GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. DECEMBER, 1839. BY SYLVANUS URBAN, GENT. CONTENTS. MINOR CORRESPONDENCE.-History of the Sikes Family in Burke's Commoners.-Epitaph by Chief Justice the Earl of Mansfield.-Ancient Ring, &c. D'AUBIGNE'S HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION.. Tickenham Court and Church, Somersetshire (with a Plate)... Repairs of Ashbourn Church, Derbyshire PAGE 554 555 573 575 576 Assassination and the Police in Peru. - Matrimonial Precedence. -Tontines.... On the Testamentary Jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical Courts........ .. 581 582 Literary Memorials of the Family of Tooke.. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Sydenham's History of Poole, 609; Warkworth's Chronicle, 614; Graaf's Expedition to Greenland, 618; Trench's Sabbation, 621; The Stranger's Guide to Treves, ib.; Mrs. Bowen's Ys-tradffin, 622; Hannibal in Bithynia, ib. THE ANNUALS :-Friendship's Offering, 623; Forget Me Not, ib.; Oriental Annual, 625; Schloss's Bijou Almanac, ib. -Taylor's Manual of Ancient History, ib. -Dowling's Ecclesiastical Historians, 628.-Miscellaneous Reviews... .. LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.-New Publications, : 629 633 ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES.-Roman Inscriptions at the Newcastle HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. - Foreign News, 638.--Domestic Occurrences 639 Promotions and Preferments, 642.-Births, Marriages ..... OBITUARY; with Memoirs of the Duke of Bedford, 646; Lord Trimlestown, 648; Rt. Hon. Mr. Justice Vaughan, ib.; Sir T. E. Winnington, Bart. 649; Sir T. J. Tyrwhitt Jones, Bart. ib.; Vice-Adm. Sir T. M. Hardy, Bart. 650; Sir William Russell, Bart. 652; Gen. Douglas Wemyss, ib.; Gen. Terrot, 653; Major-Gen. Sir N. Trant, ib.; Col. Hervé de Montmorency (Morres), ib.; James Rimington, Eeq. 654; Alderman Scholey, 655; Rev. William Betham, ib.; Mrs. Baldwin, 656; John Corrie, Esq. 658; Mr. Yeates..... 643 658 Bill of Mortality-Markets-Prices of Shares, 671.-Meteorological Diary Stocks .... 672 Embellished with a View of TICKENHAM CHURCH and Court, Somersetshire; and Representations of three Roman Inscriptions in the Newcastle Museum. MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. J. S. makes the following remarks on the account of the descent of the Rev. Joseph Sikes, contained in Burke's History of the Landed Gentry. After mentioning the origin of the family, given by Thoresby in his Ducatus Leodiensis, Mr. Burke says:-" One of its branches subsequently settled at Leeds, in Yorkshire; the same learned antiquary acquainting us (after describing the castle of that town), that 'where it of old stood is now a capital messuage, and the ancient Manor House, lately, with the Park, &c., the estate of Richard Sikes, esq. his grandson Richard having also, it appears, been Alderman of Leeds when first incorporated, and his son Richard, Parson of Kirkheaton, 13507. deep in the list of compounders.' Thoresby has it-Where the castle of old stood, is now a capital messuage, and the ancient Manor House, lately with the Park, &c., the estate of Richard Sykes, of Leeds, Gent., now, in right of Elizabeth, his eldest daughter and co-heir, of Richard Wilson, Esq., barrister-at-law, of Gray's Inn. This family of the Sykes's sprung from those of the name at Sykes-dyke (whose servants wore the branded bull as their badge), near Carlisle; whence one William Sykes, a younger brother, came into these more populous and trading parts, where he considerably improved himself by the clothing trade; his grandson, Richard, was Alderman of Leeds when first incorporated, and one of the most eminent merchants in these parts; of whom, and his son Richard, Parson of Kirkheaton (who was 1350l. deep in the list of compounders), more in its proper place.' Thus Mr. Burke, in attempting to conceal that the family was formerly mercantile, commits himself. Mr. Burke proceeds The name was of eminency in Richard 3rd's time, when by the inquisitiones post mortem and ad quod damnum, we learn that a writ of mesne was sued by Robert de Sike against Daniel Fletwitch, to acquit him of services demanded by the king, the said Robert holding of the crown as mesne lord.' Mr. Thoresby, in his account of the family of Idle, says- The name was of eminency in Edward 3rd's reign, when a writ of mesne was sued by David Fletwitch against Robert de Idle, to acquit him of services demanded by the king, the said Robert holding of the king as mesne lord.' These two sentences strike. one as being extremely similar. Again, Mr. Burke says - 'The Rev. Richard Sikes, 5th in lineal descent from Richard Sikes, of Sikes-dyke, temp. Hen. 6th, and eldest son of the Rector of Kirkheaton, was himself Rector of Spofforth and Prebendary of York. He espoused Anna, daughter of the Rev. Mark Micklethwaite, Rector of Long Marston, and had, with other children who died issueless, a son and heir, Richard Sikes, esq. M.A., who wedded Martha, daughter and heir of Sir Francis Cavendish Burton, and died 1696, leaving a son, Joseph Sikes, esq.' (grandfather of the present Rev. Joseph Sikes, L.L.B.) On turning to Thoresby, I find that this very Richard Sykes, M.A., died sine prole, 10th October, 1686. Neither is there any account of his marriage. It must be recollected that Thoresby lived at this period, so that his statement can hardly be incorrect. If, on examination of only one pedigree, so many discrepancies are discovered, how can we place confidence in the rest of the work?" The biographer of Sir John Eardley Wilmot states that Lord Mansfield "conferred the singular honour of writing the epitaph upon Sir Thomas Dennison, one of the Judges of the Court of K. В. (who died in 1765), which is believed to be the only work of the kind that came from his hand." Has this appeared in print, or where is the epitaph to be seen? Μ. We feel obliged to E. A. H. who hasent us drawings of an ancient ring, silver gilt, recently thrown up by the plough in a field near Okehampton, and now in the possession of the Rev. H. Fothergill. In the centre is a heart between four trefoil leaves, surmounted by a coronet; opposite to these, on the back of the ring, are two clasped hands, the whole of good workmanship. We should not assign an earlier date to it than the seventeenth century. The seal of Archbishop Waldeby, engraved in our September number, which, when published a century ago by Dr. Drake, was in the possession of an innholder at Durham, is not now in that city, but in the hands of the Registrar of the Dean and Chapter of York, having been found behind a chest in the Vestry during Jonathan Martin's fire. A gentleman at Manchester has shown us a very handsome sacramental cup, of silver gilt, engraved with the royal arms charged with the inescocheon of Nassau, and the following inscription-" Ex dono Mariæ, Serenissimæ Angliæ &c. Reginæ, in usum Eccl'æ Bmæ. Mariæ &c. Breaghmore-Wheeler. Obijt 28 Xbris. 94." Our correspondents are requested to state where the church of Breaghmore-Wheeler may be; and whether they can throw any light upon this gift of Queen Mary : which is the more remarkable, as bearing the date of her death, and having therefore the appearance of a bequest. THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. History of the Great Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, in Germany, &c. By J. H. M. D'Aubigné. 1838. 8vo. Walther. WE could have wished that a history of the "Great Reformation," worthy of its subject, and which has been so long a desideratum in literature, had been written in our language, and reserved for some writer of our own. In either of the Universities, and particularly now in one, are to be found those who could have entered on their important task, after a long and familiar acquaintance with its general principles, its causes, and its results; who could have brought to the investigation of it, a depth and variety of learning, secular and divine, a comprehension of reasoning, a temperance of judgment, an impartiality of decision, a purity and elevation of mind, and a tenderness and delicacy of feeling; -all requisite for the successful accomplishment of so great a work. It is a work not to be received from every hand-ὄντε πάντη, ὄυτε πάρα πάντων : but the leisure which is necessary for such tasks, the absence of all disturbing calls of immediate pressure, the calm unbroken tranquillity which is required for the composition of works of original thought and laborious compilation, are unfortunately in our days, even in those very seats which have been considered as the home of the Muses, and the sanctuary of the thoughtful and studious scholar, either denied, or in the most favourable cases too much abridged. Only a few years have passed, since we were informed by one of the brightest ornaments of an University, whose illustrious name he sheltered from unjust reproach, when he was rebuking a thoughtless sneer which had been directed against the learning and industry of its members; that so much had the state of things been altered, and so urgent and so numerous were the demands of society upon the collegiate system, that the Universities could barely retain within themselves, members sufficient to perform the necessary duties of instruction, and to fill the chairs of learning and science. Since that time, not only have the same causes continued more urgently to act, but others also have arisen, productive of the same effects; and which render it imperative on those learned bodies, not only to meet hostile attacks, but to repress internal divisions; to defend themselves against unjust accusations, to refute injurious doctrines, and to advocate and advance neglected and forgotten truths. So strong are the calls of public duty, so increasing the demands of official situations, so onerous the weight of ministerial labours, * See Dr. Copleston's triumphant reply to the attacks of the Edinburgh Review on the University. We cannot quote the exact words but we give the meaning. |