2. John, who was held in such esteem by King Charles I. that, by letters patent,b bearing date at Oxford, March 21st, 1642, he was advanced to the dignity of a Baron of this realm, by the title of LORD CRAVEN OF RYTON, in com. Salop; and having married Elizabeth, daughter of William, Lord Spencer, died without issue. By his will, dated May 18th, 1647, he gave to the poor of the town of Winwick, two hundred pounds, to be reserved as a stock, and the interest of it to be annually divided at Christmas by the Minister and Church-wardens. This legacy was received from the Parliament Commissioners in 1652, and with 1411. 1s. lands were purchased in Cold Ashby. The remaining sum, all necessary expences being deducted, was made up 401. and put out to in

terest.

3. Thomas, his younger brother, died unmarried.

The daughters of Sir William Craven were, Mary, married to Thomas, Lord Coventry; and Elizabeth, to Percy Herbert, Lord Powis, father of William, Earl of Powis.

WILLIAM, FIRST BARON and EARL CRAVEN, the eldest son of Sir William Craven, Lord Mayor, was much affected with military exercises from his youth, and signalized himself in Germany, and in the Netherlands, under Henry, Prince of Orange. In which valiant adventures he gained such honour, that, on his return, he was first knighted at Newmarket, March 4th, 1626, and was deservedly raised to the degree and dignity of a Baron of this realm, by the title of LORD CRAVEN, OF HAMPSTED-MARSHALL, in the county of Berks, by letters patent bearing date 12th Martii following, with remainder, for want of issue male of his own body, to John Craven and Thomas Craven, his brothers, successively, and the heirs male of their bodies.

In 1631, he was one of the commanders of those forces sent to the assistance of that great hero, Gustavus, King of Sweden, then in arms in Germany in defence of the Protestants. And when that monarch, with Frederick, Elector-Palatine, and titular King of Bohemia, marched out of Bavaria, in February, 1632, and came before the strong castie of Crutzenack, the English volunteers, by their bravery in three assaults, obliged the garrison to surrender; and the capitulation was signed by William, Lord Craven, and Colonel Boulin, Quarter-master-general of the King of Sweden's army. The Lord Craven was wounded in the assaults, and, on his coming into the King of Sweden's presence, was told

Pat. 18 Car. I.

Resworth's Collections, Vol. II. p. 176.

by him, He adventured so desperately, he bid his younger brother fair play for his estate.'

He was afterwards sent to the assistance of the said Elector Palatine, who having besieged Limegea in the year 1637, a battle ensued; wherein the Emperor's army being victorious, the Elector, with difficulty, escaped by flight; and his brother, Prince Rupert, and the Lord Craven, were taken prisoners.

As soon as his Lordship obtained his liberty, he went into the service of the States of Holland under the Prince of Orange, where he resided till the restoration of King Charles II. But though he did not personally serve King Charles I. against his rebellious subjects, yet he manifested his loyalty in sending him divers considerable supplies, as also to King Charles II. in his greatest necessities; as the King himself acknowledged after his restoration, when by his letters patent, bearing date 16th Martii, 16 Car. III. he advanced him to higher degrees of honour, viz. to the title of VISCOUNT CRAVEN of Uffington, in the same county of Berks, and EARL CRAVEN, of Craven, in com. Ebor.

And, by reason that both his brothers were then dead without issue, the title of Lord Craven, of Hampsted-Marshall was then limited, for want of issue male of his own body lawfully begotten, to Sir William Craven, of Lenchwike, in com. Wigorn, Knt. and to the heirs male of his body; and, for default of such issue, to Sir Anthony Craven, Knt. brother to the same Sir William, and to the issue male of his body.

How great a sufferer his Lordship was for his adherence to King Charles II. is evident from a printed case in those times, setting forth the great injustice done him by the parliament of England, in confiscating his estate; by which it appears, that, in the year 1650, one Falconer deposed, That the Lord Craven did promote a petition, wherein several persons did desire to be entertained to serve the King of Scots against the parliament of England, by the name of barbarous and inhuman rebels.'

And Col. Hugh Reyly deposed, February 10th, 1650-1.

That, during the late treaty at Breda, this informant did oftentimes see the Lord Craven with the now King of Scots, in his bed-chamber, and also walked abroad with him, there being no man more conversant with the King than he. That the said Lord Craven, during the said treaty, did twice go to Rotterdam and Dunhagh, and back again, being employed, as was commonly reported at court there, by the said King. That the said Lord.

Craven had a charge from the King to look to one Mrs. Barlow, who (as is reported, and he believes to be true), had a child by the King of Scots, born at Rotterdam; which he did: and, after the King was gone for Scotland, the said Lord Craven took the child from her; for which she went to law with him, and recovered the child back again, as is reported.

Hugh Reyly.'

Also Captain Kitchingman deposed, February 20th, 1650-1. That the said Captain Thomas Kitchingman, in April and May 1650, saw the Lord Craven several times with the King of Scots at Breda, and waiting upon the said King several times at his table at Breda. This informant also saw the Earl of Oxford at the same time with the King of Scots at Breda, waiting upon the said King at his table; and saw the Lord Craven and the Earl of Oxford many times go into the withdrawing-rooms after the said King. This informant also saw the Lord Craven and the Earl of Oxford in the Bowling-alley in Breda castle, with the said King.

Thomas Kitchingman.'

Whereupon, March the 16th, 1650-1, it was Resolved by the parliament, That the Lord Craven is an offender against the commonwealth of England, within the declaration of the 24th of August, 1649, intitled, A Declaration of the Commons assembled in parliament, declaring all persons who have served the parliament of England in Ireland, and have betrayed their trust, or have or shall adhere to, or aid and assist, Charles Stewart, son to the late King, to be traitors and rebels.

Resolved by the parliament, That the estate of the Lord Craven be confiscated accordingly.

Resolved, That the commissioners for compounding be impowered and required to seize and sequester all the estate, real and personal, of the said Lord Craven, and to receive the rents, issues, and profits thereof, to the use of the commonwealth.'

Accordingly, his personal estate throughout all England (which was of no small value), was seized upon as confiscate and sold; and much of it bought by members of that parliament, who condemned him unheard, and who probably had then in their eye the purchase of his estate; for some of them, even after that vote of confiscation, violently pressed on the sale of his estate, procuring

an act for it, which passed August 3d, 1652, and bought large possessions thereof at easy pennyworths.

The Elector Palatine wrote the following letter to his agent, to desire the States-General to intercede with the parliament of England in the Lord Craven's behalf; which, as it shews his Lordship's services, I shall here insert.

Our friendly service, &c. Forasmuch as we have given our faithful resident, Peter de Groot,d a commission to propound unto your Lordships on our behalf in a matter about the Lord Craven; therefore it is our friendly request to your Lordships, to grant him a courteous audience, and to give full credit to his message, and to be mindful of the said Lord Craven in his affairs; in regard that he hath been many years in our service, and hath done much good service to us and our Electoral family, and to hold him especially recommended; and we shall acknowledge such favour as though it were done to ourselves, and upon all occasions seek to requite herewith, &c. The 31st of May, 1651.'

In pursuance of the verbal proposition made this day in your honourable assembly by his Electoral Highness, my lord and master, conform to his missive letter of the 3 of this month, in the business of my Lord Craven, I have put in writing, and there. unto annexed the depositions made or contrived against the said Lord Craven, the condemnation which followed thereon, the confiscation of his goods which rose upon it, the execution thereof decreed and partly done, with a confutation of the said depositions, and a demonstration of the nullities, as well as of the injustice committed in the said condemnation: that your honours, according to your accustomed goodness in relieving and assisting the oppressed, besides the merit of the person, and the earnest request of his Electoral Highness; especially considering the justness of the matter for redress of your credit, and the opportunity which is given you by occasion of the alliance with England now in hand; will be pleased to take such a course, as that the depo. nents may be punished as perjured calumniators, the condemnation wrongfully done be annulled, and my Lord Craven be put again

Son of the celebrated Hugo Grotius,

into the former possession and enjoyment of his rightful goods. The depositions are three in number; whereof the first is ridicu lous, the other two utterly false. If they were supposed to be all true, I have in the margent confuted them to be frivolous, and confirmed the confutation with true certificates or attestations, so as the condemnation upon them cannot but be unjust. It is fur ther void, because it is not applicable to the matter, considering the declaration whence it is formed (it is only concerning those, who, failing to the King's side from the parliament's service, are declared for traitors and rebels), considering the person, who besides he never served the parliament, and so cannot have been either rebel or traitor: besides, that he never gave any such assistance or aid to the King; yea, is not charged therewith in his accusations, how false soever they be: also during all that time was out of the country, whom, according to the laws of England itself, a new law, made in his absence, cannot prejudice, except it appear that he had notice of it. And considering your Honours, who, without a weakening of your power and honour, cannot suffer that a person, who is not only an inhabitant, but a sworn servant of this state, should be condemned in a country who are in mutual amity and correspondence with your Lordships, for civilities and duty towards this state; and by orders of his Highness as general, done and performed amongst your Honours, his lords and masters. All which being considered, your Honours are intreated, that in respect of the matter, which is so just and important, amounting to about 150,000 gilders per annum; in respect of the person, who, besides the twenty years service that he hath done this state, hath so bountifully distributed his means in this country; in respect of your Honours own authority, who, according to the declaration there-anent, made about the persons of the English merchants at Rotterdam, do not permit that any of their inhabitants (I forbear to say sworn ones), be bound to ano. ther state without their knowledge and consent; and in respect of the special recommendation of his Electoral Highness; your Honours would please to be so mindful of the said Lord Craven and his business, that he may be put again into the full possession of his goods, so as he hath been formerly seised of them, by revocation, annullation, or otherwise of cancelling or avoiding the aforesaid condemnation, and the effect thereof: that your Honours would be pleased to grant your special letters of recommendation for that purpose to the parliament, to request the ambassadors here for the like recommendation and endeavours; and, if need