S r return, on March 2d, he was committed to ward, for striking the Earl of Oxford, in the chamber of presence; but, P on the 6th of April following, he had a special pardon for it. On Wyatt's insurrection in Kent, in the reign of Queen Mary, he raised forces to oppose him; and, overtaking a body of his adherents at Blacksoil Field, in the parish of Wrotham, he put them to flight, chacing them four miles, and took sixty prisoners. After which he marched after Wyatt to London. In 29 Eliz. he was one of the peers that sat in judgment upon the Queen of Scots, at Fotheringhay. And, departing this life at his seat called Comfort, near Berling, in Kent, on February 10th, 1586-7, was buried with great solemnity in the church there, on March 21st following. By the inquisition taken after his decease at Maidstone, in the county of Kent, August 22d, 29 Eliz. the jury found, that he died seised of the manors of Birling, Ryarshe, Ealding, alias Yalding, and Luddesdon; the manor and rectory of the church of All Saints, in Birling, and the advowson of the vicarage of Birling; the manor of West Peckham, and the advowson of the church of Maplescomb, in West Peckham; the manor of Mereworth, and advowson of the church; the manor and farm of Oldhaie, alias Hole-haie, all in the county of Kent; and that his daughter MARY, then aged thirty-two, was his sole heir; and was married, in 17 Eliz. to Sir Thomas Fane, Knight. Her mother was Frances, daughter of Thomas Manners, Earl of Rutland. She "challenged the title of Baroness Bergavenny, against Edward Nevill, son of Sir Edward Nevill, a younger brother of George, Lord Bergavenny, father to this last mentioned Henry, on which Sir Edward the castle of Bergavenny was settled, both by testament and act of parliament; but the dispute was not determined until May 25th, 1 Jac. wheti, after great arguments on each part, the title of Lord Bergavenny was, both by judgment of the house of peers, and order of the lords commissioners for the office of earl marshal of England, decreedy for the heir male. X Whereupon, to give some satisfaction to the heir female, the King, by his letters patent, granted the dignity or barony of Le P Privat. Sigil. 5 Ed. VI. q Ex. Coll. W. Dethick Garter, MS not A. 31, in Bibl. Joh. Anstis Arm. Cole Esc. lib. iii. N. 61, A. 14, in Bibl. Harley, p. 105. Camd. Eliz. p. 511. Despenser, to her and to her heirs, from whom the present Earl of Westmorland and Lord le Despenser are descended. This Henry, Lord Bergavenny, had to his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Stephen Darrell, of Spelmonden; she was living in 1601, and was remarried to William Sidley, of Southfleet, in Kent, Esq. a b с Which Sir EDWARD NEVILL before-mentioned, (third son of George, second Lord Abergavenny) in 1 Hen. VIII. was one of those gallant knights, who, for the more honour, and ennobling the triumphant coronation of the King, performed justs and tournaments in the palace of Westminster, the King and Queen being present. And, at Christmas the same year, performed justs with the King himself at Richmond, who secretly arming himself with William Compton, (ancestor of the Earl of Northampton) this Sir Edward Nevill ran against this Mr. Compton, and wounded him, so that he was likely to die. The year after, he was one of the three the King chose to be challengers with himself. In 5 Hen. VIII. having been at the siege of Thirovenne, and the battle that ensued, he was, for his valiant behaviour, made a Knight Banneret. In 6 Hen. VIII. on the marriage of the King's sister with the French King, when the Dauphin had proclaimed solemn justs to be kept at Paris, in the month of November, wherein he, with nine aids, would answer all comers, being gentlemen of name and arms, this Sir Edward, with the Duke of Suffolk, the Marquis of Dorset, and others; had the King's licence to go over and accept the challenge. And, preparing themselves for the purpose, they departed all in green coats and hoods, and, landing at Calais, October 20th, were at the coronation of the Queen, and gained great honour, not only at the justs, but also at the torney and barriers. In 12 Hen. VIII. he waited on his Sovereign at his interview with the French King, between Guisnes and Ardres, having in his retinues a chaplain, eleven servants, and eight horses. But in the 13 Hen. VIII. being suspected of favouring Edward, Duke of Buckingham, in his treasonable attempts, he was forbid the King's presence. However, the year after he was again in favour, and was ordered to attend the King MS. Pedigree of Nevill, penes mcips. b Ibid. f. 6. a Hall's Chron. f. 5. < Hollinshed, p. 809. Nom. Equit. in Bibl. Cotton, sub Essig. Claudius, C. 3. 1 Stowe's Annals, p. 497. • Burnet's Hist. of the Reform. p. 286. λ Hall, f. 86. at Canterbury, on the 27th of May, to wait the arrival of the Emperor; who landing at Dover the day after, he was present at the interview between those monarchs. In 15 Hen. VIII. he was one of the principal commanders of those forces sent into France under the Duke of Suffolk. In 23 Hen. VIII. he was one of the maskers with the King at Cardinal Wolsey's, at which time the Cardinal took him for the King, and offered his chair, being, as Hollinshed writes, a comely knight, that much, more resembled the King's person in that mask than any other. In 24 Hen. VIII. he waited on the King to Bulloign, and from thence to the interview with the French King at Sandingfield. In 29 Hen. VIII. he was present at the christening of Prince Ed ward, being one of the six gentlemen of the King's chamber, who bore a rich canopy over him. But the year following, on November 3d, was sent prisoner to the Tower, m and, being " indicted on the 3d of January, "for devising to maintain, promote, and advance one Reginald Pole, late dean of Exeter, enemy to the King, beyond the sea, and to deprive the King," was at tainted and beheaded with the before-mentioned lords on Towerhill, P on the 9th of the same month. n He was seated at Aldington-park, in Kent, and having mar ried Eleanor, daughter of Andrew Lord Windsor, (widow of Ralph Lord Scroop, of Upsal) had issue two sons. First, Edward; and, Second, Henry, of Billingbeer, in Berks, from whom the Nevilles of that county descended; ancestors of Lord Braybrook. Also three daughters; Catharine, wedded to Clement Throgmorton, of Hasely, in com. Warwick, Esq.; Frances, wife of Sir Edward Walgrave, of Borley, in Essex, Knight, ancestor, by her, of the Earl Waldegrave; and Elizabeth, married to Thomas Eymes, or Heynes, of Yorkshire, Esq. EDWARD NEVILL, FIFTH of the name, LORD ABERGAVENNY, eldest son and heir of the said Sir Edward, succeeded in 29 Eliz. to the barony and honour of Bergavenny, and married two wives; first, Catharine, daughter of Sir John Brown, or Brome, of Halton, in Oxfordshire, Knight, by whom he had issue four sons. First, Edward. iStowe, p. 520, a Ibid. • Stowe, p. 575 * Ibid. p. 560. in Hall, f. 233. Second, Francis, who married Mary, daughter of Thomas Lukenor, Esq. (but this branch is extinct.) Third, George; and, Fourth, Sir Henry Nevill, of Bedminster, Knight, (who by Ellen, daughter of Edward Poole, Esq had four sons.) But by the second wife, Grisold, daughter of Thomas Hughes, of Uxbridge, in com. Middlesex, Esq. he had no issue; and she surviving him, was afterwards married to Francis Clifford, Earl of Cumberland. The inquisition taken after his decease at Maidstone, in Kent, July 7th, 31 Eliz. recites, that he died on February 10th before; and that Edward Nevill, his son and heir, was thirty-eight years of age, and was found to be cousin and heir of Henry Nevill, Lord Abergavenny, and that he died possessed of the manor and rectory of Birling, the manors of Ryashe, Ealding, alias Yalding, and Luddisdon, in the county of Kent; the manor of Rotherfield, forest of Waterdown, with the appurtenances, barony of Lewys, borough of Lewys, and the manor of Ditchling, in the county of Sussex. EDWARD, his eldest son, SIXTH LORD ABERGAVENNY, in 1 James I. had the title of Lord Bergavenny confirmed to him by the house of peers; and, the year after, claimed the title of Earl of Westmorland, as heir male; which case is recited in Coke's seventh Report, where his claim is set forth at large; but was determined against him. And having married Rachel, daughter of John Lennard, of Knoll, in Kent, Esq. ancestor of the Earl of Sussex of that name, (who had sepulture at Birling, October 15th, 1616) had issue six sons. First, Sir Henry Nevill, Knight, who succeeded him. Third, Christopher, who took to wife Mary, one of the daughters and coheirs of Thomas Darcy, of Tolston Darcy, in com. Essex, Esq. from whom the present Earl of Abergavenny is descended. Fourth, John. Fifth, Thomas; and, Sixth, Charles, who all died young. And five daughters; Elizabeth, wife of Sir John Grey, Knight, q Cole's Esc. lib. i. p. 411, N. 61, A. 12, in Bibl. Harley. १ But quere, if the claimant was not another Edward Neville? Or did not Edmund Neville of the Latimer branch claim it? • Ex Regist. Eccl. de Birling. eldest son of Henry Lord Grey, of Groby, and afterwards of Sir John Bingley, Knight; Mary, wife of Sir George Goring, of Denny, in com. Sussex, Knight, (afterwards Lord Goring, and Earl of Norwich); Catharine, wife of Sir Stephen Lessieur, of Chiswick, in com Middlesex, Knight. She died August 4th, 1630, and was buried in St. Faith's church, under St. Paul's cathedral; Frances and Margaret, who both died young. This Edward Lord Abergavenny departing this life, December 1st, 1622, had sepulture with his ancestors at Birling, the 3d of the same month, and was succeeded by HENRY, his son and heir, SEVENTH LORD ABERGAVENNY, who first married Mary, daughter of Thomas Sackvile, Earl of Dorset, (lord treasurer of England) by whom he had issue, Sir Thomas Nevill, Knight of the Bath, who married Frances, daughter of Henry Lord Mordaunt, and died in his father's lifetime, A. D. 1628, and, on May 7th that year, was buried at Birling, leaving issue Henry, who died in his infancy, A. D. 1639; Charles, who died in 1637, by a fall from his horse; Margaret, wife of Thomas Brooke, of Madely, in com. Salop, Esq.; Cicely, wife of Fitzwilliam Coningsby, of Hampton-court, in com. Hereford, Esq. ancestor of the late Countess of Coningsby; Anne, Abbess of Pontoise, in France; Elizabeth and Mary, who died unmarried. To his second wife he wedded Catharine, daughter of Edward Lord Vaux, of Harowden, and had issue by her two sons, John and George, successively barons of Abergavenny. And three daughters; Catharine, first married to Sir Robert Howard, Knight, a younger son of Theophilus Earl of Suffolk, afterwards to Robert Berry, of Ludlow, in com. Salop, Esq.; Frances, who died unmarried; and Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Stonor, of com. Oxon, Esq. This Henry Lord Abergavenny was buried at Birling, December 24th, 1641; and the Lady Catharine, his second wife, was buried by him, July 10th, 1649. JOHN, succeeding Henry his father in this honour, as EIGHTH LORD ABERGAVENNY, took to wife Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of John Chamberlaine, of Sherburne castle, in com. Oxon,' Esq. and died December 12th, 1660, without issue. He was succeeded by GEORGE, his brother, NINTH LORD ABERGAVENNY, who married Mary, daughter of Thomas, son and heir of Henry Giffard, of Dunton Walet, in Essex, doctor of • Ex Regist Eccl. de Birling. |