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B18452 Camden's Britannia newly translated into English, with large additions and improvements ; publish'd by Edmund Gibson ...; Britannia. English Camden, William, 1551-1623.; Gibson, Edmund, 1669-1748. 1695 (1695) Wing C359 2,080,727 883

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to Winchester so is there another that passes westward thro' Pamber a thick and woody forest then by some places that are now uninhabited it runs near Litchfield that is the field of carcasses and so to the forest of Chute pleasant for its shady trees and the diversions of hunting where the huntsmen and foresters admire it 's pav'd rising ridge which is plainly visible tho' now and then broken off Now northward in the very limits almost of this County I saw Kings-cleare Kingscleare formerly a seat of the Saxon Kings now a well-frequented market town 11 By it Fremantle in a Park where King John much hunted Sidmanton Sidmanton the seat of the family of Kingsmils Knights and Burgh-cleare Bu gh-cleare that lies under a high hill on the top of which there is a military camp such as our ancestors call'd Burgh surrounded with a large trench and there being a commanding prospect from hence all the country round a Beacon is here fix'd which by fire gives notice to all neighbouring parts of the advance of an enemy These kind of watch-towers we call in our language Beacons from the old word Beacnian i.e. to becken they have been in use here in England for several ages sometimes made of a high pile of wood and sometimes of little barrels fill'd with pitch set on the top of a large pole in places that are most expos'd to view where some always keep watch in the night and formerly also the horsemen call'd Hobelers by our Ancestors were settled in several places to signifie the approach of the enemy by day s This County as well as all the rest we have thus far describ'd belong'd to the West-Saxon Kings and as Marianus tells us when Sigebert was depos'd for his tyrannical oppression of the subject he had this County assign'd him that he might not seem intirely depriv'd of his government But for his repeated crimes they afterward expell'd him out of those parts too and the miserable condition of this depos'd Prince was so far from moving any one's pity that he was forc'd to conceal himself in the wood Anderida and was there killed by a Swine-herd This County has had very few Earls besides those of Winchester which I have before spoken of At the coming in of the Normans one Bogo or Beavose a Saxon had this title who in the battel at Cardiff in Wales fought against the Normans He was a man of great military courage and conduct and while the Monks endeavour'd to extol him by false and legendary tales they have drown'd his valiant exploits in a sort of deep mist From this time we read of no other Earl of this County till the reign of Henry 8. who advanc'd William Fitz-Williams descended from the daughter of the Marquess of Montacute in his elder years to the honours of Earl of Southampton and Lord High Admiral of England But he soon after dying without issue King Edward 6. in the first year of his reign conferr'd that honour upon Thomas Wriotheosley Lord Chancellour of England and his grandson Henry by Henry his son now enjoys that title who in his younger years has arm'd the nobility of his birth with the ornaments of learning and military arts that in his riper age he may employ them in the service of his King and Country There are in this County 253 Parishes and 18 Market Towns ISLE of WIGHT TO this County of Southamton belongs an Island which lies southward in length opposite to it by the Romans formerly call'd Vecta Vectis and Victesis by Ptolemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Britains Guith by the Saxons Wuitland and Wicþ-ea for they call'd an Island Ea we now call it the Isle of Wight and Whight 'T is separated from the Continent of Britain by so small a rapid channel which they formerly call'd Solent that it seems to have been joyn'd to it whence as Ninnius observes the Britains call'd it Guith which signifies a Separation t For the same reason the learned Julius Scaliger is of opinion that Sicily had it's name from the Latin word Seco because it was broken off and as it were dissected from Italy Whence with submission always to the Criticks I would read that passage in the sixth of Seneca's Natural Quaest. Ab Italia Sicilia resecta and not rejecta as 't is commonly read From the nearness of it's situation and the likeness of it's name we may guess this Vecta to be that Icta which as Diodorus Siculus has it at every tide seem'd to be an Island but at the time of the ebb the ground between this Island and the Continent was so dry that the old Britains us'd to carry their tinn over thither in Carts in order to transport it into France But I cannot think this to be Pliny's Mictis tho' Vecta come very near the name for in that Island there was white lead whereas in this there is not any one vein of metal that I know of This Island from east to west is like a Lentil or of an oval form in length 20 miles and in the middle where 't is broadest 12 miles over the sides lying north and south To say nothing of the abundance of fish in this sea the soil is very fruitful and answers the husbandman's expectation even so far as to yield him corn to export There is every where plenty of rabbets hares partridge and pheasants and it has besides a forest and two parks which are well stock'd with deer for the pleasures of hunting Through the middle of the Island runs a long ridge of hills where is plenty of pasture for sheep whose wool next to that of Lemster and Cotteswold is reckon'd the best and is in so much request with the Clothiers that the inhabitants make a great advantage of it In the northern part there is very good pasturage meadow-ground and wood the southern part is in a manner all a corn country enclos'd with ditches and hedges At each end the sea does so insinuate and thrust in it self from the north that it makes almost two Islands which indeed are call'd so by the inhabitants that on the west side Fresh-water Isle the other on the east Binbridge Isle Bede reckon'd in it in his time 1200 families now it has 36 towns villages and castles and as to its Ecclesiastical Government is under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester but as to it 's Civil under the County of South-hamton The inhabitants facetiously boast how much happier they are than other people since they never had either p 'T is strange why they should add Monks since S. Mary's in Caresbrooke particularly was a Cell of Black Monks belonging first to Lyra in Normandy afterwards to the Abbey of Montgrace in Yorkshire and then to the Cistercians of Sheen Besides this there were in the Island three Priories * Cu 〈…〉 tos 〈◊〉 c●●os Newpo●● Monks Lawyers or Foxes The places of greatest note are these Newport
the Church is roof'd with lofty Arches of square work † Pari commissura the joints answering one another but on both sides it is enclos'd with a double Arch of stones firmly cemented and knit together Moreover the Cross of the Church made to encompass the middle Quire of the ‖ Canentium Domino Singers and by its double supporter on each side to bear up the lofty top of the middle tower first rises singly with a low and strong arch then mounts higher with several winding stairs artificially ascending and last of all with a single wall reaches to the wooden roof well cover'd with lead But 160 years after Henry the third demolish'd this Fabrick of Edward's and erected a new one of curious workmanship supported by several rows of marble Pillars and leaded over which was fifty years in building This the Abbots very much enlarg'd towards the west and Henry the seventh for the burial of himself and * Suorum his children added to the east part of it a Chapel of a most neat and admirable contrivance call'd by Leland the miracle of the world for you 'd say that all the Art in the world is crowded into this one work wherein is to be seen his own most splendid and magnificent Monument made of solid brass q After the expulsion of the Monks it had several revolutions first it had a Dean and Prebenda●ies next one single Bishop Thomas Thurlbey who after he had squander'd away the revenues of the Church gave it up and surrender'd it 42 Surrender'd it to the spoil of Courtiers to the Dean Presently after the Monks and their Abbot were restor'd by Queen Mary but they being quickly ejected by Authority of Parliament Queen Elizabeth converted it into a Collegiate Church nay I may say a Nursery of the Church For she settl'd twelve Prebendaries as many old Souldiers past service forty Scholars calld King's Scholars sent successively to the Universities and thence transplanted into Church and State c. Over all these she constituted a Dean 43 Over these she plac'd Dr. Bill Dean whose Successor was which dignity not long since was honourably bore by Dr. Gabriel Goodman a person of singular worth and integrity and a particular Patron both to me and my studies There were bury'd in this Church to run over those likewise in order Princes bury'd in Westminster-Abbey and according to their Dignity and the time when they dy'd Sebert first 44 And first Christian King of the East-Angles Harold bastard-son of Canutus the Dane King of England St. Edward King and Confessor with his Queen Editha Maud wife to King Henry the first and daughter to Malcolm King of Scots Henry the third Edward the first his son with Eleanor his wife daughter to Ferdinand third King of Castile and Leon. King Edward the third and Philippa of Hanault his wife Richard the second and Anne his wife sister of the Emperour Wenzelaus Henry the fifth with his wife Catharine daughter of Charles the sixth King of France Anne wife of Richard the third and daughter of Richard Nevil Earl of Warwick Henry the seventh with his wife Elizabeth 45 Daughter to King Edward 4. and his mother Margaret Countess of Richmond K. Edward the sixth Anne of Cleve fourth wife to K. Henry 8. Queen Mary and one not to be mention'd without the highest expressions both of respect and sorrow I mean our late most serene Lady Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory the darling of England a Princess endow'd with heroick Vertues Wisdom and a greatness of Mind much beyond her Sex and incomparably skill'd both in Things and Languages Here she lyes bury'd in a stately Monument erected for her out of a pious veneration by King James But alas how inconsiderable is that Monument in comparison of the noble qualities of so great a Lady She her self is her own Monument and a more magnificent and sumptuous one too than any other For let those noble actions recommend her to the praise and admiration of Posterity RELIGION REFORM'D PEACE ESTABLISHT MONEY REDUC'T TO ITS TRUE VALUE A MOST COMPLEAT FLEET BUILT NAVAL GLORY RESTOR'D REBELLION SUPPRESS'D ENGLAND FOR XLIIII YEARS TOGETHER MOST PRUDENTLY GOVERN'D ENRICHT AND STRENGTHEN'D SCOTLAND FREED FROM THE FRENCH FRANCE IT SELF RELIEV'D THE NETHERLANDS SUPPORTED SPAIN AW'D IRELAND QUIETED AND THE WHOLE WORLD TWICE SAIL'D ROUND The Dukes and Lords that have been bury'd here are Edmund Earl of Lancaster younger son to King Hen. 3. Avelina de Fortibus Countess of Albemarle his wife William and Audomar de Valentia of the family of Lusignia Earls of Pembroke Alphonse John and other Children of K. Edward 1. John de Eltham Earl of Cornwall son of K. Edward 2. Thomas de Woodstock Duke of Glocester youngest son of Edw. 3. with others of his children Eleanor daughter and heir of Humfrey Bohun Earl of Hereford and Essex wife to Thomas de Woodstock the young daughters of Edw. 4. and Hen. 7. Henry young son of Hen. 8. who dy'd at 2 months old Sophia daughter of K. James 1. who dy'd ‖ Primo aetatis diluculo almost assoon as born Philippa Dutchess of York Lewis Viscount Robsert of Hanault in right of his wife Lord Bourchier Anne the young daughter and heir of John Moubray D. of Norfolk betroth'd to Rich. D. of York younger son to K. Edw. 4. 46 Sir Giles Daubeney Giles Daubeney Lord Chamberlain to K. Hen. 7. and his wife of the family of the Arundels in Cornwall Viscount Welles Frances Brandon Dutchess of Suffolk Mary her daughter Margaret Douglas Countess of Lenox grand-mother to James K. of Great Britain with Charles her son Winefrid Bruges Marchioness of Winchester Anne Stanhop Dutchess of Somerset and Jane her daughter Anne Cecil Countess of Oxford daughter of Baron Burghley Lord high Treasurer of England with her mother Mildred Burghley Elizabeth Berkley Countess of Ormond Frances Sidney Countess of Sussex 47 James Butler instead of Thomas Butler Thomas Butler Viscount Thurles son and heir of the Earl of Ormond Besides Humfrey Bourchier Lord Cromwell another 48 Sir Humfrey Bourchier Humfrey Bourchier son and heir of the Lord Berners both slain in Barnet-fight 49 Sir Nicholas Carew Baron Carew instead of Nicholas Baron Carew Nicholas Baron Carew the Baroness of Powis Thomas Baron Wentworth Thomas Baron Wharton John Lord Russel Thomas Bromley Lord Chancellour of England Douglasia 50 H. Howard Howard daughter and heir of Viscount Bindon wife of 51 Sir Arthur Gorges Arthur Gorge Elizabeth daughter and heir of Edward Earl of Rutland wife of William Cecil 52 Sir John Puckering John Puckering Keeper of the Great Seal of England Frances Howard Countess of Hertford Henry and George Cary father and son Barons of Hunsdon and Lord Chamberlains to Q. Elizabeth the heart of Anne Sophia the young daughter of Christopher Harley Count de Beaumont Embassador in England from
between Fife and Strathern with old barbarous verses upon it and had a certain privilege of a Sanctuary that any Homicide ally'd to Mac-duff Earl of Fife within the ninth degree if he came to this cross and gave nine cows with a * Colpinda●h Heifer he should be acquitted of the manslaughter When his Posterity lost this title I cannot yet learn but it appears by the Records of that Kingdom that King David 2. gave this Earldom to William Ramsay with all and every the immunities and the law which is called Clan Mac-duff And it is lookt upon as undeniable that the families of Weimes and Douglas and that great Clan Clan-Hatan whose head is Mac-Intoskech descended from them I find also by the learned J. Skene Clerk Register of Scotland in his Significations of words that Isabella daughter and heir to Duncan Earl of Fife granted upon certain conditions to Robert King of Scotland in trust for Robert Steward Earl of Menteith the Earldom of Fife who being afterwards Duke of Albany and eagerly affecting the Crown put David the King 's eldest son to one of the most miserable deaths that of hunger But his son Murdac suffered a punishment due to the wickedness both of his father and his own sons being put to death by King James the first 7 For their violent oppressions when a decree passed That the Earldom of Fife should for ever be united to the Crown But the authority of Sheriff of Fife belongs by inheritance to the Earl of Rothes Earl of Rothes m Vid. Hect. Boeth lib. 12. c STRATHERN ●●●●h-ern ●●●attry AS far as the River Tay which bounds Fife on the North side Julius Agricola the best of all the Propraetors of Britain under Domitian the worst of the Emperors carried his victories in the third year of his Expedition having so far wasted the Kingdom Into this aestuarie falls the noted River Ern ●●e River 〈◊〉 which rising out of a Logh of the same name bestows it on the Country it runs through for it is called Straith-ern which in the antient British signifies a Valley upon Ern. The Banks of this Ern are adorned with Drimein-Castle ●●●●ein belonging to the family of the Barons of Dromond ●●●●ns ●●●mond who have risen to great honours since King Robert Steward the 3. married a wife out of this family For the Women of that family for charming beauty and complexion are beyond all others insomuch that they have been most delighted in by the Kings 〈◊〉 of ●●●●r●● And upon the same bank Tulibardin-Castle shews it self aloft and that with more honour since by the favour of K. James 6. John Murray Baron of Tulibardin was advanced to the title and dignity of Earl of Tulibardin Upon the other bank lower stands Duplin-Castle Duplin the seat of the Barons Oliphant Baron Oliphant and still remembers how great an overthrow not to be equalled in former Ages the English that came to assist King Edward Balliol gave the Scots there insomuch that the English writers of that time attribute the victory wholly to God's power and not to any valour of man and the Scots report that there fell of the family of Lindsay 80 persons and that the name of Hays had been quite extinct had not the head of the family left his Wife big with child at home Not far off stands Innermeth Lords of Innermeth well known for its Lords the Stewards of the family of Lorn 8 Inch-chafra i.e. in the old Scottish tongue the Isle of Masses hereby may be remembred whenas it was a most famous Abbey of the Order of St. Augustin founded by the Earl of Strathern about the year 1200. But after the conflux of the Ern and the Tay by which the latter more expatiates it self he looks up upon Aberneth Abernethy standing upon his banks antiently the Royal Seat of the Picts and a populous city which as we read in an old fragment Nectanus K. of the Picts gave to God and S. Brigid until the day of judgment together with the bounds thereof which lie from a stone in Abertrent to a stone near Carful that is Loghfol and from thence as far as Ethan But a long time after it fell into the possession of the Douglasses Earls of Angus who are called Lords of Aberneth and are some of them there interred The first Earl of Strathern Earls of Strathern that I read of was 9 Malisse who in the time of K. Henry 3. of England marry'd one of the heirs of Robert Muschamp a potent Baron of England Long afterward c. Robert Stewart in the year 1380. then David a younger son of K. Robert 2. whose only daughter being given in marriage to Patrick Graham was mother of Mailise or Melisse Graham from whom K. James 1. took the Earldom after he had found by the Records of the Kingdom that it had been given to his * Avo paterno Mother's Grandfather and his Heirs Male This Territory as also Menteith adjoyning is under the government of the Barons Dromond hereditary Stewards of it Menteith Menteith Stewartry as they say hath its name from the River Teith called also Taich and thence in Latin they name this little Territory Taichia Upon the bank of which lies the Bishoprick of Dunblain Dunblain erected by K. David the first of that name * See the Addition● Kird-bird At Kirk-Bird that is St. Brigid's Church the Earls of Menteith have their principal residence as also the Earls of Montross l. Montross is now a Marquisate of the same family not far off at Kin-kardin This Menteith as I have heard reaches to the Mountains that enclose the East side of Logh-lomond The antient Earls of Menteith were of the family of Cumen anciently the most numerous and potent in all Scotland but ruin'd by its own greatness The later Earls are of the House of Graham Earls of Mente●th ever since Mailise Graham attain'd to the honour of Earl d ARGATHELIA or ARGILE BEyond Logh-Lomond and the western part of Lennox near Dunbritton-Forth Argile lays out it self call'd in Latin Argathelia and Arogadia commonly Argile but more truly Argathel and Ar-Gwithil that is near to the Irish or as some old Records have it the brink or edge of Ireland for it lies towards Ireland whose inhabitants the Britains call'd Gwithil and Gaothel A Countrey much running out in length and breadth all mangled with Lakes well stock'd with fish and rising in some places into mountains very commodious for feeding of cattle wherein also wild Cows and Deer range up and down But along the coast what with rocks and what with blackish barren mountains it makes a horrid appearance In this tract as Bede observes Britain received after the Britons and Picts a 3d Nation the Scots into the Picts territories who coming out of Ireland with Reuda their Leader got either by force or friendship the habitation
Earl of Strafford Lord Lieutenant of Ireland erected a large and magnificent Pile and designed to make it the seat of his Family principal and head town of this County is Kildar Kildar eminent in the first ages of the Irish Church for Brigid ● Brigid a virgin of great esteem for her devotion and chastity not she who about 240 years since instituted the Order of the Nuns of S. Brigid namely that within one Monastery both Men and Women should live together in their several apartments without seeing one another but one more ancient who lived about a thousand years ago was a disciple of S. Patrick and very famous both in Ireland Scotland and England Her miracles and the fire which never goes out being preserved and cherished in the * Adytis ●●●trali●●● inner sanctuary like that of Vesta by the sacred Virgins and still burns without any addition or increase of ashes are related by some Authors This town has the honour of being a Bishops See formerly stil'd in the Pope's Letters Episcopatus Darensis 14 And after the entrance of the English into Ireland was c. and was first the habitation of Richard Earl of Pembrook afterwards of William Marshall Earl of Pembrook his son in law by whose fourth daughter Sibill it came to William Ferrars Earl of Derby and by a daughter of his by her likewise to William Vescy whose son 15 William Lord Vescy William Vescy Lord Chief Justice of Ireland being out of favour with King Edward the first upon a quarrel between him and John the son of Thomas Fitz-Girald and having lost his only legitimate son gave Kildare and other lands of his in Ireland A●chiv●●●geta to the King upon condition he should infeoff his natural son sirnamed de Kildare with all his other lands in England A little after that the said John son to Thomas Fitz-Girald whose ancestors descended from Girald Windesor Castellan of Pembrook by their great valour did much service in the conquest of Ireland had the castle and town of Kildare together with the title and name of Earl of Kildare Earls of Kildar bestow'd upon him by King Edward the second These Fitz-Giralds or Geraldins as they now call them were very great men and particularly eminent for their brave actions who of themselves as one says preserved the sea-coasts of Wales and conquered Ireland And this family of Kildare flourished with their honour and reputation unsullied for a long time having never any hand in rebellions till Thomas Fitz-Girald son of Girald-Fitz-Girald Earl of Kildare and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in Henry the eighth's time upon the news that his father who was sent for into England and charg'd with male-administration was executed was so far transported by the heat of youth upon this false rumour that he rashly took up arms against his King and Country invited Charles the 5th to take possession of Ireland wasted the Country with fire and sword besieged Dublin and put the Archbishop thereof to death for which outrage he was soon after hang'd with five of his uncles his father being dead before of grief and trouble at these proceedings However this family was restored by Queen Mary to its ancient grandeur who promoted Girald brother of the said Thomas to the Earldom of Kildare and the Barony of Offaly 16 He ended this life about the year 1558. His eldest Son Girald died before his father leaving only one daughter married to Sir Robert Digby Henry his second son succeeded who when he had by his wife Lady Frances daughter to Charles Earl of Nottingham only two daughters William the third son succeeded to the Earldom who was drowned in passing into Ireland in the year 1599 having no issue And then the title of Earl of Kildare came to Girald Fi●z Girald son to Edward their uncle who wan restored to his blood in lineage to make title by descent lineal or collateral from his father and brother and all his ancestors any attainder or corruption of blood to the contrary notwithstanding his two sons Henry and William having both succeeded him without issue male the title of Earl fell to Girald Fitz-Girald their Cousin-german 17 With a fair patrimony seduced by the Religious pretext into Rebellion Other eminent towns in this county are Naas a market town Athie situate upon the river Barrow Mainoth a castle of the Earls of Kildare and endowed with the priviledge of a market and a fair by King Edw. the first in favour of Girald Fitz-Moris Castle-Martin the chief seat of the family of the Fitz-Eustaces descended from the Poers in the County of Waterford of whom Rowland Fitz-Eustace Barons Fitz Eustace for his great worth was made a Baron of Parliament by Edward the fourth and had the manour of Portlester bestow'd upon him as also the title of Vicount Baltinglas by Henry the eighth Pat. 2. Ed. 4. Viscounts Baltinglas all which dignities Rowland Fitz-Eustace lost 7 being banish'd in Q. Elizabeth's time for his treachery The more considerable families here besides the Fitz-Giralds are all likewise English the Ougans De-la-Hides Ailmers Walshes Boisels Whites Suttons c. As for the Gyant 's dance which Merlin by art magick transferred as they say out of this territory to Salisbury-plain as also the bloody battle to be fought hereafter between the English and the Irish at Molleaghmast I leave them for the credulous and such as doat upon the fabulous part of antiquity and vainly admire prophesies For it is not answerable to my design to dilate upon stories of this nature These are the midland Counties of Leinster now for those upon the sea coast The County of WEISFORD BElow that mouth from which the three sister-rivers the Barrow the Neore and the Swire empty themselves into the sea upon a Promontory eastward where the shore is rounding lies the County of Weisford or Wexford in Irish County a Which signifies Coarse or rough Reogh where the Menapii Menapii are placed by Ptolemy That these Menapii were the off-spring of the Menapii that peopled the sea-coast in the Lower Germany the name it self seems to intimate But whether that Carausius Carausius who put up for Emperor and held Britain against Dioclesian were of this or that nation Published by S●hottus I leave to the discovery of others For * Aurelius Victor calls him a citizen of Menapia and the city Menapia is in Ireland and not in the Low-Countreys of Germany according to Geographers Upon the river Barrow in this County formerly flourished Ross a large b Now a burrough city of good trade and well inhabited fortified with a wall of great compass by Isabel the daughter of Earl Richard Strongbow which is the only remains of it at this day For the dissention between the citizens and the religious here has long since ruined the town and reduced it to little or nothing More eastward Duncanon Duncanon
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
rich man died this year This Continuation following is took from a Manuscript Chronicle in the Hands of Henry Marleburgh MCCCLXXII SIr Robert Ashton being made Chief Justice came into Ireland MCCCLXXIII A great war between the English of Meth and O-Feroll with much slaughter on both sides Item John Lord Husse Baron of Galtrim John Fitz Richard Sheriff of Meth and William Dalton were in May kill'd by the Irish in Kynaleagh MCCCLXXV Died Thomas Archbishop of Dublin the same year Robert of Wickford was consecrated Archbishop of this see MCCCLXXXI Edmund Mortimer the King's Lieutenant in Ireland Earl of March and Ulster died at Cork MCCCLXXXIII A raging pestilence in Ireland MCCCLXXXV Dublin bridge fell down MCCCXC Died Robert Wikford Archbishop of Dublin Robe●t Waldebey Archbishop of Dublin of the order of the Austin Friers was translated also this year MCCCXCVII Died Frier Richard Northalis Archbishop of Dublin of the order of the Carmelites This year Thomas Crauley was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Thomas Lord Burk and Walter Lord Bermingham cut off 600 of the Irish and Mac Con their Captain * Read Roger. Edmund Earl of March Lieutenant of Ireland with the assistance of the Earl of Ormond wasted the Country of O Bryn and knighted Christopher Preston John Bedeleu Edmund Loundris John Loundry William Nugent Walter de la Hide and Rober Cadel at the storming of a strong mannor-house of the said O Bryn MCCCXCVIII Forty English among whom were John Fitz Williams Thomas Talbot and Thomas Comyn were unfortunately cut off on the Ascension day by the Tothils On S. Margaret's day this year Roger Earl of March the King's Lieutenant was slain with many others by O Bryn and other Irish of Leinster at Kenlys in that province Roger Grey was appointed to succeed him in the office of Chief Justice On the Feast of S. Mark Pope and Confessor the noble Duke of Sutherey came into Ireland being made the King's Deputy Lieutenant thereof accompanied with the Archbishop of Dublin Thomas Crawley MCCCXCIX In the 23d year of King Richard being Sunday the very morrow after S. Petronil or Pernil the Virgin 's day King Richard arriv'd at Waterford with 200 sail At Ford in Kenlys within Kildare on the 6th day of this week two hundred of the Irish were slain by Jenicho and others of the English the next day the people of Dublin made an inroad into the Country of O Bryn cut off 33 of the Irish and took to the number of 80 men and women with their children prisoners The King came to Dublin this year on the fourth before the kalends of July and embark'd in great haste for England upon a report of Henry duke of Lancaster's being arriv'd there MCCCC At Whitsontide in the first year of King Henry IV. the Constable of Dublin-castle and several others engag'd the Scots at Stranford in Ulster which prov'd unfortunate to the English many of them being cut off and drown'd in that encounter MCCCCI In the second year of this reign Sir John Stanley the King's Lieutenant went over into England in May leaving Sir William Stanley to supply his office On Bartholomew-eve this year Stephen Scrope came into Ireland as Deputy to the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the King's Lieutenant The same year on the feast of S. Brice Bishop and Confessor Thomas Lord Lancaster the King's son being Viceroy of Ireland arriv'd at Dublin MCCCCII The Church of the Friers Predicants at Dublin was consecrated on the 5th of July by the Archbishop of this City The same day 493 Irish were slain by John Drake Mayor of Dublin assisted with the Citizens and the Country people near Bree where they gain'd a considerable victory In September this year a Parliament was held at Dublin Sir Bartholomew Verdon James White Stephen Gernon and their accomplices kill'd John Dowdal Sheriff of Louith in Urgal during this session MCCCCIII In the fourth year of King Henry IV. Sir Walter Beterley a valiant Knight then steward there with thirty more was kill'd in May. About the feast of S. Martin this year the King's Son Thomas went over into Enlgand leaving Stephen Scroop to officiate as his Deputy who return'd also on the first day of Lent into England after which the Lords of the Kingdom chose the Earl of Ormond Lord Chief Justice of Ireland MCCCCIV In the 5th Year of King Henry's reign died John Cowlton Archbishop of Armagh on the 5th of May and was succeeded by Nicholas Fleming The same year on S. Vitali's day a Parliament was held at Dublin by the Earl of Ormond at that time Chief Justice of the Kingdom where the Statutes of Kilkenny and Dublin and the Charter of Ireland was confirm'd Patrick Savage was this year treacherously slain in Ulster by Mac Kilmori his brother Richard being also given in hostage was murder'd in prison after he had paid a ransom of 200 marks MCCCCV In the 6th year of King Henry three Scotch Galleys two at Green Castle and one at Dalkey were taken in May with the Captain Thomas Mac Golagh The merchants of Tredagh entred Scotland this year and took hostages and booty The same year Stephen Scroop went into England leaving the Earl of Ormond to officiate as Justice during his absence In June this year the people of Dublin invaded Scotland entering it at S. Ninians where they gallantly behav'd themselves after which they made a descent upon Wales and did great hurt among the Welsh in this expedition they carried the shrine of S. Cubie to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Dublin Item This year on the vigil of the blessed Virgin died James Botiller Earl of Ormond at Baligauran during his office he was much lamented and succeeded by Gerald Earl of Kildare MCCCCVI In the seventh year of King Richard the Dublinians on Corpus Christi day with the assistance of the country people overcame the Irish and kill'd some of them they took three ensigns and carried off several of their heads to Dublin The same year the Prior of Conal in a battle with 200 well-arm'd Irish on the Plain of Kildare vanquish'd them by his great valour killing some and putting the rest to flight The Prior and his party were not above twenty such is the regard of Providence to those that trust in it The same year after the feast of S. Michael Scroop Deputy Justice to Thomas the King's son Viceroy of Ireland arriv'd here The same year died Innocentius VII succeeded in the chair by Gregory The same year on S. Hilaries-day a Parliament was held at Dublin which broke up in Lent at Trym Meiler Bermingham slew Cathol O Conghir in the latter end of February about the same time died Sir Geffery Vaux a valiant Knight of the County of Carlagh MCCCCVII A perfidious base Irishman call'd Mac Adam Mac Gilmori never christen'd and therefore call'd Morbi nay one that had been the ruin of forty Churches took Patrick Savage prisoner forc'd him to pay 2000 marks for ransom
his Thoughts of Education 8o. Dr. Hody of the Resurrection of the same Body 8o. Machiavel's Works compleat Fol. Boethius de Consolatione made English with Annotations by Richard Lord Viscount Preston 8o. Mr. Talent's Chronological Tables of Sacred and Prophane History from the Creation to the Year 1695. Bishop Wilkins of Prayer and Preaching enlarged by the Bishop of Norwich and Dr. Williams 8o. Mr. Tannner's Notitia Monastica 8o. Two Treatises of Government The first an Answer to Filmer's Patriarchae The latter an Essay concerning the true Original Extent and End of Civil Government 8o. The Fables of Aesop and other Mithologists made English by Sir Roger L'strange Kt. Fol. Three several Letters for Toleration Considerations about lowering the Interest and raising the Value of Money 8o. Sir William Temple's History of the Netherlands 8o. Miscellanea 8o. Mr. L'Clerc Logica 12o. Dr. Gibson's Anatomy of Human Bodies with Additions 8o. Dr. Patrick's new Version of the Psalms of David in Metre 12o. Mereton's Guide to Surveyers of the High-ways 8o. Sir Paul Ricaut's Lives of the Popes Fol. Sir Simon Dews's Journal of Parliaments Fol. Gentleman's Religion 12o. Two Treatises of Rational Religion 8o. Reprinting Leland De Viris Illustratibus and Boston of Bury from the MSS. with large Improvements and a Continuation by Mr. Tanner Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle of the King 's of England continued down to this time Cambridge Concordance Fol. THE LIFE OF M R. CAMDEN WILLIAM CAMDEN was born in the Old-Baily in London May 2. 1551 Diarie His father Sampson Camden was a Painter in London whither he was sent very young from Lichfield the place of his birth and education His mother was of the ancient Family of the See that County under the title Wirkinton and a MS. in Cott. Lib. sub Effigie Jul. F. 6. Curwens of Workinton in the County of Cumberland Where or how he was brought up till twelve years of age we must content our selves to be in the dark since his own Diarie gives us no insight into that part of his Life There is a tradition that he was Scholar of the Blew-coat Hospital in London which if true assures us that his Father left him very young because the particular constitution of the place admits of none but Orphans But the Fire of London which consum'd the Matriculation-books with the whole House has cut off all possibility of satisfaction in that point When he came to be twelve years old he was seiz'd by the Plague Peste correptus Islingtoniae Diar and remov'd to Islington near London Being fully recover'd he was sent to Paul's School where he laid the foundation of that niceness and accuracy in the Latin and Greek to which he afterwards arriv'd The meanness of his circumstances gave him no prospect of any great matters and yet his Friends were unwilling that such fine Parts should be lost and a Youth in all respects so promising be thrown away for want of encouragement Nothing was to be done without a Patron whose Favour might countenance him in his Studies and whose Interest might supply the narrowness of his Fortune At that time Dr. Cooper afterwards promoted to the Bishoprick of Lincoln and then to that of Winchester was Fellow of Magdalen-College in Oxford and Master of the School belonging to it To his care he was recommended and by his means probably admitted Chorister No project could have a better appearance upon all accounts For as his gradual advancement in that rich and ample Foundation would have been a settlement once for all so one in the Doctor 's station must on course carry a considerable stroke in the business of Elections But as promising as it look'd when it came to the push he miss'd of a Demie's place So defeated of his hopes and expectations in that College he was forc'd to look out for a new Patron and to frame a new Scheme for his future fortunes The next encouragement he found was from Dr. Thomas Thornton By him he was invited to Broad gate-Hall since call'd Pembroke-College where he prosecuted his Studies with great closeness and the Latin Graces us'd by the College at this day are said to be of his compiling Among his other acquaintance he was peculiarly happy in the two Carews Richard and George both of this Hall both very ingenious and both Antiquaries For tho' the first was a Member of Christ-church Wood's Athen. vol 1. p. 384. he had his Chamber in Broad gate-hall and Sir Baronage T. ●● 41● B●own's add●tional notes to a catalogue of Scholars in University-Co●leg● William Dugdale's affirming the second to have been of University-College seems occasion'd by two of the sirname being Members of this house about the same time I know not whether we may date his more settl'd inclination to Antiquities from this lucky familiarity and correspondence 'T is certain that nothing sets so quick an edge as the conversation of equals and 't is by some such accidents that men are generally determin'd in their particular Studies and Professions Here he continu'd almost three years in which time by his diligence and integrity he had settl'd himself so firmly in the good opinion of his Patron that when the Doctor was advanc'd to a Canonry of Christ-church See his Britannia p. 140. he carry'd him along with him and entertain'd him in his own Lodgings He was then scarce 20 years old an age wherein the study of Arts and Sciences and the want of a judgment solid enough excuse men from much application to the deep points of Religion and Controversie And yet even then his reputation upon that account cost him a very unlucky disappointment He stood for a Fellowship of All-Souls College but the Popish party such at least whose inclination lay that way whatever their Profession was out of an apprehension how little his advancement was like to make for their cause oppos'd it so zealously that it was carry'd against him Many years after upon an imputation of Popery which we shall have occasion to speak to by and by Epist 195 among other testimonies of his fidelity to the Church of England he urges this instance as one For the truth of it he appeals to Sir Daniel Dun then Fellow of the College and a person whose prudence and integrity recommended him more than once to the choice of the University in their Elections for Parliament-men After five years spent in the University and two remarkable disappointments in his endeavours towards a settlement his poor condition put him under a necessity of leaving that place Whether he had taken the Degree of Batchelour does not certainly appear That in June 1570. he supplicated for it is evident from the K K. fol. 95. b. Register of the University but no mention made of what answer he had Three years after he supplicated again for the same Degree and seems to have took it but never compleated it by Determinations However in the year 1588. Wood's Athen vol. 1. p. 409. he
more fees to give away For nothing could be more effectual to excite brave men and lay an obligation upon their best and most deserving Subjects such as were nobly descended and men of great estates than as an istance of their good will and favour to bestow the honourable title of Knights upon them which before was always a name of great dignity For when the Prince conferr'd advisedly upon merit it was thought a great reward and favour and look'd upon as a badge of honour Those that were thus Knighted esteem'd this as the price of Virtue as an encomium upon their family a memorial of their race and the glory of their name So that it is said by our Lawyers Miles a name of dignity that Miles is a name of dignity and not Baro. For a Baron in ancient times if he was not a Knight was written barely by his Christian name and the proper name of his family without any addition unless of Dominus which is likewise applic●ble to Knights But the name Knight seems to have been an additional title of honour in the greatest dignities seeing Kings Dukes Marquesses Earls and Barons were ambitious both of the name and dignity And here I cannot but insert what Matth. Florilegus writes concerning the creation of Knights in Edward the first 's time For the sake of his expedition into Scotland the King publish'd a Proclamation lately throughout England to the end that whoever were by hereditary succession to be Knights and had wherewithall to support that dignity should be present in Westminster at the feast of Whitsontide there to receive all Knightly accoutrements save Equipage or Horse-furniture out of the King's Wardrobe Accordingly there assembled thither 300 young Gentlemen the sons of Earls Barons and Knights and had purple liveries silk-scarves and robes richly embroided with gold bestow'd upon them according to their several qualities And because the King's Palace though very large was too little to receive this concourse they cut down the apple-trees about the † Novum Tempium new Temple in London ras'd the walls and set up Pavilions and tents wherein these young Gentlemen might dress themselves in garments embroider'd with gold and all that night as many of them as the Temple would hold watch'd and pray'd in it But the Prince of Wales by his father's order with the chief of them watch'd in the Church of Westminster And so great was the sound of trumpets minstrels and acclamations of joy there that the chaunting of the Convent could not be heard from one side of the Quire to the other The day following the King knighted his Son in his palace and gave him the Dukedom of Aquitain The Prince therefore being thus knighted went to the Church of Westminster that he might likewise confer the same honour upon them And such was the press and throng about the high Altar that two Knights were kill'd and many fainted though every Knight had at least three or four Soldiers to conduct and defend them The Prince himself the throng was so great was forc'd to knight them upon the high altar having made his way thither * Per dextrarios bellicosos by his war-horses At present he that is knighted kneels down and in that posture is lightly struck upon the Shoulder with a naked sword by the Prince saying thus in French Sois Chevalier au nom de Dieu i.e. Be thou a Knight in the name of God and then he adds avancez Chevalier i.e. Rise up Sir Knight What relates farther to this order how famous how glorious and how brave a reward this dignity was look'd upon by men of honour among our Forefathers with what exactness they practis'd fidelity and plain-dealing when it was sufficient surety if they promis'd as Knights or upon their Honour lastly how far they were above the sordid humour of scraping and how they contributed upon the account of their fees when the King 's eldest son was honour'd with this dignity these things I leave to other Writers Degradations of Knights As also when they had committed any crime that was capital how they were strip'd of their ornaments had their military belt took from them were depriv'd of their sword had their spurs cut off with a hatchet their glove took away † Clyp●o gentilitio in verso and their arms inverted just as it is in degrading those who have listed themselves in the Spiritual warefare the Ecclesiastical ornaments the book chalice and such like are taken from them I leave it likewise to be consider'd by them whether these Knights have been by some rightly term'd Knights Bacchallers and whether Bacchallers were not a middle order between Knights and Esquires For some Records run Nomina Militum Baccalaureorum Valectorum Comitis Glocestriae In d●● so Pat. 51. H. 3. Hence some will have Bachallers to be so call'd quasi Bas Chevaliers though others derive the same from Battailer a French word which signifies to fight Let them farther examine whether these dignities which formerly when very rare were so mighty glorious and the establish'd rewards of virtue became not vile as they grew common and prostitute to every one that had the vanity to desire them Aemilius Probus formerly complain'd of the same thing in a like case among the Romans Next in order to these Knights were the Armigeri E●● 2. Esquires call'd also Scutiferi Homines ad arma and among the Goths Schilpor from bearing the Shield as heretofore Scutarii among the Romans Who had that name either from their coats of Arms which they bore as badges of their nobility or because they really carry'd the armour of the Princes and great men For every Knight was serv'd by two of these formerly they carry'd his helmet and buckler and as his inseparable companions adher'd to him For they held lands of the Knight their Lord in Escuage as he did of the King by Knights-service Esquires are at this day of five sorts for those I but now treated of are at present out of use The chief are they who are chosen to attend the King's person Next them are the eldest sons of Knights and their eldest sons likewise successively In the third place are counted the eldest sons of the youngest sons of Barons and others of greater quality and when such heir-male fails the title dies likewise The fourth in order are those to whom the King himself together with a title gives arms or makes Esquires adorning them with a collar of S. S. of a white silver colour and a pair of silver spurs whence at this day in the west parts of the Kingdom they are call'd White-spurs to distinguish them from Knights or Equites Aurati who have spurs of gold of these the eldest sons only can bear the title In the fifth place are to be reputed and look'd upon as Esquires all such as are in any great office in the Government or serve the King in any honourable station But
cause probably was to improve his own mannour of Topesham to which one of the Hughs of this family perhaps the same procur'd a weekly market and a yearly fair which Edward Courtney Earl of Devonshire in an out-fall with the citizens threw into the chanel of the river Isc which hinders ships from coming to the town so that all merchandize is brought thither by land from Topesham a little village three miles from the city Nor are these heaps remov'd tho' it is commanded by Act of Parliament o From these a small village hard by is call'd Weare Weare but formerly Heneaton which belong'd heretofore to Austin de Baa from whom by right of inheritance it came to John Holand Ch. 24 E● who in a seal that I have seen bore a lion rampant gardant among flower de luces The government of this City is administer'd by 24. of whom u Th●s City was incorporated by K. John and made a County by K. Henry 8. one yearly is chosen Mayor who with four Bayliffs manages all publick affairs As for the position the old Oxford-Tables have defin'd it's longitude to be 19 degrees 11 minutes It 's latitude 50 degrees 40 minutes This City that I may not omit it has had it's Dukes For Richard 2. King of England of that name made John Holand Earl of Huntingdon and his brother by the mother's side first Duke of Exeter Dukes of Exeter Henry 4. depriv'd him of this honour and left him only the title of Earl of Huntingdon which being beheaded soon after 6 For conspiracy against the King he lost together with his life Some few years after Henry 5. supply'd this Dukedom with Thomas Beaufort Earl of Dorset descended from the house of Lancaster an accomplish'd Souldier He dying without issue John Holand the son of that John already mention'd as heir to Richard his brother that dy'd without issue and to his father was restor'd to all again having his Father's honours bestow'd upon him by the bounty of Henry 6. and left the same to his son Henry who whilst the Lancastrians stood flourish'd in great honour but after when the house of York came to the Crown his example might well shew us how unsafe it is to rely upon the smiles of fortune For this was that Henry Duke of Exeter who notwithstanding his marriage with the sister of Edward 4. was reduc'd to such misery Phil. Co●●naeus c●● 50. that he was seen to beg his bread ragg'd and bare-footed in the Low-countries And at last after Barnet-fight where he behav'd himself stoutly against Edward 4. he never was seen more till his body was cast upon the shore of Kent as if he had been shipwrack'd Long after this Exeter had it's Marquess namely Henry Courtny descended from Catherine the Daughter of Edward 4. rais'd to that honour by Henry 8 7 And design'd heir-apparent But to this Marquess as well as to the first Duke a great fortune did but raise great storms which as presently sunk him endeavouring a change of Government For among other things because with mony and counsel he had assisted Reginald Poole that was afterwards Cardinal and had left England to intriegue with the Emperor and the Pope against his King and Country who had then withdrawn from the Romish Communion he was arraign'd found guilty and beheaded with some others But now by the bounty of K. James Thomas Cecil Lord Burghley enjoys the title of Earl of Exeter Earl● of Exeter a man truly good and the worthy son of a most excellent father being the eldest son of William Cecil Baron Burghley Lord Treasurer of England whose wisdom has long supported the peace of this Kingdom nn From hence to the very mouth there is nothing of antiquity besides Exminster Exmin●●●● formerly Exanminster bequeath'd by King Alfred to his younger son and Pouderham Pouderham a castle built by Isabel de Ripariis now for a long time the seat of a very noble family the Courtnies Knights who being descended from the Earls of Devonshire and related to the best families are to this day flourishing and most worthy of such noble ancestors 8 Under Pouderham Ken a pretty brook enters into Ex which riseth near Holcombe where in a park is a fair place built by Sir Thomas Denis whose family fetcheth their first off-spring and surname from the Danes and were anciently written Le Dan Denis by which name the Cornish call'd the Danes Upon the very mouth on the other side as the name it self witnesses stands Exanmouth Exan●●● known for nothing but it's bare name and the fisher-hutts there More eastward Otterey Otterey that is a river of otters or water-dogs which we call Otters as the name it self implies runs into the sea it passes by Honniton Honni●●● well known to such as travel these parts 9 And was given by Isabel heir to the Earls of Devonshire to K. Edward the first when her issue fail'd p and gives it's name to some places Of which the most remarkable above Honniton is Mohuns-ottery which belong'd formerly to the Mohuns from whom it came by marriage to the Carews below Honniton near Holdcombe where lives the family of Le Denis Knights who take their original and name from the Danes S. Mary's Ottery so call'd from the w I● was suppress'd by a Parliament held at Leicester in the reign of Henry 5. College of S. Maries which John de Grandison Bishop of Exeter founded who had got the wealth of all the Clergy in his Diocese into his own hands For he had persuaded them to leave him all they had when they dy'd as intending to lay it all out in charitable uses in endowing Churches and building Hospitals and Colleges which they say he perform'd very piously From the mouth of this Ottery the shore goes on with many windings to the eastward by Budly q Sidmouth r and Seaton s formerly fine havens but now so choak'd with sand heap'd before the mouth of them by the flux and reflux of the sea that this benefit is almost quite lost Now that this Seaton is that Moridunum ●●idunum in Antoninus which is seated between Durnovaria and Isca if the book be not faulty and is lamely call'd Ridunum in the Peutegerian Table I should conjecture both from it's distance and the signification of the name For Moridunum is the same in British that Seaton is in English namely a town upon a hill by the sea Near this stands Wiscombe ●●omb memorable upon the account of William Baron Bonevill who liv'd there whose heir Cecil brought by marriage the titles of Lord Bonevill and Harrington with a brave estate in those parts ●his in County ●merset ●●ster to Thomas Grey Marquess of Dorset Under these the river Ax empties it self from a very small chanel 10 After it hath pass'd down by Ford where Adelize daughter to Baldewin of Okehampton founded an Abbey for
to John Backwell Esq p In the account of the Earls Mr. Camden tells us that Henry Duke of Buckingham's reason for plotting against Richard 3. was that King 's detaining from him the estate of the Bohuns But this cannot be the cause ‖ Dudg Bar. T. 1. p. 168. for after that Tyrant's advancement he sign'd a bill for Livery of all those Lands unto him whereunto he pretended a right by descent from Humphrey de Bohun sometime Earl of Hereford and Constable of England Mr. Dugdale has given us an abstract of it and is of opinion that the cause of this his carrriage was either remorse of conscience for raising that King to the throne by the barbarous murther of his nephews or else his observing himself neglected by him Continuation of the DUKES After the attainder and execution of Edward the title lay vacant till the 14th of Jac. 1. when George Viscount Villers was created Earl of Buckingham the next year Marquess of Buckingham and by a Patent bearing date 18 Maii 21 Jac. 1. Duke of Buckingham This George being kill'd by one Felton at Portsmouth Aug. 23. An. 1628. was succeeded by George his son who dying Apr. 16. 1687. left the title vacant More rare Plants growing wild in Buckinghamshire I have not had opportunity of searching this County for Plants neither have any singular local or uncommon species growing there as yet come to my knowledge save only Sphondylium montanum minus angustifolium tenuiter laciniatum observed by Dr. Plukenet near St. Giles Chalfont in the mountainous meadows BEDFORDSHIRE THE County of Bedford commonly Bedfordshire is one of the three Counties which we observ'd before to have been inhabited by the Cattieuchlani On the east and south it is joyn'd to Cambridgshire and Hertfordshire on the west to Buckinghamshire on the north to Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire and is divided into two parts by the Ouse running through it In the north part it is more fruitful and woody in the south where 't is much larger the soil is more poor though it makes a tolerable return For it abounds with barley which is plump white and strong In the middle it is something thick-set with woods but eastward is more dry and wants wood The Ouse at its first entrance into this County first visits Trury the seat of Baron Mordant ●●●o●s ●●rdant which family is indebted to Henry 8. for this dignity For he it was that created John Mordant Baron Mordant a prudent person who had married the daughter and coheir of H. Vere of Addington Next it glides by Hare-wood a little village call'd formerly Hareles-wood where Sampson sirnam'd The Strong built a Nunnery and where in the year of our Lord 1399. a little before the breaking out of those Commotions and Civil wars wherewith England was for a long time embroil'd the Hy●gma 〈◊〉 153. the river stood still and the water retiring both ways did wonderfully leave a passage on foot through the chanel for three miles together a 1 They who saw it took it as a plain presage of the division ensuing Afterwards it runs under Odil or Woodhill formerly Wahull which had also its Barons of Wahull eminent for their ancient Nobility 2 Whose Barony consisted of 300 Knights-fees in divers Countries and a Castle 3 Which is now hereditarily descended to Sir R. Chetwood Knight as the inheritance of the Chetwoods came formerly to the Wahuls which is now come by inheritance to the Chetwoods b From hence the Ouse with no less windings than those of the Meander it self is carry'd through Bletnesho commonly Bletso ●●so formerly the seat of the Pateshuls afterwards of the Beauchamps 〈◊〉 St. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sho and now of the famous family of St. John who formerly by their valour became Masters of a great estate in Wales 4 In Glamorganshire and in our age had the honour of Barons conferr'd upon them by Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory 5 When she created Sir Oliver the second Baron of her Creation Lord St. John of ●letnesho unto whom it came by c. To them it came by Margaret de Beauchamp an heiress marry'd first to Oliver de St. John from whom those Barons are descended and afterward to John Duke of Somerset by whom she had the famous Margaret Countess of Richmond a Woman whose merit is above the reach of the highest Commendation and from whom the Royal Family of England is descended From hence the Ouse hastens 6 By Brumham a seat of the Dives of very ancient parentage in these parts to Bedford Bedford in Saxon Bedanford the County-town and which gives name to the whole and so cuts it that one would imagine it two towns but that it is joyn'd by a Stone-bridge c 'T is more eminent for the pleasantness of its situation and antiquity than any thing of beauty or stateliness though it has indeed five Churches I dare not assent to those who think it to be the Lactodorum of Antoninus for neither is it situate upon a military way which is the surest guide in our search after stations and mansions mention'd by Antoninus nor were there ever any Roman Coins dug up here I have read that it was call'd in British Liswider or Lettidur but this seems to be turn'd out of the English name For Lettuy signifies in British publick Inns and Lettidur innes upon a river and our English Bedford implies Beds and Inns at a Ford. Below this Town in the year 572. Cuthwulph the Saxon did so shatter the Britains in a set-battel that he was ever after too hard for them and had several towns surrender'd Nor does it seem to have been neglected by the Saxons since Offa that powerful Prince of the Mercians made choice of this place as Florilegus tells us for his Burial but the Ouse being once more rapid and rising higher than ordinary swept away his Monument The town was repaird by Edward the elder after it had been destroy'd in the Danish wars which King did likewise add a little city on the south side of the river call'd by that age to follow the best Cop● of Hoveden Mikesgate In the time of Edward the Confessor as we find it in that Book wherein William the first took his Survey of England it defended it self for the half of an Hundred in expedition and ships The land of this village never hided But under the Normans it was a much greater sufferer for after Pagan de Beauchamp the third that was call'd Baron of Bedford had built a Castle the●e never a civil commotion arose in the kingdom but what had a stroke at it while standing Stephen in the first place when he had possess'd himself of the Kingdom of England against his solemn oath took this Castle with great loss on both sides afterwards when the Barons took up arms against King John William de Beauchamp Lord of it and one of the headers of that Faction
VALE ANNO DOMINI M.D.XLIII ET ANNO REGNI HENRICI OCTAVI XXXVI When Leith a town of good account in Scotland and Edinburgh the principal city of that Nation were on fire Sir Richard Lea Knight saved me out of the flames and brought me into England In gratitude to him for this his kindness I who heretofore served only at the baptism of the Children of Kings do now most willingly offer the same service even to the meanest of the English Nation Lea the Conquerour hath so commanded Adieu A. D. 1543. in the 36th year of King Henry the 8th l But to return to our business As Antiquity hath consecrated this place to Religion so Mars seems to have made it a seat of war To pass by others when our Nation had now almost spent as it were its vital spirits in the Civil wars between the two Houses of York and Lancaster there were two battels fought within this very town by the heads of the two parties with various success In the first fight Richard Duke of York defeated the Lancastrian party took King Henry the sixth prisoner and slew a great many persons of the best quality But four years after the Lancastrians had the advantage under the conduct of Queen Margaret routed the Yorkists and recovered their King m About this town to omit a certain fort in the neighbourhood which the vulgar call the Oister-hills but I am apt to think was the Camp of Ostorius the Propraetor the Abbots erected several pious and charitable foundations as a little Nunnery at Sopwell and St. Julian's Hospital for Lepers and another named St. Mary ●f the ●●dow de Pree for infirm women Near which they had a great Manour named Gorambery where 17 Sir Nicholas Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England hath erected a structure becoming his character Near to this place lyeth Redborne ●●●borne which in modern language signifieth a Red-water And yet the water that runneth by this place 18 From Mergrate sometime a Religious House now a Sea● of the Ferrers out of the House of Groby is no more red than that of the Red-Sea It was a place in old time very famous for the Reliques which were there found of Amphibalus the Martyr who was the person that first instructed St. Alban in the Christian Faith for which faith he also suffer'd under Dioclesian At present it is most remarkable for the old military high-way commonly calld Watlingstreet upon which it is seated and also for a certain brook near it call'd ●t is also ●d We●r Wenmer which as the vulgar believe when ever it breaks out and swells higher than usual always portends dearth or troublesome times n Near unto this we have reason to look for Duro-co-brivae ●o-co●a a station of which Antoninus makes mention though indeed the distance would perswade us otherwise For Redborne in our language and Dur-coh in the British or Welch tongue signifie one and the same thing to wit Red water Now to search after the situation of ancient places we have no better guides than ancient Inscriptions the course of the great roads the reason and similitude of names and rivers or lakes adjoyning although they do not exactly correspond to the several distances that are assign'd in the Itinerarie which may very well be since corrupted and the passage from one place to another cut shorter Certainly the old Duro-co-brivae must needs have been seated in the same place where that Roman high-way crossed this water to wit below Flamsted For just at this place at seven miles distance from Verulamium though now through the negligence of transcribers the number is chang'd to twelve a good large spring riseth at the road-side and crosseth it with a small stream which though here it have no name yet below St. Albans it is call'd Col. ●ra what 〈◊〉 And as to that termination Briva which is an adjunct to the names of very many places it signified as I suppose among the ancient Britains and Gauls a Bridge or the passage over a River since we find it no where us'd but at rivers In this Island there were one or two Durobrivae that is unless I am much deceiv'd passages over the water In Gaul there was Briva Isariae now Pontoise where was the passage over the Isara or Ysore Briva Oderae over the Odera and Samarobriva for that is the right name over the river Soain Somewhat higher upon a small hill standeth Flamsted ●msted which in the time of Edward the Confessor Leofstan Abbot of St. Albans gave to three Knights Turnot Waldef and Turman upon condition that they should secure the neighbouring country from robberies But William the Conquerour took it from them and gave it Roger de Todeney or Tony an eminent Norman with the title of Barony But in time it was by a daughter transferr'd to the Beauchamps Earls of Warwick Hence I passed southwards to Hemsted ●●●●ted a small Market-town call'd Hehan-hamsted when King Offa made a grant of it to the Monastery of St. Albans It is seated among hills by the side of a small river which a little lower runs into another that goes through Berkhamsted ●●●kham●●●● In this place the Nobles of England had a meeting when by the perswasion of Fretheric then Abbot of St. Albans they were plotting to throw off the new Norman Government And thither came William the Conqueror in person as we read in the life of this Fretheric much concern'd for fear he should to his great disgrace lose that Kingdom which with so much blood he had purchas'd And after many debates in the presence of Lanfranc the Archbishop the King to settle a firm peace took an Oath upon all the Reliques of the Church of St. Alban and upon the holy Evangelists which the Abbot Fretheric administred That he would inviolably observe all the good approv'd and ancient Laws of the Kingdom which the most sacred and pious Kings of England his Predecessors and especially King Edward had established But most of these Noblemens estates he soon after seized and confiscated and bestowed this town upon Robert Earl of Moriton and Cornwal 19 His halfbrother who according to the common tradition built here a Castle with a rampart and a double ditch to it In which Castle Richard King of the Romans and Earl of Cornwal dy'd full of years and honours Upon default of issue of that Earl King Edward the third gave this town and castle to Edward his eldest son that most renown'd and warlike Prince whom he created Duke of Cornwal from whence even in our times it continues to be part of the possessions of the Dutchy of Cornwal This castle is now nothing else but ruin'd walls and one rude heap of stones above which upon a small hill Sir Edward Cary Kt. Master of the Jewels to the King descended from the house of the Carys in Devonshire 20 And the Beauforts
his vast estate made a considerable addition to King Henry the 2's Exchequer His Barony remain'd a long time in the Crown till 10 Sir Hubert de Burg● Hubert de Burgh obtain'd a grant of it from King John Farther to the North the shores being something dinted in give free entrance to the sea in two places one of which Bays the inhabitants call Crouch and the other Blackwater formerly Pant. In Crouch there lye four pretty green Islands but the water almost continually overflowing them makes 'em for the most part fenny and moorish The most considerable are Wallot and Foulness Foulness that is the Promontory of Birds which hath a Church that at low tide may be come at on horse back Between these Bays lies Dengy-hundred Dengy-Hundred formerly Dauncing the grass here is excellent good and well stock'd with Cattel but the air none of the healthiest The only trade almost that 's drove here consists in Cheeses Essex-cheese and men milk the ewes like women in other places Where are made those Cheeses of an extraordinary bigness which are used as well in foreign parts as in England to satisfie the coarse stomachs of husbandmen and labourers Dengy the chief town is thought to have receiv'd it's name from the Danes which it gives to the whole Hundred Nigh this stands Tillingham given by Ethelbert the first Christian King of the Saxons to the Monastery of St. Paul in London Up higher toward the Northern shore stood once a flourishing city called by our ancestors Ithancester For thus Ralph Niger tells us out of Bede Ceada the Bishop baptized the East-Saxons near Maldon in the city of Ithancester which stood upon the bank of the riv●r Pant that runs near Maldon in the Province of Dengy but that city hath since been quite swallow'd up in the river Pant. I can't exactly point out the place but that the river Froshwell was heretofore called Pant I am pretty confident since one of it's springs still keeps the name of Pant's-Well and since the Monks of Coggeshall speaking of it use the same appellation Some think this Ithancester Ithance●ter to have been seated in the utmost point of Dengy Hundred where stands at present St. Peter's on the Wall For on this shore the Country-people are hardly put to 't with great banks and walls of mud to keep the sea out of their fields I am enclin'd to believe this Ithancester was the same as Othona Othona the Station of the Band of the Fortenses with their Provost in the declension of the Roman Empire placed here under the Count of the Saxon shore to secure the Coast against the Pirating Saxons For Othona might very easily pass into Ithana and the situation in a creek at the mouth of several rivers was very convenient for such a design 11 Yet there remaineth a huge ruin of a thick wall whereby many Roman Coins have b●en found Here we may add that the Confessor granted the Custody of this Hundred to Ralph * The N●rmans cal● him Pe●●rell Peperking by a short Charter which I am willing to set down that we who now rake into all the niceties of the Law may see the innocent freedom and plainness of that age It stands thus in the Rolls of the Exchequer but by often transcribing some words are made smoother than they were in the Original Iche Edward Koning Among the Records of Hilary-term E. ● 1● in the Custody of the Treasurer and Chamberlain of the Exchequer Have geven of my Forrest the keeping Of the Hundred of Chelmer and Dancing To Randolph Peperking and to his kindling With heorte and hinde doe and bocke Hare and Foxe Cat and Brocke Wilde Fowell with his flocke Partrich Fesant hen and Fesant cock With greene and wilde stob and stock To kepen and to yemen by all her might Both by day and eke by night And Hounds for to holde Good and swift and bolde Fower Grehounds and six racches For Hare and Fox and wild Cattes And therefore ich made him my booke Witnesse the Bishop Wolston And booke ylered many on And Sweyne of Essex our Brother And teken him many other And our Stiward Howelin That by sought me for him Seals first 〈◊〉 am●●g the ●●g●th This was the honest undesigning simplicity of that age which thought a few lines and a few golden crosses sufficient assurances For before the coming in of the Normans as we read in Ingulphus Indentures were made firm by golden crosses and such other marks but the Normans used to strengthen their writings with the impression in wax of the particular seals of the parties concern'd and of three or four witnesses But before many Tenures were granted by the bare word without writing or paper only with the sword of the Lord or his helmet with a horn or a cup and several others with a spur a curry-comb a bow and sometimes with an arrow Into Blackwater-bay which as I said before bounds the north part of this Hundred and is famous for abundance of excellent Oysters which we call Wallfleot-oysters flow two rivers that wash the greatest part of the County Chelmer and Froshwell Chelmer flowing from those parts that lye farther in and are thick cloath'd with woods passeth through Thaxsted Thax●ted a little Market-town seated very pleasantly on a hill and Tiltey Tiltey where Maurice Fitz-Gilbert founded a small Monastery to Estannes by the tower now Eston which was the seat of the Lords of Lovain L●●ds of L●●●in descended from Godfrey brother to Henry the sixth Duke of Brabant who being sent hither to take care of the Honour of Eya were accounted Barons to the sixth generation But in the time of Edw. 3. for want of issue male the estate and honour passed by marriage to William Bourgchter whose Posterity were for a short time Earls of Essex Then to Dunmow anciently Dunmawg and in the Rate-book of England Dunmaw a town of a very delightful situation on the top of a moderately steep hill where one Juga founded a Monastery in the year 1111. But William Bainard as we read in the private History of that Monastery of whom Juga held the village of little Dunmow was for felony depriv'd of his Barony and King Henry 1. gave it to Robert son of Richard Fitz-Gislbert Earl of Clare and to his heirs with the honour of Bainard-castle in London which Robert was then Sewer to King Henry These are the Author 's own words Nor do I think it just for me to alter them though they contain a manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or anticipation of time a crime to be met withal in the best historians Inasmuch as that family was not yet honour'd with the dignity of Earls of Clare e Now let us retire a little farther back from the river on both sides On the one at a little distance stands Plaisy so call'd in French from pleasing The former name was Estre This was the
without issue was succeeded by his brother Roger whose son Richard marry'd Amicia daughter and coheir of William Earl of Glocester and in right of her his posterity were Earls of Glocester whom you may find in their proper place But at last upon default of heir-male Leonel third son of Edw. 3. who had marry'd Elizabeth daughter and sole heir of William de Burgo Earl of Ulster by Elizabeth Clare was honour'd by his father with the new title of Duke of Clarence But he having only a daughter call'd Philippa wife of Edmund Mortimer Earl of March King Henry 4. created his younger son Thomas Duke of Clarence Dukes of Clarence who was Governour of Normandy 7 As also Lord High Steward of England and Earl of Albemarle and in the assaults of the Scots and French was slain in Anjou leaving no issue behind him A considerable time after Edward 4. conferr'd this honour upon George his brother whom after bitter quarrels and a most inveterate hatred between them he had receiv'd into favour yet for all that he at length dispatch'd him in prison ordering him to be drown'd as the report commonly goes † In dolio vini Cretici in a butt of Malmesey And thus 't is planted in the nature of man to hate those they fear and those with whom they have had quarrels for life even tho' they be brethren e From Clare the Stour runs by Long-Melford a beautiful Hospital lately built by that excellent person Sir William Cordall Knight Master of the Rolls to Sudbury Sudbury i.e. the Southern burrough which it almost encompasses The common opinion is e For Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction it has still something of preheminence the County being divided into the two Archdeaconries of Suffolk and of Sudbury that this was once the chief town of the County and that it had the name given it with respect to Norwich i.e. the northern village And indeed at this day it has no reason to give place to it's neighbours For 't is populous and thrives exceedingly by the Cloth-trade it 's chief Magistrate also is a Mayor who is annually chosen out of the seven Aldermen Not far from hence is Edwardeston Edwardeston a place of no great repute at present but had formerly Lords and inhabitants of great honour call'd de Monte Canisio and commonly Mont-chensy Barons de Montchensy Of which family Guarin marry'd the daughter and co-heir of that most powerful Earl of Pembroke William Marshal and had by her a daughter Joanna who brought to her husband William de Valentia of the family of Lusigny in France Minor Hist Matth. Par. the title of Earl of Pembroke That Guarin Mont-chensy as he had great honours so likewise had he a very plentiful fortune insomuch that in those times he was call'd the Crassus of England his Will amounting to no less than two hundred thousand marks f 8 No small wealth as the standard was then From a younger brother or cadet of this house of Montchensie issu'd by an heir-general the f●●●ly of the Waldgraves who having long flourisht in Knightly degree at Smaltbridge nearer to Stour as another family of great account in elder age 〈◊〉 Buers which was thereof sirnamed A few miles from hence the Stour is encreas'd by the little river Breton which within a small compass washes two towns of Antiquity At the head of it we see Bretenham a little inconsiderable town without almost any appearance of a City and yet that it is the Combretonium Combretonium mention'd by Antoninus in those parts is evident both from the affinity and signification of the name For as Bretenham Bretenham in English implies a town or mansion upon the Breton so does Combretonium in Welsh a valley or low place upon the Breton But this place in the Peutegerian Tables is falsly call'd Comvetronum and Ad Covecin A little way from hence to the east is seen Nettlested 9 Whence was Sir Thomas Wentworth whom King Henry 8. honour'd with the title of Baron Wentworth from whence are the Wentworths Ba●ons Wentworth whom King Henry the eighth honour'd with the dignity of Barons and neighbour to it is Offton i.e. the town of Offa King of the Mercians where upon a chalky hill there lye the ruins of an old Castle which they tell you was built by King Offa after he had villanously cut off Ethelbert King of the East-Angles and seiz'd upon his kingdom 10 But to return to the river Breton on the banks of another brook that is joyn'd thereto stands Lancham a ●air market-town and near it the manour of Burnt-Elleie to which King Henry 3. granted a market at the request of Sir Henry Shelton Lord thereof whose p●sterity flourisht here for a long time Below this is Hadley in Saxon headlege famous at this day for making of woollen Cloaths but mention'd by our ancient Historians upon the account of Guthrum or Gormo the Dane's Guthrum or Gormo the Dane being buried here For when Alfred had brought him to such terms as to make him embrace Christianity and be baptiz'd he assign'd him this tract of the East-Angles that he might to use the words of my g Selden has observ'd it to be taken out of Malmesbury Not. MS. Author by a due Allegiance to the King protect those Countries he had before over-run with ravage and plunder From hence the Breton runs 11 Runs swiftly by Higham whence the family of Higham takes its name to Stour c. into the Stour whose united streams flowing not far from Bentley Bentley where the Talmaches a famous and ancient family have a long time flourisht within a few miles run near Arwerton Arwerton formerly the seat of the famous family of the Bacons 12 Who held this manour of Brome by conducting all the Footmen of Suffolk and Norfolk from St. Edmund's-dike in the wars of Wales now of the Parkers who by the father's side are descended from the Barons Morley and by the mother from the Calthrops a very eminent family Then they flow into the Ocean and the river Orwell or Gipping joyning them just at the mouth discharges it self along with them This rises about the very middle of the County out of two Springs one near Wulpett Wulpett the other at a little village call'd Gipping Wulpett is a Market-town and signifies in Latin Luporum fossa i.e. a den of Wolves if we believe Neubrigensis who has patcht up as formal a story about this place as is the * Vera narratio True Narrative of Lucian Namely how two little green boys † Ex Satyrorum genere born of Satyrs after a long tedious wandering through subterraneous Caverns from another world i.e. the Antipodes and the Land of St. Martin came up here If you would have more particulars of the story I refer you to the Author himself ‖ Omnibus rihonibus ridenda pr●pinabit who
Confessor's Charter In consideration of 4000 Eeles in Lent the Monks of Ramsey shall have out of the Territory of St. Peter so much square stone as they need at Berneck and of rough stone for walls at Burch Beneath Berneck that Roman way which the neighbouring Inhabitants call the Forty-foot way from its breadth cuts this Shire in two between Caster and Stamford and appears in an high Causey especially by the little wood of Berneck where it has a Beacon set upon the very ridge and so runs along by Burghley-Park-wall Some few miles hence the Welland runs down by Maxey-Castle Maxey formerly belonging to the Barons of Wake and by Peag-Kirke Peag-Kirk Ingu phus where in the infancy of Christianity in England Pega a holy woman who gave name to that place sister of St. Guthlac with other devout Virgins by their life and example gave excellent documents of Piety and Chastity and so comes to the Fenns so often mention'd And by reason the bank on the South-side thereof is neglected the river over-flows the adjacent Lands to the great damage of the proprietors and having broken thus out of it's chanel which went formerly by Spalding it falls into the Nen and extreamly overcharges it The lesser Avon which is the other boundary as I said of this Shire northward but serves for a limit only about 5 or 6 miles breaking out of the ground near the springs of the Welland runs westward by 11 Suleby sometimes an Abby of black Monks and by c. Stanford Stanford upon Avon seat of the family of Cave Cave out of which several branches of good note have dispers'd themselves in all the neighbouring Tract also by Lilburne the seat in former ages of the Canvils That this hath been anciently a Roman Station I am persuaded by it's situation upon one of their Military ways by the ancient Trenches there and a little piked Hill cast up which some dug of late days in hopes of finding old hidden treasures but instead of Gold they met with Coals And thus this little river after it 's passing under Dowbridge leaves Northamptonshire and enters Warwickshire Bounds of the Ancients From the digging up of those Coals what if I should give a guess that this Hill was thrown up for a mark or Boundary since Siculus Flaccus tells us that either Ashes or Coals or Potsherds or broken Glasses or Bones half burnt or Lime or Plaister were wont to be put under such marks or limits and St. Augustin writes thus of Coals Lib. de Civ Dei 21. c. 4. Is it not a wonderful thing considering Coals are so brittle that with the least blow they break with the least pressure they are crush'd in pieces yet no time can conquer them insomuch that they that pitch'd Land-marks were wont to throw them underneath to convince any litigious fellow whatsoever that came never so long time after and should affirm that no Land-mark was there made And so much the rather am I inclined to this conjecture because they that have written of limits do inform us that certain Hillocks which they termed Botontines Boton tines Hence perhaps come our Buttings were plac'd in the limits So that I suppose most of these Mounts and round Hillocks which we see all hereabouts 12 And call Burrows were raised for this purpose and that Ashes Coals Potsherds c. might be found under them if they dug deeper into the ground Earls of Northampton The first Earl that this County had at least that I know of was Waldeof son of the warlike Siward who being also Earl of Huntingdon lost his head for treason against William the Conquerour leaving only two daughters behind him which he had by Judith the Conquerour's niece by a sister on the mother's side The Life 〈…〉 Simon * De S. 〈…〉 Sylvaneciens●● Sinlis being scornfully rejected by Judith the mother upon account of being lame in his legs married Maud the eldest daughter and built St. Andrew's Church and the Castle at Northampton After him succeeded his son Simon 2. who was a long time at law about his mother's estate with David King of Scots his mother's second husband and having sided with King Stephen in the year of our Lord 1152. died with this ‖ Elogia elogy A youth full of every thing that was unlawful every thing that was unseemly His son Simon 3. going on with the suit against the Scots for his right to the Earldom of Huntingdon wasted his whole estate but thro' the favour of King Hen. 2. married the daughter and heir of Gilbert de Gant Earl of Lincoln and having at last recover'd the Earldom of Huntingdon and disseis'd the Scots died issueless in the year 1185. Many years after King Edw. 3. created William de Bohun a person of approved valour Earl of Northampton and when his elder brother Humfrey de Bohun Earl of Hereford and Essex and High Constable of England was not able in that warlike Age to bear the charge of Constable he made him also High Constable of England After him his son Humfrey succeeding in the Earldom of Northampton as also in the Earldoms of Hereford and Essex upon his Uncle's dying issueless had two daughters the one married to Thomas of Woodstock youngest son to King Edw. 3. the other to Henry of Lancaster Duke of Hereford afterwards King of England The daughter of Thomas of Woodstock brought by her marriage this her grandfather's title of Northampton together with others into the family of the Staffords But when they had lost their honours King Edw. 6. honour'd William Par Earl of Essex a most accomplish'd Courtier with the title of Marquiss of Northampton who within our memory died issueless And now while I am upon this work our most serene Sovereign King James in the year of our Lord 1603. at one and the same time has advanced Henry Howard Brother of the last Duke of Norfolk a person of excellent wit and fluent eloquence a complete master of Arts and Sciences exceeding prudent and provident to the degree and stile of Baron Howard of Marnehill and the honour of Earl of Northampton There belong to this Shire 326 Parishes ADDITIONS to NORTHAMPTONSHIRE a THE County of Northampton at the time of the Conquerour's Survey was something larger than now it is For all the south part of Rutlandshire must have been taken out of it because in Domesday-book we meet with the towns in this tract under the title of Northamptonshire 'T is a County so plentiful in all things necessary to life that it does not need nor indeed will allow much of manufacture the ground abundantly maintaining and fully employing the Inhabitants * Full Wor. pag. 279. It is said that of Cloathing has been attempted with great application but at last came to nothing The thinness of it's woods observ'd by our Author and it 's distance from the sea so that no Coal can
mark of infamy by wickedly conspiring with those wretched Incendiaries who design'd with one single charge of Gun-powder to have destroy'd both their Prince and Country d 2 More eastward upon the river Welland I saw nothing remarkable unless it be Berohdon now Barodon which Thomas Beauchamp Earl of Warwick held with South-Luffenham and other hamlets by service to the King's Chamberlain in the Exchequer Fi● 14 Ed. 3. In the furthermost division beyond the river encompass'd with hills lyes the pleasant and fruitful valley now call'd The Vale of Catmose perhaps from Coet maes which in the British tongue signifies a woody field or ground In the midst of which vale stands Okeham Okeham that seems for the same reason to have taken it's name from Oaks Near the Church 3 Which is large and fair are still remaining the ruinous walls of an old castle built as is reported by a He was a younger son to William de Ferrers Earl of Derby and held Okeham by the service of one Knights fee and a half 12 Hen. 2. Wright pag. 95. Walkelin de Ferrariis in the beginning of the Normans And that it was the habitation of the Ferrars besides the authority of tradition is sufficiently evident from the Horse-shoes which that family gave for their Arms nail'd on the ●●tes and in the hall Afterwards this town belong'd to the Lords of Tatteshall But when King Richard 2. advanced Edward son of the Duke of York to the title of Earl of Rutland he also gave him this Castle In the memory of the last age it came to Thomas Cromwell Barons Cromwell and as I have read b He was Baron Cromwell of Wimbledon but not of Okeham See the printed Stat. of 31 Hen. 8. concerning Gavelkind gave him the title of Baron Henry 8. advanc'd this person to the highest dignity but soon after when by his many projects he had expos'd himself to the storms of envy on a sudden he depriv'd him both of life and honours e Eastward from hence is Burley Burly most pleasantly situated overlooking the Vale. This is now the magnificent seat of the Harringtons who by marriage with the daughter and heir of Colepeper came to so large an inheritance in those parts that ever since they have been a flourishing family in like manner as the Colepepers were before them to whom by N. Green the great estate of the Bruses did in part descend Which Bruses being of the chief Nobility of England match'd into the Royal family of Scotland from whom by Robert the eldest brother the Royal Line of the Scots and by Bernard a younger brother the Cottons of Connington in the County of Huntingdon of whom I have already spoken and these Harringtons are descended Upon which account K. James dignify'd Sir John Harrington Barons Harringt●● 4 Branch'd from the stem of the ancient Lords Harington a most famous and worthy Knight with the title of Baron Harrington of Exton 5 A town adjacent where be hath also another fair house f On the east-side of this County near the river Guash lye Brigcasterton of which more hereafter and Rihall where when superstition had so bewitched our Ancestors that it had almost remov'd the true God by the multiplicity of Gods one Tibba a Saint of the lesser rank was worship'd by Falconers The Falco●ers Saint as a second Diana and reputed a kind of Patroness of Falconry g Next adjoyning is Essenden whose Lord Robert Cecil the excellent son of an excellent father who was the support of our kingdom was lately created by King James Baron Cecil of Essenden Baron C●●● of Essend●n This little County Edward the Confessor devised by his last Will to his wife Eadith conditionally that after her death it should go to St. Peter's at Westminster These are the words of the Testament I will that after the decease of Queen Eadgith my wife Roteland with all things thereunto belonging be given to my Monastery of the most blessed Peter and that it be surrender'd without delay to the Abbot and Monks there serving God for ever But this Testament of his was vacated by William the Norman who keeping a great part of this estate to himself divided the rest to Judith the Countess whose daughter marry'd David K. of Scots to Robert Mallet Oger Gislebert of Gaunt Earl Hugh Alberic the Clerk and others But to Westminster he left indeed at first the tithes but afterwards only the Church of Okeham with the Appendices or Chapelries thereunto belonging Oppida Mercatoria per Ichnographiam Villae Parochiales per Pagi minores per Sedes vel loca devastata Olim Villae per Denotantur COMITATUS ROTELANDIAE Tabula Nova Aucta This little County is adorn'd with 48 Parish-Churches ADDITIONS to RVTLANDSHIRE a WHat the original of this County's name was we are in a great measure in the dark for as Mr. Camden's Roet and Rud will not do because we are assur'd there is nothing in the County to justifie such a conjecture so Mr. Wright's Rotelandia quasi Rotunda-landia will hardly pass till we can give some probable account how it came by a Latin name more than other parts of England The Conquest could not bring it in because we find it call'd so in the time of Edward the Confessor and beside so much of it as belong'd to Nottinghamshire to which the name Roteland was given before the rest came to be part of it is far from making a circular figure how round soever it may be when all together b When the County of Rutland came to be distinct or upon what occasion is altogether unknown Mr. Camden says that Authors 300 years old make no mention of it as of a separate Shire but that it was distinct before is certain for in the 5th of King John Isabel his new Queen had at her Coronation assigned her in Parliament for her dowry among other lands * Wright ●g 3. Com. Roteland villam de Rokingham in Com. Northampt. c. And in 12 Johan the Custos did account for the profits of this County in the Exchequer Which Custos can relate to nothing but the Sheriff of the County who was and still is as it were a Guard and his office is imply'd in his name Scyre-gerefa from which Sheriff is contracted signifying no more than a Keeper of the County ●i●g 〈◊〉 c In the south part of this County lies Uppingham the site whereof will hardly bear Mr. Camden's derivation from an ascent † Wright ● 130. the ground upon which it stands being something above a level but hardly amounting to a hill Johnson who is said to have built the school was call'd Robert and beside that built two Hospitals one at Okeham and another here at Uppingham Near this place is Lydington where about the year 1602. Thomas Lord Burgley settl'd an Hospital or Alms-house for a Warden 12 poor men and 2 poor women
slow and easie and hence that slow river Araris in France takes its name Araris in Gaul That part of the Country where the head of this river lyes is call'd Craven Craven possibly from the British word Crage a rock for what with stones steep rocks and rough ways this place is very wild and unsightly In the very middle of which and not far distant from the Are stands Skipton Skipton hid as it were with those st●ep precipices lying quite round just like * Lateo Latium in Italy which Varro thinks was really so call'd from its low situation under the Appennine and the Alps. The town is pretty handsome considering the manner of building in these mountainous parts and is secured by a very beautiful and strong Castle built by Robert de Rumeley by whose posterity it came to be the inheritance of the Earls of Albemarle But being afterwards escheated as the Lawyers term it to the Crown Edward the second gave it with other large possessions hereabouts in exchange to Robert de Clifford ancestor to the Earls of Cumberland for some lands of his in the Marches of Wales q The Are having pass'd Craven is carried in a much larger chanel with pleasant fields on both sides by Kigheley from which the famous family of Kigheley Kigheley derive their name One of whom call'd h Sir Henry Kigheley was there interr'd but the date of his death is not legible Henry Kigheley procured from Edward the first for his manour here the privilege of a Market and Fair Libera Warrenn and a free Warren so that none might enter into those grounds to chase there or with design to catch any thing pertaining to the said Warren without the permission and leave of the said Henry and his Successors Which was a very considerable favour in those days and I the rather take notice of it because it teaches us the nature and meaning of a Free-Warren The male-issue in the right line of this family ended in Henry Kigheley of Inskip within the memory of this age the daughters and heiresses were married one to William Cavendish at this time Baron Cavendish of Hardwick the other to Thomas Worseley of Boothes From hence the river Are glides on by Kirkstall a famous Monastery founded about the year 1147. by Henry Lacy. And thence by Leedes ●●●●ds in Saxon Loydes which was made a royal village when Cambodunum was burnt down by the enemy now enriched by the woollen manufacture Here Oswy the Northumbrian routed Penda the Mercian to the great advantage says Bede of both people for it both secured his own nation from the inroads of the Pagans and was the occasion of converting the Mercians to the Christian Religion The very spot where this engagement was goes by the name of Winwidfield Winwidfield in our Historians I suppose deriv'd from the victory it self as when Quintilius Varus and his Legions were cut off in Westphalia the place of Action was called in High Dutch Winfield the field of Victory as the most learned and my most worthy friend Abraham Ortelius has well observed r The Country for some little way about it was formerly called by the old word h That is Ulmarium or Ulmetum a grove of Elms. Evasit autem ignem sc qui villam Regiam ad Donafeld penitus absu●psit Altare quia lapideum erat servatur adhuc in Monasterio Reverendissimi Abbatis Presbyteri Thrythwulfi quod in Sylva Elmete est Bede Eccl. Hist l. 2. c. 14. 'T is possible this Monastery might be plac'd at Berwick in Elmet See afterwards under the title Berwick in ●imet Elmet Elmet which Edwin King of Northumberland son of Ella brought under his own dominion Ninius by the conquest of Cereticus a British King An. Dom. 620. There is Limestone Limestone plentifully found he●e they burn it at Brotherton and Knottingley and at certain seasons convey it in great quantities for sale to Wakefield Sandall and Standbridge from thence it is sold into the western parts of this County which are naturally cold and mountainous and herewith they manure and improve the soil But leaving these things to the husbandmen let us return s The Calder above-mention'd is at last received by the Are near the union of them stands the little village Castleford Castleford but called by Marianus Casterford who tells us that the Citizens of York slew many of Etheldred's army pursuing them in a disorderly flight when he infested this Country for their treachery and breach of Leagues Yet the older name of this place is that in Antoninus where 't is called Legeolium Legeolium and Lagetium which among other remarkable and express remains of antiquity is confirmed by those great numbers of Coins called by the common people Sarasins-heads dug up here in Beanfeild a place near the Church and so called from the beans that grow there Also by the distance of it from Danum and Eboracum on each side not to mention its situation by a Roman way nor that Hoveden expresly calls it a City t The river Are now enlarged by the confluence of the Calder leaves Brotherton B●otherton on the l●ft where * His second wife Margaret Queen to King Edw. 1. took up as she was hunting and was brought to bed of her son i He was born June 1. An. Dom. 1300. having his Christian name from S. Thomas of Canterbury whom his mother in the extremity of her pain pray'd ●o for ease It is reported that the Nurse design'd for him was a french-French-woman whose milk he could not endure but that an English-woman b●ing brought he lik'd hers well enough Thomas sirnamed de Brotherton from this place who was afterwards Earl of Norfolk and Marshal of England Somewhat below this town the river Are is joyned by the Dan and then runs into the river Ouse On the right there is found a yellow marle A yellow Marle of such virtue that the fields once manur'd with it prove fruitful many years after From hence the river is still carry'd on not much wide of Pontfract or broken bridge commonly called Pontfreit Pontfreit which arose out of the ruins of Legcolium In the Saxon times the name of this town was Kirkby which was changed by the Normans into Pontfract T. de Castleford because of a broken bridge there The story is that there was a wooden bridge over this river there when William Archbishop of York and sister's son to King Stephen returned from Rome and that he was welcom'd here with such a c owd of people that the bridge broke and they fell into the river S. Guilielmus Eboracensis but the Archbishop wept and prayed so fervently that not one of them was lost u This town is sweetly situated and is remarkable for producing Liquorish and Skirworts in great plenty the buildings are neat and secured by a castle which is very stately
The Church of York was by the Princes of that time endow'd with many large possessions especially by Ulphus the son ●f Toraldus which I the rather note from an old b●ok that a strange way of endowing heretofore may be took notice of This Ulphus govern'd in the west parts of Deira and by reason of a difference like to happen between his eldest son and his youngest about the Lordships after his death he presently took this course to make them equal Without delay he went to York and taking the horn wherein he was wont to drink with him he fill'd it with wine and kneeling upon his knees before the Altar bestow'd upon God and the blessed S. Peter Prince of the Apostles all his Lands and Tenements This horn was kept there to the last age as I have been informed It would seem to reflect upon the Clergy if I should relate the emulations and scuffles which ambition has raised between the two Sees of York and Canterbury whilst with great expence of money but more of reputation they warmly contended for pre-eminence T. 〈◊〉 r This Controversie was determin'd in Arch-bishop Thoresby's time A. D. 1353. at the special solicitation of King Edward ● qui corpo●um animarum pericula considerans ac pacem quietem populi sui affectans dictos Archiepiscopos ad pacis concordiam invitavit Yet so as that the Arch-bishops of York might legally write themselves Primate of England Anglia Sacra par 1. p. 74. For as one relates it the See of York was equal in dignity tho' it was the younger and the poorer sister and this being raised to the same power that the See of Canterbury was and endowed with the same Apostolical privileges took it very heinously to be made subject by the decree of P. Alexander declaring that the Arch-bishoprick of York ought to yield to that of Canterbury and pay an obedience to her as Primate of all Britain in all her Constitutions relating to the Christian Religion It falls not within the compass of my design to treat of the Arch-bishops of this See many of whom have been men of great virtue and holiness 'T is enough for me to observe that from the year 625. when Paulinus the first Arch-bishop was consecrated there have succeeded in it threescore and five Arch-bishops The 〈◊〉 sixth A●●bish●p to the year 1606. in which D. Tobias Matthews Venerable for his virtue and piety for his learned eloquence and for his indefatigable industry in teaching was translated hither from the Bishoprick of Durham mm This City very much flourish'd for some time under the Saxon Government till the Danish storms from the North began to rush on and spoil'd its beauty again by great ruins and dismal slaughter Which Alcuin in his Epistle to Egelred King of the Northumbrians seems to have foretold For he says What can be the meaning of that shower of blood which in Lent we saw at York the Metropolis of the Kingdom near St. Peter's Church descending with great horrour from the roof of the North part of the House in a clear day May not one imagine that this forebodes destruction and blood among us from that quarter For in the following age when the Danes laid every thing they came at waste and desolate this City was destroy'd with continual sufferings In the year 867. the walls of it were so shaken by the many assaults made upon them that Osbright and Ella Kings of Northumberland as they pursued the Danes in these parts easily broke into the City and after a bloody conflict in the midst of it were both slain leaving the victory to the Danes who had retired hither Hence that of William of Malmesbury York ever most obnoxious to the fury of the northern nations hath sustained the barbarous assaults of the Danes and groaned under the miseries it hath suffered But as the same author informs us King Athelstan took it from the Danes and demolish'd that castle wherewith they had fortified it Nor in after-ages was it quite rid of those wars in that especially which was so fatal for the subversion of Cities But the Normans as they put an end to these miseries so they almost brought destruction to York For when the sons of Sueno the Dane arrived here with a fleet of two hundred and forty sail A●f●●● 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Burle●● Treas●● of E●g● and landed hard by the Normans who kept garrison in two castles in the city fearing lest the houses in the suburbs might be serviceable to the enemy in filling up the trenches set them on fire which was so encreased and dispersed by the wind that it presently spread about the whole city and set it all on fire In this disorder and hurry the Danes took the town putting the Townsmen and the Normans to the sword with great slaughter yet sparing William Mallet and Gilbert Gant the principal men among them for a Decimation Deci●●●●on among the soldiers afterwards For every tenth prisoner of the Normans on whom the lot fell was executed Which so exasperated William the Conquerour that as if the citize●s had sided with the Danes he cut them all off and set the City again on fire and as Malmesbury says so spoiled all the adjacent territory that a fruitful Province was quite disabled and useless that the country for sixty miles together lay so much neglected that a stranger would have lamented at the sight of it considering that formerly here had been fine cities high towers and rich pastures and that no former inhabitant would so much as know it The ancient greatness of the place may appear from Domesday In the time of Edward the Confessor the City of York contained six Shires or Divisions besides the Shire of the Archbishop One was wasted for the castles in the five remaining Shires there were 1428 houses inhabited and in the Shire of the Archbishop two hundred houses inhabited After all these overthrows Necham sings thus of it Visito quam foelix Ebraucus condidit urbem Petro se debet Pontificalis apex Civibus haec toties viduata novisque repleta Diruta prospexit moenia saepe sua Quid manus hostilis queat est experta frequenter Sed quid nunc pacis otia longa fovent There happy Ebrauk's lofty towers appear Which owe their mitre to St. Peter's care How oft in dust the hapless town hath lain How oft it's walls hath chang'd how oft it's men How oft the rage of sword and flames hath mourn'd But now long peace and lasting joy 's return'd For in his days these troublesome times being followed with a long and happy peace this city began to revive and continued flourishing notwithstanding it was often marked out for destruction by our own Rebels and the Scotch Yet in King Stephen's time it was most sadly ruined again by a casual fire which burnt down the Cathedral St. Mary's Monastery and other Religious houses and also as 't is supposed that
mix'd with common dust * Fasti●●on pa●● p. 765. And when that garrison was surrender'd to the Parliament he took great care for the preservation of the publick Library and bequeathed to it many MSS. with the Collections aforesaid which of themselves † Ibid. p. 69● amounted to 122 Volumes at least pp Our next place upon the river is Selby part of which ancient and beautiful Church with half of the steeple fell down suddenly about 6 a clock on Sunday morning 30 March 1690. From hence our Author carries us to Escricke Escricke which gave the title of Baron to Sir Thomas Knivet He was Gentleman of the Privy-Chamber to King James 1. and the person intrusted to search the vaults under the Parliament-house where he discover'd the 36 barrels of gun-powder and the person who was to have fir'd the train qq Afterwards the Ouse passeth by Drax where the benefaction of Charles Read Esq a native of the place and Judge in Ireland ought not to be omitted He erected here a Hospital as also a School-house and endow'd them with 100 l. per an EAST-RIDING EAst-Riding East-Riding or the east part of Yorkshire a where the Parisi Parisi are seated by Ptolemy makes the second division of this County lying east of York The north and west sides of it are bounded by the winding course of the river Derwent the south by the aestuary of Humber and the north by the German Ocean That part of it towards the sea and the river Derwent is pretty fruitful but the middle is nothing but a heap of mountains called a Wold in Saxon signifies a large plain without woods Yorkeswold which signifies Yorkshire hills The river Derventio or as we call it Derwent rises near the shore and runs towards the west but then turns again towards the south and passes by Aiton and Malton which because they belong to the North-Riding of this County I shall reserve for their proper places As soon as the river has enter'd this quarter it runs near the remains of that old castle Montferrant Montferrant Historia Meauxensis which belonged formerly to the Fossards men of great honour and estates But William Fossard of this family being in ward to the King and committed to the guardianship of William le Grosse Earl of Albemarle enraged the Earl so by debauching his sister tho' he was then but very young that in revenge he demolished this castle and forced the noble young Gentleman to forsake his country Yet after the death of the Earl he recovered his estate and left an only daughter who was married to R. de Tornham by whom she had a daughter afterwards married to Peter de Malo-lacu whose posterity being enriched with this estate of the Fossards became very famous Barons b Not far from hence stands a place seated upon a bank of the river called Kirkham i.e. the place of the Church for here stood a College of Canons founded by Walter Espec a very great man whose daughter brought a vast estate by marriage to the family of the Rosses Next but somewhat lower upon the Derwent there stood a city of the same name which Antoninus calls Derventio Derventio and tells us it was seven miles distant from York The Notitia makes mention of a Captain over ‖ No●● Der●●●en●● the Company Derventienses under the General of Britain that lived here and in the time of the Saxons it seems to have been the Royal Village situated near the river Doreventio says Bede where Eumer that Assassin as the same Author has it pushed with his sword at Edwin King of Northumberland and had run him through if one of his retinue had not interpos'd and sav'd his master's life with the loss of his own Where this place is I could never have discover'd without the light I have received from that polite and accurate scholar Robert Marshall He shewed me that at the distance from York I mention'd there is a little town seated upon the Derwent called Auldby which signifies in Saxon the old habitation where some remains of antiquity are still extant and upon the top of the hill towards the river is to be seen the rubbish of an old castle so that this cannot but be the Derventio From hence the river flows through Stanford-bridge which from a battel fought there is also called Battle-bridge Ba●●●●-bridge c For here Harald Haardread the Norwegian who with a fleet of 200 sail had infested this Kingdom and from his landing at Richal had marched thus far with great outrage and devastation was encountred by King Harold of England who in a fair battel here slew him and a great part of his army and took so much gold among the spoil that twelve young men could hardly bear it upon their shoulders as we are told by Adam Bremensis This engagement was fought about nine days before the coming in of William the Conquerour at which time the dissolute luxury of the English seems to have foretold the destruction of this Kingdom b See the General part under the title Normans But of this we have spoke already THE EAST RIDING of YORKSHIRE by Robert Morden Cum patre Radulpho Babthorpe jacet ecce Radulphus Filius hoc duro marmore pressus humo Henrici sexti dapifer pater Armiger ejus Mors satis id docuit fidus uterque fuit The two Ralph Babthorps father and his son Together lye interr'd beneath this stone One Squire one Sew'r to our sixth Henry was Both dy'd i' th field both in their master's cause Now the Derwent with a larger stream glides on near Howden ●wden a market town remarkable not for it's neatness or resort but for giving name to the neighbouring territory which from it is called Howdenshire and not long since for having a pretty Collegiate Church of five Prebendaries to which a house of the Bishops of Durham is adjoyned who have a vast estate hereabouts Walter Skirlaw one of them who flourish'd about the year 1390. as we find in the book of Durham built a huge tall steeple to this Church that in case of a sudden inundation the inhabitants might save themselves in it Not far distant from hence is Metham ●●●m which gives a name and seat to the famous and ancient family of the Methams d The Ouse grown more spacious runs with a swift and violent stream into the Aestuary Abus ●tuary of ●s the name by which it is expressed in Ptolemy e but the Saxons 〈◊〉 and we at this day call it Humber 2 Whereof also the Country beyond it by a general name was call'd Northumberland and from it all that part of the country on the other side was in general termed Nordan humbria Both names seem to be derivatives from the British Aber which signifies the mouth of a river and was perhaps given to this by way of excellence because the Urus or Ouse with all those
for their great bulk and branchy heads are very remarkable and extraordinary The river Ure which we have often mention'd has its rise here out of the western mountains and first runs through the middle of the vale Wentsedale Wentsedale which is sufficiently stock'd with cattel and has a great deal of lead in some places Not far from the first spring while it is yet but small 't is encreased by the little river Baint from the south which issues from the pool Semur with a great murmur At the confluence of these two streams where some few cottages call'd from the first bridge over the Ure Baintbrig was formerly a Roman garison Bracchium of which some remains are yet extant For upon the hill which from a burrough they now call Burgh there are the groundworks of an old fortification about five acres in compass and under it to the east the signs of many houses are yet apparent Where among several proofs of Roman Antiquity I have seen this fragment of an old Inscription in a very fair character with a winged Victory supporting it IMP. CAES. L. SEPTIMIO PIO PERTINACI AVGV IMP CAESARI M. AVRELIO A PIO FELICI AVGVSTO The name o● 〈…〉 eras'd BRACCHIO CAEMENTICIVM VI NERVIORVM SVB CVRA LA SENECION AMPLISSIMI OPERI L. VI SPIVS PRAE LEGIO From which we may conjecture that this fort at Burgh was formerly called Bracchium which before had been made of turf but then was built with stone and mortar that the sixth Cohort of the Nervii garison'd here who also seem to have had a Summer Camp upon that high hill trenched round which is hard by and is now called Ethelbury It is not long since a Statue of Aurelius Commodus the Emperour was dug up here Statue of Commodus the Emperour who as Lampridius has it was stil'd by his flatterers Britannicus even when the Britains were for chusing another against him This Statue seems to have been set up when through an extravagant esteem of himself he arriv'd to that pitch of folly that he commanded every one to call him The Roman Hercules son of Jupiter For it is formed in the habit of Hercules his right-hand armed with a club and under it as I am inform'd was this broken and imperfect Inscription which had been ill copied and was quite decay'd before I came hither CAESARI AVGVSTO MARCI AVRELII FILIO SEN IONIS AMPLISSIMI VENTS _____ PIVS This was extant in Nappa Napp● a house built with turrets and the chief seat of the Medcalfs The 〈…〉 which is counted the most numerous family this day in England For I have heard that Sir Christopher Medcalf Knight the chief of the family being lately Sheriff of the County was attended with 300 Knights all of this family and name and in the same habit to receive the Justices of the Assize and conduct them to York From hence the Ure runs very swiftly with abundance of Crey-fishes Crey-● ever since C. Medcalf within the memory of this age brought that sort of fish hither from the south parts of England l and between two rocks from which the place is called Att-scarre it violently rolls down its chanel not far from Bolton Bolton the ancient seat of the Barons de Scrope Barons 〈◊〉 Scr●p● and a stately castle which Richard Lord le Scrope Chancellour of England in Richard the second 's time built at very great charge Now taking its course eastward it comes to the town of Midelham Mid●eh●● the Honour of which as we read in the Genealogy of the Nevils Alan Earl of Richmond gave to his younger brother * By 〈◊〉 Ribaa Rinebald with all the lands which before their coming belonged to Gilpatrick the Dane His grandchild by his son Ralph Lords of Mid●eh●● called Robert Fitz-Ralph had all Wentsedale bestowed on him by Conanus Earl of Bretagne and Richmond and built a very strong castle at Midleham Ranulph his son built a small Monastery for Canons at Coverham now contractedly called Corham in Coverdale Geneal●●● antiqu●●● and his son Ralph had a daughter Mary who being married to Robert Lord Nevill brought this large estate for a portion to the family of the Nevils This Robert Nevill having had many children by his wife was taken in adultery unknown and had his privy members cut off by the adulteress's husband in revenge which threw him into such excessive grief that he soon dy'd From hence the Ure having pass'd a few miles washes Jervis or Jorvalle-Abbey 1 Of Cistertians founded first at Fo rs add after translated hither by Stephen Earl of Britain and Richmond which is now decay'd then runs by Masham Masha● which belonged to the Scropes of Masham who as they are descended from the Scropes of Bolton fo are they again grafted into the same by marriage On the other side of this river but more inward stands Snath Snath the chief seat of the Barons de Latimer whose noble extraction is from G. Nevill younger son of Ralph Nevill first Earl of Westmorland who had this honourable title conferr'd on him by K. Henry the sixth of that name when the elder family of the Latimers had ended in a female Barons Latime● and so in a continu'd succession they have flourished till our time when for want of heirs-male to the last Baron this brave inheritance was parted among his daughters who were married into the families of the Percies the Cecils the D'anvers and Cornwallis There is no other place in these parts remarkable upon the Ure but Tanfeld Tanfe●● formerly the seat of the Gernegans Knights from these it descended to the Marmions Marm●●● l● q. 6. ● the last of these left Amice his heir the second wife of John Lord Grey of Rotherfeld whose two children taking the name of Marmion were heirs to their mother 2 John that assum'd the sirname of Marmion and dy'd issueless and Robert who left behind him one only daughter and sole heir Elizabeth wife to Sir Henry Fitz-H●gh a n●ble Baron and one of them left an only daughter and heiress Elizabeth the wife of Fitz-Hugh a famous Baron The Ure now receives the Swale Swal● sacred ●●ver so called as Thom. Spott has it from its swiftness which enters it with a great leaping and hurry of waters This also rises out of the western mountains hardly five miles above the head of the river Ure and runs to the eastward It was very sacred among the ancient English because when the Saxons were first converted to Christianity there were baptiz'd in it on one day with great joy by Paulinus Archbishop of York above ten thousand men besides women and children The course of the Swale lies through a pretty large vale which is called Swaldale from it and has grass enough but wants wood and first by Marricke ●●rricke where stood a Cloister built by the Askes men of great note heretofore
Falkirk but we need not here be particular in the Description of it designing a separate discourse upon that subject at the end of this Kingdom SELGOVAE BEneath the Gadeni to the South and West where now lie the small Territories of Liddesdale Eusdale Eskdale Annandale and Nidisdale q To which add Wachopdale so called from Rivulets running through them which all lose themselves in Solway-Frith were anciently seated the Selgovae the reliques of whose name seem to me whether to others too I kn●w not to remain in the name Solway IN Liddesdale ●●dd●s●●●e we have a high prospect of Armitage so called because anciently dedicated to a solitary life But now it is a very strong Castle which belonged to the Hepburnes who deduce their Original from a certain English Captive whom the Earl of March for delivering him out of a danger much enriched They were Earls of Bothwell ●●rls of ●●thwell and for a long time Admirals of Scotland by inheritance But by a sister of James Earl of Bothwell last of the Hepburnes ●●pburnes married to John Prior of Coldingham a natural son of K. James 5. who had several such issue both title and estate devolved to his son Hard by is Brakensey ●●akensey the seat of the warlike Family of Baclugh ●●●d ●●clugh sirnamed Scot with many other little Forts of men of Arms up and down the Country In Eusdale Eusdale I should be apt to think from the affinity of the name that the ancient Uzellum Uzellum mentioned by Ptolemy lay upon the River Euse In Eskdale Eskdale some are of opinion that the Horesti Horesti dwelt into whose borders Julius Agricola after he had subdued the Britains that inhabited this Tract led the Roman Army especially if we read Horesci for Horesti For the British Ar-Esc signifies a place by the River Eske As for Aesica in Eskdale I have spoken of it before in England and need not repeat it here a ANNANDALE JOined to this on the west-side lies Annandale Annandale that is the Valley or Dale upon the river Annan into which the access by land is very difcult The places of greatest note are a Castle upon Lough-Maban Lough-Maban which is three parts surrounded with water and strongly walled And Annandale Town almost upon the very mouth of the river Annan divested of all its glory by the English War in the reign of Edward 6. In this Territory the Jonstons The Jonstons are men of greatest name a family born for Wars between whom and the Maxwells who by ancient right preside over the Stewartry The Stewartry of Annandale for so 't is term'd there hath been too long an open enmity and defiance even to bloodshed This Valley Edgar King of the Scots upon his restoration to his Kingdom by the Auxiliaries he had out of England gave for his good services to Robert Brus The Bruses Lord of Cleaveland in the County of York who bestowed it by the King's permission upon Robert his younger son being unwilling himself to serve the King of Scots in his Wars From him are branched the Bruses Lords of Annandale of whom Robert Bruse married Isabella the daughter of William King of Scots by the daughter of Robert Avenel his son likewise Robert the third of that name married the daughter of David Earl of Huntingdon and Garioth whose son Robert sirnamed the Noble upon the failure of the issue of Alexander the third King of Scotland challenged in his mother's right the Kingdom of Scotland before Edward I. K. of England as the direct and superior Lord of the Kingdom of Scotland as the English give out or as an Honorary Arbitrator as the Scots will have it as being more nearly related in degree and bloud to King Alexander the third and to Margaret daughter to the King of Norway although a second sister's son Who soon after resigning up his own right granted and gave over to his son Robert Brus Earl of Carrick and to his heirs I speak out of the very Original all the right and claim which he had or might have to the Kingdom of Scotland But the point was determined in favour of John Baliol who sued for his right as descended from the eldest sister though in a more remote degree in these words Because the person more remote in the second degree descending in the first line is to be preferred before a nearer in the second line in the succession of an inheritance that cannot be parted Nevertheless the said Robert son to the Earl of Carriot by his valour possess'd himself of the Kingdom and establish'd it in his posterity A Prince who as he was illustrious for his glorious Actions so did he successfully triumph over Fortune so often his Adversary with a courage and presence of mind invincible b NIDISDALE CLose to Annandale on the West lies Nidisdale abounding in arable and pasture grounds so named from the River Nid The River Nid by Ptolemy falsely written Nobius for Nodius or Nidius of which name there are other Rivers in Britain full of muddy shallows as this Nid is It springs out of the Lake Lough-Cure upon which stood anciently Corda Corda a Town of the Selgovae It takes its course first by Sanqhar a Castle of the Creightons The Creightons Barons of Sanqhar who were long honoured with the Title of Barons of Sanqhar and the authority of hereditary Sheriffs of Nidisdale next by Morton Earls of Morton which gave the Title of Earl to some of the family of Douglass of which others are seated at Drumlanrig upon the same River near the mouth whereof stands Dunfreys Dunfreys between two Hills the most flourishing Town of this Tract which still shews its ancient Castle a Town famous for its woollen Manufacture and remarkable for the murder of John Commin a man of the greatest Interest amongst the Scots whom Robert Brus lest he should oppose his coming to the Crown ran through in the Church and easily got a pardon of the Pope for a murder committed in a sacred place Nearer to its mouth Solway a Village still retains somewhat of the old name of Selgovae Upon the very mouth is situated Caer-Laverock Caer-Laverock Ptolemie's Carbantorigum a Fort looked upon as impregnable when K. Edw. I. accompanied with the flower of the English Nobility besieged and took it But now 't is a weak Mansion-House of the Barons Maxwell who being of ancient Nobility were long Wardens of these Western Marches and lately advanced by a marriage with a Daughter and Coheir of the Earl of Morton whereby John Lord Maxwell was dec●ared Earl of Morton as also by the Daughter and Heir of Hereis Lord Toricles whom J. a second son took to wife and had by her the title of Baron Hereis Barons Hereis In this valley also upon the lake lies Glencarn Glenca●● of which the Cunninghams about whom I shall speak
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 Th● R●ver Ra●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 ●●●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 C●ayks a 〈◊〉 of G●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 ●ppend 〈◊〉 Librum ● Part 3. ●●atiae Il●●●atae Dr. Sibbalds has largely proved in his Scotia Illustrata only he is now convinced that th●y are not informis m●ssa carnosa as he there c●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 Beaumor● 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
antient and noble family have flourished from the first conquest of this country by the English who were afterwards advanced to the honour of Barons o Now Earl of Tyrone Curraghmore Upon the bank of the river Suire stands Waterford ●●terford the chief City of this County Of which thus old Necham Suirius insignem gaudet ditare Waterford Aequoreis undis associatur ibi Thee Waterford Suir 's streams with wealth supply Hasting to pay their tribute to the sea This City which the Irish and Britains call Porthlargy the English Waterford was first built by certain Pirats of Norway Though 't is situated in a thick air and on a barren soil and close built yet by reason of the convenience of the haven p It was once but now Cork may claim that honour 't is the second City in Ireland for wealth and populousness and has ever continued q It s motto was Intacta manet Waterfordia But in the course of the Irish rebellion begun An. 1641. by means of the Popish Clergy it became exceeding faulty Now that the English Inhabitants daily encrease we may expect it will recover its former reputation particularly loyal and obedient to the Crown of England For since it was first taken by Richard Earl of Pembroke it has been so faithful and quiet that in our Conquest of Ireland it has always secur'd us from any attempts on this side Upon this account the Kings of England have endowed it with many and those considerable privileges which were enlarged and confirmed by Henry 7. for behaving themselves with great valour and conduct against Perkin Warbeck a sham-Prince who being but a young fellow of mean extraction had the impudence to aim at the Imperal Diadem by pretending to be Richard Duke of York the second son of King Edward 4. King Henry 6. gave the County of Waterford 〈◊〉 of ●●terford together with the City to John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury in words which so clearly set forth the bravery of that warlike man that I cannot but think it worth the while and perhaps some others may think it so too to transcribe them from the Record We therefore says the King after a great deal more wherein one sees the defect both of the Latin and eloquence of the Secretaries of that age in consideration of the valour of our most dear and faithful Cousen John Earl of Shrewsbury and Weysford Lord Talbot of Furnival and Lestrange sufficiently shewn and proved in the wars aforesaid even to his old age not only by the sweat of his body but many times by the loss of his blood and considering how our County and City of Waterford in our Kingdom of Ireland with the Castle Seigniory Honour Lands and Barony of Dungarvan and all the Lordships Lands Honours and Baronies and their appurtenances within the same County which by forfeiture of rebels by reversion or decease of any person or persons by escheat or any other title of law ought to vest in Us or our progenitors which by reason of invasions or insurrections in these parts are become so desolate and as they lye exposed to the spoils of war so entirely wasted that they are of no profit to us but have done and now do many times redound to our loss and charge and also that the said lands may hereafter be better defended against the attempts and incursions of enemies or rebels do ordain and create him Earl of Waterford with the stile title name and honour thereunto belonging And that all things may correspond with his state and greatness we hereby of our special grace certain knowledge and free motion that the Grandeur of the Earl may be supported more honourably do give grant and by these presents confirm unto the said Earl the County aforesaid together with the aforesaid title stile name and honour of Earl of Waterford and the city of Waterford aforesaid with the fee-farm castles lordships honours lands baronies and all other appurtenances within the County as also all mannors hundreds wapentakes c. along the sea-coast from the town of Yoghall to the city of Waterford aforesaid To have and to hold the said County of Waterford the stile title name and honour of Earl of Waterford and likewise the city of Waterford aforesaid with the castle seigniory honour land and barony of Dungarvan and all other lordships honours lands and Baronies within the said County and also all the aforesaid mannors hundreds c. to the abovesaid Earl and to the heirs males of his body begotten to hold of us and our heirs by homage fealty and the service of being our Seneschal and that he and his heirs be Seneschals of Ireland Seneschal of Ireland to us and our heirs throughout our whole land of Ireland to do and that he do and ought himself to do in the said office that which his predecessors Seneschals of England were wont formerly to do for us in that office In witness whereof c. However while the Kings of England and their Nobility who had large possessions in Ireland were either took up with foreign wars in France or civil dissentions at home Ireland was quite neglected so that the English interest began to decay r See the Statute of Absentees in the County of Caterlogh and the power of the Irish grew formidable by reason of their absence and then it was enacted to recover their interest and to suppress this growth of the Irish strength that the Earl of Shrewsbury for his absence and carelesness should surrender the Town and County of Waterford to the King and his successors and likewise that the Duke of Norfolk the Baron Barkley Ann. 28. H. 8 the Heirs Female of the Earl of Ormond and all the Abbots Priors c. of England who held any lands there should surrender them to the King and his successors for the same faults The County of LIMERICK THus far we have surveyed the maritime counties of Mounster two remain that are inland Limerick and Tipperary which we are now come to The County of Limerick lies behind that of Cork Northward between Kerry the river Shanon and the county of Tipperary fruitful and well inhabited but it has few remarkable towns The West part of it is called Conilagh Conilagh where among the hills Knock-Patrick Knock-Patrick that is St. Patrick's hill is most eminent for its height from the top whereof one has a pleasant prospect into the sea and along the river Shanon which at a great distance falls from a wide mouth into the Vergivian Ocean At the bottom of this hill the Fitz-Giralds liv'd for a long time in great honour Knight of the Vally Qu. El●z An. 11. till Thomas call'd the Knight of the Valley or de Glin when his graceless son was put to death for Arsony for 't is treason by the laws of Ireland to set villages and houses a fire was also found an Accessary and had his estate
any expence or writing by certain judges whom they choose among themselves and call Deemsters Deemsters For the Magistrate taketh up a stone and after he has mark'd it gives it to the plaintiff by virtue whereof he summons in his witnesses and the defendant If the case is difficult and of great consequence it is referred to the hearing of twelve men whom they call the Keys of the Island Keys of the Island Annos They have also certain Coroners these they call Annos who are instead of Sheriffs and execute their office As for the Ecclesiastical Judge he hears and determines all causes within eight days from the citation and the party must either stand to his sentence or go to gaol As their language is peculiar so likewise are their laws and money as I have heard which are both signs of a distinct soveraignty The Ecclesiastical laws in force here next after the Canon law come nearest to the civil Neither the Judge nor the Clerks of the Court have any fees either for the process or instruments As for those mischievous effects of witchcraft of which English writers tell us there 's nothing in it The richer sort and those that have estates imitate the gentry of Lancashire in splendid living and integrity The women never stir abroad but with their winding sheets about them to put them in mind of mortality If a woman be tried and receives sentence of death she is sow'd up in a sack and thrown from a rock into the sea Stealing and begging from door to door is universally detested The people are wonderful religious and all of them zealously conformable to the Church of England They are likewise great enemies to the disorders as well Civil as Ecclesiastical of their neighbour Countreys And whereas the whole Isle is divided into two parts south and north the Inhabitants of this speak like the Scots and those of the other like the Irish If I should here subjoin a short history of the affairs of this Island it would be worth my while and truth it self seems to challenge it that hereby I may preserve the memory of such actions as are if not already buried in oblivion yet next door to it That this Island as well as Britain was possessed by the Britains is granted on all sides But when the northern nations broke in like a violent tempest upon these southern parts it became subject to the Scots In the time of Honorius and Arcadius Orosius says that it was as much inhabited by the Scots as Ireland was * By others Built and Ninius tells us of one Binle a certain Scot that held it Yet the same author observes that they were driven out of Britain and the Isles belonging to it by Cuneda the Grandfather of Maglocunas who from the cruel ravages he made in this Island is call'd the Dragon of the Isles by Gildas Afterwards this Island and likewise Anglesey aforesaid was subjected to the English Monarchy by Edwin King of the Northumbrians if we suppose them both to be signified by the word Menaviae as Writers would have us think At this time it was reputed a British Island At last when the north overswarming a second time sent out another Brood of Normans Danes and Norwegians to seek their fortune in the world the Norwegians who most sadly infested this sea by their piracies possessed themselves of this Island and the Hebrides and set up petty Princes over them of whom I will here add this Historical Account as it is word for word in an old Manuscript lest it should perish by some unlucky accident The title it bears is Chronicon Manniae i.e. A Chronicle of Man It seems to have been written by the Monks of Russin-Abbey the most eminent Monastery that was in this Island A CHRONICLE of the KINGS of MAN IN the year of our Lord 1065. died Edward King of England of pious memory to whom Harold son of Godwin succeeded Harold Harfager King of Norway rais'd war against him and was so beaten at a battle at Stainfordbridge that his men ran away In this flight one Godred sirnamed Crovan the son of Harold the black escaping out of Iseland came to Godred the son of Syrric King of Man at that time and was honourably entertained by him The same year William the Bastard conquered England and Godred the son of Syrric King of Man died and was succeeded by his son Fingall An. 1066. Godred Crovan got a numerous fleet together and arrived at Man where he fought with the inhabitants but was overcome and put to flight Having rallied his forces and his fleet he landed again at Man fought the inhabitants and was routed by them Having rais'd a great army the third time he came by night to the port called Ramsa and laid an ambuscade of three hundred men in a wood upon the hollow brow of a hill call'd Scacafel As soon as the sun was up the inhabitants drew themselves up in battalia and fell upon Godred with great violence When both parties were close engaged the three hundred men that lay in ambush behind came out to the assistance of their Countrymen and put the Islanders to flight When they saw themselves overcome and no place to retreat to for the tide was in so that there was no passing the river Ramsa and the enemy was at their heels pursuing them in a moanful manner they petitioned Godred to spare their lives Godred being moved with compassion at the calamitous condition of a people among whom he had himself been brought up for some time recall'd his army and hindred them from making any farther pursuit The next day Godred gave his army their choice whether they would divide the lands of the Isle among them and live there or seise upon the wealth and substance of the Country and return home with it But his army was rather for spoiling the Island and enriching themselves with the goods of it and so for departing However Godred himself with some of the Islanders that stayed with him settled in the south part of the Island and granted the north part to the remains of the natives upon condition that none of them should ever presume to claim any part of it as their inheritance Hence to this very day the whole Island is the King 's and all the rents that arise in it belong to him Godred then reduced Dublin and a great part of Laynestir As for the Scots he brought them to such subjection that if any of them built a ship or a boat they durst not drive * Plus quam tres clavos inscrere above 3 nails in it He reigned sixteen years and died in the Island call'd Yle leaving three sons Lagman Harald and Olave Lagman being eldest seised upon the Kingdom and reigned seven years His brother Harald continued a long time in rebellion against him but being at last taken he had his privy members cut off and his eyes put out Afterwards Lagman
side there is an ancient fort and a dwelling house built at the charge of the Chamberlans for the fee farm of the Isle was granted by Queen Elizabeth to G. Chamberlane son to Sir Leonard Chamberlane of S●●rburne in Oxfordshire when he recovered it from the French And under this fort the sand with violent drifts from the Northwest overlaid the land so that now it serveth thereabout most for comes is hardly seven miles from the promontory Le Hague in Normandy and about eight miles in compass The soil is rich and produces both grass and corn very well The Island contains one church and about eighty houses I need hardly take notice of a gyants tooth found here The Gy●●●oorth 〈◊〉 civ 〈◊〉 l. 15. 〈◊〉 9. which was full as big as a mans fist since St. Austin says he has seen one so large that it might be cut into a hundred teeth as big as any ordinary mans From hence there runs a ridge of high rocks for some way to the westward which 3 Which have their several Eddies and therefore are dreaded c. are dreaded by the mariners who call them the Quasquettes 4 Out of one of the which properly named Casquet there gusheth a most sweet spring of fr●sh water to the great comfort of the Island fishermen beating up and down hereabout At these to remember incidently that the memory of a well-deserving Patriot may not perish the fleet which John Philipot Citizen of London set forth and manned at his own private charges had a glorious victory over a rabble of Pirates who impeached all traffick taking their Captain and fifteen Spanish ships that consorted with them Which worthy man also maintained 1020 Soldiers at his own pay for the defence of the Realm against the French who sore infested the southern coast in the beginning of the reign of King Richard the second to omit his great loans to the King and other good and laudable offices to his country Under these southward lies Caesarea C●sarea mentioned by Antoninus hardly twelve miles distant which the French havve contracted in pronouncing just as they have done Caesaris Burgus in Normandy and as the Spaniards Caesaraugusta in Spain for they call it Gearzey ●●●rsey as they do Cherburgh for Caesaris Burgum and as Saragosa is generally spoke for Caesaraugusta Gregorius Turonensis call it Insula Maris quod Constantiae civitati adjacet i.e. the Island of the sea that lyeth to the City Constantia and tells us how Praetextatus Bishop of Roan was confined here Thus Papirius Massonius calls it Insula littoris Constantini because it lies over-against Constantia an old City which seems to be called in Ammianus Castra Constantia ●●●ra ●onstan●●●orito●um and in former ages Moritonium for Robertus Montensis writes thus Comes Moritonii id est Constantiarum unless this be the gloss of the Librarian for Moritonium or Mortaigne as it is now call'd is more remote from the sea This Island is about thirty miles in compass and defended with rocks and quicksands which are shallow places dangerous for such as sail that way The soil is fertil so that the Isle has great plenty of fruit and good stocks of cattle and sheep many whereof carry b They have six horns three on each side one bent towards the nose another towards the neck and the third standing upright between the other two but these now are become very rare four horns The air is very wholesom the Inhabitants are subject to no distempers but * Agues Fevers and those in the month of September which therefore they call Settembers for this reason there are no Physitians to be found among them The Island affords very little fewel and therefore they use a sea-weed instead of wood which they term Uraic Uraic and which is supposed to be Pliny's Fucus marinus Fu●us M●rinus produced very plentifully in rocks and craggy Islands This being dried in the sun serves for fire and after it is burnt the ashes is as good as marle or dung for manuring the fields and fallows and does as much enrich them But they are not to gather this but in the spring and in the summer and then only on certain days appointed by the Magistrate And at the times allowed they repair with their Cars to the shore or in boats to the neighbouring rocks with great joy and readiness However the poor people are permitted to take up all that the sea casts up of it for their own uses The midland part of this Isle is somewhat high and mountainous but the valleys under these hills are finely watered with brooks and very pleasant being planted with fruit-trees but apple-trees especially of which they make Cyder The villages stand thick and make in all twelve parishes which have the advantage of many fine creeks for ships the securest of which is that on the south-side of the Island S Hilarius between the towns of S. Hilary and S. Albans which harbour has also a little Isle belonging to it and therein a garison that cuts off all manner of access S. Hilary Bishop of Poictiers that was banished hither is said to be buried here For the town which is dedicated to his name lies just over-against the Island and is reckoned the chief both because of its trade and market and also upon the account of a Court of Justice which is fixed here On the east-side where it looks towards the City Constantia over-against it stands a very strong castle situated upon a steep rock called by the proud name of Mont-Orgueil repaired by Henry the 5th Mont O●gue● 〈◊〉 i● to say A p oud thi●● and commanded by the Governor of the Isle who was formerly stil'd The Keeper of the Isle and in Henry the 3d's time had a yearly Salary of 200 l. On the south but at greater distance lies S. Malo which takes this new name from Maclovius a man of great piety being formerly called the city Diablintum and Aletum Aletum in the old Notitia for in a Manuscript of Isiodorus Mercator it is expressly read Civitas Diablintum quae alio nomine Aletum i e The City Diablintum otherwise called Aletum The people apply themselves to fishing but especially to Agriculture The women make great gain by knitting hose which they call Gersey Stockes As for the State and Polity of this Isle whoever the King of England sends to govern it is the supream Magistrate He substitutes a Bailiff who with twelve Jurors chosen out of each parish by their respective parishioners to sit and assist him has the trial of pleas In capital causes he 's to have seven of these assessors with him in civil three only c A very particular account of the Island of Jersey is lately publish'd by Mr. Philip Falle Rector of S. Saviour in that Island Twenty miles north west of this lies another Island which Antoninus calls Sarnia Sarnia and we
and his Sister Isabel de Albeny Countess of Arundel Isabel the second Sister was married to Gilbert Clare Earl of Glocester she had Richard de Clare Earl of Glocester and the Lady Anise Countess of * Perhaps ●evonia Averna ●●●e uxoris who was Mother of Isabel the † Mother of the Lord Robert Brus Earl of Carrick in Scotland afterwards King of that Nation ●is place 〈◊〉 corrup●●d From Eva Brus the third Sister descended Maud the Mother of the Lord Edmund Mortimer Mother of the Lady Eva de Cauntelow Mother of the Lady Milsoud de Mohun who was Mo●●er to Dame Eleanor Mother to the Earl of Hereford Joan ●arshall the fourth Sister was married to the Lord Guarin of Mount ●hinsey and had Issue Joan de Valens Sybil Countess of Fer●●s the fifth Sister had Issue seven Daughters the eldest call'd ●●gnes Vescie Mother of the Lord John and the Lord William Ves●●e the second Isabel Basset the third Joan Bohun Wife to the ●ord John Mohun Son of the Lord Reginald the fourth Sibyl ●ohun Wife to the Lord Francis Bohun Lord of Midhurst the fifth Eleanor Vaus Wife to the Earl of Winchester the sixth * Agatha Agas Mortimer Wife to the Lord Hugh Mortimer ●●e seventh Maud Kyme Lady of Karbry These are all both ●ales and Females the Posterity of the said William Earl Marshal MCCXX. The Translation of S. Thomas of Canterbury The ●●me year died the Lord Meiler Fitz-Henry founder of Connal ●nd was buried in the Chapter-House of the said Foundation MCCXXIV The Castle of Bedford was besieg'd and the Castle ●f Trim in Ireland MCCXXV Died Roger Pippard and in the year MCCXXVIII ●●ed William Pippard formerly Lord of the Salmon-leap This ●ear died likewise Henry Londres alias Scorch-Villeyn Archbishop ●f Dublin and was buried in Trinity-church there MCCXXX Henry King of England gave Hubert Burk ●●e Justiceship and the Third Penny of Kent and ●ade him also Earl of Kent Afterward the same Hubert was ●●prison'd and great Troubles arose between the King and his ●●bjects because he adher'd to Strangers more than to his own na●●ral Subjects MCCXXXI William Mareschall the younger Earl Marshal and ●arl of Pembrock departed this life and was buried in the Quire ●f the Friers Predicants in Kilkenny MCCXXXIV Richard Earl Mareschall Earl of Pembrock and ●rogull was wounded in a Battel in the Plain of Kildare on the ●●st day before the Ides of April and some few days after died in Kilkeny and there was buried hard by his * Girmanum natural Brother viz. William in the Quire of the Friers Predicants Of whom this was written Cujus sub fossa Kilkennia continet ossa MCCXL Walter Lacy Lord of Meth died this year in Eng●●nd leaving two Daughters to inherit his Estate of whom the ●●rst was married to Sir Theobald Verdon and the second to Gef●ery de Genevile MCCXLIII This year died Hugh Lacy Earl of Ulster and ●as buried in Cragsergus in the Convent of the Friers Minors ●eaving a Daughter who was married to Walter Burk Earl of Ulster The same year died Lord Gerald Fitz-Maurice and Lord ●ichard de Burgo MCCXLVI An Earthquake about nine of the Clock over all ●he West MCCXLVIII Sir John Fitz-Geffery came Lord Justiciary into ●reland MCCL. Lewis King of France and William Long-Espee were ●aken Prisoners with many others by the Saracens In Ireland Maccanewey a Son of Belial was slain in Leys as he deserv'd In the year MCCLI. The Lord Henry Lacy was born Upon Christmas-day likewise Alexander King of Scots in the 11th year of his Age was then contracted with Margaret the daughter of the King of England at York MCCLV Alan de la Zouch was made and came Justiciary into Ireland MCCLVII This year died the Lord Maurice Fitz-Gerald MCCLIX Stephen Long-Espee came Justiciary into Ireland The green Castle in Ulster was demolish'd William Dene was made Justiciary of Ireland MCCLXI The Lord John Fitz-Thomas and the Lord Maurice his Son were slain in Desmond by Mac Karthy Item William Dene Justiciary dy'd and Sir Richard Capel put in his room the same year MCCLXII Richard Clare Earl of Glocester died this year as also Martin de Maundevile on the morrow of S. Bennet's day MCCLXIV Maurice Fitz-Gerald and Maurice Fitz-Maurice took Prisoners Richard Capel the Lord Theobald Botiller and the Lord John Cogan at Tristel-Dermot MCCLXVII David de Barry was made Justiciary of Ireland MCCLXVIII Comin Maurice Fitz-Maurice was drown'd The Lord Robert Ufford was made Justiciary of Ireland MCCLXIX The Castle of Roscoman was begun this year Richard of Exeter was made Justiciary MCCLXX The Lord James de Audley came Justiciary into Ireland MCCLXXI Henry the son of the King of Almain was slain in the Court of Rome Plague Famine and Sword rag'd this year particularly in Meth. Nicholas de Verdon and his Brother John were slain Walter de Burgo Earl of Ulster died MCCLXXII The Lord James Audley Justiciary of England was kill'd by a fall from his Horse in Tothomon and was succeeded in this Office by the Lord Maurice Fitz-Maurice MCCLXXIII The Lord Geffery Genevile return'd from the Holy Land and was made Justiciary of Ireland MCCLXXIV Edward the son of King Henry was anointed and crown'd King of England by Robert Kilwarby a Frier-Predicant Archbishop of Canterbury upon S. Magnus the Martyr's day in the Church of Westminster in the presence of all the Nobility and Gentry His Protestation and Oath was in this form I Edward son and heir of King Henry do profess protest and promise before God and his holy Angels from this time forward to maintain without partiality the Law Justice and Peace of the Church of God and the People subject unto me so far as we can devise by the counsel of our liege and legal Ministers as also to exhibit due and canonical Honour to the Bishops of God's Church to preserve unto them inviolably whatsoever has been granted by former Emperors and Kings to the Church of God and to pay due Honour to the Abbots and the Lord's Ministers according to the advice of our Lieges c. so help me God and the holy Gospels of the Lord. This year died the Lord John Verdon and the Lord Thomas de Clare came into Ireland And William Fitz-Roger Prior of the Hospitallers was taken Prisoner at Glyndelory with many others and more slain MCCLXXV The Castle of Roscoman was built again The same year Modagh was taken Prisoner at Norragh by Sir Walter le Faunte MCCLXXVI Robert Ufford was made Justiciary of Ireland upon the surrender of Geffery de Genevill MCCLXXVII O Brene slain MCCLXXVIII The Lord David Barry died this year as also the Lord John Cogan MCCLXXIX The Lord Robert d'Ufford went into England and appointed Frier Robert de Fulborne Bishop of Waterford to supply his place In whose time the Mony was chang'd A Round Table was also held at Kenylworth by Roger Lord Mortimer MCCLXXX Robert d'Ufford return'd from England
S. Valentine Item The Sunday following Roger Lord Mortimer came to Dublin and knighted John Mortimer and four of his Followers The same day he kept a great feast in the castle of Dublin Item Many Irish were slain in Conaght about this time by reason of a Quarrel between two of their great Lords The number of the slain amounted to about 4000 men on both sides After this a severe Vengeance fell upon the Ulster-men who had done great mischief during the depredations of the Scots here and eat Flesh in Lent without any manner of necessity for which sins they were at last reduc'd to such want that they eat one another so that of 10000 there remain'd but about 300 By which this does plainly appear to be God's vengeance upon them Item It was reported That some of the said Profligates were so pinch'd with Famine that they dug up Graves in Church-yards and after they had boil'd the Flesh in the Skull of the dead Body eat it up nay that some Women eat up their own Children to satisfie their craving Appetites MCCCXVIII On the 15. of Easter there came News from England That the Town of Berwick was betray'd and taken by the Scots Afterwards this same year Walter Islep the King's Treasurer in Ireland arriv'd here and brought Letters to Roger Lord Mortimer to attend the King Accordingly he did so substituting the Lord William Archbishop of Cashil Keeper of Ireland so that at one and the same time he was Chief Justice of Ireland Lord Chancellor and Archbishop Three weeks after Easter news came to Dublin That Richard Lord Clare and four Knights viz. Sir Henry Capell Sir Thomas Naas Sir James Caunton and Sir John Caunton as also Adam Apilgard with 80 Men more were all slain by O Brone and Mac-Carthy on the feast of S. Gordian and Epimachus The Lord Clare's Body was reported to be hewn in pieces out of pure malice But his Relicks were interr'd among the Friers-minors in Limerick Item On Sunday in Easter-month John Lacy was remov'd from Dublin-castle to Trym for his Trial His sentence was to be pinch'd in Diet and so he died in Prison Item On the Sunday before the Ascension Roger Lord Mortimer set sail for England but paid nothing for his Provisions having taken up in the City of Dublin and elsewhere as much as amounted to 1000 l. Item This year about the feast of S. John Baptist that Wheat which before was sold for 16 s. by the great mercy of God went now for 7. Oats sold for 5 s. and there was also great plenty of Wine Salt and Fish Nay about the feast of S. James there was Bread of new Corn a thing seldom or perhaps never before known in Ireland This was an instance of God's mercy and was owing to the prayers of the Poor and other faithful People Item On the Sunday after the feast of S. Michael news came to Dublin That Alexander Lord Bykenore Chief Justice of Ireland and Archbishop of Dublin was arriv'd at Yoghill On S. Denis's day he came to Dublin and was receiv'd by the Religious and Clergy as well as the Laity who went out in Processions to meet him Item On Saturday which happen'd to be the feast of Pope Calixtus a Battle was fought between the Scots and English of Ireland two leagues from Dundalk on the Scotch-side there were Edward Lord Brus who nam'd himself King of Ireland Philip Lord Moubray Walter Lord Sules Alan Lord Stewart with his three Brethren as also Sir Walter Lacy and Sir Robert and Aumar Lacy John Kermerdyne and Walter White with about 3000 others Against whom on the English-side there were the Lord John Bermingham Sir Richard Tuit Sir Miles Verdon Sir Hugh Tripton Sir Herbert Sutton Sir John Cusak Sir Edward and Sir William Bermingham and the Primate of Armagh who gave them Absolution besides Sir Walter Larpulk and John Maupas with about twenty more choice Soldiers and well arm'd who came from Drogheda The English gave the onset and broke into the Van of the Enemy with great vigour And in this Encounter the said John Maupas kill'd Edward Lord Brus valiantly and was afterwards found slain upon the Body of his Enemy The slain on the Scots side amounted to 2000 or thereabouts so tha● few of them escap'd besides Philip Lord Moubray who was also mortally wounded and Sir Hugh Lacy Sir Walter Lacy and some few more with them who with much ado got off Thi● Engagement was fought between Dundalk and Faghird Brus'● Head was brought by the said John Lord Bermingham to th● K. of England who conferred the Earldom of Louth upon him and his Heirs male and gave him the Barony of Aterith One of hi● Quarters together with the Hands and Heart were carried t● Dublin and the other Quarters sent to other places MCCCXIX Roger Lord Mortimer return'd out of England and became Chief Justice of Ireland The same year on the fea●● of All Saints came the Pope's Bull for excommunicating Rober● Brus King of Scotland The Town of Athisell and 〈◊〉 considerable part of the Country was burnt and wasted by John Lord Fitz-Thomas whole Brother to Moris Lord Fitz-Thomas John Bermingham aforesaid was this year created Earl of Louth Item The Stone-bridge of Kit-colyn was built by Master Mori● Jak Canon of the Cathedral Church of Kildare MCCCXX In the time of John XXII Pope and of Edward son to King Edward who was the 25 King from the coming o● S. Austin into England Alexander Bicknore being then Archbishop of Dublin was founded the University of Dublin Willia● Hardite a Frier-predicant was the first that took the degree o● Master Who also commenced Doctor of Divinity under th● same Archbishop Henry Cogry of the order of Friers minors was the second Master the third was William Rodyar● Dean of S. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin who afte● commenc'd Doctor of the Canon law and was made the fir●● Chancellor of this University The fourth Person that went ou● Master in Divinity was Frier Edmund Kermerdyn Item Roge● Mortimer the Chief Justice of Ireland went into England leavin● the Lord Thomas Fitz-John then Earl of Kildare his Deputy Item Edmund Lord Botiller went into England and so cam● to S. James's Item Leghelyn-bridge was then built by Master Moris Ja● Canon of the Cathedral Church of Kildare MCCCXXI The O Conghors were sadly defeated at Balibogan on the Ninth of May by the People of Leinster and Meth Item Edmund Lord Botiller died in London and was burie● at Balygaveran in Ireland John Bermingham Earl of Lowth wa● made Justiciary of Ireland John Wogan died also this year MCCCXXII Andrew Bermingham and Nicholas de la Lon● Knight were slain with many others by O Nalan on S. Michael's day MCCCXXIII A Truce was made between the King of Englan● and Robert Brus King of Scots for fourteen years Item Joh● Darcy came Lord Chief Justice into Ireland Item Joh● eldest son of Thomas Fitz-John Earl of Kildare died in the 9t●
person still living had done the same in Oxford for the Northern Languages in general but that a sudden change of Affairs prevented him This place has been lately honour'd by giving the title of Marquess to the Right Honorable William Earl of Bedford now created Duke of Bedford This town has given several great Lawyers to the State as Sir John Glanvill a Judge Serjeant Glanvill his son and Sir John Maynard who was lately one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal of England Two miles from hence is Lamerton Lamerton parish in the Church whereof is an ancient monument of the Tremaines where may be seen the effigies or Nicholas and Andrew Tremaine twins alike in all lineaments suffer'd like pain tho' at a distance desir'd to sleep walk eat and drink together and were slain together at New-haven in France An. 1663. Nearer to the sea is Beare-Ferris Beare-Ferris so nam'd from the family call'd De Ferrariis anciently famous in this County In this parish there were Silver-mines in the reign of K. Hen. 6. which were lately re-enter'd by Sir John Maynard but have since been discontinu'd e From hence the river carries us down to Plimouth Plimouth mention'd by our Author as a town lately risen and a haven well fortify'd We may add that it had anciently but one Church till the 16 of Ch. 1. when a new one was erected and consecrated in the time of Ch. 2. Here is also a Royal Cittadel built by that King consisting of five regular Bastions and 165 guns The guns of the other fortifications added to these make up in all 253. There are two Docks begun in 1691. and finish'd in 1693. As Sir Francis Drake was born here so both he and Mr. Candish began their voyage from this town for discovery of the unknown parts of the world By his contrivance and his own proper chargo there was brought to this town a large stream from a great distance through many windings and turnings which is a great benefit to the Town carrying several Mills and serving for other common uses of the Inhabitants This place has been honour'd since Mr. Camden's time by giving the title of Earl to Charles Fitz-Charles natural son of K. Ch. 2. created July 29. in the 27th of that King f Eastward from hence is Modbery Modbery and of the Fortescues of Wimpston in that Parish was descended Chancellour Fortescue Author of the famous book De Laudibus Legum Angliae Between Modbery and Kings bridge there is a fair bridge over the river Avon about a quarter of a mile long At the mouth of the river stands S. Michael's Rock several acres over in which are to be seen the remains of an old Chappel This ancient Rhyme seems to refer to it Where Avon's waters with the sea are mixt St. Michael firmly on a rock is fixt Kings-bridge Kingsbridge is a pretty market town pleasantly situated and particularly deserves our notice for the benefaction of Mr. Crispin a late citizen of Exeter who founded here a Free-school and endow'd it Near which is Dodbrooke Dodbrooke singular for a custom of paying tithe to the Parson for a certain sort of liquor call'd White-Ale g The river Dert first runneth thro' Dertmore Dertmore a large Forest 20 miles long and 14 broad It was first made a Forest by K. John and had anciently in it many tinn-works It now yields pasture every summer to near 100000 sheep with a proportionable number of other cattle and supplies the North West and South with variety of pleasant rivers h Then to Totnes Totnes which in K. Charles the first 's time gave the title of Earl to George Lord Carew of Clopton son of Dr. George Carew Dean of Windsor Torr bay i Directly East-ward lies Torr-bay memorable for the landing of the Prince of Orange now K. William on the 5th of November An. 1688. Where we must not pass by Mary-Church being the first Church founded in this County according to tradition Near this bay is a remarkable well call'd Lay-well which ebbs and flows several times in an hour and bubbles up sometimes like a boiling pot the water as clear as crystal very cold in summer and never freezing in winter accounted by the neighbours to be medicinal in some fevers Farther up in the country is Moreley Mo●●ley remarkable for it's Church built upon this occasion In the time of Edw. 1. Sir Peter Fishacre Knight upon a controversie between him and the Parson of Woodley about tythes kill'd the Parson in a rage and being constrain'd to answer the same at Rome was by the Pope condemn'd to build this Church where he lies bury'd From hence towards Dertmore lies Wythicombe Wythicombe where in the 14 Car. 1. in a violent storm of thunder and lightning a ball of fire came into the Church in divine Service kill'd three persons wounded 62. turn'd the seats upside down c. the damages amounting to above 300 l. A like storm hapn'd at Crews Morthard Crews Morthard in this County An. 1689. which rent the steeple melted the bells lead and glass and nothing escap'd but the Communion Plate k Returning to the shore we meet with Teignmouth Teignmouth which as it formerly suffer'd by the Danes so was it of late burnt by the French l North-east from which is the river Ex upon it stands Tiverton Tiverton where Peter Blundell a Clothier built a free-school and endow'd it with a liberal maintenance for a s●hool-master and usher He gave also two fellowships and as many scholarships to Sidney College in Cambridge and one fellowship and two scholarships to Baliol College in Oxford for scholars bred up in this school m Upon the river Creden lies Kirton Kirton now no more famous for the Bishop of Exeter's house than it was in Camden's time for the College of Prebendaries For the house together with the mannour was alienated to the Killigrews so that now there do not remain the least footsteps of the Bishop's having any thing there except the name of a great meadow call'd My Lord's Meadow n The river Ex carries us to Exeter Exeter the Cathedral Church whereof our Author observes to have been enlarg'd by several hands 'T was for a long time no bigger than our Lady's Chappel An. 1112. William Warlewast Bishop of Exon. laid the foundation of the present Quire Two hundred years after Peter Quivell Bishop began the Nave of the present Church to which John Grandison Bishop made an Isle on each side An. 1450. Edmund Lacy Bishop built the Chapter-house and about the same time the Dean and Chapter built the Cloyster So that this Church was about 400 years in building and yet the symmetry of it such as one might easily imagine it the work of a single man The organ of this Church is accounted the largest in England the greatest pipe being 15 inches diameter which is two more than that of
the celebrated Organ at Ulme This city gave birth to Henrietta Maria youngest daughter to K. Charles 1. to William Petre ●ho was Secretary and Privy-Counsellor to K. Henry 8. Edward 6. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth and seven times Embassadour in foreign parts and lastly to Sir Thomas Bodley employ'd by Queen Elizabeth to several foreign Courts but especially famous for his founding the Publick Library in the University of Oxford call'd after his own name nn Thomas the last Earl of Exeter mention'd by our Author was succeeded by William his son and heir who dying without issue-male The Ea●●s continu'd left that honour to David Cecil Son of Sir Richard Cecil who was second son to Thomas Earl of Exeter This David was succeeded by John his son and heir and he by his son of the same name o At the confluence of Ex and Clist is Topesham Tophesha● an ancient town that hath flourish'd much by the obstructions of the river Ex. Several attempts have been made to remove these dammes but none so effectual as the new works in the time of King Charles 2. at the vast expence indeed of the City of Exeter but to such advantage that Lighters of the greatest burden come up to the city-key On the east of Exeter is a parish call'd Heavy-tree Heavy-t●●● memorable for the birth of Hooker the judicious Author of the Ecclesiastical Polity and of that great Civilian Dr. Arthur Duck. The next parish is Pinhoe Pinhoe remarkable for bringing forth the two Rainolds John and William brothers zealous maintainers both of the Reform'd and the Popish Religion in their turns Not far from hence is Stoke-Canon Stoke-C●non given by K. Canute to the Church of Exeter a representation of which gift was to be seen not long ago in a window of the Parish-Church there viz. a King with a triple Crown and this Inscription Canutus Rex donat hoc Manerium Eccles Exon. Four miles east of Exon we pass the river Clyst near which upon Clyst-heath Clyst-heath the Cornish rebels were totally defeated An. 1549. by John Lord Russel afterwards Earl of Bedford p Next is Honnyton Honny●●● where the market was anciently kept on Sundays as it was also in Exeter Launceston and divers other places till in the reign of K. John they were alter'd to other days Over the river Ottery is Vennyton bridge Vennyt●●-bridge at which in the time of Edw. 6. a battle was fought against the Cornish rebels q And upon the same river stands Budley Budley famous for being the birth-place of that great Statesman and Historian Sir Walter Rawleigh r From whence to the north east is Sidmouth Sidmou●● now one of the chiefest fisher-towns of those parts s And Seaton Seaton where the inhabitants formerly endeavour'd to cut out a haven and procur'd a Collection under the Great Seal for that purpose but now there remain no footsteps of that work t The river Ax passeth by Ford Ford. to which Abbey the Courtneys were great benefactours it is now in the hands of Edmund Prideaux Esq Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of K. Richard 1. was first Monk and then Abbot here Ax empties it self into the sea at Axmouth Axmo●●● formerly a good harbour for ships Several attempts have been made to repair this decay'd haven by the family of the Earles but all in vain u Crossing the country to the north-west we meet with Hartland Hart●●●● the possessions of which Monastery were confirm'd by Richard 1. with the grant of great immunities particularly of a Court holding plea of all matters saving life and member arising in their own lands In the time of Q. Elizabeth a Bill was preferr'd in the house of Commons for finishing that port Not far from this is Clovelly-harbour Clo●●●●● secur'd by a Piere erected at great charges by the Carys who have had their seats here from the time of Richard 2. 'T is now the most noted place in those parts for herring-fishing At a little distance lies Hole or South-hold S●●th-hold the native place of Dr. John Moreman Vicar of Maynhennet in Cornwall towards the latter end of Henry 8. memorable upon this account that he was the first who taught his Parishioners the Lord's Prayer Creed and ten Commandments in the English tongue By which we learn in how short a time that language has entirely prevail'd against the native Cornish w Upon the river Ock is Okehampton ●kehampton which as it had formerly 92 Knights fees belonging to it so it is at present a good market town incorporated by K. James 1. sends Burgesses to Parliament and gives the title of Baron to the family of the Mohuns More to the north lies Stamford-Courtney Stamford-Courtney where began a great insurrection in the time of K. Edward 6. by two of the inhabitans one of whom would have no Gentlemen the other no Justices of Peace x At a little distance is North-Tawton North-Tawton where there is a pit of large circumference 10 foot deep out of which sometimes springs up a little brook or bourn and so continues for many days 'T is taken by the common people as a fore-runner of publick sorrow as that Bourn in Hertfordshire call'd Woobournmore Directly towards the north upon the river Moule lieth South-moulton ●outh-●oulton an ancient town incorporate formerly call'd Snow-moulton when it was held by the Martyns by Sergeanty to find a man with a bow and three arrows to attend the Earl of Gloucester when he should hunt thereabouts x From hence to the south-west is Torrington ●●rrington call'd in old Records Chepan-Torrington an ancient Borough which sent Burgesses to Parliament But that privilege hath been long discontinu'd both here and in other places in this County It was incorporated by Queen Mary by the name of Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses and hath yielded the title of Earl to George Duke of Albemarle the great Restorer of K. Charles 2. as after him to Christopher his only son and since to Arthur Herbert the present Earl late Lord Admiral y The river goes next to Bediford ●ediford mention'd by our Author for it's bridge It is so high that a ship of 50 or 60 tunn may sail under it For which and for number of arches it equals if not exceeds all others in England 'T was begun by Sir Theobald Granvill and for the finishing of it the Bishop of the Diocese granted out Indulgences to move the people to more liberal contributions and accordingly great sums of money were collected This place hath been in the possession of the Granvills ever since the Conquest a family famous particularly for Sir Richard Granvill's behaviour in Glamorganshire in the reign of W. Rufus and another of the same name under Q. Elizabeth who with one ship maintain'd a sea-fight for 24 hours against 50 of the Spanish Galeons and at last yielded upon
they destroy'd every thing they could meet with burnt to the ground From that time they began to build nearer a green hill by the river upon which stands a castle not very great nor ancient but fair built and strong and upon the very hill stands a Church the only one in the town where the Monks aliens had a cell heretofore 7 Founded by Roger of Poictiers Below this at a very fine bridge over the Lone on the sto●pest side of the hill there hangs a piece of a very ancient wall which is Roman they call it Wery-wall probably from the later British name of the town for they nam'd this town Caer Werid that is a green 〈◊〉 from the green hill perhaps but I leave the f●r●her discovery of this to others John Lord of Mo●iton and Lancaste who was afterwards King of ●ng●and confirmed by charter all the liberties which he ●ad granted to the Burgesses of Bristow Edward the third in the 36th year of his reign granted to the M●yor and Bailiffs of the village of Lancaster that Pleas and Sessions should be held no where else but there The latitude of this place not to omit it is 54 degrees 5 minutes and the longitude 20 degrees 48 minutes From the top of this hill while I look'd all round to see the mouth of the Lone which empties it self not much lower I saw Forness ●ournesse the other part of this County on the west which is almost sever'd from it by the sea for whereas the shore lay out a great way from hence westward into the ocean the sea as if it were enrag'd at it ceased not to slash and mangle it Nay it swallow'd it quite up at some boisterous tide or other and the●eby has made three large bays namely Kentsand which receives the river Ken Levensand Duddensand between which the land shoots o●t so much like a promontory into the sea that this 〈◊〉 o● the county takes its name from it 〈…〉 and Foreland signifie the same with us that pro●●●●tort●● anterius that is a fore-promontory does in lati● l The whole tract except by the Sea-side is all high mountains and great rocks they call them Forn●ss-f●lls ●●rn●s●e-Fells among which the Britains liv'd securely for a long time relying upon the fortifications wherewith nature had guarded them tho' nothing prov'd impregnable to the Saxon Conquerors For in the 228th year after the coming in of the Saxons we may from hence infer that the Britains lived here because at that time Egfrid King of the Northumbrians gave to S. Cuthbert the land called Carthmell Carthmell and all the Britains in it for so it is related in his life Now Carthmell every one knows was a part of this County near Kentsand and a little town in it keeps that very name to this day wherein William Mareschal the elder Earl of Pembroke built a Priory and endow'd it If in Ptolemy one might read Setantiorum S●t●●●●●ru● Lacus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lake as some books have it and not S●tantiorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a haven I would venture to affirm that the Britains in these parts were the Setantii for among those mountains lies the greatest lake in England now call'd Winander-mere Winam●●rmere in Saxon Winƿadremer perhaps from the windings in it about ten miles in length the bottom pav'd as it were with a continued rock wonderful deep in some places as the neighbouring Inhabitants tell you and well stor'd with a sort of fish no where else bred See the A●d●●●●ns t● W●●tm●●land C●are a fi●h Hi●t●ry ●f Ma●●● which they call Chare m Upon this lake stands a little town of the same name where in the year 792. Eathred King of the Northumbrians slew the sons of King Elfwold after he had taken them from York that by his own wickedness and their blood he might secure himself in the Kingdom Between this lake and the river Dudden is the promontory we commonly call Forness with the Island Walney like a Counterscarp lying along by it and a small arm of the sea between The entry to it is d This fort is quite ruinated defended by a Fort call'd The Pile of Fouldrey Pi●e 〈◊〉 F●uld●e● situate upon a rock in the middle of the water and built by the Abbot of Forness in the first year of King Edward the third Upon the promontory there is nothing to be seen but the ruins of Forness-Abbey 8 Of C●stercian Monks L●b F ●●s●●n● which Stephen Earl of Bullen afterwards K. of England built in the year 1127. in a place formerly call'd Bekensgill or translated it rather from Tulket in Anderness Out of the Monks of this place and no where else as they themselves have related the Bishops of the Isle of Man which lyes over against it were wont by an ancient custom to be chosen this being the mother as it were of several Monasteries both in that Island and in Ireland n More to the East stands Aldingham Ald●●gh●● the ancient estate of the family of the Harringtons H●●●●gt●●s to whom it came from the Flemmings by the Cancefelds and whose inheritance by a daughter went to William Bonvill 9 Of Somersetshire of Devonshire and by him at last to the Greys Marquisses of Dorset Somewhat higher lyes Ulverston Ul●●●● to be mention'd upon this account that Edward the third gave a moiety of it to John Coupland one of the most warlike men of that age whom he also advanc'd to the honour of a Banneret for taking David the second King of Scots prisoner in a battel at Durham After his death the said King gave it with other great estates in these parts and with the title of Earl of Bedford to Ingleram Lord Coucy a Frenchman he having married his daughter Isabel and his Ancestors having been possess'd of great Revenues in England in right of Christian de Lindsey ●o As for those of the Nobility who have bore the title of Lancaster 〈…〉 there were three in the beginning of the Norman Government who had the title of Lords of the Honour of Lancaster namely Roger of Poictou the son of Roger Montgomery sirnam'd Pictavensis as William of Malmesbury says because his wife came out of Poictou in France But he being depriv'd of this honour for his disloyalty King Stephen conferr'd it upon his own son William Earl of Moriton and Warren Upon whose death King Richard the first bestow'd it upon John his brother who was afterwards King of England For thus we find it in an ancient History 〈…〉 King Richard shew'd great affection for his brother John For besides Ireland and the Earldom of Moriton in Normandy he bestow'd upon him such great preferments in England that he was in a manner a Tetrarch there For he gave him Cornwal Lancaster Nottingham Derby with the adjacent Country and many other things A pretty while after King Henry the third son of King John
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 Ea●●●● Lancast●● 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