of the College, he agreed to purchase Mr. Jones, York's, tabard, for £400, GEORGE III. but he found great opposition. The Townleys in Lancashire, attached to Garter. the royal, imprudent, unfortunate Stuarts, had been implicated in the attempt in 1715, to place that family upon the throne; it involved them in the greatest misfortunes. At length, the late King was prevailed upon to admit that he should become an herald. It has been remarked, that his patent as York was the first which passed in the English language; nor is it less observable, that a warrant issued from Francis Howard, Earl of Effingham, Deputy Earl Marshal, to dispense with the ceremony of creation, as had been usual: it was the more extraordinary because a patent had been signed, September 3, 1735, to perform it. Mr. Brooke, Somerset, says, he was the first gentleman on whom His present Majesty was pleased to confer the honor of knighthood after his coronation. He was not the first, but the third, who received that title, which was given after the first course at dinner. Garter, without the sparkling wit and solid learning of his brother, was elegant and well informed. He died greatly respected at his lodgings in Camden-Street, in Islington, June 7, 1774, and was buried in the family vault, under the north part of St. Dunstan's Church in the East, in London. He married Mary, youngest daughter and coheir of George Eastwood, of Thornhill in the West Riding of Yorkshire. By her he had Charles Townley, Esq. late Lancaster, William, John, and Mary. Garter's widow remarried in October, 1786, the Rev. Johnson, then curate of Ashley in Staffordshire.

THOMAS BROWNE, Esq.

This gentleman was second son of John Browne, of Ashborne in Derbyshire, by Dorothy, daughter of John Greatrex. Garter first resided at his seat of Little-Wimley, near Stevenage in Hertfordshire, which he received with his wife: afterward he removed to Camville-Place in Esinden in that county; but he died at his town house in St. James' Street, Bedford-Row, on February 22, 1780, aged seventy-nine. His death was occasioned by a palsey, which had long afflicted him. His body was taken to Esinden with great funeral pomp: the herse and pall were adorned with escocheons of his arms. John Whitwick, Esq. his grandson, gave the Society of Antiquaries a portrait of him in mezzotinto. Martha, his wife, youngest daughter and coheir of George Needham, of Wymondley Priory

in

Garter.

GEORGE III. in Hertfordshire, brought him the estate lying at Little-Wimley, long possessed by the Needhams, one of whom had been a falconer to Richard III, and had that Monarch's portrait painted upon wood. His descendant, James Needham, surveyor of the royal woods to Henry VIII., obtained a grant of the estate from the crown. Garter sold the property at LittleWimley to Mr. Vanderplank, whose daughter, Mrs. Jodrell, a widow, now, or lately enjoyed it. The ancient seat, partly destroyed, serves for a farm-house. Garter was the most eminent land-surveyor in the kingdom, which acquired him the epithet Sense Browne, which distinguished him from his contemporary, the elegant Lancelot Brown, Esq. usually called Capability Brown. Mrs. Browne, Garter's widow, dying in 1779, was also buried at Esinden. By her he had two sons and four daughters. 1, George Browne, Gent. Blue-mantle, who died in his father's life time. 2, The Rev. William Browne, of Camville-Place, who marrying, at Mary-la-bonne church, Ann, eldest daughter of Sir Fitzwilliam Barrington, Bart. has had William Browne, borne at Camville-Place, July 30, 1792-3,married to John Whitwick, Esq. in Staffordshire, F.A.S. 4, Barbara; 5, Martha; 6, Dorothy; all unmarried in 1779. He gave each daughter £5000, and £9000 more to be equally distributed amongst them, which, with his real estates, made their fortunes very considerable. He gave by his will to Mr. Delate £200; to his brother £200, and two other legacies of £100 each.

RALPH BIGLAND, Esq.

Appointed February 26; created March 2, 1780.

By a very long and full pedigree of the Biglands, entered in the College at Arms, it appears, that Garter's family was originally seated at Bigland in Lancashire, in Henry VIIth's reign. * Bigland, an hamlet to the parish of Cartmel, is remarkable for its fine woods and charming prospect of the country. The rivers Ken and Leven heighten its beauties. At the top of its ascent there is a fish-pond, so deep and spacious that a man of war might sail in it. From the common ancestor, Edward Bigland †, of Bigland, descended three branches: the eldest remained there for a long time, another settled in Essex; from the third Garter descended. His father, Richard

Garter.

Richard Bigland, born at Kendal, in Westmorland, was baptized there, GEORGE III. December 13, 1658. He entered a student at Gray's Inn, but afterward resided at Stepney, where he died, February 26, 1724-5, aged sixty-six, and was buried in the cemetery. His first wife was of the family of Richardson: by her he had no issue. After her death he married Mary, third daughter and coheir of George Errington, of Benwell, in Northumberland, descended from those seated at Errington and Denton in that county, allied in blood and inheritance to the renowned family of Babington. She dying October 15, 1736, aged sixty-one, was buried by her husband. Mr. Bigland by her had two children, Garter, and Elizabeth-Maria, mother of the present Richmond herald. Mr. Ralph Bigland, after going through all the offices in the College, and executing also the office of Registrar, to which he was appointed in 1763, became head of it. He enjoyed his ele. vation but a little time, dying in St. James' Street, Bedford Row, March 27, 1784, aged seventy-three. He was buried with his parents at Stepney. Garter was deservedly esteemed and regretted. There is an engraving of him in his tabard, inscribed "Ralph Bigland, Somerset Herald, created "Garter, Principal King at Arms, 2d March, 1784, aged seventy-three. " R. Brampton Pinx. C. Townley Fecit, 1771." The date of his death and his age have been added, the portrait having been engraved in his life time, when he was only an herald. The great collections he had made for an History of Gloucestershire were intended to have been arranged, and given by him to the public. In 1792, one volume in folio, price three guineas in boards, came out, dedicated to his grace the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal of England, intituled, "Historical, monumental, " and genealogical Collections, relative to the County of Gloucester, taken " from the original Papers of the late Ralph Bigland, Esq. Garter, Prin

cipal King at Arms, printed by John Nichols, for Richard Bigland, of " Frocester in the county of Gloucester, Esq." The second volume of the same work has been advertised to be printed in numbers. Garter married at Frocester, June 13, 1737, Ann, daughter, and would, had she lived, been coheir of John Wilkins, of the place. She dying December 1, 1738, aged twenty-two, was buried near the wall of the cemetery of