell of Barton magna vnder a monument inscribed as before Hic iacet corpus Alicie c. Edmund Cotton aforesaid by Ela his wife had diuers children George was his eldest sonne and Audery a daughter of his vailed her selfe a Nunne George had issue many children and Edmund was his eldest sonne and heire Edmund Cotton in like manner had issue diuers sonnes and daughters and his eldest sonne and heire is Edmund Cotton now in being The ancient seat left vnto him amongst other lands was called by the name of Coniers alias Necton Hall in Bramble Barton alias Barton magna iuxta Bury S. Edmonds Debenham Here lyeth Iohn Farmingham who died .... 1424. and Margaret his wife Robert Cheake and Rose his wife George Neuill and ... his wife Iohn Neuill Iohn Cheake who died 1490. Babewell Here sometimes stood a Monasterie of Grey Friers first founded by master Adam de Lincolne who gaue the Foundership to the honour of Clare Here lay buried Sir Walter Trumpinton and Dame Anne his wife Nicholas Drury and Iane his wife which died the seuenth of MArch in the seuenth yeare of King Richard the second Margaret Peyton Blithborrow This little Towne is memorable for that Anna King of the East Angles together with his eldest sonne and heire apparent Ferminus were here buried both slaine in a bloudie fierce battaile by Penda the Mercian King a Pagan of which my old Manuscript Penda anone his hoste withe hym he led And on Anna came fyrst with mykle pryde Kynge of Este Englonde whos dowter Egfryde wed And slew him Anna was a man of great vertue and the father of a blessed issue saith Bede which were many and those of great holinesse and sanctitie of life First Ferminus slaine in the same battaile with his father as I haue said before here buried but afterwards remoued to S. Edmundsbury His other sonne was Erkenwald Abbot of Chertseie and Bishop of London of whom before His daughters were these Etheldred the eldest was first married vnto a Noble man whom Bede nameth Tombert Gouernour of the Fenny Countries of Norfolke Huntington Lincolne and Cambridge shires And after his death remaining a virgin she was married to Egfrid King of Northumberland with whom likewise she liued in perfect virginitie the space of twelue yeares notwithstanding his entreaty and allurements to the contrary From whom lastly she was released and had licence to depart his Court vnto the Abbey of Coldingham where first shee was vailed a Nunne vnder Abbesse Ebba and thence departing she liued at Ely and became her selfe Abbesse thereof wherein lastly she died and was interred remembred vnto posterities by the name of S. Audrie of whom more hereafter His second daughter was Sexburgh who married Ercombert King of Kent vnto whom she bare two sons and two daughters after whose death she tooke the habit of a Nunne and succeeded her Sister Etheldrid Abbesse of Ely wherein she died and was interred And their yongest sister Withgith was likewise a Menchion with them in the same monastery and all of them canonized for Saints Ethilburghe his third daughter was made Abbesse of Berking in Essex built by her brother Bishop Erkinwald wherein she liued and lastly died as I haue said before A naturall daughter likewise he had whose name was Edelburgh that with Sedrido the daughter of his wife were both of them professed Nuns and succeeded each other Abbesses in the Monastery of S. Brigges in France Such a reputed holinesse was it held in those daies not onely to be separated from the accompanying with men but also to abandon the countrie of their natiuity and as strangers in forraine lands to spend the continuance of their liues Orate pro anima VVillelmi Colet quâ—ndam Mercatoris de Blyburgh siue istius ville qui obijt 16 die Ianuar. An. Domini 1503. Cuius anima per gratiam Dei requiescat in pace Amen Orate pro anima Iohanne Baret nuper vxoris Iohannis Baret qui obijt xiiii die Ianuarij anno M.D.xx. ... Orate pro anima Iohanne Ranyngham quondam vxoris Iohannis Ranyngham qui obijt quarto die mensis Maii anno M.D ..... cuius anime propitietur Deus Orate pro anima Iohannis Ranyngham alias Loman qui obiit xi die mensis Decembris anno Domini M. cccc lxxxxiiii Orate pro animabus Simonis Todyng et Iohanne vxoris eius qui quidem Iohannes obiit xx die Decemb. anno Domini M. cccc.lxxxxii Quorum .... In gratia et miserecordia Dei hic iacet Rogerus Boreham qui obiit xxvii die Nouembris anno Domini M.
out of their Trenches slew diuers and caused their mushrom king Iohn Littestar to be hanged drawne and headed and also caused all others that were the chiefe agents in that rebellion to be put vnto death and so by that meanes quieted the whole countrey an action howsoeuer some will say perhaps not agreeable to his calling worthie of eternall honour and remembrance Not long afterwards viz. 1383. he had another occasion to shew his martiall prowesse for being drawne on by Pope Vrban the sixt to preach the Crusado and to be generall against Clement the seuenth whom sundry Cardinals and great Prelates had also elected Pope hauing a Fifteenth granted to him for that purpose by Parliament after strong opposition of almost all the Nobles who resisted this businesse of the Crosse went with forces into Flanders to support the cause of Vrban against the Antipape Clement from whence after he had performed many exploits very happily taken Graueling Burbrough Dunkerke and Newport by assault and bin victor in a set Battell against thirty thousand abettours of Clements claime he was enforced to returne as destitute of those further succours which were expected out of England But the King vpon pretence that he had not obeyed his royall Mandate by which he required him before he transported to returne for a while seised vpon all his Temporalities to which he found grace with the King to be restored at the speciall sute of Thomas Arundell as then Bishop of Ely The which Seisin and Restitution is thus in effect recorded Hen. Episcopus Norwicens in Parliamento apud West Anno huius Regis 7. fuit impetitus de diuersis articulis misprisionū vnde Temporalia Episcopatus sui seisita suerant in manum Regis c. Rex nunc restituit ei Temporalia predicta T. R. apud West 24. octob 1. par pat an 9 Ric. 2. M. 27. There was great contention betweene this Bishop and his Monkes for the space of fifteene yeares but they being too weake for him as you see all his opposites were at last were glad to giue him foure hundred markes to enioy their priuiledges in like sort as heretofore they had done He sate Bishop well neere 37. yeers and died August 23. 1406. as appeares by this mangled Epitaph vpon his monument Henricus natus le del spenser miles amatus Presul sacratus hic Norwicensis humatus Florens progenie ......... ................. M. Quadringeno Vigili sex Bartholomei Christo sereno Regi peregrat requiei After him the next succeeded one Alexander Prior of Norwich was elected Bishop by the Monkes which election the King so misliked as hee not onely kept him from his temporalties but also imprisoned him almost a whole yeare at Windsor Thomas Beaufort miles habuit custodiam Temporalium Episcopatus Norwicen a tempore mortis Henrici nuper Episcopi ibidem quamdiu in manibus Regis existerent ac fuit custos eorum a vigilia Sancti Bartholomei an no. 7. Hen. 4. vsque ad 23 diem Octob. proxi preterit per vnum annum integrum 8 Septimanas et 6 dies T.R. apud West 9 Iunij 2 pars pat an 9. Hen. 4. M. 19. Before the Altar of Saint George the body of Bishop Wakering lyeth buried who for his life learning and wisedome was highly esteemed in regard whereof before he was aduanced hither to Norwich King Henry the 4. made him Lord Keeper of the priuy Seale and so consequently he was of his priuy Councell in the yeare 1414. hee was sent to the generall Councell holden at Constance in Heluetia with Richard Earle of Warwicke the Bishops of Salisbury Bath and Hereford the Abbot of Westminster and the Prior of Worcester with diuers other Doctors and learned men of the spiritualtie besides Knights and Esquires in number all eight hundred horses so well appointed and furnished as well the men as horses that all nations meruailed to see such an honourable companie come from a Countrie so farre distant in this Counsell hee so behaued himselfe that for learning and wisedome hee obtained the generall applause of all the assemblie shortly after his returne he was consecrated Bishop viz. the last of May 1416. and hauing his charge with great praise about nine yeares he died the ninth of Aprill one thousand foure hundred twentie and fiue He built the Cloister which is to be seene at this day in the Bishops Pallace pauing the same with stones of diuers colours Vpon the dore vnder the Rood loft I finde this maymed Epitaph following inlaid in brasse Hic iacet absconsus sub marmore Presul honestus Seclo desunctus olim pastor quoque sponsus Istius Ecclesie cum digno culmine morum Prefuit egregie ......... .................. Dictus Walterus Lyghert cognomine notus ................. Euellens acriter mala germina fructus acerbi Dispersit pariter diuini semina verbi Anno milleno C. quater septuageno Annexis binis instabit ei prope finis Septima cum decima lux Maij sit numerata Ipsius est anima de corpore tunc separata Fili Christe Dei fons vite spes medicine Propitieris ei donans requiem sine fine This man in the catalogue of Bishops is called Walter Hart. In his predecessors daies the Citizens here of Norwich harbouring in their mindes their old grudge attempted many things against the Church but such was the singular wisedome and courage of the said Bishop whose name was Thomas Browne that all their enterprises tooke little effect and now by the policie and discretion of this Lighert or Hart the malitious humours of these malecontented Townesmen before reasonable well allaied was altogether extinguished He paued the Church and during his life maintained twelue students at Cambridge with all things necessary for them at his owne charges He departed this life the first of May 1472. as appeares by his Epitaph in the twentie and sixt yeare of his consecration and lieth buried neere vnto the Rood loft which he himselfe erected Here lieth buried the body of Iames Goldwell sometimes Deane of Salisbury Secretarie to King Edward the fourth and Bishop of this Diocesse who died in February M. cccc.lxxxxviii This Bishop was a great repairer or new builder of great Chart Church in Kent where as it is said he was borne Here lieth buried the body of Thomas Ian who died the first yeare of his consecration viz. anno 1499. After the decease of Ian Richard Nix succeeded of whom I finde little worth the rehearsing saith Godwin in his Catalogue of Bishops hee hath the report of a vicious and dissolute liuer was blinde long before his death sate 36 yeares and died An. 1536. It is reported yet that this Bishop built the north crosse I le of this Church and guilded the roofe of the same vpon which his cote of Armes is to be seene In the Chapter House was a goodly monument to the memory of Sir Thomas Windham knight with this now maymed Inscription
dwarfe to death saith my foresaid Author Much more might bee said of this little-great man but I am called for my selfe to the Presse and to speake more then I haue done in the praise of little men I may be thought to flatter my selfe He died in the yeare 1346. in the twentieth of the raigne of King Edward the third I read in a booke of the order of Carmelites of which Fraternitie he was one as also Prouinciall of them all throughout all England penned by Iohn Bale before his conuersion a part of an Eulogium composed to the memory of this Baconthorpe which may serue for an Epitaph Thus. Iohannes de Bachonethorpe Doctor resolutus Carmelita Hic Bachone fuit Iohannes natus in vrbe Anglica quo felix terra priore fuit Parisio dulces hausit de fonte liquores Post tamenin patrio claruit ipse solo Exposuit libros Petri sed sanccius esse Est ratus in quartum peruigilare librum Fecit Aristotelem clarum inclitumque legenti Dans Testamentum clarius omne navum .......... Vpon a faire marble stone in the Quire this Inscription following is engrauen in brasse Hic iaces corpus Willelmi Boleyn militis qui obijt x. Octobris Anno Dom. M. ccccc.v Cuius anime propitietur Deus Amen Let it be the greatest honour to this noble deceased Knight for that he was great Grandfather to the most renowned and victorious Princesse Elizabeth late Queene of England which will best appeare by the Light of Great Britaine learned Camden in his Introduction to the History which he writ of her long and prosperous raigne beginning as followeth The Linage and descent of Elizabeth Queene of England saith he was by her Fathers side truly Royall for daughter she was to King Henry the eight grand daughter to Henry the seuenth and great grand-daughter to Ed the fourth By the Mothers side her descent was not so high howbeit noble it was and spread abroad by many and great Alliances throughout England and Ireland Her great grand-fathers father was Ieffrey Bolen a man of Noble birth in Norfolke Lord Maior of the Citie of London in the yeare 1457. and at the same time honoured with the dignitie of Knighthood An vpright honest man of such estimation that Thomas Lord Hoo and Hastings Knight of the Order of Saint George gaue him his daughter and one of his heires to wife and of such wealth as he matched his daughters into the Noble houses of the Cheineys Heydons and Fortescues left his sonne a goodly inheritance and bequeathed a thousand pounds of English money to bee bestowed vpon the poore in the Citie of London and two hundred in Norfolke This mans sonne William Bolen was chosen amongst eighteene most choice Knights of the Bath at the Coronation of King Richard the third to whom Thomas Earle of Ormond who was in such fauour with the Kings of England that hee alone of all the Nobleman of Ireland had his place and voice in the Parliaments of England and aboue the Barons of England also gaue his daughter and one of his heires in marriage By her besides daughters married to Shelton Calthorp Clere and Sackvill men of great wealth and noble descent and other children hee begat Thomas Bolen whom being a young man Thomas Howard Earle of Surry who was afterward Duke of Norfolke a man much renowned for his worthie seruice and atchiuements in the warres chose to be his sonne in law giuing vnto him his daughter Elizabeth in marriage and Henry the eight after he had performed one or two very honourable Embasies made him first Treasurer of his Houshold Knight of the Order of Saint George and Viscount Rochford and afterwards Earle of Wiltshire and Ormond and made him Lord Keeper of the priuie Seale This Thomas among other children begat Anne Bolen who in her tender yeares being sent into France attended on Mary of England wife to Lewis the twelfth and then on Claudia of Britaine wife to Francis the first and after she was dead on Margaret of Alencon who with the first fauoured the Protestants Religion springing vp in France Being returned into England and admitted amongst the Queenes Maides of Honour and being twenty two yeares of age King Henry in the thirtie eight yeare of his age did for her modestie â—empered with French pleasantnesse fall deeply in loue with and tooke her to wife by whom he had issue Elizabeth aforesaid Queene of England Thome Presbyteri ..... lapis iste retentum Funus habet .... qui sumptu dedit hoc pauimentum Anno milleno quater et C septuageno Octauo Stephani liquit terrestria festo Vt celi detur requies sibi quisque precetur En iacet hic stratus Helby Thomas vocitatus Saluet eum Christus tribuens sibi gaudia lucis Vnder this ston Ligs Iohn Knapton Who died iust The twenty eight of August M. ... xc and on Of thys Chyrch Peti-Canon Vnder the picture of Saint Peter is portraied the Sea a Ship Nets and Fishes with this distichon Ecclesiam pro naue rego mihi climata mundi Sunt mare Scripture Retia piscis homo The figures of the Sunne and Moone are painted here vpon the Frontispiece of the Clocke to whom the Clocke comparatiuely seemes to speake in this Hexastich vpon the same place likewise depicted Horas significo cunctas quas Phebe diebus Quas solet atque tua pallida nocte Soror Nec magis errarem Rector mihi si foret idem Vos qui et queque regit motibus astra suis. Tempora nam recte designo si mihi doctus Custos assiduam conferat artis opem In English Phoebus I tell all th' houres and all as right As thou or thy pale Sister day and night Nor I no more then you in ought should erre If he ruld mee who guides you and each starre For times I rightly tell to me of 's Art If my learnd keeper will his helpe impart In imitation of this it may bee that Thomas Scot in his Philomythie makes a Clocke to compare with a Diall and the difference to be partly decided by the Wethercocke of which a little although not much to the purpose I confesse Vpon a Church or steeples side neere hand A goodly Clocke of curious worke did stand Which ouerpaysde with lead or out of frame Did time miscall and euery houre misname The Diall hearing this aloud gan crye Kind neighbour Clocke your glib tongue tels a lye Reforme your errour for my Gnomon saith You gad too fast and misse an houres faith Foole quoth the Clocke reforme thy selfe by me The fault may rather in thy Gnomon be Had'st thou told euer truth to what end then Was I plac'd here by th' art of cunning men The Weathercocke vpon the steeple standing And with his sharpe eye all about commanding Heard their contention wild them to appeale To him the chiefe of all that common weale Told them that he was
souls Iesu haue mercy Amen This Elisabeth was the daughter and coheire of Sir Henry Frowick of Gonwelsbury in the County of Midlesex Knight who lieth entombed in Eling Church in the said County Grandmother to that learned Gentleman and iudicious Antiquarie Sir Henry Spelman Knight now lining Anno 1631. and great Grandmother to Sir Clement Spelman Knight deceased who succeeded in that inheritance Here lyeth Iohn Spelman Esquyre sonne and heire apparent to Sir Iohn Spelman Knyghte one of the Iustyces at the Pleas before the kyng to bee holden and Dame Elisabeth his wyffe which Iohn married Margaret one of the doughters to Sir Thomas Blennerhasset knyght and Dame Margaret his wyffe and had issue by the said Margaret too sonnes and too doughters liuing at the day of his death and decessed the xxvii day of December in the yere of our Lord God M. cccccxlv on whos soul Iesu have mercy Amen Stow. William Spelman Esquire who died in the raigne of Henry the seuenth lay buried vnder a faire Tombe in this Church of Stow by Watton and the Vicar and Churchwardens here about eight yeares agoe making a Raile about the Communion table pulled downe the Tombe to make roome for the Raile and Communicants Others of the ancient Family of the Spelmans lie interred here and at Narborrow whose names I will onely set downe being so neare these times As Iohn Spelman Esquire who married Iudeth one of the daughters of Sir Clement Higham knight who died 28 April anno 1581. Sir Clement Spelman knight high Sheriffe of this County anno 1599. who died 24. Septemb. 1607. Ierome Spelman Esquire the twelfth sonne of Sir Iohn Spelman Rougham Here is a Tombe of Sir William Yeluerton Knight one of the Iustices of the Kings Bench in the time of King Henry the sixth and a Monument of his sonne who is mentioned vpon it to bee Esquire to King Edward the fourth Orate pro animabus Willelmi Yeluerton Militis et quondum Iustic Domini Regis de suo banco et Dominae Agnetis vx sue qui quidem Willelmus obijt 27 die Martis c. ......... Yeluerton miserere Consortis que sue Yeluerton olim Katherine .................. Armiger Edwardi quondam pro corpore quarti 9 Iulij Anno Nat. Christ. 1481. Another stone in the Chancell with two portraitures inscribed Obijt Io. Yeluerton 1505. Obijt Rogerus Yeluerton 1510. Orate pro anima Domini Io. Swaffham quondam Vicar huius Ecclesie qui obijt Anno Domini 1409. cuius Anime propitietur Deus Sandringham Prey pur le alme Du Richard Fitz Iean Iadis Patron De ceste Maison Holme iuxta mare Herry Notynham and hys wyfe lyne her Yat madden thys Chyrche Stepull and Quer Too Vestyments and Bells yei madden alsoo Crist hem sav therfor fro woo And to bryng her souls to blis of hevyn Seyth Pater and Ave wyth myld Stephyn Hunstanton Here the noble ancient familie of Le Strange lie buried vnder faire Monuments Orate pro anima Henrici Le Strange Armigeri Katherine vxoris eius pro benefactoribus .... pro fidelibus defunctis Qui quidem Henricus obijt vicesimo quinto die mensis Nouembris An. Domini M. cccclxxv quorum animabus propitietur Deus Vpon the side of a Tombe the names of Roger Le Strange and others of the name about the Verge of the said Tombe being inlaid with brasse this Genealogicall Inscription is to be read Orate pro anima prenominati Rogeri le Strange Militis pro corpore illustrissimi nuper Regis Anglie Henrici septimi ac fil et hered prefati Henrici le Strange Armigeri Fratris et heredis Iohannis le Strange filij heredis tam Iohannis le Strange quam Alicie Beamont consanguinee et heredis Iohannis Pike et Iohannis Rushbroke Et dictus Iohannes le Strange fuit filius et heres tam Iohannis le Strange militis quam Elianore fil et hered tam Richardi Walkefare Militis quam consanguinee et heredis Thome Morieux Militis Et dictus Iohannes le Strange miles fuit fil et her Hamonis le Strange Armigeri et Katherine fil Domini Iohannis de Camois et dictus Hamo le Strange fuit fil et heres Hamonis le Strange Militis et Margarite Vernon de Motton consanguinee et hered Magistri Richardi Vernon et dictus Hamo le Strange miles fuit frater Domini Iohannis le Strange de Knocking et Mohun Qui quidem Rogerus le Strange miles obiit xxvii die Octobris anno Domini M. cccccvi et nuper Regis dicti vice simo primo Cuius anime ac animabus antecessorum benefactorum suorum nec non anime Iohannis le Strange de Masingham parua Armigeri fratris et executoris prerecitati Rogeri le Strange Militis Deus propitietur Amen Hunstanton saith Camden is to bee remembred in this regard if there were nothing else for that it hath beene the habitation of the Familie of Le Strange Knights by degree euer since that in the raigne of Edward the second Iohn Baron Le Strange of Knocking gaue the same vnto Hamon his younger brother Hamon Le Strange the elder performed great and good seruice for his Lord and Soueraigne Henry the third against Simond de Montford Earle of Leicester and his complices the 48. yeare of the said Kings raigne Hee tooke vpon him a voiage to the holy Land as I finde it thus recorded Hamo extraneus diu antequam iter arripuit versus terram sanctam Feosauit Rogerum Extraneum fratrem suum de Manerijs de Colouere et Henton que idem Hamo tenuit de Petro de Monteforti Fines Anno 2. Ed. 1. Memb. 26. Penteney A Monastery founded by Reginald de Warren brother of William de Warren the second Earle of Surrey in which he placed blacke Canons it was dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene and valued vpon the dissolution thereof at two hundred and fifteene pounds eight shillings eight pence This Abbey saith Camden was the ordinary buriall place in ancient time of the Noblemen and Gentlemen in this tract Anno Domini 1326. obijt Domina Petronilla de Neirford iacet apud Penteney Dominus Iohannes de Neirford obijt .... et iacet in Ecclesia Prioratus de Penteney These are all I haue as yet found to haue beene here interred Fornset Saint Peters Hic iacet Richardus Baxter qui per Isabellam vxorem eius habuit duos filios et duas filias et postea ignaue vulneratus inde obijt vltimo die Maij anno Domini M. cccclxxxiiii Cuius anime propitietur Deus Orate pro anima Thome Baxter qui duxit Margaretam filiam Willelmi Drake generosi et habuit exitum quatuor filios et vnam filiam et obijt 27. Aprilis 1535. Orate pro animabus Thome Drake et Elisabethe vxoris eius .... All cristian peple that walk by thys Tomb erly
and them in case the sâ—â—d kyng wold invade thys hys Realme whiche he dide in deede contrary to hys oth and promyse with the hoole power of the Realme of Scotlond Whiche when the seid Erle hard of he made as greatt haste towardis hym as he coude with the kyngs power of the North partys And toke hys lodgyng in the Campe or playn caâ—â—yd Wollar haugh in the Countie of Northumbrelond which was in the â—ight of the kyng of Scottis and of all hys army then â—ying on Floddon hyll a ground more lyke a campe or forteres than any meete ground to gyve batayle on contrary to hys promes made to Rogeâ—ras Purseuaunte at armys before sent vnto hym from the seid Erle with message that the said Erle with the Lord Howard then Admerall of Englond hys Son And the no 〈◊〉 men of the North partis with other the kyngs Subgettis of the same North partis was come thedir to represse and resiste hys Invasyons of hys souerayn Lordis Realme desyryng the said kyng of Scottis to gyve hym bataile which his message the same kyng of Scottis toke very thankfully and ioyusly promysyng hym to abide ther on the same grounde wher he than was whiche hys promys he brake as is aforesaid and tooke Floddon hilâ—ys a ground unprengnable and shot at hym hys great Ordenaunce where as he lay like one mynded to kepe it like a forteres And whan the said Erle dide perceyve that he had brokyn hys promys and takyn so stronge â— grounde as Floddon hillys he than the said Erle remoued all his Batail vnto a playn besydis Barmer wood to thentente to get betwene hym and hys owne Realme of Scotlond and ther leygeed but one nyght and on the next mornyng toâ—e hys passage ouer the water of at Twyfull forthe and than he marched the said kyng and hys oste in suche maner as he gat betwene hym and hys aune reame of Scotlond be force wherof the said kyng was fayn to leue his Campe and to prepare hymself to bataile witthe seid Erle on a hyll besydis Bramston in Northumbrelond very neer vnto Sandyford Wher the said Erle witthe good assistauns of the Nobull men and the power of the said North partys fought witthe said kyng and hym â—anquâ—sshed and slewe in playn bataile derectely before his owne Standard In which bataile ware slayne on the Scottysshe parte ii Bysshoppes xi Eâ—lys xvii Barons CCCC knyghtis besydys other Gentilmen with xvii M in nombre which ware nombred asweel by Scottysshe men as by them that dyd bury the moste parte of them And of trouth dyvers Gentylmen and others aswell of the said Erlys servantys as of the North partyes and of Chesshir and Lankasshir war ther slayne for hard it ys and half impossible in suche a conflicte and bataile to be wonne without losse of men whoys deth may be ioyed among ther frendis to dye in so hygh a servys doon to ther Prynce And this noble acte was don by the helpe of almyghty God to the highe honour of the kyngis hyghnes Honor and prays to the said Erle and to all other Noble men and otheres the kyngs Subgettis that war ther with hym at the bataile the ix daye of Septembir in the v yeer of our souerayn Lord kyng Henry the viii And this doon the said Erle went to Barwyke to establysshe all thyngys well and in good order And sent for the dede body of the kyng of Scottis to Barwyke And whan the Ordenaunce of the kyng of Scottis was brouth of the feld and put in good suertie and all other thyngys in good order Than the seid Erle toke hys Iorney toward Yorke and ther abode duryng the kyngis pleasur and caryed with hym the dede body of thafforesaid kyng of Scottis And ther laye vnto suche tyme as the kyngis hyghâ—es cam from beyond the See after his wynnyng of Tyrwyn and Tomey And than hys highnes sent for the seid Erle to mete hym at Rychemond and so he dide and ther delyvered vnto his highnes the dede body of the kyng of Scottis whiche deâ—â— bodye was delyuered in to the Charter hous ther and ther to abide duryng the kyngs plesur And for the servyce that the seid Erle dide he was honorably restored vnto his right name of Duke of Norffolk and also had geuen vnto hym greatt possessyons by the kyngis highnes And whan the warre betwixt the kyng our souerayn Lord and the Frenche Kyng was eended than the said Duke was sent into Fraunce as chieff Commyssyoner with Lady Marye the Kyngis Suster to be maryed vnto the Frenche Kyng Lewes And after when the kyng and the Quene were both out of the Reame to mete witthe Frenche kyng Frauncys at Guynes and the Prynces remaynyng in the Reame beyng a childe the said Duke was left behynde as protector and defender to mynyster Iustice and to see good Rule and Gouernaunce in the Reame in the absence of the kyngis highnes and so contynued aboute the kyng and of his preuye Counsayle tyll he wâ—s of age of fourescore yeeris and then the kyngis highnes was content that the said Duke shulde go home in to hys owne countrey vnto the Castell of Framlyngham wher he contynued and kepte an honorable howse vnto the houre of his deth And ther he dyed lyke a good Cristen Prynce I now to wytnes Whose sowle Iesu pardon And at his depertyng out of Framlyngham Castell toward hys buryall he coude nat be asked one grote for his dette nor for restitucion to any person and so was had to this present Abbay of Thetford with moche honor Accompanyed with many greatt Lordis and the Noble men of both Schires of Norffolk and Suffolk Leuyng then lyuyng these his children herafter named that is to seye his son and heyre the Lord Thomas Duke of Norffolk the Lord Edmond Howard the Lord Willyam Howard and the Lord Thomas Howard witthe Ladye Elysabeth wiffe to the Uicount Rocheford the Lady Agnes Countes of Oxenford the Lady Kateryne espoused to the heyre of Sir Rice app Thomas of Walys the Lady Elysabeth espoused vnto the Uicount Fitzwaters son and heyr And the Lady Dorathie then beyng not maryed but lefte for hir Right good substance to marry hyrwyth Henry Fitz-Roy the naturall sonne of King Henry the eight begotten of the Lady Talboys daughter of Sir Iohn Blount knight Duke of Richmond was here interred as Graston Stow Hollinshed and other writers affirme howsoeuer some will haue him to bee buried at Framingham in Suffolke Hee married Mary daughter of the foreremembred Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Earle Marshall and Lord high Treasurer of England with whom he liued not long but dyed at Saint Iames by Westminster the 22. of Iuly in the yeare of Christ Iesus 1536. He was a Prince very forward in Martiall actiuities of good literature and knowledge in the tongues vnto whom the learned Antiquarie Leland dedicated a booke as appeareth by this Hexastichon following which is
to that most martyred king Saint Edmund who in their rude massacre then slaine The title of a Saint his Martyrdome doth gaine Now to come to Norwich the first Bishop of Norwich was William Herbert the second Euerard the third William Turbus the fourth Iohn of Oxford the fift Iohn de Grey of these I haue written before The sixt was Pandulfus the Popes Legate hee was consecrated at Rome by Honorius the Third Bishop of Rome and died the fift yeare of his consecration 1227. The seuenth was Thomas de Blundeuill an officer of the Exchequer preferred thereunto by Hubert de Burgo the famous chiefe Iustice of England he died August 16. 1236. The eight Radulph who died An. 1236. The ninth was William de Raleigh who was remoued to Winchester The tenth was Walter de Sufield the eleuenth Simon de Wanton the twelfth Roger de Sherwyng the thirteenth William Middleton of whom before The fourteenth was Raph de Walpoole translated to Ely The fifteenth was Iohn Salmon the sixteenth was William Ayermin of whom before The seuenteenth was Antony de Becke Doctor of Diuinitie a retainer to the Court of Rome and made Bishop by the Popes Prouisorie Bull. Hee had much to doe with the Monkes of his Church whom it seemeth hee vsed too rigorously He also withstood Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury in his visitation appealing from him to Rome This boisterous vnquiet humour it seemes was his death for it is said that hee was poisoned by his owne seruants The eighteenth Bishop was William Bateman who died at Auinion in the yeare 1354. and was there buried of whom hereafter The ninteenth was Thomas Piercy The twentieth was Henry Spencer The one and twentieth was Alexander of whom before The two and twentieth was Richard Courtney Chancellour of the Vniuersitie of Oxford a man famous for his excellent knowledge in both lawes A man of great linage great learning and great vertue and no lesse beloued among the common people He died of a Fluxe in Normandy at the siege of Harflew Septemb. 14. 1415. in the second yeare after his consecration His body being brought into England was honourably interred at Westminster The three and twentieth was Iohn Wakering of whom I haue spoken before The foure and twentieth was William Alnwick translated to Lincolne of whom hereafter in his place of buriall The fiue and twentieth was Thomas Browne Bishop of Rochester who being at the Councell of Basill had this Bishopricke cast vpon him before euer he vnderstood of any such intent toward him In his time the Citizens of Norwich vpon an old grudge attempted many things against the Church but such was the singuler wisedome and courage of this Bishop that all their enterprises came to none effect he sate nine yeares and died anno 1445. where buried I doe not finde The sixe and twentieth was Gualter Hart or Lyghart The seauen and twentieth was Iames Goldwell The eight and twentieth was Thomas Ian. The nine and twentieth was Richard Nyx of whom before The thirtieth was William Rugge alias Reps a Doctor of Diuinitie in Cambridge He sate 14 yeares and deceased anno 1550. The one and thirtieth was Thyrlhey a Doctor of Law of Cambridge the first and last Bishop of Westminster translated to Ely The two and thirtieth was Iohn Hopton a Doctor of Diuinity of Oxford and houshold Chaplaine to Queene Mary elected to this Bishopricke in King Edwards daies He sate 4 yeares and died in the same yeare that Queene Mary did for griefe as it was supposed The three and thirtieth was Iohn Parkhurst who lieth buried in his Cathedrall Church vnder a faire Tombe with this Inscription Iohannes Parkhurstus Theol. professor Gilford natus Oxon. educatus Temporibus Mariae Reginae pro tuenda conscientia vixit exul voluntarius postea Presul factus sanctissime hanc rexit Ecclesiam per. 16. An. ob 1574. aetat 63. Vivo bono docto ac pio Iohanni Parkhursto Episcopo vigilentissimo Georgius Gardmer posuit hoc monumentum The foure and thirtieth was Edmund Freake Doctor of Diuinity who was remoued from hence to Worcester The fiue and thirtieth was Edmund Scambler houshold Chaplaine for a time to the Archbishop of Canterbury hee was consecrated Bishop of Peterborough Ianuary 16. anno 1560. and vpon the translation of Bishop Freake preferred to this See where hee lieth buried vnder a faire monument hauing this Inscription or Epitaph Edmundi Scambleri viri reuerendissimi et in ampliss dignitatis gradu dum inter homines ageret locati corpus in hoc tegitur tumulo obijt Non. Maij anno 1594. Viuo tibi moriorque tibi tibi Christe resurgam Te quia iustifica Christe prebendo fide Huic abeat mortis terror tibi viuo redemptor Mors mihi lucrum est tu pie Christe salus The sixe and thirtieth was William Redman Archdeacon of Canterbury consecrated Ianuary 12. an 1594. He was sometime fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge and bestowed 100. markes vpon wainscotting of the Library there Hee died a few daies before Michaelmas Anno 1602. The seauen and thirtieth was Iohn Iegon Doctor of Diuinity and Deane of Norwich fellow sometimes of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge and afterwards master of Bennet Colledge of the time of his death or how long he enioyed this high dignitie I haue not learned The eight and thirtieth was Iohn Ouerall Doctor of Diuinitie sometimes Fellow of Trinitie Colledge Master of Katherine Hall and the Kings Professor in Cambridge afterwards Deane of S. Pauls a learned great Schooleman as any was in all the kingdome how long hee sate or when he died I doe not certainly know Samuel Harsenet Doctor of Diuinity sometime Master of Penbroke Hall in Cambridge Bishop of Chichester and now graced with the metropoliticall dignity of the Archbishoprick of Yorke was the nine and thirtieth Bishop of this Diocesse Which at this time is gouerned by the right reuerend Father in God Francis White Doctor of Diuinitie the Kings Almoneâ— sometimes Deane as also Bishop of Carlile an excellent learned man as his workes now extant doe testifie Now it here followes that I should say somewhat of the scituation circuit commodities and other particulars of this Diocesse like as I haue done of London but that is already most exactly performed and to the full by that learned and iudicious Knight and great Antiquary Sir Henry Spelman in his booke before mentioned called Icenia a Manuscript much desired to come to the open view of the world Here endeth the Ancient Funerall Monuments within the Diocesse of Norwich and this Booke FINIS A funerall Elegie vpon the death of Sir Robert Cotton Knight and Baronet Lib. 8. ep 3. Lib. 10. Epig. 11. In conclu li. vlt. 1. Siluester Transl. Properâ— lib. 3. El. 2. Ruines of Time M. â—rayton Pâ—l Song xvi Scipio Gentilis lib. Orig. sing Panuinius in lideritu sepeliend mortuos Râ—maines Camd. Remaines Aeneâ—◠〈◊〉 Trump 〈…〉 Inuen 〈◊〉 Rosin de Autin Romano 〈…〉 l. â— cap. 59. Gen. 1â— 2. Sam.
40. plough lands of grouÌ„d of the kings of Mercia and Kent to their Monasterie Vt in charta * Wido the 42. Hugh de Flori 4â— Guliel Spina in bib Cot. Hugh the second 44. Will. Thorne or Gul. Spina in bib Cott. Alexander surnamed Cementariâ—â— Theologus the 48. Hugh the third the 49. Abbot Robert de Bellâ— the 50. Roger the second 51. Thomas Findon 〈…〉 Raph de Borne the 54. Mssan bib Cot. Thomas Poucyn the 55. In bib Cot. William Drulege the â—6 Mâ—re Archbishop then Abbots by three Iulian Counâ—eâ—â—e of Hâ—ntington Catal. in Hunting Io. Speâ—d 〈…〉 Pâ—iory of Haâ—â—baldowne Lamb. peram in Harbaldowne Lora Countesse 〈◊〉 Leicâ—ster 〈…〉 Catal. Caâ—den in Kent Sir Iohn Gower and Sir Iohn Deâ—e Priests Sir Roger Manwoods Almes-house A pilgrimage◠〈◊〉 S. Stephens 〈◊〉 Ethelbert the second king of â—â—nt The end of the Kentish kingdome The found 〈…〉 the Abbey at Reculuer ... Sandwey 〈◊〉 his wife Sir Thomas a Priest â—dila Lady Thorne Thrâ—e vailed Nunnes The foundation of Minster Abbey Io. Caâ—graue in v. â—a Dom. Mssâ—a bib Cot A Maledicton The death of Domneua The buriall of Thunnor 〈◊〉 Dom. â— Mildred 〈◊〉 on of Mildred Hungar and Hubba the sonnes of a Beare Mâ—ssâ—in bib Câ—â—t Caygraue iâ—â—nia 〈◊〉 b. 〈◊〉 Eadburgh 〈◊〉 first English Nunne surnamed 〈◊〉 Camden in K. Speed Hist. The foundation of the white Friers and of the old Hospitall A Manuscript Tho. Legatt Tho. Hadlow William Beckleâ— Iohn Sandwich Denis Plumcooper The foundation â—f the free Schoole Richborow Claudius Contentus Caâ—nd Kenâ— Goshall Leuerick Septvau S. 〈◊〉 Harsletâ— Clitherow ... Oldâ—â—stell Ioane Keriell Stow. Annal. Harding 〈◊〉 Sir Iohn Philpot. knight Lord Maior of London Stow. Annal. Stow. Suruay Speed Hist. 22. Ric. 1 The Walsingham in vita Ric. 1. Sir Thomas Ba knight Wingham Colledge Lamb peramb. Blechendens 〈◊〉 Tho. S. 〈◊〉 and Ioane 〈◊〉 wife Albina the wife of 〈◊〉 Iohn Digge 〈◊〉 Ioane his wife Sir Iohn Digge knight and Ioane his wife Sir Robert Ashton knight Lord Warden Admirall of a 〈◊〉 Chiefe Iustice of Ireland Lord Treasurer Executor to K. Edward the third Foundation of the Castle Church Lamb. peramb. The Priory of S. Martins or Gods-house in Douer Regist. eccl 〈…〉 in bib Cot. S. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Lond. Stow. 〈◊〉 William 〈◊〉 the sonne of Iudge Fineux Wilâ—iam Sir 〈…〉 the controuler of 〈◊〉 Sir William Scot knight Hollinshed Elisabeth Lady Poynings Camden in Kent Isâ—bell Ladie 〈◊〉 Ioane the wife of Io. Digges Dionisia Finch Vincent Harbard alias Fâ—nch in the genealogie of the 〈◊〉 of Nedde felâ—â— Sir Robert Gower knight Pashley Ioane Pashley in the window â—â—mmatiâ—n of the 〈◊〉 at â—olâ—â—ton â—â—o Godfraâ— Sir Iohn Culâ—peper kniâ—ht and Agnes his wiâ—â— â—â—den in Rut. The Pâ—ioâ—y of 〈◊〉 Iohn Maâ—sâ—â—â— pâ—efeâ—menâ—s Hollins An 1241. Paris â—hinne Anon. in bib Cott Mansels death in 〈◊〉 Ex Epitâ—m Râ—â—geri Houeden in bib Coâ— A Benefice for Dogges meaâ— * Earle of Leiâ—cester Mansel the cause of the warres betweene Henâ—y the third and his Barons Paris â—n 1252 Charge of soules 〈◊〉 Culkin and 〈◊〉 his wife 〈…〉 and Ioane his wife A free Sâ—â—â—ole 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 his sonne Sir 〈◊〉 knight and Dennis his wife Ric. Lâ—â—e to Cely â—enalâ— Deyre Foundation of the Colledge o◠〈◊〉 The Kempe and Beatrice his wife Lamb. peramb. Iohn Andrew a Pilgrime Foundation of the Colledge of Ashford Elisabeth Countesse of Atholl Semane Tong Baron of the fiue ports Io. 〈◊〉 and his wife Wil. Norton and Elisabeth his wife Will. Thorne Richard Norton and Ioane his wife Iohn â—â—st Thomas Read William Vpton Agnes Feuersham William Leedes Henry Hatcher and Ioane his wife Richard Colwell Camden Remaineâ— Foundation of Feuersâ—am Abbey Ex Arch Turris London The death and buriall of King Stephen Addition to Rob. Gloc. 〈◊〉 Paris An. 1154 Harding c. 12â— Rob. Glocest. S. Daniel No subsidies in K Stephens time 〈◊〉 â—omp 〈◊〉 in bib Cot. Spâ—â—d Maud the wife of K Stephen In bib Cot. Eustace King Stephens sonne 〈◊〉 Monkâ— of Chester 〈◊〉 Dâ—rob His death and buriall Rob. Gloc. Margaret Riâ— kill Io. Crowmer and Ioane his wife Will. Crowmer Sir Iames Fienes I.o. Treasurer Iohn Septvaus and Katherine his wife Elisabeth Poodd Iames Bourne Io. Gerard and Ioane his wife Laurence Gerard and Tho his sonne Apuldorfeild Clipeus honoris Glouer Somerset Herald Valentine Barret and Siciliâ— his wife â—â—ll Maries Smersoll Iul-laber Camd. in Kent Io. Frogenhall Will. Mareys Ioane and Ioane his wife Woodokes The Priory 〈◊〉 Horton Monâ—â—â— The order 〈…〉 Alex Clifford and 〈◊〉 his wife Visit of Kent Glouer Sir Arnold Sauage knighâ— and Ioane his wife Sir Arnold Saâ—uage knight Katherine Lady Sauage Foundation of Bradesoke Abâ—bey Eâ— Arch 〈…〉 Iohn and Iohn Norwood Visit. Kent Glouer Thomas Alefe and Margaret his wife Sir Iohn Norton knight and Ioane his wife Stow. Annal. Sir Edward Pâ—ynings Sir Iohn Norton Io. Fogge Iohn Scot Tho. Lynd knights of the field Inter Bundel Indent â—e guerra apud pelles Foundation of the Friary at Eastbridge Iudge Martyn and Anne his wife Visit. Kent Iohn Martyn Ioane Butler Ioane Feuersham Tho. Feuersham and Ioane his wife Found of the Abbey Io. Toke Margaret and Anne his wife Glouer alias Somerset Lancaster king of Armes Stephen Norton Foundation of Minster Nunnery Roger Norwood and Bena his wife Io. Soole and Margaret his wife Shurland Inter Bundellas Indent de guerra apud pel Maidston Found of the Colledge first an Hospitall William Courtney Archbishop of Canterbury * Sure he meanes Cardinall for I cannot finde him to be Chancellour Sir Iohn Wotton Priest the first Master of this Colledge Woodvill Chancery of Maidston Leedes Priory Eâ— Arch 〈◊〉 London Io. and William Bloor Iames Donet Io. Paynter Mssâ—n â—ib Cot. A quarrell betweene the Canons of Leedes and the Monkes of S. Albans The Religious House at Motinden Boxley Abbey Cart. Ant. in Arch. Turris London The Roode of Grace at Boxley Lamb. peramb. Camd. in Kent Hollins p. 1402. An. Reg Elis. 27 Nicholas Wotton Lord Maior of London Newenden Priory The first Carmelite Friars in England Lamb peramb. Lambard Combewell Abbey Iohn Elys Sir Nicholas Sandwich Priest Visit. Kent Will. Brent and Elisab his wife Sir W. Walkesley knight Tho. Elys and Thomasin his wiâ—â— William Bâ—rre Glouer alias Somerset The Colledge of Bradgare Dame Elisab Nâ—vill Camd in Cumberland So in this County Sutton Valence Horton Kirby and others haue like distinctiue surnames Richard Derâ—â— â—â—ow Annal. Iohn Dering An Eschurchion Io. Dering and Iulian his wife Nic Dering and 〈◊〉 his wife 〈◊〉 Dering Beneâ— his wife Hen. and Rich. Malemaines Brent the Mad-braine Rich. Dering Tho. his sonne Will. Goldwell and Avice his wife Goldwell Bishop of Norw a repairer of this Church The builders oâ— founders of this Church Bishop Goldwel the founder of the South Chappell Io. Tokâ— Marg. and Anne his wifes Tho. Twesden and Benedict his wife Will. Sharpe and his fiue wiues Margaret the wife
Iohns In Lib. Colt Iordan and Robert Sackvile Foundation of the Hospitall for Lepâ—â—s Foundation of the Friery of the holy Crosse Foundation of the Minories In bib Cott. Mss. in bib Cotâ— Camd. in Oxford The foundation of Colne Prioâ—ie In Rib. Cott. Aubrey de Vere and William his sonne Mâ—â— in bib Coâ— Aubrey de Vere the first Earle of Oxford surnamed the grimme Lib. Alb. de Colne Aubrey de Vere the second Earle of Oxford Hugh de Vere Earle of Oxford Robert de Vere 〈◊〉 of Oxford Robert de Vere the sonne of Robert Earle of Oxford Robert de Vere Earle of Oxford and Duke of Ireland Speed in vita R. 2. Aubrey de Vere Earle of Oxford Iohn de Vere Earle of Oxford Io de Vere E. of Oxford Maud Countesse of Oxford Tho. Paycock Butcher and Christian his wife Robert Paycock Elis and Ioan his wiues Tho. Paycock Marg and Anne his wiues Iohn Paycock and Ioan his wife Io. Kebull Isabel and Ioan his wiues 〈◊〉 Goldwyre Isabel and Christian his wife Foundation of Coggeshall Abbey 〈◊〉 in bib Cott Camd. in Essex Io. Doreward and Isab. his wife Bartholomew Lord Bourchier Marg. and Idonea his wiues Rob. Bourchier Lo Chancelor Camd. in Essex Agnes Lady Gate Peter Wood. Io. Vere Earle of Oxford In the Catalogue of honour Brooke Dorothie Scroope The foundation of a Priorie in Heueningham Lucie Lady Prioresse of Heningham Vpon the Crucifiâ—e Vpon the vergine Mary Vpon the image of Lucie Sir Io. Hawkewood knight Stow Annal. In bib Cot in Arch Tuâ—â— Lonâ— 1 Pars 〈◊〉 Ann. 8. H. 4. m. â—0 * Paul Ioâ—â—us in Eâ—g Camd. in Essex Stow Annal. William Holden and Agnes his wife Tho. Lord Audley Tho. Holden Mathew West Priest Rector Io. Nichols and his foure wiues Lechec The like before in Feuersham Hugh Price Abbot Io. Chynt Priest Rector Robert Wyld Priest Rector The foundation of Walden Abbey In Arch. Tuâ—r 〈◊〉 Camd. in 〈◊〉 * The Duke of Glocester because the Swan was his cognisance Abstract 〈…〉 An 41. Ed. 3. An â— Rich. 2. Leez Abbey Humfrey Waiden Hen Langley and Mar. his wife Tho. Langley Hen Langley and Lady Katherine his wife Ric. Dammary and Alice his wife Sir Walter Clarke Priest Rich. Large and Alice his wife Will. Bourchier 〈…〉 Earle of Ewe Hen. Bourchier E. of Essex Hen. Bourchier E. of Essex Stow Annal. Out of certaine ancient collections in Essex Sir Tho. Lovaine knight Camd. in Essex Robert Northburnt In the window The foundation of Tiltey Abbey Des. Leicest lit B. Gerard Dannet 〈◊〉 Mary his wife Tho de Thakley Abbot Will. Moigne Ann 2â— Ed. 1. The foundation of the Priorie Ex Mss. in bib Colt Robert de Vere Earle of Oxford Tho. Barington and Anne has wife Camd. in Essex Miiles Catal. Walter Bigod Simon Regham Io. Ienone and Alice his wife The foundation of the Priory of Dunmow Out of an abstract of the Chronicle of Dunmow in bâ—b Cott. Matilda surnamed the faire Ex predict lib Dunmow Stow Annal. Stow. Annal. Sir Rob. Fitz-water knight Extract lib. Dunmow in saepe dict bib Cott. Walter of Clare or Walter Fitz-Robert Extract lib. de Dâ—â— perdâ—ct The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Dunmowe now cast and christenâ—d Io Blakemore Prior. Radcliffe Patron of the Priory of little Dunmow Newton Hall Ro. Radcliffe Earle of Sussex Shee tooke the title of Supremacy vpon her in the beginning of her raigne which she relinquished before her death Tho. Coggeshall and Ioane his wife Tho. Browne The Hospitall in Newport The Foundation of the Colledge at 〈◊〉 Io. Holland Earle of Exceter Camd. in Essex Sir Ed. Holland Earle of Mortaigne and his wife Io. Scot the first Master of this Colledge Robert Freuyt Tho. Plantagines Duke of Glocester Hollins p. 489. Catal. of Hon. Brooke Elianor Duchesse of Gloucester Cronie tripart in bib Cot. The Swanne the Duke of Gloc. cognisance Histor Ang. l. 20. Camd. in Essex The foundation 〈◊〉 Hatfield Colledge â—ob Symond â—eraâ—â— Braybroke and his wife Darcies Hollins 〈…〉 Annal The Deuill of Danbury Ro. Tendering Tho. â—ille and Margâ—ry his wife Abstract â—eâ— in Scaccar Iohn Biglon Butcher and Florance his wife Io. Rochford Gertrude Lady Petre. The foundation of Waltham Abbey Waltham Crosse. Cart. Ant. Litur R.R. Stow Annal. speed The death of king Harold The buriall of King Harold Girth and Leoâ—win King Harolds brethren Camd Remaines Sir Io. Hayward in vita Will. 1. The Charter of K. Harold Rob. Glocest. Hugh Nevill cheefe Forrester of England Mat 〈◊〉 ad an 12â—0 〈◊〉 eodem an 〈…〉 Paris ad an 1145. Iohn Nevill In bib Col. Robert Passelew Dannil in vil Hen 3. Paris Paris eod an Remaines pa. 16. Iohn and Ioan Cressy Sir Edward Denny knight and Ioan his wife Cart. Antiq. liâ— M. * A little Couent of Friers subiect to the Chanons and their Rules Priorie de cornuto Stow Suruay Hore-Church Hen. Arundell Will. Ailiffe Iulian Lady Roche Suruay Katherine Fermor Tho. Seargill Elis. his wife Rob. Glocest. * poore * readie for God Auery Cornburgh Beatrice his wife and Doctor Crowland Elis. Hannys Taleworth Ab. Rel. in Scac. Rich. Ballard and Margerie his wife 〈…〉 his wife 〈…〉 wife 〈…〉 Hall * Ex Autographo eiusdem carie dat an 2 Eâ— 1. penes Radulphum Lathum Aâ—mâ—g dominum Mancrie eiusdem * Escaetr de a. 41. E. 3. * Ex Autographo eiusdem cartae dat 10. Iulij a. 15. E. 1. penes R. L. praedictum * Rot Pat. de a. 3. R. 2. parte 3. * Penes Rad. Lath praedict * In this place t is probable the words to be supplied are Pro animabus filiorum suorum et * She was the daughter of Sir Wiâ—liam Roche Knight William Cook Elis. his wife Tho. Alderton and Alice his wife Camd. in Essex Rog. Lancaster In his Crono descrip of Essex a Mss. Iordan le Brune Rich. Chirche Butler Staple Sir Giles Chanceux Scot Sir Io. Greyton Lamberne Sir Lucas Tâ—anye Sâ—ow â—alsing History of Wales Thomasia Tho. 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Heâ—â—ngham Tho. Fige Ioan Wyborne Iohn Pinchon and Ioan his wife Margaret Barners Iohn Barners Constance Barners Io. Barners and Elis. his wife Nic. Barners Marg his wife Catal. of Honour title Essex Isabell Tyrell Elis. Tyrell Sir Io Tâ—rell and Alice his wife Their children Tho. Tirell Catherine Tirrell Edward Mackwilliams his sonne Henry and Anne his wife Sir Wil. Clopton Sir Tho. Clopton Ed. Clopton Penes Simonds Dâ— Ewes Equit. aurat Autographum vidi penes S. D' Ewes Eq. aurat William Clopton Margery Clopton Abstract Releuior de Scaccar Regis termino Hill a. 37. Ed. 3. Sir Will. Clopton Knight and Ioane his wife Sir Payne Roet King of Armes Geffrey Chaucer Brother in Law by marriage to Iohn Duke of Lancaster Ex Arch. Turr. Lond. * Wryothesley Garter principall King of Armes In Arch. Turr. Lond. Kings of Armes in the raigne of King H. the 5. Hen. the Sixt. Ed. the fourth Riâ—h the third Kings in the
The antiquity of S. Maries Drury and Agnes his wife Sir William Drury Sir Robert and Sir William Drury Sir William Carew Knight and Margaret his wife Io. Carew and Marg. his wife Videsis Camd. in Penbrokeshire Io. Kemis Abbot of Bury the last Elis. Shantlow Io. Smith Io. Fiâ—erâ— The Chatter of Ed. 4. for the Foundation Ex lib. Abbatie de Bury This Colledge dedicated to the honour name of Iesus The Foundere The value The time of the foundation The definition of a Chantrie and of a Guild Id. Hen. Spelman lit G. Sir Tho. Barnardiston and Elis. his wife Barnardiston The foundation of Ikesworth Priory Cam. in Suff. The first comming of Friers Augustines into England Ioan of Acres Countesse of Glocester and Herdord Edward Mont-hermer Lionell Duke of Clarence Elis. his wife Harding c. 187. The character of Leonell Duke of Clarence Hard. ca 186.187 Leonell in election to be king of Italy Stow Annal. A most sumptuous feast Costly gifts giuen Fragments of a feast sâ—fficient to serue ten thousand men Cap. 186. Cap. 187. Catal. of Honour The foundation of Stoke Colledge Sir Edmund Mortimer Earle of March Camd. in Radnorshire Hard. cap. 201. Simon Archbishop of Canterbury The foundatioÌ„ of All Soules Chappell The foundation of Sudbury Colledge The foundation of the Friers The education of Archbishop Simon His preferments Ex Arch. Turris Lond. His death Mss In bib Cot. Sir Robert Hales The readie pronenesse of the common people to rebellion The cruelty and pride of the baser sort of people The horrible strange tones and vociferations of Balles roaring boyes these Rebels Feare and distraction caused by commotion Io Duke and â—â—ne his wife Iohn Waldegraue George Waldgraue and Anne his wife Sir Wil. Waldgraue Knight buried at Callis Stow Annal. Hollins Tho. Eden Doctor of the Lawes Will. Clopton Marg. his wife Mar. and Tho. Clopton Francis Clopton Sir Will. Cordal knight The foundation of the Priory at Butley Mic. de la Pole E. of Suffolke Gurmond king of Denmarke Gurmound christened Hard ca. 109. Hadley the Kings â—ear Sâ—ow Camd. Io. Bottold Burials The foundation of the Friâ—â—â— Preachers Buâ—ialls The foundation of the Friers Carmelites Burialls Foundation of the Grey Friers Burialls Persons Registred Iohn Albred and Agnes his wife Io Kempe and his three wiues Rob. Partrich and his wiues The Foundation of the Priory of S. Mary of Woodbridge Ex Regist. Prior de Woodbridge Sir Robert Vfford Earle of Suffolke Milles. Sir William Vfford Earle of Suffolke Raph de Vfford Lord chiefe â—ustice oâ— Ireland 〈◊〉 Annal Hiâ—era A wicked chiefe Iustice. Ioy vpon the death of the Iustice. Rob. Lambe and Alice his wife ... Lambe Symon Brooke and his wiues Christopher Willoughby and his wife The Nunnery of Campsey The foundation of a Chantrie in the Priory Church at Campsey King Edwards Charter In Arch. Turris to Lond. Raph de Vfford here buried in our Ladies Chappell The Priory of Letheringham Sir Will. Wingfield Knight Will. Wingfield Sir Rob. Wingfield Knight Wiâ—â—field knight Sir Antony Wingfield knight of the Gaâ—â—or Naunton Hâ—n Naunton Tristram Elisabeth This is likewise in the Prioty Church here at Letheringham Sir Rob Naunton Master of the Court of Wards D. Cowell lit M. Sir Andrew Buers knight and Robert his sonne Sir Rich. Waldgraue knight and Ioan his Lady Sir Rich. Waldgraue knight and Ioane his wife * Mountcheâ—sie Sir Tho. Waldgraue knight and Eliz. his wife Ed. Waldgraue and Mabell his wife Sir Will. Walde-graue knight and Margerie his wife The Antiquity of the Waldgâ—aues Sir Will. Iermey 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 his wife Wingfield Colledge Will. de la Pole 〈◊〉 of Sufâ—olke 〈◊〉 de la Pâ—le 〈◊〉 of Sufâ—â—lke Rich. dela Pole Iohn de la Pole Wingfield of Letheringham Camd. in Susâ— Sir Will. Wingfield knight Will. Wingfield and Katherine his wife Sir Rob. Wingfield and Elis. his wife Io. Appulton Ioh. Appulton and Margaret his wife Tho. Appulton Margerie Appulton Rob. Appulton and Mary his wife Alice Harpley Cotton In the pedegree of Edmund Cotton Esquire now liuing 1631. The foundation of Babewell Priory â—nna King of the East Angles and Ferminus his son Egfrid King of 〈◊〉 Lib. 〈◊〉 Hist. 3. cap. 18. Anna his issue Etheldred Abbesse of â—â—ly Sâ—â—burgh Abbesse â—f â—ly Whitgith a Menchâ—on Ethilburge Abbesse of Beâ—king Bedâ— Edelburge Abbesse 〈◊〉 Bâ—igges in France Bede Speed cap. 11. Will. Câ—lleâ— Ioan Baret Ione Ranyngham Io. Ranyngham Sim. Todyng and Ione his wife Roger Boreham and Kaâ— his wife The foundaâ—ion of the Priory of blacke Canon◠〈…〉 Meâ—â—ingham Colledge Bursyerd or Brusyerd a Nunnery 〈◊〉 foundâ—tiâ—n of Wangford Pâ—â—oâ—y The foundation of the Nunnery of Bungeâ— The Playsere â—nd Anne his wiâ—e Will. Playâ—ers Christopher Playfers Tho. and Will. Playfers The foundation of the Monastery of Eye Camd. in Sufâ— King Stephens Charter of confirmation 〈…〉 of his â—â—â—teâ— Will. Cornwalleis Rob. Bucton Sir Iohn Dennys Priest Sir Iohn Cornwalleis knight and Mary his wife Sir Tho. Cornwalleis knight and Anne his wife Camd. in Suâ—â— Hen. Cornwalleis Will. Ioice and Katherine his wife Io. Timperley Marg. his wife Will. Timperley Tho. Timperley and Etheldred his wife The foundation of Flixton Nunnery The Priory of Walton Eâ— Arch. Turris Lonâ— Cart. antiq liâ— R R. The Monastery of Edwardstow The foundation of Heringfleete Abbey The foundation of the Priory at Leiston Io. Spring Tho. Spring the rich Clothier Tho. Spring Clothier Iames Spring Sigebert king of the East-Angles a Monke His death The fâ—undaâ—â—â—on of the Mâ—nasterie of 〈◊〉 Gorlâ—â—oe Friâ—â—â— Tho Scroopâ— a Bishop in Ireland Sir Iernegon or Ierningham Stow Annal. An. reg Hen. 8.10 Ric. Wingfield Ric. Ierningham Ric. Weston Will. Kingstone Knights Ierningham Iennings The foundation of Snape Pâ—â—â—ry The 〈◊〉 of Hâ—â—on The foundation of Wykes Monastery Iohn Ewell and Agnes his wife George Hamund Lady Thomasin Hamund Abell Sir Iohn Howard and Lady Alice his wife Sir Will. Tendring knight and Katherin his wife Ioan Redmeld Katherin de Tenderyng Lady Windsore Iohn Peyton Sir Io. Peyton Knight Camd. in Cambridgeshire The foundation of the Monastery of Dodnath 〈◊〉 foundaâ—â—â—â— of Sibton â—â—â—ey The Foundation of the Priory of Relingfield Rendlesham a Towne of great note in former times Beda li. 2. ca. 25. Camd. in Suff Speed ca 19. Redwald Swidâ—lm kings of the East Angles Ratisford Hospitall Rombrughe Camd. in 〈◊〉 Iohn Textor Burialls at Fernham Sir Rich. Lucie found buried in the Abbey of Lesnes Ann. 1030. 〈◊〉 Gregories Church in â—â—â—lbury In Allhalowes at Sudbury In the Cherche of Chylton In the Church of Acton In the Chercâ— of Ikelingham In S. Maryes Cherche at Bery In the Cherch of Saxam parua In the Cherch of Hauerell In the Cherch of Thurloo magna In Dallam Cherch In the Cherch of Wetherden In the Cherch of Bucsall In the Cherch of Cretynge In the Cherch of Badley In the Cherch Wâ—theringâ—t In the Cherch of Eye In the Cherch of Yaxley In the
die mensis Iunii Ann. M. ccccc xxii Here lyth Robert Newport Esqwyr founder of this Chapel and Mary his wyff Whych Robert dyed xvii of Nouember M. ccccc.xviii Orate pro anima Georgii Newport Ar. et Margarete vxoris eius que Margareta obiit xx lanurii M. cccc.lxvii et Georgius obiit xxviii Octob. M. cccc lxxxiiii These Newports here very faire entombed were gentlemen as I was enformed of ample reuenues in these parts whose inheritance came by marriage to the Parkers the Ancestors of the Lord Morley .... Iohannes de Lee et Iohanna vxor .... The armes and date gone .... Sir Waltar at Lea alias Sir Walter at clay ... His wife lieth by him the Monument is ancient but fouly defaced Hic iacent Iohannes Barloe et Iohanna vxor eius qui quidem Iohannes obiit .... M. cccc.xx et predicta Ioanna obiit xv Februar M. cccc xix Hic iacent Henricus Barloe Ar. qui obiit v. die Ianuarii M. cccc lxxv et Katherina vxor eius que ob .... M. cccc lxiiii An ancient and well allied familie one of which house namely William was in especiall fauour and trust with King Henry the seuenth Burnt Pelham In the wall of this Church lieth a most ancient Monument A stone wherein is figured a man and about him an Eagle a Lion and a Bull hauing all wings and a fourth of the shape of an Angell as if they should represent the foure Euangelists vnder the feet of the man is a crosse Flourie and vnder the Crosse a Serpent He is thought to haue beene sometime the Lord of an ancient decaied House well moated not farre from this place called O Piers Shoonkes He flourished Ann. Ã conquestu vicesimo primo Sabridgworth vulgarly Sabsworth Hic iacent Iohannes Leuenthorp Ar. qui obijt xxvii mens Maij M. cccc.xxxiii Katherina vx eius que obiit v. die Octob. M. cccc.xxxi quorum ... This Iohn was one of the Executours of the last Will and Testament of King Henry the fifth Hic iacent Iohannes Leuenthorp Ar. qui obiit vltimo die mensis Maij M. cccc.lxxxiiii Ioanna vxor eius que obiit xxix Augusti M. cccc.xl viii En iacet hic puluis putredo vermis et esca Et Famulus mortis nam vita iam caret ista Hic nil scit nil habet nec virtus inde relucet Cerne luto vilius horror terror fetor orbis Opprobrium cunctis ac est abiectio plebis Hic frater aspice te spira suffragia pro me Hic iacet Isabella vxor Iohannis Leuenthorp de Sabridgworth in Com. Hart. quondam vxor Roberti Southwel de Thachint in eodem Com. et filia Iohannis Boys .... in Com. Lincolne que obiit xx Iulij M. cccc.lxxxi Cuius Hic iacet Agnes soror Iohannis Leuenthorp Ar. que obiit x die Decemb. M. cccc.xliiii In this Church are diuers other Monuments of later times to the memorie of the Leuenthorps whose habitation is neare at Shingle-hall which is honoured by her owners being of such worth and ancient gentrie Hic iacent Iohannes Chancy Ar. filius et heres Iohannis Chancy Ar. filii heredis Willelmi Chancy militis quondam Baronis de Shorpenbek in Com. Ebor. et Anna vxor eius vna filiarum Iohannis Leuenthorp Ar. qui quidem Iohannes obiit vii Maii M. cccc.lxxix et Anna ii Decembris M cccc lxxvii quorum animabus Of yowr cherite sey a Pater Noster and an Ave For the sowl of William Chancy On whos sowl Iesu hav mercy Hic iacent Galfredus Ioslyne Katherina ac Ioanna vxor eius qui obiit ii Ianuar. M. cccc lxx Orate pro anima Radulphi Ioslyne quondam militis et bis Maioratus Ciuitatis London qui obiit xxv Octob. M. cccc.lxxviii This Sir Raph Ioslyne or Iosceline was the sonne of the foresaid Geffrey Iosceline here interred He was inuested knight of the Bath with Sir Thomas Cooke Sir Mathew Philip and Sir Henry Weeuer Citizens at the Coronation of Queene Elizabeth the wife of King Edward the fourth in the yeare 1465. The first time of his Maioraltie was in the yeare 1464. the other not long before his death He was a carefull corrector of the abuses vsed by Bakers and Victuallers of the Citie of London and by his diligence the walls of the said Citie were repaired This name as I was told doth still flourish in this tract Bishops Stortford So called because it belongs to the See of London giuen vnto it by William the Conquerour in the time of Mauritius Bishop of this Diocesse Hic iacent Thomas Fleming .... 1436. Hic iacet Ioanna Fleming vx Tho. Fleming .... 1411. A familie whose numerous branches haue spread themselues through England Scotland and Wales euer since the time of Sir Iohn le Fleming knight who flourished in the raigne of king William Rufus Hic iacent Iohannes Algar Matilda vxor eius qui quidem Iohannes obiit Ann. M. cccc lxxxiiii ... Matilda M. cccc lxxx Brawghing Orate pro anima Nicholai Coton filii et heredis Iohannis Coton quondma de Pantfeeld in Com. Essex qui ob 25. Aug. 1500. For whos sowl I pray yow of yowr cheritie say a Pater Noster and an Ave. Here lyeth Thomas Greene the soonne of Nicholas Greene who dyed 2. March 1484. Here lyth Ioan lat wyff of Thomas Rustwyne and dawter of Nicholas Greene who dyed .... 1400. Here are many Monuments of the Greenes quite defaced Saint Margarets by Hodsden Hic .... Iohannes de Goldington Ar. filius Iohannis de Goldington Ar. filii Iohannis de Goldington militis filii .... M. cccc xix Here are many other funerall Monuments in this little Church which haue beene inlayd and inscribed in brasse with the pourtraitures armes and Epitaphs of this ancient familie of the Goldingtons now all defaced and gone Brocksbourne Here lyth Dame Elisabyth somtym wyff to Syr Iohn Say knyght dawter to Lawrence Cheyne Esqwyr of Cambridg Shyre A woman of nobyl blode and most nobyl in grace and mannors She dyed xxv Septem M. cccc.lxxiii and was enterryd in this parysh Church abyding the body of her said Husband whos sowls God bring to euerlastyng lyff Of yowr cheritie prey for the sowl of Sir William Say knight deceased late Lord of the Mannour of Base his fader and moder Geneuese and Elisabyth his wyffs who died iiii Decemb. M. ccccc.xxix.xxi Hen. oclaui This Sir William Say built the north Isle of this Church as by an inscription in the glasse window may be gathered This familie flourished here for many descents euen vntill the death of this Sir William whose inheritance for want of heires male was diuided amongst his daughters of which hereafter Here lyeth Iohn Borrell Sergeant at Armes to Henry the eight and Elizabyth his wyff who
dyed M. ccccc.xxxi Cheston Quem tegit iste lapis Radcliffe cognomine functus .... et in cineres vertitur vnde fuit Icy gist Damoselle Iohanne clay que trespassa l'an de Grace M. cccc.le xxii iour Octobre iour Saint M. lun Euesque Here sometime stood a little Nunnery I know not by whom founded but thus it is confirmed in the Catal. of religious houses Henr. Rex Anglie Dominus Hibernie Dux Normannie Aquitanie et comes Angedauie c. Shestrehunt Monial totam terram Dom. ten cum pertinentijs suts que canonicis de cathele c. quos amoueri fecimus dat apud West xi Aug. Anno Regni nostri xxiiii This Nunnery was valued in the Exchequer to be yeerely worth twenty seuen pound sixe shillings eight pence This village is called in old Writings Chesthunte Shestrehunte and Norden saith cur non Chestin Castanetum of Chesnut Trees Bishops Hatfield This Church is much honoured by the Sepulture of that prudent great Statesman Robert Baron Cecill Earle of Salisbury Lord Treasurer of England father of William Lord Cecill Earle of Salisbury one of the honourable priuy Councell now liuing Anno 1630. and keeping royall hospitality at his Mansion house hereunto adioyning which sometimes did belong to the Bishops of Ely whereupon it was named Bishops Hatfield Of Robert this Earle here interred I shall speake more when I come to let downe his Epitaph Harding Hic iacent Wilielmus Seabroke qui obijt 2 April 1462. et Ioana vxor eius ...... quorum ... Orate pro animabus Mathei Cressy et Iohanne vxoris eius quondam filie Edmundi Peryent Ar. et Anne dicti Mathei vxoris quondam filie Thome Vernon Armigeri que Iohanna obijt xxix Nouemb. M. cccc.lxxviii Hic iacent Wilielmus Anabul et Isabella vxor eius qui quidem Wilielmus obiit 4 die Octob. 1456. Saint Albans Abbey I thinke it not much amisse to speake a little of this Protomartyr of England Saint Alban whose reliques lie here interred to whose name and for his eternall commemoration both this Towne and Monastery werâ— built and consecrated He was a Citizen and a Knight of that famous Citie Verulam which stood hereby beyond the little riuer who giuing entertainement at his own house to Amphibalus a Christian and one of the Clergie was by him his guest conuerted from Paganisme to the true profession of Iesus Christ and when Dioclesian who made Maximian his companion in the Empire went about by exquisite torments to wipe Christian Religion quite out of the memory of men was the first in Britaine that with inuincible constancie and resolution suffered death for Christ his sake of which persecution â—s also of his Martyrdome my often alledged Author Robert of Glocester shall tell you in his old verse Two Emperors of Rome wer on Dioclesian And anoder hys felaw that het Maximian And wer both at on tym the on in the Este ende The oder in the west of the world alle cristendom to shende For the luther Maximian westwarde hider soughte And christen men that he fonde to strang deth he broughte Churchen he pulde a doun ther ne moste non stonde And al the bokes that he myghte fynde in eny londe He wolde late berne echon amydde the heygh strete And the christenmen asle and non alyue lete Such God was yvor vpon cristendom Such persecucion as ther was hadde ther be non For yunâ—a monethe ther wer seuentene thou send and mo I martred for our Lordes Loue nas ther a grete wo Wyth oute oder grete halwen that hii heold longe in torment As Seynt Cristene and Seynt Feye and also Seynt Uincent Fabian and Sebastian and othur as men rede That heold faste in the fey and hadde non drede And among men of this londe ther wer many on I martred at thulke tym Seint Albon was on He was the furste Martir of Brutayn that com Muche was the shome men dude in Christendom Undyr this Luther Emperor Another not so ancient hath it thus The Emperour Dioclesyan Into Britayne then sent Maximian This Maximian to surname Hercelius A Tyraunte false that Christente anoyed Through all Britayne of werke malicious The christoned folke felly and sore destroyed And thus the people with him foule accloyed Religyous men the Prests and Clerkes all Wemen with chylde and bedred folkes all Chyldren soukyng vpon the mothers pappis The mothers also withouten any pytee And chyldren all in their mothers lappis The crepyls eke and all the christentee He killed and slewe with full grete cruelte The Churches brent all bokes or ornaments Bellys reliquys that to the Churche appendes He slew that tyme and martyred Saint Albone Now when neither perswasions nor cruell torments could make him forsake the true faith such was the sentence of his death as I finde it in a legend of his passion and martyrdome which to giue your palate variety I will set downe in such English as I haue in the said Legend or Agon In the tyme of the Emperoure Dioclesyan Albone Lorde of Uerolamye Prynce of Knyghts and Stewarde of all Brutayne durynge his lif hath despysyd Iubyter and Apollyn oure Goddes and to them hath doo derogacyon and disworschyp wherfor by the Lawe he is iudged to be deed by the honde of somme knyght and the body to be buried in the same place where his heed shal be smyten of and his sepulture to be made worshcipfully for thonoure of knyghthode wherof he was Prynce and also the crosse whych he bare and Sklauin that he ware shold be buried wyth hym and his body to be closyd in a Cheste of leed and so layed in his sepulture This sentence hath the Lawe ordeyned by cause he hath renyed our principall Goddes His iudgement being giuen after this manner he was brought from the Citie Veralam to this his place of execution which as then was an hill in a wood called Holme-hurst where at one stroke his head was smitten off But his Executioner saith venerable Bede had short ioy of his wicked deede for his eyes fell to the ground with the head of the holy Martyr of which will you heare another writer Thousands of torments when he had endur'd for Christ his sake At length he died by dome thus giuen his head away to take The Tortor proudly did the feat but cleere he went not quit That holy Martyr lost his head this cruell wretch his sight He suffered martyrdome in the yeare of Christ saith Stow 293. the twentieth day of Iune saith Bede howsoeuer the two and twentieth day of the same moneth was appointed by the Church to be kept holy to his memory as we haue it in our English Calender Many Miracles are said to be wrought by this sacred Martyr both liuing and dead but I will leaue them for that they will be thought incredulous in this age and come to the foundation of this Abbey The Sepulchres of
was conceiued of his further proceedings had not God cut him off by vntimely death the 17. day of September in the yeare of our Lord God 796. and in the first of his raigne hauing had neither wife nor issue His bodie with all due obsequies was here Princely interred neare to the Shrine of S. Alban This Abbey Church was likewise honoured with the Sepulture of Robert Mowbray Earle of Northumberland whose storie out of many writers is in this manner extracted This Robert Mowbray a most valiant Souldier seeing his countrey destroyed and ouerrunne euen vnto Alnewicke castle by Malcolme King of Scotland and his armie made head against the said Malcolme not staying for directions from his King William Rufus and so sore and suddenly distressed his forces that both king Malcolme himselfe and his sonne Prince Edward were there slaine Hereupon this Earle growing proud and greatly suspected by King William began to fortifie the Kings Castles with munition for Armes against the like inuasion and indeed against the Kings will who sent him word somewhat roughly to desist from his doings and presently to repaire to his presence which whilest he lingered and neglected to do king William sent his brother Henry to spoile Northumberland and immediately followed after himselfe where without much adoe he tooke the Earle and committed him prisoner to Windsor Castle This Robert Mowbray and William of Anco with others conspired to depriue the King both of Crowne and life and to haue set vp Stephen de Albamarle his Aunts sonne as Houeden and Walsingham will haue it But I reade in an old Manuscript that he fauouring the proceedings of Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury Pro amore bono Ecclesie innocentem vitam finiebat Cuius anime propitietur Deus As the words are Rex ipsum cum alijs decollari mandauit The king commanded that he with others should be beheaded his companion Anco being punished with losse both of his eyes and his virilitie He died in prison saith one writer In ipso Ergastulo deficiens mortuus est regnante Henrico Rege Whose Lands in Normandy as also for the most part here in England the said King Henry gaue to Nigell de Albeney viro probo et illustri Another writer tells vs that he married Maud the daughter of Richerius de Aquila a potent man in the Conquerours dayes and that after foure and thirtie yeares of imprisonment hee died without issue in these words Mathildis autem potenti viro Roberto de Molbraio Comiti Norbandum brorum nupsit qui eodem anno contra Willielmum Rufum Regem Anglorum rebellauit Sed paulo post captus fere 34. annis in carcere praefati Regis Henrici fratris eius sine prole consenuit The same Author deliuers his marriage thus in another place Robertus vt fines suos vndique dilataret ditissimis contubernalibus affinitate potentum sibi copulatis robustior ardua tentaret Mathildem generosam virginem Richerij de Aquila duxit quae neptis erat Hugonis Cestrensis Comitis ex sorore nomine Iudith And in the said page he sets downe his character and the number of the Lordships which he possest here in England with his great power and riches thus Robertus Rogerij de Molbraio filius potentia diuitijsque admodum pollebat audacia et militari feritate superbus pares despiciebat superioribus obtemperare vana ventositate turgidus indignum autumabat Erat autem corpore magnus niger et hispidus audax dolosus vultu tristis ac seuerus Plus meditari quam loqui studebat et vix in confabulatione ridebat Hic nimirum cclxxx villas in Anglia possidebat This man of this high spirit and ample possessions became in the end to bee a shorne Monke of this Monastery as you may reade in the Catalogues of Honour wherein hee died Ann. 1106. To whose memory a Monke of his order made this Epitaph Which he caused to be engrauen vpon his Monument vpon the North side of the Vestrie where he was interred Vir probus fortis quem virtus nescia mortis Condecorat cista iacet hic Robertus in ista Cui dat cognomen Moulbraia nobile nomen Norhandunbrorum comes fuit hic Monachorum Dux erat optatus prudens pius peramatus Hic Monachus fidus hic Martisin agmine sidus Exijt è terris huius mundi quoque guerris Anno milleno Domini centenoque seno Quarta die Februi Pax sit eique mihi Amen Here sometimes was interred the bodie of Alexander Necham whose knowledge in good Arts made him famous throughout England France Italie yea and the whole world and that with such incredible admiration that he was called Miraculum ingenij the wonder and miracle of wit and sapience He was an exact Philosopher an excellent Diuine an accurate Rhetorician and an admirable Poet. As did appeare by many his writings which he left to posteritie some of which are mentioned by Bale He was borne in this Towne as appeares by a certaine passage in one of his Latine Poems cited by Camden and thus englished by his Translator Doctor Holland This is the place that knowledge tooke of my natiuitie My happie yeares my dayes also of mirth and iollitie This place my childhood trained vp in all Arts liberall And laid the groundworke of my name and skill Poeticall This place great and renowned Clerkes into the world hath sent For Martyr blest for nation for site all excellent A troupe here of religious men serue Christ both night and day In holy warfare taking paines duly to watch and pray Camden in his Allusions to names tells vs that he being desirous to enter into religion in this house after he had signified his desire writ thus to the Abbot Laconically Si vis veniam sin autem tu autem Who answered as briefly alluding to his name thus Si bonus sis venias si nequam nequaquam Whereupon saith he he changed his name to Neckam A Monke of this house made this Hexamiter allusiuely to his name Dictus erat Nequam vitam duxit tamen equam He is thought by some saith Bale to haue beene a Canon Regular and to haue beene preferred to the Abbotship of Glocester as another in this old language will haue it And master Alisander that Chanon was er I maked was of Gloucestre Abbot thulk yer viz. 7. Reg. Regis Iohannis But this may be vnderstood of Alexander Theologus of whom I haue spoken elsewhere who was contemporarie with him for I finde that this Alexander was Abbot of Saint Maries in Circester or Cirencester At the time of his death which happened about foure hundred and thirteene yeares since Alexander cognomento Nequam Abbas Cirecestrie literarum scientia clarus obiit Ann. Dom. 1217. lit Dom. C. prid Kal. Feb sepultus erat apud Fanum S. Albani cuius anime propitietur Altissimus Amen Now if