1746.-THOMAS THORNBOROUGH, Esq. GEORGE II. Descended, I presume, from the Thornboroughs of Selside, in the county of Westmoreland. He died in this office; but the exact date of his death I have not seen. HENRY HILL, Esq.-See next reign. Patent, Nov. 26, 1757. Creation, July 4, 1758. Heralds. CHESTER. Geo. 1.-EDWARD STIBBS, Esq. Died of an asthma at his apartments in the College at Arms, January 10, 1739, and was buried on the 27th of that month, in the Abbey Church in Bath, where lies John Stibbs, Esq. who died in 1708; probably his father; and John Stibbs, Esq. who died in 1732, and captain Bartholomew Stibbs who died in 1735, I suppose his brothers. Feb. 22, 1739.-FRANCIS HUTCHENSON, Esq. Son of William Hutchenson, Esq. by Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Francis, Lord Howard, of Effingham, and relict of William Roberts, of Wilsden, in Middlesex, Esq. He was one of the clerks in the Duke of Newcastle's office, to which nobleman he was related by his maternal grandmother. By his great connexions he obtained a commission, and acted as a justice of peace for the city and liberty of Westminster. The Deputy Earl Marshal made him his secretary and registrar. He was buried in St. Margaret's Church-yard, Wesminster, under a blue marble slab. Το preserve the sculptured arms, and the inscription, strong iron nails are fixed in it. The arms, impaling his wife's, are Baron, a Lion rampant, between three Cross-crosslets; Femme, a Chevron, within a Border ingrailed. The inscription is: "Here lie, in hopes of a blessed resurrection, "the remains of FRANCIS HUTCHENSON, "who died November 16, 1769, aged 63. Chester. " their only surviving child, caused "of her deceased parents." Aug. 1752. JOHN MARTIN LEAKE, Esq. -See next reign. He was, at this time, only thirteen years of age; but the Earl of Effingham, Deputy Earl Marshal, gave him that place. YORK. Geo. 1.-PHILIP JONES, Esq. F. A. S. York. It does not appear that Mr. Jones ever was a pursuivant. He was elected December 5, 1723, a member of the Society of Antiquaries. About the year 1729, having purchased the manor of Somerby, in Lincolnshire, of Charles Brand, Esq., counsellor at law, and not complying with the terms agreed upon, which were to pay a certain suin, and an annuity, a bill was filed against him. This, with other imprudencies, obliged him to surrender himself a prisoner to the Fleet, and to dispose of his tabard to his successor. CHARLES TOWNLEY, Esq. -See Norroy. Somerset. SOMERSET. Geo. 1.-JOHN WARBURTON, Esq. F. R. and A. S. Son of Benjamin Warburton, of Bury, in the county of Lancaster, by Mary, eldest daughter, and in the end, heir of Michael Buxton, of Buxton in Derbyshire, born February 28, 1681-2. At his admission into the Society of Antiquaries he is stiled of Bedale, in the North-Riding of Yorkshire. If we believe Mr. Grose, Richmond, he was originally an exciseman. This gentleman says he was ignorant of not only the Latin, but his native language; that so far from understanding mathematics, he did not even understand gauging, which, he continues, " like navigation, * as practised by our ordinary seamen, consists only in multiplying and " dividing Heralds. " dividing certain numbers, or writing by an instrument, the rationale GEORGE II. " of both which they are totally ignorant of." He died at his apartments in the College of Arms, his usual residence, May 11, 1759, aged seventyeight, and was buried on the 17th in the south aisle of St. Bennet's Church, Paul's Wharf. A peculiar circumstance attended his funeral. Having a great abhorrence to the idea of worms crawling upon him when dead, he ordered that his body should be inclosed in two coffins, one of lead, the other oak: the first he directed should be filled with green broom, hather, or ling. In compliance with his desire a quantity, brought from Epping Forest, was stuffed extremely close round his body. This fermenting, burst the coffin, and retarded the funeral, until part of it was taken out. There is a mezzotinto portrait of him by Miller, from a painting of Vandergutcht, inscribed, "John Warburton, Esq. Somerset " herald at arms, Fellow of the Royal Society, and of the Antiquarian "Society of London, 1746," with a long account of his being the author of various maps. He published maps by actual survey of the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Herts, York, and Northumberland, giving the arms of many hundred families. He also published "London and Middlesex " illustrated," London, 1749, 8vo. justifying the arms annexed to the map of Middlesex. "Vallum Romanorum," London, 1753, 4to. with cuts. These, with some prints, were the whole of what he published. His MS. collections were very great. In the sketch of the materials for a history of Cheshire by a F. A. S., in a letter to Thomas Falconer, Esq. of the city of Chester, speaking of him, says, " whose indefatigable labors " have so greatly contributed to the ornament and illustration of almost 66 every county in the kingdom. His method was, perhaps, singularly " sensible-to glean up every thing, either in print or manuscript, which " had the most distant relation to that particular county he had intended "to elucidate. These scattered fragments, like the Sibyls' leaves, he bound up into volumes, suitable to the size of the papers he had collected, " either folio, quarto, or octavo. His Essex gleanings are now in my " possession, through the communicative kindness of John Leake, Esq. " Chester herald, and though I have not the Cheshire collections, yet "the Essex papers give me a sufficient insight into the nature of those " materials, of which I have the absolute and obliging promise." For Cheshire only he had five volumes. The manuscripts are particuralized as : GEORGE II. Heralds, as comprizing "A Calendar of the Manors in Cheshire, with the several " fees the lords of the said manors paid to the Earl of Chester, and the names and proprietors to the year 1710, 4to. An account of the principal Families in Cheshire, with the lands they held in the said county, from 33 Edw. III. to 24 Henry VII, folio. A Register of "the Black Prince, and Homage due to the Earl of Chester, with the "Names of the principal Families, Lords of Manors, Lordships, &c. from 3 Edw. III. to 29 Eliz. fol. A variety of Maps, Plans, and Prospects, "with MS. Notes, by Plot, Warburton, and others, and whatsoever is " curious in the repositories of the Heralds' Office, the Harleian Library, "and the Office of Records, relative to the County Palatine of Chester." If such was his research for the history of one county only, what must have been his collections? Surely he is deserving credit as an indefatigable antiquary at least. Grose, Richmond, says, that he was not able to write what he published, but employed others. It appears from Mr. Brooke, Somerset's notes, that Toms, who owed his rise to him, told that gentleman, that he had great natural abilities but no education. Grose observes, that "his life was one continued scene of squabbles and disputes with his brethren, by whom he was despised and "detested." Toms remarks, that " though his conduct was faulty, yet " he was extremely ill used, especially by the younger Anstis, who " was of a violent tyrannical disposition." The reason, he says, why he did not rise higher in the College was singular. He was so like the late King in person, that he was persuaded to present a petition to that Sovereign, soliciting the office of a provincial king, then vacant, which was so highly resented by the Earl Marshal, that, with some other things, made him lose, rather than gain ground in the College, especially as his Majesty would not interpose. Warburton was vindictive and scurrilous is undoubted. Having in his map of London and Middlesex given 500 engraved arms in the borders, the Earl Marshal supposing them fictitious, by his warrant commanded him not to take in any subscriptions for arms, nor advertise or dispose of any maps, till the right of such person respectively to such arms were first proved, to the satisfaction of one of the kings of arms. In his book of London and Middlesex illustrated, after observing the above injunction of the Earl Marshal, he subjoins, " which " partiality " partiality being well known to this author, he thought it best to have GEORGE 11. " another arbitrator joined with him, and therefore made choice of the Heralds. impartial public, rather than submit his performance wholly to the " determination of a person so notoriously remarkable for knowing no 66 thing at all of the matter." After properly reprobating the idea, that trade and gentility are incompatible, as a doctrine fitted only for a despotic government, and judiciously remarking the moral impossibility there would soon be of proving descents and arms for want of vísitations, he returns to attack the heads of the College, by saying, that such proofs are obstructed by the exorbitant and unjustifiable fees of three heralds, called kings at arms, who receive each £30 for every new grant. "At present," says he, " no less than two signers and sealers will serve their turn, though " hitherto one was sufficient, and his fee only £5. and some times less; "whilst poor heralds that do the work, must tamely submit to an eleemosynary benevolence. These things done, the College of Arms " will again flourish, and the underlings will eat-viands as well as their majesties." If he thus treated the king at arms, what were the heralds and pursuivants to expect? It is only necessary to add, that in this small book he gave the names, residencies, genealogy, and coat armor of the nobility, principal merchants, and other eminent families, emblazoned in their proper colors, with references to authorities. That he was often in distress for money, and at such times had very little delicacy in relieving himself from his embarrassments, I fear is too true. Mr. Grose gives the following scandalous circumstance, as a proof of "his readiness to "catch at any opportunity that offered to impose on the unwary. Walking " one day through the streets of London, he passed by the house of "Mr. Stainbank, a rich merchant, over whose door he saw an achieve"ment, or hatchment, on which were painted three castles, somewhat " like those borne in the arms of Portugal. He went immediately home, " and wrote a short note, begging to see Mr. Stainbank on very particular " business. The gentleman came, when Mr. Warburton, with a great " deal of seeming concern, told him, the Portuguese Ambassador had " been with him, and directed him to commence a prosecution against " him, for assuming the royal arms of Portugal, and besides meant to " exhibit 4 |