entertain'd a design to depose him For which after he was dead he was attainted of High Treason by Act of Parliament He being thus taken off the same King gave the title of Earl of Glocester to Thomas De-Spencer 38 In the right of his great Grandmother who a little while after met with no better fate than his great Grandfather 39 Sir Hugh Hugh had before him for he was prosecuted by Henry 4 and ignominiously degraded and beheaded at Bristol 40 By the Peoples fury Henry 5. created his brother Humphry the second Duke of Glocester who us'd to stile himself 41 In the first year of King Henry 6. as I have seen in an Instrument of his Humphrey by the Grace of God Son Brother and Uncie to Kings Luke of Glocester Earl of Hainault Holland Zeeland and Pembroke Lord of Friseland Great Chamberlain of the Kingdom of England Protector and Defender of the same Kingdom and Church of England Son Brother and Uncle of Kings Duke of Glocester Earl of Pembroke and Lord high Chamberlain of England He was a great Friend and Patron both of his Country and Learning but by the contrivance 42 Of a Woman of a woman he was taken off at St. Edmunds-Bury The third and last Duke was Richard the third brother to King Edward 4. who having inhumanly murther'd his Nephews usurp'd the Throne which within the space of two years he lost with his life in a pitcht battle and found by sad experience That an unsurped power unjustly gain'd is never lasting Richard 3. Concerning this last Duke of Glocester and his first entrance upon the Crown give me leave to act the part of an Historian for a while which I shall presently lay aside again as not being sufficiently qualify'd for such an undertaking When he was declared Protector of the Kingdom and had his two young nephews Edward 5. King of England and Richard Duke of York in his power he began to aim at the Crown and by a profuse liberality great gravity mixed with singular affability deep wisdom impartial Justice to all people joyned with other subtle devices he procured the affections of all and particularly gained the Lawyers on his side and so managed the matter that there was an humble Petition in the name of the Estates of the realm offer'd him in which they earnestly pray'd him That for the publick good of the Kingdom and safety of the People he would accept the Crown and thereby support his tottering Country and not suffer it to fall into utter ruin which without respect to the laws of Nature and those of the establish'd Government had been harrassed and perplexed with civil wars rapines murders and all other sorts of miseries ever since Edward 4. his brother being enchanted with love potions had contracted that unhappy march with Elizabeth Grey widow without the consent of Nobles or publication of Banns in a clandestine manner and not in the face of the Congregation contrary to the laudable custom of the Church of England And what was worse when he had pre-contracted himself to the Lady Eleanor Butler daughter to the Earl of Shrewsbury from whence it was apparent that his marriage was undoubtedly unlawful and that the issue proceeding thence must be illegitimate and not capable of inheriting the Crown Moreover since George Duke of Clarence second brother of Edward 4. was by Act of Parliament attainted of High Treason and his children excluded from all right of succession none could be ignorant that Richard remained the sole and undoubted heir of the kingdom who being born in England they well knew would seriously consult the good of his native Country and of whose birth and legitimacy there was not the least question or dispute whose wisdom also justice gallantry of mind and warlike exploits valiantly performed for the good of the Nation and the splendor of his noble extract as descended from the royal race of England France and Spain they were very well acquainted with and fully understood Wherefore having seriously considered again and again of these and many other reasons they did freely and voluntarily with an unanimous consent according to their Petition elect him to be their King and with prayers and tears out of the great confidence they had in him humbly besought him to accept of the Kingdom of England France and Ireland which were doubly his both by right of inheritance and election and that for the love which he bore to his native Country he would stretch forth his helping hand to save and protect it from impendent ruin Which if he performed they largely promis'd him all faith duty and allegiance otherwise they were resolv'd to endure the utmost extremity rather than suffer themselves to be brought into the bonds of a disgraceful slavery from which at present they were freed This humble Petition was presented to him before he accepted the Crown afterwards it was also offered in the great Council of the Nation and approved of and by their authority it was enacted and declared in a heap of words as the custom is That by the Laws of God Nature and of England and by a most laudable Custom Richard after a lawful Election Inauguration and Coronation was and is the true and undoubted King of England c. and that the inheritance of these Kingdoms rightfully belongs to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten and to use the very words as they are penned in the original Records It was enacted decreed and declar'd by authority of Parliament that all and singular the Contents in the aforesaid Bill are true and undoubted and that the same our Lord the King with the assent of the three Estates of the Realm and the authority aforesaid doth pronounce decree and declare the same to be true and undoubted I have more largely explained these matters that it may be understood how far the power of a Prince pretended godliness subtle arguings of Lawyers flattering hope cowardly fear desire of new changes and specious pretences may prevail against all right and justice even upon the great and wise assembly of the Nation But the same cannot be said of this Richard as was of Galba That he had been thought fit for Empire had he not reigned for he seated in the Empire deceived all mens expectations but this had been most worthy of a Kingdom had he not aspired thereunto by wicked ways and means so that in the opinion of the wise he is to be reckon'd in the number of bad men but of good Princes But I must not forget that I am a Chorographer and so must lay aside the Historian There are in this County 280 Parishes ADDITIONS to GLOCESTERSHIRE a GLocestershire in Saxon Gleaƿceastre-scyre and Gleaƿcestre-scyre is said to be in length 60 miles in breadth 26 and in circumference 190. The Vineyards mention'd by our Author have nothing left in this County but the places nam'd from them one near Tewkesbury at present
raised Edmund Crouchback his younger son to whom he had given the estate and honours of Simon Montfort Earl of Leicester of Robert Ferrars Earl of Derby and of John of Monmouth for rebelling against him to the Earldom of Lancaster Eaâ—â—â—â— Lancastâ—â— giving it in these words The Honour Earldom Castle and the Town of Lancaster with the Cow-pastures and Forests of Wiresdale Lownsdale Newcastle under Lime with the Manour Forest and a Castle of Pickering the Manour of Scaleby the Village of Gomecestre and the Rents of the Town of Huntendon c. after he had lost the Kingdom of Sicily with which the Pope by a ring invested him to no purpose and what expos'd the English to the publick scoff and laughter of the world he caus'd pieces of gold to be coyn'd with this Inscription AIMUNDUS REX SICILIAE 〈…〉 having first chous'd and cully'd the credulous King out of much money upon that account The said Edmund his first wife dying without issue who was the daughter and heir of the Earl of Albemarle 10 Of William de Fortibus Earl c. yet by her last Will made him her heir had by his second wife Blanch of Artois of the 〈…〉 Royal Family of France Thomas and Henry and John who dy'd very young Thomas was the second Earl of Lancaster who married Alice the only daughter and heir of Henry Lacy Earl of Lincoln she convey'd this and her mother's estate who was of the family of the Long Espee's Earls of Salisbury as likewise her father Henry Lacy had done before with his own Lands in case Alice should dye without issue as indeed it afterwards hapen'd over to the family of Lancaster But this Thomas for his Insolence and disrespect to his Prince Edward the second and for imbroiling the State was at last taken prisoner in the field and beheaded having no issue However his Sentence was afterwards revers'd by Act of Parliament because he was not try'd by his Peers and so his brother Henry succeeded him in his estate and honours He was also enrich'd by his wife Maud daughter and sole heir of Patrick Chaworth and that not only with her own but with great estates in Wales namely of Maurice of London and of Siward from whom she was descended He dying left a son Henry 〈…〉 whom Edward the third rais'd from Earl to a Duke and he was the second of our Nobility that bore the title of Duke But he dy'd without issue-male leaving two daughters Mawd and Blanch between whom the Inheritance was divided Mawd was married to William of Bavaria Earl of Holland Zeland Friseland Hanault and of Leicester too in right of his wife But she dying without issue John of Gaunt so call'd because he was born at Gaunt in Flanders fourth son of Edward the third by marriage with Blanch the other daughter of Henry came to the whole estate And now being equal to many Kings in wealth and created Duke of Lancaster by his father he also obtain'd the Royalties of him The King too advanc'd the County of Lancaster into a Palatinate by this Rescript wherein after he has declar'd the great service he had done his Country both at home and abroad he adds We have granted for us and our heirs to our son aforesaid that he during the term of life shall have within the County of Lancaster his Chancery and his Writs to be issued out under his own Seal belonging to the Office of Chancellor his Justices likewise as well for Pleas of the Crown as for other Pleas relating to Common Law to have cognisance of them and to have power of making all Executions whatsoever by his Writs and Officers And to have all other Liberties and Royalties of what kind soever appertaining to a County Palatine as freely and as fully as the Earl of Chester within the said County is known to have c. Nor was he only Duke of Lancaster but also by marriage with Constantia daughter of Peter King of Castile John of Gaunt K. of Castile for some time bore the title of King of Leon and Castile But by contract he parted with this title and in the 13th of King Richard the second was created by consent of Parliament Duke of Aquitain 11 To have and to hold the same title for term of life of the King of England and Monarch of France but to the general disgust of the inhabitants of the Province of Aquitain who gave it out that their Seigniory was inseparably annext to the Crown of England to the great dissatisfaction of that Country At that time his titles were John son to the King of England Duke of Aquitain and Lancaster Earl of Derby Lincoln and Leicester and high Steward of England After this John Henry de Bullingbroke his son succeeded in the Dutchy of Lancaster 12 Who when he had dispossess'd Richard the second and obtain'd the Kingdom of England he considering that being now King he could not bear the title of Duke of Lancaster and unwilling that the said title should be discontinu'd ordain'd by assent of Parliament that Henry his present son should enjoy the same and be stil'd Prince of Wales Duke of Aquitain Lancaster and Cornwall and Earl of Chester and also that the Liberties and Franchises of the Dutchy of Lancaster should remain to his said son sever'd from the Crown of England who having deposed Richard the second obtain'd the Crown and conferr'd this honour upon Heny his son K. Henr. 4. afterwards King of England And that he might entail it upon him and his heirs for ever he had an Act of Parliament made in these words We being unwilling that our said inheritance or its liberties by reason of our now assuming the Royal state and dignity should be any ways chang'd transferr'd diminish'd or impair'd but that our said inheritance with its rights and liberties aforesaid should in the same manner and form condition and state wherein they descended and fell to us and also with all and singular liberties franchises and other privileges commodities and profits whatsoever which our Lord and Father in his life time had and held it withal for term of his life by the grant of the late King Richard be wholly and fully preserv'd continu'd and enjoy'd by us and our heirs specified in the said Charters And by the tenure of these presents we do upon our certain knowledge and with the consent of this our present Parliament grant declare decree and ordain for us and our heirs that as well our Dutchy of Lancaster as all and singular Counties Honours Castles Manours Fees Advowsons Possessions Annuities and Seigniories whatsoever descended to us before the Royal Dignity was obtain'd by us how or in what place soever by right of inheritance in possession or in reversion or other way remain to us and our said heirs specified in the Charters abovesaid after the said manner for ever Afterwards King Henry the fifth by Act
Parliament that separates that Dutchy from the Crown of England King Hen. 4. grants Quascunque alias libertates jura Regalia ad Comitatum Palatinum pertinentia adeo liberè integrè sicut Comes Cestriae infrà eundem Comitatum Cestriae dignoscitur obtinere Which ancient reference proves plainly that the County of Chester was esteem'd the most ancient and best setled Palatinate in this Kingdom And although the Bishop of Durham doth in ancient Plea lay claim to Royal jurisdiction in his Province à tempore conquestûs anteà yet it is evident that not Durham it self much less Ely Hexamshire or Pembroke was erected into a County Palatine before Chester And as this is the most ancient so is it the most famous and remarkable Palatinate in England insomuch that a late Author Bâ—cman who usually mistakes in English affairs says of Cheshire Comitatui singulare est quòd Titulum Palatinatus gerat solis Germanis alià s notum b Having premis'd thus much concerning the nature of Palatinates let us enter upon the County it self wherein the river Dee first leads us to Banchor Banâ—hâ—â— famous for the Monastery there But before we go any farther it will be necessary to arm the reader against a mistake in * Mâ—â— i◠〈…〉 Poâ—â—â—â—â— Malmesbury who confounds this with the Episcopal seat in Caernarvonshire call'd Bangor whereas as Mr. Burton observes the latter was like a Colony drawn out of the former That Gildas the most ancient of our British writers was a member of this place we have the authority of Leland but upon what grounds he thinks so is not certain †Bâ—â— Eâ—â—â—â— lib. â— As for Dinothus he was undoubtedly Abbot there and sent for to meet Austin at the Synod which he call'd here in this Island Whether Pelagius the Heretick beiong'd also to this place as Camden intimates is not so certain Ranulphus Cestrensis tells us in his time it was thought so by some people ‖ Pâ—â—câ—◠〈◊〉 c. 3 Tradunt nonnulli c. and John of Tinmouth in the life of St. Alban expresly says that he was Abbot here But this man's relation to the place is not like to derive much honour upon it the remains of Roman and British Antiquity that have been discover'd there by the Plough-men for now the place is all corn-fields are a much greater testimony of it's ancient glory * Lâ—â—â— Such are the bones of Monks and vestures squar d stones Roman coyns and the like c From hence the river Dee runs to Chester the various names whereof are all fetch'd from the affairs of the Romans the British from the Legion and the Saxon Ceaster from the Fortifications made in that place upon account of the Legion being there quarter'd That the Legio xx was there is agreed on all hands but by what name it was call'd or when it came over are points not so certain but they may admit of some dispute For the first it is generally call'd Legio Vicesima Victrix and Camden assents to it but that seems to be defective if we may depend upon the authority of an old Inscription upon an Altar digg'd up in Chester A. D. 1653. and compar'd with what Dio has said of this Legion The Inscription is this I. O. M. TANARO T. ELVPIVS GALER PRAESENS GWTA PRI·LEG·XXW COMMODO · ET LATERANO COS. V. S. L. M. Which I read thus Jovi Optimo Maximo Tanaro Titus Elupius Galerius Praesens Gubernator Principibus Legionis Vicesimae Victricis Valeriae Commodo Laterano Consulibus Votum solvit lubens merito For if that Legion was call'd simply Vicesima Victrix what occasion was there for doubling the V To make it Vigesima quinta would be a conjecture altogether groundless and yet if the first V denote Victrix the second must signifie something more 'T is true Mr. Camden never saw this Altar yet another he had seen which was digg'd up at Crowdundal-waith in Westmorland should have oblig'd him not to be too positive that those who thought it might be call'd Valens Victrix or Valentia Victrix were necessarily in an errour VARONIV ......... ECTVS LEG XX. V. V. c. Here also we see the V. is doubl'd Whether the latter signifie Valeria will best appear out of Dio that great Historian who in his recital of the Roman Legions preserv'd under Augustus hath these words concerning the 20th Legion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 20th Legion saith Dio which is also call'd Valeria and Victrix is now in Upper-Britain which Augustus preserv'd together with the other Legion that hath the name of Vicesima and hath it's winter-quarters in Lower-Germany and neither now is nor then was usually and properly call'd Valeria Mr. Burton is induc'd by the Westmorland-monument to make an addition to Victrix and sets down Valens but why this passage should not have induc'd him rather to make choice of Valeria I confess I perceive no â—eason For first the distinction he makes between the Vicesima in Britain and that in Germany is plain not only from the natural constâ—uction of the words but likewise because Dio's 19 Legions which were kept entire by Augustus cannot otherwise be made up Next supposing this distinction 't is very evident that he positively applies the name Valeria to the first and as plainly denies that the second ever had that title And why should not we as well allow the name of Valeria to this as we do to other Legions the additional titles of Ulpia Flavia Claudia Trajana Antoniana The second head When this Legion came over or when they were here settl'd cannot be precisely determin'd That this was a Colony settl'd by Julius Caesar as Malmesbury seems to affirm implies what never any one dreamt of that Julius Caesar was in those territories Giving an account of the name Caerlegion he lays down this reason of it quod ibi emeriti Legionum Julianarum resedere The learned 4 Selden would excuse the Monk by reading Militarium for Julianarum 〈◊〉 ad 〈…〉 but that his own ancient Manuscript would not allow To bring him off the other way by referring Julianarum not to Caesar but Agricola who in Vespasian's time had the sole charge of the British affairs seems much more plausible Before that time we find this Legion mention'd by Tacitus in the Lower-Germany and their boisterous behaviour there And in Nero's time the same Author acquaints us with their good services in that memorable defeat which Suetonius Paulinus gave to Queen Boadicia So that whenever they might settle at Chester to repel the incursions of the active Britains it plainly appears they came over before Galba's time from the reign of which Emperour notwithstanding Mr. Camden dates their landing here Another Altar was found at Chester with this Inscription It was discover'd by the Architect in digging for a Cellar in the house of Mr. Heath and was view'd and delineated by Mr. Henry Prescott a curious Gentleman of that city to whom we are
thought it prudence to engage them with so great an honour when it seem'd most convenient Mary Elizabeth and Edward the children of Henry the eighth although they receiv'd not the Investiture and Patent were yet successively stil'd Princes of Wales For at that time Wales was by Act of Parliament so united and incorporated with England 26 Heâ— that they enjoy'd the same Laws and Privileges 4 Or that you may read it abridg'd out of the Act of Parliament The Kings Country or Dominion of Wales shall stand and continue for ever incorporated united and annex'd to and with the Realm of England and all and singular person and persons born and to be born in the said Principality Country or Dominion of Wales shall have enjoy and inherit all and singular Freedoms Liberties Rights Privileges and Laws within this Realm and other the King's Dominions as other the King's Subjects naturally born within the same have enjoy and inherit and the Laws Ordinances and Statutes of the Realm of England for ever and none other shall be had used practised and executed in the said Country or Dominion of Wales and every part thereof in like manner form and order as they be and shall be in this Realm and in such like manner and form as hereafter shall be fâ—rther establish'd and ordain'd This Act and the calm Command of King Henry 7. preparing way for it effected that in a short time which the violent power of other King's arms and especially of Henry the fourth with extream rigour also of laws could not draw on in many years For ever since the British Nation hath continued as faithful and dutiful in their loyal allegiance to the Crown of England as any other part of the Reâ—lm But now let us return out of Wales into England and proceed to the Country of the Brigantes An INDEX of the Curiosities represented in the TABLE Fig. 1. 2. THE carv'd pillar or monument call'd Maen y Chwyvan in Flintshire Fig. 3. 4. The pillars describ'd in the Hall at Kaer-phyli Castle in Glamorganshire Fig. 5. The Alabaster Statue found near Porth Shini Krân in Monmouthshire Fig. 6. Maen y Morynnion at Gaer near Brecknock Fig. 7. The chequer'd Pavement discover'd Anno 1692. at Kaer Lheion in Monmouthshire Fig. 8. A hollow Brick out of a Roman Hypocaust at KaerhÅ·n in Caernarvonshire Fig. 9. The Phiala or Bowl describ'd at Kaer Lheion in Monmouthshire Fig. 10. One of the leaden Boxes mention'd at Lhan Boydy in Caermardhinshire Fig. 11. 12. The same open'd Fig. 13. A brass-axe found at Moel yr Henhlys in the Parish of Deròwen in Montgomeryshire Fig. 14. Part of one of the brass Daggers if we may so call them found at Karreg Dhiwin in Meirionydhshire with the nails that fasten'd it to the handle Fig. 15. The point of such a Dagger found at the same place Fig. 16. 17. The Roman Fibula describ'd at Kaer Lheion in Monmouthshire Fig. 18. A brass Amulet dug out of a Well somewhere in Denbighshire The other side differ'd not from that which is engraven Fig. 19. A cake of Copper describ'd at Kaer RhÅ·n in Caernarvonshire Fig. 20. A gold Medal of Julius Constantius found at Trevarthin in Anglesey Fig. 21. A British gold coyn such as they used before the Roman Conquest found at Penbryn Parish in Cardiganshire Fig. 22. 23. 24. Other British coyns of gold kept in the Ashmolean Repository at Oxford Fig. 25. 26. The Coyns describ'd at Kaer-Phyli Castle in Glamorganshire Fig. 27. 28. 29. Mock Plants out of a Cole-pit near Neath in Glamorganshire See a description of them in Flintshire On the left-hand of the Table a. An Adder-bead or Glain Neidr of green glass found at Abèr-Fraw in Anglesey b. Another of earth enamell'd with blue found near Dôl Gèlheu in Meirionydhshire c. A third of glass undulated with white red and blue found near Maes y Pandy in the same County d. Represents one end of the same Of these Adder-beads which are supposed to have been Druid-Amulets some account is given in Denbighshire Annot. on Kerig y Drudion Page 697 More rare Plants growing in Wales Acetola Cambro-britannica montana Park rotundifolia repens Eboracensis foliis in medio â—eliquium patientibus Moris hist Mounâ—ain round â—aved Sorrels of Wales On moist high rocks and by rivulâ—â—s about Snowdon in Caernarvonshire almost every where as also by rivulets among the broken rocks of Caderâ—idris is above a certain lake called Llin y cau Argemone lutea Cambro-britannica Park Papaver luteum perenne laciniato folio Cambro britannicum Yellow wild bastard Poppy About a mile from a small village called Abbar and in the midway from Denbigh to Guidar also near a wooden bridge over the river Dee near to a village called Bala also going up the hill that leads to Bangor near to Anglesey Park p. 270. But more certainly to be found on Clogwyn y Garnedh yscolion duon Trigvylche as you ascend the Glydâ—r from Lhanberies and several other places about Snowdon most commonly by rivulets or on moist rocks also beyond Pontvawr very near the bridge among the stones Mr. Lhwyd Alsine myosotis lanuginosa Alpina grandiflora seu Auricula muris villosa flore amplo membranaceo An Caryophyllus holosteus Alpinus angustifolius C. B. prod Hairy mountain Mouse-ear Chickweed with a large flower On the rock called Clogwyn y Garnedh the highest of all Wales near Lhanberys in Caernarvonshire plentifully Adiantum nigrum pinnulis Cicuturiae divisurâ An Ad album tenuifolium Rutae murariae aecedens J. B. Fine-leaved white Mayden-hair divided like bastard Hemlock On Snowdon hill Bistorta minima Alpina foliis imis subrotundis minutissimè ferratis D. Lhwyd Alpina pumila varia Park pumila foliis variis rotundis longis Moris The leaâ—â— mountain Bisbort with round and long leaves In the steep pastures of 〈◊〉 high rock called Grîb Gôch above the lake or pool called Phynon brech near Llanberys Whether this be specifically different from the Westmorland Bistorta minor I leave to others upon comparing the plants to determine Bugula caerulea Alpina Park Consolida media caerulea Alpina C. B. Mountain Bugle or Sicklewort Found oâ— Carnedh Lhewellin in Caernarvonshire by Dr. Johnson Caryophyllata montana purpurea Ger. emac. montana seu palustris purpurea Park aquatica nutante fâ—ore C. B. aquatica flore rubro striato J. B. Purple Mountain-Avens or Water-Avens On Snowdon and other mountains Cirsium Britannicum Glusii repens J. B. aliud Anglicum Park singulari capitulo magno vel incanum alterum C. B. The great English soft or gentle Thistle or â—elancholy Thistle As you ascend the Glyder from Lhanberys and in many other mountainous pastures about Snowdon Cirsium montanum humile Cynoglossi folio polyâ—uthemum An Carduus mollis Helenii folio Park On Clogwyn y Garnedh and most other high rocks in Caerâ—â—â—vonshire about Snowdon Cirsium montanum polyanthemum Salicis folio angusto denticulato By a rivulet
petty Kings or Princes therein The possession of this Island did without any interruption continue in the name and family of the Stanleys for 246 years the Grant thereof together with the Patronage of the Bishoprick having been given by Henry the fourth by Letters Patents to Sir John Stanley and his Heirs in the year 1403. And during our late Civil Wars in the year 1649. the Lord Fairfax Captain General of the Parliament's Forces obtained a Grant of the said Island from the Parliament of England the then Earl of Derby's estate being confiscate for bearing Arms for the King against the Parliament and himself beheaded at Bolton But it was afterwards restored to the Family of Derby who are the present Lords of that Island The supream and principal Officers in this Island The prinâ—â—pal Officers in the â—â—and are only five in number and they constitute the Lord's Privy Council They are the Governour of the Island the two Deemsters the Controller and the Receiver General They all of them hold their Offices durante bene placito and are obliged to be constantly resident in Castletown that they may be ready to advise and consult with the Lord upon any emergent occasion The Governour has the whole command of the Island under the Lord. The Deemsters are their Judges both in civil and criminal Cases They are always chosen out of the Natives by the Lord it being necessary they should understand and speak the Manks Language that they may give sentences in Courts and understand the Pleadings of the Plaintiffs and Defendants before them They are only two in number and divide the Island betwixt them the one having jurisdiction over the North part the other over the South The Controller's Office is to call the Receiver General to an account once every Quarter he is also Clerk of the Rolls and has the Pension belonging thereto The Receiver General is by his place to receive all the Rents due to the Lord of the Island from the inferiour Collectors To these are subordinate some other Officers The subordinate Officers as the 24 Keys of the Island a Water-Bailiff the Lord's Attorney-General the Coroners and the Moors The Water-Bailiff is as it were Admiral of the Island his office is to seize on all wrecks at sea for the Lord's use and to take care of all business relating to the Herring-Fishing The Attorney-General is to plead all the Causes in which the Lord of the Island is concerned and all the Causes of Widows and Infants The Keys of the Island are so called because they are to lay open and discover the true antient Laws and Customs of the Island They are chosen by the Lord himself out of the natives and though they together with the Deemsters hold their Offices but durante bene-placito yet are they seldom turned out during their lives They are always assisting to the Deemsters in the determining of Cases of great difficulty and from the Sentence of these there is commonly no Appeal No new Law can be made or Custom introduced or abolished but by the consent of the Deemsters and the 24 Keys of the Island These Keys write down all the Customs and Statutes of the Island for the help of their memory that thoy may be the better enabled to give Sentence when called to consult of any of these matters As to the number of the Keys Mr. Camden has been misinformed for he says they are only 12. whereas they are 24 in number 'T is true that since the time of the antient Orrys they have not been constantly this number that depending on the pleasure of the Lord of the Island but there is no ground to believe they were ever so few as twelve and they have been for the most part 24. The Coroners or Crowners in Man who in the Manks language are called Annos are the same as our Sheriff's in England and each of them has under him another Officer who is as it were Under-Sheriff and is called a Lockman The number of the Coroners is according to the number of the Sheedings which are six every Sheeding hath its Coroner The Moors are the Lord's Bailiffs to gather up his Rents in that Sheeding where they reside and to pay the same to the Receiver General It is customary in this Island Some peculiar customs of this Island and that from all antiquity that some of the Clergy be present and assist at the Court of Gaol-delivery the Bishop himself being present there when in the Island The Evidence against Delinquents is first to be taken by spiritual Officers and by them testified to the temporal Court But they are obliged to remove when any Sentence of death is to be pronounced No person guilty of Man-slaughter is allowed the Benefit of Clergy nor can be saved but by the Lord of the Island 's Pardon No Execution of any Malefactor is to be in the Passion-week No Merchant can transport money out of the Island without Licence neither without Licence can any Native go out of the Island If any one do force or ravish a woman if she be married he is to suffer death but if a maid or single-woman the Deemster gives her a Rope a Sword and a Ring and she has it put in her choice either to hang him with the rope or to cut off his head with the sword or to marry him with the ring In former times Women-Malefactors were to be put in a sack and sowed up and so flung from a rock into the sea as Mr. Camden says but now the women are hanged as the men only Witches are burnt If any man have a child by a woman and within two years after marries the woman the child is legitimated by the customary Laws If a woman bring forth a dead child the child is not to be buried in the Church-yard except the Mother take her oath that she has received the Sacrament since the quickening of the child All the Swine of what age soever belonging to Felons are the Lord's and all their Goats do belong to the Queen of Man No Act of Parliament made in England doth bind the King's Subjects in the Isle of Man unless the said Island be therein expresly named The Isle of Man being within the Fee of the King of England the Manksmen are adjudged to be the King 's natural Subjects born and are capable of inheriting Lands in England Thâ—ir Relig on The Religion professed in this Island is exactly the same with the Church of England The Manksmen are generally very respectful to their Clergy and pay their Tithes without the least grudging They own St. Patrick for their Apostle and hold him in greatest veneration Next to him they honour the memory of St. Maughald one of their Bishops whose Feast they never fail to celebrate twice a year The Bible was translated into the Manks tongue by Dr. Philips Bishop of Man but by reason of his death it never came to the Press so
matters his principal care was to avoid the storm of the Danish war which he saw hanging over him and even to purchase a Peace On this occasion he made Adalbert Archbishop of Hamburg his instrument For Adam Bremensis says There was a perpetual quarrel between Sueno and the Bastard but our Arch-bishop being brib'd to it by William made it his business to strike up a peace between the two Kings And indeed 't is very probable there was one concluded for from that time England was never apprehensive of the Danes William however made it his whole business to maintain the dignity of his government and to settle the Kingdom by wholsome laws For Gervasius Tilburiensis tells us That after the famous Conqueror of England King William had subdued the furthest parts of the Island and brought down the Rebels hearts by dreadful examples lest they might be in a condition of making outrages for the future he resolved to bring his Subjects under the obedience of written laws Whereupon laying before him the Laws of England according to their threefold division that is Merchanlage Denelage and West-Sexenlage some of them he laid aside but approved others and added to them such of the foreign Norman Laws as he found most conducive to the peace of the Kingdom Next as we are assured by Ingulphus who lived at that time he made all the inhabitants of England do him homage and swear fealty to him against all â—â—hers He took a survey of the whole nation so that there was not a single Hide of land through all England but he knew both the value of it and its owner Not a lake or any other place whatsoever but it was registred in the King's Rolls with its revenue rent tenure and owner according to the relation of certain taxers who were picked out of each County to describe the places belonging to it This Roll was called the Roll of Winchester and by the English Domesday Domesday-book called by Gervasius Tilburiensis Laher Judiciarius as being an universal and exact account of every tenement in the whole nation I the rather make mention of this Book because I shall have occasion to quote it hereafter under the name of William's Tax-book The Notice of England the Cessing-book of England The publick Acts and The Survey of England But as to Polydore Virgil's assertion that William the Conqueror first brought in the Jury of Twelve Jury of 12. there is nothing can be more false For 't is plain from Ethelred's Laws that it was used many years before that Nor can I see any reason why he should call it a terrible Jury Twelve men Twelve men who are Freeholders and qualified according to Law are picked out of the Neighbourhood these are bound by oath to give in their real opinion as to matter of fact they hear the Council on both sides plead at the Bar and the evidence produced then they take along with them the depositions of both parties are close confined deny'd meat drink and fire till they can agree upon their verdict unless want of these may endanger some of their lives As soon as they have delivered it in he gives sentence according to law And this method was looked upon by our wise Forefathers to be the best for discovering truth hindering bribes and cutting off all partiality How great the Norman courage was I refer you to other writers I shall only observe The Warlike courage of the Normans that being seated in the midst of warlike Nations they never made submission their refuge but always arms By force of these they possessed themselves of the noble Kingdoms of England and Sicilie For Tancred * Nepeâ— Nephew to Richard the Second Duke of Normandy and his Successors did many glorious exploits in Italy drove out the Saracens and set up there a Kingdom of their own So that a Sicilian Historian ingenuously confesses that the Sicilians enjoying their native Soil Th. Fazâ—llus lib. 6. Decadis Posterioris their Freedom and Christianity is entirely owing to the Normans Their behaviour also in the wars of the Holy land got them great honour Which gave Roger Hoveden occasion to say That bold France after she had experienced the Norman valour drew back fierce England submitted rich Apulia was restored to her flourishing condition famous Jerusalem and renowned Antioch were both subdued Since that time England has been equal for warlike exploits and genteel Education to the most flourishing nations of the Christian world The English Guards to the Emperors of Constantinople So that the English have been peculiarly made choice of for the Emperor of Constantinople's guards For as our country man Malmsbury has told us he very much admired their fidelity and recommended them to his son as men deserving of respect and they were formerly for many years together the Emperor's guards Nicetas Choniata calls them Inglini Bipenniferi and Curopalata Barangi Barangi These attended the Emperor where-ever he went with halberts upon their shoulders as often as he stir'd abroad out of his closet and pray'd for his long life clashing their halberts one against another to make a noise As to the blot which Chalcondilas Chaâ—condilas has cast upon our nation of having wives in common truth it self wipes it off and confronts the extravagant vanity of the Grecian For as my most learned and excellent Friend Ortelius has observed upon this very subject Things related by any persons concerning others are not always true These are the People which have inhabited Britain whereof there remain unto this day the Britains the Saxons or Angles with a mixture of Normans and towards the North the Scots Whereupon the two Kingdoms of this Island England and Scotland which were long divided are now in the most potent Prince King JAMES happily united under one Imperial Diadem It is not material here to take notice of the Flemings who about four hundred years ago came over hither In the County 〈◊〉 Pembâ—â—â—â— and got leave of the King to settle in Wales since we shall mention them in another place Let us then conclude this part with that of Seneca From hence it is manifest De Conâ—latioâ—â— Albiâ—â— that nothing has continued in its primitive state There 's a continual floating in the affairs of mankind In this vast orb there are daily revolutions new foundations of cities laid new names given to nations either by the utter ruine of the former or by its change into that of a more powerful party And considering that all these nations which invaded Britain were Northern as were also others who about that time overran Europe and after it Asia Nicephorus's Nicephorus observation founded upon the authority of Scripture is very true As God very often sends terrors upon men from heaven such are thunder fire and storms and from earth as opening of the ground and earthquakes as also out of the air such as whirlwinds and immoderate
take cognizance of murders felonies trespasses for so they term them and many other misdemeanors Besides the King sends every year into each County two of the Justices of England to give sentence upon Prisoners â—es of â—e and to use the law-term in that cause to make a Gaol-delivery But of these more hereafter when we come to the Courts As to the Ecclesiastical Government after the Bishops of Rome had assigned to each Presbyter his Church and divided the parishes among them Honorius Archbishop of Canterbury â—â—â—â—and â—ed inâ—â—â—â—rishes about the year of our Lord 636. first began to divide England into Parishes as we read in the History of Canterbury Now England has two Provinces and two Archbishops Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan and York Under these are 25 Bishops 22 under Canterbury and the rest under York What these Bishopricks are with their Counties or Dioceses which they now contain â—ops are shown us in those words of that excellent person the most reverend Father in God Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury a Patron of Learning and a great Judge of Antiquities In the Province of Canterbury THE Bishoprick of Canterbury along with Rochester contains the County of Kent London has under it Essex Middlesex and part of Hertfordshire Chichester has Sussex Winchester has Hamshire Surrey Isle of Wight with Gernsey and Jersey Islands lying upon the Coast of Normandy Salisbury contains Wiltshire and Berkshire Exeter includes Devonshire and Cornwal Bathe and Wells joyntly have Somersetshire and Glocester Glocestershire Worcester Worcestershire and part of Warwickshire Hereford Herefordshire and part of Shropshire Coventry and Lichfield joyned together Staffordshire Derbyshire and the other part of Warwickshire as also that part of Shropshire which borders upon the River Repil Next Lincoln the largest contains six Counties Lincolnshire Liecestershire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire and the other part of Hertfordshire Ely Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely Norwich Norfolk and Suffolk Oxford Oxfordshire Peterburrow Northamptonshire and Rutlandshire Bristol Dorsetshire To which 18 Dioceses in England must be added those of Wales or Cambria which are both deprived of an Archbishop of their own and also made fewer seven hardly coming entire into four These are â—eâ—e â—sis St. Davids whose seat is at St. Davids Landaff Banchor and Asaph or Elwensis In the Province of York YOrk it self comprehends Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire Chester Cheshire Richmondshire Lancashire with part of Cumberland Flintshire and Denbighshire Durham the Bishoprick of Durham and Northumberland Carlisle part of Cumberland and Westmerland To these may be added the Bishoprick of Sodor in Mona commonly called the Isle of Man Amongst those the Archbishop of Canterbury takes the first place the Archbishop of York the second the Bishop of London the third the Bishop of Durham the fourth and the Bishop of Winchester the fifth The rest take place according to the time of their Consecration But if any of the other Bishops happen to be Secretary to the King he claims the fifth place There are besides in England 26 Deaneries 13 whereof were made in the larger Churches by King Henry VIII upon expulsion of the Monks The Archdeaconries are sixty and the Dignities and Prebends make 544. There are also 9284 Parish-churches under the Bishops of which 3845 are appropriate as is plain from the Catalogue exhibited to King James which I have here subjoyned Now appropriate Churches are such as by the authority of the Pope and the consent of the King and Bishop of the Diocess are upon certain conditions settled upon those Monasteries Bishopricks Colleges and Hospitals whose revenues are but small either because they were built upon their ground or granted by the Lords of the Mannour Such a Settlement is expressed in form of law by being united annext and incorporated for ever But these upon the subversion of the Monasteries were to the great damage of the Church made Feuda Laicalia Lay-fees In the Province of Canterbury Dioceses Parish-Churches Churches appropriate Canterbury 257 140 London 623 189 Winchester 362 131 Coventry and Lichfield 557 250 Salisbury 248 109 Bath and Wells 388 160 Lincoln 1255 577 Peterburrow 293 91 Exeter 604 239 Glocester 267 125 Hereford 313 166 Norwich 1121 385 Ely 141 75 Rochester 98 36 Chichester 250 112 Oxford 195 88 Worcester 241 76 Bristol 236 64 S. Davids 308 120 Bangor 107 36 Llandaff 177 98 S. Asaph 121 19 Peculiars in the Province of Canterbury 57 14 The whole number in the Province of Canterbury 8219 3303 In the Province of York York 581 336 Durham 135 87 Chester 256 101 Carlisle 93 18 The whole number in York 1065 592 The whole number in both Provinces 9284 3845 But in the Book of Thomas Wolsey Cardinal written in the year 1520. there are reckoned in all the Counties 9407 Churches I know not how this difference should happen unless it be that some were demolished in the last age and Chapels which are Parochial be omitted others which are barely Chapels being reckoned up amongst the Parish-churches However I have set down the number of Churches at the end of each County out of this Book of Wolsey's There were also in the Reign of King Henry VIII if it be not a crime to mention them monuments of the piety of our fore-fathers Monasteries built to the honour of God the propagation of the Christian faith and good learning and for the support of the poor Of Religious houses i.e. Monasteries or Abbies and Priories to the number of 645. whereof when 40 had been suppressed by a Grant from Pope Clement the seventh Hen. 5. had before that dissolved 100 Pâ—iories of Monks Aliens obtained by Cardinal Wolsey who had then laid the foundation of two Colleges one at Oxford and another at Ipswich presently about the 36th of Henry VIII a torrent as it were that has thrown down the banks broke in upon the ecclesiastical state of England and to the great surprize of the whole world and oppression of this nation at once threw down the greatest part of the Religious with their curious structures For what the Pope granted to the Cardinal the King took himself by consent of Parliament Whereupon in the year 1536. all religious houses with their revenues which had 200 l. yearly or under that were granted to the King in number 376. And the next year under a specious pretence of rooting out superstition the rest along with the Colleges Chauntries and Hospitals were given up to the King's disposal At which time there were valued or taxed 605 religious houses remaining Colleges besides those in the Universities 96. Hospitals 110. Chauntries and Free-chapels 2374. Most of which in a short time were every where pulled down their revenues squander'd away and the riches which had been consecrated to God by the pious munificence of the English from the time they received Christianity were as it were in a moment dispersed and if I may use the
Dignities were those of Dukes Marquisses Counts Captains Valvasors and Valvasins An hereditary title came but late into France not before Philip 3. King of France granted that for the future they should be called Dukes of Britain who were before stiled promiscuously Dukes and Counts But in England in the Norman times when the Norman Kings themselves were Dukes of Normandy there were none had that honour conferr'd upon them for a long time till Edward 3. created Edward his son Duke of Cornwall by a wreath on his head a ring on his finger and a A gold â—erge afâ—â—â—wards â—â—me into 〈◊〉 and a †silver verge as the Dukes of Normandy were formerly by a sword and a banner delivered to them and afterwards by girding the sword of the Dutchy and by a circlet of gold garnished on the top with little golden roses And the same King Edward 3. â—t Paris â—cernâ— John â—aâ—ed D. Norâ—â—ndy created his two sons Leonel Duke of Clarence and John Duke of Lancaster in Parliament By the putting on a sword setting upon their heads a furr'd cap with a circle of gold set with pearls and by the delivery of a Charter After this he created several and there have been now and then hereditary Dukes made in this Kingdom with such like expressions in the Charter the name title state stile place seat preheminence honour authority and dignity of a Duke we give and grant and do really invest you with them by the putting on a sword setting a cap with a golden circle upon your head and the delivery of a golden verge â—â—rquis A MARQUISS i.e. g From the Saxon mearc a bound and mearcan mearcian to set out mark distinctly c. in the same language according to the import of the word one set to guard the limits is a title of honour the second from a Duke This title we had but late none being invested with it before the time of Richard 2. For he created his darling Robert Vere Earl of Oxford Marquiss of Dublin and that was merely titular For those who were formerly to secure the frontiers were commonly called Lord Marchers and not Marquisses as we now stile them They are created by the King by girding on a sword putting on a Cap of honour and dignity 1 With the Coronet Hol. and delivering a Charter And here I shall take the liberty of relating what I find register'd in the Parliament-rolls â—â—m 4. When John de Beaufort Earl of Somerset was made Marquiss of Dorset by Richard 2. and was deprived of that title by Henry 4. the Commons of England in Parliament made an humble Request to the King that he would restore to him the title of Marquiss but he himself opposed his own cause and openly declared that it was an upstart dignity altogether unknown to our Ancestors and therefore that he did not by any means desire it nay utterly refused it â—â—s The EARLS which hold the third place we seem to have had from our German Ancestors For as Tacitus tells us they had always â—â—mites Earls attending their Princes to furnish them with counsel and to gain them authority But others are of opinion that both the Franks and we received them from the Romans For the Emperors after the Empire was come to its height began to keep about them a sort of domestick Senate which was call'd Caesar's †Comitatus retinue and these by whose counsel they acted in war and peace were called Comites Attendants from whence we find it common in old Inscriptions Comiti Impp. This name in a few years prevailed so much that all Magistrates had the name of Comites * Qui sacrum Comitatum observarunt Parati ad Cod. who gave their attendance at the said Council or had been of it insomuch that it was afterwards extended to all who had the supervisal of any business and Suidas as Cujacius has told us defined Comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Governour of the people From whence also we gather that before Constantine the Great the name of Comes was not used to denote Dignity But he modelling the Roman government by new distinctions and endeavouring to oblige as many as possible by bestowing honours upon them first instituted the title of Comes as barely honorary without any duty nay there were certain rights and privileges annex'd to that title as to accompany the Prince not only when he appeared in publick but also in his palace and private retirements to be admitted to his table and to his secret consultations Upon which we read in Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i.e. Who also had obtained of the King the Dignity of a Count. At length such as had the favour of this title had other honours conferr'd upon them to which some duty was annext and again to those who were before in Offices and were engaged in the affairs of State he added this piece of honour 2 Comes domesticorum Lord Great Master of the Houshold Comes sacrarum largitiâ—num Lord High Treasurer Comes sacrae vestis Master of the Wardrobe Comes Stabuli Master of the Horse Comes Thesauri Tresurer Comes Orientis Lieutenant of the East Comes Britannia Comes Africa c. Hol. Hereupon the name of Count implied both Dignity and Government and being at first but temporary it was afterwards for term of life But when the Roman Government was divided into several Kingdoms this title was still retained and our Saxons call'd those in Latin Comites which in their own tongue were named Ealdormen The same persons were stil'd by the Danes in their language Eorlas i.e. honourable men Eorles at this day Earles P. Pithaeus in his Memorabilia Campania as Ethelwerd tells us and by a little melting of that word we call them at this day Earls And for a long time they were simply so called till at last an addition was made of the place's name over which they had jurisdiction But still this Dignity was not yet hereditary The first hereditary Earls in France by the way were the Earls of Bretagne But when William the Norman and Conqueror had in his hands the Government of this Kingdom the Earls began to be Feudal hereditary and patrimonial and those too as appears from Domesday were stil'd simply Earls without any addition as Earl Hugh Earl Alan Earl Roger c. Afterwards as appears by ancient Records the Earls were created with an addition of the name of the place and had every third penny of the County assigned them For instance Mawd the Empress daughter and heir of King Henry 1. created an Earl by this form of words as is manifest from the very Charter now in my hands I Mawd daughter of K. Henry and Governess of the English do give and grant to Gaufred de Magnavilla for his service and to his heirs after him hereditarily the Earldom of Essex and that he have the third penny out
In Burgundy the use of this name is very antient for we find in Gregory of Tours Abou◠〈◊〉 year 5â— The Barons of Burgundy as well Bishops as those of the Laity The first mention of a Baron with us that I have met withal is in a Fragment of the Laws of Canutus King of England and Denmark and even in that according to different copies it is read Vironis Baronis and Thani But that the Barons are there meant is plain from the Laws of William the Conqueror amongst which are inserted those of Canutus translated into Norman where it is writ Baron Take the whole passage But let the * Hâ—â—iâ—â— or Reâ—â— Exercituals be so moderated as to be tolerable An Earl shall provide those â—hings that are fitting eight horses four saddled and four unsaddled four steel caps and four coats of mail eight javelins and as many shields four swords and two hundred maucae of gold But a King 's Viron or Baron who is next to him shall have four horses two saddled and two unsaddled two swords four javelins and as many shields one steel cap and fifty †Possiâ—â— for â—â—â—usae iâ— 30 pâ—â—â— Many Thâ—â—â—â— Englâ—â— in the Câ—queroâ— time maucae of gold In the beginning also of the Norman times the Valvasors and Thanes were reckoned in dignity next the Earls and Barons and the Greater Valvasors if we may believe those who have writ concerning Feudal-tenures were the same as Barons are now So that Baro may seem to come from that name which time has by little and little made better and smoother But even then it was not so very honourable for in those times there were some Earls who had their Barons under them and I remember I have read in the antient Constitutions of France that there were ten Barons under one Earl and as many * Câ—â—inâ—â— Chieftans under a Baron 'T is likewise certain that there are extant some Charters since the Norman Conquest wherein the Earls write thus To all my Barons as well French as English greeting c. Nay even citizens of the better rank were called Barons so in Domesday-book the citizens of Warwick are stiled Barons and the citizens of London with the Inhabitants of the Cinque Ports enjoyed the same title But a few years after as Senators of Rome were chosen by their estates so those were accounted Barons with us who held their lands by an entire Barony or 13 Knights fees and one third of a Knight's fee every fee as we have it in an antient Book being computed at twenty pounds which in all make 400 Mark For that was the value of one entire Barony and they that had lands and revenues to this value were wont to be summoned to Parliaments It seems to have been a dignity with a jurisdiction which the Court-Barons Court â—â—rons as they call them do in some measure show And the great number of Barons too would persuade us that they were Lords who could give judgment within their own jurisdiction such as those are whom the Germans call Free-heirs especially if they had their castles for then they answered to the definition of Baldus that famous Lawyer who calls him a Baron that had a †Morâ— mixtuâ—â— impeâ—â—â— mere and mixt government in some one Castle by the grant of the Prince And all they as some would have it who held Baronies seem to have claimed that honour so that some of our Lawyers think that Baron and Barony Earl and Earldom Duke and Dukedom King and Kingdom Matth. Parts pag. 1262. were as it were Conjugates 'T is certain in that age K. Henry 3d reckoned 150 Baronies in England Upon which it comes to pass that in the Charters and Histories of that age almost all Noblemen are stil'd Barons a term in those times exceeding honourable â—aâ—onage 〈◊〉 Engâ—and the Baronage of England including in a manner all the prime Orders of the Kingdom Dukes Marquisses Earls and Barons But that name has come to the greatest honour since King Henry 3d out of such a multitude of them which was seditious and turbulent summoned to Parliament by his Writs some of the best only For he the words are taken out of an Author of considerable Antiquity after those great disturbances and enormous vexations between the King himself Simon de Montefort and other Barons were laid appointed and ordained that all such Earls and Barons of the Kingdom of England to whom the King should vouchsafe to direct his Writs of summons should come to his Parliament and no others unless their Lord the King please to direct other Writs to them also But what he begun only a little before his death was strictly observed by Edward the First and his successors From that time those were only looked upon as Barons of the Kingdom â—ummons 〈◊〉 Parliaâ—ent whom the King by such Writs of summons as they term them should call to Parliament 5 And it is noted that the said prudent King Edward I. summoned always those of antient families that were most wise to his Parliaments but omitted their sons after their death If they were not answerable to their Parents in understanding Hol. until Richard the 2d the 10th of October in the eleventh year of his reign created John de Beauchamp of Holt Baron of Kederminster by the delivery of a Diploma From which time the Kings have often conferred that honour by a Diploma or rather honorary Letters and the putting on of a long robe And at this day this way of creating Barons by a Diploma and that other of Writs of summons are in use though they are greeted not under the name of Baron but of Chevalier 6 For the Common Law doth not acknowlege Baron to be a name of dignity Hol. Those that are thus created are call'd Barons of Parliament Barons of the Kingdom and Barons honorary to distinguish them from those which are commonly call'd Barons according to the ancient constitution as those of Burford and Walton and such as were Barons to the Count Palatines of Chester and of Penbroch who were feudal and Barons by tenure Those Parliamentary Barons are not like those of France and Germany call'd barely by that name but are by birth Peers Noblemen Great States and Counsellors of the Kingdom and are summon'd by the King in this form to treat of the weighty affairs of the nation and to deliver their judgment upon them They have their peculiar immunities and privileges as in criminal causes to be judged by their Peers only not to have an oath demanded of them but in such case 't is sufficient if they deliver any thing upon honour not to be called among the Jury of twelve to enquire into matters of fact not to be liable to the Writs Supplicavit Capias Essoins and a great many other privileges which I leave to the Lawyers whose proper business it is to treat of these and things of the like nature Besides
these the two Archbishops and all the Bishops of England â—â—hops â—rons are also Barons of the Kingdom or Parliamentary Barons as also were in the memory of our grandfathers several belonging to Monasteries whereof this is a List Abbots of â—bots â—rliaâ—ntary â—rons Glassenbury St. Austin's Canterbury St. Peter's Westminster St. Albans St. Edmundsbury Peterburgh St. John's of Colchester Evesham Winchelcomb Crowland Battaile Reding Abingdon Waltham S. Cross Shrewsbury Cirencester St. Peter's at Glocester Bardney S. Benedict of Hulm Thorney Ramsey Hyde Malmesbury St. Marie's at York Selbey Prior of Coventry The Order of St. John of Jerusalem commonly stil'd Master of the Knights of St. John and would be counted the first Baron of England To these as to this day to the Bishops it belong'd by right and custom in every Parliament as the Publick Records word it to be present in person as Peers of the Realm along with the rest of the Peers to consult treat order decree and define by virtue of their Baronies held of the King For King William the first as the Ecclesiasticks of that age complain'd though those of the next look'd upon it as their greatest glory put the Bishopricks and Abbies holding Baronies in Frank almoigne Matth. Paris and so free from all secular services under military service enrolling every Bishoprick and Abbey according to the number of souldiers he and his successors might demand in times of war Since that the Ecclesiastical Barons enjoy all the immunities which the other Barons of the Realm do except that they are not judged by their Peers For as they by the Canons of the Church are not to be present at sanguinary causes so in the same causes they themselves are to be judged in matters of fact by twelve Jury-men But whether this be agreeable to the strict rules of the Law let the Lawyers determine Vavasors Vavasors or Valvasors formerly took place next the Barons derived by Lawyers from Valvae folding-doors a dignity that seems to have come to us from the French Sigonius For whilst their dominion in Italy lasted they call'd those Valvasors who govern'd the common people or part of them under the Duke Marquiss Earl or Chieftain and as Butler the Lawyer words it Had a full power of punishing but not the right of fairs and markets This is a piece of honour never much in vogue among us or how much soever it was it is now long since by degrees quite disused In Chaucer's age it was not very considerable as appears from what he says of his Frankelin or free-holder A Sheriff had he been and a contour Was no where soch a worthy Vavasour The Lesser Noblemen are the Knights Esquires Lesser Noblemen Knights and those which we commonly call Gentlemen Knights call'd by our English Lawyers in Latin Milites have almost in all Nations had their name from horses Thus they are called Cavelliers by the Italians Chevalier by the French Reuter by the Germans Marchog by the Welsh all with respect to riding They are called Knights only by the English a word in the ancient English as also German tongue signifying promiscuously servant or one that does service and a young man Upon which in the old Saxon Gospels the Disciples are call'd Leornung cnyhts and in another place we read Incnyht for a Client and our Common Lawyer Bracton mentions the Radcnihtes i.e. Serving horsemen who held lands upon this condition that they should furnish their Lord with horses from whence by shortning the name as we English love contractions I was perswaded long since that Knights remains now in use with us But for what reason the Laws of our own Country Knights why call'd Milites and all the Writers since the Norman Conquest should term them in Latin Milites I do not well apprehend Not but I know that in the decline of the Roman Empire the name of Milites was transferr'd to such as were always about the King's body and had the more considerable employments in the Prince's retinue But if I know any thing of this matter the first who were call'd so among us were they that held beneficiary lands or in fee for their service in the wars For those fees were called Militarie and they that in other places are term'd Feudataries were with us stil'd Milites souldiers as the Milites or souldiers of the King of the Archbishop of Canterbury of Earl Roger of Earl Hugh c. because they had by these persons lands bestowed upon them on this condition that they should fight for them and pay them fealty and homage whereas others who served in the wars †Pro solidis Solidarii for so much in money were call'd Solidarii and Servientes However these Milites or Equites which you please are fourfold with us The most honourable are those of the Order of S. George's Garter the second the Bannerets the third of the Bath and the fourth such as we call in English simply Knights and in Latin Equites aurati or Milites without any addition Of the Knights of the Order of S. George I will speak in their proper place when I come to Windsor Of the rest in this place briefly Banerett Banerets otherwise but falsly call'd Baronets have their name from a banner for they were allowed upon the account of their military bravery to use a square banner as well as the Barons and from thence they are by some truly call'd Equites Vexillarii and by the Germans Banner-heires I cannot trace their antiquity beyond the times of Edward the third when England was at it's height for martial discipline so that till time sets this matter in a clearer light I must believe that this honorary title was then first invented as a reward to warlike courage In the publick Records of that age among the military titles of Banerets there is mention also made of Homines ad vexillum Purs 2. Pat. 15. E. 3. M. 22 23. men at the banner and of homines ad arma men attending in arms which last seem to be the same with that other And I have read a Charter of King Edward the Third's whereby he advanced John Coupland for taking David second King of Scots in a battle at Durham to the honour of a Baneret in these words Desiring so to reward the said John who took David de Bruis and cheerfully delivered him up to us and to set such a mark upon his loyalty and valour as may give others example to serve us faithfully for the future we have advanced the said John to the Quality of a Baneret and to support that title have for us and our heirs granted to the same John the sum of 500 l. yearly to him and his heirs c. Nor may it be improper to mention out of Frossardus the form by which John Chandos a celebrated souldier in his time was made Baneret When Edward Prince of Wales was ready to engage
this name of Esquire which in ancient times was a name of charge and office only crept first in among the titles of honour as far as I can find in the reign of Richard the second Gentlemen Gentlemen are either the common sort of nobility who are descended of good families or those who by their virtue and fortune have made themselves eminent Citizens Citizens or Burgesses are such as are in publick offices in any City or elected to sit in Parliament The common people or Yeomen are such as some call ingenui the Law homines legales i.e. freeholders Yeomâ— Gemâ—◠〈◊〉 Saxo◠〈◊〉 common people those who can spend at least forty shillings of their own yearly Labourers are such as labour for wages sit to their work are Mechanicks Artizans Smiths Carpenters c. term'd capite censi and Proletarii by the Romans The Law-Courts of ENGLAND AS for the Tribunals or Courts of Justice in England there are three several sorts of them some Spiritual others Temporal and one mixt or complicate of both which is the greatest and by far the most honourable call'd the Parliament Parliament a French word of no great antiquity The Saxons our fore-fathers nam'd it a Witenâ— gemot â—s the true Saxon word Ç·ittenagemot that is an assembly of wise-men and Geraedniss or Council and Micil Synod from the greek word Synod signifying a great meeting The Latin writers of that and the next age call it Commune Concilium Curia altissima Generale Placitum Curia Magna Magnatum Conventus Praesentia Rogis Praelatorum Procerumque collectorum Commune totius regni concilium c. And as Livy calls the general Council of Aetolia Panetolium so this of ours may be term'd very properly Pananglium For it consists of the King the Clergy the Barons and those Knights and Burgesses elected or to express my self more plainly in Law-language the King the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons who there represent the body of the Nation This Court is not held at certain set times but is call'd at the King's pleasure when things of great difficulty and importance are to be consider'd in order to prevent any danger that may happen to the State and then again is dissolv'd when-ever he alone pleases Now this Court has the sovereign power and an inviolable authority in making confirming repealing and explaining laws reversing Attainders determining causes of more than ordinary difficulty between private persons and to be short in all things which concern the State in general or any particular Subject â—he Kings â—â—urt The next Court to this immediately after the coming in of the Normans and for some time before was the King's Court which was held in the King's Palace and follow'd the King where-ever he went For in the King's Palace there was a peculiar place for the Chancellor and Clerks who had the issuing out of Writs and the management of the great Seal and likewise for Judges who had not only power to hear pleas of the Crown but any cause whatsoever between private persons There was also an Exchequer for the Treasurer and his Receivers who had charge of the King's revenues These each of them were counted members of the King's family and had their meat and cloaths of the King Hence Gotzelin in the life of S. Edward calls them Palatii Causidici and Joannes Sarisburiensis Curiales But besides these and above them likewise â—â—e Chief â—â—â—tice was the Justitia Angliae and Justitiarius Angliae Capitalis i.e. the Lord Chief Justice who was constituted with a yearly stipend of 1000 marks by a Patent after this form The King to all the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Counts Barons Viscounts Foresters and all other his faithful subjects of England greeting Whereas for our own preservation and the tranquillity of our Kingdom and for the administration of justice to all and singular of this our Realm we have ordain'd our beloved and trusty Philip Basset Chief Justice of England during our will and pleasure we do require you by the faith and allegiance due to us strictly enjoyning that in all things relating to the said office and the preservation of our peace and Kingdom you shall be fully obedient to him so long as he shall continue in the said Office Witness the King c. But in the reign of Henry the third it was enacted that the Common Pleas should not follow the King's Court but be held in some certain place and awhile after the Chancery the Pleas of the Crown and the Exchequer also were remov'd from the King's Court and establisht apart in certain set places as some how truly I know not have told us Having premis'd thus much I will now add somewhat concerning these Courts and others that sprung from them as they are at this day And seeing some of them have cognizance of â—uris Law namely the King's Bench Common Pleas Exchequer Assizes Star-Chamber Court of Wards and the Court of Admiralty others of Equity as the Chancery the Court of Requests the Councils in the Marches of Wales and in the North I will here insert what I have learnt from others of each of them in their proper places The King's Bench â—â—e Kings â—â—â—ch so call'd because the Kings themselves were wont to preside in that Court takes cognizance of all pleas of the Crown and many other matters relating to the King and the well-being of the publick it has power to examine and correct the errors of the Common-pleas The Judges there besides the King himself when he is pleas'd to be present are the Lord Chief Justice of England and four others or more as the King pleases â—â—mmon â—â—â—as The Common-Pleas has this name because the common pleas between subject and subject is by our law which is call'd the Common law there triable The Judges here are the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and four others or more to assist him Officers belonging to this Court are the Custos Brevium three Prothonotaries and many others of inferior rank â—â—â—hequer The Exchequer deriv'd that name from a table at which they sat For so Gervasius Tilburiensis writes who liv'd in the year 1160. The Exchequer is a squarâ— table about ten foot long and five broad contriv'd likâ— a table to sit round On every side it has a ledge of four fingers breadth Upon it is spread a cloath of black colour with stripes distant about a foot or spanâ— it bought in Easter term A little after This Court 〈◊〉 report has been from the very Conquest of the Realm by King William the design and model of it being taken â—â—m the Exchequer beyond Sea Here all matters belongiâ—â—â— to the King's revenues are decided The Judges of it are the Lord Treasurer of England the Chancellor of the Exchequer the Chief Baron and three or four other Barons The Officers of this Court are the King's Remembrancer the Treasurer's Remembrancer the Clerk
of the Pipe the Comptroler of the Pipe the five Auditors of the old Revenues the Foreign Opposer Clerk of the Estreats Clerk of the Pleas the Marshal the Clerk of the Summons the Deputy-Chamberlains two Secondaries in the office of the King's Remembrancer two Deputies in the office of the Treasurer's Remembrancer two Secondaries of the Pipe four the other Clerks in several Offices c. In the other part of the Exchequer call'd * Recepta the Receiving-Office two Chamberlains a Vice-treasurer Clerk of the Tallies Clerk of the Pells four Tellers two Joyners of the Tallies two Deputy-Chamberlains the Clerk for Tallies the Keeper of the Treasury four Pursevants ordinary two Scribes c. The Officers likewise of the Tenths and First-fruits belong to this Court. For when the Pope's authority was rejected and an Act pass'd that all Tithes and First-fruits should be paid to the King these Officers were Instituted Besides these three Royal Courts of Judicature Justices Itinerant for the speedy execution of Justice and to ease the subject of much labour and expence Henry the second sent some of these Judges and others every year into each County who were call'd Justices Itinerant or Justices in Eyre These had jurisdiction as well in Pleas of the Crown as in common causes within the Counties to which they were sent For that King as Matthew Paris says by the advice of his son and the Bishops appointed Justices over six parts of the Kingdom to every part three who took an oath to do every man right and justice This institution expir'd at length in Edward the third's time but was in some measure reviv'd by an Act of Parliament soon after For the Counties being divided into so many Circuits two of the King's Justices are to go those Circuits twice every year for the trial of prisoners and Gaol-delivery Hence in Law-latin they are call'd Justiciarii Gaolae deliberandae They are likewise to take cognizance of all Assizes of novel disseisin and some others from which they are call'd Justices of Assize and also to try all issues between party and party in any of the King 's three great Courts by Recognitors of the same Peerage as the custom is Hence they are call'd Justices of Nisi prius from the Writs directed to the Sheriff for these tryals which have the words Nisi prius in them The b This Court is since Mr. Camden's time taken away Star-Chamber The Star-Chamber or rather the Court of the King's Council takes cognizance of all matters criminal perjuries Impostures Cheats Excesses c. This Court if we consider it in respect of standing and dignity is ancient and honourable above all others For it seems to be as early as Appeals from the Subjects to their Sovereign and the very birth and rise of the King's Council The Judges of it are men of the greatest honour and eminence being those of the King 's Privy Council It has had the name of the Star-Chamber ever since this Court was held in the Star-Chamber in Westminster which has now been a long time set a part to that use For in an Act of Parliament in Edward the third's time we find Conseil en le Chambre des Estoielles pres de la receipte al Westminster i.e. The Council in the Star-Chamber near the Receipt at Westminster The authority and jurisdiction of this Court was enlarg'd and confirm'd by an Act of Parliament procur'd by that wise Prince Henry the 7th so that some have falsly ascribed the institution of it to him The Judges of this Court are the Lord Chancellor of England the Lord Treasurer of England the Lord President of the King's Council the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and all those of the King's Council whether persons spiritual or temporal also sâ—n of the Barons of the Realm as the King will â—ppoint with the two Chief Justices or two othâ—â— Judges in their absence The Officers are tâ—â— Clerk of the Council the Clerk of the Writs and â—f the process in the Star-Chamber c. Causes of tâ—â—s Court are not try'd per Pares according to the Common-Law but after the method of the Civil-Law Thâ—â—â—urt oâ— Wards The Court of c The Court of Wards is now taken away Wards and Liveries which is so call'd from Minors whose causes are here try'd was instituted by Henry the 8. whereas before all business of this nature was determined in the Courts of Chancery and Exchequer For by an old Custom derived from Normandy and not as some write instituted by Henry the third when any one dies holding lands of the King in capite by Knight's service both the heir and the whole estate with the revenues of it are in Ward to the King till he has compleated the age of one and twenty and then he may sue out his livery The judge in this Court is the Master-General under him a Supervisor of the Liveries an Attorney-General a Receiver-General an Auditor a Clerk of the Liveries a Clerk of the Court forty Feudaries and a Messenger In after-ages were institued two other Courts for correcting of errors the one for those of the Excheqeur the other for those of the King's Bench. The Judges of the first were the Chancellor and the Treasurer of England taking such of the Judges to their assistance as they should think fit those of the latter were the Judges of the Common Pleas and the Barons of the Exchequer The Court of Admiralty has jurisdiction in marine affairs The Court of Admiralty and is administred by the Admiral of England his * Locum-tenens Lieutenant a Judge two Clerks a Serjeant of the Court and the Vice-Admirals Now for the Courts of Equity The Court of Chancery The Chancery takes its name from the Chancellor a title of no great honour under the old Roman Emperors as may be learnt from Vopiscus At present it is a name of the greatest dignity and the Chancellors are raised to the highest honours in the State Cassiodorus derives the word it self a cancellis i.e. rails or Balisters because they examine matters †Intra sâ—creta Cancellorum Epist 6. Lib. 11. in a private apartment enclos'd with rails such as the Latins call'd Cancelli Consider says he by what name you are call'd What you do within the rails cannot be a secret your doors are transparent your cloysters lye open and your gates are all windows Hence it plainly appears that the Chancellor sat expos'd to every one 's within the rails or cancels so that his name seems to be deriv'd from them Now it being the business of that Minister who is as it were the mouth the eyes and ears of the Prince to strike or dash out with cross lines * Cancellation lattice-like such writs or judgments as are against law or prejudicial to the state not improperly call'd Cancelling some think the word Chancellor to be deduc'd from it And thus we find it in a
Marshall were complained of it was ordained in these words Marescallus de quolibet Comite Barone integram Baroniam tenente de uno palfrido sit contentus vel de pretio quale antiquitus percipere consuevit ita quod si ad homagium quod fecit palfridum vel pretium in formâ praedictâ ceperit ad militiam suam nihil capiat Et si fortè ad homagium nihil ceperit ad militiam suam capiat De Abbatibus Prioribus integram baroniam tenentibus cum homagium aut fidelitatem pro Baroniis suis fecerunt capiat palfridum vel pretium ut praedictium est Hoc idem de Archiepiscopis Episcopis observandum est De his autem qui partem Baroniae tenent sive sint Religiosi sive Seculares capiat secundum portionem partis Baroniae quam tenent De Religiosis tenentibus in liberam elymosynam non per Baroniam vel partem nihil de caetero exigat Marescallus And about that time were set down all the Droites belonging to the Earl Marshall in a Roll which was laid up in the Wardrobe but that vanished shortly after For as it appeareth by Record in the 18th of Edward the third the Kind directed a brief to the Barons of the Exchequer of the fees and all things else belonging to the office of Earl Marshal and they returned in their certificate annexed to the Brief nothing but certain petty allowances of money wine candles for the Marshal and Magister Marescallus and for the four Marshals for every day qua faciant herbergeriam And out of the red book of the Exchequer they certifie in these words De officio Marescalciae survivit Gilbertus Mareschal Comes de Strigal cujus est officium tumultus sedare in domo Regis liberationes hospitiorum facere ostia aulae Regis custodire Accipit autem de quolibet Barone facto Milite à Rege quolibet Comite eâ die palfredum cum sella And by an inquisition taken about the 11th of Henry the fifth it appeareth that there belongeth to the Earls Marshals disposing the office of the Marshal in the King's-Bench the Marshal of the Exchequer with the office of the Cryer before the Marshal and the Marshal of the Hall of the King's House and some other such places But the greatest encrease of the authority of this Office hath been since there were no Constables for the Kings since that time have referred many matters to them which in former times were proper to the Constable Neither had the Marshal any precedency in respect of his place until King Henry the eighth in the 31st year of his reign by Parliament assigned him place next to the Lord Constable and before the Lord Admiral William Camden The Original and Dignity of the Earl Marshal of England By the same Hand SOme learned men which have discoursed of offices and magistracies in respect of some conveniencies in military matters have thought the office of Marshal in our age to be answerable to that of the Tribuni militum in the ancient Roman Estate and of the Protostrator in the late state of the Greek or Eastern Empire But this name of Marshall now in use which in process of time hath ascended unto so high a dignity began at such time as the Goths Vandals Franks and other Northern people overflowed Europe who setling themselves in the provinces of the Romans liking well their policy and government began not only to imitate the same but also to translate their titles of civil and military dignities into their own tongues so they translated retaining the signification Limitanei Duces into Marche-graffes Scutati into Shield-Knights Praefectus Palatii into Seneschalk Comes Stabuli into Mar-staller Minister Dei into Gods-schalke Praefectus Equitum into Mar-schalk For all they who have lately traced out Etymologies do consent that as Mar and Mark signifie a horse so Schalk signifieth a ruler an officer or Provost But the French mollified this harsh concurrence of consonants and have made of Seneschalk Marschalk c. Senschal and Marshall This name albeit happily the office might be was not in use in this realm in the Saxon government only they had their Staller which by signification and authority of Historians doth seem to be all one with the Constable But as this name came out of Germany with the Franks into France so out of France first arrived here with the Normans and Roger de Montgomery which was Marshall of the Norman army at the Conquest is accounted the first Marshal of England For some years after there is in Histories no mention of this office until in the confusion under King Stephen when as Maud Fitz-Empress for strengthening of her part made Milo Earl of Hereford and Constable of England so he for assuring his faction made Gilbert Clare Earl of Pembroke and Marshal of England with the state of inheritance who in respect of his usual habitation at Stryghall was commonly called Earl of Stryghall in which office his son Richard sirnamed Strongbow succeeded who first opened the way to the English for the conquest of Ireland by whose only daughter and heir it descended to William Marshall who had by her five sons which died all without issue and five daughters the eldest of them named Maud to whom in the partition was assigned the office of Marshal of England with the Mannor of Hempsted Marshal which as it is in old records the Marshals held in Marescaugiâ per virgam Mareschalliae This Maud was married to Hugh Bigot Earl of Norfolk whose son Roger in right of his mother was Marshal of England and after him Roger Bigot his nephew by the brother who incurring the displeasure of King Edward the first by denying to serve him in Guienne practising to hinder the King's expedition into Flanders and dissuading the Commons to pay subsidies imposed by Parliament in that respect for recovery of the King's favour surrendred up to the King for ever both his Earldom of Norfolk and office of Marshal of England which King Edward the second granted to his brother Thomas of Brotherton from whom it came inheritably to Thomas Mowbray Earl of Nottingham whom King Richard the second created Earl Marshal of England whereas in former time they were stiled only Marshals of England and so from the Mowbrayes to Howards late Dukes of Norfolk yet this office hath not so descended without interruption in the aforesaid families but that upon disfavours and attainders it hath been oftentimes conferred upon others as appeareth by this Catalogue of them wherein they are set down successively The Marshals of England Roger de Montgomery Earl of Shrewsbury Walter Giffard Earl of Buckingham Robert Fitz-Ede base son of King Henry the first Gilbert de Clare Earl of Pembroke Richard his son Earl of Pembroke William Marshall the elder Earl of Pembroke William his son Earl of Pembroke Richard his brother Earl of Pembroke Gilbert his brother Earl of Pembroke
write that his Ancestors were â—purâ 〈◊〉 Emperors and slain here and if so why may not I positively affirm that he was descended from that Constantine who in the fourth Consulship of Theodosius the younger out of hopes that good fortune would attend that name was chosen Emperor in Britain and afterward murder'd at Arles 25 I have heard that in the time of K. Hen. 8. there was found near this place a table of metal as it had been tinn and lead commix'd inscrib'd with many Letters but in so strange a Character that neither Sir Th. Eliot nor Mr. Lily Schoolmaster of Paul's could read it and therefore neglected it Had it been preserved somewhat happily might have been discovered as concerning Stonehenge which now lieth obscured About four miles from Ambresbury on this side of the Avon â—arren is a warren commonly called Everly Warren where is a great breed of hares which afford the recreation of Hunting to the neighbouring Gentry But the number is not so great as that the adjacent inhabitants are forc'd to demand a guard of soldiers against them as Pliny reports that the inhabitants of the Baleares did altho' they are alike mischievous to their corn ff Not far from hence is Lutgershall heretofore the Castle of Geffrey Fitz-Peters the rich Earl of Essex and Lord Chief Justice of England Not much higher is Wolfhall â—haâ—l the seat of the noble family of the Seimours or de Sancto Mauro who were Lords of great possessions in this County by marriage with an heiress of the Esturmies â—y or â—y who bore Argent three Demi-Lions Gul. and had been ever since the time of Henry 2. hereditary Bailiffs and Keepers of the neighbouring Forest of Savernac which is famous for plenty of game â—acâ— and for a sort of sweet-smelling Fern In memory whereof the great Hunting-horn tip'd with silver is yet preserved by the Seimours A little more eastward the river Cunetio by the Saxons called Cynetan but vulgarly Kennet m It rises west of Wolfhall ariseth near a village of the same name which some would have to be the Cunetio mention'd by Antoninus but the distance on both sides contradicts this assertion Here Selbury a round hill riseth to a considerable height and seemeth by the fashion of it and by the sliding down of the earth about it to be cast up by mens hands Of this sort are many to be seen in this County round and copped which are call'd Burrows or Barrows Burrows and Barrows perhaps raised in memory of the Soldiers there slain For bones are found in them and I have read that it was a custom among the Northern People that every soldier escaping alive out of Battel was to bring his Helmet full of Earth toward the raising of Monuments for their slain Fellows Tho' I rather think this Selbury-hill to be placed instead of a Boundary if not by the Romans yet by the Saxons as well as the ditch call'd Wodensdike seeing there were frequent battels in this country between the Mercians and West-Saxons about their limits and Boetius In his Geometry and the Writers that treat about Surveying tell us that such heaps were often raised for Landmarks gg 26 Within one mile of Selbury is Albury an uplandish Village built in an old Camp as it seemeth but of no large compass for it is environed with a fair trench and hath four gaps or gates in two of which stand huge stones as jambs but so rude that they seem rather natural than artificial of which sort there are some other in the said village At the first this River runs 27 Eastward thro' the fields in which stones like Rocks every where appear from whence there is a village call'd Rockley Rockley between which there now and then breaks out water upon a sudden in manner of a * Torrentis Land-flood which the Country-people call Hungerborn Hungerborn i.e. a rivulet of Hunger because it is commonly the prognostick of great scarcity From thence the Kennet runneth to a town of it's own name which was called Cunetio Cunetio by Antoninus and placed 20 miles from Verlucio At which distance that old town called by the new name of Marleborow heretofore Marleberge Marlborow is seated all along the side of a hill from east to west upon the banks of the river Cunetio I shall not be very forward to affirm that this new name came from Marga which in our language we call Marle and use it to improve our Lands This is certain that it lies at the foot of a hill of white stone which our Forefathers called Marle before they had borrowed the word Chalk from the Latin Calx The derivation of this place from Merlin's Tomb is to be ridicul'd which Alexander Necham in his book of Divine Wisdom hammer'd out in this Distich Merlini tumulus tibi Merlebrigia nomen Fecit testis erit Anglica lingua mihi Great Merlin 's grave The name to Marlborough in Saxon gave The History of the fortune as well as the name of this Cunetio from the entrance of the Saxons till the Norman times is wholly buried in oblivion for in that interval not so much as it's name occurs in our Annals hh In the next Age we read that John sirnamed Sine terra or Lack-land who was afterwards King of England had a Castle here which in his rebellion against his brother K. Richard I. was surrendred to Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury That which it was afterwards most famous for was the great Parliament here n 52 Henry 3. assembled which by an unanimous consent made a Law for the suppressing of Riots which is yet called Statutum de Marleborow This Castle is now by the injuries of time nothing but ruines there are indeed some few remains of the wall of the Keep and near it is an Ale-house which hath a Castle for the sign But the inhabitants brag of nothing more than of the Font probably of * Lapis obsidianus Touch-stone in the neighbouring Church of Preshut in which as the tradition goes several Princes were heretofore baptised And I cannot omit what I have read o They only now pay something in money in lieu of it but the Arms of the Town plainly points to this Custom being thus blazon'd Party per Saltier Gules and Azure on the firct quarter gules a bull Arg. on the second Azure a Cock or Capon Arg. the third as the second and on the base Gules are three Greyhounds currant Arg. between two roses Gules namely that every Free-man by an old custom gives to the Mayor at his admission a couple of Beagles two white Capons and a white Bull. On the same side of this river lies Ramesbury Ramesbury a small village now only famous for it's pleasant meadows tho' it was once honoured with the See of a Bishop who was Diocesan of this County but this See being joyn'd to
of his being seized of the Castle Honour and Lordships of Arundel in his own demesn as of Fee in regard of this his possession of the same Castle Honour and Lordships and without any other consideration or creation to be an Earl was Earl of Arundel Parl. 11. H. 6. and the Name State and Honour of the Earl of Arundel c. peaceably enjoy'd as appears by a definitive Judgment in Parliament in favour of John Fitz-Alan challenging the Castle and Title of Arundel 5 By virtue of an entail against John Mowbray Duke of Norfolk the right heir by his mother in the nearest degree From whence we gather That the Name State and Dignity of an Earl was annex'd to the Castle Honour and Lordship of Arundel as may be seen in the Parliament-Rolls An. 27 Hen. 6. out of which I have copy'd these notes word for word Of these Fitz-Alans 6 Edmund second Earl son to Richard marry'd the heir of the Earl of Surrey and was beheaded through the malicious fury of Q. Isabel not lawfully convicted for that he oppos'd himself in King Edw. the 2d's behalf against her wicked practices His son Richard petition'd in Parliament to be restor'd to blood lands and goods for that his father was put to death not try'd by his Peers according to the Law and Great Charter of England Nevertheless whereas the Attainder of him was confirm'd by Parliament he was forc'd to amend his Petition and upon the amendment thereof he was restor'd by the King 's meer grace Richard his son as his grandfather died for his Sovereign 4 Edw. 3. lost his life for banding against his Sovereign K. Richard 2. But Thomas his son more honourably ended his life serving King Henry 5. valorously in France and leaving his sisters his heirs general Sir John of Arundel Lord Maltravers his next Cousin and Heir Male obtain'd of K. Henr. 6. the Earldom of Arundel as we even now declared See before the Earls of Surrey and also was by the said King for his good service created Duke of Touraine Of the succeeding Earls I find nothing memorable the 11th liv'd in our time and dying without issue male was succeeded by Philip Howard his grandson by his daughter who not being able to digest wrongs and hard measure put upon him by the cunning tricks of some invidious persons fell into the snare they had laid for him and being brought into the utmost danger of his life dy'd But his son Thomas a most honourable young Gentleman ennobled with a fervent desire and pursuit after virtue and glory worthy his great birth and of an affable obliging temper was restor'd by King James and had all his father's honours return'd him by Act of Parliament Except the Castle and it's Earls Arundel hath nothing memorable for the College that there flourish'd and had the Earls for it's founders it's revenues being alienated now falls to decay Nevertheless there are some monuments of the Earls in the Church amongst the rest one of Alabaster very fair and noble in which in the middle of the Quire lie Earl Thomas and Beatrix his Wife 2d Daughter of John King of Portugal Neither must I pass by this Inscription very beautifully gilt set up here to the honour of Henry Fitz-Alan the last Earl of this Line since some possibly may be pleas'd with it VIRTUTI ET HONORI SACRUM MAGNANIMUS HEROS CUJUS HIC CERNITUR EFFIGIES CUJUSQUE HIC SUBTER SITA SUNT OSSA HUJUS TERRITORII COMES FUIT SUI GENERIS AB ALANI FILIO COGNOMINATUS A MALATRAVERSO CLUNENSI ET OSWALDESTRENSI HONORIBUS EXIMIIS DOMINUS INSUPER AC BARO NUNCUPATUS GARTERIANI ORDINIS EQUESTRIS SANE NOBILISSIMI SODALIS DUM VIXIT ANTIQUISSIMUS ARUNDELIAE COMITIS GUILIELMI FILIUS UNICUS ET SUCCESSOR OMNIUMQUE VIRTUTUM PARTICEPS QUI HENRICO VIII EDWARDO VI. MARIAE ET ELIZABETHAE ANGLIAE REGIBUS A SECRETIS CONSILIIS VILLAE QUOQUE CALESIAE PRAEFECTURAM GESSIT ET CUM HENRICUS REX BOLONIAM IN MORINIS OBSIDIONE CINXERAT EXERCITUS SUI MARESCALLUS PRIMARIUS DEINDE REGIS FUIT CAMERARIUS EJUSQUE FILIO EDWARDO DUM CORONARETUR MARESCALLI REGNI OFFICIUM GEREBAT EIQUE SICUT ANTEA PATRI CAMERARIUS FACTUS REGNANTE VERO MARIA REGINA CORONATIONIS SOLENNI TEMPORE SUMMUS CONSTITUITUR CONSTABULARIUS DOMUSQUE REGIAE POSTMODUM PRAEFECTUS AC CONSILII PRAESES SICUT ET ELIZABETHAE REGINAE CUJUS SIMILITER HOSPITII SENESCALLUS FUIT ITA VIR ISTE GENERE CLARUS PUBLICIS BENE FUNCTIS MAGISTRATIBUS CLARIOR DOMI AC FORIS CLARISSIMUS HONORE FLORENS LABORE FRACTUS AETATE CONFECTUS POSTQUAM AETATIS SUAE ANNUM LXVIII ATTIGISSET LONDINI XXV DIE FEBRUARII ANNO NOSTRAE SALUTIS A CHRISTO MDLXXIX PIE ET SUAVITER IN DOMINO OBDORMIVIT JOANNES LUMLEY BARO DE LUMLEY GENER PIENTISSIMUS SUPREMAE VOLUNTATIS SUAE VINDEX SOCERO SUAVISSIMO ET PATRONO OPTIMO MAGNIFICENTISSIME FUNERATO NON MEMORIAE QUAM IMMORTALEM SIBI MULTIFARIIS VIRTUTIBUS COMPARAVIT SED CORPORIS MORTALIS ERGO IN SPEM FELICIS RESURRECTIONIS RECONDITI HANC ILLI EX PROPRIIS ARMATURIS STATUAM EQUESTREM PRO MUNERE EXTREMO UBERIBUS CUM LACHRYMIS DEVOTISSIME CONSECRAVIT That is Sacred to Virtue and Honour The Valiant Heroe whose Effigies you here see and whose Bones are buried underneath was Earl of these parts he had his Sirname by being the son of Alan and moreover took the honourable titles of Lord and Baron from Maltravers Clun and Oswaldestre he was Knight of the Garter and liv'd to be the Senior of that Noble Order only Son to William Earl of Arundel and heir both of his Estate and Virtues He was Privy Counsellor to Henry 8. Edward 6. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth Kings and Queens of England Governour of Calais and when Bologne a town of the old Morini was besieg'd by that King Henry was Marshal of the Army He was afterwards Lord Chamberlain to the said King and at the Coronation of his son Edward exercis'd the Office of Marshal of England to which King he was Lord Chamberlain as he had been to his Father Upon Queen Mary's coming to the Crown he was made High-Constable of England for the Coronation afterwards Steward of her Houshold and President of the Council which honour he had under Queen Elizabeth to whom he was likewise Steward of the Houshold Thus this person noble by birth by the honourable discharge of Offices more noble and most of all so by his great Exploits at home and abroad with his honour untainted his body broken and worn out with age in the 68. year of his life dy'd in the Lord devoutly and comfortably at London on the 25. of February in the year of our Lord 1579. John Lumley Baron of Lumley his most dutiful and disconsolate son in Law and Executor with the utmost respect put up this Statue with his own Armour after he had been buried in great pomp for the kindest of Fathers-in-Law and the best of Patrons as the
Order though out of the world q Hence the Medway passing by Halling Halling where Mr. Lambard the first Historiographer of this County sometime liv'd in the Bishop's house comes at length to Rochester Rochester which is so certainly the Durobrovis of Antonin that I need add no more than what our Author hath written already concerning it only that it was sack't by the Danes in the days of King Ethelred An. 839. and besieg'd by them again in An. 885. when they cast up works round it but was reliev'd by King Alfred and that all the lands of the Bishoprick were laid waste by King Ethelred An. 986. Of late years it gave an additional title to the Lord Wilmot of Adderbury in Com. Oxon. who in consideration of his great and many signal services done to the Crown at home and abroad was created Earl of Rochester by Letters Patents bearing date at Paris Dec. 13. 1652. 4 Car. 2. who dying An. 1659. was succeeded in his Honour by his only son John a person of extraordinary wit and learning He dying without issue July 26. 1680. the right honourable Lawrence Hyde second son to Edward Earl of Clarendon Viscount Hyde of Kenelworth and Baron of Wootton Basset was created Earl of Rochester Nov. 29. 1682. 34 Car. 2. r The river Medway having past Rochester-bridge which is one of the finest if not the best in England glideth on to Chatham Chatham famous for the station of the Navy-Royal which hath been so far advanc'd by the Kings Charles and James 2. beyond what it was in our Authors days with the large additions of new Docks and Storehouses wherein are many conveniencies unknown till of late and all these so well fenced with new Forts such as those at Gillingham Cockham-wood the Swomp c. that perhaps there may not be a more compleat Arsenal than this in the world To which add the Royal Fort of Shireness Shireness in the Isle of Shepey built at the mouth of this river by King Charles 2. which stands much more commodiously for the security of the River than the Castle of Queenborough ever did which was built there for that purpose by King Edward 3. but is now demolish't Of this see more at the end of the County Which is all I have to say more than our Author has done concerning this fruitful Island but that of late years the right honourable Lady Elizabeth Lady Dacres mother to Thomas Earl of Sussex was enobled with the title of Countess of Shepey during life Sept. 6. 1680. the 32 of Car. 2. since whose death in consideration of many eminent services done the Crown by the honourable Henry Sidney Esq fourth son of Robert Earl of Leicester the titles of Viscount Shepey and Baron of Milton near Sittingbourn were both conferr'd on him by his present Majesty King William 3. Apr. 9. 1689. 1 Gul. Mar. who hath also been since successively made Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Master of the Ordnance s Near this Town of Milton Milton alià s Middleton now erected into a Barony Hasting the Dane as our Author tells us built him a Castle to annoy the Town the footsteps whereof yet remain at Kemsley-downs beyond the Church This they now call being overgrown with bushes the Castle ruff whither King Alfred coming against him fortified himself on the other side the water the ditches of which fortification and some small matter of the stone-work also still remain by the name of Bavord-Castle †Aelfredi vita p. 44 45 46. secus fontes Cantianos near unto Sittingbourn t This Sittingbourn Sittingbourn was once both a Mayor and Market town now through disuse enjoying neither But the Dane never did the town of Milton so much real mischief as Godwin Earl of Kent who being in rebellion against Edward the Confessor in the year 1052. enter'd the King's Town of Middleton and burnt it to the ground ‖ Chron. Sax. An. 1052. which in all probability stood in those days near the Church near a mile from the Town that now is and was upon the rebuilding remov'd to the head of the Creek where it now stands u Eastward from hence lyes the Town of Feversham Fevershaâ— where King Stephen saith our Author founded an Abbey for the Monks of Clugny which appears to be true by his Foundation-Charter printed in the * Vol. 1. p. 683. Monasticon taking his first Abbot and Monks out of the Abbey of Bermondsey of the same order yet †Hist oâ— Cant. p. â—â— Mr. Somner and ‖ Monâ—â—tâ—con Feveâ— shamiense p. 7 8. Mr. Southouse from the absolutory Letters of Peter Abbot of Bermondsey and of the Prior and Monks of S. Mary de Caritate finding Clarembaldus the first Abbot of Feversham and his Monks releas'd from all obedience and subjection to the Church of Clugny and to the Abbot and Prior aforesaid * Monast Angl. p. 3â— are inclin'd to believe Mr. Camden mistaken and that the Abbot and Monks of Feversham pursuant to their absolution presently took upon them the rule and habit of S. Bennet notwithstanding it is clear they were still esteem'd of the order of Clugny for several years after as farther appears by the Confirmation-Charters of King Henry 2. King John and Henry 3. all printed in the †Ibid. p. 687 688 689. Monasticon and by the Bulls of Pope Innocent 3. Gregory 10. and Boniface 9. all in a ‖ MS. imâ— Munimerâ— Eccles Christi Cantuar. MS. book in Christ-Church Canterbury So that I guess the mistake must rather lye on Mr. Somner's and Mr. Southouse's side than our Author's the absolutory Letters in all probability tending only to their absolution from those particular Houses making any claim upon them and not from the order it self though it cannot be deny'd * Monaâ—â— Angl. 〈◊〉 p. 417. but that the Abbot and Monks of Reading were at first Cluniacs and after became Benedictines as perhaps these might do some years after their first foundation And thus much for the Ecclesiastical state of this Town As for Secular matters it has been lately honour'd by giving title to Sir George Sands of Lees Court in this County Knight of the Bath who in consideration of his faithful services to King Charles 1. was by King Charles 2. advanced to the degree and dignity of a Baron of this Realm by the title of Baron of Throwley as also of Viscount Sands of Lees Court and Earl of Feversham by Letters Patents bearing date at Westminster April 8. 28 Car. 2. which he was only to enjoy for term of life with remainder to Lewis Lord Duras Marquess of Blanquefort in France and Baron of Holdenby in England who marrying the Lady Mary eldest daughter of the said George Earl of Feversham who dyed Apr. 16. 1677. the said Lord Duras being naturalized by Act of Parliament An. 1665. succeeded his Father-in-law in all his titles and
de Scremby At last the King gave it to 6 Sir Henry Henry de Bellomonte for nothing is more clear than that he enjoy'd it in Edward the second 's reign 〈◊〉 4. E. 2. â—ckingâ—m Near this is Skrekingham remarkable for the death of Alfric the second Earl of Leicester kill'd by Hubba the Dane Which place 't is very probable Ingulphus speaks of when he writes In Kesteven three Danish petty Kings were slain and they interr'd them in a certain village heretofore call'd Laundon but now Tre-king-ham by reason of the burial of the three Kings More to the east is Hather famous for nothing but the name of the Busseys or Busleys â—â—fy who live here and derive themselves from Roger de Busley cotemporary with the Conquerour â—â—xd And then Sleford a castle of the Bishops of Lincoln erected by Alexander the Bishop where also 7 Sir John John Hussy 〈◊〉 â—â—ly the first and last Baron of that name 8 Created by King Henry 8. built himself a house but lost his head for rashly engaging in the common insurrection in the year 1537 when the feuds and difference about Religion first broke out in England A few miles from hence stands Kime â—me from whence a noble family call'd de Kime had their name but the Umfranvils three of whom were summon'd to sit in the house of Lords by the name of Earls of Angus in Scotland â—s of â—gus became at last possessors of it The sages of the Common Law would not allow the first of these forasmuch as Angus was not within the bounds of the Kingdom of England to be an Earl before he produc'd in open Court the King 's Writ by which he was summon'd to Parliament under the title of Earl of Angus From the Umfravils this came to the Talbois one of which family nam'd Gilbert was by Henry the eighth created Baron of Talbois whose two sons died without issue so that the inheritance went by females to the family of the Dimocks Inglebies and others More to the west stands Temple Bruer â—mple â—er that is as I take it Temple in the Heath it seems to have been a Preceptory of the Templars for there are to be seen the ruinous walls of a demolish'd Church not unlike those of the New Temple in London Near it is Blankeney â—ons â—ncourt once the Barony of the Deincourts who flourish'd in a continu'd succession from the coming in of the Normans to the times of Henry 6. for then their heir male fail'd in one William whose two sisters and heirs were married the one to 9 Sir William William Lovel the other to Ralph Cromwell I have the more readily taken notice of this family because I would willingly answer the request of Edmund Baron Deincourt who was long since so very desirous to preserve the memory of his name having no issue male he petition'd K. Ed. 2. for liberty To make over his Manours and Arms to whomsoever he pleas'd â— 21 H. 6. â— 10 â—w 2. for he imagin'd that both his name and Arms would go to the grave with him and was very sollicitous they should survive and be remembred Accordingly the King complied and he had Letters Patents for that end Yet this sirname so far as my knowledge goes is now quite extinct and would have been drown'd in oblivion if books and learning had not sav'd it In the west part of Kesteven where this County borders on Leicestershire on a very steep and as it seems â—voir or â—erâ—le artificial hill stands Belvoir or Beauvoir-Castle so call'd whatever the name was formerly from its pleasant prospect which with the little Monastery adjoyning was built as 't is given out by Todeneius a Norman from whom by the Albenies Britans and by the Roos's Barons it came to be the inheritance of the Manours Earls of Rutland by the first of whom nam'd Thomas it was as I have heard rebuilt after it had laid in ruins many years For William Lord Hastings in spight to Thomas Lord Roos who sided with Henry 6. almost demolish'd it and upon the attainder of Baron Roos had it granted him by Edward 4. with very large possessions But Edmund Baron Roos the son of Thomas by the bounty of Henry 7. regain'd this his ancestors inheritance o About this castle are found the stones call'd Astroites Astroites which resemble little stars link'd one with another having five rays in every corner and in the middle of every ray a hollow This stone among the Germans had its name from Victory for they think as Georgius Agricola writes in his sixth book of Minerals That whosoever carries this stone about him shall be successful against his enemies But I have not yet had an opportunity to make the experiment whether this stone of ours when put in vinegar will move out of its place and whirl round like that in Germany The Vale beneath this castle commonly call'd from it The Vale of Belver The Vale of Belver is pretty large and exceeding pleasant by reason of the corn-fields and pastures there It lies part in Nottinghamshire part in Leicestershire and part in Lincolnshire If not in this very place yet for certain very near it †See the Additions to Rutlandshire under the title Market-Overton where 't is more conveniently plac'd stood formerly that Margidunum Margidunum which Antoninus makes mention of next to Vernometum and this may sufficiently be prov'd both by its name and distance from Vernometum and the Town Ad Pontem otherwise Paunton for Antoninus places it between them It seems to have taken this ancient name from Marga and the situation of it For Marga among the Britains is a sort of earth with which they manure their grounds and Dunum which signifies a hill is applicable only to high places But I do for all that very much question this etymology seeing there is very little Marle in this place the not searching for it being perhaps the reason except the Britains by the name of Marga understand ‖ Gypsum Plaister-stone which is as I am inform'd dug up not far from hence and was as Pliny declares in his natural history in great request among the Romans who used it in their Plaisterings and * Sigillis Cielings Thro' this part of the Shire runs Witham Riv. Witham a little river but very full of Pikes and the northern parts are bounded by it It s spring head is at a little town of the same name Bitham not far from the ruins of Bitham-Castle which as we find in an old pedigree was by William the first given to Stephen Earl of Albemarle and Holderness to enable him to feed his son as yet a little infant with fine white bread for at that time nought was eaten in Holderness but oat-bread altho' 't is now very little used there This castle nevertheless in the reign of Edward 3. was when
College here A little higher upon Watlingstreet for so this Military way of the Romans is vulgarly call'd where there is a bridge of stone over the river Anker Manduessedum Manduessedum is seated a town of very great antiquity mention'd by Antoninus which having not yet altogether lost its name is call'd Mancester Mancester and in Ninnius's Catalogue Caer Mancegued Which name since a quarry of free-stone lies near it 't is probable was given it from the stone there digg'd and hew'd For in the Glossaries of the British tongue we learn that Main signifies a stone and Fosswad in the Provincial language digging which being joyn'd together seem aptly enough to express the name Manduessedum u But how great or of what note soever it was in those times 't is now a poor little village containing not above fourteen small houses and hath no other monument of Antiquity to shew but an old Fort which they call Old-bury i.e. an old Burrough w Atherston on the one side a well-frequented market where the Church of the 14 Augustine Friers Friers was converted into a Chapel which nevertheless acknowledges that of Mancester to be the Mother Church and Nonn-eaton on the other side have by their nearness reduc'd Mancester to what you see it Neighbour to Atherston is Meri-val Merival i.e. Merry-vale where Robert de Ferrers built and dedicated a Monastery to God and the blessed Virgin in which his body wrapp'd up in an Ox-hide lies interr'd Beyond these Northward lies Pollesworth Pollesworth where Modwena an Irish virgin fam'd for her wonderful piety built a Nunnery which Robert Marmion a Nobleman who had his castle in the neighbourhood at Stippershull repair'd x Hard by also in the Saxon times flourish'd a town of which there appear now but very small remains call'd Secandunum at this time Seckinton Seckinton where Aethelbald King of the Mercians in a civil war was assassinated by Bcornred Chron. Sax. Beared in the year 749 but in a little time he was cut off by King Offa by the same means falling from the throne by which he had impiously got it y To close the whole I must now give you a Catalogue of the Earls of Warwick Earls of Warwick And to pass over Guar Morindus Guy that Echo of England and many more of that stamp which the fruitful wits of those times brought forth at one birth Henry son of Roger de Bellomonte brother of Robert Earl of Mellent was the first Earl of the Norman race who marry'd Margaret daughter of Aernulph de Hesdin Earl of Perch a person of mighty power and authority Of this family there were who bore that honour Roger son of Henry William son of Roger who dy'd in the 30th of King Henry the second Walleran his brother Henry son of Walleranâ— Thomas his son who dy'd without issue in the 26th of Henry the third and his sister Margery surviving was Countess of Warwick and dy'd childless Her two husbands nevertheless first John Mareschal Plaâ—â—â—3 Rot â—34 then John de Plessets in right of their wife and by the favour of their Prince were rais'd to the honour of Earls of Warwick But these dying without any issue by Margery Walleran Margery's uncle by the father succeeded in the honour and he dying without issue Alice his sister came to the Inheritance Afterwards William her son call'd Male-doctus Malduit and Manduit de Hanslap who dy'd also without issue But Isabel his sister being marry'd to William de Bello Campo or Beauchamp Baron of Elmesly carry'd the Earldom into the family of the Beauchamps Who if I am not mistaken because they were descended from a daughter of Ursus de Abtot gave the Bear for their Cognisance and left it to their posterity Of this family there were six Earls and one Duke William the son of Isabel John Guy Thomas Thomas the younger Richard and lastly Henry to whom King Henry the sixth made a Grant without precedent That he should be primier Earl of all England and use this title Henry primier Earl of all England and Earl of Warwick Rot. Parâ— 23 Hen. â— He made him also King of the Isle of Wight afterwards created him Duke of Warwick and by the express words of his Patent granted that he should have place in Parliament and elsewhere next to the Duke of Norfolk and before the Duke of Buckingham He had but one daughter Anne 24 Hâ— who in the Inquisitions was stil'd Countess of Warwick and dy'd in her Infancy She was succeeded by Richard Nevill who had marry'd the daughter of the said Duke of Warwick a person of an invincible spirit but changeable and fickle in his Allegiance the very sport and tennis-ball of fortune Who altho' no King himself was yet superiour to Kings as being the person who depos'd Henry the sixth a most bountiful Prince to him and set up Edward the fourth in his place Afterwards he un-king'd him again re-establisht Henry the sixth in the Throne and involv'd the kingdom in the flames of a civil war which were not extinguisht but with his own blood 15 After his death Anne his wife by Act of Parliament was excluded and debarred from all her lands for ever and his two daughters heirs to him and heirs apparent to their mother being married to George Duke of Clarence and Richard Duke of Glocester were enabled to enjoy all the said lands in such wise as if the said Anne their mother were naturally dead Whereupon the name stile and title of Earl of Warwick and Sarisbury was granted to George Duke of Clarence who soon after was unnaturally dispatch'd by a sweet death in a Butt of Malvesey by his suspicious brother King Edw. 4. His young son Edward was stil'd Earl of Warwick and being but a very child was beheaded by King Henry 7. to secure himself and his posterity The death of this Edward our Ancestors accounted to be the full period and final end of the long lasting war between the two royal houses of Lancaster and York Wherein as they reckon'd from the 28th year of Henry 6. unto this being the 15th of Henry 7. there were 13 fields fought 3 Kings of England 1 Prince of Wales 12 Dukes 1 Marquis 18 Earls with one Vicount and 23 Barons besides Knights and Gentlemen lost their lives Edward son of one of his daughters by George Duke of Clarence succeeded whom Henry the seventh for neither youth nor innocence could protect him to secure himself and the line put to death The title of this Earldom which was become formidable to Henry the eighth by the great troubles Richard Nevil that scourge of Kings had created lay dormant till Edward the sixth gave it to John Dudley deriving a title from the Beauchamps He as the before mention'd Richard endeavouring to subvert the Government under Queen Mary had his boundless ambition punisht with the loss of his head But his sons first John whilst his father was
accounts of his Steward The Castle in the late Civil wars was demolish'd by those that had purchas'd it of the Parliament with design to make money of the materials q In the utmost Northern bound is Sutton-Colefield 〈◊〉 â—olefield where the Earls of Warwick had a Chase of great extent The market is now almost wholly disused and the Bishop of Exeter mention'd by our Author liv'd and dy'd here in the 103. year of his age r Next is Coleshill â—olâ—shill where in an old foundation was lately dug up a Roman copper Coin of Trajan's and not far from it Blith â—â—â—h memorable for nothing but that it was purchas'd by Sir William Dugdale and was his place of residence when he compil'd that accurate and elaborate work his Antiquities of this County s We come next to Coventry Coventry the walls and towers whereof were demolish'd at the Restoration by command of King Charles 2. the gates only left standing by which one may guess at the strength and beauty of the former Edward 4. for their disloyalty took the Sword from the Mayor and seiz'd their Liberties and Franchises which they redeem'd for 500 marks In memory of Leofric who dy'd 13 of Edward the Confessor and Godiva his Countess their pictures were set up in the windows Trinity Church with this Inscription I Lurick for the love of thee Do set Coventry toll-free And a Procession or Cavilcade is still yearly made in memory of Godiva with a naked figure representing her riding on horse-back through the City They have a stately Cross built 33 Hen. 8. by Sir William Hollies sometime Lord Mayor of London for workmanship and beauty inferiour to few in England The City among other things is famous for the two Parliaments held in it the former in the 6 Hen. 4. call'd from the exclusion of the Lawyers Parliamentum indoctorum the latter in the 38 Hen. 6. from the Attainder of Richard Duke of York the Earls of Salisbury Warwick and March call'd by some Parliamentum Diabolicum Since our Author's time it hath afforded the title of Earl to George Villiers created Earl of Coventry and Duke of Buckingham 18. May 21 Jac. 1. in which honours he was succeeded by his son of the same name t From Coventry let us pass to Brinklow Brinklow famous for an ancient castle †Dugd. War p. 147 It is in all probability older than the Norman Conquest otherwise our publick Records or some other Authorities would certainly have taken notice of it If we should carry it back to the times of the Romans there are several circumstances which seem to justifie such a conjecture As the Saxons very often applying their HleaÆ¿ from whence our low comes to such places as were remarkable for the Roman Tumuli that there is an eminent tumulus upon which the Keep or Watch-tower of the castle did stand that it lies upon the Roman Fosse and is at a convenient distance from the Bennones u Passing hence northward to the river Anker on the western bank thereof we find Manceter Manceter confirm'd to be the ancient Manduessedum by divers coyns of silver and brass which have been by digging and plowing frequently brought to light w In the same Parish is Oldbury Oldbury a place of great antiquity as appears by a Quadrangular Fort containing seven acres of ground In the North-part of it there have been found several flint-stones about four inches in length curiously wrought by grinding or some such way The one end is shap'd like the edge of a Pole-ax and by Sir William Dugdale they are thought to have been weapons us'd by the Britains before the art of making arms of brass and iron They must have been brought hither for some extraordinary use because there are no flints to be found within 40 miles of the place One of them is now to be seen in Ashmole's Musaeum at Oxford x On the other side of the river northward Pollesworth lies Pollesworth where Sir Francis Nethersole a Kentish Gentleman and sometime publick Orator to the University of Cambridge at the instance of his Lady built a Free-school on the front whereof is this Inscription Soli Deo Gloria Schola pauperum Puerorum Puellarum He enseoft six Gentlemen and seven Divines in as much as amounted to 140 l. per annum at the least for a liberal maintenance of a School-master and School-mistress to teach the children of the Parish And what remain'd was to be employ'd in charitable uses such as he in his life time should think fit and in default of his own actually disposing of it left it to the discretion of his Trustees He likewise he built a fair house for the Vicar of Pollesworth y Farther North is Seckinton Seckinton which as it is memorable for the battel between Aethelbald and Beornred so I may further add that it took its name from that engagement secce in Saxon signifying battel and dun which afterwards was chang'd into ton a hill Scarce a furlâ—ng north of the Church is a notable fort and near it an artificial hill of 43 foot high Continuation of the EARLS Ambrose Dudley the last Earl dying in the year 1589. Robert Lord Rich of Leeze was created Earl of Warwick 16 Jac. 1. and soon after dying was succeeded by his son and grandson both Roberts Charles brother to the latter was next Earl who dying 24 Aug. 1673. left the honour to Robert Rich Earl of Holland his Cousin-german Which Robert was succeeded in both the honours by Edward his son and heir More rare Plants growing wild in Warwickshire Though I have lived some years in this County yet have I met with no peculiar local plants growing therein the more rare and uncommon are Cyperus gramineus miliaceus Ger. Millet-Cyperus-grasse mentioned in Essex Frequent by the river Tames-sides near Tamworth and elsewhere Cyperus longus inodorus sylvestris Ger. Gramen cyperoides altissimum foliis carina serratis P. Boccone Long-rooted bastard Cyperus In boggy places by the river Tame at Dorsthill near Tamworth Equisetum nudum Ger. junceum seu nudum Park foliis nudum non ramosum s junceum C. B. Naked Horse-tail or Shave-grass This species is more rare in England We found it in a moist ditch at Middleton towards Drayton It is brought over to us from beyond Sea and employ'd by artificers for polishing of vessels handles of tools and other utensils it is so hard that it will touch iron it self I am informed by my honoured Friend Mr. John Awbrey that it is to be found in a rivulet near Broad-stitch Abbey in Wiltshire plentifully That sort which grows common with us is softer and will not shave or polish wood much less iron Juncus laevis minor panicula glomerata nigricante call'd by those of Montpellier with whom also it is found Juncus semine Lithospermi Black-headed Rush with Gromil-seed In the same places with the Cyperus longus inodorus Gramen
title of Aber Gavenni upon which the majority of voices gave it the heir-male And when he had again proposed Whether the title of Baron Le Despenser Baroness le Despenser should be conferr'd on the female and her heirs they unanimously agreed to it to which his Majesty gave his Royal Assent And Edward Nevil was soon after summon'd to Parliament by the King 's Writ under the title of Baron of Aber-Gavenni And being according to the usual ceremony introduc'd in his Parliament-Robe between two Barons he was placed above the Baron de Audeley At the same time also the King's Patent was read before the Peers whereby his Majesty restored rais'd preferred c. Mary Fane to the state degree title stile name honour and dignity of Baroness le Despenser Baroness le Despenser and that her heirs successively should be Barens le Despenser c. But the question of precedency being proposed the Peers referr'd the decision thereof to the Commissioners for the office of Earl Marshal of England who signâ—d their Verdict for the Barony of le Despenser This was read before the Peers and by their order register'd in the Parliament Diary out of which I have taken this account in short What ought not to be omitted is that John Hastings held this Castle by homage ward and marriage 6 Edw. 2. When it happens as we read in the Inquisition and if there should chance any war between the King of England and Prince of Wales he ought to defend the Country of Over-went at his own charges to the utmost of his power for the good of himself the King and Kingdom The second town call'd by Antoninus Burrium Burrium who places it 12 miles from Gobannium is seated where the river Byrdhin falls into Usk. 'T is call'd now in British by a transposition of letters Brynbiga for Burenbegi and also Kaer-ŵysk by Giraldus Castrum Oskae and in English Usk. Usk. It shews now only the ruins of a large strong Castle pleasantly seated between the river Usk and Oilwy a small brook which takes its course from the east by Ragland a stately castle-like house of the Earl of Worcester's and passes under it The third City call'd by Antoninus Isca Isca and Legio secunda seated on the other side of the river Usk and distant as he observes exactly 12 Italian miles from Burrium is câ—ll'd by the Britains Kaer Lheion and Kaer Lheion ar ŵysk Kaer Lheion ar Wysk which signifies the City of the Legion on the river Usk from the Legio Secunda Augusta called also Britannica secunda This Legion instituted by Augustus and translated out of Germany into Britain by Claudius under the conduct of Vespasian to whom upon his aspiring to the Empire it prov'd serviceable and also secur'd him the British Legions was placed here at length by Julius Frontinus as seems probable in garrison against the Silures How great a City this Isca was at that time our Giraldus informs us in his Itinerary of Wales A very ancient city this was saith he and enjoy'd honourable privileges elegantly built by the Romans with * The câ—â—cuit â—f 〈◊〉 walls aâ—â— 3 miles Enderoy brick walls There are yet remaining many footsteps of its ancient splendour stately palaces which formerly with their gilded Tiles emulated the Roman grandeur for that it was at first built by the Roman nobility and adorn'd with sumptuous edifices an exceeding high tower remarkable hot †An. 16â—â— hot baâ—â—s were dâ—â—â—ver'd 〈◊〉 S. Julâ—aâ— the brâ—â—â— equilateâ—â—ly squâ—â—â— about 〈◊〉 inch tâ—â— like thâ—â— at S. Aâ—â—â—â— Mr. Aâ—â—â— baths ruins of ancient temples theatrical places encompass'd with stately walls which are partly yet standing Subterraneous edifices are frequently met with not only within the walls but also in the suburbs aqueducts vaults and which is well worth our observation Hypocausts or stoves contriv'd with admirable artifice conveying heat insensibly through some very narrow vents on the sides Two very eminent and next to St. Alban and Amphibalus the chief Protomartyrs of Britannia major lye entombed here where they were crown'd with martyrdom viz. Julius and Aaron who had also Churches dedicated to them in this City For in ancient times there were three noble Churches here One of Julius the Martyr grac'd with a Quire of Nuns devoted to God's service another dedicated to St. Aaron his companion ennobled with an excellent order of Canons and the third honour'd with the Metropolitan See of Wales Amphibalus also teacher of St. Alban who sincerely instructed him in the Faith was born here This City is excellently well seated on the navigable river Usk and beautified with meadows and woods Here the Roman Embassadors received their audience at the illustrious court of that great King Arthur And here also the Archbishop Dubricius resign'd that honour to David of Menevia by translating the Archiepiscopal See from this City thither Thus far Giraldus But in confirmation of the antiquity of this place I have taken care to add some ancient Inscriptions lately dug up there and communicated to me by the right reverend Father in God Francis Godwin Lord Bishop of Landaff a lover of venerable antiquity and all other good literature In the year 1602. some labourers digging in a meadow adjoyning found on a checquer'd pavement a statue of a person in a short-truss'd habit with a Quiver and Arrows the head hands and feet broken off and also the fragment of an Altar with this Inscription of fair large characters about three inches long erected by Haterianus Lieutenant-General of Augustus and Propraetor of the Province of Cilicia 〈…〉 HATERIANVS LEG AVG PR PR PROVINC CILIC The next year was discover'd also this Inscription which shews the Statue before mention'd to have been of the Goddess Diana and that Titus Flavius Posthumius Varus perhaps of the fifth Cohort of the second Legion had repair'd her Temple a Id est Titus Flavius Postumius Varus quintae Cohortis Legionis Secundae Augustae Templum Dianae restituit T. FL. POSTVMIVS VARVS V. C. LEG TEMPL DIANAE RESTITVIT Also this votive Altar out of which the name of the Emperour * Geta seems to have been rased when he was deposed by his brother Antoninus Bassianus â—â—e Phil. â—â—ns 〈◊〉 1â—5 and declared an enemy yet so as there are some shadows of the Letters still remaining b Id est Pro salute Augustorum nostrorum Severi Antonini Getae Caesarum Publius Saltienus Publii filius Maecia Thalamus ex hac gente aut tribu nempe Publ. Saltienus ortus est Praefectus Legionis secundae Augustae C. Vampeiano Luciliano Consulibus PRO SALVTE In printed Copies Claudius Pompeianus and Lollianus Avitus Coss An. Chr. 210. AVGG N. N. SEVERI ET ANTONINI ET GETAE CAES. P. SALTIENVS P. F. MAECIA THALAMVS HADRI PRAEF LEG II. AVG. C. VAMPEIANO ET LVCILIAN And this fragment of a very fair Altar the Inscription whereof might perhaps be thus supplied
hand-habend i.e. having his hand in or being in the very act of stealing or back-berond i.e. having the thing stoln either upon his back or somewhere about him without giving any probable account how he came by it or lastly confesson'd owning that he stole the thing for which he was accused The cause therefore must be only theft and that manner of theft only which is call'd furtum manifestum grounded upon some of the foresaid evidences The value of the thing stoln must likewise amount to above 13 d. ob for if the value was found only so much and no more by this Custom he should not dye for it He was first brought before the Bailiff of Halifax who presently summon'd the Frithborgers within the several Towns of the Forest and being found guilty within a week was brought to the Scaffold The Ax was drawn up by a pulley and fasten'd with a pin to the side of the Scaffold If it was an horse an ox or any other creature that was stoln it was brought along with him to the place of execution and fasten'd to the cord by a pin that stay'd the block So that when the time of execution came which was known by the Jurors holding up one of their hands the Bailiff or his Servant whipping the beast the pin was pluckt out and execution done But if it was not done by a beast then the Bailiff or his Servant cut the rope But the manner of execution will be better apprehended by the following draught of it Printed for â— Sold By F Bentley in Halifax A A. The Scaffold B. The piece of wood wherein the Axe is fix'd C. The Axe D. The Pulley by which the Axe is drawn up E. The Malefactor who lyes to be beheaded F. The pin to which the Rope is ty'd that draws up the Axe o On the other side of the Calder is Cambodunum Cambodunum which probably was built most of wood there being no manner of appearance of stone or brick The fire that burnt it down seems to have been exceeding vehement from the cinders which are strangely solder'd together One lump was found of above 2 foot every way the earth being melted rather than burnt But Mr. Camden's guess at a burning there from the blackness of the stones in the buildings is groundless for the edges of them are so in the Quarry which is half a mile off and so deep that for fire to reach them there is impossible p Next the Calder goes to Wakefield Wakefield where by the noble charity of the pious Lady Campden is a weekly Lecture endow'd with fourscore pounds per An. The other for she left three thousand pounds to Trustees for the founding two Lectures in the north of England is at Grantham Upon the light hand of the high-way leading from Wakefield to Sandal there is a small square plot of ground hedg'd in from a Close within which before the war between K. Charles and the Parliament there stood a Cross of stone where Richard Duke of York was slain The owners are oblig'd by the tenure of the land to hedge it in from the Close The carved work of stone upon the Chapel built by King Edward 4. on the bridge hath been very beautiful but is now much defac'd The whole structure is artificially wrought about ten yards long and six broad Dâ—â—tâ—n At some distance from hence is Darton of the Beaumonts of which Mr. George Beaumont a Merchant left 500 l. for the founding a Free-school in this place of his nativity as much to poor Ministers 150 l. to the poor of London 50 l. to York 30 l. to Hull with a considerable estate amongst his relations Farther from the Calder lyes Burton-grange Burtâ—â—-grangâ— where the no less religious than honourable Lady Mary Talbot second daughter and coheir of Henry Talbot fourth son of the illustrious George Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury erected an Hospital for six poor widows each of which have 40 s. and a Gown every year She built also and endow'd two other Hospitals in other Counties during her life and at her death An. 1675. left 40 l. per An. for 99 years to be put to such like uses More to the south is Stainbrough Stainbrough where Henry Edmunds Esq has generously built a good house for the Minister and Mr. Walker late Master of University-College has annex'd a Library to the school Two miles from Howley is Drighlington D ighliton memorable only for the nativity of Dr. James Margetson late Archbishop of Armagh who founded here a school and endow'd it with 60 l. per An. q The river Are our next guide runs to Skipton Skiptâ—n where lye interr'd several of the Cliffords particularly George third Earl of Cumberland honour'd with the Garter by Queen Elizabeth and famous for his sea-services performing * Inscâ—â—pâ—â—on in Sâ—â—â—ton Caâ—â—â— nine Voyages in his own person most of them to the West-Indies being the best born Englishman that ever hazarded himself in that kind He died 30 Oct. 1605. leaving one only daughter Anne Countess of Pembroke Dorset and Montgomery an eminent benefactor born 30 Jan. 1589 90. at Skipton-Castle in Yorkshire wherein I am the more particular because Dr. Fuller in his Worthies Com. West p. 140. out of a mistake says 't was in Hertfordshire She built from the ground or considerably repair'd six ancient Castles one of which Brough had lain 140 years desolate after the fire had consum'd it An. 1520. Another See the â—â—ditioâ—â— Wâ—stmâ—land Pendragon-castle of which our Author tells us nothing remain'd in his time but the bare name and an heap of stones 320 years after the invading Scots under their King David had wasted it An. 1341. She built also seven Chapels or Churches with two stately Hospitals richly endow'd and died 22 March A. D. 1675. This Country Craven hath given the title of Earl to William Craven Baron of Hampsted Marshal created Earl of Craven Mari 16. An. 16 Car. 2. From hence the Are passeth by Thornton the seat of Richard Thornton Esq to Rawdon Rawdon famous for Sir George Rawdon a most accomplish'd person who with 200 or fewer British most valiantly repulsed Sir Philim o Neile at the head of an army of about 7000 rebels assaulting Lisnegarvy now Lisburn in Ireland in that grand massacre 1641. wherein thousands of Protestants were most cruelly murder'd There now resideth Henry son of Francis Layton Esquire who in pursuance of his said father's will has built there and endow'd with 20 l. per an a Chapel which was consecrated by Archbishop Dolben 4 May 1684. r Upon the same river is Leeds Leeds possibly from the Saxon Leod gens natio implying it to have been very populous in the Saxon times which town and parish King Charles 1. by Letters Patents 13 July second of his reign incorporated under the government of one chief Alderman nine Burgesses and twenty Assistants Sir John Savil afterwards Lord
was in times past exceeding strong Which being surprized by the English while King James 2. of Scotland was besieging it he was untimely slain in the flower of his youth by a piece of Cannon that casually burst He was a Prince much missed and lamented by his Subjects Notwithstanding this the Castle was surrender'd and being mostly demolished is now scarce to be seen But the adjacent Territory called from it the Sheriffdom of Roxborough â—â—â—â—â—ffâ—â—â—e of â—â—â—boâ—â—â—gh â—â—â—editaâ—â—â—heriffs hath an hereditary Sheriff of the family of Douglass who is usually called the Sheriff of Teviotdale And now f It is now an Earldom belonging to the same Family Roxborough by the favour of King James 6. is also a Barony in the person of Robert Kerr Kerr of the house of the Kerrs a very noble and numerous family in this tract from which are descended the Fernhersts and others who being educated in the school of Arms have render'd themselves very illustrious Twede Twedale aforesaid runs through the middle of a Valley or Dale that takes its name from it abounding in sheep whose wool is very valuable This is certainly a Noble River which having its source amongst the hills more inwardly Westward and running as it were with a streight Channel by Drimlar-Castle by Peeblis Peeblis a Market-Town * See more in the Additions which hath for its Sheriff Baron Zester as also g This town is a burgh-Royal has a weekly market and several â—airs is the head burgh of the shire and the seat of the Sheriff and Commissary-Courts Selkirk Selkirk †See more in the Additions hard by which hath one out of the family of Murray of Fallo-hill it receives the little River Lauder upon which appears h Here the late Duke of Lauderdale has built a well-contriv'd handsom Church consisting of four Isles with a large Steeple rising in the middâ—e Lauder together with Thirlestan Here Sir John Maitland not long since Chancellor of Scotland for his singular prudence created by K. James the 6. Baron of Thirlestan Baron of Thirlestan hath a very beautiful seat i The said Duke has adorned it with avenues pavillions out-Courts and other beauties requir'd to the making of a compleat Seat Then being increased by the accession of the River Teviot beneath Roxburgh it watereth the Sheriffdom of Berwick which is most of it the Estate of the Humes wherein the Head of that Family exerciseth now the Jurisdiction of a Sheriff and then running under Berwick the best fortified Town of Britain whereof I have already spoken with a prodigious plenty of Salmon it emptieth it self into the Sea b MERCHIA MERCH or MERS MErch which is next and so named because it is a March-Countrey lieth wholly upon the German Ocean Here k It was demolished by the English in the late War Hume Castle first presents it self the ancient possession of the Lords of Home or Hume who being descended from the Earls of Merch have spread themselves into a numerous and noble family Of which Alexander Hume who was before Primier Baron of Scotland and Sheriff of Berwick was lately advanced by James King of Great Britain to the Title of Earl of Hume Earl Hume Not far off under this Castle lieth l It is a burgh of Barony and a large beautiful Town Kelso Kelso formerly famous for a Monastery founded by King David the first among thirteen more for the propagation of God's glory but to the great impairing of the Crown Lands Thence we have a prospect of Coldingham Coldingham called by Bede Coldana and Coludi urbs perhaps the Colania Colania of Ptolemy consecrated many Ages since to professed Nuns whose Chastity is recorded in ancient Writings for their cutting off together with Ebba their Prioress their Noses and Lips chusing to secure their Virginity from the Danes rather than preserve their Beauty but they notwithstanding burnt them together with their Monastery Hard by is Fastcastle belonging to the Humes so called from its strength near the same St. Ebbe's Promontory who being the Daughter of Edelfrid King of Northumberland when her Father was taken Prisoner seized upon a Boat in the Humber and passing along the tempestuous Ocean landed in safety here became famous for her sanctity and left her name to the place But Merch is much more celebrated in History for its Earls Earls of Merch. than places who were highly commended for their Martial Courage They were descendants of Gospatrick Earl of Northumberland who after his being driven out of his Countrey by William the Conqueror was entertained by Malcolm Conmer that is Great-head King of Scotland and honoured by him with Dunbar-Castle and the Earldom of Merch. His Posterity besides very large possessions in Scotland held as appears by an old Inquisition the Barony of Bengeley in Northumberland that they should be Inborrow and Utborrow between England and Scotland What the meaning should be of these terms let others guess what my conjecture is I have said already But in the reign of King James the first George of Dunbar the Earl of Merch by authority of Parliament upon the account of his Father's Rebellion lost the propriety and possession of the Earldom of Merch and the Seigniory of Dunbar And when he proved by good Evidence that his Father had been pardoned that fault by the Regents of the Kingdom he was answered that it was not in the Regents power to pardon an offence against the State and that it was provided by the Laws that the Father's transgression should succeed to the Children to the end that being Heirs to their Father's Rashness as well as Estate they should not at any time out of a vain opinion of power plot against their Prince and Country The Title of Earl of Merch was afterwards amongst other Honourable Titles conferr'd on Alexander Duke of Albany And in our memory this title of honour was reviv'd in Robert the 3. Brother of Matthew Earl of Lenox who being of Bishop of Cathness made Earl of Lenox soon after resigned up that Title to his Nephew created Duke of Lenox and received of the King by way of recompence the name and stile of Earl of Merch c LAVDEN or LOTHIEN LOTHIEN also called Lauden Lauden and anciently from the Picts Pictland shoots out along from Merch as far as the Scottish Sea or the Frith having many hills and little woods but for its excellent Corn-lands and civility is commended above any County in Scotland About the Year of our Lord 873. Edgar King of England between whom and Keneth the third King of Scotland there was a strict alliance against the Danes the Common Enemy resigned up his right in this Lothian unto him as Matthew Florilegus asserts and to tie his heart the closer to him He bestowed upon him moreover many Lodges in the way wherein both he and his Successors in their coming to the Kings
in his writings Records of above 1000 years standing concerning these remote parts of the world the Hebrides and the Orcades when in Italy the nurse of excellent wits for so many ages after the expulsion of the Goths there was such a scarcity of writers See the â—â—ditions But upon this place Johnston born not far from hence hath these verses TAODUNUM Or DEIDONUM Quà Notus argutis adspirat molliter auris Hâc placidè coëunt Taus Oceanus Hic facili excipiens venientes littore puppes Indigenis vasti distrahit orbis opes Saepe dolis tentata belli exercita damnis Invictis animis integra praestat adhuc Fama vetus crevit cum Relligione renatâ Lucis hinc fulsit pura nitela aliis Alectum dixere priùs si maxima spectes Commoda fo rs Donum dixeris esse Dei. Tu decus aeternum gentisque urbisque Boëti Caetera dic patriae dona beata tuae Where the calm South with gentle murmurs reigns Tay with the sea his peaceful current joyns To trading ships an easie port is shown That makes the riches of the world it s own Oft have her hapless sons been forc'd to bear The dismal thunder of repeated war Yet unsubdu'd their noble souls appear Restor'd Religion hath advanc'd her height And spread through distant parts the sacred light Alectum once 't was nam'd but when you 've view'd The joys and comforts by kind heav'n bestow'd You 'll call it Donum Dei Gift of God Boetius honour of the realm and town Speak thou the rest and make thy mother's honours known Hence we have a sight of Brochty-crag Brochty-Crag a Fort defended by a Garison of English many months together when out of an earnest desire of a perpetual peace they sued for a Marriage between Mary of Scotland and Edward 6. of England and upon promise thereof demanded the performance by force of arms but the Garison at length abandoned it Then to the open sea lies Aberbroth in short Arbroth Arbroth a place endowed with ample Revenues formerly consecrated to Religion by King William in honour of St. Thomas of Canterbury Near this the Red-head Red-head shooteth out into the sea a Promontory to be seen afar off Hard by South-Eske enters the Ocean which flowing out of a lake passes by Finnevim-Castle much fam'd for being the seat of the Lindsays The Lindsays Earls of Crawford of whom I have spoken already Then Brechin Brechin standing upon the same River which King David the first adorned with a Bishop's See * See the Additions and at its very mouth Mont-rose Montrose that is The Mount of Roses a town antiently called Celurca built out of the Ruines of another of the same name and situated between the two Eskes which gives the title of Earl to the Family of Graham Upon which thus Johnston CELURCA or MONS ROSARUM Aureolis urbs picta rosis mons molliter urbi Imminet hinc urbi nomina facta canunt At veteres perhibent quondam dixisse Celurcam Nomine sic prisco nobilitata novo est Et prisca atque nova insignis virtute virûmque Ingeniis Patriae qui peperere decus A leaning mount which golden roses grace At once adorns and names the happy place But ancient times Celurca call'd the town Thus is it proud of old and late renown And old and late brave sons whose wit and hand Have brought new trophies to their native land Not far from hence is Boschain Boschain belonging to the Barons of Ogilvy Baroâ—s Ogilvy of very ancient nobility descended from that Alexander Sheriff of Angus who was slain in the bloody battle at Harley against the Mac-donalds of the Isles As for the Earls of Angus Earls of Angus Gilchrist of Angus a person illustrious for his brave exploits under Malcolm the 4th was the first Earl of Angus that I read of About the year 1242 John Comin was Earl of Angus who died in France and his Dowager perhaps heiress of the Earldom was married to Gilbert Umfravile an Englishman For both he and his heirs successively were summoned to the Parliament of England till the 3d year of K. Richard 2d under the title of Earls of Angus But the English Lawyers refused in their Instruments to own him for an Earl because Angus was not within the Kingdom of England till he produced in open Court the King 's Writ whereby he was summoned to Parliament under the name of Earl of Angus In the reign of David Brus Sc tâ—â— chron con Tho. Steward was Earl of Angus who took Berwick by surprize but presently lost it again and a little after died miserably in prison at Dunbritton The Douglasses men of haughty minds and invincible hearts ever since the reign of Robert the 3d have been Earls of Angus after that Geo. Douglass had married the Kings Daughter and are reputed the chief and principal Earls of Scotland whose Office it is to carry the Regal Crown before the Kings at all the solemn Assemblies of the Kingdom The sixth Earl of Angus of this race was Archibald who married Margaret daughter to Henry the 7th and mother to James the 5th King of Scotland by whom he had issue Margaret Wife to Matthew Stewart Earl of Lennox she after her brother's death without issue willingly resigned up her right to this Earldom with the consent of her husband and sons to David Douglass of Peteindreich her Uncle's son by the father's side to the end that by this obligation she might engage that family more closely to her which was already the nearest allied in bloud At the same time her son Henry was about to marry Queen Mary By which marriage King James Monarch of Great Britain was happily born for the general good of these nations h s Now it is a Marquisate in the same family MERNIS THese parts were in Ptolemy's time inhabited by the Vernicones the same perhaps with Marcellinus's Vecturiones But this name of theirs is now quite lost unless we can imagine some little piece of it remains in Mernis For oftentimes in common discourse in the British tongue V is changed into M. THis little Province Mernis butting upon the German Ocean is of a rich soil and generally a level and champagne countrey The most memorable place in it is Dunotyr Dunotyr a castle advanced upon an high and inaccessible rock looking down on the sea beneath fortified with strong walls and towers at certain distances which hath long been the seat of the Keiths Kâ—ith a very ancient and noble family and they in recompence of their valour have long been hereditary Earls Marshals Earls Marshals of the Kingdom of Scotland and Sheriffs of this Province Sheriffdom of Kincarain or Mernis In a Porch here is to be seen that ancient Inscription abovementioned of a * Vex. â—ticâ—is Company belonging to the XXth Legion the letters whereof the most
towards the Ocean there were anciently seated the Taizali Some derive this later name from Boves Oxen whereas the ground is fitter to feed sheep whose wooll is highly commended Notwithstanding the Rivers in this Coast every where breed abundance of Salmon yet they never enter into the River Ratra Thâ— Râ—ver Raâ—ra as Buchanan hath told us Neither let it prove to my disadvantage if I cite his Testimony although his books were prohibited by authority of Parliament in the year 1584. because many passages in them were fit to be dash'd out He there reports also That on the bank of Ratra there is a Cave near Stany 's Castle whose nature seems worth our taking notice of A strange â—â—â—er The water distilling by drops out of a natural vault is presently turned into pyramidal stones and if people did not take the pains to clear the cave now and then the whole space in a little time would be fill'd up to the top of the vault Now the stone thus made is of a middle nature betwixt Ice and hard stone for it is friable and never arrives to the solidity of Marble It is hardly worth my while to mention the Clayks Câ—ayks a 〈◊〉 of Gâ—ese a sort of Geese believed by some with great admiration to grow upon trees here in this coast and in other places and when they are ripe to fall down into the sea because neither their nests nor eggs cou'd ever any where be found But those that have seen the ship in which Sir Francis Drake sailed round the world laid up in the river Thames can testifie that little birds breed in the old rotten keels of ships since a great number of such without life and feathers stuck close to the outside of the keel of this ship Yet I should think that the generation of these birds was not from the logs of wood but from the sea term'd by the Poets the Parent of all things a Hector Boetius first spread this errour but that it is such â—ppend 〈◊〉 Librum â— Part 3. â—â—atiae Ilâ—â—â—atae Dr. Sibbalds has largely proved in his Scotia Illustrata only he is now convinced that thâ—y are not informis mâ—ssa carnosa as he there câ—lls them And a Discourse concerning the late worthy Sir Andrew Balfour to be prefixt to the Catalogue of his Books will in a short time give further light into it A mighty mass likewise of Amber Amber as big as the body of a Horse was not many years since thrown up upon this shore This the learned call Succinum Glessum and Chryso-electrum and Sotacus was of opinion that it was a juice which amongst the Britains distill'd from trees ran into the sea and was there hardned Tacitus had the same sentiments of it in this passage of his I should believe De moribus Germanorum that as there are trees in the secret parts of the east which sweat out frankincense and balm so in the Islands and other countreys of the west there are woods of a more fatty substance which melting by the hot beams of the near-approaching sun run into the sea hard by and being driven by tempestuous weather float to the opposite shores But Serapio and the modern Philosophers will have it to work out of a bituminous sort of earth under the sea and by the sea-side that the waves in stormy weather cast part of it upon the shore and that part of it is devoured by the fish But I have digressed too far and will return into my way hoping my ingenuous confession will purchase me a pardon In the reign of Alexander the 2d Alexander Comin had conferr'd upon him the honour of Earl of Buquhan Earls of Baquhan who married a daughter and one of the heirs of Roger de Quircy Earl of Winchester in England and his grand child by a son brought the same title to Henry Beaumorâ— her husband For he in the reign of Edw. the 3d sat in the Parliament of England under the name of Earl of Buquhan Afterwards Alexander Stewart son to King Robert the 4th was Earl of this place succeeded by John a younger son of Robert Duke of Albany who being sent for into France with 7000 Auxiliary Scots by the French King Charles the 7th did extraordinary good service against the English and had so great a reputation there that after he had killed Thomas Duke of Clarence K. Henry the 5th's brother at Baugy and got as great a victory over the English as ever was obtained he was made Constable of France But 3 years after when the fortune of the war turned he with other valiant Commanders The valour of the Scots in the Wars of France Archibald Douglas Earl of Wigton and Duke of Tours c. was routed at Vernoil by the English and there slain Whom yet as the Poet said Aeternum memorabit Gallia cives Grata suos titulos quae dedit tumulos Those grateful France shall ever call her own Who owe to her their graves and their renown The French cannot but confess that they owe the preservation of France and recovery of Aquitain by thrusting out the English in the reigns of Charles the 6th and 7th in a great measure to the fidelity and valour of the Scots But afterwards K. James the first out of pity to Geo. of Dunbar whom by authority of Parliament he had before divested of the Earldom of March for his father's crimes gave him the Earldom of Buquhan And not long after James son of James Stewart of Lorn sirnamed the Black Knight 14 Whom he had by Queen Joan sister to the Duke of Somerset and widow to King James I. c. whom he had by Joan of Somerset obtained this honour and left it to his posterity but not long since for default of heirs male it went by a daughter to Douglas a younger brother of the House of Lochlevin Beyond Buchan in the bending back of the shore northwards lies Boen Boen and a Now a Barony in the family of Ogilby Bamff a small Sheriffdom * See the Additions and Ainza a little tract of less consideration as also Rothamy Castle the seat of the Barons of Salton Barons Salton sirnamed b Now Frazer Abernethy Beneath these lies Strath-bolgy Strath-bolgy that is the Valley upon the Bolgy formerly the seat of the Earls of Athol sirnamed from thence but now the chief residence of the Marquess of Huntley c Now from the Marquisate of Huntley rais'd to the Dukedom of Gordon Marquess of Huntley For this title K. James the 6th conferred upon Geo. Gordon Earl of Huntley Lord Gordon and Badzenoth eminent for his ancient nobility and his many followers and dependants Whose ancestors are descended from the Setons and by authority of Parliament took upon them the name of Gordon upon Alexander Seton's marrying the daughter of Sir John Gordon with whom he had a very noble estate and received
from the Church as a Feudatory and Vicegerent and obliged his Successors to pay three hundred Marks to the Bishop of that See Yet the most eminent 1 Sir Thomas Hol. Thomas Moor who sacrificed his life to the Pope's Prerogative denies this to be true For he says the Romanists can shew no grant and that they have never demanded the said money nor the Kings of England acknowledged it However with submission to this great man the thing is really otherwise as most clearly appears from the Parliament-Rolls which are evidence incontestable For in a Parliament in Edward the third's Reign the Chancellor of England informs the House That the Pope intended to cite the King of England to a tryal at Rome as well for homage as for the tribute due and payable from England and Ireland and to which King John had bound both himself and his Successors and desired their opinion in it The Bishops required a day to consider of this matter apart as likewise did the Lords and Commons The next day they met again and unanimously voted and declared that forasmuch as neither King John nor any other King whatsoever could put the Kingdom under such a servitude but by the consent and agreement of a Parliament which was never had and farther that since whatsoever he had done in that kind was directly contrary to the Oath which he solemnly took before God at his Coronation if the Pope would insist upon it they were resolved to oppose him with their lives and fortunes to the very utmost of their power Such also as were learned in the law made the Charter of King John to be void and insignificant by that clause of reservation in the end saving to us and our heirs all our rights liberties and regalities But this is out of my road From King John's time the Kings of England were stiled Lords of Ireland till within the memory of our fathers Henry the eighth was declared King of Ireland by the States of that Realm assembled in Parliament the title of Lord seeming not so sacred and venerable to some seditious persons as that of King In the year 1555 when Queen Mary offered the subjection of the Kingdom of England by the hands of her Ambassadors to Pope Paul the fourth this name and title of Kingdom of Ireland was confirmed by the Pope in these word To the praise and glory of Almighty God and his most glorious mother the Virgin Mary to the honour of the whole Court of Heaven and the exaltation of the Catholick Faith We at the humble request of King Philip and Queen Mary made unto us by the advice of our brethren and by virtue of our full Apostolical authority do erect the Kingdom of Ireland and do for ever dignifie and exalt it with the title honours powers rights ensigns prerogatives preferments Royal praeeminencies and such like privileges as other Christian Realms have use and enjoy or may have use and enjoy hereafter Having accidentally found a Catalogue of those English Noble men who went in the first invasion of Ireland and with great valor subdued it to the Crown of England lest I should seem to envy them and their posterity the glory of this atchievment I will here give you them from the Chancery of Ireland for so 't is entitled The Names of such as came with Dermic Mac Morrog into Ireland Richard Strongbow Earl of Pembroke who by Eve the daughter of Morrog the Irish petty King aforesaid had an only daughter who brought to William Mareschall the title of Earl of Pembroke with a fair estate in Ireland and had issue five sons who in order succeeded one another all childless and as many daughters who enriched their husbands Hugh Bigod Earl of Norfolk Guarin Montchensey Gilbert Clare Earl of Glocester William Ferrars Earl of Derby and William Breose with children honours and possessions Robert Fitz-Stephens Harvey de Mont Marish Maurice Prendergest Robert Barr. Meiler Meilerine Maurice Fitz-Girald Redmund nephew to Stephen William Ferrand Miles de Cogan Richard de Cogan Gualter de Ridensford Gualter sons of Maurice Girald Alexander sons of Maurice Girald William Notte Robert Fitz-Bernard Hugh de Lacy. William Fitz-Aldelm William Macarell Hunfrey Bohun Hugh de Gundevill Philip de Hasting Hugh Tirell David Walsh Robert Poer Osbert de Harloter William de Bendenge Adam de Gernez Philip de Breos Griffin Nephew of Stephen Ralph Fitz-Stephen Walter de Barry Philip Walsh Adam de Hereford To whom out of Giraldus Cambrensis may be added John de Curcy Hugh Contilon Redmond Cantimore Edmond Fitz-Hugh Miles of St. Davids and others The Government of the Kingdom of IRELAND SInce Ireland has been subject to the Crown of England the Kings of this Realm have ever sent their Vice-Roys to manage the publick affairs there who at first in their Letters Patents or Commissions Loâ—d Depâ—â—ies of â—â—â—â—and were stilled Keepers of Ireland after that Justices of Ireland or at pleasure Lieutenants and Deputies Their jurisdiction and authority is really large and Royal they make war and peace have power to fill all Magistracies and other Offices except some very few to pardon all crimes but those of high treason and to confer Knighthood c. These Letters Patents when any one enters upon this honourable office are publickly read and after the new Deputy has took a solemn oath of a certain set form for that purpose before the Chancellor the sword which is to be carried before him is delivered into his hands and he is seated in a Chair of state attended by the Chancellor of the Realm the Members of the Privy-Council the Peers and Nobles of the Kingdom the King at Arms a Serjeant at Arms and other Officers of State So that whether we consider his jurisdiction and authority or his train attendance and splendor there is certainly no Vice-roy in Christendom that comes nearer the grandeur and majesty of a King His Council are the Chancellor of the Realm the Treasurer and such others of the Earls Barons and Judges as are of the Privy-Council Orders or degrees iâ— Ireland For Ireland has the same orders and degrees of honour that England has Earls Barons Knights Esquires c. The Courts or Tribunals of IRELAND THE supream Court in Ireland is the Parliament which Parliament at the pleasure of the King of England is either called or dissolved by his Deputy â—as an 〈◊〉 12. and yet in Edward the second 's time it was enacted That Parliaments should be held in Ireland every year 2 Which seemeth yet not to have been effected Here are likewise observed foure Law-terms in the year as in England and five Courts of Justice held 〈◊〉 the a The Court was called The Court of Castle-chamber because it was usually kept in the Castle of Dublin but has never been held since the Court of Star-Chamber was supprest in England Star-Chamber the Chancery King's-Bench Common Pleas and the Exchequer Here are
also Justices of Assize Nisi prius and Oyer and Terminer as in England Justices of Peace in every County to preserve the Peace and the King has his Serjeant at Law his Attorney and his Sollicitor General There are also other Governors besides these to administer justice in the remoter Provinces and that is in Conaugh stilled chief Commissioner is call'd b Since the Country has been well inhabited with English and much more civiliz'd than heretofore the Presidencies of Munster and Conaught were superseded by King Charles II. about the year 1671. President in Munster who have certain of the Gentry and Lawyers to assist them and are all directed by the Lord Deputy As for their Law the Common-law used there is the same with this of ours in England For thus it is in the Records of the Kingdom King Henry the third in the twelfth of his reign sent an order to his Justice in Ireland that he should assemble the Archbishops Bishops Barons and Knights of that Kingdom and make the Charter of King John be read unto them which he did accordingly giving them an oath to observe the laws and customs of England and that they should hold and keep the same 3 Nevertheless the meer Irish did not admit them but retain'd their own Brehon-Laws and lâ—ud Customs And the Kings of England used a connivance therein upon some deep consideration not vouchsafing to communicate the benefit of the English Laws but upon especial grace to especial families or sects namely the O Neales O Conors O Brien O Maloghlins and Mac Murough which were reputed of the blood royal among them So that even the Parliamentary Laws or Statutes of England were of force in Ireland till King Henry the seventh's time For in the tenth year of his reign they were established and confirmed by Act of Parliament in Ireland 4 In the time of Sir Edward Poinings government But since that time they have lived by Acts and Statutes of their own making Besides these civil Magistrates they have also one Military officer named the c There being no War in the Kingdom there is no such Officer Marshal Marshal of Ireland who is serviceable to the State not only in restraining the insolence of soldiers but also in checking the outrage of rebels who are now and then troublesome This office formerly belonged hereditarily to the Lords Morley of England 9 of King John For King John gave them this Office to hold in see of him in these words We have given and granted to John Marshall for his homage and service our Marshalship of Ireland with all appurtenances We have given him likewise for his homage and service the Cantred wherein standeth the town of Kilbunny to have and to hold to him and his heirs of us and our heirs From him it descended in a right line to the Barons of Morley This Marshal has under him * Submaresâ—allum a Provost-Marshal and sometimes more according to the difficulties and exigencies of affairs who exercise their authority by Commission and Instructions under the Great Seal of Ireland But these and all other curiosities of this nature I leave to the diligence of others As for the methods of Justice and Government among the wild Irish I shall take care to insert something in a more proper place when I come to treat of their Mannors and Customs The d See Ware 's Antiquitat Hibern Cap. 3. pag. 11. Division of IRELAND â—â—â—on â—â—â—land IReland from the manners and customs of the Inhabitants is divided into two parts e At present there is no such Div sion or distiâ—ction but the King 's Writ runs through the whole Kingdom and every part of it is now answerable to Law they who reject all Laws and live after a barbarous manner are called the Irishry or wild Irish but those civilized who submit themselves with respect and obedience to the laws are termed the English-Irish and their Country the English Pale for the first English men that came hither set their boundaries in the east and richest part of the Island as taken in for themselves within which compass even at this day some remain uncivilized and pay no deference to the laws whereas some without are as courteous and genteel as one would desire But if we consider it as it was more early this Country from its situation or rather number of its Governors heretofore must be divided into five parts for it was formerly a Pentarchy namely Munster southward Leinster eastward Connaught westward Ulster northward and Meath almost in the middle Which as to civil administration are thus divided into Counties In Munster are the Counties of Kerry f At this day there is no such County as Desmond part of that Territory lying in the County of Kerry and the rest in the County of Cork Desmond Cork Waterford Limerick Tiperary g The County of the Holy-Cross is swallowed up in that of Tiperary with the County of S. Cross in Tiperary In Leinster are the Counties of Kilkenny Caterlough Queen's County King's County Kildare Weishford Dublin In Meath are the Counties of East-Meath West-Meath Longford In Connaught are the Counties of h Instead of this Dr. Holland has put Clare which yet is in the Province of Muâ—ster Twomund Galloway Maio. Slego Letrim Rofcomon In Ulster are the Counties of Louth Cavon Farmanagh Monaghan Armagh Doun Antrim Colran Tir-Oën Tir-Conell or Donegall Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction The Ecclesiastical state of Ireland was antiently managed by the Bishops either consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury or by one another But in the year 1152 as we find it in Philip of Flattesbury Christianus Bishop of Lismore Legat of all Ireland held a very full and honourable Council at Meath where were present the Bishops Abbots Kings Dukes and Elders of Ireland and there by the Apostolical authority with the advice of the Cardinals and the consent of the Bishops Abbots and others met together four Archbishopricks were constituted in Ireland Armagh Dublin Cassil and Tuam The Bishopricks which were under these formerly for some of them have been abolished to feed the greedy humor of ill times others have been confounded or annexed to one another while others again have been translated I do desire to subjoyn here in their true and ancient order from an old Roman Provincial faithfully copied from the Original Under the Archbp. of Armagh Primate of all Ireland are the Bishops of Meath or i Cluanard The Bishop is stiled of Meath Elnamirand Down otherwise Dundalethglass k Clogher Cloghor otherwise Lugundun l Connor is united to Down Conner m Ardagh Ardachad n Rapho Rathbot Rathluc Daln-liguir o Derry or London-Derry Dearrih 4 Holland has added Cloemacniso which ought to be writ Clonmacnois and is now united to Meath as also Dromor and Brefem now Kilmore Under the Archbp. of Dublin are the Bishops of
also by his valour and conduct he so fortunately suppressed that by the self same Victory he both recovered the town surrender'd to him with the Spaniards in it and disarm'd the whole Kingdom of Ireland when with fire and sword they had not only resolved to rebel but were now actually revolting Off from Kinsale on the other side of the river lyes h Called at this day Kyrycurry Kerry-wherry Kerry-wherry a small territory lately belonging to the Earls of Desmond Just before it runs that i At present called Lee. river The river which Ptolemy calls Daurona Dauron and Giraldus Cambrensis by the change of one letter Sauranus and Saveranus which springing from the mountains of Muskerey passes by the principal City of the County grac'd with an Episcopal See whereunto is also now annext the Bishoprick of Clon which Giraldus calls Corcagia in English Cork Cork and among the natives k Corkig This Cork is now mostly inhabited with English who by their industry have so improved their estates trade and city that it far exceeds any city in Ireland Dublin only excepted Corcach It is of an oval form enclos'd with walls and encompass'd with the chanel of the River which also crosses it and is not accessible but by bridges lying along as it were in one direct street with a bridge over it 'T is a populous little trading town and much resorted to but so beset with Rebel-enemies on all sides that they are obliged to keep constant watch as if the town was continually besieged and dare not marry out their daughters into the country but contract one with another among themselves whereby all the Citizens are related in some degree or other They report here that Brioc the Religious person who in that fruitful age of Saints flourished among the Gauls and from whom the Diocese of Sanbrioch in Armorica commonly called St. Brieu S. Brieu takes its name was born and bred in this town Beneath Cork the chanel of the river is divided into 2 branches which uniting again make a large and very pleasant l It is called The Great Island Island over against the chief dwelling house of the Barries an antient and noble family and thereupon is called Barry Court For they are descended from Robert de Barry Barons Barry an Englishman of great worth one who was rather ambitious to be really eminent than to seem so he was the first man that was wounded in the conquest of Ireland G. Camâ—â—â— and that ever mann'd a hawk in that Island His posterity also by their great loyalty and valour have been honoured first with the title of m They are now Earls of Barry-more Baron Barry and afterwards with that of Vicount Butiphant by the Kings of England Vicount Butipcaâ— and from their riches and estates have been called by the people Barry More or Barry the great A little below this the river Saveren near Imokelly formerly the large possession of the Earls of Desmond falls from a creeky mouth into the sea As the Saveren watereth the lower part of this county so n Now commonly called Black-water Broodwater formerly Aven-more that is a great water supplies the upper Upon which is the seat of the noble family de Rupe or Roch Baron Roche transplanted out of England hither where it hath grown and flourished and now enjoys the title of Vicount Fermoy Vicount Fermoâ— In Edward the second 's time they were certainly Barons of Parliament Par. 9 〈◊〉 an 8 Ed. for George Roche was fined 200 Marks for not being present at the Parliament of Dublin as he was summoned As the river Broodwater which by its course for some time is the boundary between this County and Waterford runs into the sea and makes a haven stands Yoghall Yoghall not very large but walled round of an oblong form and divided into two parts the upper which is the greater part stretches Northward having a Church in it and a littley Abby without the wall called North Abby the lower part to the Southward is named the Base-town and has also an Abby called South Abby The convenience of the haven which hath a well fenced Kay in it as also the fruitfulness of the country hereabouts draws Merchants hither so that the town is prety populous and has a Mayor for its chief Magistrate At present the County of Cork reaches only thus far which as I have already observed was heretofore counted a Kingdom Kingdoâ— of Carâ— and was of greater extent containing Desmond also within the bounds of it King Henry 2. gave this Kingdom to 7 Sir Robert Robert Fitz-Stephens and 8 Sir Miles Miles de Cogan in these words Know ye that I have granted the whole Kingdom of Cork except the City and Cantred of Oustmans to hold to them and their heirs of me and my son John by the service of sixty Knights From the heir of this Fitz-Stephen 9 Sir George George Carew now Baron Carew of Clopton is descended in a right line who was not long since Lord President of Mounster and as I most willingly acknowlege has given me great light into the Irish Antiquities The County of WATERFORD ON the East of Ireland between the rivers Broodwater on the West and the Suire on the East the Ocean on the South and the County of Tipperary on the North lyes the County of Waterford a County very fair and delicate both in respect of pleasure and richness Upon Broodwater at its leaving the County of Cork stands Lismor â—â—smor remarkable for its Bishop's See where presided Christian Bâ—â—hop Christian the Bishop and Legat of Ireland about the year 1148. a person very deserving of the Church of Ireland educated at Clarevall in the same Cloister with St. Bernard and Pope Eugenius At present by reason the possessions hereunto belonging have been almost all of them alienated it is annext to the See of Waterford Near the mouth lyes Ardmor Ardmor a small village of which and this river thus heretofore Necham Urbem Lissimor pertransit flumen Avenmor Ardmor cernit ubi concitus aequor adit Avenmor guides his stream through Lismor town Small Ardmor to the ocean sees him run The little adjoyning territory is called Dessee â—â—see the Lord whereof descended from the Desmonds had since our time the honourable title of Vicount Dessee conferred upon him which died soon after with him for want of issue-male Not far from hence stands Dungarvan â—â—â—garâ—â—n upon the sea a town well fortified with a Castle and advantageously situated for a haven King Henry 6. gave this with the Barony of Dungarvan to John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury but afterwards by reason it stood convenient to command that part of Mounster which was to be reduced the Parliament annext it to the Crown of England for ever â—â—ers Baâ—â—â— of Câ—â—raghâ—ore Near this the Poers an
into the Neor upon which stands the third Burrough-town of this County that takes the name Kallan from it and also Inis-Teag Inis-Teag a fourth The family of the Butlers spreads its branches almost all over this Country and has flourish'd in great honour being for their eminent virtues dignified with the title of Earls of Ormond Wiltshire in England and as it is already said of Ossery Besides the Earl of Ormond Viscount Thurles and Knight of the Garter there are of this family the Viscount Mont-Garret the Viscount Tullo the Barons de Dunboyn and Cahyr with many other noble branches The rest that are eminent in these parts are also of English original the Graces the Walshes Levels Foresters Shortels Blanch-felds or Blanchevelstons Drilands Comerfords c. The County of CATERLOGH THE County of Caterlogh by contraction Carlogh bounds upon Kilkenny on the east lying wholly in a manner between these two rivers the Barrow and the Slane The soil is fruitful and well shaded with woods It contains two towns considerable more eminent than the rest both situate upon the west of the Barrow the one Caterlogh about which Leonel Duke of Clarence begun to build a wall and Bellingham that famous and excellent Lord Deputy of Ireland built a strong Castle for the defence of it The other is Leighton in Latin Lechlinia where was formerly a Bishop's See now annex'd to the Bishoprick of Farnes These towns have both of them their Wards and Constables to govern them The greatest part of this County belonged by inheritance to the Howards The Stat. of Absenties Dukes of Norfolk descended by the Earls of Warren from the eldest daughter of William Marshall Earl of Pembroke but King Henry the eight by Act of Parliament had all the lands and possessions granted him either belonging to him and the other Gentry or to the Monasteries here in England b See the County of Waterford the last paragraph because that by their absence and neglect of private affairs there they had endangered the publick interest From hence the Barrow runs through the Barony of Ydron Baron Ydron which belonged to the Carews of Devonshire 13 For Sir John Carew an English Knight died sâ—isâ—d thereof in the time of King Edward 3. ever since Sir N. Carew an English Knight married the daughter of Digo an Irish Baron which has since our memory been recovered after a long usurpation by Peter Carew Upon the river Slane stands Tullo memorable for Theobald Butler brother's son to the Earl of Ormond who was lately honoured with the title of Viscount Tullo by King James The Cavanaughs Cavanaghs are very numerous in these parts descended from Duvenald a younger son or Bastard as some say of Dermot the last King of Leinster warlike men and famous for their good horsemanship and though very poor at this day yet of as much honour and generosity as their forefathers Upon the account of some slaughters which many years ago they committed upon one another they live in a state of war at this day Some of these being trusted by the English to manage their possessions in these parts about King Edward the second 's time usurp'd all to themselves assuming the name of O-More O-Moâ— From 〈◊〉 book oâ— Patricâ— Fingâ—â— and taking the Toles and Brens into their confederacy by which means they dispossess'd the English of all that territory between the Caterlogh and the Irish-Sea Among these the river Neor joins the Barrow and after they have travell'd some miles together in one stream they quit their names and present that with their waters to their eldest sister the Swire which empties it self soon after from a rocky mouth into the sea where on the left there is a little narrow-neck'd promontory upon which stands a high tower built by the merchants of Rosse while they flourished to direct their vessels into the river-mouth Hooktowâ—â— QVEENS-COVNTY TOwards the north-west above Caterlogh lies a woody boggy tract call'd in Irish the Lease Lease in English the Queens-County which Queen Mary by her Minister Thomas Ratcliff Earl of Sussex and Lord Deputy at that time first reduced into a County Hence the chief town is call'd Mary-Burgh Mary-Burgh defended by a garison under the command of a Seneschal who with much ado keeps off the O-mores pretending to be Lords of it as also the Mac-Gilpatricks the O-Dempsies and others a mischievous and unquiet sort of people who are daily conspiring against the English and endeavouring to free themselves from their laws At the first coming of the English into these parts Meilere was sent hither to subdue this wild and hostile part of the country Hugh Lacy Lord Deputy built a castle at Tahmelio for him as also another at Obowy a third upon the river Barrow and a fourth at Norrach Among others also he fortified Donemaws Donemawâ— an ancient castle situate in the most fruitful part of this territory which fell to the Breoses Lords of Brecknock by Eva the youngest daughter of William Mareshall Earl of Pembrook Where also the Barrow rising out of Slew-Blomey-hills westward after a solitary course through the woods sees the old city Rheba Rhebâ— a name it stiâ—l preserves entire in its present one Rheban though instead of a city 't is now only the reliques of one consisting of some few cottages and a fort However it gives the title of Baronet to that noble Gentleman N. of S. Michael commonly called the Baronet of Rheban Baroâ— Rhebâ—â— The KING's-COVNTY AS the Queen's County aforesaid was so named from Queen Mary so the adjacent little County on the north divided by the river Barrow and called heretofore Offalie was term'd in honour of Philip King of Spain her husband the King's County as likewise the head-town in it Philips-town Philips-town where there is a garison a Seneschal and several noble families of the English the Warrens Herberts Colbies Mores and the Leicesters of the Irish the family of O-conor to whom a great part of it formerly belong'd as also of Mac Coghlam and O maily Fox and others who stoutly defend this and the other possessions left them here by their ancestors while the natives complain that the estates of their families are took from them and no other possessions in lieu assigned them to live upon For this reason they break out into rebellion upon every occasion and annoy the English with great outrage and cruelty The County of KILDAR THE County of Kildar lies along like a foreland to the King and Queen's Counties on the east very rich and fruitful Giraldus Cambrensis applies those verses of Virgil to the pastures of it Et quantum longis carpunt armenta diebus Exiguâ tantum gelidus ros nocte reponit What in long days the browzing cattle crop In the short nights the fertil dew makes up The a The Shire-town at this day is Nans near which at Sigginstowne Thomas
in good order protected the weak but still continued insolent and cruel to the Nobility insomuch that they petitioned the Lord Deputy for protection and relief whereupon he grew more outragious dispossest Mac-Guir Lord of Fermanagh with fire and sword who had under hand accus'd him burnt the Metropolitan Church of Armagh and besieged Dundalk but this proved ineffectual partly by the valour of the Garison and partly by the apprehension of being suppressed by William Sarfield the Mayor of Dublin who was on his march towards him with the flower of his Citizens However he made cruel ravages in the adjacent Country To put a stop to these bold and outragious proceedings 6 Sir Henry Sidney the Lord Deputy set out himself and was advancing at the head of an Army against him but wisely detach'd seven companies of foot and a â—ry Sidâ—â—â— Lord â—oxy 〈…〉 troop of horse beforehand under the conduct of Edward Randolph a famous old soldier by sea into the North parts of Ireland where they encamped themselves at Derry upon Loghfoil to be upon the rear of the enemy Shan fearing this immediately marched thither and with all his force endeavoured to remove them upon this attack Randolph issued out upon him and though he valiantly lost his own life in the engagement yet he gave the enemy such a defeat that from that time forward they were never able to keep the field so that Shan finding himself weaken'd by slight skirmishes and deserted by his soldiers was once resolved to go and throw himself with a halter about his neck at the mercy of the Lord Deputy But his Secretary perswading him rather to rely upon the friendship of the Scots who under the conduct of Alexander Oge i.e. the younger were now encampt in Claneboy he sent Surley boy Alexander's brother whom he had detained prisoner a long time to prepare the way and soon after followed him with the wife of O-Donnell his adultress The Scots received him kindly and with some few of his adherents he was admitted into a tent where after some cups they began to resent the fate of James Mac-Conell the brother of Alexander whom Shan had killed and the dishonour done to James's sister whom Shan had married and put away whereupon Alexander Oge and his brother Mac-Gillaspic took fire and giving the signal for revenge all fell upon Shan with their drawn swords and hewed him to death by which peace was restored to that Province in the year 1567. A little after this a Parliament was called at Dublin wherein an Act passed for the Attainder of Shan and annexing most of the Counties and Seigniories of Ulster to the person of the Queen and her Successors and for prohibiting any one ftom taking the stile and title of O-Neal hereafter Notwithstanding this was soon after assumed by Turlogh Leinigh Brother's son to this Con More O-Neal already spoken of who was now towards the decline of his age and therefore of a more calm temper but the rather because he lay under some apprehensions from Shan's sons and Hugh Baron of Dunganon his son though he had marryed his daughter to him whom soon after he put away and married another This Turlogh being very obsequious and dutiful to the Queen of England gave no disturbance to the English but prov'd a very troublesome neighbour to O-Donell and the Island Scots and in a skirmish cut off Alexander Oge who had killed Shan O-Neal Hugh the son of Matthew called Baron of Dunganon who lived sometimes obscurely in his own country and sometimes in England in the service of some of our Nobility began to rise from this mean condition to some degree of eminence The Queen made him Captain of a troop of horse in the war against the Earl of Desmond and allowed him an yearly pension of a thousand marks whereupon he behaved himself gallantly against the rebels in all encounters and at length exhibited a Bill in Parliament That by vertue of a Grant made to his Grandfather an Act might be pass'd for his restitution to the title and dignity of Earl of Ter-Oen and to the estate of his Ancestors As for the title and dignity of Earl of Ter-Oen it was granted without any difficulty but the estate of his Ancestors being annext to the Crown by the Attainder of Shan O-Neal it was wholly referred to the Queen who graciously gave it him in consideration of his services already done her and those she still expected hereafter Yet first she provided that the Province should be surveyed and laid out into proper districts one or two places reserv'd in her own hands for garisons particularly the Fort at Black-water that provision should be made for the maintenance of the sons of Shan and Turlogh and that he should pretend to no authority over any Seigniories beyond the County of Ter-Oen though they bordered upon it Having willingly received it with all these conditions he return'd his thanks to her Majesty with great expressions both of the reality of this address and of his sincere resolution to serve her with the utmost of his diligence authority and affection for these favours and indeed it may be said of him that he performed his promise and that the Queen could expect no more from the most faithful subject she had than he did His body was able to endure the miseries either of labour watching or want his industry was very great his mind excellent and capable of the greatest employments he had a great knowledge in the affairs of war and was so profound and unfathomable a dissembler that some foretold at that time He would either prove the greatest good or the greatest hurt to Ireland He gave such testimonies of his valour and loyalty that the Queen her self interceeded with Turlogh Leinigh for his Seigniory and got him to surrender it upon conditions After Leinigh's death he usurped the title of O-Neal notwithstanding it was made capital by Act of Parliament excusing it as done purely to anticipate others that would perhaps assume it and promising to relinquish it but begg'd earnestly that no oath might be press'd upon him for performance About this time the Spanish Armado which had in vain attempted to invade England was dispersed and routed many of them in their return were shipwreckt in the Irish Sea and great numbers of the Spaniards thrown upon the coast of Ireland the Earl of Ter-Owen was faid to have kindly received some of them and to have treated with them about making a private league between him and the King of Spain Upon this account he was accused before the Queen and no slight evidence brought against him by Hugh Ne-Gaveloc i.e. in Fetters the natural son of Shan so called from his being kept in fetters for a long time which so enraged the Earl that afterward he had him apprehended and commanded him to be strangled but had much ado to find an Executioner the people had so much veneration for the blood of the O-Neals
that the Ministers read the Scriptures to the people in the Manks language out of the English There have been three Monasteries Thâ— Monasteries in this Isle the chief of which was the Monastery of Russin in Castle-town the common burying-place of the King 's of Man which by the Ruines thereof appears to have been a goodly Fabrick There was also the Priory of Douglas and a house of the Friers Minors at Brinnaken Besides these Monasteries there were several others without the Kingdom upon which the Kings of this Isle conferred titles or lands within the Island as the Priory of St. Bees or de Sancta Bega in Cumberland upon the Abbey of Whittern or Candida Casa in Galloway of Scotland and upon the Abbey of Banchor in Ireland For this cause the Prior and Abbots of these houses were Barons of Man and were obliged to give their attendance as such upon the Kings and Lords thereof when required Mr. Camden's error touching the Bishoprick of Man As to the Bishoprick of Man Mr. Camden saith That it was founded by Pope Gregory the fourth about the year 140. and that the Bishop thereof was named Sodorensis from a little Island near Castletown in the Isle of Man where the Episcopal See was instituted This error of Mr. Camden's is confuted by the authority not only of the Irish and Manks Tradition concerning their first conversion to Christianity but likewise of all the Historians that have wrote the life of St. Patrick who is generally believed to have converted that Island to Christianity They affirm * â—osâ—â—lin vita Pat. c. 92. that St. Patrick having converted the Island about the year 447. left one Germanus Bishop thereof and after his death consecrated two other Bishops to succeed him whose names were Conindrius and Romulus fellow-Bishops and to them succeeded one St. Maughald This is confirmed by the testimony of the learned Antiquary Bishop Usher a Usser antiâ— Br. c. 6. p. 644. Besides these four there is another Bishop of Man mentioned by Boethius b Boeth Hist â—cot p 114. and Hollinshead c Hollâ—sh p. 144. whose name was Conanus and who had been Tutor to Eugenius the fifth King of Scotland who began to reign An. Dom. 684. which was above 130 years before Gregory the fourth sate in St. Peter's Chair So that this Bishoprick appears to be near 4â—0 years of greater antiquity than Mr. Camden makes it These Bishops above named were called Bishops of Man only and not Bishops of Sodor for that Bishoprick was not founded till near 400 years after and the Bishops of Man were never called Bishops of Sodor till after the union of the two Bishopricks Sodor and Man Mr. Camden's mistake may proceed from confounding the Bishopricks of Sodor and Man making them one and the same whereas they were quite distinct The Bishoprick of Sodor was indeed first instituted by Pope Gregory the fourth about the time that Mr. Camden places the foundation of the Bishoprick of Man But it is placed in the Isle Jona or St. Columb's Isle corruptly called Colm-kill a little Island among the Hebrides belonging to Scotland This new erected title of Sodor the Bishops of the Western Isles possessed solely until the year 1098. that King Magnus of Norway conquering the Western Isles and the Island of Man united the two Bishopricks of Sodor and Man which continued so united for the space of 235 years till the English were fully possessed of the Isle of Man in 1333. During this union the Bishops always stiled themselves Bishops of Sodor and Man but before the uniting of the Bishopricks the Bishops of Man were never stiled Bishops of Sodor The Bishops The Bishop of Man were heretofore looked upon as Barons and were always to assist at the Inauguration of a new King or Lord of Man and there to pay their homage to him for the temporalities they enjoyed The Bishop hath his own particular Court where the Deemsters of the Island sit Judges The Bishop himself hath no hand in the assessment of the fines in his own Court yet has he all the fines and perquisites after they are assessed by the Deemsters and other Officers of the Lord's that are present This particular Privilege the Bishop of Man has at this day That if any of his tenants do commit Felony and be brought to the Bar of the Court of the Gaol-delivery with the rest of the Felons before rhe Governor and Deemster the Bishop's Steward may demand the Prisoner from the Bar and he shall have him delivered to be tried at the Bishop's Court. The forfeitures of Lands of any Delinquent holding of the Bishop do belong to him but the Delinquent's goods and person are at the Lord's disposal The Abbots of this Island were allowed the like privileges The Bishop of Man keeps his residence in the village called Bal-Curi The Bishoprick is under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York During the Norwegian Conquest they were under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Norway which is Drontheim When the Bishoprick falls void the Lord of the Island names a Bishop and presents him to the King of England for his Royal Assent and then to the Archbishop of York for his Consecration This Bishop has no voice in the upper house of Parliament but is allowed to sit uppermost in the lower house of Convocation in England The Clergy The Clergy here are generally natives and have had their whole education in the Island They are not any ways taxed with ignorance or debauchery they have all a competent maintenance at least 50 or 60 pounds a year The Ministers who are Natives have always the addition of Sir unless they be Parsons of the Parishes which are but few most of the Parsonages being impropriated to the Lord of the Isle or the Bishop As thus Sir Thomas Parr Minister of Kirk-Malew But if they have the title of Parson then they are only called Mr. as Mr. Robert Parr Parson of St. Mary of Ballaugh * The end of the Additiâ—ns to the Isle of Man FRom Man as far as the Mull of Galloway or the Promontory of the Novantes we meet with none but small and inconsiderable Islands but after we are past that in the Frith of Glotta or Dunbritton-Frith we come to the Isle Glotta The Isle Gâ—oâ—ta mentioned in Antoninus called by the Scots at this day Arran whence the Earls of Arran A ran in that Country take their title And then to a neighbouring Island formerly called Rothesia now Buthe so denominated from a Cell which Brendan built in it for so the word signifies in Scotch After these we arrive at Hellan heretofore Hellan-Leneow that is as Fordon explains the word an Isle of Saints and Hellan Tinoc an Isle of Swine all visible in the same Frith Pag. 913. But of these we have said enough already Beyond this aestuary lye a cluster of Isles which the Scotch inhabitants call Inch-Gall
and many Christians cut off MCLXXXVII On the Kalends or first of July the Abby of Ynes in Ulster was founded MCLXXXIX Henry Fitz Empress departed this life was succeeded by his son Richard and buried in Font Evrard This same year was founded the Abby De Colle Victoriae i.e. Cnokmoy MCXC. King Richard and King Philip made a Voyage to the Holy Land MCXCI. In the Monastery of Clareval the translation of Malachy Bishop of Armagh was celebrated with great solemnity MCXCII The City of Dublin was burnt MCXCIII Richard King of England in his return from the Holy Land was taken Prisoner by the Duke of Austria and paid to the Emperor 100000 Marks for Ransom besides 30000 to the Empress and 20000 to the Duke upon an Obligation he had made to them for Henry Duke of Saxony He was detain'd in Prison by the Emperor a year six months and three days all the Chalices in a manner throughout England were sold to raise this Sum. This year was founded the Abby De Jugo Dei. MCXCIV The Reliques of S. Malachy Bishop of Clareval were brought into Ireland and receiv'd with great honour into the Monastery of Millifont and other Monasteries of the Cistercians MCXCV. Matthew Archbishop of Cassil Legat of Ireland and John Archbishop of Dublin got the Corps of Hugh Lacy that conquered Meth from the Irish and interr'd them with great solemnity in the Monastery of Blessedness or Becty but the Head of the said Hugh was laid in S. Thomas 's Monastery in Dublin MCXCVIII The Order of the Friers Predicants was begun about Tolouse founded by Dominick II. MCXCIX Died Richard King of England succeeded by his Brother John who was Lord of Ireland and Earl of Moriton Arthur the lawful Heir Son of Geffrey his whole Brother was slain by him The death of Richard was after this manner When King Richard besieg'd the Castle of Chaluz in Little Bretagn he receiv'd his mortal Wound by an Arrow shot at him by one of those in the Castle nam'd Bertram de Gourdon As soon as the King found there was no hopes of Life he committed his Kingdom of England and all his other Possessions to the Custody of his Brother All his Jewels and the fourth part of his Treasure he bequeath'd to his Nephew Otho Another fourth part of his Treasure he left to be distributed among his Servants and the poor People When Bertram was taken and brought before the King he ask'd him for what harm he had kill'd him Bertram without any fear told him That he had kill'd his Father and two of his Brethren with his own Hand and then intended to do the same with him That he might take what Revenge he pleas'd but he should not care since he was to die too that had done so much mischief in the World Notwithstanding the King pardon'd him and order'd him to be set at liberty and to have a 100 Shillings Sterling given him Yet after the King's death some of the King's Officers flea'd him and hung him up The King died on the eighteenth of the Ides of April which happen'd to be the fourth * Feria day before Palm-sunday and the eleventh day after he was wounded He was buried at Font Eberard at the feet of his Father A certain Versificator writ this Distich upon his death Istius in morte perimit Formica Leonem Proh dolor in tanto funere mundus obit An Ant a Lyon slew when Richard fell And his must be the World 's great Funeral His Corps were divided into three Parts Whence this of another Viscera Carceolum Corpus Fons servat Ebrardi Et cor Rothomagum magne Richarde tuum Great Richard's Body 's at Fontevrault shown His Bowels at Chalons his Head at Roan After the death of King Richard his Brother John was begirt by the Archbishop of Roan with the Sword of the Dukedom of Normandy upon the 7th of the Kalends of May next following The Archbishop also set a Crown adorn'd with golden Roses upon his Head Afterwards upon the 6th of the Kalends of June he was anointed and crown'd King of England in S. Peter's Church Westminster upon Ascension-day attended with all the Nobility of England Afterwards he was summon'd to Parliament in France to answer for the death of his Nephew Arthur and depriv'd of Normandy because he came not accordingly This same Year was founded the Abby of Commerer MCC Cathol Cronerg King of Conaught founder of the Abby De Colle Victoriae was expell'd Conaught This year the Monastery De Voto was founded that is to say Tyntern Monastery by William Marshall Earl Marshal and Pembroch who was Lord of Leinster viz. of Wrisford Ossory Caterlagh and Kildare in right of his Wife who married the daughter of Richard Earl of Stroghul and of Eve the daughter of Dermic Murcard This William Earl Marshal being in great danger of Shipwreck a night and a day made a Vow That if he escap'd and came to Land he would found a Monastery and dedicate it to Christ and his Mother Mary So as soon as he arriv'd at Weysford he founded this Monastery of Tynterne according to his Vow and it is nam'd De Voto This year also was founded the Monastery de Flumine Dei MCCII. Cathol Cronirg or Crorobdyr King of Conaught was restor'd to his Kingdom The same year was founded the house of Canons of S. Marie of Connal by Sir Meiler Fitz-Henry MCCIII The Abby of S. Saviour i.e. Dawisky which was before founded was this Year and the next following finish'd MCCIV. A Battle was fought between John Courcy first Earl of Ulster and Hugh Lacie at Doune with great slaughter on both sides Yet John Curcy had the Victory Afterwards upon the 6th day of the Week being Good Friday as the said John was unarm'd and going in Pilgrimage barefoot and in a linnen Vestment to the Churches after the common manner he was treacherously taken Prisoner by his own People for a sum of Mony part in hand and part promis'd to be paid afterwards and so he was deliver'd to Hugh Lacy who brought him to the King of England and receiv'd the Earldom of Ulster and the Seigniory of Connaught upon that account both belonging to John Curcy Hugh Lacy now being made Earl rewarded the said Traytors with Gold and Silver some more some less but hung them up as soon as he had done and took away all their Goods by these means Hugh Lacy ruleth in Ulster and John Curcie is condemn'd to perpetual Imprisonment for his former Rebellion against King John refusing to do him homage and accusing him for the death of Arthur the lawful and right Heir to the Crown While the Earl was in Prison and in great Poverty having but a small allowance of Provisions and the same mean and course he expostulated with God why he dealt thus with him who had built and repair'd so many Monasteries for him and his Saints After many Expostulations of this kind he fell asleep and the Holy
being still Justiciary as before His Wife died this year MCCLXXXI Adam Cusak younger kill'd William Barret and many others in Conaught Frier Stephen Fulborn was made Justiciary of Ireland The Lord Robert d'Ufford return'd into England MCCLXXXII This Year Moritagh and Arte Mac-Murgh his Brother were slain at Arclowe on S. Mary Magdalen Eve And Roger Lord Mortimer died MCCLXXXIII The City of Dublin was in part burnt and the Belfrey of Trinity Church upon the third day before the Nones of January MCCLXXXIV The Castle of Ley was taken and burnt by the petty Kings of Offaly the morrow after S. Barnaby's Day Alphonsus the King's Son twelve years old departed this Life MCCLXXXV The Lord Theobald le Botiller died on the 6th of the Kalends of October in the Castle of Arclowe and was buried there in the Convent of the Friers Predicants Gerald Fitz Maurice was taken Prisoner by his own Irish Subjects in Ofaly with Richard Petit and S. Deget and many others and at Rathode was a great slaughter MCCLXXXVI Le Norragh and Arstol with other Towns were successively burnt by William Stanton on the 16th of the Kalends of December About this time Eleanor Queen of England mother of King Edward took a religious habit at Ambresbury upon the day of S. Thomas's translation having her dower confirmed by the Pope and assur'd to her for ever Calwagh was taken Prisoner at Kildare The Lord Thomas Clare departed this Life MCCLXXXVII This year died Stephen Fulborn Archbishop of Tuam and was succeeded in the Office of Justiciary for a Time by John Sampford Archbishop of Dublin This year the King of Hungary renounc'd Christianity and turned Apostate and having fraudulently assembled his Nobility under pretence of a Parliament Miramomelius a potent Saracen came upon them with an Army of 20000 men and took the King and all the Christians there away prisoners on S. John Baptist's eve As the Christians were carried along the weather turn'd cloudy and a tempest of Hail fell suddenly and killed many thousands of the Infidels So the Christians return'd to their own homes and the Apostate King went alone with the Saracens The Hungarians crown'd his Son King and continued in the Catholick Faith MCCLXXXIX Tripoly a famous City was demolish'd after great effusion of Christian blood by the Sultan of Babylon Who commanded the Images of the Saints to be dragg'd at the horses tails through the ruinous City in contempt of Christ MCCXC Inclyta stirps Regis sponsis datur ordine legis The issue of the King becomes a Spouse The Lord Gilbert Clare took to Wife the Lady Joan de Acon a daughter of our Lord King Edward in the Abby of Westminster and the marriage was celebrated in May And John the Duke of Brabant's son married Margaret the said King's daughter also in the Church aforesaid in July This year the Lord William Vescie was made Justiciary of Ireland and enter'd upon the Office on S. Martin's day Item O Molaghelin King of Meth was this year slain MCCXCI Gilbert Clare the son of Gilbert and the Lady Joan de Acon was born on the 11th of May betimes in the morning Item there was an army led into Ulster against O Hanlan and other Princes that had broke the Peace by Richard Earl of Ulster and William Vescie Justiciary of Ireland Item The Lady Eleanor formerly Queen of England and mother of King Edward died this year on S. John's day after a laudable life spent four years eleven months and six days in a religious habit as she had desir'd in the Abby of Ambresbury where she was a profess'd Nun. Item the news came to our Lord Pope Martin on the eve of S. Mary Magdalen concerning the city of Acon in the Holy Land which was the only place of refuge for the Christians that it was besieg'd by Mislkadar the Sultan of Babylon with a numerous army He besieg'd it hotly for about forty days viz. from the 8th day before the Ides of April till the 15th before the Kalends of July At last the Wall was pull'd down by the Saracens and they entred the city in great numbers many Christians being slain and some drown'd in the sea for fear Among whom was the Patriarch and his Train The King of Cyprus and Oto de Grandison escap'd in a ship with their followers Item This year the Lord Pope Martin granted our Lord King Edward the tenth of all Ecclesiastical Benefices in Ireland for seven years together as a supply towards a relief for the Holy Land Item the eldest son of the Earl of Clare was born the same year MCCXCII Edward King of England again entred Scotland and was chosen King John Lord Balliol of Gallweya obtain'd the whole Kingdom of Scotland by right of inheritance and did homage to our Lord Edward King of England at Newcastle upon Tine on S. Stephen's day Florentius Earl of Holland Robert Brus Earl of Carrick John Hastings John Comin Patrick de Dunbar John Vescie Nicholas Souls and William Roos who were then at difference in the said Kingdom submitted themselves to the judgment of King Edward Item A fifteenth of all the Goods of Laymen in Ireland was granted to our Lord the King of England to be collected on the Feast of S. Michael Item Sir Peter Genevile Knight died this year Item Rice ap Meredyke was brought to York and there dragg'd at the horses tails c. MCCXCIII A general and open war was this year waged at sea with the Normans Item no small number of the Normans was cut off in a sea-engagement by the Barons of the Ports of England and others their coadjutors between Easter and Whitsuntide For this a war broke out between England and France whereupon Philip King of France directed his letters of citation to the King of England to appear in person at his Parliament to answer what the King had to say to him but finding no compliance with this order he forthwith by the counsel of his Parliament declar'd him outlaw'd and condemn'd him Item Gilbert Clare Earl of Glocester and his wife came into Ireland about the feast of S. Luke MCCXCIV William Montfort in the King's Council holden at Westminster before the King died suddenly He was Dean of S. Paul's in London The Bishops and Clergy who doubted what the King would expect from every one of them had instructed him as a person whom the King would confide in what to signifie from them to him as soon as he return'd to the King and was addressing himself to speak as he had design'd he grew speechless fell down and was carried out by the King's servants in a miserable condition Upon this sight people grew fearful and began to take him for the great procurer of the tenths of ecclesiastical benefices to the King and of the scrutiny and search after the fold of Christ as also of the contributions granted the King afterward Item The city of Bordeaux with the adjacent country of Gascoign was taken
call'd Hogelyn John de Northon John de Breton and many others Item On the 16th before the kalends of July Dolovan Tobyr and other towns and villages bordering upon them were burnt down by the said malefactors Item Soon after this a great Parliament was held at London wherein a sad difference arose between the Barons upon the account of Pieirs Gaveston who was banish'd out of the Kingdom of England the day after the feast of S. John the baptist's nativity and went over into Ireland about the feast of the Saints Quirita and Julita together with his wife and sister the Countess of Glocester and came to Dublin in great state and there continued Item William Mac Baltor a stout robber and incendiary was condemn'd in the court of our Lord the King at Dublin by the Lord Chief Justice John Wogan on the 12th before the kalends of September and was drawn at a horse's tail to the gallows and there hang'd as he deserv'd Item This year a marble cistern was made to receive the Water from the conduit-head in Dublin such as was never before seen here by the Mayor of the City Master John Decer and all at his own proper expences This same John a little before made a bridge to be built over the river Aven-Liffie near the priory of S. Wolstan He also built the Chappel of S. Mary of the Friers minors wherein he was buried and the Chappel of S. Mary of the Hospital of S. John in Dublin Item This John Decer was bountiful to the convent of Friers Predicants in Dublin For instance he made one stone-pillar in the Church and laid the great stone upon the high altar with all its ornaments Item He entertain'd the friers at his own table on the 6th day of the week out of pure charity as the seniors have reported to their juniors Item The Lord John Wogan took ship in Autumn to be at the parliament of England and the Lord William Bourk was appointed Keeper of Ireland in his room Item This year on the eve of S. Simon and Jude the Lord Roger de Mortimer and his Lady the right heir of Meth the daughter of the Lord Peter son of Sir Gefferey Genevil arriv'd in Ireland As soon as they landed they took possession of Meth Sir Gefferey Genevil giving way to them and entring himself into the order of the Friers predicants at Trym the morrow after S. Edward the Archbishop's day Item Dermot Odympsy was slain at Tully by the servants of Sir Piers Gaveston Item Richard Bourk Earl of Ulster at Whitsontide made a great feast at Trym and conferr'd Knighthood upon Walter Lacie and Hugh Lacie In the vigil of the Assumption the Earl of Ulster came against Piers Gaveston Earl of Cornwal at Drogheda and at the same time turn'd back towards Scotland Item This year Maud the Earl of Ulster's daughter imbark'd for England in order for a marriage with the Earl of Glocester which within a month was consummated between them Item Maurice Caunton kill'd Richard Talon and the Roches afterwards kill'd him Item Sir David Caunton was hang'd at Dublin Item Odo the son of Cathol O Conghir kill'd Odo O Conghiâ— King of Connaght Item Athi was burnt by the Irish MCCCIX Peter Gaveston subdued the O Brynnes in Ireland and rebuilt the new castle of Mackingham and the castle of Kemny he also cut down and scour'd the pass between Kemny castle and Glyndelagh in spite of all the opposition the Irish could make and sâ— march'd away and offer'd in the Church of S. Kimny The same year the Lord Peter Gaveston went over into Englanâ— on the eve of S. John Baptist's Nativity Item The Earl of Ulster's son's wife daughter of the Earl oâ— Glocester came into Ireland on the 15th of October Item On Christmas-eve the Earl of Ulster returned out of England and landed at Drogheda Item On the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sir John Bonevil was slain near the town of Arstol by Sir Arnold Pover and his accomplices and buried at Athy in the Church of the Frierâ— predicants Item A Parliament was held at Kilkenny in the octaves of thâ— Purification of the Blessed Mary by the Earl of Ulster John Wogan Justiciary of Ireland and others of the nobility wherein a difference among certain of the great men was adjusted and many proviso's made in the nature of statutes that might havâ— been of good consequence to the Kingdom if they had been observ'd Item Shortly after Sir Edward Botiller return'd out of England where he had been knighted at London Item The Earl of Ulster Roger Mortimer and Sir John Fitz-Thomas went over into England Item This year died Sir Theobald Verdon MCCCX. King Edward and Sir Peter Gaveston took theiâ— march for Scotland against Robert Brus. Item There was this year a great scarcity of corn in Ireland * Eranca an eranc of corn sold at the rate of twenty shilling and upwards Item The Bakers of Dublin were punish'd after a new way foâ— false weights For on S. Sampson the Bishop's day they werâ— drawn upon hurdles at the horses tails along the streets of thâ— City Item In the Abby of S. Thomas the Martyr at Dublin Sir Neiâ— Bruin Knight Escheator to our Lord the King in Ireland departed this life his corps was buried at the Friers-minors in Dublin witâ— such a pomp of tapers and wax-lights as never was before seen iâ— this Kingdom This year a Parliament was held at Kildare wherin Sir Arnold Pover was acquitted of the death of the Lord Bonevil for it waâ— found Se defendendo Item On S. Patrick's day Mr. Alexander Bickenor was witâ— the unanimous consent of the Chapter made Archbishop of Dublin Item The Lord Roger Mortimer in the octaves of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin return'd into Ireland Item This year died Henry Lacy Earl of Lincoln MCCCXI In Thomond at Bonnorathie the Lord Richarâ— Clare gave the Earl of Ulster's party a very strange defeat Thâ— Lord William Bourk and John the Lord Walter Lacy's Son werâ— taken prisoners with many others This battle was fought on thâ— 13th before the kalends of June and great numbers both of thâ— English and the Irish slain in it Item Tassagard and Rathcante were invaded by the rapperies namely the O Brinnes and O Tothiles the day after S. John Baptist's nativity Whereupon in the Autumn soon after a greaâ— army was rais'd in Leinster to defeat them both in Glindelory anâ— in other woody places Item In August a Parliament was holden at London between thâ— King and the Barons to consider the state of the Kingdom and thâ— King's houshold and a committee of six Bishops six Earls and six Barons was appointed to consult the good of the Realm Item On the 2d day before the Ides of November the Lord Richard Clare cut off 600 Galegolaghes Item On All saints day last past Peter Gaveston was banished out of England by the Earls and Barons and many good statutes were
Followers met together to concert what measures were to be taken against the Scots this Debate continued for a whole week and at last they came to no Resolution tho' their Army amounted to 30000 armed Men or thereabouts On Thursday in Easter-week Roger Mortimer arriv'd at Yoghall with the King's Commission for he was Chief Justice at that time and on the Monday following went in great haste to the Army having sent his Letters to Edmund Botiller who as it has been said was formerly Chief Justice to enterprise nothing before his Arrival against the Scots but before Mortimer got to the Camp he admonish'd Brus to retreat so in the Night Brus march'd towards Kildare and in the week after the English return'd home to their several Countries and the Ulster-Army came to Naas At the same time two Messengers were sent from Dublin to the King of England to give him an account of the state of Ireland and the delivery of Ulster and to take his Majesty's advice upon the whole At the same time likewise Roger Lord Mortimer Justiciary of Ireland and the Irish Nobility were met together at Kilkenny to consider how they might most conveniently proceed against Brus but came to no Resolution About a month after Easter Brus came with an Army within four Leagues or thereabouts of Trym under the covert of a certain Wood and there continu'd for about a week or more to refresh his Men who were almost undone with fatigue and hunger which occasion'd a great mortality among them Afterwards on S. Philip and James's-day the said Brus began his march towards Ulster and after the said feast Roger Lord Mortimer Chief Justice of Ireland came to Dublin with John Lord Wogan Sir Fulk Warin and thirty other Knights with their Retinue who held a Parliament with all the Nobility of the Kingdom at Kylmainan but came to no conclusion but about the delivery of the Earl of Ulster On the Sunday before the Ascension they held another Parliament at Dublin and there thc Earl of Ulster was deliver'd upon Mainprise Hostages and Oath which were That he should never by himself nor any of his Friends and Followers do or procure any mischief to the Citizens of Dublin for his apprehension save only what the Law allow'd him in those Cases against such Offenders whereupon he had till the Nativity of S. John allow'd him for that benefit but he came not Item This year Corn and other Victuals were exceeding dear Wheat was sold at three and twenty Shillings the Cranock and Wine for eight pence and the whole Country was in a manner laid waste by the Scots and those of Ulster Many House-keepers and such as were formerly able to relieve others were now reduc'd to Beggary themselves and great numbers famish'd The dearth and mortality was so severe that many of the Poor died At the same time Messengers arriv d at Dublin from England with Pardons to make use of as they should see fit but the Earl was deliver'd before they came And at the feast of Pentecost Mortimer Lord Chief Justice set forward for Drogheda from whence he went to Trym sending his Letters to the Lacies to repair to him but they refus'd the Summons with contempt Afterwards Sir Hugh Crofts Knight was sent to treat of a Peace with the Lacies but was unworthily slain by them After that the Lord Mortimer drew an Army together against the Lacies by which means their Goods Cattle and Treasures were all seiz'd many of their Followers cut off and they themselves drove into Conaught and ruin'd It was reported That Sir Walter Lacy went out as far as Ulster to seek Brus. Item About the feast of Pentecost the Lord Aumar Valence and his son were taken Prisoners in S. Cinere a Town in Flanders and convey'd from thence into Almain The same year on the Monday after the Nativity of S. John the Baptist a Parliament of the Nobility was held at Dublin by which the Earl of Ulster was acquitted who found Security and took his Oath to answer the King's writs and to fight against the King's Enemies both Scots and Irish Item On the feast of S. Process and Martinian Thomas Dover a resolute Pyrate was taken in a Sea-engagement by Sir John Athy and forty of his Men or thereabouts cut off his Head was brought by him to Dublin Item On the day of S. Thomas's Translation Sir Nicholas Balscot brought word from England That two Cardinals were come from the Court of Rome to conclude a Peace and that they had a Bull for excommunicating all such as should disturb or break the King's Peace Item On the Thursday next before the feast of S. Margaret Hugh and Walter Lacy were proclaim'd Felons and Traytors to their King for breaking out into war against his Majesty Item On the Sunday following Roger Lord Mortimer Chief Justice of Ireland march'd with his whole Army towards Drogheda At the same time the Ulster-men took a good Booty near Drogheda but the Inhabitants sallied out and retook it in this action Miles Cogan and his Brother were both slain and six other great Lords of Ulster were taken Prisoners and brought to the Castle of Dublin Afterwards Mortimer the Lord Chief Justice led his Army against O Fervill and commanded the Malpass to be cut down and all his Houses to be spoil d After this O Fervill submitted and gave Hostages Item Roger Lord Mortimer Chief Justice march'd towards Clony and empannell'd a Jury upon Sir John Blunt viz. White of Rathregan by this he was found guilty and was fin'd two hundred marks On Sunday after the feast of the Nativity of the blessed Marie Mortimer march'd with a great Army against the Irish of O Mayl and came to Glinsely where in a sharp Encounter many were slain on both sides but the Irish had the worst Soon after O Brynne came and submitted Whereupon Roger Mortimer return'd with his Men to Dublin-castle On S. Simon and Jude's-day the Archeboldes were permitted to enjoy the King's Peace upon the Mainprise of the Earl of Kildare At the feast of S. Hilary following a Parliament was held at Lincoln to conclude a Peace between the King the Earl of Lancaster and the Scots The Scots continued peaceable and quiet and the Archbishop of Dublin and the Earl of Ulster stay'd in England by the King's Order to attend that Parliament About the feast of Epiphany News came to Dublin That Hugh Canon Lord Chief Justice of the King's-bench was slain between Naas and Castle-Martin by Andrew Bermingham Item At the feast of the Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary came the Pope's Bulls whereupon Alexander Bicknor was confirm'd and consecrated Archbishop of Dublin and the Bulls were read and publish'd in Trinity-church Another Bull was read at the same time for establishing a Peace for two years between the King of England and Robert Brus King of Scotland But Brus refus'd to comply with it These things were thus transacted about the feast of
and holding there could not be three persons and one God Among other tenents he asserted that the blessed Virgin our Saviour's mother was an harlot that there was no resurection that the holy Scripture was a mere fable and that the apostolical See was an imposture and a groundless usurpation Upon these Articles Duff was convicted of heresie and blasphemy and was thereupon burnt at Hoggis green near Dublin on the Monday after the octaves of Easter in the year 1328. MCCCXXVIII On Tuesday in Easter-week Thomas Fitz John Earl of Kildare and Chief Justice of Ireland departed this life and was succeeded in the office of Justiciary by Frier Roger Outlaw Prior of Kilmaynan The same year David O Tothil a stout rapperie and an enemy to the King who had burnt Churches and destroy'd many people was brought out of the castle of Dublin to the Toll of the City before Nicholas Fastol and Elias Ashburne Judges of the King's-Bench who sentenc'd him to be dragg'd at a horse's tail through the City to the Gallows and to be hang'd upon a Gibbet which was after executed accordingly Item In the same year the Lord Moris Fitz Thomas rais'd a great army to destroy the Bourkeyns and the Poers The same year William Lord Bourk Earl of Ulster was knighted at London on Whitsunday and the King gave him his Seigniory Item This year James Botiller married the daughter of the Earl of Hereford in England and was made Earl of Ormond being before called Earl of Tiperary The same Year a Parliament was held at Northampton where many of the English Nobility met and a peace was renew'd between the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland and confirm'd by marriages It was enacted also that the Earl of Ulster with several of the English Nobility should go to Berwick upon Tweed to see the marriage solemniz'd The same year after the solemnity of this match at Berwick was over Robert Brus King of Scots William Lord Burk Earl of Ulster the Earl of Meneteth and many other of the Scotch Nobility came very peaceably to Cragfergus whence they sent to the Justiciary of Ireland and the Council that they would meet them at Green Castle to treat about a Peace between Scotland and Ireland but the Justiciary and Council coming not accotding to the King's appointment he took his leave of the Earl of Ulster and return'd into his own Country after the Assumption of the blessed Virgin and the Earl of Ulster came to the Parliament at Dublin where he staid six days and made a great entertainment after which he went into Conaught The same year about the feast of S. Catharine the virgin the Bishop of Ossory certified to the King's Council that Sir Arnold Pour was upon divers Articles convicted before him of heresie Whereupon at the Bishop's suit Sir Arnold Poer by vertue of the King's Writ was arrested and clapt in the Castle of Dublin and a day was appointed for the Bishop's coming to Dublin in order to prosecute him but he excused himself because his enemies had way-laid him for his life So that the King's Council could not put an end to this business wherefore Sir Arnold was kept prisoner in the Castle of Dublin till the following Parliament which was in Midlent where all the Irish Nobility were present The same year Frier Roger Outlaw Prior of the Hospital of S. John of Jerusalem in Ireland Lord Justice and Chancellor of Ireland was scandalized by the said Bishop for favouring heresies and for advising and abetting Sir Arnold in his heretical practice Wherefore the Frier finding himself so unworthily defamed petitioned the King's Council that he might have leave to clear himself which upon consultation they granted and caused it to be proclaim'd for three days together That if there were any person who could inform against the said Frier he should come in and prosecute him but no body came Upon which Roger the Frier procured the King 's Writ to summon the Elders of Ireland viz. the Bishops Abbots Priors and the Mayors of Dublin Cork Limerick Waterford and Drogheda also the Sheriffs and Seneschals together with the Knights of the Shires and the better sort of Free-holders to repair to Dublin out of which six were chosen to examine the cause viz. M. William Rodyard Dean of the Cathedral-Church of S. Patrick in Dublin the Abbot of S. Thomas the Abbot of S. Mary's the Prior of the Church of the holy Trinity in Dublin M. Elias Lawles and Mr. Peter Willebey who convened those who were cited and examined them all apart who deposed upon their Oaths that he was a very honest faithful and zealous embracer of the Christian Faith and would if occasion serv'd lay down his Life for it And because his vindication was so solemn he made a noble entertainment for all them who would come The same year in Lent died Sir Arnold Pouer in the Castle of Dublin and lay a long time unburied in the house of the predicant Friers MCCCXXIX After the feast of the annunciation of the bless'd Virgin Mary the Irish nobility came to the Parliament at Dublin to wit the Earl of Ulster Moris Lord Fitz Thomas the Earl of Louth William Bermingham and the rest of the Peers where was a new peace made between the Earl of Ulster and my Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas and the Lords with the King's Council made an Order against riots or any other breach of the King's peace so that every Nobleman should govern within his own Seignory The Earl of Ulster made a great feast in the Castle of Dublin and the day after the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas made another in S. Patrick's Church in Dublin as did also Frier Roger Outlaw Lord Chief Justice of Ireland on the third day at Kylmaynan and after this they went all home again The same year on S. Barnaby's eve Sir John Bermingham Earl of Louth was kill'd at Balybragan in Urgale by the inhabitants and with him his own brother Peter Bermingham besides Robert Bermingham his reputed brother and Sir John Bermingham son to his brother Richard Lord of Anry William Finne Bermingham the Lord Anry's Uncle's son Simon Bermingham the aforesaid William's son Thomas Berminghan son to Robert of Conaught Peter Bermingham son to James of Conaught Henry Bermingham of Conaught and Richard Talbot of Malaghide a man of great courage besides 200 men whose names are not known After this slaughter Simon Genevils men invaded the Country of Carbry that they might by their plunder ruin the inhabitants for the thefts and murders they had so often committed in Meth but by their rising they prevented the invasion and slew 76 of the Lord Simon 's men The same year also on the day after Trinity-sunday John Gernon and his brother Roger Gernon came to Dublin in the behalf of those of Urgale that they might be tried by the Common-law And on the Tuesday after S. John's-day John and Roger hearing the Lord William Bermingham was a coming to Dublin left
it The same year on S. Laurence's-eve Thomas Lord Botiller marched with a great army into the Country of Ardnorwith where he fought with the Lord Thomas William Macgoghgan and was there kill'd to the great loss of Ireland and with him John Lord Ledewich Roger and Thomas Ledewich John Nangle Meiler and Simon Petitt David Nangle Sir John Waringer James Terel Nicholas White William Freynes Peter Kent and John White besides 140. whose names we know not The Tuesday before the feast of S. Bartholomew the said Lord Thomas's body was convey'd to Dublin and laid in the house of the predicant Friers unburied till the sunday after the feast of the beheading of S. John Baptist when he was very honourably carried through the City and interr'd in the Church of the predicant Friers which very day his wife gave a great entertainment The same year John Lord Darcy came a second time Justice of Ireland who at Maynoth on the third of July espoused the Lady Joan Burg Countess of Kildare Item Philip Staunton was slain and Henry Lord Traharn was treacherously taken in his own house at Kilbego by Richard son to Philip Onolan James Lord Botiller Earl of Ormond burnt Foghird in revenge to Onolan for his brother Henry's sake The same year the Wednesday after the feast of the Ascension of the blessed Virgin John Lord Darcy Justice of Ireland went towards the Country of New-castle of Mackingham and of Wikelow against the O Brynns and the Monday following some of the Lawles were killed and more wounded and Robert Locam was wounded and of the Irish the better sort were slain many wounded and the rest ran away But Murkad O Brynne with his son uncle and uncle's son yielded themselves hostages and were carried to the Castle of Dublin But were afterwards in exchange of Hostages who were of the best of their Kindred set at liberty The same year John Lord Darcy Chief Justice and the King's Council in Ireland about the feast of our Lord's Circumcision commanded Moris Lord Fitz Thomas of Desmond to march with his Army against his Majesties enemies for to subdue them And that the King would take care to defray the Charge he should be at both for himself and his Army so the Lord Fitz-Thomas accompanied by Briene O-Brene came with an Army of ten thousand Men with which he march'd against the O-nolanes and conquer'd them having got a considerable Booty and wasted their Country by fire the O-nolanes fled but afterwards deliver'd Hostages who were sent to the Castle of Dublin Hence he march'd against the O-Morches who gave Hostages with a promise of living quietly The same time the Castle of Ley which O-Dympcy had taken and kept was surrender'd to him This year after the Epiphany Donald arte Mac-Murgh made his escape out of the Castle of Dublin by a Cord which one Adam Nangle had bought him who for his pains was drawn and hang'd MCCCXXX About the feast of S. Catherine S. Nicholas and the Nativity of our Lord the winds were in several places very high so that on S. Nicholas-eve they blew down part of the wall of a certain House which in the falling kill'd Sir Miles Verdon's wife and daughter there was never yet known such winds in Ireland There was such an overflowing of the River Boyn this year as was never seen before which flung down all the Bridges upon this River both Wood and Stone except Babe-bridge The violence also of the water carried away several Mills and did very much damage to the Friers-minors of Trym and Drogheda by breaking down their Houses The same year about S. John Baptist's-day there was a great dearth of Corn in Ireland which lasted till Michaelmas A cranoc of Wheat was sold for 20 Shillings a cranoc of Oats Pease Beans and Barly for 8 Shillings This dearth was occasion'd by the great Rains so that a great deal of the standing Corn could not be cut before Michaelmas The same year about Lent the English in Meth killed some of the Irish viz. the Mac-goghiganes near Loghynerthy which did so incense Mac-goghigan that he burnt and sack'd in those Parts 15 small Villages which the English seeing gathered together in a Body against him and kill'd 110 of his men among whom were three Irish Kings sons Item The Lord William Burgh Earl of Ulster march'd with his Army out of Ulster against Briene O Brene in Munster Also the Lady Joan Countess of Kildare was at Maynoth brought to Bed of William her first Son which the Lord John Darcy had by her who was then in England Item Reymund Lawles was treacherously kill'd at Wickelow This year Frier Roger Utlaw Prior of Kylmainan then Deputy to the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland held a Parliament at Kilkenny where were present Alexander Archbishop of Dublin William Earl of Ulster James Earl of Ormond William Lord Bermingham Walter Burg of Conaught who all went with a considerable force to drive Briene O-Brene out of Urkyst near Cashill Item Walter Burg with the Forces he rais'd in Conaught plunder'd the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas's lands and brought away with him the Booty to Urkyff Also the Earl of Ulster and the Earl of Desmond viz. the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas for I never yet call'd him Earl by Frier Roger Utlaws order then Justice of Ireland were committed to the custody of the Marshal at Limerick But the Earl of Desmond very cunningly made his escape MCCCXXXI The Lord Hugh Lacy having got the King's Pardon came into Ireland And the Earl of Ulster came into England The 19th of April the English beat the Irish in O-Kenseley and the one and twentieth of April the Irish perfidiously took the Castle of Arclo The same day on S. Mark the Evangelist's-eve the O-Totheles came to Tanelagh and forced away from Alexander Archbishop of Dublin 300 Sheep and killed Richard White with many other Gentlemen of his Company There were divers Reports at Dublin about this Plunder and Slaughter and Sir Philip Bryt Frier Moris Fitz-Gerald Knight of the Order of the Hospitalers Hammund Lord Archdekyn John Chamberlaine Robert Tyrell and Reginald Bernewall's two Sons besides many others but especially of the Archbishop of Dublin's Retinue were kill'd by David O-Tothill in an Ambuscade in Culiagh The Lord William Bermingham march'd with a great Army against the foresaid Irish to whom he did much harm and had not the Irish made some false Promises would have done them much more The Third of June the Lord Anthony Lucy came Chief Justice of Ireland This year also the English who inhabit about Thurles in the month of May gave the Irish under the command of Briene O-Brene a great overthrow and upon the 11th of June gave them another at Finnagh in Meth. The 27th of June when there was so great a Famine in Ireland through God's mercy there came a-shoar such a vast number of great Sea-fish called Thurlhedis as had not been seen in many Ages for according to the common estimate there
were above 500 this happened about the evening near Connyng and the water call'd Dodyz in Dublin-haven The Lord Anthony Lucy with his own Servants and some of the Citizens of Dublin among whom was Philip Cradoc kill'd above 200 of them and gave leave to any body to fetch away what they would The Lord Anthony Lucy Chief Justice of Ireland appointed a common Parliament to be held at Dublin on the Octaves of S. John Baptist whither some of the best of the Irish Nobility came not However he remov'd to Kilkenny and prorogued the Parliament to S. Peter's feast Ad vincula hither came the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas and many more Noblemen who were not there before and submitted to the King's mercy And the King for his part very graciously forgave them whatever they had done against him under a certain form In August the Irish by treachery took the Castle of Firnis which they burnt The Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas of Desmond by an order of Council was taken the day after the Assumption of our blessed Virgin at Limerick by the Chief Justice and by him brought to the Castle of Dublin the 7th of October In September Henry Mandevill by vertue of a Warrant from Simon Fitz-Richard Justice in the King's-bench was taken and brought to the Castle of Dublin In November Walter Burck and his two Brothers were taken in Connaught by the Earl of Ulster and in February were by him brought to the Castle of Northburg In February the Lord William Bermingham and his son Lord Bermingham were taken at Clomel by the said Justice notwithstanding he had before granted them his Majesty's Pardon and the 19th of April were conducted to Dublin-castle The Irish of Leinster plunder'd the English and burnt their Churches and in the Church of Freineston burnt about eighty Men and Women and a certain Chaplain of that Church whom with their Javelins they hinder'd from coming out tho' in his holy Vestments and with the Lord's body in his hand burning him with the rest in the Church The news of it came to the Pope who sert his Bull to the Archbishop of Dublin commanding him to excommunicate those Irish and all their adherents and retinue and to interdict their Lands Now the Archbishop fulfill'd the Pope's commands but the Irish despised the bull excommunication interdiction and the Church's chastisement and continuing in their wickedness did again make a body and invaded the county of Weisford as far as Carcarn and plundred the whole country Richard White and Richard Fitz-Henry with the Burghers of Weisford and other English made head against them and kill'd about 400 of the Irish besides a great many more were in the pursuit drown d in the river Slane MCCCXXXII The eleventh of July William Bermingham by my Lord Chief Justice's order was put to death and hanged at Dublin but his son Walter was set at liberty Sir William was a noble Knight and very much renown'd for his warlike exploits alas what pity it was for who can commemorate his death without tears He was afterwards buried at Dublin among the Predicant Friers The Castle of Bonraty was taken and in July was rased to the ground by the Irish of Totomon Also the Castle of Arclo was taken from the Irish by the Lord Chief Justice and the citizens of Dublin with the help of the English of that Country and was the 8th of August a rebuilding in the King's Hands The Lord Anthony Lucy Chief Justice of Ireland was put out of his place and in November returned into England with his wife and children The Lord John Darcy succeeded him and came into Ireland the 13th of February There was about this time a great slaughter of the Irish in Munster made by the English inhabitants of that Country and Briens O-Brene with Mac-Karthy was beaten Item John Decer a citizen of Dublin died and was buried in the Church of the Minor Friers he was a man who did a great deal of good Also a disease called Mauses reigned very much all over Ireland and infected all sorts of People as well old as young The hostages who were kept in the Castle of Limeric kill'd the Constable and took the Castle but upon the citizens regaining of 〈◊〉 they were put to the sword The Hostages also took the Castle â—f Nenagh but part of it being burnt it was again recover'd â—nd the Hostages restored A of wheat about Christmas â—as sold for 22 shillings and soon after Easter very common for 〈◊〉 pence The Town of New-Castle of Lions was burnt and plunâ—ered by the O-Tothiles MCCCXXXIII John Lord Darcy the new Chief Justice of â—reland arrived at Dublin The Berminghams of Carbery got a great booty of above 2000 Cows from the O-Conghirs The Lord John Darcy ordered the â—ass at Ethrgovil in Offaly to be cut down that he might stop O-Conghir The Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earl of Desmond after he had â—een imprison'd a year and an half in Dublin was let out having â—ot some of the best of the Irish Nobility as mainprizes to be bound â—or him under penalty of their lives and estates if the said Lord â—hould attempt any thing against the King or did not appear and â—â—and trial Item William Burk Earl of Ulster on the 6th of June between New-Town and Cragfergus in Ulster was most treacherously kill'd â—y his own company in the twentieth year of his age Robert son â—o Mauriton Maundevile gave him the first blow As soon as his â—ife heard of it who was then in that part of Ulster she prudently â—mbark'd with her son and daughter and went for England The Lord John Darcy to revenge his murder by the advice of the Parliament then assembled shipp'd his Army with which the first of â—uly he arriv'd at Cragfergus The people of that Country were â—o glad at his arrival that they took courage and unanimously reâ—olv'd to revenge the Earl's death and in a pitch'd battle got a â—ictory some of them they took others they put to the sword When this was over the Lord Chief Justice went with his Army â—nto Scotland leaving M. Thomas Burgh then Treasurer to supply â—is place Item Many of the Irish Nobility and the Earl of Ormond with â—heir retinue assembled on the 11th of June at the house of the Carmelite Friers in Dublin during this Parliament as they were going out of the Court-yard of the Friers House Murcardus or Moris Nicholas O-Tothil's son was in the croud suddenly murder'd â—pon which the Nobility supposing there was treason in it were very much affrighted but the Murtherer made his escape without being known so much as by name Item The Lord John Darcy return'd Chief Justice of Ireâ—and Item In February the Lord Walter Bermingham son to the Lord William was let out of Dublin Castle Item The Lord Moris Son of Thomas Earl of Desmond by a â—all off his horse broke his leg Item It happen'd to be so dry a Summer that at the feast of S. Peter ad
vincula there was bread made of new wheat and wheat was sold in Dublin for 6 pence a peck Item D. Reimund Archedekin Kt. with many others of his family were kill'd in Leinster MCCCXXXVII On the eve of S. Kalixtus the Pope seven partridges leaving the fields God knows why came directly to Dublin where flying very swiftly over the Market-Place they settled on the â—op of a brew-house which belonged to the Canons of S. Trinity in Dublin Some of the Citizens came running to this sight wondring very much at so strange a thing the Town-boyes caught two of them alive a third they kill'd at which the rest being frightned-mounted in the air by a swift flight and escap'd into the opposite Fields Now what this should portend a thing unheard of before I shall leave to the judgment of the more skilful Item Sir John Charleton Knight and Baron came with his wife children and family Lord Chief Justice of Ireland at the feast of S. Kalixtus the Pope and some of his sons and family died Item The same day came into Dublin haven D. Thomas Charleton Bishop of Hereford Justice of Ireland with the Chief Justice his Brother Chancellor of Ireland and with them M. John Rees Treasurer of Ireland Mr. in the Decretals besides 200 Welshmen Item Whilst D. John Charleton was Lord Chief Justice and held a Parliament at Dublin Mr. David O Hirraghcy Archbishop of Armagh being called to the Parliament laid in his provisions in the Monastry of S. Mary near Dublin but the Archbishop and his Clerks would not let him keep house there because he would have had his Crosier carried before him Item The same year died David Archbishop of Armagh to whom succeeded an ingenious man M. Richard Fitz-Ralph Dean of Litchfield who was born in Dundalk Item James Botiller the first Earl of Ormond died the 6th of January and was buried at Balygaveran MCCCXXXVIII The Lord John Charleton at the instigation of his Brother the Bishop of Hereford was by the King turn'd out of his place upon which he came back with his whole family into England and the Bishop of Hereford was made Lord Keeper and Chief Justice of Ireland Item Sir Eustace Pover and Sir John Pover his Uncle were by the Justice's order brought up from Munster to Dublin where the third of February they were imprison'd in the Castle Item In some parts of Ireland they had so great a frost that the river Aven-liffie on which the City of Dublin stands was frozen hard enough for them to dance run or play at foot-ball upon and they made wood and turfe fires upon it to broil Herrings The Ice lasted a great while I shall say nothing of the great snow which fell during this frost since the greatness of the depth has made it so remarkable This Frost continued from the second of December till the 10th of February such a season as was never known in Ireland MCCCXXXIX All Ireland was up in Arms. The Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earl of Desmond with the Geraldines who live about Kernige made a great slaughter of the Irish besides 1200 of them who were drown'd in the retreat Item The Lord Moris Fitz-Nicholas Lord of Kernige was by the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earl of Desmond apprehended and put in prison where he died for want of meat and drink for his allowance was but very little because he had rebell'd with the Irish against the King and the Earl Item A great number of the O Dympcies and other Irish were by the English and the vigorous pursuit of the Earl of Kildare kill'd and drowned in the Barrow Item the latter end of February Thomas Bishop of Hereford and Chief Justice of Ireland with the help of the English of that Country took from the Irish about Odrone such a great booty of all sorts of cattle as has not been seen in Leinster MCCCXL The Bishop of Hereford Justice of Ireland being commanded home by his Majesty return'd into England the 10th of April leaving Frier Roger Outlaw Prior of Kilmainan in his place who died the 13th of February Item The King of England made John Darcy Lord Chief Justice of Ireland for life MCCCXLI In May Sir John Moris came Lord Chief Justice of Ireland as Deputy to John Darcy Item In the County of Leinster there happen'd such a strange prodigy as has not been heard of A person travelling along the road found a pair of gloves fit for his hands as he thought but when he put them on he he lost his speech immediately and could do nothing but bark like a dog nay from that moment the men and women throughout the whole County fell into the same condition and the children waughed up and down like whelps This plague continued with some 18 days with others a month and with some for two years and like a contagious distemper at last infected the neighbouring Counties and set them a barking too Item The King of England revok'd all those grants that either he or his Ancestors had made to any in Ireland whether of liberties lands or goods which occasion a general murmur and discontent insomuch that the whole Kingdom grew inclin'd to a revolt Item A Parliament was called by the King's Council to sit in October Fitz-Thomas Earl of Desmond absented Before this there never was seen so much rancor and division between the English of both Kingdoms at last without asking Counsel of the Lord Chief Justice or any other of the King's Ministers the Mayors of the King's Cities together with the Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdom resolv d among other things to hold another Parliament at Kilkenny in November in order to treat of such matters as concern'd the King and Kingdom Neither the Lord Chief Justice nor any other of the King's Ministers durst repair thither It was concluded in this Parliament by the Nobility and the Mayors aforesaid to dispatch away an ambassadour to the King of England to intercede for Relief and represent the unjust administration of the great Officers in Ireland and declare they could no longer endure their oppression They were particularly instructed in their complaints of the said Ministers to ask How a Land so full of wars and trouble could be govern'd by a Person that was wholly a Stranger to warlike Affairs Secondly How a Minister of the Kings could be imagin'd to grow so rich in a short time And thirdly What was the reason that the King of England was never the richer for Ireland MCCCXLII On the 11th of October and the 11th of the Moon two several Moons were seen by many about Dublin in the morning before day Theone was bright and according to its natural course in the West the other of the bigness of a round loaf stood in the East but not so bright as the former MCCCXLIII S. Thomas's-street in Dublin was accidentally burnt on S. Valentine the Martyr's-day Item The 13th of July D. Ralph Ufford with his Wife the Countess of
and after all kill'd both him and his brother Richard The same year on the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross Stephen Scroop deputy Lieutenant to the King's son Thomas accompanied with the Earls of Ormond and Desmond the Prior of Kilmainan and many others out of Meth march'd out of Dublin and invaded the territories of Mac Murgh upon engaging the Irish had at first the better but they were at last beat back by the bravery of these commanders O Nolam with his son and others were taken prisoners But upon the sudden news that the Bourkeins and O Kerol had continued for two days together doing mischief in the County of Kilkenny they went immediately in all haste to the village of Callan surpriz'd them and put them to flight O Kerol and 800 more were cut off in this action Stephen Scroop went into England this year and James Botiller Earl of Ormond was by the Country elected Chief Justice MCCCCVIII The said Chief Justice held a Parliament at Dublin which confirm'd the Statutes of Kilkenny and Dublin and a Charter was granted under the great seal of England against Purveyors The very day after the feast of S. Peter ad vincula this year Thomas Lord of Lancaster the King's son arriv'd as Lieutenant Deputy at Carlingford in Ireland from whence he came next week to Dublin As the Earl of Kildare went to welcom him he was arrested with three more of his retinue His Goods were all sharped away by the Lord Deputy's servants and he himself imprison'd till he paid a fine of 300 marks On S. Marcellus's day the same year died Stephen Lord Scroop at Tristeldermot Thomas of Lancaster was this year wounded at Kilmainan and that so very ill that he almost died After his recovery he made Proclamation That all that were inbebted to the King upon the account of Tenure should make their appearance at Rosse After S. Hilary he call'd a Parliament at Kilkenny for having Tallage granted him On the third before the Ides of March he went into England leaving the Prior of Kilmainon to officiate in his absence This year Hugh Mac-Gilmory was slain at Cragfergus in the church of the Friers-minors which he had formerly destroyd and broke the Windows thereof for the sake purely of the Iron-bars which happen'd to give his Enemies viz. the Savages admittance MCCCCIX In the 10th year of the reign of King Henry 80 of the Irish were in June cut off by the English under the conduct of Janico of Artoys in Ulster MCCCCX On the 13th of June a Parliament was held at Dublin which continued sitting for three Weeks the Prior of Kilmainan being Deputy for the Chief Justice The same year on the 10th of July the said Justice began to build Mibrackly-castle de O Feroll and built De la Mare also There was great scarcity of corn this year The same year the Chief Justice invaded the Territory of O-Brin at the head of fifteen hundred Kerns of whom eight hundred deserted and went over to the Irish so that if the People of Dublin had not been there there would have been much more woe and misery however John Derpatrick lost his life MCCCCXII About the feast of Tiburce and Valerian O-Conghir did much harm to the Irish in Meth and took above 160 Prisoners The same year O-Doles a Knight and Thomas son of Moris Sheriff of Limerick kill'd each other On the 9th of June this year died Robert Monteyn Bishop of Meth succeeded by Edward Dandisey formerly Arch-deacon of Cornwall MCCCCXIII On the 7th of October John Stanley the King's Lieutenant in Ireland arriv'd at Cloucarfe and on the 6th of January died at Aterith The same year after the death of John Stanley Lord Lieutenant Thomas Cranley Archbishop of Dublin was elected Chief Justice of Ireland on the 11th of February Another Parliament was held at Dublin on the morrow of S. Matthias the Apostle which continued sitting for 15 days during which time the Irish set many Towns on fire as they us'd to do in Parliament-times upon which a Tallage was demanded but not granted MCCCCXIV The O-Mordries and O-Dempsies Irish were cut off by the English near Kilda as the Chief Justice Archbishop of Dublin went in Procession at Tristildermot praying with his Clerks at which time 100 Irish were likewise routed by his Servants and others their Country-men Upon the feast of S. Gordian and Epimachus the English of Meth were defeated Thomas Maurevard Baron of Scrin and many others were slain and Christopher Fleming and John Dardis were taken Prisoners by O-Conghir and the Irish On S. Martin's-eve John Talbot Lord Furnival being made Lieutenant of Ireland arriv'd at Dalkay MCCCCXV Robert Talbot a Nobleman who wall'd the Suburbs of Kilkenny died in November this year Item After All Saints died Frier Patrick Baret Bishop of Ferne and Canon of Kenly where he was buried MCCCCXVI On the Feast-day of Gervasius and Prothasius the L. Furnival had a son born at Finglas About this time the reverend Stephen Fleming Archbishop of Armagh departed this life and was succeeded by John Suanig At the same time the Bishop of Ardachad died likewise viz. Frier Adam Lyns of the order of Friers-predicants Item On S. Laurence-day died Thomas Talbot son of the Lord Furnival lately born at Finglas and was buried in the Quire of the Friers-Predicants at Dublin within the Convent A Parliament was held at Dublin during which the Irish fell upon the English and slew many of them and among the rest Thomas Balimore of Baliquelan This Session continued here for six Weeks and then adjourned till the 11th of May at Trym where it sate for eleven days and granted a Subsidy of four hundred Marks to the Lieutenant MCCCCXVII On the eve of Philip and Jacob Thomas Cranley Archbishop of Dublin went over into England and died at Farindon and was buried in New-colledge in Oxford a Person very liberal and charitable a great Clerk Doctor of Divinity an excellent Preacher a great Builder Beautiful and of a fair Complexion but withal sanguine and tall so that it might be well said of him Fair art thou and good-like above the sons of Men Grace and Eloquence are seated in thy Lips He was eighty years old and govern'd the See of Dublin peaceably for almost 20 years together MCCCCXVIII The feast of the Annunciation happen'd this year on Good Friday immediately after Easter the Tenants of Henry Crus and Henry Bethat were plunder'd by the Lord Deputy Item On S. John and S. Paul's day the Earl of Kildare Sir Christopher Preston and Sir John Bedleu were taken at Slane and committed to Trym-castle who had a mind to talk with the Prior of Kilmainan On the 4th of August died Sir Matthew Husee Baron of Galtrim and was buried in the Convent of the Friers-predicants at Trym MCCCCXIX On the 11th of May died Edmund Brel formerly Mayor of Dublin and was buried in the Convent of the Friers-predicants in the same
City A Council was held at Naas and a Subsidy of three hundred Marks therein granted to the Lord Deputy At the same time died Sir John Loundres in the fifth day of this Week which fell out to be in Coena Domini O-Thoil took four hundred Head of Cattle that belong'd to Balimer by which Action he broke his own Oath and the publick Peace On the fourth of May Mac Morthe the chief Captain of that Sept and of all the Irish in Leinster was taken Prisoner Hugh Cokesey was knighted on the same day On the last of May the Lieutenant the Archbishop of Dublin and the Mayor made the Castle of Kenini be demolish'd The day after Processus and Martinian William Lord Burgh with others of the English slew five hundred Irish and took O-Kelly prisoner On the feast of S. Mary Magdalen the Lieutenant John Talbot went into England leaving the Archbishop of Dublin to administer in his absence carrying the Curses of his Creditors along with him for he paid little or nothing for his Victuals and was indebted to many About the feast of S. Laurence several died in Normandy viz. Frier Thomas Botiller Prior of Kilmainan with many others Frier John Fitz-Henry succeeded him in the Priory The Archbishop being left Deputy fell upon the Scohies and cut off 30 Irish near the River Rodiston Item On the Ides of February died Frier John Fitz-Henry Prior of Kilmainan and was afterwards succeeded by Frier William Fitz-Thomas elected and confirm'd the morrow after S. Valentin's day Item The day after the feast of S. Peter in Cathedra John Talbot Lord Furnival surrender'd his place to Richard Lord Talbot Archbishop of Dublin who was after chosen Chief Justice of Ireland MCCCCXX On the fourth of April James Lord Botiller Earl of Ormond arriv'd at Waterford being made Lieutenant of Ireland and soon after permitted a Combat between his two Cousins of whom the one died in the Field and the other was carry'd off sore wounded to Kilkenny On S. George's day the said Lieutenant held a Council at Dublin and gave order for a Parliament therein In the mean time he took good Booty from O-Raly Mac-Mahon and Mac-Guyer On the 8th of June the Parliament met at Dublin and seven hundred Marks were therein granted to the Lord Deputy This Parliament continued sixteen days and at last was prorogued till the Monday after S. Andrews The Debts of the late Lord Talbot were computed in this Parliament which amounted to a great sum Item On the morrow after S. Michael's day Michael Bodley departed this life Item On S. Francis's eve died Frier Nicholas Talbot Abbot of S. Thomas the Martyr in Dublin succeeded by Frier John Whiting The morrow after S. Simon and Jude's day the castle of Colmolin was taken by Thomas Fitz-Geffery On S. Katherin the Virgin 's eve was born Botiller son and heir to the Earl of Ormond Item On monday after the feast of S. Andrew the foresaid Parliament met at Dublin and sate 13 days The Lieutenant had three hundred Marks granted him herein and it was at last adjourn'd till the monday after S. Ambrose A general Report was at this time That Thomas Fitz-John Earl of Desmond died on S. Laurence-day at Paris and was buried in the Convent of the Friers-predicants there the King being present at his Funeral James Fitz-Gerald his Uncle by the Father's side succeeded to the Seigniory who had thrice dispossess'd him of his Estate and accus'd him of prodigality and waste both in Ireland and England and that he had already given or intended to give Lands to the Abbey of S. James at Keynisham MCCCCXXI The Parliament sat the third time at Dublin the monday after S. Ambrose and therein it was resolv'd That the Archbishop of Armagh and Sir Christopher Preston should be sent to the King for redress of Grievances At the same time Richard O-Hedian Bishop of Cassel was accused by John Gese Bishop of Lismore and Waterford upon 30 distinct Articles and after all That he favour'd the Irish and was averse to the English That he presented none of the English to any Benefices and had given order to other Bishops that they should not preferr them to any Living That he counterfeited the King's Seal and the King's Letters-patents and that he had attempted to make himself King of Mounster That he took a Ring away from the Image of S. Patrick which the Earl of Desmond had offer'd and given it to a Whore of his with several other Crimes all exhibited in Writing against him which created a great deal of vexatious trouble to the Lords and Commons In this Parliament there was also a Debate between Adam Pay Bishop of Clon and another Prelate for the Bishop of Clon was for annexing the other's Church to his See and the other oppos'd it so they were sent to Rome and their difference referr'd to the Pope This Session continued for 18 days In the nones of May a great Slaughter was made among the retinue of the Earl of Ormond Lord Deputy near the Monastery of Leys by O-Mordris 27 of the English were cut off The Principals were Purcel and Grant Ten Persons of Quality were taken Prisoners and 200 fled and were sav'd in the said Monastery On the Ides of May died Sir John Bedley Knight and Jeffery Galon formerly Mayor of Dublin who was buried in the Convent of the Friers-predicants of that City About this time Mac Mahon did great mischief in Urgal burning and wasting where-ever he came On the 7th of June the Lieutenant went into Leys against O-Moodris with a mighty Army which kill'd all they met with for four days together till the Irish at length promised peace and submission On S. Michael's day Thomas Stanley with all the Knights and ' Squires of Meth and Irel took Moyl O-Downyl prisoner and kill'd several in the 14th year of King Henry VI. No farther go any of the Annals of Ireland which I could meet with These I have inserted here to gratify such as delight in Antiquity As for those nice delicate Readers that would try all by the Writings of Augustus 's Age I am very sensible they will not relish them upon the score of a rough insipid dry Stile such as was common in the Age wherein these were writ However let them take this Consideration along with them That History bears and requires Authors of all sorts and that they must look for bare Matter in some Writers as well as fine Words in others FINIS INDEX A. AAron see Julius and Aaron Ab-Adams 68 238. ABALLABA 806. Abberbury-castle 544. Sir Rich. de 142. Abbot Geo. A. B. of Cant. 161. Rob. B. of Salisb. ibid. Sir Maurice L. Mayor of London ib. Abbots 132. Parliamentary Barons clxxxvii Abbotston 132. Aber what 662 739 939. Aber-Aaron 613. Aberbroth 613. Aber-Chienaug Castle 675. Aber-Conwy 666 671. Abercorn-castle 906. Aber-dau-Gledhau 630. Aberdeen New and Old 940. Aberford 712. Aber-Fraw 676. Abergavenni 598. Abergavenny Lords of 193
Ochie-Hole 67 78. Ochil-hills 939 949 951. Ochr what 7. Ock a Rivulet 138. Ocke fl 34. Ockham 155. W. de a great Philosopher ibid. Ockhampton 34 41. Ocra what 7. OCRINUM aut OCRANUM 7. Octavia Daughter of the Emperour Claudius 235. Octodurum 43. OCTOPITARUM Promont 631. Odcomb 60. Odda 245. Odiam 124. Odill 285 Odingsells 505. Odo 102 194 212 234 406 716. Offa 215 266 286 298 301 371 507 520 690. Off-Church 500. Offa-dike 85 585 587. Offalie 989. Offington 172. Offride 725. Offton 371. Ogles 858. Ogle-castle ibid. Barons of 859. Oglethorp Dr. O. 732. Ogmer 611. Ogo 79. Oilwy-brook 599. Oister hills 300. Oisterley-park 309. Okeham 455 457. Okeley 155 161 285. Okenwood 162. Oken-yate 530 545. Okindon-south 343. Okingham 148. Olaniage 246. Olanige 221. Olanus 652. S. Olave ' s-bridge 388. Old-Bale 717. Oldburrow 526. Oldbury 527 507. hill 102. Old-castle Sir J. 189 190. Old-court 993. Olderfleet 1017. Oldford 340. Oldham H. 274. Old man of Bullen 205. Old-street 470. Old-Town 573 848. Old-wark-spring 486. Oldwike 957. Old Winchester 850. OLENACUM 832. Oleron 1115. OLICANA 708 713. Oliphant Barons 943. Oliver John 349. Olorina an herb 943. O Neal Sir Ph. 728. Onion a Giant 126. penies ibid. hole 125. Onslow Sir Rich 164. Ophites 479. Opus Musivum 220. Oracles British 738. Orange-trees 165. Orbies 561. ORCADES 1073. ORCAS 949. Orchard 60 78. Ordale-tryal 44. Order of the Garter 145. ORDOLUCAE 650. Ordolucia 901. ORDOVICES 77 387 573 649. Ordulph 26. Ore fl 373. what 99. Orells 787. Oreford 373. Orewood 2. Orkney 1073. Ormesby 389 471. Ormesbys 447 471 557. Ormond 984. Ormskirk 790. Orry 1011. Orton 424 812. Market ib. Orwel fl 371. Harbour 373. Osca 865. Osculph 866. Osborn Th. Duke of Leeds 630 729 766. Osbrich 71. Osbright 720. Oseney-Abby 259. Osgodby 472. Oshere 523. S. Osith 351. Oskytel 275. Oslan 159. Osmund 51. Osney-Abby 254. Ospringe 217 Osric E of Southampton 134. Osrick 235. Ossory James E. of 333. Lower 984. Upper 987. Ostaei 1. Ostenhanger 209. OSTIDAMNII whether the same with DANMONII 1. Ostiones 1. Ostorius 67 365 377 431 440 541 551 573 703. in Britain xlvi Scapula 580. Oswald 263 470 548 519. S. Oswalds 853 Oswald's Law 521 525. Oswald's Street 566. Oswestre 548 554. Oswy 532 711 761. Otelands 155 162. Other-half stone 9 23. Otho 756 OTHONA 344. Otford 190 215. Otley 714. Otmore Plains 256 271. OTTADINI 847 899. Ottendun 275. Ottery fl 32. S. Mary 33. Mohuns ib. Otto 260. Overburrow 794 Overbury S. Tho. 83. Over-rhey what 153. Oversbridge 245. Overton 557. Market 458 812. Overthorne 740. Overus E. of Richm. 763. Oughtred W. 163. Oulney 282. Oundle 434. Ounesbury-Topping 753. OVOCA fl 992. Ouse fl 281 367 375 383 429 717. Ouseburne-brook 717. Ouseley 503. Ousney 257. Oustmen 992 995. Outburrow 861. Ow W. de 126. Owens 172 261 274 543 633 643 652 68â— 691. Owers Rocks 129. Owres 47. Oxburgh 401. Oxen 787. Oxenbridge 472. Oxenhall 774 OXFORD 256 to 262. John Earl of 6 293. OXFORDSHIRE 251. Oxney-Island 212. Oyster-green 641. hill 580. pits 196. P. PAbenham Sir L. 438. Pacatianus lxxvi Pacensian Regiment 585. Padstow 10. Paensut fl 555. Paeones 703. Paganels 535. Paganel J. Lord 104 Fulk Lord of Newport Pagnel 282. Paget W. Baron c. 309 532. Pagnel Sir W. 172. Palatines clxxv Palatinate Jurisdiction 539 553 567. Pall what cxlii 197. Palladius 940 953 968. Palmer Edw. 240. Pamber-forest 126. S. Pancrase-Abby 173. S. Pandionia 403. Pannage 179. Pant y Potion 624. River 344. Well ib. Pantulph 545. Panwen 620. Papyrio Card. sent to reform Corruptions in Ireland 1012 Par W. Earl of Essex 354. Baron of Horton 433. Marquess of Northampton 440. Parises 407. Pâ—RISI 735. Parishes England divided into clxix Parkers 371 385. Parker Matt. clxix 413. Parks where first in England 255. Parliaments clxxxiii Diabolicum indoctorum 514. Parret fl 59. Parrham 373. Parrs 761. Parry D. 6 7 Tho. 142. Paschal A 109. Pascentius 589. Pasham 282. Pasheley 210. Pasley-Monastery 918 958. Passelew 542. Paston 390 Pastane 387 390. Patern 642 Pateshul 529 531. Patishul 86 285 431. S. Patrick 63 631 921 968 983 1011 1013 1019 Patricks Barons of Malpas 557. Patrick's Bourn 200 Patrington 740 747. Pavelys 88. S. Pauls a Family 473 Paul a Notary in Britain lxxviii Paulinus 468. Pauncefore R. 231. Paunton Great 458 466. Pawlet Ch. Duke of Bolton 112 133 731. Pawlton 8. Pawton 7. Paynel Lord of Bampton 62. Paynswick 247 249. Peada 436 566. Peag-kirke 438 The Peak 493 497 533 802. a small Brook 539. Pearls Britt xxxix 666 840 924. 962. Pease 211 374. Peasfalong 789. Pebidiog 673. Peche 403. Pedderton 59. Pedred fl 59. Pedwardins 462. Pega 438. Pegase 68. Peito's 500. Pelagius the Arch-heretick 556 568 1015. Pele what 20. Peletor 295. Pelham 304. Pelhams 174 175 177. Pell what 5 57. Pembroke Earls of 61 370. Pemsey 175 182. Pen 60 62 105 278 791. PENBROKE-SHIRE 629 635. Penbroke 629 633 642. Penalht 649. Penbal-crag 857. Penbriges 545. Penbryn 648 677. Penda 240 374 410 548 565. 711 725. Pendennis-castle 7. Pendle-hills 791 802. Pendragon-castle 728 806. Pen-Gwyn 791. Pensherst 192. Pentrow 597. Penigent 791. Penistones 517. Penk fl 531. Penkridge 530. Pen-maen 666. Pennant 9. Pennigent 710. Pennine Alps 278. PENNOCRUCIUM 530 531 537. Penrose 22. Penryn 7. Pensans 6 19 21. Pensavas what 21. Pensherst 191. Pensneth-chace 530. Penteney 393. Pentre-Evan 636. Yskynthrog 594 Groydhel 678. Penvael 921 959. Penwith 3 5. Penworth 793. Penyson 782. Penysthorp 747. Peoplesham 195. Peperking R. 344 355. Peppards 992. Pepperness 221. Percebridge 571. Percepier 73. Percius 751. Percies 60 49 172 522 547 721 735 738 751 743 753 760 762 777 850 853 859 863 866. Perith 831. Perrot Joh. Lord Deputy of Ireland â—007 1017. Pershore 521. Pertinax Emp. lxx Perth 935. Peryn 7. Peshalls 542. Peter-pence cxlvii head 954. S. Peter in the Wall 344. Peter a Painter 332. S. Peter's pence 61 298. Peterill 833. Petilius Cerealis Propraet lvi 703. Petits 999. Petre's 343 345. Petre's post Quarry 712 713. Petrocus 11. PETRIANAE 833. PETUARIA PARISIORUM 738. 739. Petworth 172. Pevensey-marsh 174. Pever p. 288. fl 563. Peverels 346 403 405 433 486 494 496. Peytons 408. Pharamusa 175. Pharus 205 222. Phelem-ge-modona 984. Phelipps 375 393. S. Philibert 124. Philips Sir Edward 59. John 639. Norton 69. Town 989. Phiol what 608. Pichford R. de 542. Pickerings 835. Pickering 754. Pickworth 476. Picot 403. Pictland 895. Firth 1081. Picts lxxx cix 925 934 952 1081. divided into two Nations 952. Wall 837 c. Piddle-River 47. Pierpoints Earls of Kingston 483 746 Pight houses 1086. Pigots 281. Pile of Fouldrey 796. Pilkington 773. Pillerton 499. Pimble-mear 656. Pimpe 209. Pinhoe 40. Pinkneys 429. Pipwel 437. S. Piranus 10. Pitchfords 543. Pitcoal 445 458. Plads 934. Plaisy 345. Plantagenet 33 53 139 587 724 742 763. Playzes 353. Plessets Earls of Warwick 254 508. Plim
Isabella and Delaley and other large Possessions which by the Outlawry of Richard Earl of Arundel were then forfeited to the Crown Richard himself was styl'd Princeps Cestriae Prince of Chester But this title was but of small duration no longer than till Henry the fourth repeal'd the Laws of the said Parliament for then it became a County Palatine again and retains that Prerogative to this day which is administred by a Chamberlain 11 Who hath all jurisdiction of a Chancellour within the said County Palatine a Judge Special 12 For matters in Common-Plees and Plees of the Crown to be heard and determin'd in the said County two Barons of the Exchequer three Serjeants at Law a Sheriff an Attorney an Escheator 13 And the Inhabitants of the said County for the enjoying of their Liberties were to pay at the change of every owner of the said Earldom a sum of money about 3000 marks by the name of a Mize as the County of Flint being a parcel thereof about 2000 marks if I have not been misinform'd c. We have now survey'd the Country of the Cornavii who together with the Coritani Dobuni and Catuellani made one entire Kingdom in the Saxon Heptarchy then called by them Myrcna-ric and Mearc-lond but render'd by the Latins Meâ—cia from a Saxon word Mearc which signifies limit for the other Kingdoms border'd upon this This was by far the largest Kingdom of them all begun by Crida the Saxon about the year 586. and enlarg'd on all hands by Penda and a littlâ— after under Peada converted to Christianity But after a duration of 250 years it was too late subjected to the Dominion of the West-Saxons when it had long endured all the outrage and misery that the Danish wars could inflict upon it This County has about 68 Parishes ADDITIONS to CHESHIRE AS the County of Chester exceeds most others in the antiquitâ— and Royalty of it's jurisdiction and multitude of it's ancient Gentry so the famous Colony settled in it under the Roman Government has render'd it very considerable for Antiquities Nor had that Subject wanted a due examination or the remains of Antiquity layn so long undiscover'd if most of it's Historians had not been led away with a chain of groundless stories and extravagant conjectures 'T is true Sir Peter Leicester has made due searches into the Records relating to this County especially to Bucklow-Hundred and reported them with great exactness and fidelity but the Roman affairs he has left so entirely untouch'd that 't is plain he either industriously declin'd them as foreign to his business or wanted experience to carry him through that part of history In like manner Sir John Doderidge a man of great learning in his Treatise concerning this County hath exactly stated the ancient and present revenues thereof but was not so diligent in his enquiries concerning the original of the County Palatine as might from a man of his Profession have been reasonably expected However his defect in this point is in a great measure supply'd by what the learned Mr. Harrington has left upon that subject a Gentleman by whose death Learning in general and particularly the Antiquities of this County which he had design'd to illustrate and improve have suffer'd very much a To begin then with Mr. Camden who first observes that this is a County Palatine County Palatine It may be worth our notice that it had this additional title upon the coming over of the Normans At first indeed William the Conquerour gave this Province to Gherbord a Nobleman of Flanders who had only the same title and power as the Officiary Earls amongst the Saxons had enjoy'd the inheritance the Earldom and grandeur of the Tenure being not yet settl'd Afterwards Hugh Lupus son of the Viscount of Auranches a Nephew of William the Conquerour by his sister receiv'd this Earldom from the Conquerour under the greatest and most honourable Tenure that ever was granted to a Subject Totum hunc dedit Comitatum tenendum sibi haeredibus suis ita liberè ad gladium sicut ipse Rex tenebat Angliae coronam The vast extent of the Powers convey'd in this Grant carry'd in them Palatine jurisdiction tho' it is certain that neither Hugh Lupus nor any of his successors were in the Grant it self or any ancient Records stil'd Comites Palatini As to the original of Palatinates in general it is clear that anciently in the decline of the Roman Empire the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the name imports were only officers of the Courts of Princes The term in process of time was restrain'd to those who had the final deteâ—mination of Causes under the King or Emperour And those that exercis d this sovereignty of jurisdiction in any Precinct or Province were call'd Comites Palatini and the place where the jurisdiction was us'd Palatinatus a Palatinate Instances of such personal offices in the Court we may still observe in the Palatine of Hungary and examples of such local authority we have in the Palatinates of the Rhine Durham and Lancaster Whether therefore the ancient Palatines were equal to the Praefecti Praetorio the Curopalatae the Grand Maistres in France or the ancient Chief Justices in England we need not dispute since it is clear that the Comites Palatini as all new-erected Officers titles retain'd many of the powers of the ancient but still had many characters of difference as well as some of resemblance By virtue of this Grant Chester enjoy'd all sovereign jurisdiction within its own precincts and that in so high a degree that the ancient Earls had Parliaments consisting of their own Barons and Tenants and were not oblig'd by the English Acts of Parliament These high and unaccountable jurisdictions were thought necessary upon the Marches and Borders of the Kingdom as investing the Governour of the Provinces with Dictatorial power and enabling them more effectually to subdue the common enemies of the Nation But when the same power that was formerly a good bar against Invaders grew formidable to the Kings themselves Henry 8. restrain'd the sovereignty of the Palatinates and made them not only subordinate to but dependent on the Crown of England And yet after that restraining Statute all Pleas of Lands and Tenements all Contracts arising within this County are and ought to be judicially heard and determin'd within this Shire and not elsewhere and if any determination be made out of it it is void and coram non judice except in cases of Error Foreign-Plea and Foreign Voucher And there is no other crime but Treason that can draw an inhabitant of this County to a Tryal elsewhere This jurisdiction tho' held now in other Counties was most anciently claim'd and enjoy'd by this County of Chester The Palatinate of Lancaster which was the Favourite-Province of the Kings of that House was erected under Edw. 1. and granted by him to Henry the first Duke of Lancaster and even in the Act of