third Daughter was married to Martin Reyes a Groom-porter and their Father himself was also beheaded 5. The Earl of Oxon was John Vere the fiftieth of that Name whose Grandchild Edward Earl of Oxon not only utterly wasted the great and most ancient Inheritance of that Earldom but defaced also the Castles and Houses thereof and leaving a Son by his second Wife named Henry the 18th Earl of that Noble Family The same Henry died without Issue and this Male Line thus failing the Office of Great Chamberlain of England which had ever since Hen. the 1st's time gone in this Family was now by the Lady Mary Sister of this Edward being married to the Lord Willoughby of Eresby by Judgment of the Upper House of Parliament Anno ... transposed to her Son and Heir the now Earl of Lindsey 6. The Earl of South-Hampton was William Fitz-Williams who being Lord Privy Seal and Admiral of England was created Earl of South-Hampton at Hampton-Court Anno 29 Hen. 8. He married Mabell Daughter of Henry Lord Clifford of Westmorland and Sister and Heir of Henry the first Earl of Cumberland but died without Issue Anno 34 H. 8. 7. The Earl of Arundel was William Fitz-Alam who died 35 Hen. 8. He had a Son and by two Wives four Daughters which died without Issue His Son Henry Fitz-Alam succeeded in the Earldom a Man of great Dignities He was twice married by Catharine his first Wife he had Issue H. Lord ... who being married died without Issue in the life of his Father An. 1556. And so ended the Noble Family and Male line of these Earls of Arundel But he had also by that Wife two Daughters and Heirs whereof Jane the eldest was married to the Lord Lumley who had Issue by her Thomas Charles and Mary who died all without Issue Mary his second Daughter and co-Co-heir was married to Tho. Howard the last Duke of Norfolk and by her the Earldom Castles and Honours of Arundel were transported to Philip Howard her Son and so to her Grandchild Tho. Earl of Arundel and Earl Marshal of England now living in whose line God hold them 8. The Earl of Shrewsbury was Francis Talbott who by his first Wife Mary Daughter of Tho. Lord Dacres of Gilsland had Issue George his eldest Son the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury and Tho. who died at Sheffield without issue Earl George had two Wives and four Sons besides three Daughters by his first Wife no Issue by his second Francis Lord Talbott his eldest Son was married but died without Issue Gilbert his second Son was the 7th Earl of that Family married and had Issue two Sons John and George but both of them died in their Infancy without other Issue-Male of their Father whose Heirs therefore were three Daughters Edward 3d. Son of George was the 8th Earl he married but died without Issue 2 Feb. 1617. Henry the 4th's Son married and died without Issue-Male Thus was all the Issue-Male of Francis Earl of Shrewsbury one of the Peers of the Upper-House at the passing of the Act aforesaid utterly extinct and the Earldom translated to another Family of that Name the Talbotts of Grafton descending from John Talbott the second Earl of Shrewsbury who died Anno 39. Henry VI. by his 3d. Son Sir Gilbert Talbott Captain of Calice York in Tit. Shrewsbury 9. The Earl of Essex Henry Bourchier that was a Peer of Parliament at the Act of Dissolution in 27. Henry VIII broke his Neck by a fall from an Horse about 10 Weeks before this Parliament viz on the 12th of March in 31. Henry VIII and having no Issue-Male the King gave his Earldom to Thomas Lord Cromwell who in his Bipartite Dignity sate among the Ecclesiastical Peers and first of the Rank as the King's Vicegerent in Spiritualibus and here among the Lay-Peers as in his own Right a Temporal Earl and Temporal indeed for not long after he was turned out of all his Offices attainted and beheaded as we have formerly shewed He brought in the Bill the 3d. time and it was expedited the 23d of May but within two Months following viz 29. July himself was attainted in the same Parliament and condemned so that vengeance fell speedily upon him 10. The Earl of Darby was Edward Lord Stanley a Peer of the Realm both in this and in 27. of the King he had divers Sons and Daughters his eldest Son Henry was Earl after him and left two Sons Ferdinando and William Ferdinando succeeded in the Earldom and died without Issue-Male 1594. leaving 3 Daughters and Heirs who shared so deep in the Patrimony of his goodly Earldom as they not only pulled the Feathers from the Wings of it whereby in times past it hath been so powerfull but the Wings from the very Body 11. The Earl of Worcester was Henry Somerset Lord Herbert a Peer also in 27. This honourable Family seems more fortunate than any of the precedent for their lineal descent remains entire and without blemish having at this day many Noble Branches Yet was not the Issue of Earl Henry free from the Hand of God for his 3d. Son Thomas Somersett died in the Tower of London Francis his 4th and youngest Son was slain at Massellborough-Field and his Son-in-Law the Earl of Northumberland that married his Daughter the Lady Anne was beheaded at York 1572. 12. The Earl of Rutland was Tho. Manours both in this Parliament and the 27th He had 5 Sons and 6 Daughters and died in 35. Henry VIII his eldest Son Henry was Earl after him and had Issue Edward the 3d. Earl of that Family who had only a Daughter an Heir and died without Issue-Male John Brother of Edward was the 4th Earl he had 3 Sons Edward that died an Infant Roger and Francis Roger succeeded and was the 5th Earl he had only one Daughter his sole Heir married to Sir Philip Sydney slain at Zutphen and died without Issue-Male Francis after his Brother Roger was the 6th Earl he was twice married by his first Wife he had Issue only the Lady Catherine married to the Duke of Buckingham who was murthered by Felton And two Sons by his second Wife Henry Lord Rosse and Francis Lord Rosse of Homelake who died both young without Issue 13. The Earl of Cumberland both in 27 and 31. Henry VIII was Henry Clifford who died 34. of the King He had Issue Henry the 2d Earl of Cumberland who had Issue George the 3d. Earl a valiant Soldier successfull in his Enterprizes He had Issue two Sons Francis Lord Clifford and Robert that died young and a Daughter the Lady Anne married to Richard Sackvill Earl of Dorsett who died as did also this Earl of Cumberland without Issue-Male Francis Brother of George was the 4th Earl who had Issue Henry Lord Clifford 14. The Earl of Sussex was Robert Ratcliff created 8. Decemb. 21. Henry 8. He had three Wives and more Sons besides Daughters and died 28. Nov. 1541. 34. Henry 8. his Son and Heir Henry
excommunicated the Earl who little regarded it The Earl so dieth the Bishop cometh into England and reneweth his Suit to Earl William his Son and Heir obtaining to have the King his Mediator but prevail'd not for Earl William and his Brethren answer'd That their Father did the Bishop no wrong having gotten the Mannors by right of War The Bishop in the agony of his Spirit reneweth the Curse against their Father and them and said That the Lord had cast it grievously upon Earl William as is written in the Psalm In a Generation his Name shall be put out and his Sons shall be Vagabonds as touching the Blessing promis'd by the Lord of Encrease and multiply Earl William the Father at the time of his Death and Burial which was in the New Temple at London 17. Kal. Apr. 1219. and 4 Hen. 3. left 5 Sons and as many Daughters Earl William the eldest Son first married Alice the Daughter and Heir of Baldwin Earl of Albermarle c. After Eleanor Daughter of King John and died without Issue 6. Apr. 1231. 15 Hen. 3. Earl Richard the second Brother succeeded he married the Lady Gervasia and was slain in Ireland 18 Hen. 3. leaving no Issue Earl Gilbert the 3d Brother succeeded He married Margaret Daughter of William King of Scots and was kill'd by his own Horse at a Tornement at Hartford 21 Hen. 3. 1241. leaving no Issue Earl Walter the fourth Brother succeeded He married Margaret Daughter and Co-heir of Robert Lord Quiney and died at London 6. Dec. 1245. 30 Hen. 3. or as others report the 24. Nov. and was buried at Tinterne leaving no Issue Earl Anselm the youngest was at the death of his Brother Walter Dean of Salisbury but admitted to be Earl of Pembroke and Marshal and in haste married Maud the Daughter of Humphrey de Bohun Earl of Hereford that he yet at last might propagate the most noble Family But Non est consilium contra Dominum for he died within 18 or 24 days after his Brother before he was actually possess'd of his County Thus according to the Malediction of the Bishop the Name of those great Earls Marshal was utterly extinct all the five Brethren being married and dying Childless within 15 Years Matt. Par. An. 1219 1245. p. 292 665 alibi King Edw. 1. in the zeal of his Religion his Father yet living took the Cross upon him and went to assist the Christians in the Wars of Jerusalem The Pope in recompence of his Charges granted unto him in the second Year of his Reign he being return'd the tenth part of all Ecclesiastical Benefices of the Kingdom for one Year and the like to his Brother Edmond for another But afterwards the King forgetting his old Devotion in the 11th Year of his Reign seiz'd all the Treasure of the Tenths collected for that purpose and laid up in divers places of the Kingdom and breaking open the Locks caus'd it to be brought unto him and employ'd it to his own use Stow. This taste of things separate to God drew him on to a further Appetite In the 23d Year of his Reign he took into his hands all the Priories Aliens throughout the Kingdom committing them as Charles Martel of old had done in France to Officers under him and allowing every Monk 18d a Week retain'd the rest for the charge of his War as he did also the Pensions going out of those Houses to the greater Monasteries beyond the Seas Yet obtain'd he further in the same Parliament of the Clergy and Religious Persons a Subsidy of half their Goods to the value of 100000l whereof the Abby of Bury paid 655 l. 11d q. Stow ib. p. 316. King Ed. l. being in great want by his subduing Scotland about the end of the 23th Year of his Reign caused all the Monasteries of England to be search'd and the Money found in them to be brought to London Wals. pa. 65. Cax l. 7. c. 39. Shortly after in the 24th Year of his Reign at a Parliament at St. Edmundsbury he required a Subsidy which the Laity granted But the Clergy pretending that Pope Boniface at the same time had forbidden upon pain of Excommunication that either Secular Princes should impose Tallages upon the Church-men or that Church-men should pay any they refus'd to supply the King's Necessity and having day to advise better on the matter till the next Parliament at London shortly after they persisted in the same mind Whereupon the King put them out of his Protection so that being robb'd and spoil'd by lewd persons without remedy to redeem the King's Favour the Archbishop of York and many of the Bishops laid down a fifth part of all their Goods in their Churches and some by other courses satisfy'd the King's desire and so recover'd his Protection But all the Monasteries within the Province of Canterbury were seiz'd into the King's hands and Wardens appointed in them to minister to the Monks and Religious Persons therein only what must be had of necessity taking all other Monies and Surplusage to the King's use So that the Abbots and Priors were glad to follow the Court and to repair their Error with the fourth part of their Goods The Archbishop of Canterbury after all this fearing the Pope's Excommunication continu'd in his refusal lost all he had was forsaken of his Servants forbidden to be receiv'd either in any Monastery or without and rested in the House of a poor Man only with one Priest and one Clerk How these Courses were censur'd in foro coeli is not in me to judge nor will I pry into the Ark of God's Secrets But see what followeth in the Story King Edward having with great Triumph subdu'd Scotland and taken the King Prisoner did at this present peaceably enjoy that Kingdom and govern'd it by his own Officers But e're three Months came to an end Wil. Wallis began such a Rebellion there as put all in hazard and in fine it was so reviv'd by Robert le Bruce the King 's natural Subject that at length he overthrew the King's Armies slew and beat out his Officers and without all recovery gain'd the Kingdom to himself and his Posterity King Edward attempting the recovery died at the entrance of Scotland His Son Edward II. pursuing his Father's intent with one of the greatest Armies that ever was raised by the English was miserably beaten and put to flight hardly escaping in his own person All his Life after full of Tumult not only his Nobles but his very Wife his Enemy abandoned of his Subjects turn'd out of his Kingdom imprison'd and traiterously murther'd In all which the Curse which his Father upon his Death-bed laid upon him if he should break the Precepts he gave him had no doubt a cooperation for he observ'd none of them Touching the pulling of Lands from the Church all have not always been of one mind For tho' the makers of the Statute of Mortmaine did truly think that the
project of the Speakers his lineal Heir Sir Tho. Cheiney Lord Warden of the Cinque Port did then behold and shortly felt the wrathfull Hand of God upon his Family whether for this or any other Sin I dare not judge But being reputed to be the greatest Man of Possessions in the whole Kingdom in so much as Queen Elizabeth on a time said merrily unto him that they two meaning her self and him were the two best Marriages in England which afterward appeared to be true in that his Heir was said to sue his Livery at 3100 never done by any other Yet was this huge Estate all wasted on a suddain Yet when the Commons did desire to have the Lands of the Clergy they did not design or wish that they should be otherwise employ'd than for publick Benefit of the whole Kingdom and that all Men should be freed thereby from payment of Subsidies or Taxes to maintain Soldiers for the Defence of the Kingdom For they suggested that the value of the Lands would be sufficient Maintenance for a standing Army and all great Officers and Commanders to conduct and manage the same for the safety of the Publick as that they would maintain 150 Lords 1500 Knights 6000 Esquires and an 100 Hospitals for maimed Soldiers Thus they projected many good uses to be performed not to enrich private Men or to sell them for small Summs of Money which would quickly be wasted but to be a perpetual standing Maintenance for an Army and all publick Necessities Priories Alien not being Conventual with their Possessions except the College of Foderinghay were by the Parliament given to King Henry V. and his Heirs he suppressed them to the Number of 190 and more Stow p. 563. But gave some of them to the College of Foderinghay p. 551. King Henry VI. gave them afterward to the two Colleges of the Kings in Cambridge and that of Eaton yet Henry V. died young his Son Henry VI. after many Passions of Fortune was twice deprived of his Kingdom and at last cruelly murthered and Prince Edward his Grandchild Son of Henry VI. cruelly also slain by the Servants of King Edward IV. Stow p. 704 705. Cardinal Wolsey intending to build a Colledge at Oxford and another at Ipswich obtained licence of Pope Clement the 7th to suppress about 40 Monasteries In execution whereof he used principally five Persons whereof one was slain by another of these his Companions that other was hanged for it a third drowned himself in a Well The fourth being well known to be worth 200 l. in those days became in three Years time so poor that he begged to his Death Dr. Allen the 5th being made a Bishop in Ireland was there cruelly maimed The Cardinal that obtained the licence fell most grievously into the King's displeasure lost all he had was fain to be relieved by his Followers and died miserably not without the suspicion of poysoning himself The Pope that granted the licence was beaten out of his City of Rome saw it sacked by the Duke of Bourbon's Army and himself then besieged in the Castle of St. Angelo whither he fled escaping narrowly with his life Stow p. 880. taken Prisoner scorned ransomed and at last poysoned as some reported But these five were not the only Actors of this business For Mr. Fox saith That the doing hereof was committed to the Charge of Thomas Cromwell in the execution whereof he shewed himself very forward and industrious In such sort that in handling thereof he procur'd to himself much grudge with divers of the superstitious sort and some also of noble Calling about the King c. in Henry VIII p. 1150. col b. Well as he had his part in the one let him take it also in the other for he lost all he had and his Head to boot as after shall appear in the Progress of these his Actions Annotations upon this Chapter Whereas it is said that the Knight's Fees in Edward Ist. Time were found to be 67000 and that 28000 of them were in the hands of the Clergy it is to be consider'd that if the Account be rightly made there could not be above a third part for there is as much Land in base Tenures that were never within the Fees besides all Crown-lands and Eleemosynary-lands Copy-holds Gavel-kind Burrough-English c. Whereas it is said That when the Commons did desire to have the Lands of the Clergy taken away they did not design or wish that they should be otherwise employ'd than for the publick Benefit and that all Men should be freed from Subsidies and Taxes and they suggested also that the Lands of the Clergy would maintain a great Army to be always ready and for the Conduct thereof many Lords Knights and Esquires should be maintain'd out of the Lands and also many Hospitals provided for such Soldiers as should happen to be maim'd in the Wars And to this purpose it is fit to set down here the Words of my Lord Coke 4 Institut pag. 44. Advice concerning new and plausible Projects and Offers in Parliament When any plausible Project is made in Parliament to draw the Lords or Commons to assent to any Act especially in matters of weight and importance if both Houses do give upon the matter projected and premised their consent it shall be most necessary they being trusted for the Common-wealth to have the matter projected and premised which moved the Houses to consent to be establish'd in the same Act least the Benefit of the Act be taken and the matter projected and premised never perform'd and so the Houses of Parliament perform not the Trust repos'd in them As it fell out taking one Example for many in the Reign of Henry VIII On the King's behalf the Members of both Houses were inform'd in Parliament that no King or Kingdom was safe but where the King had three Abilities First To live of his own and able to defend his Kingdom upon any sudden Invasion or Insurrection Secondly To aid his Confederates otherwise they would never assist him Thirdly To reward his well deserving Servants And the Project was if the Parliament would give unto him all the Abbeys Priories Friaries Nunneries and other Monasteries that for ever in time to come he would take order that the same should not be converted to private Use. But First That his Exchequer for the purposes aforesaid should be enrich'd Secondly The Kingdom strengthen'd by a continual Maintenance of 40000 well-train'd Soldiers with skilfull Captains and Commanders Thirdly For the benefit and ease of the Subject when-ever afterwards as was projected in any time to come should be charg'd with Subsidies Fifteenths Loans or Common-aids Fourthly Least the Honour of the Realm should receive any diminution of Honour by the dissolution of the said Monasteries there being 29 Lords of Parliament of the Abbots and Priors that held of the King per Baroniam whereof more in the next leaf that the King would creat a Number of Nobles
Barkenham a Miller who sold it to Mr. John Rivett now living The Augustine Friars came from Eyer to one Shavington a Bastard who died without Issue and by his Will gave it to one Waters other than the former and to the Heirs of his Body This Waters died without Issue whereupon the Augustine Friars was to revert to his Heir but having none because he was a Bastard great Suit ensued about it But John Ditefield being then in Possession of it left it by Descent as it seemeth to his Son John Ditefield who gave it in Marriage with Thomasin his sister to Christopher Pickering brother of the then Lord Keeper and he then recovered it in Chancery and sold it to John Lease John Lease pulling down the Buildings selleth first the Stones and then dividing the Ground into divers Garden-rooms sold the same to divers Persons The Cell of Priests was near the Guild-hall and the Prior's House was somewhat remote from it by St. Margaret's Church The College was sometime Mr. Houghton's after Parker's then Ball 's lately Sendall's and now Hargott's all of them save Hargott are extinct and gone and Mr. Hargott is on the declining Hand the Site of the Prior's House was lately consecrated and annexed to St. Margaret's Church-yard for a Burying-place Shouldham-Abbey Sir Francis Gaudy of the Justices of the King's Bench was owner of it he married the Daughter and Heir of Christopher Cunningsby Lord of the Manour of Wallington and having this Manour and other Lands in right of his Wife induced her to acknowledge a Fine thereof which done she became a distracted Woman and continued so to the day of her Death and was to him for many Years a perpetual affliction He had by her his only Daughter and Heir Eliz. married to Sir William Hatton who died without Issue-Male leaving also a Daughter and Heir who being brought up with her Grandfather the Judge was secretly married against his Will to Sir Robert Rich now Earl of Warwick The Judge shortly after being made chief Justice of the Common-pleas at a dear Rate as was reported was suddenly stricken with an Apoplexy or double Palsie and so to his great loss died without Issue-Male e'er he had continued in his Place one whole Michaelmas Term and having made his appropriate Parish-Church a Hay-house or a Dog-kennel his dead Corps being brought from London unto Walling could for many days find no Place of Burial but in the mean time growing very offensive by the Contagious and ill Savours that issued through the Chinks of Lead not well soder'd he was at last carry'd to a poor Church of a little Village there by called Runcto and buried there without any Ceremony lieth yet uncovered if the Visitors have not reformed it with so small a Matter as a few paving Stones Sir Robert Rich now Earl of Warwick succeeded in the Inheritance by his Wife of this Abby with the Impropriation and his great Possessions amounting by Estimation to 5000 l. a Year and hath already sold the greatest part of them together with this Abbey and Impropriation unto the Family of Mr. Nich. Hare the Judge's Neighbour and chiefest Adversary For among divers other goodly Manours that Sir John Hare hath purchased of him or his Feoffees he hath also bought this Abbey of Shouldham and the Impropriation there with the Manour belonging to the Abbey valued together at 600 l. yearly Rent Binham-Priory Binham Priory a Cell of St. Albans was granted by King Henry 8. to Sir Thomas Paston he left it to Mr. Edward Paston his Son and Heir who living above 80 Years continued the Possession of it till Caroli R. and having buried ... his Son and Heir apparent left it then unto his Grandchild Mr. Paston the third Owner of it and thereby now in the Wardship to the King Mr. Edward Paston many Years since was desirous to build a Mansion-house upon or near the Priory and attempting for that purpose to clear some of that Ground a Piece of Wall fell upon a Workman and slew him perplexed with this Accident in the beginning of this Business he gave it wholly over and would by no means all his Life after be perswaded to re-attempt it but built his Mansion-house a very fair one at Appleton Castle-Acre-Abbey Sir Tho. Cecil Earl of Exeter was owner of it and of the impropriate Personage here he had Issue Sir William Cecil Earl Exeter who married Eliz. the Daughter and Heir of Edw. Earl of Rutland and had Issue by her dying as I take it in Child-bed his only Son William Lord Rosse This William Lord Rosse married Anne the Daughter of Sir Tho. Lake and they living together in extreme Discord many infamous Actions issued thereupon and finally a great Suit in the Star-Chamber to the high Dishonour of themselves and their Parents In this Affliction the Lord Rosse dyeth without Issue and the Eldest Male-line of his Grandfather's House is extinguished Sir Richard Cecil was second Son of Sir Thomas Cecil Earl of Exeter and had Issue David who married Eliz. the Daughter of John Earl of Bridgewater and is now in expectation to be Earl of Exeter His third Son was Sir Edw. Cecil Knight his 4th and 5th Tho. Cecil and Christopher drowned in Germany Sir Tho. the Grandfather Earl of Exeter made a Lease of this Monastery and Impropriation to one Paine as I take it by whose Widow the same came in Marriage to Mr. Humfrey Guibon Sheriff of Norfolk Anno 38. Eliz. whose Grand-child and Heir Tho. Guibon consumed his whole Inheritance and lying long in the Fleet either died there a Prisoner or shortly after Sir Edw. Coke Lord Chief Justice married for his second Wife the Lady Eliz. Hatton one of the Daughters of the said Earl Tho. and afterwards bought the Castle of Acre with this Monastery and Impropriation of his Brother-in-Law Earl William Son of Earl Thomas since which time he hath felt abundantly the Change of Fortune as we have partly touched in Flitcham-Abbey West-Acre-Abbey This also belonged to Sir Tho. Cecil of whom we have now spoken he sold both it and the Impropriation of West Acre to Sir Horatio Palvicini an Italian that before his coming into England had dipt his Fingers very deep in the Treasure of the Church Being in his Youth in the Low-countries as his Son Edward affirmed to me he there secretly married a very mean Woman and by her had Issue him this Edward but durst never discover it to his Father as long as they lived together his Father being dead he came into England and here married a second Wife by whom he had Issue his Son Toby and for his Wive's sake disinherited him his eldest Son Edward and conferred all his Lands with the Abbey and Impropriation of West Acre to Toby and his Heirs Edward after the Death of his Father grows into contention with his Brother Toby and in a Petition to King James accuseth both his Father and his Brother for