XIII. MRS. ELLINOR MITFORD, OF BURN HALL,13 TO MR. GEORGE THORESBY. 1666. (Ibid., p. 154.) Sir, I received a letter from your brother, Mr John Thoresby of Leedes, wherin he desires I would favour him with a sight of the Thoresbyes pedegree, wch he acknowledges he did once see with you att Newcastle, being lent you by my sonne, Charles Barker; but shortly after (as your brother says) it was returned againe to my sonne. Truly, Sir, had it layd in my power I should have been glad therewith to have pleasured any of the familie of the Thoresbyes, upon an engagement of a safe returne. For the antiquitie thereof and exactnesse in the intermarriages of severall families hath heretofore mooved others to exceed the bounds of civilitie in refuseing to returne it, when borrowed and hath put my predecessours to the charges of a sute for its recovery, but I should haue hoped better things of your brother. Now, Sir, my request is, that if you did restore it to my sonne in his lifetime, you would informe me what witnesse you haue of the delivery. For it being demanded of my daughter-in-law immediately after my sonnes death, she did absolutely affirme, that it was not deliverd in. I pray, Sir, recollect your memory in this particular, for I assure you the pedegree is of so great account with me, that before I loose it I shall follow the example of my predecessours. And herein I hope you shall pard(on me w)ho shall ever remaine Yours to loue and serve you Burn-hall 1666 I pray, Sir, let your answer be directed to Mr Burnann's shop in Durham. Dorso:-For Mr George Thoresby in Newcastle. XIV. MRS. ELIZABETH ALDBOROUGH 14 TO HER SON WILLIAM LODGE,15 JESUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. JUNE 24, 1667. Boath I and your sister writt to you since yours by Mr Hustler. Since that you write me a desire to remove to Oxford upon a surmise the 13 It is somewhat difficult to make out who this lady was. Burnhall, from whence she writes, is close to Durham, and now belongs to the Salvins, It seems probable she was widow of Francis Barker of the Manor House, Topcliffe, gentleman, who made his will on Sept. 11, 1638. If so, one of her daughters, Eleanor, married Thomas Sanderson of Hedley, co. Durham, and another, Frances, William Mitford of Pespool, in the same county (Foster's Durham Visitation sickenes is or may be in towne, yt your tutor will be beter pleased & the air conduce better to your health. This is not more deare to you then me, but I know noe resonable cause why you may haue it better els where then there. I am suar where you are is more agreeable to wt you haue beene bred in, & if you will not harbour foolish fancies may haue it as wel theare. Those who haue beene there since Mr Hustler, say all is very free from the sicknes. Prethe, free thy selfe from that unsetled humour, it will sham al that consent to it. If the sickenes should breake out which God forbid, asure thy selfe one of the first remouers. This sad troble some time we may be glad of any setled quiet place to rest in. Your tutor, I heare, and am glad of, dos not thinke it will be any preiudice to him your remoue, but is sory for your owne sake and friends. Whilst you are soe vnconstant, what hopes that shiftinge place will bound thy desire. I could haue liked better to haue read you will imploy your time cheefely in fittinge thy selfe for the Ins of Court, then beinge forward in enteringe thy name, tho that too in fit time. I know thou art not soe dul but may haue suficient time for recreation besides your needfull study. Deare child thinke how much my hapines, (nay if I saide life), depends of thy wel doinge. Every one I haue herd speake of thee giues thee a very good carecter, setinge aside this pertinatious humour. As yeares and discretion increase, I hope and pray this may decrease. I doubt you are soe good a husband with thy linge that you are scarse neate and cleane, must shift oftne this hot wether. Thy litle nephews I know scarse whether is finer. Tom can pratle a litle. The lasse wants you much to send her erands, remembers her deare love, & soe doe all the rest of us. The widow still goes in a We know nothinge more then when you (were) heare. The dr is mist. Pedigrees, pp. 245, 277). These marriages will account for her writing from the county of Durham. 14 She married as her second husband, at Leeds, on Oct. 9, 1652, William Aldborough of Aldborough, near Boroughbridge (Dugdale's Visitation, p. 166). 15 William Lodge (1649-1689), an amateur artist and engraver, born at Leeds on July 4, 1649, was the son of William Lodge, merchant at Leeds, and Elizabeth, daughter of John Sykes. Lodge was educated at Leeds, and afterwards at Jesus College, Cambridge, and studied law at Lincoln's Inn. He accompanied Thomas Belasyse, Earl of Fauconbery, on his embassy to Venice, and published in 1679 a translation of Giacomo Barri's Viaggio Pittoresco d'Italia, under the title of "The Painter's Voyage of Italy, in which all the famous paintings of the most eminent Masters are particularised, as they are preserved in the several cities of Italy." Lodge was a prolific draughtsman and etcher, mainly of topography, in France, Italy, and England, and especially of the scenery near Leeds and York. He drew some plates of antiquities for Dr. Martin Lister, to illustrate papers read before the Royal Society, and printed in the Philosophical Transactions. Lodge was a member of an interesting society of virtuosi at York, comprising Dr. Lister, Francis Place the engraver, Ralph Thoresby, and others, who used to meet at the house of Henry Gyles, the glass-painter. While staying with a friend near Harewood in Yorkshire, Lodge dreamed that he would be buried in Harewood Church. He died unmarried, at Leeds, in August, 1689, and left directions that he should be buried with his mother at Gisburn in Craven, but while the funeral procession was on its way thither, an accident rendered it necessary to deposit the body in the nearest church, which turned out to be Harewood, where it was subsequently interred. Lodge painted some portraits in oil, and engraved a few, including one of Oliver Cromwell and his page. In the print room at the British Museum a portrait, engraved in mezzotint by Francis Place, (the only example known) is stated to be a portrait of Lodge (Dictionary of National Biography. XXXIV. 66). not heare now, will be within this month. Cornt Clithro is as fat and greasie as euer. All the company you left is heare still. Sister is not breedinge. I hope will rest a litle. Al freinds are well. Thou sees how loth I am to leaue wt is like talkinge with thee. Write me what you doe and how, as often as you can. I will pay for postage when we meet next somer at furthest. I hope god allmighty haue thee and us in his safe keepinge, and blesse thee and thy deare mother Seruice to Tutor and Mr Croft ffor Mr Will: Lodge in Jesus Colledge Cambridge to ye Post Mr of Royston Eliz: Aldburghe. pd 3d XV. CHRISTOPHER HILDYARD TO AN UNKNOWN CORRESPONDENT. AUG. 18, 1667. (Ibid., p. 165.) Ebor., xvii August, lxvii. Sr, Bee pleased to accept of these as the returne of my very humble thankes for the vnmerited favour you were pleased to vouchcafe (sic) me, (a strainger to you), the last Assises at Yorke. It was a very greate misfortune, for soe I must accompt it, that I was not at home when you were pleased to come to visite me. I am very much oblidged to you for that additionall fauour so highly expressed in yors of the xiijth of this moneth, & doe gladly embrace yor kinde motion of exchange of coynes, wch will redounde soe much to my advantage. I confesse I am a greate louer of all antique learning, but am something vnfortunate, that I meete with few person(s) in Yorke, (whose very names speakes antiquity itselfe), that I can advantage myselfe in that curious kinde of learning. I have every wayes a great losse in the death of my good freinde & old acquaintance, Joseph Leach, which happyly may be supplyed in yo1 good acquaintance. You will finde my imperfect collection, not worthy the name of a collection, when you see it. Such supernumeraries as you shall finde are at your service, for such as I am difficient in, & wherein you superabound. I want severall of those reynes you mencon, as namely Otho, Titus and Hadrian. I presume I may have severall you have not named, which perhappes you may want. If you want Constantine the greate, the first Xtian Emp', & was borne at Yorke, (tho London and Colchester would depriue vs of soe greate an honour), I will furnish you with a very faire one and an originall. Sr, till I be made soe happy as to see you at Yorke, be pleased that wee may correspond by letters 16 John Lyster of Arnoldsbiggin, par. Gisburn-in-Craven, aged 24 in 1666, married Mary, daughter of William Lodge, a merchant in Leeds (Dugdale's Visitation, p. 32). Mrs. Aldborough was since you haue beene pleased to giue the first occasion. Mr March will tell you how much I covett your happy acquaintance, and I must begg yo pardon that I may subscribe myselfe Sr Yor most faithfull tho unknowne servant Christo Hildyard. [Who printed the list of ye Ld Mayors of York.] XVI. MR. FRANCIS BAILDON, OF BAILDON, TO MR. JOHN THORESBY. OCT. 14, 1667. (Ibid., p. 166). Baildon, 14th Octob" 1667. S', I am verie much ashamed that it is my hard fortune to bee thusse much behinde wth soe deserveinge a freinde, especially where it so litle concernes yu but mearly yo' well wishes to mee. I am much more sorie yt I am not at this tyme in a condicōn to answer yor desires at this present; but however I begg yo1 charitable cencure of mee, and begges yor patience till yo' faire at Simon and Jude next, at wch tyme I will vse my vtmost indeavores to satisfie yu for all yor civillities. Notwithstandinge I am failled by severall persons in considerable somes, besides my great charges in thee new buyldinge of my milnes, wch hath laide mee in above 2007., all wch hath occasioned my great failinge to soe worthy a freinde, wch shall bee answered wth as great a kindnesse, when in thee power of, MR. WILLIAM LODGE, AT CAMBRIDGE, TO HIS MOTHER, Deare Mother, (Stowe MSS. No. 745, p. 1.) Yours of the 20 of Octbr I received but yesterday. I feare that letters miscarry. Write me whether you received a letter from my tutor which was inclosed in one of mine to the old sire. I am as observant to my tutor as need requires, yet as familiar as two scoolboyes. I shall not scruple to send you downe the best effects of my lymning, if you can but secure me a few directions from cuz. Lambert, and encloze them in the next letter you send. I attempted the makeing of a picture the last week, which lookes well on the foreside, but behind the colours are sunk through, wherefore the cheife directions I desire, is onely to know, how to order my cloth before I lay on colours. I make painting onely a recreation an hour after dinner, and so no hindrance is it, but rather a furtherance to thinges of greater concernment. Pray remember me to bro. Fisher, and all friends. Remember me to the Lass. I find a difference betwixt riseing here to chappell every cold morning before six a clock, sometimes unbuttond and with loose knee strings, towards sitting burning my shins with her over your fire with tost and ale. Pray write to my guardian to send me some pockett money, for Mrs Lambert's 8 is marcht off, and forty shillings to count it with, as you may see by that paper I have writt twise to him, but I think my letters miscarry. Deare Mother I am your dutifull son, Will Lodge. Novembr 14, 67. My tutor has send my guardian a bill of what is spent with the Butler, Cook, Taylor, Shoomaker, & I suppose you may see it. There is a line for cuz. Clethers on the other side. Youre letter was so acceptable, that I cannot refrain from solliciting you for another, onely to know your fortune in hunting and setting, neither can anything be more pleasing then to heare of the welfare of one that is so well beloved of your cordiall Cuz: and humble servant Will Lodge. Pray remember to your ffa: Mo: and sisters, Suze, Jack, the Vicar, cum multis aliis quæ nunc prescribere longum est. XVIII. MR. NATHANAEL JOHNSON TO MR. WILLIAM DUGDALE, 18 You entred the descent of the family of Thoresby at Leedes, and they desire a pedigree and scutcheon signed, as I formerly intimated to you. My good friend, Mr. John Thoresby of Leedes, will appoint one to waite upon you to pay for it. Theire is no doubt but 18 Printed in Dugdale's Visitation, p. 248. Dugdale doubted their right to the Thoresby arms. |