Page images
PDF
EPUB

me at the tyme of my departure, and not by me before preferred to some farme or otherwaies, nor not havinge annuitie of me, to have one hool yeares wages. And every grome and others my servantes one halfe yeares waiges. To the children of my sister Elizabeth, xxli.; of my sister Isabell, twentie poundes; to the foure doughters of my sister Anne, xlli., accordinge to and in performance of an awarde, made betwixt me and the said Anne by the righte honorable the erle of Sussex, Lord President of the Quenes Maiesties Counsell in the North Partes, so that the said Anne, Elizabeth, Isabell, nor ther husbandes nor children, do moleste, vex, seute, or trouble my executors nor administrators, nor any of them, for any legacie or bequest granted or bequeathed by my father's or mother's will, nor any parte of ther goodes. Also unto my thre sonnes, unpreferred in marraige, in full recompence of thir childes porcon, that is to say, Edwarde, Cuthbarte, and Henrie, everye of them, one hundrethe poundes. To Harrington Sutton, my wiffes sonne, vli. annuitie during his liffe out of my landes in Yearsley, in the countie of Yorke. Unto Richarde Ellerbye, for service donne and to be donne to me and my heires, one annuitie of xxvjs. viijd., goinge oute of my landes, etc., at Redcarre, in the countie of York. Unto Thomas Tewer, my servaunte, one annuitie of xxvjs. goinge out of my landes at Yearesley. I make my executors dame Alice, my wiffe, my sonne, Sir William Fairfax, knt., Sir William Bellases, knt., my sonne, Nicholas Fairfax, Thomas Hungaite, esquier, my sonne, Cuthberte Fairfax, and Roger Dalton, gentlemen. I give them for their paines, to Sir William Fairfax, Sir William Bellases, Thomas Hungaite, everye of them, one geldinge, and to Roger Dalton one geldinge or six poundes, at his election.

A clause against infringeing or breaking his will by his wife or sonn Sir William, or any sonne who may be his heir, cutting them off from executorship or any benefit by legacy, &c.:-If sonnes William and Nicholas die without ysshewe male of thire bodies lawfully begotten, &c., the enheritance to descend to Henrye Fairfax, sonne of my sonne George, and if he be within xxi yeares, Cuthberte Fairfax, my sonne, to have the educacon, &c, of him until of full aige, &c. &c. In witnes whearof I, the said Nicholas, to theis seuerall five sheites of paper have subscribed, &c., the day and year above wrytten. Further, should my goodes not extend to the performance of theis legacies, &c., executors to have the profites of "my manors of Rudston, Haistropp and Colton untill" my legacies are satisfied. A clause if Henrye, sonne to my sonne George Fairfax, will not be rewld, &c., by my executors, &c., then my former gift, &c., to him to

be void... To Katherine Bellases, daughter of Sir William Bellases and Margaret, my daughter, his wyffe, 40li., &c., towardes the preferment of hir mariage. This coddicill. To my sonne, George Fairfax, 20li; to my sonne Roberte, 40li.; to my sonne Sir William, the extente of Eligel (sic) upon the statute I have of the executors of Mr. Allington; to my sonne Nicholas, 40li.; sonn Thomas, 4oli., in recompence of all deptes and demandes betwixte him and me, upon condicon that he and his wiffe shall give in fourme of lawe a sufficiente release, &c. My sister Elizabeth, 40s. yearlie out of my lands during her life. To Nicholas Fairfax, 26s. 8d., for his service heretofore done and hereafter to be done to myne heirs. To William Bawne, William Rokkes, John Tayton, George Hewett, for service heartofore donne, &c., each 26s. 8d., goinge oute of such landes as my son William shall appointe, &c. To Jane Morteribie duringe her lyffe, 26s. 8d., goinge furthe of such lands as my son William, &c. At my wiffes requiste, to Margarete Hall, my servaunte, 20s. Geven the 28 March, 1571, in the 13 yeare of Quene Elizabeth. Also I will that my executors shall have twoe yeares spaice in distribucon, &c., of all suche legacies as by this my last will, &c. Also I will that my sonne, Sir William Fairfax, duringe his lyffe shall have the educacon, &c., of Henrye, sonne of my sonne George Fairfax, &c.

Witnesses, Roberte Fairfax, gent., William Fairfax, gent., Richard Ellerby. Probate Oct. 30, 1572, to Sir William Fairfax; power reserved to other executors. Dame Anna Fairfax, relict of the said deceased, represented by John Brokett, notary public. (Reg. Test., xix. 469.)

XI.

INQ. P. M. OF SIR NICHOLAS FAIRFAX, KNT., 1571.

Helmesley, May 1, 13 Elizabeth (1571), before Thomas Wood, esq., escheator. Nicholas Farefax, knt., died seised in his demesne as of fee of the castle and manor of Gillinge in Rydall, of a park commonly called Gillinge Parke, and of 30 messuages (etc., as in last), held of Edward, earl of Darbie, in socage as of his manor of Thurske, worth 26/i. a year. Also of the manor of Rudston and 20 messuages (etc., as in last) in Rudston and Haistropp, held of Walter Grifforth (sic), knt., in socage, as of his manor of Annas Burton, at a rent of 45. for all service, worth 8li. a year. Also of the manor of Skaltune and a water-mill with the advowson of the parish church, and of 8 messuages (etc., as in last), held of Edward, earl of Darbie, in socage as of his manor of Thurske, worth 10li. a year. Also of the manor of Colton,' 6 messuages, 3 cottages, 100 acres of meadow

1 In the parish of Hovingham.

and pasture, 20 acres of wood, held of the same as of the same manor for the third part of one knight's fee, worth 1oli. a year. Also of 5 messuages, 13 cottages, and 7 bovates of land in Ampleforthe, held of the Queen in free socage and not in chief, as of the manor of Estgrinwitch in the county of Kent, worth 5li. a year. Also of a messuage, dovecote, water-mill, 20 acres of pasture, and 100 acres of moor in Yearseley, held of William Belleses, knt., in socage, as of his manor of Yeresley, worth 20s. a year. Also of the manors of Walton, Follyfoote and Acaster Malbis, and 80 messuages, 200 acres of land, 500 acres of wood, 100 acres of meadow, 600 acres of moor in the same, in the county of the city of York; and of 3 messuages in the city of York, and of 5 marcs annual rent from a water-mill in Thorpe Arche. Manor of Walton, held of William Gascoigne in socage as of the manor of Thorpe Arche, worth 1oli. a year. Manor of Follifate, held of the heirs of Alice Vavasour in socage, worth 20 marks a year. Manor of Acaster Malbis, held of the Queen, as of her Honour of Aye, in socage and not in chief, worth 40li. a year. The tenements in York, held of the Queen in free burgage, worth 20s. a year. Also of 20 acres of pasture in Grymston,' held of Edward, earl of Darbie, as of his manor of Thurske. He died March 30 last (1571). William Farefax, knt., his son and heir, aged 40 and upwards. (Chancery Ing. p. m., 13 Eliz., Part 1, no. 41.)

XII.

INQ. P. M. OF SIR WILLIAM FAIRFAX, KNT., 1598. Helmesley, April 13, 40 Eliz. (1598), before William Holmes, esq., escheator, by the oaths of Ralph Tankard, esq., William Thorneton, esq., Thomas Barton, esq., George Ross, gent., William Nendicke, gent., Roger Lovell, gent., George Midleton, gent., Thomas Bullocke, gent., William Horsley, gent., Roger Ringrose, gent., Robert Rosse, gent., William Dawson, gent., and John Hill, yeoman. William Faierffax, knt., died seised in his demesne as of fee of the castle, manors, advowsons, and tenements mentioned in the last, except the houses in the city of York. He died Nov. 1 last past (1597). Thomas Fairfaxe, his son and next heir, is aged 22 years and upwards. (Chancery Inq. p. m., 40 Eliz., Part 2, no. 127.)

1 In the parish of Gilling.

THE LAST EARL OF WARENNE AND SURREY,

AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF HIS POSSESSIONS.

BY F. ROYSTON FAIRBANK, M.D., F.S.A.,

Corr. Memb. Brit. Archæological Association.

JOHN, the eighth and last Earl of Warenne and Surrey, was a remarkable man in many ways. He was the posthumous child of William, son of John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, who figured conspicuously in the wars of King Edward I. in Scotland. His father William was killed in a tournament at Croydon, January 15, 1286. John was born on June 30 of the same year. He became a ward of Edward I., to whom he was related, and was betrothed to the King's granddaughter Joan, daughter of Count Henry de Bar, who had married the King's daughter Eleanor. Joan's parents were then already dead, and Joan. also was a ward of the King. She was abroad at the time the betrothal was made public, March 15, 1306; but shortly after came to England, landing at Dover on April 13. The marriage took place in the chapel of the King's palace of Westminster on May 25 of the same year. Some curious entries were made in the Wardrobe Accounts in reference to the marriage, which are not without interest. The King gave three cloths of gold to his chaplain for performing the service.

"1306. April 12. In oblations of the King at the altar in his chapel, on account of the good news he heard from France, by the Lady Johanna de Baar, viis.

"1306. April 13. For the expenses of the daughter of the Count de Bare coming from Dover to the King, xxli.

"1306. May 25. In money lent and disbursed in the presence of the King, at the nuptials celebrated in the King's chapel at Westminster, between John, Earl de Warenne, and the Lady Joanna, daughter of the Count de Barr, xls.

"Paid for divers minstrels, by command of the King.

"For letting fly the King's girfalcon.

"To Thomas, the coachbuilder, advanced on making a chariot for the Earl de Warenne, June 28, lxs.

"To Walter de Bardeney, advanced on harness being made for the said Earl, on the same day, cs.

"To Walter de Bedewynde, to pay for a new carriage for the use of the Countess de Warenne, by order of the Treasurer.

"July 4. For three horses bought for a chariot for the use of the Countess de Warenne, granddaughter of the King, by order of the Treasurer, xli."1

John de Warenne was nineteen years of age at the time of his marriage, and Joanna de Bar was about half his age! Her father had died four years before, in 1302.

When Edward I. prepared to send an army into Scotland in 1306, he called upon the young nobility entitled to knighthood to come to London to receive the same at the Feast of Pentecost. Prince Edward, his son, was knighted at the same time. He was then twenty-two years of age. Langtoft says:

"The yong Erle of Warenne with grete nobley was thare

A wif thei him bikenne, the erles douhter of Bare."

A great number of young squires and noblemen then presented themselves at the King's palace; the number is variously estimated at between 200 and 400. It was impossible to find room for them all there, and accommodation was provided for many of them and their attendants at the New Temple. The apple trees in the gardens are recorded to have been cut down, and temporary booths, or 'haks,' and tents were provided for them. Prince Edward and his immediate confrères kept their vigil, watching their arms, in the Abbey Church at Westminster. Matthew of Westminster records that there was such a noise of trumpets and pipes, and such a clamour of voices, that one side of the choir could not hear the other. The others kept their vigil at the New Temple. The King provided them the necessary scarlet cloths, fine linen, and belts for their use from his own wardrobe.

The following morning the King in his palace invested Prince Edward with his knight's belts and spurs. The Prince then went to the Abbey to invest the others. The crowd was enormous, so great, indeed, that two knights were killed. Each candidate was attended by three knights, who saw and assisted him through the ceremony. Several of them fainted, and the Prince was unable to gird them with their belts, except super magnum altare. According to Selden, young Edward himself performed the ceremony upon sixty of the candidates. Other knights doubtless would assist. great banquet, when two swans were brought in gold network, emblematical of constancy and truth. placed upon the table the King rose and made a to the swans, that he would set out for Scotland and avenge the death of Comyn, and punish the treachery of the Scots; and then

1 Wardrobe Accounts, 34 Edw. I.

Then followed a ornamented with When they were vow to God, and

« PreviousContinue »