of Warin fitz-Gerald a sonne called Baldwin the third Earle of Deuon who changed his anncesters Escuchion from a griffon golde in a field gules vnto a shield golde charged with a Lyon azure He had issue two children Baldwin the last Earle of this familie and Isabell that was maryed to William de Fortibus Earle of Albemarle and of Deuonshire in her right Pag. 144. HEre doe you wrong this discent of the Earles of Deuonshire making Baldwin Ryuers to be the first Earle of Deuonshire and Lord of Twyfferton and Plympton in king Henry the first his time when as it is very manifest that Richard Ryuers father of this Baldwin was the same person vnto whome king Henry the first gaue Twifferton Plimpton and the yle of Wight with the Earledome of Deuonshire and not to Baldwin his sonne whome you name as is very well prooued by the booke of Brightley and Forde where those of that familie doe lye buryed as also by your owne Testimonie against your selfe in the tittle of Iles in your booke Pag. 710. Secondly to your affirmation that Baldwin the third Earle of Deuon did change his Auncestors Escucheon gules a griffon gold vnto a shield golde a Lyon azure I answere it is a fault in a meane person to be founde vntrue in his reportes much more in you to publish in print such an vntrueth as this for you can not euer prooue the said shielde gules with the griffon golde to haue bene borne or vsed by any of the said familie or any other Armes at all of theirs can you shewe vntill that Baldwin the third did vse for his Armes the foresaid Lyon azure vpon golde Thirdly because in the beginnning of this succession of Earles of Deuon you abridged vs of the first now to make amendes for the same and to fill vp the number againe you doe here name for an Earle of Deuon William de Fortibus who neuer as yet attayned vnto that dignitie And therefore no reason why you should thus adde or substracte to or from noble persons dignities at your pleasure But here peraduenture yee will say Isabel the wife of the aforenamed William de Fortibus did in her widowhood write her selfe Countesse of Albermale and Deuon and Lady of the I le which if I graunt vnto that she did it was in respect that she was the onely heire then left aliue of that honorable familie and yet will not that make a necessitie that her husband must be Earle of Deuon THe Barony of Stoke-Curcy was so named of the Lordes thereof It was the seate of William Curcy that was Sewer vnto king Henry the first He had issue William whose daughter Auice was wife to Warin Fitz-Gerald and their daughter and heire was maryed to Baldwin Riuers Earle of Deuon Of this familie of Curcies did discend Iohn Curcie which by warlike force ouercame Vlster in Ireland Pag. 157. YOur errors here committted are these first you make William de Curcy that was Sewer to K. Henry the first to haue issue a sonne named William which is vntrue for that he dyed without issue and left Robert de Curcy his brother his heire Secōdly you say the said Williā de Curcy had a grand-childe by his sonne William called Auice maryed to Warrin Fitz-Gerald who had issue a daughter and heire maryed to Baldwin Earle of Deuon In which you are also deceiued For the first William as I saide before had not any issue at all and therefore no such grand-childe And where you affirme the said Warin Fitz-Gerald to haue issue by Auice his wife but one onely daughter it is manifest that he had issue a sonne named Warin Fitz-Gerald who had issue the third Warin Fitz-Gerald But for your better instruction herein and to correct this your errour I will set you downe the truth of this discēt as followeth Robert de Curcy a great Baron and Councellour vnto William Rufus had issue two sonnes William and Robert William the eldest sonne dying without issue Robert his brother succeded him in his dignitie and was a witnesse to the Charter of king Stephen of landes that hee gaue to the Abbay of Westminster by the name of Robert de Curcy the kings Sewer After whose death Robert de Curcy his eldest sonne Sewer to king Henry the second being slaine in Ireland without anie issue William the seconde sonne succeeded and was a witnesse to the Charter of king Henrie the second of landes and liberties that he gaue to Saint Peters at Westminster He had issue Iohn de Curcy gouernour of Vlster in Ireland in the time of king Iohn who hauing no issue left his rich patrimonie to Alice or Auice his sister then the wife of Warin Fitz-Gerald which Warin was a witnesse to the Charter of king Iohn of his submission to the Pope 1212. Hee had issue by his said wife the second Warin Fitz-Gerald Lord of Harewood father to the third Warin THe greatest glorie of Bridgewater was that king Henrie the seuenth honoured it with the title of an Earldome by making Giles Dawbeney Gentleman of his Chamber Earle thereof whose onely daughter and heire was maried to I. Bourchier the first earle of Bath of that familie Pag. 161. IF the making of Gentlemen heretofore hath beene greatly misliked by her Maiestie in the kinges of Armes much more displeasing I thinke it will be to her that you being no Officer of Armes should erect make and put downe Earles and Barons at your pleasure publishing in print falslie their admittance or depriuation as in this place you haue done making Giles Dawbeney to be created Earle of Bridgewater by King Henrie the seuenth when as the said King neuer aduaunced him nor any other to that dignitie neither was the said Giles euer anie Earle during his life And therefore here haue you no great cause to boast of your skill in Heraldie But to pleasure you I will bring you to the marke whereat your vnaduised penne hath roued which is to Henrie Dawbeney whome king Henrie the eight on the 21. day of Iulie in the 30. yeare of his reigne did at his Mannor of Ocking create Earle of Bridgewater which Henry was both the first and last that euer caried that title of dignitie and died without issue All which I hope you will confesse to bee true and acknowledge your fault HVngerford was a familie of great account euer since the time of King Edward the third for Thomas Hungerford was grandfather to Walter Lord Hungerford Treasurer of England Which Walter enriched his familie by marying Katherin Peuerell she being descended from the Moyles and Courtneys His son Robert also enlarged the same more by marying with Eleonore the daughter and heire of William Lord Mollins who was beheaded at New-castle in the ciuill warres betwixt the families of Lancaster and Yorke He had issue Thomas that was slaine at Salisbury in the life of his father yet left hee issue one sole daughter called Marie that was
succession of these Earles saying That from the first Hugh in Henry the first time succeeded in direct line from father to sonne Hugh that tooke parte against king Henry the second c. To this I answere that you were in a Labyrinth not able to finde out what issue there was betwixt the first and second Hugh And to vnfolde this your error I affirme that the first Hugh and those that you say succeeded betweene from father to sonne to that Hugh whome you name the second were all but one person for he that was Steward to king Henry the first and was after made Earle of Norffolke by king Stephen was the same person that liued in the time of king Henry the second and that tooke part with the yong king against his father Thirdly where you affirme that the last Earle Roger surrendred all his honors and almost all his inheritance vnto king Edward the second it seemeth a matter vnto me very vnlike that the said Roger dying in the life of king Edward the first could in the reigne of king Edward the second make any such surrender But here haue you done very wisely in leauing out the cause of the kings displeasure against the said Roger for therein would you haue disclosed your owne error But because I would not haue you ignorant of the same king Edward the first in the fifteenth or sixteenth yeare of his reigne required this Roger Bygot Eerle of Norffolke Gilbert de Clare Earle of Glocester and Humfrey de Bohun then Earle of Hereford to goe with him into France whose request these three noble persons refused whereupon at the said kings returne againe into England he forced Gilbert de Clare and Humfrey de Bohun the yonger sonne of the soresaid Humfrey to marrye with two of his daughters without either land or money and the said Roger Bygot to appease the kings indignation did make ouer vnto him most part of his landes with the office of Marshall of England And this was done by king Edward the first and not by Edward the second as you haue here set downe KIng Edward the third gaue the Earledome of Cambridge vnto Edward of Langley his fift sonne Afterwardes Richard his yonger sonne enioyed the same honor by the fauour of king Henry the fift But he being disloyall and vngratefull plotting the death of that most excellent prince was beheaded and the Earledome of Cambridge vtterly decayed with him Pag. 381. THe Earledome of Cambridge vtterly decayed not with Richard of Conesborough yonger sonne of Edmond of Langley Earle of Cambridge and Duke of Yorke who was executed in the third yeare of Henry the fift as you say but was after reuiued againe in Richard his sonne whome king Henry the sixt in the fourth yeare of his reigne created Earle of Cambridge and after Duke of Yorke Regent of Fraunce and protectour of England HVntingdon had these Earles Syward and Walthe of his sonne after whome by Maude his daughter that honor came first to Simon Sant-lize Earle of Northampton After that to Dauid brother to Alexander king of Scots for Maude was marryed to to them both and had issue by both Whereupon as the princes fauour and fortune changed sometimes the Sant-lizes and sometimes the Scots enioyed this honor vidz Henry the sonne of Dauid then Simon Sant-lize sonne to the first Simon And then Simon Sant-lize the third who dying without issue William king of Scots brother of the foresaid Malcolme succeeded whome Dauid his brother followed and had issue that succeeded him Iohn his sonne surnamed Scote that was Earle of Chester and dyed without issue leauing for his successor Alexander the second which marryed the daughter of king Henry the third who possessed this honor but a while Pag. 387 BEfore I enter to open your errors in this succession of the Earles of Huntingdon I would entreate you of this number of eleuen Earles to put out fiue of them at the least And because you shall take them right I will first nominate vnto you those which ought to stand beginning with Walthe of Earle of Northumberland vnto whome William the Conqueror gaue in mariage with Iudith his neece the Earledomes of Huntingdon Northampton This Walthe of had issue Maude who was giuen in marriage vnto Dauid brother to Alexander king of Scots which Dauid was after a witnesse to the Charter of king Henry the first touching landes and liberties that the said king gaue vnto the Cittie of London by the name of Dauid Earle of Huntingdon After the death of Dauid the foresaid Maude was marryed againe to Simon Sant-lize a Norman gentleman who had with her the Earledome of Northampton Dauid before named had issue Henry who in the life of his father was Earle of Huntingdon and dyed in the 18. yeare of king Stephen leauing issue three sonnes Malcolme William and Dauid Malcolme being king of Scottes rebelled against king Henry the second for which cause the king seised into his handes the Earledome of Huntingdon After the said Malcolmes death William his brother succeeded him in the kingdome of Scotland He likewise rebelled against his Lorde king Henry the second and being taken prisoner was caryed into Normandie Anno 1174. Where he compounded to pay for his raunsome ten thowsand markes and to release all his title and interest of the Earledomes both of Huntingdon and Northumberland After which king Henry gaue the Earledome of Huntingdon to Dauid the third sonne of Dauid Earle of Huntingdon before mentioned Which Dauid was a witnesse to the Charter of king Richard the first of landes that he gaue to the Abbey of Peterborough Anno 1189. by the name of Dauid Earle of Huntingdon He dyed in the second yeare of king Henry the third and left issue Iohn his sonne surnamed Scotte who succeeded him which dyed without issue in the 22. yeare of king Henry the third Thus haue I rightly set downe the succession of the Earles of Huntingdon vnto Iohn surnamed Scotte which vnlesse you can by good authorities disproue as I assure my selfe you cannot I hope you will not onely confesse your error but will abate in your next impression those fiue which in deede were neuer Earles of Huntingdon vidz Syward who was but Earle of Northumberland then the three Simons Sant-lizes that were Earles of Northampton onely and lastly William king of Scottes Ashbye de-la-zouch was sometimes belonging to Alane de-la-zouch Baron who bare for his armes a Shielde gules tenne bezants He by marrying the daughter of Roger Quincie Earle of Winchester greatly increased his inheritance But calling in question of lawe Iohn Earle Warrin who would haue his cause tryed by sworde and not by lawe he was by him slaine in the kings courte at Westminster Anno 1279. and within a fewe yeares after the daughters and heires of his grand-childe caryed this inheritance by marryage to the familie of Hollands who were Barons a long time whose inheritance passed to the Louels and
maried to Edward Lord Hastings Pag. 168. YOur fault cōmitted here is far greater then that before in the title of Bridgewater for in that you added a supposed earle that neuer was frō this discent of Hungerford you haue subtracted a Baron that was in making Robert Lord Hungerford who maried the daughter and heire of the Lord Mollins to be son of Walter lord Hungerford that was Treasorer to King Henrie the sixt and father to Thomas which was slaine at Salisburie In which you are greatly deceiued for that Robert who you say maried the daughter of Lorde Mollins was grand-childe to Walter and sonne to Robert Lord Hungerford and Margaret the daughter and heire of William Lord Botreaux By which your errour you haue not onely thrust quite out of this discent Robert the true sonne of the foresaide Walter but his wife also the heire of the Lord Botreaux to the great preiudice of the now Earle of Huntingdon who is heire generall both to the said Lord Robert and Margaret his wife And for your better satisfaction that there were two Roberts the father and sonne betwixt Walter that was Treasorer to king Henrie the sixt and Thomas that was slaine at Salisburie looke into the Parliament holden at Westminster in the 29. yeare of king Henrie the sixt and there shall you find both the said Roberts the father by the name of Robert Lord Hungerford the elder and the son by the name of Robert Lord Mollins PHilibert de Chandew a Bretaigne borne in France was by king Henry the seuenth made Earle of Bathe after whom king Henrie the eight in the 28. yeare of his reigne created Iohn Bourchier Earle of Bathe He had issue Iohn his sonne that succeeded him who had issue Iohn Lord Fitz-Warren that died in the life of his father leauing issue William nowe Earle of Bathe 1594. Pag. 171. VVHat your meaning is by so often falsifying the petigrees and discents of the Nobilitie I know not but wish there were some good order taken in time for reformation of the same least these and other like vntruths bee receiued generally for infallible verities to the disparagement of noble families as well in their fame as right of inheritance And especially would I desire your selfe being famous for learning which you acknowledge through all the prouinces of Christendom to recant such erroneous fallacies that the worlde may perceiue in your great learning a spirit of singlenesse not obstinately resting in the loue of your selfcōceited opinion but willingly subscribing to the cleare shining truth which truth hath vncharged the noble succession of honorable houses from the mist of your ignorant coniectures by the meanes of vs contemned Heraulds And now to manifest your errour committed in this succession of Earles of Bath I affirme you haue thereunto added an Earle who neuer had other father then your selfe If you demaunde his name I answere Iohn whom you make to bee sonne to Iohn the first Earle of Bathe and grandfather to William that now liueth But that you may the better amend this your rash and vnaduised writing I will set you downe the truth of this discent beginning with Iohn Bourchier Lord Fitz-Warrin whom king H. 8. on the 9. day of Iulie 1536. created Earle of Bathe He had issue Iohn Lord Fitz-Warin that died before his father at Hengraue in Suffolke 1560. leauing issue William nowe Earle of Bath to whose honourable iudgement I submit my self to say whether he had any such grandfather KIng Henrie the second and Robert the sonne of Harding who was the sonne of the king of Denmarke were founders of the Monasterie of Saint Austens by Bristow This Robert was Alderman of Bristow and so dearlie beloued of king Henrie the second that by his meanes he maried the onelie daughter and heire of the Lord Berkeley whereby the saide Roberts posteritie liuing in great honour are yet called Barons of Berkeley some of which are buried in this Church at Bristow Pag. 174. IN this title of Berkley you make Morice the sonne of Robert Fitz-Harding to be sonne to his owne wife and the said Robert to marrie his sonnes wife which vnnaturall mariages though well liked of by your selfe yet neuer knowne nor allowed of by any others And where you affirme Robert Fitz-Harding to marrie the onely daughter and heire of the Lord Berkeley therein will you faile of your proofe for Roger Lord Berkeley of Dursley whome you meane had issue a sonne of whom are discended manie liuing at this present But that you may both knowe and confesse yout fault I will set you downe againe the true discent hereof with my authoritie for the same beginning first with Harding the Dane who by the Booke of Domesday in the 20. yeare of William the Conquerour helde of Brictric in morgage the Mannor of Witenhort in the Countie of Glocester He had issue Robert Fitz-Harding who founded the Abbay of Saint Augustines and the hospitall of Saint Iohns in Bristow 1135. and maried one Eua by whom he had issue Morice Fitz-Robert who tooke to wife Alice the daughter of Roger Berkley Lord of Dursley as doth appeare by the said Rogers deede made in the sixt yeare of the reigne of King Stephen where hee giueth vnto the saide Morice Fitz-Robert in franke mariage with Alice his daughter the Mannor of Slimbridge in the Countie of Glocester And this I hope will bee sufficient to make a deuorce of this your forenamed vnlawfull and vnnaturall mariage VVAlter d'Eureux Earle of Rosmar in Normandie had great possessions giuen him by William Conquerour aboxt Salisburie which possessions he left vnto his yonger sonne Edward surnamed of Salisburie giuing to Walter his eldest sonne his other landes in Normandie with the Earledome of Rosmar whose posteritie failed within a while Edward aforesaide liued in the twentith yeare of William the Conquerour Walter his sonne builded a Monasterie at Bradenstocke wherein he became a Monke yet hee first left issue a sonne called Patrike By Sybill de Chaworth his wife which Patrike was the first Earle of Salisburie and was slaine comming out of the holie lande by Guy de Lusignan to whome succeded William his sonne which died at Paris in the time of King Richarde the first Whose onelie daughter honoured William Longa-Spatha her husbande with the title of that Earledome and with her Escucheon Azure charged with sixe Lions golde His sonne William succeeded and was in battell in the holie lande Anno. 1250. Whose sonne William lost the Earledome through displeasure of King Henrie the thirde but hee had issue one sole daughter named Margaret which being maried to Henrie Lacie Earle of Lincolne and Salisburie in her right had issue by him a daughter called Alice that was married to Thomas Earle of Lancaster Pag. 183. THe more plainlie to decipher your errours in this title of Salisburie I will first beginne with Edwarde d'Eureux whom I finde to liue in the 21. yeare of King William the Conquerour
had issue Richard Earle of Clare which was slaine by the Welshmen This Richard had issue three sonnes Gilbert Earle of Clare that dyed without issue Roger Earle of Clare created Earle of Hertford by Henry the second and Robert his third sonne from whom the familie of Fitz-Walters discended Roger begat Richard Earle of Clare Hertford who marryed Amicia yongest daughter and heire of William Earle of Glocester Pag. 350. YOur historicall reportes are very changeable for in the title of Haresfield Pag. 312. you tell vs that Richard was Earle of Clare in William the Conquerors time and now here you affirme that Gilbert his sonne was the first Earle of Clare of that familie And againe in the title of Dunmowe there haue you set downe this Robert the third sonne of Earle Richard truely to be the sonne of the first Richard that came into this land with William the Conqueror but here will you haue him to be great grand-child to the same Richard Which by no meanes the now Earle of Sussex will consent vnto because thereby he shall loose two of his greattest auncestors with their wiues they being the daughters and heires of Saint-Lyce Earle of Northampton and the Lord Lucy which were both marryed the one to the said Robert and the other to Walter his sonne as more plainely doth appeare by the true discent here following Richard sonne of Gilbert Earle of Angy in Normandye was Lorde of Tunbridge and Clare in England by the gift of William the Conqueror and had issue Gilbert Earle of Clare Roger that dyed without issue 1173. and Robert who was Sewer to king Henry the first and Lord of Dunmow by the said kings gift He maryed Matilda de Sainct-Lice lady of Bradham and had issue Walter Lord and Baron of Woodham that had to wife Matilde the daughter and coheire of Richard Lucy Lord chiefe Iustice of England in Henry the seconds time Of which Walter the honorable familie of Fitz-walters tooke first their surname He dyed 1198. leauing the second Robert his sonne to succeede him who dyed in the 19. yeare of king Henry the third So that by this your mistaking you would cut off the first Robert and Walter his sonne making the second Robert to be the first that came from the maine line of the familie of Clares And for proofe hereof I wish you to examine Gemiticensis who will affirme the same to be true that I haue here said GEffery Magnauill made Walden the seate and head of his honor and Earledome Pag. 342. THe dignitie and Earledome of the Magnauills whilest they were honored with the title of Earles was Essex and not Walden Well that familie might be Lordes and owners thereof but that neuer the head of their honour and Earledome Wherefore if your Author so write hee did it rather like a nouice then an Herauld and your discretion may be suspected in that you played not rather your parte to teach him to speake more Herauld-lyke then to bring in his absurd tearmes for a testimonie amongst Earledomes and Honors THe first Earles of Essex of the Norman race was Geffrey Magnauill commonly called Mandeuill sonne of William by Margaret heire of Eudo the Sewer who was slaine in battell in king Stephens time There succeeded him two sonnes Geffrey and William from whome by a daughter that honour went to Geffrey Fitz-Pieres whose two sonnes Geffrey and William succeeded in that honor Geffrey dyed yong slayne at the Tilte William tooke parte with Lewis of Fraunce against king Iohn and dyed without issue 1227. After whome succeeded Humfrey de Bohun Earle of Hereford and Constable of England who had marryed their sister Pag. 343. YOur vndiscreete wordes vsed in this place may make those noble personages deceased to be called in question for that which nature abhorreth but it were better your penne should prooue a false witnesse then so heynous a matter true Shall we surmise as you write in this page that Humfrey de Bohun sonne of Henry did marrye his owne mother Assuredly we might seeme in so dooing not onely ouer-credulous but also irreligious Yet you say here Humfrey Bohun marryed the sister and heire of William Magnauill Earle of Essex who dyed without issue 1227. Which by no meanes we may beleeue because the match were against nature if it be true that Henry Bohun marryed with that sister and heire of William Magnauill aforesaid which is so vndoubted a trueth that voluntarily it drops out of your owne penne Pag. 479. of your booke in the title of the Earles of Hereford Besides that it is most euident that the saide Henrie in the right of his wife aboue mencioned was the first Earle of Essex of that familie as appeareth by a Charter of king Henrie the thirde in the 25. yeare of his reigne concerning lands that he gaue to the Abbay of Westminster whereunto the said Henrie was a witnesse by the name of Henrie de Bohun Earle of Hereford and Essex and Constable of England And further to manifest that it was not Humfrey the sonne of this Henrie that married with Matilda Know you that she died 1236. in the one and twentie yeare of king Henrie the third which was during the life of the said Henry her husband and foure years before he was a witnesse to the kings Charter aforesaide AFter the death of the familie of Bigots and Vffords Richard the second aduanced Michael De-la-Poole from a Marchant to the Honour and dignitie of Earle of Suffolke and Lorde Chauncellor of England King Henrie the sixt created William his sonne first Marques and after Duke of Suffolke He was beheaded on the Seas and left issue Iohn who married the sister of king Edward the fourth Pag. 357. VVHat is it that you will not vndertake to write and publish of a meane person when you verie vniustly haue wrōged that honorable familie of De-la-Pooles reporting Michael De-la-Poole the first Earle of that name to haue beene aduaunced by Richard the second from a Merchant of Hull Pag. 549. to the dignitie of Earle of Suffolke he being a knight of the noble order of the Garter by the Satutes whereof none can bee elected vnlesse hee be borne gentle three discents both of father and mother Also it doth appeare by an inquisition taken the 9. of Edwarde the third that sir William De-la-Poole knight Banneret father of this Michael was sonne and heire of sir William De-la-Poole knight All which testimonies might haue satisfied you or any other reasonable person both to haue thought and written more reuerentlie of him But not herewith contented you after depriue him the saide Michaell both of his sonne and eldest grandchild which succeeded him in the said dignitie the one after the other by the names of Michaell the second and Michaell the thirde placing in their rowmes as immediate successor and son to the foresaid first Michaell William De-la-Poole duke of Suffolke his second grandchilde In both which points howe much you haue