itlirhnrl Ipolman di^hiip. LIBRARY- - THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA PRESENTED BY MRS. ALEC MILLER HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. POPULAR COUNTT HISTORIES. A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. BY CORNELIUS BROWN, AUTHOR OF 'THE ANNALS OF NEWARK-ON-TRENT,' 'LIVES OF NOTTS WORTHIES AND CELEBRITIES, ' ETC., ETC. LONDON : ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C. 1891. P5 fcfray^; .;.-^;rV;;->*— S5* Stli* i y V' , *^s^^(fr"^?i?2^^2r£ Vl^yfejp mlfe^^fv <^^- fy^^ M \<2^^%' ; -!?i^^^^^ »X2^iL' ,, '■ '■ fcj'-'' " ' '"' " C^pv'Jw fe^ il'.-l IHI O^^;^^^^^^^ f\$feSS ^Lmiv t^TVia v^E^fcis^' s=J.% lU««ff ^^fcfy^j S~=«!i *Mlp!§i: ssls PREFACE THOUGH the popular Midland Shire, whose county town has a world-wide fame for its textile fabrics, is perhaps better known to-day in the busy world of commerce than in any other sphere, it must not be supposed that it is deficient in the elements of literary interest or historic dignity. On the contrary, its life-story is one of the most absorbing that can possibly be presented. Since the Norman Conqueror set foot upon Nottingham- shire soil, leaving here in undisturbed possession a larger number of King's Thegns than had been permitted to remain in most localities, the county has been the home of powerful people, and the scene of many memorable and stirring events which have had an important influence on the country's welfare. Within the stout gray walls of Newark Castle, the ruined remains of which still bid defiance to Time's destroying hand, King John ended his troublous and unworthy days ; from the equally strong fortress which dominated the county town, Richard III. sallied forth to the fatal field of Bosworth; on the broad acres of Stoke the troops of Henry VII. struck down the adherents of Lambert Simnel vi Preface. until their blood flowed through 'the red gutter' in a crimson stream to the Trent ; on Standard Hill, hard by that Castle of Nottingham which is now a Palace of Art for the Midlands, Charles I. raised the standard of war ; and a few miles away, hopelessly defeated and disheartened after an arduous struggle, the ill-fated monarch gave him- self up to the Scotch Commissioners, whose forces were vainly striving to compel Newark to yield. In the great church-building eras — alike in the days of Norman, Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular architecture — the sound of the hammer and the chisel was familiar in the county, and there uprose a noble series of town and village churches to bring to the people the con- solations of religion and to remind successive generations of struggling humanity of their highest hopes and destinies. At a very early period in the history of the English Church there was built the glorious Minster of Southwell, now raised to the dignity of the cathedral of the diocese, and by degrees the county became adorned with the great parish churches of St. Mary, Nottingham, and St. Mary Magdalene, Newark, the priory churches of Worksop and Blyth, and many another noble monument of Christian piety and faith. • The coming of the friars ' gave an additional impetus to the erection of stately buildings. The Benedictines, one of the largest and wealthiest of the monastic orders, built for themselves houses at Blyth and Wallingwells ; the Cluniacs erected their great house at Lenton ; the Carthusians settled at Beauvale ; the Cistercians at RufTord ; the Austin Canons founded noble houses at Thurgarton, Shelford, Newstead, Worksop, Newark, and Preface. vii Felley ; the Prsemonstratensians were located at Welbeck and Broadholme ; while the Gilbertines, whose founder, Gilbert of Sempringham, lived and laboured in a Lincoln- shire village a few miles away, made a home amid the green fields of Mattersey. While the county thus became possessed of an abundant share of abbeys and churches, and formidable castles, it grew rich also in the large houses of powerful and pro- minent families. The Everinghams, stalwart warriors in their day, had a home at Laxton or Lexington, where also resided a distinguished family taking their surname from the place ; the Molyneuxs had a mansion at Hawton, and subsequently at Kneveton ; while the Markhams were located at Cotham, the Whalleys at Screveton, the Canti- lupe family at Greasley Castle, the Bysets at East Bridge- ford, the Lowdhams at Lowdham, the Heriz family at Gonalston, the Goushills at Hoveringham, the Sacheverells at Barton and Radcliffe-on-Soar, the Babingtons at Kingston and Chilwell, the Binghams at Bingham, the Rempstones at Rempstone, the Hutchinsons at Owthorpe, the Stanhopes at Rampton and Shelford, the Tibetots and Scropes at Langar, the Cranmers at Aslockton, the Joyces and Stapletons at Burton Joyce, the Strelleys at Strelley, the Cuckneys at Cuckney, the Lovetots and Furnivals at Worksop, the Deincourts at Granby, the D'Eivills at Egmanton, the Bartons and subsequently the Lords Bellasis at Holme near Newark, the Holies family at Haughton, the Wastneys at Headon, the Hercys at Grove, the Cressys at Oldcotes, and the Fentons at Fenton. While these families (mostly unfamiliar names here now), and many more of equal dignity, had dwellings in the viii Preface. county, there were others intimately associated with it in whom and whose life-work deep interest would be felt. As at Lambley, within the sacred walls of the ancient church, lay the remains of the Cromwell kindred — the Cromwells who derive a name which will live for ever in English history from a little Nottinghamshire village — could the county do otherwise than watch with pleasure the proud position attained by Lord Treasurer Cromwell, himself the owner of many of its broad acres ? Then there were the Bassets, the great lords who have left the impress of their name on one of our villages, and the Bardolphs' who will ever remain linked by name to the county through the village of Stoke Bardolph on the banks of the silvery Trent — the Bardolphs, who once occupied a prominent place in the front ranks of English nobility, as all readers of Shakespeare's ' Henry IV.' will well remember. The Nottinghamshire of these early days, with its abbeys, fortresses, county seats, and powerful families, was pre-eminently an interesting and prominent county, and it possessed an almost unrivalled source of attraction to sport-loving kings in its noble Forest of Sherwood, then in the heyday of its glory, well stocked with deer and sur- rounded by the halo of tradition and romance attending the exploits of Robin Hood and his merry men. As time rolled on in its resistless course the changes and transformations with which every locality is familiar fol- lowed in its train. Old families died out — sufficient in number and in merit to deserve a chapter to themselves did space permit — and the mansions which had known them for generations crumbled and fell. 'Over the site the green grass grows,' and in some cases — Preface. ix ' Mighty trees rise high and fair, As if it had aye been woodland there.' But the continuity of our history has been well pre- served in the noble and ancient families which still remain, in the many stately and lovely homes which have since arisen, and by those who, taking up their abode here from other scenes, have worthily and manfully upheld the best and fairest traditions of the county. To ecclesiastical architecture many beautiful additions have been made within the last two centuries, and happily continue to be made ; while the mansions of the county have never been more numerous or substantial than now. Those who take an interest in ' the stately homes of England/ will find in the great houses of ' the Dukeries ' and other seats of the nobility and gentry, and most of all in wondrous Welbeck, palatial abodes that can vie in beauty and magnificence with any in the land. Nor must the ' worthies ' of the county since the close of the Middle Ages, and a century after, remain unnoticed, seeing that they include an unusually long list of dis- tinguished names. The county of Byron, Kirke White, and • Festus ;' of Cranmer, Seeker and Warburton ; of Gervase Markham, Francis Willoughby and Erasmus Dar- win ; of Fenton, Ireton, Hutchinson, Howe and Warren ; of Bonington, Hilton, Dawson and Sandby ; of Elder Brewster, the leader of the Pilgrim Fathers, and a host of others too numerous to recount here, must ever be a county of special and peculiar interest, alike to readers in the old world and the new. With so many attractive features to present, it must be a matter of surprise to lovers of topography that com- x Preface. paratively little has been hitherto written respecting the stirring story of this historic shire. But what our local literature lacks in quantity it may well be said to make up for in quality. The ' Antiquities of Notts,' published by Dr. Thoroton in 1677, in one thick volume folio, copiously illustrated, is a monument of industry that for more than two centuries has constituted the standard authority, and is likely to hold the leading place for many years to come. It does not deal to any extent with historical events and personages — which is somewhat un- fortunate, seeing that the writer lived through the troublous period of the Caroline Civil War, and could have told us a great deal from personal knowledge — but it is replete with precise particulars of the devolution of property, and of the ancient county families whose memories are per- petuated ' in storied urn ' and ' animated bust ' in our village churches. Throsby, in a three-volume edition in 1797, amplified the genealogical details in Thoroton's book, and a more copious account of historical movements was given in Dickinson's histories of Newark and Southwell, in Deering's and Blackner's histories of the county town, and in Bailey's 'Annals of Notts/ published in 1853. Since that time separate portions of the county have been more elaborately dealt with, notably Nottingham in the volumes of ' Borough Records,' ably edited by my friend Mr. W. H. Stevenson ; Blyth, by the Rev. John Raine ; Worksop and the Dukery by Mr. Robert White ; Lenton, by my friend Mr. John T. Godfrey, who has also published an excellent account of the churches of the Hundred of Rushcliffe ; and the ancient historic town of Newark-on- Trent by myself. In these works a mass of information, Preface. xi inaccessible to Thoroton, Throsby, Dickinson or Bailey, has been carefully garnered, and the lives of the worthies of the county have been dealt with in a portly quarto ; but the villages of Notts, with one or two exceptions referred to in the course of this book, have remained well- nigh untouched, and I believe I may venture to say, ' without fear of contradiction, that no one — at least in this eventful century of our annals — has gone from one end of the county to the other in search of material, as it has been my pleasurable duty to do in the last three or four years. There is this much further to be said, that the times are infinitely more favourable for the writing of local history than they have ever been before. The Calendars of State Papers, the Reports of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, the volumes in the Rolls series, and the learned works of modern historians and biographers, have made accessible abundant details which heretofore were hidden. Of these modern sources I have gladly availed myself, and I have also drawn largely from the stores of information contained in a series of illustrated articles 'About Notts,' which, at the instigation of Mr. Jesse R. Forman, M.A., I contributed in 1888-9-90 to the popular newspaper which he so ably directs — the Notts Guardian. I have to thank Mr. Godfrey for some useful notes on church architecture, and Mr. J. Whitaker, J. P., F.Z.S., for his reliable list of our feathered fauna. Mr. A. T. Metcalfe, F.G.S., has kindly contributed a valuable chapter on the geology of the county ; and I am much indebted to Mr. R. A. Rolfe, of Ferndale, Lawn Crescent, Kew Gardens, for his interesting article on Nottingham- shire Flora. xii Preface. With these acknowledgments gratefully tendered, and with a feeling that many others are justly due for courtesies received, I bring these introductory remarks to a close, and offer the volume for public acceptation. At best it can, in such a compass, be but a summary of county history — it does not claim to be more — but I trust it may be found to touch so far upon the salient points in its life- story as to do justice to my native shire — a shire on whose soil national movements of deepest significance have been enacted, and from whose honoured homes heroic men have gone forth (and will continue to go forth) to influence the deliberations of the senate, share in the triumphs of the camp, and enrich the ever-growing treasures of literature and art. C. B. Newark, September, 1891. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. PAGE Nottingham in Early Times — The Danish Invasion — William the Con- queror — The Castle and the Peverels — Visits of Henry II. and Richard I. — White Friars and Gray Friars — Intrigues of Queen Isabella — Parliaments at Nottingham — Richard III. at the Castle — The Royal Army in the Meadows — James I. at Thurland Hall — The Civil War — Raising the Standard — Rivalry of the Nottingham and Newark Garrisons — Reduction of the Castle — The Restoration — Nottingham and the Revolution of 1 688 — The Castle destroyed by Fire — Its Subsequent Restoration .... 1-22 CHAPTER II. Villages around Nottingham — Wollaton and its Worthies — The Park and Hall — Adventures of Sir Hugh Willoughby — Lenton and its Priory — Arnold and Bestwood — An Easter Sepulchre — Royal Visitors at Bestwood — The Dukes of St. Albans — Calverton — The Story of the Stocking-frame — Woodborough and the Jebbs — Lambley and the Cromwells ....... 23-32 CHAPTER III. Clifton and its Famous Grove — The Cliftons of Clifton — Notable Warriors — Wilford and its Associations — An Eminent Parson — The Adven- turous Career of Captain Deane — Henry Kirke White — Holme Pierrepont and its Owners — The Poet Oldham - - - 33-38 CHAPTER IV. Attenborough as it is — Birthplace of General Ireton — Alderman Sir John Ireton, Lord Mayor of London — Kingston and the Babingtons — A Remarkable Memorial — An Eminent Judge — Anthony Babington, the Conspirator — Modern Kingston and the late Lord Belper — Bradmore and its Owners — Bunny and Ralph, Lord Cromwell — Sir Thomas Parkyns and his Book on Wrestling — His Effigy as a Wrestler — Notice of Lord Rancliffe ..... 39-46 CHAPTER V. Colwick — The Colwick Family — The Byrons and the Musters — Memorials in the Church — Lord Byron's ' Mary ' — The Reform Riots — Gedling and its Curiosities — Stoke and the Bardolphs — Burton Joyce — Lowdham — The Bysets and their Exploits — The Home of an Arch- bishop — Singular Land Tenure • - 47-58 xiv Contents. CHAPTER VI. PACE The Vale of Belvoir — Tithby and Wiverton — The Chaworth Family — Royal Visitors — A Loyal Garrison — Lord Byron and Mary Chaworth — The Death of Mrs. Musters — Owthorpe — A Famous Regicide — Langar and Admiral Lord Howe — The Tibetots and Scropes — Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, a Roman Halting-place — An Eminent Judge robbed on the Highway — Monuments in the Church — A Young Cavalier slain at Willoughby - - - 59-7° CHAPTER VII. ' All the World and Bingham ' — A Quaint Phrase — The Bingham Family — Admiral Sir Thomas Rempstone — Extraordinary Find — Eminent Clerics — Viscount Sherbrooke — East Bridgeford — A Roman Station — The Home of a Regicide — Religious House at Shelford — The Siege of the Manor-house — The Earls of Chesterfield - - - 71-79 CHAPTER VIII. Aslockton and Archbishop Cranmer — Whatton Church — A Cranmer . Memorial — The Village Cross — Parish Registers — Early Days of the Prelate — Leland's Itinerary — Cranmer's Mound and Walk — The Molyneux — Screveton — Kirketon Hall and the Whalleys — A Mysterious Jesuit — Edward Whalley and Oliver Cromwell — The Guardian of the King — Whalley signs the Death-warrant — He is one of Cromwell's Peers — Flies to America and dies — Car Colston — Thoroton, the Nottinghamshire Historian - - - 80-87 CHAPTER IX. Down the Trent Valley — Thurgarton Priory — A House of the Augustinians — The Cooper Family — A Sharp Skirmish — Hoveringham and the Goushills — Memorial to a Remarkable Lady — Stoke and its Battle- field — The Imposture of Lambert Simnel — Local Relics and Traditions ....... 88-97 CHAPTER X. Southwell : its Church and Palace — The Minster founded — Visits of Archbishops — Sudden Death of Archbishop Gerard — Singular Story of Thurstan — Geoffrey Plantagenet — Strange Scene at the Minster — King John's Visits — Notices of Cardinal Wolsey — Charles I. at the Saracen's Head — Byronian Reminiscences - - - 98-110 CHAPTER XI. ♦ The Key of the North '—An Old Town's Story— The Castle Built by Bishop Alexander — Death of King John — The Coming of the Friars — The P'riary and the Chantry House — A Fine Parish Church — The Civil War Period — Loyalty of the Old Borough — Modern Events ----.-.- 1 11-120 CHAPTER XII. Brough, a Roman Station — Danethorpe Hills — Holme and Lord Bellasis — Cromwell and the Cromwells — Muskham — Norwell — North and South Collingham — Fledborough and its Owners — Woodcotes — The Gretna Green of the Midlands — Dr. Arnold's Connection with Fledborough — Sutton-on-Trent — Grassthorpe and the Furnivals — Memorials of the Cartwright Family at Marnham - - 121- 127 Contents. xv CHAPTER XIII. I'AGE The Manor-house at Hawton — Memorials of the Molyneux Family — The Easter Sepulchre— Judge Molyneux at Thorpe— Old Hall at Cotham — The Markham Family — Sibthorpe and its College — Staunton and its Story — Attack on Staunton Hall — Elston and the Darwins -------- 128-136 CHAPTER XIV. Tux ford and its Neighbours — Curious Sculpture in the Church — The Rebel Stone — The Markhams of Markham — Memorials in the Church — A Famous Village — Mrs. Markham's ' History of England ' — Bevercotes and its Early Owners — Haughton and the Holies Family — A Once Famous Mansion — The Chapel Ruins — Markham Clinton and its Mausoleum ..... 137-146 CHAPTER XV. Averham and Kelham — Robert de Lexington and the Jews — Sir William Dugdale and the Family of Sutton — Lord Lexington and Charles I. — Kelham Hall — A Destructive Fire — Upton and Hocker- ton — Thoroton's Connection with Hockerton — Winkburn Park and Hall — An Ancient Church — The Countess of Rutland at Winkburn— A Peninsular Hero — Bilsthorpe — A Controversy with a King — Modern Memorials in Bilsthorpe Church — The Ancient Owners of Eakring — Visitation of the Plague — Heroism of the Rector - - 147-156 CHAPTER XVI. Queen Eleanor and Harby— Founding a Chantry — Broadholme and its Nunnery — Rampton in Saxon Times — The Babingtons and Eyres — Remains of the Ancient Mansion — ' The Whole Duty of Man ' — Heroes of Modern Times— Laneham and the Archbishops of York — A Duel — Sturton — The White Lady — Colonel Thornhaugh — P'enton the Mariner ..... . 157-168 CHAPTER XVII. Retford and its Records — Battle on the Banks of the Idle — Royal Grants and Favours — The Parish Church — Tower and Steeple blown down — An Army at Wheatley — Curious Election Story — Mattersey and its Monks — Wiseton and its Distinguished Visitors — Ranskill and its Danish Ancestry — Clayworth and its Clergy - - - 169-178 CHAPTER XVIII. Scrooby — The Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers — An Absorbing Story — Elder Brewster and his Residence — The Archiepiscopal Palace — Blyth — Its Monastery and Church — Bishop Saunderson — -An Ancient Tournament-Ground — Hodsock Priory — Finningley and the Fro- bishers — A Hero of the Armada- - - - -179-189 CHAPTER XIX. Worksop and ' The Dukeries ' — The Lovetots — Foundation of Worksop Priory — The Furnivals and Talbots — Dissolution of the Monastery — Mary Queen of Scots at the Manor — Sherwood Forest — Clumber House and the Dukes of Newcastle — Thoresby, Seat of Earl Manvers — Welbeck Abbey and the Dukes of Portland — Birkland and Bilhagh — Edwinstowe, Ollerton — Cockglode — Rufford Abbey — Clipstone Palace — Shireoaks — Gateford — Osberton — Serlby Hall - - 190-216 xvi Contents. CHAPTER XX. PAGE Mansfield and its Environs — Newstead and the Byrons — Annesley — Felley — Hucknall Torkard — Papplewick — Blidworth - - 217-231 CHAPTER XXI. The Erewash Valley — Trowell and the Hackers — The Early Possessors of Cossall — Shaw, the Life Guardsman — The Family of Strelley — Stapleford — An Ancient Cross — William Peverel — The Teverys and Palmes — A Gallant Admiral — ' A Petrified Enigma ' — Beauvale — A Carthusian Monastery — The Cantilupes — Greasley Castle — The Prior of Beauvale hanged ...... 232-244 CHAPTER XXII. GEOLOGY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Natural Features dependent on Soils — Coal- Measures : their Extent under the County — The Magnesian Limestone and Creswell ' Bone-Caverns ' — The New Red Sandstone, and the ' Forest Lands ' of Notts — Hem- lock Stone — The Keuper Marls and Gypsum — The Lias — Ancient Course of the Trent to Lincoln and the Wash — Museums - 245-251 CHAPTER XXIII. ART AND ARCHITECTURE. The Treasures in the Stately Homes of Nottinghamshire — List of Country Seats — Ecclesiastical Buildings — Southwell Minster — Its Chapter- House — Newark Parish Church — The Church at Blyth — Worksop Priory Church — Parochial Churches .... 252-264 CHAPTER XXIV. LEGEND, TRADITION, AND ANECDOTE. Robin Hood and his Band — Ballads of the Period — The Gothamites — The King and the Miller of Mansfield — Ancient Instruments of Torture — The Plough Bullocks—' Riding the Stang '—The Fair Maid of Clifton — St. Catherine's Well at Newark — Nan Scott's Chamber at Holme — Dick Turpin and his Accomplice — The Poets of the Newark Sieges — Hercules Clay and his Dream ----- 265-280 CHAPTER XXV. DIALECT AND FOLKLORE. Provincial Words : their Origin and Use — Examples from Great Writers — Superstitions and Proverbial Sayings — Eccentric Epitaphs - 281-290 CHAPTER XXVI. FLORA AND FAUNA. The Nottinghamshire Flora — County Floras — Dr. Deering's ' Catalogus Stirpium ' — Mr. Ordoyno's ' Flora Nottinghamiensis ' — Dr. Howitt's 'Nottinghamshire Flora' — The Nottingham Catchfly — Its History and Peculiarities — The Meadow Crocus — Fauna of the County — List of Notts Birds .... - . 291-301 Index ... . . . 302-306 HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. CHAPTER I. Nottingham in Early Times— The Danish Invasion — William the Conqueror— The Castle and the Peverels — Visits of Henry II. and Richard I. — White Friars and Gray Friars — Intrigues of Queen Isabella — Parliaments at Nottingham — Richard III. at the Castle — The Royal Army in the Meadows — James I. at Thurland Hall — The Civil War — Raising the Standard — Rivalry of the Nottingham and Newark Garrisons — Reduction of the Castle — The Restoration — Nottingham and the Revolu- tion of 1688 — The Castle destroyed by Fire — Its Subsequent Restoration. Almost in the heart of the Midlands, on a commanding site, 'a city set on a hill, which cannot be hid,' stands the great town of Nottingham, one of the most important of those busy centres of industry which give to England her commercial pre-eminence, and distribute their famous products over all quarters of the globe. As we stand on the castle rock in front of Nottingham Art Museum, which is so great an ornament to the borough, there lies before us a broad and fertile vale through which the silvery Trent winds his sinuous course, now murmuring beneath the wooded hills of Clifton, or gliding quietly through the green meadows of Wilford, or rushing with swifter force under the wide arches of the Trent Bridge until it is lost History of Nottinghamshire. to view in Colwick fields. As the eye wanders over this fine stretch of landscape, and then turns suddenly in the direction of the town, it witnesses in its progress a trans- formation scene as comprehensive and complete as any which the ingenuity of the scenic artist has ever put upon the stage. Instead of the calm repose of country life, we have before us the busy streets of a thickly-populated borough, with its masses of red-brick houses, tall chimneys, great factories and warehouses of many windows, and rising above all, with the fingers of its pinnacles pointing heavenward, the square tower of the old parish church, with all its hallowed memories and its gray, weather- beaten walls linking irrevocably the present with the past. Very busy and earnest does Nottingham always look in its weekday attire, and, in truth, it is an enterprising and a spirited town, which has pushed its way rapidly to the forefront, won a great name for its staple products of hosiery and lace, and shown all the evidences of healthy and vigorous life. Its modern history is a record of commercial achievement very creditable to itself, and stimulating to its less fortunate neighbours. Let us see what there is to say of its chequered and historic past. As the name of Nottingham is a puzzle to the etymo- logist, so its earliest history is enveloped in the mists of antiquity. Mr. W. H. Stevenson has presented all the facts that research can bring to light in a scholarly article on ' The Early History of Nottingham,' republished as a pamphlet a few years ago. No satisfactory evidence exists to indicate that the town had a British origin, or to show that it was ever a Roman station. But the site was far too attractive to be long ignored in the gradual formation of settled communities. Taylor, the water-poet, writing in 1639, speaks of the people of Nottingham • playing the coney,' a quaint phrase describing in old-time language how they dug out of the soft Bunter sandstone vaults, holes, and caves as primitive dwellings and habitations, The County Town. and there can be no doubt that at a comparatively early period it was selected as a suitable place for habitation. So far as reliable history goes, we have our first glimpse of Nottingham in the time of the Danish invasion. In 869, as the Winchester Chronicle testifies, these hardy warriors occupied the town, and were besieged by Alfred and ^Ethelred. A treaty of peace was temporarily con- cluded, but in the spring of 874 they returned in ever- increasing numbers, conquered Mercia, and occupied the five boroughs of Nottingham, Lincoln, Stamford, Derby, and Leicester. Here they remained until Edward the Elder, assisted by his sister, ^Ethelflaed, drove them away, Edward's capture of Nottingham in 919 being, in the words of Mr. Freeman, 'the crown of his conquests in Central England.' Edward built a fortress on the southern bank of the Trent in 921, and connected it with the town by a bridge, where his successor, ^Ethelstan, established a mint, and coins of his, bearing the Notting- ham mark, have been found. Then came the struggle at Hastings. Nottingham men were not prominent on that eventful day ; the Earl of Mercia was absent, and it was probably because of these abstentions that the Norman Conqueror confirmed so many Thanes in the possession of their lands in this county. William in due time reached Nottingham, and, as was his custom, immediately began to consolidate his power by the erection of a castle, which William of Newburgh described as being so strong by nature and art as to be able to defy any force but that of hunger. The control of this stronghold was entrusted to William Peverel, a military follower, who built himself a castle of his own on the craggy heights of Castleton, which caused his descendants to be known as ' Peverels of the Peak.' After the anarchy of Stephen's reign, Henry II. insisted upon all the great castles being surrendered into his hands, 1 — 2 History of Nottinghamshire. and the Peverel of the time declining to yield, the King set out to enforce his commands. Peverel secretly retreated in the garb of a monk, and the King took possession in 1 155. Under his auspicious rule the town made rapid strides. A royal charter was granted to the burgesses, the Palmers of Nottingham established a hospital for poor men, which Pope Lucius III. protected and assisted by a Bull, and the commercial bodies began to form themselves into guilds, which gradually drew into their own hands the government of the town. The castle, round which the interest of the warriors of successive ages naturally centred, from its commanding position and unusual strength, remained in the hands of the reigning monarch during the vigorous career of Henry II.,* and was also controlled by Richard I. until the absence of that King on the Crusades, when it was seized by Earl John, who also possessed himself of the Castle of Tickhill. When Richard returned in 1193, amid the rejoicings of his people, most of the strongholds that had yielded to the solicitations of the King's unscrupulous and ambitious brother returned to their allegiance, but Nottingham, always partial to John, held out with unex- pected vigour. When an army, led by Lord David, brother of the King of Scotland, approached in the royal interest, it refused to submit, and it was not until the King led the siege in person, in March, 1194, that it yielded to superior force. After the victory, the King, taking advantage of his proximity to the ' merrie ' forest of Sherwood, indulged himself in the royal pursuit of hunting, which no doubt formed a pleasant contrast to the stern work of reducing his unruly subjects. * It was taken by the rebels during the revolt of the Baronage in 1 174, but when Henry returned from his foreign campaign in 1175 the outbreak was quelled, and so stern were the measures employed that no armed revolt of the feudal Baronage was ever again possible in England. Vide Mrs. Green's ' Henry II.,' p. 185. The County Town. But the enjoyments of the forest had to give place to matters of State. On Wednesday, March 30, his Majesty held a council, which sat for three days, and sum- moned John to surrender. The Prince boldly defied his royal brother, and after forty days, sentence was pro- nounced against him, declaring his lands confiscate and himself a traitor. These were strong measures, but, like most great-hearted men, King Richard was not callous to all appeals for mercy. John sought forgiveness, obtained it, had Nottingham Castle restored to him, and resided there in a state of comfort and splendour he hardly deserved. Upon John's accession to the throne he visited Notting- ham in 1 199, and again in 1202. Henry III. held his Court at Nottingham, and granted a short charter in 1229, supplementing it with another in 1255, and a third in 1272, which showed the abiding interest his Majesty took in the affairs of the thriving Midland town. It was at this eventful period that the movement in the direction of establishing religious houses became most active and fruitful. In 1250 Henry III. had founded a house in Broadmarsh for the Gray Friars, and in 1276 Reginald, Lord Grey, of Wilton, and Sir John Shirley, Knight, are said to have been instrumental in the introduc- tion of the Carmelite or White Friars, who were located between Moothall Gate and St. James's Lane, in the parish of St. Nicholas. A reminiscence of the friars still exists in the thoroughfare now known as Friary Lane, where tradition asserts the church connected with the order stood between the Swan Inn and St. James's Street. The Hospital of St. John was another mediaeval institution where the poor might find shelter and relief. The Borough Records contain references to several grants made to the Hospitallers, and Pope Honorius III. allowed them a chaplain of their own in the chapel, and a cemetery as their exclusive burial-place. Other ancient foundations of History of Nottinghamshire. this character were the hospitals of St. Michael and of St. Leonard, as well as a free chapel within the walls of the castle itself. Tanner also mentions a cell of two monks at St. Mary's Chapel in Castle Rock. The history of the castle itself is associated with one of the most daring intrigues, the details of which have come down to us from the ages of chivalry and romance. Edward II., in his visits to Nottingham, was usually ac- companied by his Queen, Isabella, who became enamoured of Roger Mortimer. The faithless consort and her paramour plotted the death of the King, and their machinations re- sulted in his dethronement, hired ruffians completing the horrible scheme by killing him in a barbarous and cruel manner. A regency was formed during the youth of Edward III., and Mortimer gained the ascendancy ; but on the King attaining his eighteenth year, he, with some of his Barons, formed the design of reducing the usurper's power. About Michaelmas, 1330, a Parliament was summoned to be held at Nottingham ; but the castle was occupied by Queen Isabella and her favourite, attended by a band of 180 knights. A project was formed for getting Mortimer into the custody of the King and his followers, but this was no easy task, for the castle was strictly guarded, and every night the Queen deposited the keys beneath her pillow. The effort must have proved costly, if not abor- tive, had not the constable of the castle, William Eland (deputy of the governor, Richard de Grey, Lord of Codnor), rendered assistance, and undertaken to lead a party into the castle through a secret passage known to-day as Mor- timer's Hole. With his connivance, Mortimer was seized and put under arrest, and with some of his adherents was sent to the Tower. The Parliament summoned to meet at Nottingham was adjourned to Westminster, where he was impeached and ordered to be executed — a sentence which was carried out at Tyburn a few days afterwards. The County Town. Nottingham was the scene of the meeting of Parliament in 1336, when subsidies were granted to carry on the war in Scotland and on the Continent. In the reign of Richard II. a council was held in 1387, whereat the King formed the design of packing the Parliament with creatures favourable to his own purposes. This unconstitutional pro- ceeding was successfully resisted, but the Mayor, Sheriffs, and Aldermen of London were subsequently ordered to meet the King at Nottingham and give a reason why the city would not raise a loan for his wars. Once inside the great stronghold, the City-fathers found themselves cap- tives, and only obtained their release upon a reconciliation between them and their royal master. Again in 1397 the castle was made the place of a State council, when the Duke of Gloucester and the Earls of Arundel and War- wick were impeached for high treason. The Corporation records show that Henry IV., who granted the town a charter in 1399, was present at a trial by battle here which took place on August 12, 1407, and an account of which may be found in letters printed in Rymer's ' Fcedera,' viii. 538-540. Henry V. granted a confirmatory charter in 1414, and a further charter with additional privileges was given by Henry VI. in 1448. The town had been very loyal to the King, assisting him in all his movements, and raising money on a lease to furnish soldiers to aid him in dispersing the rebels under Cade. The Corporation records also contain an interesting document ' relating to the passing of Lancastrian lords through the town when Henry VI. was gathering his forces against the leaders of the Yorkist party.' In 1464 Edward IV. and Warwick, the King - maker, of whom Lord Lytton gives so graphic a picture in ' The Last of the Barons,' passed through the town on their way to repel Queen Margaret's incursions, and there are entries of presents made to them and their principal adherents. ' Item paied for xx galons save oon of rede wyne giffen 8 History of Nottinghamshire. to the Kyng on his beyng here, the Thursday next after the fest of Epiphanie, etc., price of evry galon viijd. summa xiijs.' Sundry gallons of wine were also given to the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chamberlain, and the Earl of Warwick, the grant to the last-named dignitary being only three gallons, while in the case of the Chief Baron of the Ex- chequer the quantity was reduced to one gallon. Years afterwards, when Warwick and Edward had parted company, Henry had been restored to the throne, and Edward, returning from his flight, was gathering an army to win back for himself the crown, Nottingham became a rally- ing-place for Edward's friends. Edward reached the town on March 23, 147 1, and was there joined by a compact body of 600 men-at-arms under Sir James Harrington and Sir W. Parr.* The rival forces met at Barnet, and the King - maker's body was among those that strewed the fatal field. Edward IV., who had received such liberal aid from Nottingham, died in April, 1483 ; and Richard III., to whom the town was equally faithful, arrived here the same month, the period of this eventful reign forming a notable era in our local annals. The town or guild hall, then known as New Hall, at Weekday Cross, had just been constructed, and a number of workmen had been busily engaged in improvements at the castle. The additions which had been made included the erection of a strong tower on the eastern side of the fortress, and when the works were completed by Richard the castle was one of the most commodious and magnificent in the kingdom. Hutton says, and it is at least a pleasing tradition, that Richard was fond of Nottingham Castle, often resided there, and erected a turret on an eminence, and called it the Castle of Care. As Mr. Collinson poetically de- scribes it : * ' Warwick,' by C. W. Oman (' English Men of Action '), 220. The County Town. * A tall tower watching o'er the widespread plain, And seen from Charnwood's hills and Belvoir's heights, The crafty Gloucester built, and here again He longed for daylight after sleepless nights. " Castle of Care" he named it, and a cloud Of guilty memories ever o'er it loomed, Dark as the birthplace of the thunder-cloud That threatening hangs above a city doomed.' From Nottingham the King, when the brutal murder of the young Princes had been effected, started on a tour through the northern counties, and with a view to stir up a good reception for him at York, a letter was written by his Secretary to the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Sheriffs of the city, recommending that the streets through which the King's Grace should pass should be hung with 'cloths of arras, tapestry work, etc.,' and hinting that if these things were duly attended to, the Secretary would not forbear calling on his Grace for their welfare. The letter had the desired effect, and his Grace met with a grand reception. Whether he repaid the enthusiastic loyalty of the citizens we do not know, but he does not seem, bad as he was, to have been altogether insensible to the promptings of gratitude. A copy is preserved of a license which he granted to a yeoman of Nottinghamshire, giving him permission to ask alms because ' he had had two of his barns full of corn and other his goods during his being in the King's service at Dunbar, in Scotland, by misfortune and negligence, suddenly burnt, to his utter desolation and undoing.' On March 21, 1484, the King was at Nottingham, when the subject of the relations between this country and France occupied his attention. To the Bishop of St. David's he gave power to conclude a truce, but overtures led to no immediate result. His Majesty remained at Nottingham about a month, during which time he received intelligence of the death of his only legitimate son, Prince io History of Nottinghamshire. Edward, to whom at the beginning of the year he had caused the Lords to swear allegiance as heir-apparent. A few months after this bereavement the King endeavoured to come to terms with Scotland, and sent ambassadors to the Scotch King, giving him to understand that he was willing to offer peace on every honourable condition, to be confirmed by an alliance of marriage. From Mr. Gairdner's ' Richard III.' we extract a narrative of what followed, and we feel all the more interest in giving the quotation fully, inasmuch as it contains the particulars of an important conference at the castle, hitherto unnoticed by our local historians : ' The King of Scots received the proposal with great satisfaction, and named in July the members of an embassy whom he proposed to send to conclude peace at Nottingham in the beginning of Sep- tember. These were men of the highest weight in his kingdom : The Earl of Argyll, who was at this time Chancellor of Scotland ; William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen ; Lords Lisle and Oliphant ; John Drummond, of Stobhall ; and the King's own Secretary, Archibald Whitelaw, Archdeacon of Lothian. Richard in reply sent a safe-conduct for them, and the plenipotentiaries met with the King himself at Nottingham on September 12. The conference was opened in the great chamber of Notting- ham Castle. The proceedings commenced by Whitelaw addressing the King in a polished Latin oration full of high panegyric, which it is unnecessary to notice, except for a rather interesting passage bearing on Richard's personal appearance, and indicating that he was small of stature. The speaker quoted and applied to the King what was said by the poet of a most renowned Prince of the Thebans, that nature never enclosed within a small frame so great a mind, or of such remarkable powers. In the end a three years' truce was concluded, and im- mediately after a treaty of marriage between the Duke of Rothesay, the Scotch King's eldest son, and Richard's The County Town. 1 1 niece, Anne de la Pole, daughter of the Duke of Suffolk. On this betrothal the lady, according to the fashion of the times, began to be called Duchess of Rothesay. This match, however, never took effect. On the death of King Richard it was broken off, and Anne de la Pole retired for the rest of her days to the monastery of Sion.' The King, who had deemed Nottingham Castle a convenient spot for his headquarters, remained after the reception of the Scotch ambassadors. In October he wrote a letter to his Irish subjects, telling them of the actual date of the commencement of his reign. A copy is preserved in the public records of Ireland, and it concludes thus : ' Given under our signet at our castell of Nottingham the xii day of October the second yere of oure reign.' It was not until November 9 that the King left his favourite abode. On that day he set out for London, where he was received with great pomp by the citizens and their representatives. He remained until May, and thence returned via Kenilworth and Coventry to Notting- ham, arriving at the castle June 22. One great reason for the preference which the King gave to Nottingham was undoubtedly its central situation. He was almost equally distant from any point at which an invading party might land, and this, with the prospect of invasion staring him in the face, was justly regarded as a matter of considerable importance. On the day of his arrival at the castle his Grace sent letters to the commissioners of array in every county, directing them to at once muster their lieges, as he had received certain information that ' rebels and traitors associate with our ancient enemies in France,' intended hastily to invade the realm. Early in July information was conveyed to his Grace that Richmond had a fleet at the mouth of the Seine ready to set sail. On the 24th of that month the King wrote to his Chancellor to send him the Great Seal by Thomas Barowe, the Master of the Rolls (previously rector 1 2 History of Nottinghamshire. of Olney, Bucks). Barowe hastened with it to Notting- ham, where he delivered it on August I, 1485, in the oratory at the chapel of Nottingham Castle in the presence of the Archbishop of York and others. The King im- mediately re-delivered it to Barowe, and appointed him Keeper of the Seal until further orders. On August 7 the Earl of Richmond landed at Milford Haven. With- out a moment's delay Richard prepared himself for the inevitable conflict, and the standard of war was raised on the pinnacle of the new tower. Meanwhile Richmond had progressed as far as Shrewsbury, gathering strength as he advanced, and when Richard was ready for action his troops lay at Atherstone. After a council of war in the castle, Richard marshalled his forces, some say in the market - place, and others state in the meadows, and with an ostentatious parade and a show of great strength marched out of the town for Leicester. Every- one knows the disastrous sequel on the field of Bosworth, and on the fall of Richard Nottingham lost no time in gladly recognising the accession of Henry VII. Le roi est mort, vive le roi ! Henry VII. visited Nottingham in his progress through the kingdom in i486, and was met by the Mayor and his brethren in scarlet gowns, and on horseback, about a mile from the town. His Majesty came again in 1504, and seems to have enjoyed himself at a banquet, towards which he contributed the meat and the town the wine and seasoning. We quote from the records the following interesting item : ' Payd for wyne at the eyting of the venesson that the King gaffe, and for flour and peper and dressing and howesrome and fewell as it was showed by a bill vijs.' It is not surprising to find that after all this pleasant interchange of courtesies a new charter was granted to the borough in 1505. It is unfortunate that the Corporation papers throw little light upon the action which the town took in public move- The County Town. 13 ments during the last half of the sixteenth century. The painstaking and erudite editor of the volumes of Corpora- tion records has to express his regret that the municipal documents are sadly deficient at dates when they might have been expected to yield matter of great and general interest. We know that gallant natives of the county rendered noble service in resisting the Spanish Armada, but we have no account of the help which the town gave, or of the contributions it furnished in men and arms on that notable occasion. The only references in the records are two brief entries relating to the making of bonfires when the town celebrated the great victory over the vast armaments of Spain. But though deficient in items referring to great events, the papers are rich in curious entries that throw a flood of light on the social condition of the borough at this important period. Specially notable are the presentments at the Sessions, which show with what care the town was inspected by the constable's jury. People were presented for selling wine above the price fixed by the Mayor, for playing unlawful games, for harbouring vagabonds, and one 'Lorence Debdall,' ' be cawse he dowth not lowket [look] apon hyss hoffyss [that of Common Ser- geant-at-Mace] ass he should do, but swffares mwke and fylthe to be powered yn ye hy strett' One John Bell, of Woodborough, was presented because he bought corn in the market when he had enough to serve his purpose, there being a law passed (5 th and 6th Edward VI.) that if any person having sufficient corn for household use and seed purposes for one year wished to purchase corn in the market for change of seed, he must bring an equal quantity of his own corn into the market for sale to others. Here is another curious entry : ' We present William Nyx for regratting of fish that cometh to the market, for he buyeth it at the hands of them that would sell it in the town, and by that means we can have no reasonable pennyworth.' In like manner women were presented for buying butter and eggs, 14 History of Nottinghamshire. oatmeal and salt, before they came to market, whereby these commodities were enhanced in price, and Mr. Mayor was desired specially to see that ' Robert Quarmebe doth not sheut wyth hys hande gonne, for he hath one as we are informyd.' Equally interesting are the presentments of the Mickletorn jury and the extracts from the Chamberlain's accounts, but we must not linger over them. The town saw little of royalty during the days of the Tudors, but when the Stuarts came to the throne it was honoured with frequent visits from members of the reigning family. James I. did not call at Nottingham on his way to London in 1603, but the Queen and Prince Henry were there on June 21, and received handsome presents from the Corporation. The King paid his first visit in August, 161 2, when the Recorder presented him with an address and a purse of money, and he was also the happy recipient of three fair gilt bowls, costing £61 12s. His Majesty stayed one night only at Thurland, or Clare, Hall — a sub- stantial mansion which stood ' opposite the Black-a-moor's Head stables/ and which is stated by Throsby to have been rebuilt by Francis Pierrepont, third son of Robert, Earl of Kingston, who died in 1657. Throsby says 'the rooms are spacious but gloomy, the walls are castle-like and thick. Here on particular public occasions the noblemen and gentlemen of the county dine in the great room.' His Majesty lodged here again in August, 1614, and on several subsequent occasions was sumptuously entertained, while the ill-fated Charles spent several nights at Thurland Hall in 1634. The Corporation records have not been edited at present beyond 1625, but Mr. Bailey gives an extract in his Annals from the Hall books, ' that on the 4th day of August, 1634, being Monday, our Sovereign Lord King Charles and the Queen came to Nottingham, and stayed here four nights, being entertained at Thurland Hall by the Earl of Newcastle. They were received at the Cow-gate by Mr. Mayor and his brethren, and their companies, and The County Town. 15 presented each of them with a piece of plate.' The sombre- looking hall was the scene of great festivities, and the town gave itself up to hearty rejoicing, or, as Mr. Bailey terms it, ' demonstrations of popular exultation.' The continuation of our narrative carries us on to the cloudy days of the Caroline Civil War. Our readers will be familiar with the history of the early stages of the unhappy conflict between King Charles I. and the Parlia- ment. In August, 1634, the crisis had reached the acute stage, and his Majesty issued his proclamation for all loyal subjects to meet him at Nottingham to participate in the raising of the standard. We will not go into the controversy as to why the great Midland town was selected for this important demonstration — this throwing down the gauntlet, as it were — on the part of outraged majesty. Mr. Jacob Hooper has discussed that point at length, and the inquiring student may look up the pros and cons of that question in his quaint history at leisure. The King was in Yorkshire, and having given his decision for Nottingham, where he purposed gathering his forces around him, he set out for his destination, passing Lincoln, Newark, and Southwell, reaching Nottingham on August 19. Next day he reviewed his cavalry, 800 strong, and, hearing that the Earl of Essex was marching upon Coventry, he hurried to obtain possession of it ; but upon his arrival, the gates of Coventry were closed against him, and all he could do was to return to Nottingham to pre- pare for the opening act of the drama which was to have such a tragic termination. Doubts have been entertained as to where the standard was unfurled — whether on the castle or on the adjoining hill. Mr. Bailey, the local historian, suggests that there were two standards raised : one for the military men at the castle and the other a popular streamer, for the in- habitants to rally round on what has always been known since as Standard Hill. 1 6 History of Nottinghamshire. Clarendon gives the date as the 25th ; but some local writers affirm that it was Monday, the 22nd. Probably the usual flag was hoisted when the King arrived on the 22nd, and the historic incident, more generally known as the ' raising of the standard,' took place, according to arrangement, on the 25th. The day after the ' raising of the standard ' intelligence was received that the army of the rebels was at Northampton, and after a short interval active hostilities commenced. Nottingham cast in its lot with the cause of the Parlia- ment, and the custody of the castle was entrusted to Colonel Hutchinson. No man ever had a wife who was a greater admirer of her husband's achievements than had Colonel Hutchinson ; and very few have had such a biographer as she was. The memoirs of her husband, which have now reached classic rank, tell with great minutiae the details of encounters between the two rival garrisons of Nottingham on the side of the Parliament and Newark 'for God and for the King.' The Marquis of Newcastle summoned the town to surrender ; but Colonel Hutchinson informed his messenger that if his lordship would have the castle he would have to wade to it through blood. Happily, the borough escaped the threatened attack of the Marquis at that time ; but the reprisals engaged in, and the sieges under which the two towns were alternately laid, make up a fascinating story for those familiar with the topography of the district. Eventually, Charles surrendered to the Scots' army that was besieging Newark, in May, 1646, and in the following February he passed through Nottingham in custody of the army of the Parliament. The Nottingham garrison was reduced ; Colonel Hutchin- son retired to the village of Owthorpe, and the castle was dismantled, at which Cromwell, when he came this way from the North, was ' heartily vexed,' remonstrating with Colonel Hutchinson for having been the cause of its The County Town. if abandonment. It remained in ruins till the Restoration, when it was claimed by the Duke of Buckingham in right of his mother, heiress of the Earl of Rutland. His Grace disposed of it to the Duke of Newcastle, and with his descendants the proprietorship still remains. On his memorable march to London General Monk passed through Nottingham, and was cordially received. This was in January, 1660. when the snow lay so deep in the roads as to render them almost impassable. Like most other places, Nottingham had grown tired of the Common- wealth, and was yearning for a restoration of monarchial rule. Mrs. Hutchinson says : ' The town, as almost all the rest of the island, began to be amazed, and declare them- selves so in the desire of the King. The boys, set on by their fathers and masters, got drums and colours, and marched up and down the town, and trained themselves in a military position, and offered many affronts to the soldiers of the army who were quartered there, which were two troops of Colonel Hacker's regiment ; insomuch that one night there were about 40 of the soldiers hurt and wounded with stones upon the occasion of taking the drums when the youths were gathering together to make bonfires to burn the rump,* as was the custom of these mad days. The soldiers, provoked to rage, shot again, and killed in the scuffle two Presbyterians ; one was an elder and an old pro- fessor, and one that had been a great zealot for the cause, and master of the magazine at Nottingham Castle.' In the entry of burials at St. Mary's Church during February is the following : ' Mr. Richard Hawkins, an elder, who was slain by the soldiers in the late tumult, standing at his own door.' * The name of ' Rump Parliament' was revived in the protectorate of Richard Cromwell, and the emblem burnt was usually the rump of a fowl. As Hudibras says : ' The few, Because they're wasted to the stumps, Are represented best by rumps.' 2 1 8 History of Nottinghamshire. In May, 1660, the longing for kingly rule culminated in the return of Charles II., and the rejoicings throughout the country were on a scale of unexpected magnitude. Even Mrs. Hutchinson frankly confesses that ' his Majesty was received with a universal joy and triumph even to his own amazement,' but says nothing as to what took place in Nottingham at the time. There was a curious pamphlet, however, in Mr. John Camden Hotten's collection, entitled 'Charles II. proclaimed with Joy at Nottingham, 1660' — a rudely-printed paper of sixteen pages, in which it was recorded that the Mayor of Nottingham acted like a mad- man at the celebrations. ' His worship got one half of the people to fire off guns, while another half walked about singing psalms.' Notices of the burning of Milton's book are given ; and Cromwell's effigy was exhibited with a rope around its neck. Another pamphlet in the same collection was entitled, 'A Speech made at Nottingham, April 2nd, 1660, at the Election of Arthur Stanhope, esquire, and Colonel John Hutchinson, then burgesses, to serve in the next Parliament.' Colonel Hutchinson was eventually dis- charged the House, and being taken into custody, was imprisoned at Sandovvn Castle, where he died Septem- ber 11, 1664. The reaction which had set in so strongly continued to manifest itself in various ways. Not only were many of those punished who had taken a prominent part in main- taining the Parliamentary cause in this county, but the current of popular opinion flowed with great force against the Nonconforming party. In 1665 the notorious Five- Mile Act was passed, and in compliance with the wishes of Parliament an order was issued for inquiry as to all ' con- venticles or unlawful meetings under pretence of religion.' Quakers and Anabaptists were the sects against whom the strongest feelings of animosity were shown, but reports were sent from each parish stating where the Dissenters The County Town. 19 met, and what they did at their meetings. The reports from many of the villages of Notts are printed in Bailey's Annals, and it appears therefrom that, in spite of their persecutions, the Quakers were a tolerably numerous body, their meetings at Ruddington, for instance, being attended by forty or fifty people. Several curious pamphlets, hitherto unnoticed by our local historians, were issued, giving an account of their sufferings. One was ' The Lambs' Defence against Lies : a true testimony con- cerning the sufferings and death of James Parnell, of Redford, Notts.' Parnell was imprisoned at Colchester, chained to a bar of wood, and taken eighteen miles through the country ' as a sport, or gazing stock.' Finally, they put him in a high hole in a wall, from which he accidentally fell, receiving injuries which terminated in his death. Another pamphlet tells us of the sufferings of James Jackson, ' formerly a parish priest, of Nottingham, now a despised follower of the Lamb — in scorn, called a Quaker;' and a third gives a hundred instances of persecution in various localities in Notts. No less a personage than Dr. Thoroton, the historian, and a justice of the peace, was one of the most virulent of the persecutors, and even Penis- ton Whalley, a relative of Colonel Whalley, the stanch Parliamentarian warrior, in charging the grand jury at the Newark Quarter Sessions on July 21, 1673, delivers a tirade against ' Buzzardly Quakers,' and criticises in strong terms the Independents and Romanists. But if Nottingham went almost mad in its devotion to Charles II. on his return, it was one of the first to declare against James II. The Earl of Devonshire, Lord Howe, Lord Delamere, and others, appeared at the Malt Cross and declared against the arbitrary measures of his Majesty, whereupon the town became the headquarters of the Northern insurrection, and was enthusiastic in the move- ment that placed William III. on the throne of England. 2 — 2 20 History of Nottinghamshire. About this period the castle underwent repair, and the Princess Anne resided in it in 1689. For the next hundred years nothing notable occurred in the history of the great stronghold; but 1831 saw a memorable riot, caused by the refusal of Parliament to reform the repre- sentation of the people in the House of Commons. On Saturday, October 8, 1831, news came that the Lords had thrown out Lord Grey's measure, and on the following Monday a tumultuous mob, having ransacked Colwick Hall, raised the cry, ' To the castle !' In a short space the noble pile was in flames, and the next morning only the blackened walls remained. Two men were prosecuted for this incendiarism, but the prosecution was abandoned ; the Duke of Newcastle, however, obtained a verdict for £2 1, 000 against the inhabitants of the Hundred of Brox- towe as compensation for the wanton destruction of his pro- perty. A few years ago the castle was restored, and is now devoted to the purposes of an Art Museum. And now a few words as to the worthies who have helped to make the name of the old town famous in days gone by. Pious William Brightman, a well-known writer on theological subjects in the sixteenth century, was a native of Nottingham, and did it no discredit. He died suddenly in 1607 ; as quaint old Fuller puts it, ' His clay cottage did crack and fall down in the same minute ; but he who died daily could on no day be said to die suddenly, being always prepared for his dissolution.' Gilbert Wakefield, another prolific writer, died in 1601 ; and in 1806 one of the best- known and most popular poets passed away — Henry Kirke White, who was born in the old house in Exchange Alley, the front of which is appropriately adorned with his portrait. The local paper of the period, in a grandiloquent notice of his death, says, ' He fell at a moment when every eye was fixed upon him, when the greatest expectations were formed concerning him, and when his too sanguine The County Town. 21 friends were predicting his future eminence. We see in his life,' says the writer in a moralizing vein, ' an example worthy of imitation, a lesson on the precarious tenure of human life, and the frailty of every sublunary expectation.' Dr. Andrew Kippis, an eminent Nonconformist, was another native of the Borough, as was also Paul Sandby, the artist. On July 16, 1824, the town was agitated by the funeral of a famous man who, though not born within its precincts, was very familiar to its inhabitants. The hearse conveying the remains of Lord Byron was met by thousands of people at the south end of the town, and followed in mournful silence along Fisher's Gate, Hockley, and up Carlton Street to the Blackamoor's Head, Pelham Street, where it remained for the night. The coffin was placed in the room at the north-west corner of the yard, and wax candles put around it. The public were then admitted, about twenty at a time, to walk round and out again ; but such was the pressure and anxiety to see the spectacle, that a very large body of constables was necessary to clear the way, and to keep anything like a clear ingress and egress. When the procession left on the following morning, the Mayor and Corporation attended, and most of the townspeople were attired in mourning. To return to natives of the town, mention must be made of Rossi, the sculptor; Millhouse, the poet ; Thomas Bailey, the historian ; Dr. Marshall Hall ; Dawson, the artist ; and of living worthies, the gifted author of ' Festus' (Mr. Philip James Bailey), Mr. E. J. Lowe, the astronomer; Mr. Laslett J. Pott, artist, and many others who in varied walks of public life are worthily sustaining the fame of the county town. Nottingham is now one of the most extensive emporiums of trade in the Midlands. Its population has risen from 40,505 in 1 82 1 to 250,000 at the present time, the staple industries being the manufacture of lace and hosiery. The great market-place is the most capacious of its kind in 22 History of Nottinghamshire. England, and at the annual Goose Fair its appearance is one of extraordinary life and animation. Nottingham, with its trade, its noble University College, its splendid Free Library, its delightful Art Museum, and its many advantages — commercial, educational, and residential — seems destined to grow in wealth and importance, for the energy of its citizens and its central situation combine to make it one of the foremost boroughs in England. CHAPTER II. Villages around Nottingham — Wollaton and its Worthies— The Park and Hall — Adventures of Sir Hugh Willoughby — Lenton and its Priory — Arnold and Bestwood — An Easter Sepulchre — Royal Visitors at Bestwood — The Dukes of St. Albans — Calverton — The Story of the Stocking-frame — Woodborough and the Jebbs — Lambley and the Cromwells. A SHORT drive from Nottingham, with its busy streets and factories, brings us to a scene of tranquillity, in striking contrast to the whirl and hurry of the prosperous county town. Wollaton Hall is one of the stateliest homes of which old England can boast, and the wooded park, where browse the frighted deer, surrounds it with all the beauties of nature, that give to country life its enchantment in both winter and summer. Passing through the entrance at the lodge, the visitor emerges under an avenue of majestic limes three-quarters of a mile in length, and at the ex- tremity stands the hall, described as ' a combination of elegance and art,' bearing on its southern front this proud inscription : ' En has Francisici Willoughbsei sedes rara Arte extructas Willoughbaeis relictas. Inchoatae MDLXXX — MDLXXXVIII.' It is a crystal palace, combining light- ness and grace with imposing stability, and the beauty of its design can best be illustrated by the fact that Sir Joseph Paxton found nothing comparable to it in England, and sent an assistant to obtain models from it for reproduction at Mentmore — Baron Rothschild's seat. 24 History of Nottinghamshire. This splendid Elizabethan mansion, as the inscription testifies, took eight years in its completion, and cost ;£8o,ooo — an enormous sum in those days. The Ancaster stone used in its construction was supplied in exchange for coal from the pits on the Wollaton estate. The interior of the noble building is no less attractive than its exterior, and its wealth of artistic adornment includes the master- pieces of Giordano, Vandyck, Snyders, Hemskirk, Teniers, Rubens, and others. The early history of the founders of the family will be found touched upon in a chapter on Willoughby-on-the- Wolds, and we now propose to glance at the noble owners of a later period. One of the most ancient monuments in the church at Wollaton is that to Richard Willoughby, who died in 147 1, and Anne his wife, standing on the north side near the altar. They died without' issue, and the property passed to Sir Henry Willoughby, whose memorial speaks of him as 'dominus de Wollaton,' and who died in 1528. Hugh Willoughby, his third son, was a daring Arctic explorer, and commanded the Bona Esperanza in an expedition in 1553 to discover the North-East Passage to Cathay. It was a scene of wild excitement at Greenwich when the ship, with three others, started on its perilous voyage. Members of the Privy Council went to see it off, and great hopes were entertained of the success of the gallant and adventurous mariners. Unhappily the vessels met with storms off the coast of Spitzbergen, and the Bona Esperanza was driven into a river or haven, called Arzina, in Lapland. Unable to withstand the rigours of the winter, the whole party perished, and the body of Sir Hugh was discovered in a chair, where he had evidently been frozen to death, with his will and the ship's log-book before him. On the death of Sir Henry's eldest son without issue the estate came to Henry, heir of Edward, the second son. Wo Hat on. 25 This representative of the great family met with his death in the suppression of Ket's Rebellion, one of those curious revolutionary movements in the reign of Edward VI. His wife, Anna, sister of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, was left with two sons — Thomas, aged eight, and Francis. The former died, and Wollaton therefore passed to Francis, who was the builder of the palatial dwelling already referred to. In the publications of the Historical Manuscripts Com- mission there are several references to Sir Francis. In July, 1593, he was sent by the Lords of the Council to Sawley to inquire into the misconduct of a Mrs. William- son, and others, towards the messenger sent from the Council to apprehend the ringleaders of a riot committed in plucking down Sir Thomas Stanhope's weir at Shelford. But his great work was the building of his magnificent house, which remains a noble monument to his own excel- lent taste, and the wealth of his family. He had two wives, the first of whom was Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. John Littleton, and the second, Dorothy, relict of John Tamworth. By the first he had four daughters, and their claims, with that of the widow, involved the family in costly law proceedings. Sir Percival Wil- loughby, of Eresby, married the eldest, Bridget, and thus united the two houses, already related to each other. In the hall are portraits of Sir Percival and his lady, and in the background of Sir Percival's picture is depicted a ship, with a Latin motto thus rendered, ' Lost by words, not by winds and waves ' — which it is surmised relates to the ruinous legal conflict. His eldest son, Sir Francis, succeeded to the estates. He was a soldier, and served in the Low Countries, where he lost large sums of money, and his son met his death. He took part in the expeditions to Cadiz, Rhe, and Rochelle, and there is a letter in the State Papers from William Weld, describing a quarrel between a Sir Francis and Sir Lucius 26 History of Nottinghamshire. Cary. He died in 1665, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, and was succeeded by his son Francis, the celebrated naturalist. His heir, also named Francis, was created a baronet in 1677, with remainder to his brother, Sir Thomas, who, having represented the county in Parliament, was created Baron Middleton of Middleton, in the county of Warwick, in 171 1. From him the present noble owner, the ninth Baron, is descended. In immediate proximity to Wollaton is Lenton, where William Peverel, in the reign of Henry I., founded and endowed a Clugniac Priory, the story of which, from its creation to its dissolution, is well told in the recently published history of the parish by Mr. John T. Godfrey. Arnold and Bestwood, now busy centres of industry, in equally close proximity to Nottingham, were once within the bounds of Sherwood Forest ; but the merry horn of the hunter sounding through the woodland glades as he pursued his quarry has given place to the shriek of the locomotive whistle and the rattle of the hosiery frames. The two parishes have become suburbs of the great town ; but notwithstanding all the changes that have taken place, there is still the ancient parish church of Arnold, with its architectural antiquities, to link us with the past. At the time when this was built, in the Early English style about 1270, the family of Arnehall, or Arnold, had risen into con- siderable prominence, for in 1278 Ralph de Arnehall was created a knight by Edward I. Other owners of property at Arnold in early days were the Earls of Hereford, Margaret, wife of Sir Thomas Rempstone, Sir Nicholas de Strelley, John Foljambe, and Ralph, Lord Cromwell, the famous Treasurer to Henry VI. In the time of Edward VI. the Duke of Clarence was lord of the manor, which then passed to the family of Hastings. The chancel of the church was erected in the fourteenth century, when the Earls of Hereford were in possession of Arnold. 27 the property. In it are the remains of an Easter sepulchre — one of the few stone constructions of the kind to be found in the country. There are no figures or ornaments left here, but an account dated July 4, 1470, containing details of materials for making a similar construction at St. Mary Redcliffe, will give an idea of what was generally represented : ' Item. Hell made of timber, and ironwork thereto, with the Divels to the number of 13 ; item, 4 armed knights, keeping the sepulchre with their weapons in their hands, that is to say two axes, and two spears with two paves.' There are also in the church the founder's tomb, a splendid triple sedilia and a double piscina. Adjoining the village of Arnold is Bestwood Park, the beautiful residence of the Duke of St. Albans. In an in- quisition taken at St. John's House at Nottingham, in 1 28 1, before Geoffrey Langley, Justice of the Forest, it is described as ' a park of our Lord the King, wherein no man commons.' The Plantagenets were fond of resorting here to enjoy the pleasures of the chase, and it was at Best- wood that Richard III. heard of the approach of his rival, Henry Tudor. Thoroton speaks of the park as having ' a very fair lodge in it,' which had been in the possession of three Earls of Rutland, and before that of Thomas Mark- ham, one of Queen Elizabeth's courtiers, and of Sir John Byron — a favourite of King Henry VIII. In the historian's time it was in lease to William Lord Willoughby of Parham. At the period when the keepership of Bestwood passed to Roger, Earl of Rutland, the park abounded with deer, for, writing to the Earl in 1607, John Woods and Lancelot Rolleston say : ' We find that there are in the park at least three hundred fallow-deer, and four-and-twenty red deer/ A subsequent account of the property shows that in 1650 the hall was built of wood, lime, and plaster, and covered with slate and tile, and contained thirty-eight rooms. The park was enclosed, and contained about 3,000 acres, of 28 History of Nottinghamshire. which ioo acres were tilled, and the rest was in pasture, in the occupation of William Willoughby, Esq. In 1683 Charles II., by letters patent, granted Bestwood to Charles Beauclerk, first Duke of St. Albans. This noble family has done much to improve it and make it worthy to rank as one of the stately homes of England. In 1885 Bestwood Lodge was completed, under the direc- tion of the present Duke, and is a fine specimen of domestic architecture in the style of the fifteenth century. Among royal visitors entertained by his Grace were the Prince and Princess of Wales on the occasion of the opening of Nottingham Castle Museum in 1878, and the late Duke of Albany, who opened the University College. In the park is erected a beautiful little church, in which lie the remains of the late Duchess, to whom there is a memorial, and a marble medallion carved by the Princess Louise. The Duke is Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, and takes a lively interest in philanthropic and deserving institutions, both in the county town and the district surrounding it. With Calverton, a few miles away, is indelibly associated the history of the invention of the stocking-loom, which has had such important industrial results. William Lee, to whom the hosiers owe so much, Was born at Calverton ; and very appropriately the village where the first frame was devised is still a hosiery village. In Calverton and Woodborough, and the immediate vicinity, we may see the knitters with busy hands and skilled fingers deftly guiding the threads which make up the best of hose on the hand frames. If they are not all making stockings, they are equally busy with other articles of attire that can be woven on their looms. Thus, as hosiers, they follow the same useful occupation that their fathers and fore- fathers have done for generations past — probably since the time when Calverton heard with astonishment that one of its sons had invented a machine that could be made to knit stockings. Calverton. 29 It is unfortunate that little should be known of the man who introduced to the world an invention that has had so much to do ever since with the progress and prosperity of this country. In his native village no tablet exists to com- memorate his virtues, and the parish registers do not go far enough back to contain the entry of his baptism. We have to look elsewhere for such information as is obtain- able ; and first of all turn to Thoroton, to see what the great historian of the county has to say on the subject. Thoroton's book was published about sixty-seven years after Lee's death, and the historian would be able to gain his information from old people, who would be likely to know something about Lee and his family. He says, ' At Calverton was born William Lee, Master of Arts in Cam- bridge, and heir to a pretty freehold here, who, seeing a woman knit, invented a loom to knit, in which he, or his brother James, performed and exercised before Queen Elizabeth.' The parish register of Calverton, which begins October 6, 1568, contains the entry of the baptism of four sons of a William Lee — Edward in 1574, Robert in 1577, John in 1580, and James in 1582. There is no entry of William ; but as the father is described as William Lee 4 the elder,' it is tolerably certain that he had a son William Lee ' the younger,' who would be born before the register begins. If we assume that the four sons whose names are inscribed in the register were brothers of the inventor, it is evident he must have been very much older than they were. For on turning to that excellent authority, 'Athenae Cantabrigiensis,' we find that he went to Cambridge University in 1579, in which year he was entered as a sizar of Christ's College. He subsequently removed to St. John's College, and, as a member of that house, proceeded B.A. in 1582-3. On designing his frame, Lee sought to enlist the aid of the great, and to receive royal patronage. But Elizabeth did not view the invention with much favour, 30 History of Nottinghamshire. believing that it would throw many of her subjects out of employment, and Lee felt he had no alternative but to seek in a foreign country the privileges he had been unable to secure in his own. Along with his brother and nine work- men he removed to Rouen, and set up his frames there. The French King received him graciously at Paris, and promises of support were held out to him. It happened, however, that the monarch was assassinated, and his successor feeling no interest in the invention, Lee was left in Paris with ruined hopes and empty pockets. His brother James hastened to the French capital to comfort and assist him, but ere he arrived the ingenious creator of the stocking-frame was dead and buried. Before going beyond the seas he had, according to Thoroton, trained an apprentice named Aston, for some time a miller near Bingham, and that worthy added something to his master's invention. By degrees the frame grew into popular favour ; but as late as 1611, if not later, silk loom stocking-weaving was not permitted in this country for fear of ruining the knitters. There is a letter from Sir Walter Cope in the State Papers, under date August 20, 161 1, wherein he says, 'The English stocking-weavers, after fruitless experiments here, have gone over to Venice.' Such were some of the disappointments of Calverton's famous son. A troubled life and a nameless grave were the reward of his genius and industry. No one knows where his bones were buried, and his native place has no relic of him. It may be said that the shops and ware- houses devoted to the production and sale of stockings are a constant memorial. The county town itself, owing its vast dimensions in a great measure to the fame of its hosiery, is a tribute to his worth. Anywhere in the vicinity of his birthplace there might aptly be inscribed the words which commemorate the great builder of St. Paul's : ' Si monumentum requiris, circumspice.' But it Woodborough. 3 1 would not be inappropriate at the same time for some little memorial to be placed in the parish church where he must often have worshipped, and around which his friends and kindred lie buried. The church itself has been well restored. The work was done in 1881, at a cost of about £1,200, and was carried out with a due regard to the preservation of all that is of historical interest. For Calverton is undoubtedly an ancient village, and its first church must have been erected at a very early period. At the time of the Con- queror's survey, there was a church and priest ; and ' here was also a manor which, before the Conquest, Ulvric had.' The old pillars with rudely-cut capitals at the entrance to the chancel belong doubtless to the Saxon or Early Norman period ; and there is dimly visible on one of them the figure of the patron saint, St. Wilfrid. In other parts of the church very old stones may be seen, and there is some quaint carving on several of them, which have been built into the tower, representing shearing, threshing, hunt- ing, feasting, and other subjects. They are clearly of great antiquity, and interesting also, as illustrative of the dress of the period. From Calverton to Woodborough, where a family of the name of Lee resided at the time when the hero of the stocking-frame was born, the roadway passes over a steep hill. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the name of Jebb occurs in the registers, and the family arms were on the windows of the church before the ruthless de- struction attending the Civil Wars. Among those who brought honour on the name were Dr. Samuel Jebb, the editor of Aristides ; Dr. John Jebb, Dean of Cashel ; and Sir Richard Jebb, who became Physician in Ordinary to George III. Of the two sons of Samuel, one rose to be a judge, and the other was made Bishop of Limerick. Both Woodborough and Lambley, which adjoins it, are intimately connected with the hosiery trade. 32 History of Nottinghamshire. Lamblcy was once associated with the Cromwells, and possesses memorials of them to this day. A chantry chapel which stood on the north side of Lambley Church was founded in 1340 by Ralph Cromwell, and its dimen- sions may still be traced. Lord Treasurer Cromwell was principally instrumental in the erection of the nave and chancel — the style of architecture being that of the Per- pendicular. Some fine marble slabs with their inscriptions almost obliterated are to be seen in the chancel floor, placed there to the memory of members of the family. Leland speaks of the badges of the Lord Treasurer as ' Bagges of Purses '; and two of these curious emblems of the office of the great statesman are to be seen one on each side of the east window of Lambley Church. His lordship died in 1456, and was buried at Tattershall, where the remains of his great castle are still to be seen. By a codicil to his will, he ordered the rebuilding of the chancel at Lambley, and directed that two images should be placed upon the tombs of his father and mother, who were interred in the old edifice. CHAPTER III. Clifton and its Famous Grove— The Cliftons of Clifton— Notable Warriors— Wilford and its Associations— An Eminent Parson— The Adventurous Career of Captain Deane— Henry Kirke White — Holme Pierrepont and its Owners— The Poet Oldham. To the busy residents of Nottingham the charms of Clifton Grove are pleasingly familiar. Nothing can be more de- lightful on a hot day than to bid a brief adieu to the whirl of the county town, and to spend a few hours of peaceful solitude among stately trees by the side of the glistening waters of the Trent. Kirke White's poetic description of the scene is worth perusal, not only for the chaste and simple language depicting the beauties of the Grove, but for its vivid narrative of the Fair Maid of Clifton, and her strange career. The Manor of Clifton is one of considerable antiquity and significance. Thoroton says it can be traced as far back as the days of Edward the Confessor, and belonged to the famous Countess Godiva. In the time of William the Conqueror it came into the possession of William Peverel, but appears to have reverted to the Crown in Henry II. 's reign. The Cliftons, who took their surname from the village, were then coming into note, although they did not obtain the lordship of their native place till the days of Henry III., when Sir Gervase de Clifton purchased the manor of Gerard de Rhodes. In the reign of Edward I. 34 History of Nottinghamshire. Sir Gervasewas High Sheriff of Notts and Derbyshire, and had granted to him by Robert de Tibtot, Constable of Nottingham Castle, a demise of the castle and precincts for a term of years, and hence probably arose the title of ' Guardianus Castelli de Nottingham,' assigned to his family in the old ' Visitations/ A branch of the Cliftons kept the surname of Wilford, and one, Gervase de Wilford, was Chief Baron of the Exchequer, 24th Edward III. Another member of the family, who also had the favourite name of Gervase, married Maud, niece of Lord Cromwell, and became possessed of lands in Kent. He was an active warrior, both on land and sea, against the foreign enemies of the nation. At home he adhered closely to the Lancas- trian cause, and even after the fatal field of Towton he did not desert the fallen house. He was accused of conspiring to release King Henry from the Tower, and flying with other companions in arms for safety, took refuge in the abbey church at Tewkesbury. Here he was tracked by King Edward and his followers, who would have rushed upon them with the sword had not a priest intervened to remind them of the sanctity of the place. A respite awaited them for two days, and they were then brought before the Duke of Gloucester (afterwards Richard III.), who condemned them to death, and Sir Gervase and his companions were beheaded in Tewkesbury market-place. But while one Clifton suffered for his loyalty, another became a member of Edward's Court, and at the corona- tion of Richard III. was created a Knight of the Bath. Another Sir Gervase held positions of influence in the reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth, and his bearing was so courtly in this age of chivalry, that he was styled ' Gentle Sir Gervase.' The representative of the family in the time of James I. was created a Baronet by that monarch, and in the reign of Charles I. he was a Commissioner for the King at Oxford and Newark. He married no less than seven wives, and lived to a great age. Clifton. 3 5 All the successors to the title have been closely associated with Nottingham, and the last Baronet was one of the most popular men who ever represented the borough in Parliament. The church contains many memorials of the family, which played an important part in the history of the country for a lengthy period. Indelibly associated with Clifton and the Clifton family is Wilford, another picturesque Trentside village. The first Rector of Wilford of whom there is any record is John de Clifton, who was nominated in 1297 by Sir Gervase, the patron, and in succeeding generations many of the Cliftons held the same honourable office. One of them, Gamaliel Clifton, rose to be Dean of Hereford, and having considerable repute as a canonist, was one upon whom the duty was cast of advising Henry VIII. how to rid himself of Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves.* A tomb in the churchyard brings to mind the career of Captain Deane, who was the son of a Nottingham gentle- man, but first fancied the trade of a butcher. His life extended into the reigns of no less than seven monarchs, from Charles II. to George III. Forsaking the cleaver, he took to deer-stealing, fled the country, became a seaman, fought at Gibraltar, was raised to the position of a captain in the navy, fitted out a ship to trade with North America, was wrecked, and after twenty-six days' exposure on a rock in a state of destitution, was picked up by a passing vessel and returned to England. Deane's brother upbraided him for the loss of their barque, and in a quarrel between them ruptured a bloodvessel and died. The seaman became Consul at some of the Continental ports, and retired to Wilford in 1738, where he died. On the south wall of the chancel there is a fine marble medallion bearing an excellent portrait of Henry Kirke White, the poet, and one of the windows is filled with stained glass ' In Memoriam H. K. W.,' supplied by public * Foss's ' Judges,' iii. 536. 3—2 36 History of Nottinghamshire. subscription. The poet spent many pleasant days in 1804, and succeeding years, at Wilford, and the groves of Clifton, with the silvery Trent, were just the scenes to draw forth his best efforts at depicting the loveliness of nature in verse. After ' a sharp fit of sickness,' consequent upon a bitter disappointment and months of intense study, he recovered sufficiently to resume his favourite walks round Wilford, and sitting in the churchyard, with the Trent flowing swiftly at his feet, and the hot sun vainly endeavouring to struggle through the foliage of the trees around him, he wrote the sorrowful but beautiful lines : ' Here would I wish to sleep ; this is the spot Which I have long marked out to lay my bones in. Tired out and wearied with the riotous world, Beneath this yew I would be sepultured. It is a lovely spot ! the solitary sun From his meridian height endeavours vainly To pierce the shadowy foliage, while the zephyr Comes wafting gently o'er the rippling Trent And plays about my wan cheek. 'Tis a nook Most pleasant. Such a one perchance did Gray Frequent, as with vagrant muse he wantoned ; And I will set me down to meditate, For I am wearied with my summer's walk. 1 And here I may rejoice in silent ease, And then, perchance, when life's sad journey's o'er, My harassed soul in this same spot may find The haven of its rest beneath this sod ; Perchance may sleep it sweetly, sound as death.' Kirke White succumbed at an early age and was buried at Cambridge ; but a cottage where he lodged during the days of his musings on the banks of the river is still pointed out at Wilford to interested visitors. Another village on the banks of the Trent, near Notting- ham, is Holme Pierrepont, which has been in the possession of scions of the House of Manvers as far back as the days of Henry I. When the sole heiress married Henry Holme Pierrepont. 37 Pierrepont, temp. Edward I., she introduced to Holme an equally noble race (deriving their name from the castle of Pierrepont in France), with whose kindred the village has remained in constant association ever since. The first to give the Manor of Holme its distinctive appellation was this same Sir Henry Pierrepont, husband of Annora de Manvers. He participated in most of the great events of his day, and his eldest son was summoned among the Barons to advise with the King in the year 1304. Robert de Pierrepont, who succeeded his brother Simon, was Governor of Newark Castle in 1309. Many other members of the family bearing its honoured name took part in the famous battles of history. In the little church, among the memorials which com- memorate the illustrious dead, two, at least, are of consider- able antiquity. One is the effigy of a knight, and probably represents Sir Henry Pierrepont, who fought against the Lancastrians in the wars of the Roses. Another Sir Henry, who had married a daughter of Sir William Cavendish, and his wife the famous ' Bess of Hardwick,' has a tablet erected to his memory over his tomb. This stalwart knight added considerably to the family mansion, and his grand- son, the first Marquis of Dorchester, made further addi- tions to it. Sir Henry was succeeded by his son Robert, who was raised to the peerage as Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepont, Notts, and Viscount Newark, in 1627, and subsequently became Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull. Sir Bernard Burke says he was so popular with all classes for his benevolence and kindness of heart that he was usually styled 'the good Earl of Kingston.' When the Civil War broke out, the Earl of Kingston, according to Mrs. Hutchinson, for some time 'stood neuter'; but he was soon after led to declare himself on the side of the Royalists, and was made Lieutenant-General of the Forces in the counties of Lincoln, Rutland, Huntingdon, Cambridge, and Norfolk. He met his death during the ?,& History of Nottinghamshire. progress of the war, and the second Earl was created Mar- quis of Dorchester in 1643. One of the most interesting monuments in Holme Church is on the pillar of an arch in the south aisle, and is to the memory of the poet Oldham, who was born in 1653, and was the son of a Nonconformist minister. He formed the friendship of Dryden, and attracted the attention of the Earl of Kingston, who invited him to Holme Pierrepont, where he died from small-pox when he was only thirty years of age. The mural tablet was erected by the Earl, and bears an elegant Latin inscription. JHis friend Dryden also bemoaned his fate in tributary verse, calling him the ' Marcellus of our tongue.' ' Thy brows with ivy and with laurels bound, But fate and gloomy night encompassed thee around.' Evelyn, the fifth Earl, was raised to the dignity of Knight of the Garter, and created, in 171 5, Duke of King- ston-upon-Hull. His Grace was succeeded by his grand- son, who leaving no issue, all his honours became extinct, but the estates passed to his nephew Charles, second son of Philip Meadows, Esq., by his wife, Lady Mary Frances Pierrepont, only sister of the Duke. This gentleman represented the county in Parliament, and was raised to the peerage in 1796 as Baron Pierrepont and Viscount Newark. He was advanced to the dignity of Earl Manvers in 1806, and on his death was buried at Holme Pierrepont, where there is a monument to his memory on the south wall of the chancel testifying to his unexampled worth. In the chancel is also a beautiful monument by Flaxman in memory of the Rev. William Saltern, drowned while skating on the lake at Thoresby in 181 1, and in the church- yard is a tomb to ' Francis Dort de la Borde, of Mereville and Chessey, in the once flourishing kingdom of France,' who was buried here in accordance with his own request in 1802. CHAPTER IV. Attenborough as it is— Birthplace of General I reton— Alderman Sir John Ireton, Lord Mayor of London — Kingston and the Babingtons— A Remarkable Memorial — An Eminent Judge- Anthony Babington, the Conspirator — Modern Kingston and the late Lord Belper — Bradmore and its Owners — Bunny and Ralph, Lord Cromwell — Sir Thomas Parkyns and his Book on Wrestling — His Effigy as a Wrestler — Notice of Lord Rancliffe. Attenborough is a small rural parish, with a little station on the line between Nottingham and Trent, and attracting such notice as is given to it by a majority of those who travel past from the peaceful isolation it appar- ently enjoys.* Seen at a distance, the parish church appears an edifice of fine proportions ; its curious sculpture on the piers, which support the arcades between the aisles, its picturesque surroundings and well-kept churchyard, will not fail to be observed by those who visit it. But none of these things, interesting though they be, would have given Attenborough more than local fame. It rests its claim to a wider celebrity on a more solid and unique foundation. If we turn to the old parish registers we shall find therein * ' The village,' says Lewis, 'has now the appearance of a lonely place, but it is said to have once been considerable. In a field near it is the stump of a town cross, called St. Mary's Cross, the numerous dwellings around which have long since disappeared.' — Lewis's 'Topographical Dictionary,' i. no. 40 History of Nottinghamshire. that, early in the seventeenth century, there was living at Attenborough one German Ireton, gentleman, to whom sons and daughters were born. The Iretons were a Derby- shire family, and had held property at Little Ireton, from which village they took their name.* German Ireton pur- chased a lease of the rectorial of Attenborough, and took up his abode in the house adjoining the west end of the church. His eldest son was born in 1611, the entry of his baptism being as follows : ' Henricus Ireton, infant Germani Ireton, baptizat fuit 3 die mensis Novembris An. 161 1.' It was the Henry Ireton here mentioned who became the son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell, and rose to be one of the most famous of the Parliamentary Generals. Another of the children of German Ireton born at Atten- borough became Alderman, and subsequently Lord Mayor, of London. A house, which seems to have been much modernized and is now used as a farmhouse, still occupies the site of Ireton's dwelling, and is known among the villagers as Cromwell House. German Ireton, father of these two notable men, died in 1624, and was buried at Attenborough. The life of General Ireton is well known to all readers of English history, so that it is needless to recapitulate it here; but that of his brother, the Lord Mayor, is more obscure. He was knighted by Cromwell, and purchased the estate of Radcliffe-on-Soar, in Notts, from Colonel Hutchinson. At the Restoration, when his brother's remains were exhumed, he was seized and thrown into prison, an allusion to which circumstance is made by Pepys in his 'Diary,' under date December 1, 1661. According to a letter in the State Papers, he was removed to the Scilly Islands ; but if this be so, he was shortly after liberated, for in a list of thirteen ' fanatics ' at East Sheen, in 1664, where 'conventicles were innumer- * Cox's 'Churches of Derbyshire,' iii. 176 ; and Mrs. Hutchinson's ' Memoirs.' Kingston-on-Soar. 41 able,' is the name of 'John Ireton, formerly Lord Mayor.' He was again imprisoned for seditious practices, and, dying in 1689, was buried in London at the church of St. Bartholomew-the-Less. A few miles further to the south, nearly on the borders of Derbyshire and Leicestershire, is the village of Kingston- on-Soar, and in its little church is a memorial that is decidedly unique, alike in design and execution. It con- sists of an elaborately-carved canopy supported on decor- ated pillars, which is said to have once surmounted a tomb wherein lay members of the ancient family of Babington, lords of Kingston and other villages in this county. There is no inscription on any part of the canopy, but round the capitals of the pillars are carved numerous babes with their bodies half hidden in tuns or casks — a common monumental rebus on the family name, Bab-in-ton — and a large shield with the family crest. Throsby says there are two hundred of the ' babes in tuns ' on the monument, while the arms are those of families with which the Babingtons were intimately connected. The family to whom the erection of this singular memorial is due had, according to Thoroton, ' a very fair house here,'* which stood in a large field near to the church. Among the earliest owners of the village prior to the advent of the Babingtons were the Picots, lords of Rad- cliffe-on-Soar ; William Seman, who did homage and fealty to Sir Peter Picot ; Reginald le Joit ; and Henry le Hauker, the latter having a messuage and sixty acres of land in Kingston of the King in capite by the service of carrying a falcon before him in winter. The Babingtons are supposed to have taken their name from a place called Babington in Northumberland, where they had resided from the time of the Conquest. At what date they removed from their northern abode to Notting- * Throsby's Thoroton, i. 23. 42 History of Nottinghamshire. hamshire we cannot say, but there was a John Babington residing at East Bridgeford in the time of Richard II. The family continued at Bridgeford until the death of Sir John Babington, 16th Henry VII., when the manor passed to his sister, and through her daughter to Lord Sheffield. One of the sons of this Sir John was Sir William Babing- ton, who presided for thirteen years as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and on his death, in 1544, was buried at Lenton Priory. Descended from the first John Babington of Bridgeford, who had five sons, were the Babingtons of Dethick (Derby), and it was this branch of the family that acquired Kingston. Perhaps the most remarkable, and certainly the best known, of those who lived at Kingston was Anthony Babington, the friend and supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots, who lost his life through his ardent devotion to her cause. Babington was a stanch Roman Catholic, and, like so many others of the same faith, was anxious to see the Scottish Queen supersede Elizabeth on the English throne. His partizanship was stimulated and strengthened by his admiration for the Queen herself. He was a comely youth, scarcely eighteen years of age, and the charms of the beautiful monarch made a deep impression upon him. On coming to London in 1580, he united himself with the influential admirers of the Queen, and became a member of a secret society for maintaining Jesuit missionaries in England.* In 1585 he went on the Continent, and after his return was induced to participate in a conspiracy which had for its object the assassination of Queen Elizabeth, and the uprising of the Catholics in favour of Mary Stuart. The plot was discovered, as well as some correspondence between the Queen and Babington. He fled to Harrow, and thence journeyed to his native county. The tradition * State Papers, 1581-90, p. 348. Kingston-on-Soar. 43 is still current at Kingston that he was securely hidden for awhile on the top of the sculptured canopy in the church. Sir Thomas Fitzherbert was accused of harbouring him at Derby, and of allowing Mass to be said at his house.* After being tried and condemned, Ballard, Babington, and five other conspirators, were executed in St. Giles's Fields, but the estates of Kingston and Dethick were permitted to pass to the brothers, Francis and George. Thoroton, speaking of Kingston, says, ' This manor, by the attainder of Anthony Babington, and the unthriftiness of Francis, his brother, afterwards came to the hands of Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury.' Subsequently it was disposed of to Lady Hide. Kingston is now the property of Lord Belper, whose noble father, finding the estate, when he acquired it, with- out a mansion, and appreciating its delightful situation, erected the stately hall where the family have since resided. The house is built of stone, and is a spacious and hand- some residence in the Elizabethan style of architecture. The late Lord Belper, as Mr. Edward Strutt, sat as Member of Parliament for Derby, Arundel, and Notting- ham. He was First Commissioner of Railways, and for awhile Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1856 he was raised to the peerage, and when a vacancy occurred in the dignified office of Lord-Lieutenant of the county, he was cordially invited to take the duties. Over the entrance to the vestry in Kingston Church is a mural monument bearing the following appropriate inscription : 'In memory of Edward Strutt, first Baron Belper; born Oct. 25, 1801 ; died June 30, 1880. "Keep innocency and take heed unto the thing that is right : for that shall bring a man peace at the last" (Ps. xxxvii. 38). In the same district as Kingston, between Nottingham and Loughborough, several interesting villages are situated. * State Papers, 1581-90, p. 365. 44 History of Nottinghamshire. From the Ruddington Road there may be seen a fine panorama of Nottingham and the rich valley of the Trent, while far and wide stretches a well-wooded landscape, with diversified views of hill and dale. At Bradmore there is a tower and steeple, the church itself having been burnt down many years ago and never rebuilt ; but on its site a small mission chapel has been erected. Gervase de Somer- ville was one of the early owners of Bradmore, and at a later period the manor came into possession of the power- ful family of Willoughby, and it continued with them until the time of Queen Elizabeth, when it was sold to Richard Parkyns. The next village is Bunny, and in the midst of it is the Hall, with its beautiful grounds, while on the opposite side of the road stand the imposing parish church and schools. At an early period in its history Bunny was the property of the family of Fretcheville, who afterwards became resident at their manor at Staveley, and at a later date the tenants of Bunny had as their landlord no less a personage than the famous Ralph, Lord Cromwell, the Lord High Treasurer to Henry VI. After Lord Crom- well's time, the manor was owned by the Illingworths, and from them it passed by the marriage of the three daughters and heiresses of Richard Illingworth to George Barlow, John Kniveton, and John Dethick. Eventually the whole estate came into the possession of Humphrey Barlow, whose monument, consisting of a fine tablet bearing his coat-of- arms, is in the south aisle of the church. The inscription is now obliterated, but we learn from Thoroton that he died on July 10, 1571, and his widow married Richard Parkyns and conveyed the property to him. This worthy was Recorder of Leicester and Notting- ham, and his eldest son, George, received the honour of knighthood. His son Isham, who is commemorated by a slab in the chancel, was ' Colonel and Governor of Ashby- de-la-Zouch in ye Civil Wars against ye rebels in King Bunny. 45 Charles ye First's time.' Thomas, the second son of Isham, succeeded to the estates, the eldest son having died before his parents ; and his son, also a Sir Thomas, was famous as the most enthusiastic athlete and wrestler of his time. After being educated at Westminster and Cam- bridge, he took up his residence at Bunny, and taught wrestling gratuitously to some of his friends amongst the nobility and gentry, establishing an annual wrestling- match in his park, the prize for which was a gold-laced hat value twenty-two shillings, and three shillings for the second best. The Baronet published a book, entitled ' The Inn Play, or the Cornish Hugg Wrestler,' giving full directions how to 'break all holds, and throw most falls mathematically.' The third edition, published in 1727, was 'sold by Humph. Wainwright at Bunny, in Nottinghamshire,' and a very quaint and curious little volume it is. Wrestling and classics were to Sir Thomas the constant joy of his life, and while he sedulously promoted the one, he was proud of his acquaintance with the other. He distributed Latin quotations throughout his book, and had them inscribed freely upon buildings in the village. Some time before his death the eccentric Baronet caused his own monument to be carved and to be placed opposite his pew in the chancel, that he might look upon it every Lord's Day and say, ' What is life ?' He made a collection of stone coffins, and when death gave him the back-fall, which it did in his seventy - eighth year, he was buried in one of them in 1 741. His remains lie in the vault at the east end of Bunny Church, and on the north wall is his monument, representing him, life size, in wrestling -dress, potent and postured, ready for either flying horse or Cornish hugg. His attitude is the first position in wrestling, and on either side of him are the words ' Artificis status ipse fuit.' On the other half of the monument is the wrestler stretched 46 History of Nottinghamshire. on the floor, having been cut down by Time, and the words : 1 That Time at length did throw him, it is plain, Who lived in hope that he should rise again.' There are also the words ' Tempus edax rerum,' a Greek quotation, and some Latin verses, which may be rendered thus : ' Here lies, O Time, the victim of thy hand, The noblest wrestler in the British strand ; His nervous arm each bold opposer quelled In fields of strength, by none but thee excelled, Till, springing up at the last trumpet-call, He conquers thee, who wilt have conquered all.' The monument is stated by Throsby to have been ' wrought out of a fine piece of marble by his chaplain in a barn.' Among the other notabilities buried at Bunny, mention may be made of Thomas Boothby Parkyns, first Baron Rancliffe in the Irish peerage, who died on November 17, 1800, and to whom there is a mural monument. He was succeeded by his son, who at one time represented Min- head and Nottingham in Parliament, but retired from public life in 1830, and died November 1, 1853, when the peerage became extinct. CHAPTER V. Colwick — The Colwick Family — The Byrons and the Musters — Memorials in the Church— Lord Byron's ' Mary ' — The Reform Riots — Gedling and its Curiosities — Stoke and the Bardolphs — Burton Joyce — Lowdham — The Bysets and their Exploits — The Home of an Archbishop — Singular Land Tenure. Colwick occupies a pleasant secluded position on the riverside, near to Nottingham. The stately hall is a striking specimen of architecture, while the ivy-clad church contains some costly memorials of the dead. William Peverel,the Norman adventurer, was one of the first owners of Colwick. In his day there was in the village a priest and a church, a mill, and half a piscary or fishing. The place was known as ' Over ' and ' Nether ' Colwick, and 'Over' came subsequently into the hands of a family which took its name from the parish, and held the property of the monarch by the service of twelve barbed arrows given to him when he came to Nottingham Castle. We have a glimpse of Reginald de Colwick in the Corporation records as one of the witnesses to the document by which, in November, 1225, certain tolls were let by the burgesses of Nottingham to their neighbours of Retford ; and his name occurs again as Sir Reginald de Colwick, knight, in 1241, when he witnessed a charter by which Ralph de Rhodes confirmed a grant he had made to St. John's Hospital. In 1280 the jury found that Reginald de Colwick, the 48 History of Nottinghamshire. grandfather of William, lived a hundred years, and that he and Philip his son, father of William, had their park en- closed with hedge and ditch at their pleasure. In 1297 another William de Colvvick was summoned under the general writ to perform military service in person with horses and arms in Scotland, the muster being held at Nottingham on July 7, 1297. This was the ill-fated force which encountered the Scots at Stirling, on September 11, and suffered defeat at the hands of Sir William Wallace. The owner of Colwick seems happily to have survived the perils of the fatal field, for he represented the county as Knight of the Shire in Parliament from 1297 to 1301. In the course of the next thirty years, disputes arose as to the river rights, but an amicable arrangement was come to between Sir William, the owner of Colwick at that time, and the Mayor and Corporation, by an agreement dated June 29, 1330. William de Colwick died in 1362, leaving behind a son, Thomas, and a daughter, Joan. Thomas died without issue, and the estate was carried by Joan to the Byron family, she being the second wife of Sir Richard Byron, of Clayton, in the county of Lancaster. The old controversy about the river rights was reopened, and this time a royal commission was appointed, in 1383, to settle the dispute. The earliest monument is an altar-tomb on the north side of the chancel, having on the upper slab the incised effigies of Sir John Byron and his two wives, and an in- scription at the feet, which is entirely illegible. Round the upper edge is a black-letter inscription, stating that the deceased knight was Steward of Manchester and Rochdale, and Lieutenant of the Forest of Sherwood, and that he ' departed out of this transitorye lyffe ' May 3, 1576. It was to this worthy that Henry VIII. granted the site of the Priory of Newstead, in 1540. He was the grand- nephew of the sturdy warrior who fought for Richmond at Colwick, 49 Bosworth Field, and is distinguished from other knights of the same Christian name in the family by the title of ' Sir John Byron the Little with the great beard,' though curiously enough, his effigy represents him without any beard at all. On the south side of the chancel is a lofty alabaster monument to the memory of Sir John Byron, Knight, son of Little Sir John. It bears the recumbent figures of Sir John in armour, wearing a long beard and moustache, and his wife in the costume of the period. Two columns rise from the front corners of the tomb, and are connected by entablatures surmounted by pinnacles at the back. In front are two laudatory verses, which must have sent a thrill of horror through the famous poet of the family. They run thus : 1 Let Fame with golden trumppet blast The worthi prayers eternise Of Sir John Byron, gentle knight, Whose corps bylow these pictures lies. Sir John hys sonne, for parent's love, Caused to erect this monument, That virtues of his father dead In future time it might present.' Sir John died in 1609, and his two eldest sons having died without issue, the estates passed to his third son, like- wise a Sir John, who married Margaret, daughter of Sir William Fitzwilliams, sometime Lord-Deputy of Ireland, and was buried here in 1623. Husband and wife died the same day. They had seven sons, one of whom, also a Sir John Byron, died in 1625, and was interred here, as was his daughter Alice, who erected a monument to her father's memory. These were the last of the family buried at Colwick, for the eldest son, Sir John Byron, a stalwart Cavalier, who was raised to the peerage as Baron Byron of Rochdale in 1643, sold the estate to Sir James Stonehouse, 'and never got much above half the money for reason of the breaking 4 50 History of Nottinghamshire. out of the war.' Sir James did not attempt to hold the property long, but disposed of it to Sir John Musters, an eminent London merchant, who took up his abode here. He repaired the church at great expense, and new built the chancel and steeple in 1684. There are monuments to him and other members of the family in the chancel, one of which is a female figure by Westmacott, erected to the memory of Sophia Catherine Musters, who died in 1819. Before leaving the church special notice must be taken of one monument on the north side of the altar, visible in the dim religious light of the east end of the chancel, which has a peculiar interest surpassing that of any other. It is the life-sized figure of a beautiful female, and is to the memory of the ' Mary ' of Lord Byron's poems, to whom in his youthful days he was so much devoted. Moore speaks of the perfect innocence and romance which distinguished the poet's early love for Miss Chaworth, and describes her as a lady of much personal beauty, and a disposition the most amiable and attaching. Lord Byron himself, in a letter, says, 'Our union would have healed feuds in which blood had been shed by our fathers, it would have joined lands broad and rich, and it would have joined at least one heart and two persons not unmatched in years.' Miss Chaworth had, however, been smitten by the undoubted personal attractions of Mr. John Musters, the owner of Col- wick, and Byron had to bid a sad adieu to all his hopes and anticipations. She was married in August, 1805, and Byron could only lament that ' Now no more the hours beguiling, Former favourite haunts I see, Now no more my Mary smiling, Makes ye seem a heaven to me.' Mrs. Musters was at Colwick when the great Reform riots took place in the winter of 183 1, resulting in the burn- ing of Nottingham Castle, and received a fright when the Burton Joyce. 5 1 mob looted the hall, which, along with the exposure to which she was subjected by having to take refuge in the shrubbery, is said to have hastened her death in February, 1832. Mr. Musters died in 1849, and was succeeded by his grandson, Mr. John Chaworth Musters, who died in 1888. He was succeeded by his son, Mr. J. P. Chaworth Musters, who has recently sold the Colwick estate to Colonel Horatio Davies, of London, and Wateringbury House, Kent. The old hall, the residence of the Byrons, was taken down in 1775, and the present fabric built upon its site the following year by Mr. Samuel Stretton, father of the antiquary, under the direction of Mr. John Carr, archi- tect, of York. The names of villages and towns frequently furnish surnames for the manorial owners, but in the pretty little suburb of Nottingham by the side of the Midland Railway, known by the euphemistic appellation of Burton Joyce, the name of an ancient family has become insepar- ably attached to that of the locality. In Henry II.'s time the owner of Burton was Robertus de Jorz, or Joyce, and at a later time the Stapletons settled here and wielded considerable influence around them. They derived their name from Stapylton on the river Tees, and one of them was so distinguished as to be honoured with the Order of the Garter. The ownership of Burton was contested by John Walker in the reign of Henry VIII., and again by Sir William Babthorp in Queen Elizabeth's time, and the suit of the latter, Thoroton says, ' helped to transfer it to the family of Stanhope, with which it continueth.' The memorials remaining of these once powerful people are all at the east end of the south aisle of the church. First there is a plain stone tomb bearing the effigy of an armed knight, on whose shield was carved a bend, and on it three water-bougets — the arms of the Jorz family.* * These arms are paly of six or and gules on a bend sable three water-bougets argent. 4 — 2 52 History of Nottinghamshire. Next is the tomb of Alice Roose, daughter of Francis Roose, of Laxton, first wife to Brian Stapleton, younger son of Sir Brian, then wife to Anthony Stapleton, of Rempstone, and lastly wife to Thomas Leeke, of Hasland. This much married lady died about 1595, and was buried in Burton Church. There has been her figure cut on the upper slab of the tomb, but it is now defaced. Then there is a tomb with the upper slab bearing a deeply incised figure of Sir Brian Stapylton, ' Knyght and barinet, which departed this life the second day of April in the fourth year of King Edward VI.'* These tombs, now placed in a row, are lasting reminders of ancient families who once made the village their home, and exercised a wide influence in the locality. In the immediate vicinity of these pleasing riverside villages is one of equal importance, whose history in its very name carries us back to times anterior to the Conquest. We shall not precipitate ourselves into the region of controversy if we claim Lowdham as bearing a name clearly indicative of a Danish origin, for it so happens (as in many other cases that might be cited) that it is practically identical with a Danish village existing to this day. Lowdham, in early documents, is spelt Ludham or Ludholme. There is a Ludham in Norfolk in the midst of that part of the county where the Danes con- gregated in overwhelming numbers, and there is a Danish village called Luddeholme, which is the same name in a slightly different guise. On the banks of the river, two miles or so away, are two other little villages with a Danish affix — Gunthorpe and Caythorpe, and there are other 'thorpes' and ' bys,' all more or less indicative of the advent of the pirate Danes and their settlement in these parts. * From him is descended Henry Stapleton the present Lord Beau- mont (born 1848), who was attached to the 17th Lancers during the Zulu War in 1879, a °d was at the Battle of Ulundi in 1880. Lowdham. 53 Twenty years after the Conquest Roger de Builli, the favourite of the Norman Conqueror, to whom vast posses- sions were assigned, gave a portion of the tithes of ' the hall ' at Ludeham to the monastery at Blyth* and in the reign of Henry II. we have mention made of a mill at Gunthorpe on the Trent and a mill at Lowdham on the Dover Beck being given, the one to Shelford and the other, with the church, to the Canons at Thurgarton for religious purposes. The name of one of the mills on Dover Beck was Snellingmilne — the name is not perpetuated — but some of the witnesses to a deed of gift at this early period bore names still common in the locality. In the next reign (Henry III.) we have a glimpse of two important figures who became associated with the district. The famous Simon de Montford had granted to him by the King the Manor of Gunthorpe, and Walter Byset and his heirs had given them by the same royal personage the Manor of ' Ludham ' until the Bysets should recover their lands in Scotland.-f- History has much to say of the doings of Simon de Montford which need not be reproduced here, and therefore we shall refer at greater length to the Bysets, who were of more local consequence. ' The Bysets,' says a recent authority,^ ' held high office about the persons of the Plantagenets. They witnessed the confirmation of Magna Charta, endowed abbeys and priories, and left that indubitable mark of their importance by the additional name which some English parishes have received from them.' Walter and his brother John while residing in Scotland made themselves conspicuous in that country, and seem to have been more feared than respected. Walter earned the reputation of 'a brave though crafty * Thoroton, fol. ed., 288. f Chart. 31 Henry III., m. 13. J ' Historical Notices of the Priory of Beauly,' by E. Chisholm Batten, R.H.S. Trans., iv. 19. 54 History of Nottinghamshire. knight,' and was often to be seen participating in the tournaments which were common at this period. On one of these occasions he sustained a reverse, and as reverses were probably not common to a man who united bravery with cunning, he did not relish the infliction. Unable to accept defeat with a good grace like an honest soldier, he conceived a method of revenge totally incon- sistent with his reputation for bravery. His antagonist had been an Irishman, one Patrick Fitz-Thomas, of Galway, and Patrick with other nobles was staying at a place called Edmanton. After the labours of the day they were in a ' calm sleep,' when Byset stole in upon them, and set fire to their house. He ' blocked up the door outside with some trunks of trees, inserted fire in several places in the walls by means of lighted sticks, and burned nearly all who were inside' (a.d. 1242).* So dastardly a crime aroused prompt indignation, and the murderer and his brother were banished from the land. The English monarch, needing the most powerful military aid he could command, at once enlisted them into his service. Gifts from the royal treasury were made to Walter Byset for his military activity,"!* and the Manor of Lowdham was granted towards his support until he should regain his Scotch possessions and make peace with those he had so grievously wronged and offended. Lowdham was selected for obvious reasons. The Bysets had long held land at East Bridgeford, and many years before had granted Cliff Mill (Clive Milne) at Lowdham to the Priory at Thurgarton. There were members of the family living at Bridgeford at the time, and they had always been loyal and daring subjects. It is believed by Mr. Chisholm Batten, no mean authority, that Henry Byset of 1198, the courtier of King William the Lion, was a member of the Bridgeford family. * Matthew Paris, iv. 200. f ' Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum,' i. 600. Lowdham. 55 Six years before Walter Byset fled to England for protection, Henry III. had experienced a narrow escape from assassination. A madman entered the King's apart- ments during the night with an open knife in his hand, for the purpose of killing him, when Margaret Byset (grand- daughter of Henry Byset, of East Bridgeford), one of the Queen's maids, who had been ' singing psalms by the light of a candle,' discovered him, and raising an alarm, the would-be assassin was seized, and was subsequently torn limb from limb by horses at Coventry.* This timely service to him, rendered by one of the family, was probably in the King's mind when he extended his protection to Walter Byset. In 1246 he received the gift of Lowdham, but did not long require it, for a few years later we find him back in Scotland, participating once more in national affairs, and in the quiet enjoyment of his ancient inheri- tance. Almost the only relics of antiquity now remaining in the parish are an alabaster slab and the figure of a knight in armour in the chancel of the church, the latter bearing an inscription to the memory of Sir John de Loudham. At the feet of the effigy is a dog, so that we may assume the knight to have been a warrior. Dr. Brewer says : ' Many of the Crusaders are represented with their feet on a dog, to show that they followed the standard of the Lord as faithfully as a dog follows the footsteps of his master.' As the pedigree of the family who took their surname from Lowdham does not begin in Thoroton until Eustachius de Ludham, who was Sheriff of Notts and Derby in King John's reign, we cannot trace the Crusading members of it (if any), but it is probable the monument commemorates a Sir John of a much later period. There was a Sir John in 1345, arj d two others in succession, after which the * Matthew Paris, iii. 497 ; John de Oxendes, 143. 56 History of Nottinghamshire. family in the direct male line seems to have become extinct. The distinguished position which some of the Ludhams attained does not appear to have been recog- nised by our Nottinghamshire historian. Godfrey de Lud- ham became Archbishop of York in 1258, and his brother Thomas was chaplain to the Pope, and Prebendary at York and Southwell. Robert de Ludham was Bailiff of Prince Edward in 1256. William de Ludham was one of seven justices itinerant for the county of York (15th Henry III.),* and Walter de Ludham was at the great muster at Nottingham in 1297, when those holding lands of sufficient value in the county were summoned to render military service against Scotland.^ The Archbishop seems to have been a man of much firmness and daring. In the conflict of authority which raged between the Pope and the clergy he bore the brunt of it as the clerical nominee with much nonchalance. He went bravely to Rome for consecration, and obtained it after much trouble and expense. On returning, he entered London boldly bearing his cross erect, and was heartily received by the King and people. He died in 1265, and was buried in the south transept of York Minster. J Associated with Lowdham was Sir Peter de Montford, slain at the Battle of Evesham, and described as ' a great man in those days,' who was once tenant of the manor in the reign of Henry III. There are fewer evidences of the remote past in the villages round Lowdham. At Epperston Ralph de Limo- sin, believed to be the founder of the Priory of Hertford, once held the greater part of the village ; and through his family it passed to the Odingsells, who were connected with the place for many generations. The Rossells of * Foss's ' Judges of England,' oct. ed., 414. f 'Parliamentary Writs,' i., p. 715. % ' Fasti Eboracences,' p. 300. Gonalstone. 5 7 Ratclifife owned property here ; and Herbert Rossell married a sister of Archbishop Cranmer. There is a letter extant from Cranmer to Brother Rossell, advising him to send his son — who is ' very apt to learn and given to his book' — to school at Southwell. Hearing sub- sequently that the sweating sickness was prevalent in that place, he suggested the Free School at Bingham, which had been set up by the parson, Mr. Stapleton. At Gonalstone Spittal once stood a chantry or hos- pital, founded by the Heriz Family, known as the hospital of Brodbusk. There is on record an agree- ment, made in 1235, between Sir John de Heriz and the Prior and Convent of Thurgarton, to the effect that the priory should have common of pasture for fifty cattle in the woods of Gonalstone and Thurgarton, and Sir John and his heirs pasture for four score ; the said priory to have fifty swine, or in a fertile year of acorns sixty, in Thurgarton woods without pannage, and Sir John and his heirs as many as they pleased. In these days heiresses were not permitted to marry without the consent of the monarch, except on payment of a fine* — hence Adelina, who had been wife of William de Heriz, owed 100 marks that she should not be com- pelled to marry but whom she pleased. So likewise Emma de Bellafago gave account of no less than 600 marks in King John's reign for having Lowdham as her inheritance, and that she should not be distrained to marry. One other item illustrative of ancient tenures may not be uninteresting. Sir John de Loudham {temp. Edward II.) held his capital messuage in Lowdham of the Priory of Shelford by the service of twelvepence per * ' If the successor was an infant, the Crown (under the name of wardship) took the rents of the estates. If the ward was a female, a fine was levied if she did not accept the husband chosen by the Crown.' — 'History of Land-owning,' p. 164. 58 History of Nottinghamshire. annum, and in the same town one messuage and five bovats of land of Sir Peter de Edensowe, by the service of the twentieth part of a knight's fee, and three shillings per annum, and likewise another bovat of him by the service of twelvepence per annum and two pounds of cummin. CHAPTER VI. The Vale of Belvoir — Tithby and Wiverton — The Chaworth Family — Royal Visitors — A Loyal Garrison— Lord Byron and Mary Chaworth — The Death of Mrs. Musters — Owthorpe — A Famous Regicide — Langar and Admiral Lord Howe — The Tibetots and Scropes — Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, a Roman Halting-place — An Eminent Judge robbed on the Highway — Monuments in the Church — A Young Cavalier slain at Willoughby. In the rich vale of Belvoir, almost midway between Bing- ham and Langar, there stands, half hidden by lofty trees, a pleasant and picturesque residence. Leland, the anti- quary, says, ' Half a mile ere I came to Langar I came by Sir John Chaworth's Manor-place called Warton Hall,' and it needs but a glance at the grounds which surround the present mansion to see that it occupies a site which has long been used for residential purposes. To the west, on rising ground, is the little church and parish of Tithby ; to the south the wooded eminence crowned by the church of Langar ; and to the east a wide expanse of fertile country, with the Leicestershire hills and the lordly castle of Belvoir for the background. Among the earliest owners of this pleasant site after the Conquest were several who took as their surname that of the parish of which they had become possessors. Thus we have mention in Thoroton of a Sir Richard de Wiver- ton, Knight, a descendant of Richard de Barnston, who 6o History of Nottinghamshire. gave portions of his property to the monasteries of Thurgarton and Welbeck. The principal proprietor in the time of Henry III. was Sir William de Heriz, and the manor passed from him through the Brets and Caltofts to Sir William Chaworth ; ' which Sir William, in right of Alice, his wife, was co-heir of the last Lord Bassett, of Drayton,' the owner of Colston Bassett. Patrick de Cadurcis (Chaworth) was a native of Brittany, who accompanied William the Conqueror to this country, and was a Baron by tenure under that monarch* The descendants of this warrior had held property in this county long before Wiverton came into their possession. Laurencius de Cadurcis was returned as Knight of the Shire for Nottingham to the Parliament at Westminster in 1313; and Thomas de Chaworth was summoned as a Notts landowner to perform military service in 1314^ In the reign of Henry VI., Sir Thomas Chaworth, by a fortunate marriage, added largely to the family possessions. He became entitled to the inheritance of no less than five noble families ; and with the acquisition of this great wealth was enabled to make a park at Wiverton, and is believed to have been the chief builder of ' that strong house which, from henceforward, was the principal mansion of his worthy successors.'^ At his death, which took place 37th Henry VI., he left vast estates to his relatives— his possessions in this county including property at East Bridgeford, Marnham, Edwalton, Clifton, Wiverton, Langar, Barnstone, Granby, Colston Bassett, Cropwell Butler, Cropwell Bishop, Tithby, Shelford, and Whatton. It would take up too much space to speak of each dis- tinguished member of this eminent family,§ and we must * ' Patronymica Britannica,' p. 58. f • Parliamentary Writs,' i. 613. \ Throsby's Thoroton, i. 179. § Many of them were buried in the family vault at Langar, where are Wiverton. 6 1 be content to mention that in 1627 Sir George Chaworth was created Viscount Chaworth, of Armagh in Ireland, and that his son John, the second Viscount, was living at Wiverton when the troubles arose between Charles I. and his Parliament. Like most of the county nobility and gentry, Lord Chaworth took up arms in defence of the monarch. Mrs. Hutchinson says he was 'high in the Royal party,' and on war becoming inevitable he fortified his house at Wiverton, and made it a garrison for the King. In June, 1643, the Queen, on her way from Newark, wrote to his Majesty : ' I shall sleep at Werton, and thence to Ashby, where we will resolve what way to take.' Among other royal visitors were Prince Rupert and his brother, who, after repairing to Newark to give to the King a narrative of the surrender of Bristol, which was much criticised at the time, rode to Wiverton with about 400 of the flower of the royal troops, and stayed there until they could settle their future plans. From Wiverton it was that Prince Rupert addressed a letter to the Parliament, asking for a pass for himself, his brother, and other noblemen and gentlemen to leave the kingdom, consequent upon his exciting interview with the King and the painful recrimina- tions that passed between them. Both Houses agreed to grant the pass as desired.* From Wiverton, which was still holding out in the royal interest, they marched sadly away to their several destina- tions, and on November 4, 1645, the little garrison com- manded by Lord Chaworth surrendered to the troops under Major-General Poyntz. The General had taken Shelford by storm on the previous day, and, after resting the night at Bingham, went forward to Wiverton, which several monuments with effigies. One lies ' before the high altar ' at Tithby, as a tablet in the church testifies. * ' Parliamentary History,' xiv. 104. 62 History of Nottinghamshire. * yielded upon terms, and was by order pulled down and rendered incapable of being any more a garrison.'* When Thoroton wrote there was little left of the ancient manor except the old gatehouse, ' which yet remains a monument of the magnificence of this family.' At a subsequent period another house was built but the gatehouse, with its towers and turrets, is still fortunately preserved, forming the back part of the present mansion. The modern house was erected in 1814; between then and 1645 the premises had been used as a farmhouse. The old hall stood a little way behind its modern successor, and was surrounded by a moat, which is plainly to be seen. It had connected with it a chapel, which Thoroton observes ' is a very good one in the house,' though he thinks that the references in the ledger-book of Thurgarton to the church at Wiverton must refer to the churches at Langar and Tithby. In digging around the house bullets of various sizes are often met with ; and in the central tower, through which there is a spiral staircase leading to the roof, inden- tations may be seen, which appear to have been made by the shot fired at the gatehouse when it was manfully defended. A leaden or pewter seal of the fourteenth century has lately been found. In its restored form the mansion continued the property of the Chaworths until the family became extinct in the direct male line nearly a century ago, when Mary Chaworth — the Mary of Lord Byron's poems — 'the last remaining of a noble race,' conveyed the property to the family of Musters by her marriage in August, 1805, with Mr. John Musters, of Colwick Hall. Mr. Musters took on his marriage the sur- name of Chaworth, which is still borne by his descendants. He was a member of the ancient house of Musters in Yorkshire, and of Treswell, in Notts, who became possessed in the seventeenth century of Colwick Hall, long the pro- perty of the Byrons, as noted in a previous chapter. * Mrs. Hutchinson's ' Memoirs,' 288. Owthorpe. 63 From Wiverton a ride through Tithby and Cropwell Butler — once the property of the Butler family — brings us to another village which possesses associations of more than ordinary importance. Owthorpe, consisting of a small cluster of houses in a secluded position near the Leicestershire border, was once the home of the Hutchin- sons, of whom Colonel John Hutchinson, the regicide, was one of the most prominent and active of the Parliamentary officers. The church is a quaint little edifice, containing monu- ments of the Hutchinsons ; and in the field adjoining it may be clearly discerned the site which the old Hall occu- pied. The inhabitants are familiar with many of the details of Colonel Hutchinson's life, and will point out the fish-pond which he constructed, and the avenue of trees still remaining which was planted in his lifetime. There are few students of history to whom the name of Colonel Hutchinson is not familiar, for the life of him, by his widow — which has passed through many editions — has long been regarded as one of the most attractive narratives of personal adventure during the great Civil War. The Hutchinsons resided some time at Cropwell, but Sir Thomas Hutchinson removed his dwelling to Owthorpe, which is about two miles away. He married the Lady Margaret, one of the daughters of Sir John Byron, of New- stead, and John Hutchinson, his son, was born at Notting- ham, where the family had removed on account of a great drought in 1616. He was appointed Governor of Notting- ham Castle, and after assisting in many military expeditions in the county, he was elected a member of Parliament in 1646. In the court which was formed for the trial of Charles I. Hutchinson sat as one of the judges, and his name appears thirteenth on the death-warrant which con- signed the monarch to the scaffold He built a new and more convenient house at Owthorpe, and in place of the old church — which was tolerably large — erected the present 64 History of Nottinghamshire. one, which is built up to the north wall of the ancient chancel. At the Restoration, when those who had participated in the death of the King were apprehended and punished, Mrs. Hutchinson addressed a letter in her husband's name to the House, which is still preserved among the State Papers. He promised to abide the commands of the House, and begged release on parole for the sake of his miserable family.* The petition was so far acceded to that the Colonel remained at liberty until 1663, and spent a good deal of his time in opening springs, planting trees, and dressing his plantations. In 1663, information was conveyed to the Government that an insurrection was about to break out, and Hutchinson was arrested on a charge of being con- cerned in it. He was imprisoned in the Tower and in Sandown Castle, Kent, where he was seized with illness and died in 1664. His body was conveyed for interment to Owthorpe, where a monumental tablet was placed to his memory. In St. Paul's Cathedral is a stately memorial erected in honour of Admiral Earl Howe ; but few who read of the gallant deeds performed by this brave seaman know that his remains rest in the peaceful little Nottinghamshire village of Langar. Nevertheless, the name of Howe has long been connected with the locality, and in the parish church is the family resting-place. Langar and Barnstone lie on the Leicestershire border, and are easily accessible from the railway running hard by. The sacred edifice, which is a very fine one, has been restored, and the south transept contains many monuments to the Howes and their predecessors, the Scropes ; while in the north are memorials to the Chaworths, ancient owners of Wiverton. Let us go back to the fourteenth century, and briefly * State Papers : Domestic, 1660. Langar. 65 trace the history of these noble families. Langar had been in the possession of the Tibetots several generations, when, in 1372, Robert de Tibetot died, leaving behind him three daughters, the eldest of whom, Margareta, married Roger le Scrope. Edward III. had given the custody of the deceased Baron's lands, till the young ladies came of age, to Richard le Scrope, first Baron Scrope of Bolton, King's Chancellor, and Keeper of the Great Seal. It is not sur- prising, therefore, that a match should have been arranged between the heiress and Roger, son of her guardian. From this alliance sprang many notable men, who became Knights of the Garter, and occupied high State positions. Leland speaks of their house in 1540 as a large one built of stone. There is a splendid tomb in Langar Church, where lie buried the remains of Thomas, Lord Scrope, who died in 1609, and his wife and son. Emanuel Scrope became Earl of Sunderland, and married Elizabeth, daughter of the Earl of Rutland, but dying without children by his wife, he settled Langar and the rest of his estate upon his natural issue by Martha Janes, one of whom, Annabella, married John Howe, second son of Sir John Howe, of Compton, in Gloucestershire. In this way the illustrious family of Howe became connected with Langar. The first to take up his residence here was so distinguished in the service of Charles II. that the monarch gave patents of precedency to Annabella as the daughter of an Earl, and she was afterwards known as the Lady Annabella Howe. In 1701, Scrope Howe, son of this couple who allied the two ancient houses, after representing Nottingham in Parliament, was created Baron Glenawley and Viscount Howe. Succeed- ing him was Emanuel Scrope, Viscount Howe, and George Augustus, third Viscount, a Brigadier in the American War, who was killed in 1758. But it was the brother of this brave soldier who has made the name of Howe most famous in history. Richard 5 66 History of Nottinghamshire. succeeded to the patrimony at Langar, and his naval achieve- ments are conspicuous among the deeds of daring which stud the annals of England. At fourteen years old he became a midshipman, at twenty he was given the com- mand of a sloop, and having beaten two French vessels, was made post-captain for his skill. After a series of brilliant services, he returned home and married, in 1758, Mary, the daughter of Chiverton Hartopp, Esq., of Welby, Leicestershire, and in the same year, on his brother's death, he succeeded to the estates. The hero was not long at home, for in 1770 he pro- ceeded to the Mediterranean with the rank of Rear-Admiral, and in the war with France he again saw active service, and was made a Viscount of Great Britain by the title of Howe of Langar, the peerage having been hitherto an Irish one. Honours now fell fast upon him. After the relief of Gibraltar he was made First Lord of the Admiralty, and was created an Earl. There was still work for the great seaman to do, and in the long war with France his victories in the Channel raised the enthusiasm of his countrymen. Nottinghamshire especially signalized its pride at the success of one of its noblemen, and subscriptions for the wounded were eagerly raised. The Newark Society for the Relief of the Widows and Children of Soldiers and Sailors sent fifty guineas for this purpose to Earl Howe, and to a flattering letter which accompanied the gift his lordship sent a characteristic reply. The much-coveted Order of the Garter was conferred upon the naval victor, but he did not long survive his retirement from active duty. Gout was more disastrous to him than the squadrons of the French, and he died on August 5, 1799. As we have said before, the great Earl Howe was buried in the family vault at Langar, and a plain tablet of marble is erected to his memory. His Countess and daughter died the following year, Willoughby-on-the-Wolds. 67 and are commemorated in the same monumental inscrip- tion. The noble Admiral's successor sold Langar to John Wright, Esq., and his son demolished the old Hall. The park was divided into fields, and other modern alterations effected. A younger brother of the Earl's, Lieutenant- Colonel (afterwards General) Sir William Howe, repre- sented Nottingham in Parliament. Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, nestling cosily amid the woodland scenery on the Leicestershire border, carries us back in its history to Roman times. Upon the magnifi- cent highways which the armies of the Caesars constructed in Britain were halting-places for the troops after a day's journey, carefully marked in the Itineraries of Anto- ninus ; but besides these important stations, there were others denoting the mid-day stages of the soldiery when upon the march. Most of them were fortified and con- structed with the solidity for which the Romans were renowned. One of these intervening stages was Wil- loughby, or Vernometum, on the great Foss-road which runs from Bath to Lincoln. Gough, in his additions to Camden, says, on what authority we do not know, ' Here were the ruins of an old town called Long Billington. On the Willoughby side of the road is a tumulus called Cross Hill. The old site is in a field named Henings, or the Black Field, and was very extensive. Many coins, pave- ments, and other antiquities have been found here.' Centuries ago Willoughby was robbed of its original character, and now the village stands a little distance from the Foss-road in a sheltered and picturesque locality. The antiquity of the spot is further proved by the entry in Domesday Book, and by the fact that its manors were assessed to the Danegeld. Among the owners of pro- perty here in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries were the Peverels, the Lovetots, Reginald de Colewyke, Sir William de Nowers, and a family taking its name from 5—2 68 History of Nottinghavishire. the village. Ralph Bugge, a merchant of Nottingham, and his successors also became possessed of lands at Wil- loughby by purchase and otherwise. In the Church of All Saints, on the north side, is the chapel of St. Nicholas, which is filled with monuments of departed members of the great house of Willoughby. Under the window lies Sir Richard de Willoughby (son of Richard Bugge), who was an eminent lawyer in Edward I.'s time, and acquired considerable wealth, includ- ing the manors of Wollaton and Willoughby. From the Parliamentary writs he appears to have been summoned to Parliament, and in the reign of Edward II. he was elevated to the dignity of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland. He succeeded Geoffrey le Scrope as Chief Justice on the resignation of the latter, but was displaced in 1340, though he was again reinstated in royal favour in Edward III.'s reign. A curious adventure befell the judge in 133 1. He was attacked by a Richard Fulville when on his way to Grantham, and forcibly taken into a wood, where a gang of highwaymen compelled him to pay a heavy ransom. This audacious conduct induced the adoption of stern measures for the repression of lawlessness, which was then rampant throughout the country. Sir Richard died in 1363, leaving extensive estates, and a great house situate in ' Le Baly,' in London* Of the six monuments in the chapel at Willoughby, there is a fine one with figures of angels in niches. On it lies a knight in armour, with a roll or wreath round his helmet, and by his side his lady with a curious mitred head-dress.f * Foss's 'Judges,' iii. 537. f Mr. Godfrey, in his ' Notes on the Churches of Notts, of the Hundred of Rushcliffe,' says that this interesting monument com- memorates Sir Hugh de Willoughby, who died in 1448, and his lady. The Richard de Willoughby, with the conical bascinet and camail of mail, was probably the judge's eldest son (p. 317). Willoughby-on-the- Wolds. 69 The figure close to the north wall is that of Sir Richard de Willoughby, lying (as a card in the church says) in his robes, with a sword of justice by his side.* There are other older figures in the church, one of which is that of a Crusader. Coming to the period of the Civil War, there is a brass on the floor, on which is the following inscription : ' Here lyes the body of Collonel Michael Stanhope, who was slain in Willoughby Field in the month of July, 1648, in the 24th year of his age, being a souldier for King Charles the First.' This simple memoir serves to remind us of the stern conflict raging between King Charles and his Parliament which sacrificed so many young men of promise, among whom Michael Stanhope was one of the most chivalrous and daring. Mrs. Hutchinson, wife of the famous Roundhead Colonel, gives an account of the engagement at Willoughby, and local tradition affirms that the excitement was so great in the neighbourhood that the inhabitants mounted into the steeple of the church to witness the contest in the fields beneath. The battle was so important that a pamphlet was published in 1648 giving 'an impartial and true rela- tion of the great victory obtained through the blessing of God, after a sharp dispute, by the conjoined forces of Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, and Rutland, in Willoughby Fields, co. Nottingham. 4to, 1648.' We have not a copy of the pamphlet, but from a summary of it * In Stothard's ' Monumental Effigies ' this monument, ' supposed to represent Sir Richard de Willoughby, Chief Justice of the King's Bench,' is engraved, and the description of the dress is given in Fair- holt's 'Costume in England': 'He wears a plain gown, with a close collar, which is buttoned down the front, and has wide sleeves, display- ing the tighter ones of the underclothing, with their rows of buttons from the elbow to the hand, which is partly covered by them ; his waist, like that of Chaucer's Sergeant-at-Law, is "girt with a ceint of silk with bars small." ' The hand of the judge was originally uplifted, as though in the act of administering judgment, but has been broken in the course of time. 7o History of Nottinghamshire. in the catalogue of Mr. J. C. Hotten we learn that Colonel Rossiter commanded the Roundheads, and Sir Philip Monckton was at the head of the Royalists. The marches were full of incident. Finally the Royalists drew up ' in a large beane field belonging to Wilioughby,' and the fight commenced. Rossiter lost his headpiece and received a shot through the thigh, but never said anything about it. Young Stanhope was killed, and a considerable number of Royalist prisoners taken. In the church, near to Stanhope's resting-place, is a cannon-ball dug up in the fatal field, and bones of the warriors who fell and who were hastily buried have oc- casionally been disinterred. A cross of lofty construction stood at this time in the centre of the village. It con- sisted of one stone five yards long, and the Cromwellian troops marked it out for destruction. The story is that they had tied ropes around it to pull it down, but their enthusiasm was so much damped by some strong beer given to them by the vicar, after he had made a long speech in defence of its innocence, that it was permitted to remain unmolested. It was left to the vandalism of a recent generation to put an end to the relic. ai -tun i n 4iii CHAPTER VII. 'All the World and Bingham' — A Quaint Phrase — The Bingham Family — Admiral Sir Thomas Rempstone — Extraordinary Find — Eminent Clerics — Viscount Sherbrooke — East Bridgeford — A Roman Station — The Home of a Regicide — Religious House at Shelford — The Siege of the Manor-house— The Earls of Chester- field. ' All the world and Bingham ' is a phrase that has long passed current in Nottinghamshire. Its origin is perhaps somewhat obscure ; but the legend is accounted for in one way by a notice-board once posted on an ancient hostelry at Newark, which was a great centre for carriers, bearing the words, ' Passengers and parcels conveyed to all parts of the world — and to Bingham.' This innocently-intended announcement seems to convey a covert innuendo that Bingham is one of the lone places of creation. The in- sinuation is by no means borne out by fact, for two lines of railway intersect it, and it lies but a short distance off the Foss-road between Nottingham and Newark. Bingham is a substantially-built little town, and has a history which goes back to very early times. Extensive grants of land in this neighbourhood were made by William the Conqueror to one of his powerful followers, Roger de Builli, and amongst the possessions of the latter was Bingham. This estate passed from him to William Paganel, and through the hands of several other 72 History of Nottinghamshire. owners, till it was given by Henry III. to Ralph Bugge, one of whose descendants took the name of his demesne, as was usual in those days, and was known as Richard de Bing- ham. In 1284 he was patron of the living, and was knighted for his services to the State. He appears to have made Bingham his principal place of residence* and was one of the conservators of the peace. Other offices which he held were those of justice at the gaol delivery and verderer.f In 1298 he attended the Parliament held at York as Knight of the Shire for the county of Nottingham, and after holding several important military positions, he became Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, in both of which counties he had lands.J Amid the many State duties which he performed, he did not forget his religious obligations, for in 1303 he endowed a chaplaincy for the Chapel of St. Elen at Bing- ham, which appears to have been his last public action at the termination of an energetic career. In the time of his grandson Richard, the existing Church of St. Mary and All Saints commenced to rise. The structure is a capacious one, and a Decorated spire springs from its massive Early English tower. Two more generations of the Bingham family passed away, and the property next came into the hands of Sir Thomas Rempston. There was, however, a branch of the Binghams surviving at Car Colston, and from it came Sir Richard Bingham, one of his Majesty's judges from 1447 to 1470, § who was contemporary with chief justice Sir John Markham, another Nottinghamshire worthy. Rempston is the name of a village in the county where the family who acquired Bingham had long been seated. Having landed with Henry, Earl of Hereford, at Raven- spur, Sir Thomas Rempston was made Constable of the * Throsby's Thoroton, i. 272. f ' Parliamentary Writs,' i. 472. + Ibid. § Foss's 'Judges.' iv. 419. Bingham. 73 Tower, and an Admiral of the Fleet when his master gained the throne. The Order of the Garter was conferred upon him, and he was entrusted with many diplomatic missions. His death was untimely, for he was drowned through the upsetting of a boat in the Thames in 1406. On the recovery of the body it was conveyed to Bingham, and there buried in the chancel.* The next Sir Thomas, son of this distinguished man, was present on the field of Agincourt, and otherwise rendered valiant service in the French wars of those days. He also found his tomb at Bingham, f and having no male heirs, his lands were divided among his daughters, of whom the second, Isabel, married Sir Brian Stapleton, and carried Bingham as her portion into that family, from whom it passed, by purchase, to Sir Thomas Stanhope. Reference has been made to the Chapel of St. Elen, and it is believed that this was one of the three chapels which stood in various parts of the town. St. Elen's probably occupied the site of the old windmills to the west, where a stone coffin and human remains have been found. Chapel Yard suggests the locality of another sacred shrine, and a third may have been in Crow Close, where some old foundations give authority for the surmise. In Dugdale's ' Valuation ' mention is made of a guild or chantry, which was rated at £4. lis., and may have been where the present rectory- house stands, for the kitchen bears evidence of age. The church is the only ancient building remaining, and has been most carefully restored. Its interior presents a very subdued appearance, the beauti- ful stained-glass windows imparting a striking and solemn effect. The chancel of the church was restored in 1846 by the Rev. R. Miles, and in 1873 the roof underwent restora- tion, a clerestory was added, and a chantry chapel built. The effigy of a knight in armour lies in the chantry chapel, and there are portions of another stone figure which * 'Worthies of Notts,' pp. 56-58. f Ibid., pp. 63-68. 74 History of Nottinghamshire. has met with hard usage in times past. From the entries in the parish register, which commences in 1508, it is evident that the plague claimed many victims at Bingham in 1646, and these were buried in a yard to the west of the town. Bingham was the scene of an extraordinary attempt at incendiarism in 17 10. Outbreaks of fire were discovered in three different places, and an apothecary named Peat- field, who was suffering from religious mania, was tried at the assizes for the offence. In consequence of his insanity he was remanded to prison, and subsequently accommodation was provided for him in two rooms built in the middle of the market-place, where for thirty years he remained, until his death in 1739, after which the place of his detention was demolished. Among the notable clergymen once Rectors of Bingham are Wren, who became Bishop of Ely ; Hanmer, who was Bishop of Bangor ; and Robert Abbott, brother of one of the Archbishops of Canterbury. Abbott was promoted to be a royal chaplain by James I., and afterwards was Professor of Divinity at Oxford. Mr. Thomas White, a mathematician and author of the ' Celestial Atlas,' is men- tioned by Throsby as having been buried on the south side of the church, and the same writer speaks of Thomas Groves, who rose from being a private to the rank of Colonel in the army, and died at Newark in 1790. Coming to later times, Viscount Sherbrooke, famous as Mr. Robert Lowe, was born at the rectory house at Bingham ; and the son of another Rector is Mr. Frank Miles, the well-known artist. On the brow of a hill overlooking the valley of the Trent stands the ancient village of East Bridgeford, about two miles from Bingham. Bridgeford was the site of the Roman station Margidunum, mentioned in the sixth Iter of Antoninus. Stukeley specifically avers that he saw 1 the Roman foundations of walls and floors of houses,' East Bridgeford. 75 and coins and other relics have been dug up on Castle Hill close by. In Norman times the village was part of the fee of Roger de Builli, and, like many others, paid tithes to the Priory of Blyth. The successive owners of Bridgeford have been the powerful By sets, the Deyncourts, the Scropes, and the Babingtons. It was left to Sir John Babington's sister, and from her it passed to Lord Sheffield, who sold it to ' a gentleman of means,' Mr. John Hacker, about the year 1590. Mr. Hacker and his wife Margaret took up their residence at the Hall, and there is an entry in the parish register of the baptism of one of their daughters in 1593. The family comprised four sons and two daughters, as the inscription on their monument testifies. Their eldest son Francis succeeded to the estates, and his son, also named Francis, was the Parliamentary soldier renowned in the Civil War. He was married in 1632 at St. Peter's Church, Nottingham, to Isabella Brunts, of East Bridgeford, one of the four daughters of Gabriel Brunts, who is still com- memorated in Bridgeford Church by a brass. Colonel Hacker was one of the most important actors in the thrilling scene at Whitehall when Charles I. suffered the penalty of death : the warrant for the execution of the monarch was placed in his hands, and he had to make arrangements for carrying out the sentence. According to Colonel Huncks, who was associated with him in the duty, Hacker hesitated in signing the warrant ; but Cromwell, taking up a pen, wrote something, which was not seen by Huncks, but was handed to Hacker, who then affixed his signature.* ' Sire, it is time to go to Whitehall,' said Hacker to the monarch on the fatal morning, and the King came forth from his prison to the scaffold, where the Colonel still seemed to have the chief command. ' Hacker, you will take care of my body ?' said the King * State Trials, v. 1 1 76. 76 History of Nottinghamshire. just before the last act, and soon after the headsman dealt the awful blow which severed his Majesty's head from his body. Hacker continued to support Cromwell to the end of the Protector's days, but though he was offered a knighthood, and was presented with two swords* he refused to aid Richard Cromwell to occupy the position of Oliver. When Charles II. ascended the throne, Colonel Hacker was arrested for the part he took in the execution of the King. Entries in the Lords' Journals show that Mrs. Hacker was sent with an escort to the house at Bridgeford for the original warrant of execution, which had been deposited there. The document was given up to the Lieutenant of the Tower, who presented it to the Lords.f Hacker was condemned to death, and was executed at Tyburn, October 19, 1660, his body being buried in the City by his friends. Two brothers of the Colonel, named Thomas and Row- land, who had espoused the opposite side, were zealous soldiers for the King. In a skirmish at Colston Bassett Thomas fell, and was buried at Bridgeford in 1643 ; while Rowland, who was a Colonel in the Royalist forces, received from the King permission to hold his brother's estates. He seems to have repurchased the greater por- tion of them,J and, dying in 1674, was buried in Bridge- ford Church. The old Hall is still in the possession of representatives of this historic family ; and besides the interest attaching to it as having been the repository of the death-warrant of King Charles, it has been often visited by celebrated men. Dr. Gilbert Sheldon, Warden of All Souls', Oxford, and sometime Archbishop of Canterbury, spent some years of retirement here after the Parliament Commissioners de- * Ludlow's ' Memorials,' iii. 88. f ' Parliamentary History,' xii. 240. I State Papers: Domestic, 1660. Shelf or d. yy prived him of his place in the University. Thoroton says he was well pleased with such a retreat close to the smiling Trent ; as, indeed, all who visit the village must be to this day. In the reign of Henry II., Ralph Haunselyn owned con- siderable property at Shelford, near Bridgeford ; and to his piety is attributed the establishment there of a priory of Austin canons. He dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and endowed it with lands ; the life of the canons who lived under one roof being strictly regulated by the statutes of their order.* John de Nottingham heads the list of the Priors of Shelford, while the last was Robert Dickson ; and Tanner tells us that shortly before the disso- lution of the monasteries there were twelve canons in residence here. To the famous Act of Henry VIII. the Stanhopes of Rampton owe their introduction to Shelford. In 1537 Henry granted, by letters patent, the priory to Michael Stanhope, son of Sir Edward Stanhope, of Rampton, Notts ; and two years later the King endowed him with the manor and all the lands that the monastery had owned in the county.-f* The Stanhopes had a distant connection with royalty ; and with the ardour they displayed in the public service, there is no wonder that they obtained speedy advance- ment. Lady Jane Seymour, one of the King's wives, was sister to Edward, Duke of Somerset, who married Anne, Michael Stanhope's half-sister. Michael was selected for the governorship of Hull, was knighted, and made Shelford Priory his residence. * Dugdale's ' Monasticon,' vi. 577. f The entry in the Valor Ecclesiasticus, 26th Henry VI 1 1., shows the clear annual value of the priory to have been .£136 7s. 5d. We may here mention that a fragment of the common seal of the priory is at the Augmentation Office. It represents the Virgin and Child, but the only words of the legend visible are ' Sigillum .... Shelford.' — Vide Dugdale's ' Monasticon.' 78 History of Nottinghamshire. When the Protector Somerset was in the zenith of his power, Michael Stanhope was high in the counsels of the nation ; but on the arrest of the Duke for high treason Stanhope shared his downfall.* By some Anne Stanhope, who was described as a ' violent woman,' is held responsible for the calamities which befell the Duke and her brother, through having urged the Pro- tector to adopt a ruinous policy, t Whether this be so or not, Somerset, Stanhope and others met their doom in 1552. Lady Anne Stanhope lived a long widowhood at Shelford, and at her death in 1587 she was buried in Shelford Church, where a noble monument exists to her memory. Her eldest son, Sir Thomas, succeeded to the property, and his grandson Philip was created, in 1628, Earl of Chesterfield. The seat of the Stanhopes was probably one of much magnificence and importance, for Camden in 1586 says, in his reference to Shelford : 'It is the seat of the famous family of Stanhope, knights, whose state and grandeur in those parts is eminent and their names renowned.' In the time of the Civil War Shelford Manor was garri- soned for the King under Colonel Philip Stanhope, the first Earl's son. Standing near the Trent, between Shel- ford and Bridgeford, walled and moated, the house pre- sented a formidable front to the enemy. Both the Shelford and Wiverton garrisons were most obnoxious to the Parlia- mentarians, and General Poyntz and Colonel Hutchinson resolved to effect their reduction. Mrs. Hutchinson gives one of her characteristic narratives of what took place at Shelford, where the Colonel rested at night. ' When he came thither,' she says, 'a few of the Shelford soldiers were gotten into the steeple of the church, and * ' Stanhope and others, the principal instruments that the Duke did use in the affairs of his ill government, were sent to the Tower, and the Duke followed.' — Froude's History, v. 247. f Sir John Haywood in ' Parliamentary History,' iii. 240. Shelf or d. 79 from thence so played upon the garrison's men that they could not quietly take up their quarters. There was a trapdoor that went into the belfry, and they had made it fast, and drew up the ladders and the bell-ropes, and re- garded not the Governor's threatening to have no quarter if they came not down, so that he was forced to send for straw and fire it and smother them out.' In this proceeding a boy was dislodged who had formerly been in the Colonel's service (but was taken by the Cava- liers), and made to point out a vulnerable part in the defences of the manor. A full account of the siege is given by Mrs. Hutchinson, from which it appears that Colonel Stanhope was wounded and died, as also were some of his followers, while 140 were made prisoners by the Parliamentary force. General Poyntz also gave an official account of the engagement.* At night the house was set on fire, and Thoroton, writing in 1677 a description of the locality, says Mr. William Stanhope was ' making some building to the walls which stood after the fire.' Upon the site now stands a capacious residence. The outline of the moat, which formerly sur- rounded the fortified manor, can still be discerned ; while armour, cannon-balls, and other relics of the attack have frequently been found. In the church are a piece of sculpture by Chantrey, representing Lady Georgiana West, who died in 1824, and a brass set in marble to the late Countess of Carnarvon. The famous Earl of Chesterfield, statesman and author, to whom Dr. Johnson wrote his memorable letter, is interred on the south side of the chancel. * ' Parliamentary History,' xiv. 106. HBgang pn ITHIflMJ^IIWIlfStirMir ill' iiim nimm ii u i mniinuiiu/ CHAPTER VIII. Aslockton and Archbishop Cranmer — Whatton Church — A Cranmer Memorial — The Village Cross — Parish Registers — Early Days of the Prelate — Leland's Itinerary — Cranmer's Mound and Walk — The Molyneux — Screveton — Kirketon Hall and the Whalleys — A Mysterious Jesuit — Edward Whalley and Oliver Cromwell — The Guardian of the King — Whalley signs the Death-warrant — He is one of Cromwell's Peers— Flies to America and dies — Car Colston — Thoroton, the Nottinghamshire Historian. ASLOCKTON is justly proud of its old associations; at all events, it makes the most of them and of the title to lasting fame which its connection with the Cranmers gives it. One of its inns bears the name of the Cranmer Arms, and the inhabitants will promptly point out to the visitor interested in such matters the site of Cranmer's house, and a mound on which tradition says he was wont to sit to listen to the sweet music of the bells of Whatton Church. The spot on which the Archbishop's residence stood is occupied by a modern house of a substantial type, and all traces of very old buildings have long since departed from the village, save the thick stone walls of an ancient chapel, which are visible under a house of brick and tile. The edifice is known locally as Cranmer's Chapel, and on that account, as well as from its interest as the site of a religious foundation, most antiquarian visitors readily avail them- selves of the permission of its courteous occupier to inspect its ancient arches and walls. A slockton. 8 1 The church in the adjoining village of Whatton was that to which the Aslockton people mostly went, and it is here we must look for the burial-place of the Cranmers, and for any memorials of them that exist.* Fortunately, there is still to be seen a fine incised slab in excellent preservation to the memory of no less a personage than the father of the Archbishop. It is inserted in the floor of the north aisle, and forms an interesting object in what is undoubtedly one of the most attractive of our village churches. Near to the Cranmer slab is a stone altar-tomb, bearing the figure of a cross-legged knight in armour (Sir Richard de Whatton, temp. Edward II.), and under an arch in the north wall the effigy of a priest with curled hair. The remains of the village cross are also preserved in the church, which has been restored with great skill and judgment. We must not stay to describe the objects of interest in this beautiful church further than to quote the inscription on the Cranmer slab as follows : ' Hie jacet Thomas Cranmer, armiger, qui obiit vicesimo septimo die mensis Maii, anno dni. MD centesimo primo, cui (cujus) aie (animae) ppcietur (propitietur) Deus. Amen.' The arms upon it are : ' A chevron between three cranes — Cranmer. Arg. on five fusels in fesse, gules, each an escallop or — Aslacton.' The figure is that of a man in flowing hair and gown, and a purse at his right side. In the parish registers are various entries of the baptisms and deaths of members of the family. Ralph Morice, the private secretary of the Archbishop, has left behind him some interesting notes of his eminent master, f in which he gives colour to the belief that the first of the family to settle in this country came into the realm with * The curacy of Aslockton belonged to Welbeck Abbey. Vide Valor Ecclesiasticus. t Printed in ' Narratives of the Reformation,' Camden Society, p. 263 et seq. 6 82 History of Nottinghamshire. William the Conqueror. Prior to their appearance in Nottinghamshire they lived at Lutterton, and occupied a good position there. By the marriage of Edward Cranmer with the heiress of the Aslocktons they assumed the arms of the latter. Thomas Cranmer, whose slab we have described, married Agnes, daughter of Laurance Hatfield, of Willoughby, Notts, and resided at the old manor-house at Aslockton. Their second son became Archbishop, and though we do not know much of his youthful days a few details have been collected in Strype's ' Memorials.' Whether the future Archbishop was educated by the parish priest, or whether he went to a grammar school in any of the towns of the neighbourhood, is a matter of speculation. Morice says that when he went to Cambridge he left ' a grammar school ' to go there.* But if not trained at home in literature and the arts, he received in the open fields of this broad stretch of country what was of great importance to him in after-life, an efficient knowledge of outdoor exercises and pastimes, and the foundations of a strong constitution. ' His father used him to shoot with the long-bow, and let him hunt and hawk and ride rough horses.' Shortly after the funeral of his father at Whatton, in 1 501, his mother sent him at fourteen years of age to Jesus College, Cambridge. His subsequent career is a matter of general history, and need not be dwelt upon here. Leland speaks of Aslockton and the ' heire of the Cran- mers/t the Archbishop's elder brother, and it would be to his house that the martyr resorted when visiting the neighbourhood. He had, however, some property here, as appears by an entry in the State Papers, dated 1528, five years prior to his elevation to the episcopal bench. In 1547 Edward VI. granted to the Archbishop for the * ' Being from his infancy kept at school.' Vide ' Life, State, and Story of Cranmer,' Parker Society, ii. I. f Leland's Itinerary, i, 100. Screveton. 83 sum of ,£429 13s. the rectories of Whatton and Aslockton, with the advowson of the churches, both belonging to Wel- beck Abbey. After his death the property passed to his nephew Thomas, and subsequently to Thomas Molyneux, who married Alice Cranmer, daughter and heiress. The son of Thomas Molyneux, a Sir John Molyneux, Bart., sold the estate, and Aslockton and the Cranmer family thus became finally severed. Near the main road from Screveton to Car Colston is a pretty church, which has recently been restored ; and in a field adjoining the sacred edifice distinct traces of old foundations are clearly visible. On inquiry the visitor will find that there stood for centuries on this eligible site a large house known as Kirketon Hall, and that this house was the abode of the Whalleys, and their progenitors, the Leeks and the Kirketons, the last-named taking their cog- nomen from the parish in which they resided. Screveton Church contains memorials of the Whalleys, and at the west end, to which it has been removed, a fine monument to the memory of Richard Whalley, who died in 1583. The Whalleys were not originally a Nottingham- shire, but a Staffordshire family. They came to this county in the time of Edward IV., when an heiress of the Leeks married Richard Whalley, and conveyed to him the Screveton property. It was a grandson of this Richard to whom the monument is erected, and he was in his day a prominent man, being a ' servant ' of the Lord Protector Somerset.* In 1538 he obtained possession of Welbeck Abbey and other property adjoining, and was subsequently enriched by a grant of the college of Sibthorpe and its possessions. In the violent upheavals of Church and State of those times Whalley took a prominent part, and he only escaped the fate of his patron Somerset on payment of a heavy fine, to disburse which, and to meet other liabilities, he sold * Throsby's Thoroton, i. 250. 6—2 84 History of Nottinghamshire. Welbeck, in 1558, to Edward Osborne, of London, 'citizen and clothworker.' * He had now reached the age of threescore years, and had retired from active participation in public affairs. The family seat at Screve- ton saw more of him than it had ever done before, and continued to see him, as a constant resident, until his death, in 1583. In his later years he was enriched by grants from Queen Elizabeth, and left behind him substantial possessions for his children to enjoy. He had been thrice married, and at Screveton and Welbeck (where he sometimes resided) had been born to him no less than twenty-five children, many of whom had intermarried with families of influence and position. His last wife, Barbara, erected to his memory the alabaster monument in Screveton Church, which is one of the finest in the county, and bears a quaint inscription in verse recording the virtues of the departed. At the time of the Gunpowder Plot one of those sus- pected of participation in it was Henry Garnet, otherwise known as Whalley, whom Bailey and other writers identify with the Whalleys of Screveton.f He was a Jesuit priest, whose extraordinary career terminated on the scaffold, but it is open to question whether he was one of the Nottingham Whalleys at all. Father Foley, in his ' Records of the English Province,' says he was born at Nottingham, and a manuscript life of him, still extant, states that his father was Brian Garnet, master of the Free School there. In reply to his inquisitors, Whalley affirmed that his real name was Garnet, and a nephew of his who was also a Jesuit priest bore the same patronymic. On Richard Whalley 's death his son and grandson occupied the old Hall. The latter, also named Richard, * ' Athense Cantabrigiensis,' i. 544. t The reference in the State Papers shows that he was known as Father Whalley until 1596, when he begins to be referred to as Garnet alias Whalley. Screveton. 85 took to the family home at Kirketon as his second wife Frances, daughter of Sir Henry Cromwell, and aunt of Oliver Cromwell, the future Protector. ' Aunt Fanny's ' second son Edward was one of the heroes of the Civil War, and made himself a name in history. As major of a cavalry regiment he took part with his famous kinsman in the skirmish near Gainsborough. Carlyle has reproduced the official despatch in which Cromwell describes this engagement ; tells how General Cavendish was slain by a thrust under his short ribs, and mentions that Major Whalley did in this carry himself 'with all gallantry becoming a gentleman and a Christian.'* At Naseby, in 1645, Whalley again distinguished him- self, and in 1646 successfully conducted the siege of Ban- bury. Having been raised to the rank of Colonel, he so far won the confidence of General Fairfax that when the captive monarch was at Holdenby he sent Colonel Whalley to attend upon him. The Colonel met the King on the way to Newmarket, and as his Majesty refused to return to Holdenby he entreated him to stay awhile at a gentleman's house at Childersley. From Childersley, under Whalley's guardianship, he removed to Newmarket, and subsequently to Hampton Court, where he arrived on August 26, 1647. Here he remained, still attended by Whalley, until March II, when he contrived to make his escape and retire to the Isle of Wight. There had been ugly rumours afloat that attempts would be made on the King's life, and Cromwell had written to his ' beloved cousin ' Whalley to have a care of his guards, remarking, 'if such thing should be done it would be accounted a most horrid act.' An anonymous letter had also been received by the King warning him of the possibility of an attack, and though his Majesty disclaimed being influenced thereby, it must have caused him some anxiety. Any way, he determined to make his escape, and one night passed quietly by the * Carlyle's 'Cromwell's Letters,' i. 135. 86 History of Nottinghamshire. back stairs and vault to the water-side. When Colonel Whalley and the Commissioners, wondering why he did not come to supper, entered his room, they found he had left his cloak behind him in the gallery and two letters upon his table, one for the Parliament and one for Whalley, in which he subscribed himself, ' Your friend, Charles R.'* The Colonel had to explain how it was that the King eluded his watchfulness. This he appears to have done satisfactorily, and trust was still reposed in him by the Parliamentary leaders. The next time the King and his ' friend ' met was when Whalley was sitting as a judge of that High Court of Com- mission which had been constituted for the trial and con- demnation of his Majesty, and on the death-warrant of the monarch Whalley's signature stands fourth, immediately after that of his famous relative. At Dunbar, in 1650, he once more displayed his courage in battle, and the Commonwealth found in him a devoted and zealous officer. He represented Nottinghamshire in the Parliaments of 1654 and 1656, and Bailey states that when Cromwell broke up the Barebones Parliament, it was Whalley who took away the mace, and his son-in-law, Colonel Goffe, who led on the musketeers that drove the members from their seats. When Cromwell created a House of Lords, Whalley was one of the ' ennobled.' At the restoration of the Stuarts Whalley and Goffe retired to Vevay, on the borders of the Lake of Geneva, but being in danger of capture they fled to America, where they were sheltered by the Puritans. Whalley died at Hadley, New England, in the house of Mr. Russell the minister, and was buried in a tomb just without the cellar wall, far away from the sepulchre of his ancestors in the peaceful seclusion of Screveton Church. The old Hall subsequently came into the possession of the Thorotons, but was demolished about seventy years * ' Parliamentary History,' xvi. 327. Screveton. 87 ago. The memory of the Thorotons, the last occupants of the ancient manor-house, is more intimately associated with the adjoining parish of Car Colston, where the famous historian owned property, and built himself a home. It is in the churchyard of this village that various members of the family are buried — Robert Thoroton, who died of plague in 1604, and a second Robert, ' a loyal servant of King and Church,' who died in 1646, as a Latin inscription on a tablet in the wall, near the chancel door, plainly testifies. The parish registers attest the interment of suc- ceeding Thorotons, the burial of the historian being thus briefly recorded : ' Robertus Thoroton, M.D., sepultus, November 23rd, 1678.' A fine stone coffin, in which his remains were placed, is to be seen in the vestry at the west end of the church. il-ji p'-srTT 'f_7-_iir_TnE n t* qi ,fl jflfi j CHAPTER IX. Down the Trent Valley — Thurgarton Priory — A House of the Augustinians — The Cooper Family— A Sharp Skirmish — Hover- ingham and the Goushills — Memorial to a Remarkable Lady — Stoke and its Battlefield— The Imposture of Lambert Simnel — Local Relics and Traditions. Thurgarton occupies a charming position at the foot of two hills, with a little stream running through the heart of it to join the broad waters of the Trent about a mile away. Of Thurgarton Priory and its canons, history has much that is interesting to say, for we must go back almost to the time of the Norman Conquest to trace the origin and foundation of this important house. Walter Deincourt was the son of one of the Conqueror's companions who was granted no less than sixty-seven lordships as his share of the Saxon spoils. These included Thurgarton, Fiskerton, and others in this county ; but the great feudal chieftain made his residence at Blankney in Lincolnshire. Ralph Deincourt, the son of Walter, succeeded to these vast possessions, and founded a religious house at Thurgarton in the reign of Henry I. One old authority says he ' turned his house into an abbey,'* and placed it under the direction of the canons of the Order of St. Augustine. Coming under the influence of Archbishop Thurstan, he was * MSS. in British Museum, quoted in ' Beauties of England and Wales,' xii. 275. Thurgarton. 89 induced to endow the monastery with all Thurgarton and Fiskerton * the full text of the foundation deed being given by Dugdale.-j* The canons lived together under one roof, and were habited in a long black cassock with a white rochet over it ; and this was covered with a black cloak and hood. According to Bishop Tanner, the Austin canons were less strict than the monks, and wore beards and caps. J The work which Deincourt began was continued long after his death. Benefactors came forward to add further to the riches of the priory. It participated in the gifts of royalty and high ecclesiastics until it owned considerable property in all parts of the county, as well as in Derby- shire and Lincolnshire. The priory church received at the hands of the founders considerable attention ; and its beautiful Early English work testifies to the skill of the ancient builders. Thoroton says that in 1328 the church was valued at twenty marks per annum ; and he details several perquisites which belonged to it. The manorial rights included the contribution of a cock and hen by the cottagers beside their rents. These were paid about Christmas time, and on that day the tenants were either regaled in the hall of the priory, or given a white loaf, a flagon of ale, and a dish of food. The natives had also to contribute threepence each in reaping time, cleanse the mill-dam, plough and reap for their religious superiors ; and each ' she native ' had to pay five shillings and four- pence when she was married ; while the fine upon the daughter of a cottager was half that sum. In 1328 the value of the manor was put at .£85 9s. id.§ * At Fiskerton, according to Tanner, in the court or manor house, some few canons from Thurgarton were placed, who had a chapel there dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Every large monastery had dependent upon it one or more smaller establishments known as cells. t Dugdalc's ' Monasticon,' v. 36. % Ibid. § Thoroton's ' Notts,' iii. 56. 90 History of Nottinghamshire. For long centuries these curious customs prevailed ; and when the monasteries were dissolved by Henry VIII. the clear income of Thurgarton Priory had risen to -£ 2 59 9 s - 4fd. Upon the surrender of the property by the canons, the King granted the manor partly to Trinity College, Cambridge, and partly to William Cooper, who was in the royal service. The priory thus became the abode of the Coopers, and Sir Roger Cooper was a stalwart partisan of King Charles in the Civil War. He fortified his house ; and on one occasion, as the Parliamentary troops were passing to take up quarters round Newark, some of his musketeers fired, and a Captain Heywood was killed. Colonel Thornhaugh thereupon sent to Colonel Hutchinson for infantry to attack the place, and Sir Roger, with forty followers, was captured and sent to Nottingham. After the surrender of the house it was ran- sacked, and the troopers participated in the booty.* The times went very ill with the Coopers ; for in a memorial to the Protector presented by Jane, wife of John Cooper, second son of Sir Roger, we find her praying his Highness to allow her husband to return to his patrimony and enable him to extricate himself from the load of debt with which he was embarrassed. f At the Restoration a measure of prosperity returned to them, for Mr. John Cooper was appointed carver to the King, receiver-general of the royal aid and additional supply, and collector of the hearth-money in Nottingham- shire. The close of the seventeenth century saw the Thurgarton estate pass by devise to Mr. John Gilbert, who also took the name of Cooper. His son, John Gilbert Cooper, was an author of some ability ; and in the church there is a tablet to the memory of himself and wife. At the end of * Mrs. Hutchinson's ' Memoirs,' p. 268. f State Papers : Domestic, 1658. Hoveringham. 9 1 the last century another Mr. Cooper demolished the old priory, so that nothing of it was left but the cellars. On its site was erected the present mansion, which, with the estate, was purchased of the Coopers by Mr. Milward. His nephew, Mr. Richard Milward, J.P., restored the Early English church in 1854 ; and, dying in 1879, a brass, on which is an appropriate inscription, was erected to his memory. There are several memorials to the Coopers over the north door, and three old oak stalls with curious carving upon them are worthy of inspection. The priory is occupied by the Bishop of Southwell, in whose diocese it stands ; the owner of the property, who bought it recently, being Mr. Robinson, of Nottingham. A short walk from Thurgarton lies the charming little summer resort of Hoveringham, on the banks of the Trent. From the Domesday Survey we learn that besides mills and fisheries there was a priest and a church here ; but the only relic of these early times is a Norman tympanum over the church door, on which is depicted the conflict between Michael the Archangel and the Dragon. The former owners of Hoveringham were the Goushills, or Gousills ; and Simon de Goushill was summoned to the military muster at Nottingham in 1297. Walter, the next in succession, attended the Parliament at Northampton in 1307 as Knight of the Shire for Notts. He was also a justice of the gaol delivery in 13 16, and was one of the lords of East Bridgeford, Hawksworth, Flintham, Knee- ton, Fiskerton, Thurgarton, Hoveringham, Gonalston, and Rollestone.* The Goushills continued in possession of the property till the time of Sir Robert, who married the Duchess of Norfolk. This noble lady seems to have passed through many vicissitudes. She was the daughter of the Earl of Arundel, and her first husband was William de Montacute, * < Parliamentary Writs and Writs of Military Summons,' ii. 940. 92 History of Nottinghamshire. only son of the second Earl of Salisbury. He died young, and some years afterwards she married Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, afterwards created Duke of Norfolk. His public career is well known in history, and it is affirmed of him that so callous was he to family ties, that he aided in the destruction of the Earl of Arundel, his father-in-law. The quarrel between him and the Duke of Hereford resulted in King Richard banishing Hereford for ten years, and Norfolk for life. On the latter' s death, in 1399, the Duchess married Sir Robert Goushill, and both of them died in 1404, for an inquiry bearing that date was made in order to discover the extent of the lands owned by them in various counties.* At the west end of the church is the tomb of Sir Robert and his famous wife, bearing their effigies in alabaster. They had two daughters, who married Sir Thomas Wingfield and Baron Stanley, Lord Chamberlain to the King. The romance attaching to the life of the Duchess of Norfolk invests with interest the memorial in the church, which stands near the entrance door, in an excellent state of preservation. A little further down the valley of the Trent, as we journey towards Newark, is the village of Stoke, famous in history as the scene of one of the most stubbornly-con- tested battles ever fought on British soil. On June 16, 1487, the supporters of Lambert Simnel met the royal forces in the broad fields which stretch between Stoke and Thorpe, and there stood face to face on that fateful day some 15,000 or 16,000 men, waiting for the signal which should precipitate them against each other in deadly strife. The details of it obtainable are not very minute, for the period was not prolific in chroniclers, or in literary workers of any kind. Polydore Virgil was in England, but is not * ' Calendarium Inquisitionem Post Mortem,' iii. 295. Stoke. 93 supposed to have written much of his history before the succeeding reign. Blind Bernard Andre" alone wrote a contemporary record of any extent,* and this gives very meagre information of Stoke field. ' In no period/ says Mr. Gairdner, ■ are the sources of history so scanty.' But such as they are they enable us to form an accurate idea of the importance of the battle which was fought at Stoke, and of the grave issues which depended upon it. They show that in the violence and vigour of the combatants, and the extent of the slaughter, there had been few engage- ments in this country of equal magnitude. It is a curious story of daring imposture, fierce rivalry, and stubborn and unyielding courage. From the contemporary accounts we learn that the armies encamped at night - time, and when morning dawned, the King offered battle upon the broad plain which stretched between them — a fair plain, ' meet for the trial of such a conflict. 'f The King delivered a short speech to his troops to urge them on to vigorous action. He denounced the Earl of Lincoln as a false man, who had no excuse for his iniquity, and spoke of his impudent treachery and dissimulation. He said that the earl was not ignorant of his true race and blood, but had always been an opponent. God, however, who punished evil- doing, would remember their just cause and the iniquities of the other side, and would make them triumphant against their enemies. Whilst the King was animating the spirits of his followers, the Earl of Lincoln was busy calling upon his men to ' remember his honour and their lives.' Having finished his exhortation, he promptly accepted the royal challenge, and came courageously down to meet the King's forces. Whereupon, both * ' Historia Regis Henrici Septimi ; a Bernardo Andrea Thelosate Conscripta ' (Rolls Series). f Lord Bacon says the Earl of Lincoln encamped on ' a brow or hanging of a hill.' 94 History of Nottinghamshire. armies joined in a hand-to-hand combat of the most furious description, the royal troops making the air resound with shouts of 'King Henry!' Both sides were armed with ' swerdys, speres, marespikes, bowes, gonnes, harneys, Brigardynes, hawberks, axes, and many other weapons/ and they used them with the utmost vigour, cleaving each other to the ground with great rapidity and desperation. Martin Swartz showed much nimbleness and valour, and the Irish fought manfully, but being almost naked, were ' stricken down and slayne like dull and brute beasts,' which was a great discouragement to the rest of the company. For a long time the victory was doubtful, but the King's forwards being full of people, and his wings well fortified, the enemy were compelled to give way. One by one the leaders of the rebels were struck down, and though they contested the ground inch by inch, they were unable to effectually withstand the terrific onslaughts of the Royalists. As a final effort, the rebels turned their whole strength upon the van of the King's army. Hastily rallying his forces round that centre, the King repelled the attack, and drove the rebels pell-mell down the ravine leading to Stoke Marsh and Fiskerton Ferry. Here the slaughter was terrific, and a thick stream of blood flowed down, giving to the spot the name of the Red Gutter, a name which has clung to it to this day. Of the rebel leaders, the Earl of Lincoln, Martin Swartz, and others were slain, and many taken prisoners, including the im- postor Simnel and his priestly tutor. Scores of men were drowned in attempting to recross the Trent. Of Vis- count Lovel, the end is unknown. Some say he was drowned in the Trent, others that he was killed on the battle -field ; while there is a tradition that he escaped to his residence, where he secreted himself, and perished through the negligence or forgetfulness of his servant, for want of food. It is a curious circumstance that during alterations at Minster Lovel in Oxfordshire, in 1708, the Stoke. 95 skeleton of a man was discovered in a large vault under- ground. The total loss of life was sufficiently indicative of the desperate valour shown on this hard-fought battle-field. About 4,000 of the insurgents, and half of the advanced line of the royal forces, perished — probably a loss of 6,000 lives. Lord Bacon says the battle lasted three hours before victory inclined either way. After it was over the King went to Lincoln, where he caused supplications and thanks- givings to be made for his deliverance, and ' that his devo- tions might go round in circle, he sent his banner to be offered to our Lady of Walsingham, where before he made his vows.' His supporters were equally jubilant at the pre- servation of the royal cause from imminent peril, and one of these (believed to be Bernard Andre), who wrote ' the twelve triumphs of Henry VI I./* thus glorified at the downfall of Martin Swartz : ' You have a new warrior, Who was called by the name of Martin Swart. What did you say of him ? Did he come too late To threaten to do great marvels ? I say no. For he received his share For his troubles with his works. He threatened to kill all Who were on the noble King's side ; But, thanks be to God and to the Chaste Virgin, What he threatened was quite averted. He and his people were cut to pieces In the middle of the field, and there is no doubt His accomplices were deserted, And all received their penalty due. Also, it is said, whoever reckons without his host He has to reckon twice. And it is true ; For they expected to make others dance to the tune To which they danced (themselves) in very pitiful array.' * ' Les Douze Triomphes de Henry VII.,' printed in ' Memorials of Henry VII.,' pp. 133-135. 96 History of Nottinghamshire. The local relics and traditions of this remarkable engage- ment are very limited. Mr. Richard Brooke, jun., who wrote a pamphlet on the battle in 1825, says he had heard of bones, coins, and ' other reliques ' having been dug up in the fields on the south side of the village, ' where the Earl's centre was engaged after descending from his strong post ;' but we cannot ascertain that anything has been found in recent years, except a spur, which is in the possession of Sir Henry Bromley. Two field-names, that of ' Dead Man's Field ' and the ' Red Gutter,' doubtless bear refer- ence to the battle, and there is a tradition which is worth preserving, and which has not heretofore found its way into print. In Stoke parish, in the valley between Stoke and Elston, there is a drinking-trough supplied by a spring, in reference to the origin of which the following story has passed current in the village for centuries — and there are some families now in the parish whose ancestors were there when the parish register was begun, early in the six- teenth century. A soldier fell in the battle, and a comrade came to his assistance, and gave him water from his bottle. Feeling he was dying, he told his friend that if his soul went to paradise there would arise from the spot where he fell a spring that would flow on for ever. The spring now supplies the modern trough, and it is said of it that it has never been known to dry up in the hottest summer, or to be frozen over in the coldest winter. Of the Red Gutter, the local story is that the soil, which is of peculiar red- ness, received its colour from the blood which flowed through it ! Thus, on Nottinghamshire soil was fought out the last of the many deadly feuds which parted the adherents of York and Lancaster, and which may well have made neutral parties, if there were any in those troublous times, emphati- cally exclaim, ' A plague o* both your houses !' Partisans and neutrals alike had abundant reason to feel devoutly thankful that with the Battle of Stoke the time had come Stoke. 97 at last when England would cease for awhile to ' weep in streams of blood,' and to unite in ardently hoping that ' Henry and Elizabeth, the true succeeders of each royal house,' would ' Enrich the time to come with smooth-fac'd peace, With smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days.' CHAPTER X. Southwell : its Church and Palace— The Minster founded— Visits of Archbishops— Sudden Death of Archbishop Gerard— Singular Story of Thurstan— Geoffrey Plantagenet— Strange Scene at the Minster— King John's Visits— Notices of Cardinal Wolsey— Charles I. at the Saracen's Head— Byronian Reminiscences. There is no place in the county that possesses greater attractions to those interested in the story of our national church than the town of Southwell. It has a noble minster, that for antiquity and solidity of workmanship, never fails to win reverential admiration, and it has a history interwoven with the names of eminent Archbishops and Bishops almost from the introduction of Christianity into the Midlands until the present year of grace, when it is the centre of an important see. Though a town of small population, and standing in picturesque isolation away from the whirl and bustle of industrial life, it is singularly rich in its associa- tions with historic personages, and nothing could have been more in accordance with ' the eternal fitness of things,' than that on the formation of Notts and Derby into a new bishopric, it should take its name from this ancient home of religious truth. Let us take a glimpse— and it must necessarily be but a brief one — at a few of those who have worshipped on this hallowed ground. To begin with, there is Paulinus, the reputed founder of Southwell. 99 the minster,* of whom and of whose work some details are discernible. Coming to these parts in pursuit of his great mission to win people from darkness to the faith of Christ, he drew crowds of anxious and sympathetic listeners around him, and the moving oratory which had won the heart of a King was not slow to bring conviction to the minds of others. The Venerable Bede records the baptism by Paulinus of numerous converts in 'the flood of the Trent near Tiovulginacester 't in the presence of King Edwin, whom he had in a.d. 627 won to the faith. Anti- quaries differ, and will doubtless for all time continue to differ, as to the identity of the place with the unpronounce- able name which was the scene of this important baptism. We must leave them to indulge in mild contention, and to settle, if they can, whether Paulinus really founded Southwell Minster or not. It suffices for our present purpose to know that the eminent missionary visited the locality, and exerted so great an influence along the valley of the Trent that its waters were frequently used for administering the sacred rite which is a symbol of our faith. We can hardly doubt that Southwell saw that stately figure, a graphic description of which has been fortunately preserved to us on the authority of a Lincoln- shire Abbot, who gave the Venerable Bede a vivid word picture ' as it was given to him by one who had been baptized in the presence of King Edwin, in the waters of the Trent.' Wordsworth has reproduced the sketch in vigorous language : 1 Mark him of shoulders curved, and stature tall. Black hair and vivid eye and meagre cheek, His prominent feature like an eagle's beak, A man whose aspect doth at once appal, And strike with reverence.' * Dugdale's ' Monasticon,' vi. 1312. f Bede ' Historia Ecclesiastica,' ii. 16. 7 —2 ioo History of Nottinghamshire. Such, in outward appearance, was the man to whom Southwell was largely indebted in the first stages of its career, and to whose earnest work in Lindsey and Notts we find frequent allusions.* When Thomas, the twenty- fifth Archbishop of York, claimed Newark and Stowe, he did so on the ground that Paulinus had converted them to the faith.-f If he built here a church, as tradition con- fidently affirms — and with good show of reason — it would doubtless be a small building of wood. The first Saxon churches were mostly composed of timber, hence the some- what ill-natured witticism of the author of the ' Polychron- icon,' when comparing the clergy of his day (a.D. 1360) with those of days gone by : ' Then had ye wooden churches and wooden chalices and golden priests ; but now golden chalices and wooden priests.' The subsequent commencement of the minster, ' when sculpture and her sister arts revive, stones leaped to form, and rocks began to live/ caused Southwell to become a centre of influence and attraction. Hither came, as years rolled swiftly by, Archbishops and Bishops to worship within its sacred walls, and to enjoy the health-giving repose that could always be secured in this pleasant retreat. Archbishop Alfric Puttoc, ' a very venerable man, and wise,' resided much at Southwell, and died there in J0504 His body was removed to Peterborough for interment, and the curious discovery of his remains in the seventeenth century is thus recorded: 'In two hollow places in the wall on the north side of the choir in the cathedral were found two chests of about three foot long apiece, in each of which were the bones of a man. On a plate of lead in each chest the name of the person was engraven — one was Elfricus, and the other Kynsius, both of whom had been Archbishops of York.' Kynsius succeeded Alfric, and * Roger de Wendover, i. 128 ; Saxon Chronicle, 34. f ' Memoriale Fratri Walteri de Coventreia,' i. 23. 1 Roger de Hoveden, i. 96. Southwell. 101 gave bells to the churches of Southwell and Stowe.* Aldred, another Archbishop, favoured Southwell with his constant presence, established stalls there, and built a spacious and handsome common dining-hall for the use of the canons.t Archbishop Gerard died within the old episcopal residence in 1108, and was carried to York for interment. J His death was very remarkable, and we can well imagine what a sensation it must have created amongst the people of the district. Canon Raine, the eminent antiquary, gives us a very full account, gleaned from a variety of sources, of the sudden demise of the Archbishop in his garden. He says : ' Gerard was on his way to the Court at London, and was suffering from a slight illness. After dinner he went to take his repose in the garden, and lay down to sleep in the open air among the grass and flowers, with a cushion under his head. His clerks left him for awhile at his request, and, on their return, their master was dead. He had passed quietly away. His opponents asserted that this was a fitting termination of a wicked life. He had departed " un- houselled, unanealed." A few persons carried his remains to York, but on account of the way in which he had died they were not received with the customary procession of the citizens and clergy. So a monkish opponent relates,§ and it is also recorded as evidence against him by his enemies that he was addicted to curious and forbidden arts. A treatise on magic by Julius Firmicus was found under his pillow in his garden at Southwell, and he is said to have been much attached to it. The book, however, was merely a work on astronomy.' J| We may add one or two other circumstances which the chroniclers mention. William de Newburgh says : ' The Archbishop stiffened * ' Lei. Coll.,' iv. 102. t Dickinson's Southwell, 276. % Saxon Chron., 331. § William Newburgh, 25 ; William de Malmesbury, 259. || ' Fa^ti Eboracenses,' pp. 1^2, i6j. 102 History of Nottinghamshire. and died as he rested after dinner upon a pillow in the garden.' William de Malmesbury says : • He went into the garden to enjoy the scent of the flowers and herbs. His attendants retired to the house, at his bidding, to take their repast, and on their return they " bewailed a soulless lord." ' Archbishop Thomas, who succeeded Archbishop Gerard, won from the King a grant of privileges to the church of Southwell, and the next Archbishop, Thurstan, was likewise a benefactor,* founding several new prebends. t Canon Raine, who has written so learned and entertaining an account of these early Archbishops, gives us, on the authority of John of Hexham, a singular story of his death, which took place on February 5, 1140. He had chanted within the little monastery at Pontefract, to which he had returned, the awful verses of the Dies Irce, and then, while the rest were kneeling and praying around him, he passed away. A few days afterwards he is said to have appeared in a dream to Geoffrey Trocope, Archdeacon of Nottingham. The Archdeacon tremulously inquired : ' Is there a hope of thy salvation, oh, my father?' to which, from the fleshless lips, there issued the solacing reply : ' To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.'| Half a century elapses from Thurstan's benefaction, and Southwell sees an episode in the struggle between William Longchamp and his rivals for power. Longchamp met Hugh de Puiset, Bishop of Durham, at Blyth, arrested him at Southwell, and compelled him to surrender.§ King * John of Hexham, col. 267. f Thoroton, p. 310. % ' Fasti Eboracenses,' 209. John of Hexham, col. 267, 268. The same chronicler mentions an attack on Southwell, in 1142, by William Pagnel, whose troops tried to ' break the wall whereby the enclosure of the church was fortified, and to carry away booty,' but they were beaten off by ' the multitude of the country,' who flocked there in defence of the place. — Printed in ' Symeon of Durham ' (Rolls Series), p. 311. § Roger de Hoveden, iii. 35. Southwell. Richard himself, with the King of Scots, was at Southwell, April 4, 1 194, having spent Palm Sunday at Clipstone.* Four years previously, in 1 189, there had come to the town no less a personage than Geoffrey Plantagenet, with royal blood flowing in his veins, to take up priest's orders. By the influence of his father he had been thrust into responsible positions in a way that was most irritating. As a mere child he was made Archdeacon of Lincoln, and he was quietly pocketing the revenues of the bishopric when the Pope felt constrained to interfere. The inter- loper was called upon to withdraw from the bishopric or be ordained. For awhile he relinquished his ill-gotten dignities and emoluments, and led a layman's life. But other preferments were showered upon him, and the prospect of higher advancement led him to reside at Southwell to take priests orders.-f* He was nominated to the See of York soon after the death of his father, and consecrated at Tours in 1191. The Archbishop in the course of his chequered career quarrelled with his clergy, and Southwell had some participation in the strife. When the Archbishop sent John, Bishop of Witherne, to the minster to consecrate the chrism and the oil the Dean and Chapter would not receive them. Bishop John persisted in performing his functions, and hallowed the contents of the vessels, whereupon Geoffrey of Muskham seized them, and threw them upon a dunghill^ (A.D. 11.96). It is needless to speculate on the excitement such a scene would occasion in the midst of the town, but we can fancy the astounded laity would come swiftly together to witness this bold assertion of independence on the part of their clerical neighbours. Geoffrey, the cause of this unseemly squabble, as of many others, was the son of that Fair Rosamond * Roger de Hoveden, iii. 243. f ' Giraldus Cambreniis,' p. 383. X Roger de Hoveden, iii. 287. 104 History of Nottinghamshire. with whom Henry II. fell in love, and was thus the natural brother of Richard I. In 1209 and 12 12 royalty again visited the town in the person of King John. This time it was not the minster or the palace that was a source of attraction. John did not come upon religious thoughts or deeds intent, as they were not much in his way, but to enjoy the hunting which the fine old forest of Sherwood afforded. In the Close Rolls, amongst many other letters from the King, are several from this neighbourhood relating to his horses and hawks. Under date Newark, May 30, 1207, is a certificate that his Majesty had received from William Fitzwalkelin a palfrey, 'which he owed us,' and at Gunthorpe, on August 13, 12 12, he gave ,£3 to Michael Bebois and others who had brought him a falcon as a present. From his itinerary John would seem to have been at Southwell five times between 1207 and 12 13, and to have passed through with his troops on a projected expedition to Wales in 12 12.* Though devoted during his visits mainly to his own schemes and pleasures, John did not altogether forget the church, for he gave to it a charter confirming the privileges granted by his predecessors. Henry III., whose love for falcons and hounds was evidently not inferior to John's from the various missives he directed to the Sheriff about their safe custody, may also have been a visitor to South- well on some of his sporting tours through ' merrie Sher- wood.' We need not go on to enumerate the long list of wealthy men, clerical and lay, who enriched the church by gifts and endowments, and many of whom must have visited the place that was the object of their pious care and bountiful liberality. Robert de Lexington, of a famous local family ; Henry de Newark, a powerful ecclesiastic ; William de Gunthorpe, and other Nottinghamshire men, * ' Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum,' i. 121 et infra. Southwell. 1 05 associated their names with the minster by gifts of land, and so it assumed by degrees a position of wealth and influence which made it a centre of Church life and power. Hither came, in the height of his grandeur, the famous Cardinal Wolsey to enjoy brief periods of repose from the weighty burdens of State which lay heavily on his shoulders. The old palace was a favourite resort of the great prelate. He is supposed to have furnished if not founded a library there ; to have inserted the beautiful arch at the entrance of the Chapter-house, and to have purchased for the church the little park which was con- tiguous to the palace. Since Mr. Dickinson wrote lamenting there was so little information available, some interesting glimpses of the local transactions of the famous prelate have been revealed. We have notices of him in 1530, when the smiles of the changeful monarch were being succeeded by his frowns. In the spring of that year Wolsey started on a journey to the North, passing through Peterborough, Stamford, Gran- tham (where he was entertained by Francis Hall, member for the borough), and Newark to Southwell — the favourite abode of his happier days. His residence near the minster being out of repair led to a correspondence with Brown, his receiver, and Magnus, two of the benefactors of Newark, which has been preserved in the State Papers.* The letters which reached Wolsey at Southwell showed him plainly that the storm-clouds were fast gathering around him, and that all his deeds, even to the repairing of his house near the minster, were being represented to the King as evidences of his continuous extravagance. His anxiety to have his walls plastered with lime and hair was cited as a proof that his pride had not sufficiently abated. * The letters are also given in extenso in Ellis's * Royal Letters,' ii. 174. 106 History of Nottinghamshire. In defence, Wolsey wrote from Southwell explanatory- letters to the King, alluding to the extremity to which he was being reduced, and his friends pointed out to the monarch that his Grace had been obliged to borrow for the support of himself and his household.* But Henry was inexorable, and did not respond to any of the appeals made to him. In July the Cardinal informed Cromwell that through the small hope he had of being relieved he could not write for sorrow, and concludes, 'Thus with wepying terys I byd you farewell. At Southwell, with a tremblying hande.'t On leaving Southwell, the Cardinal proceeded via Welbeck, Rufford, and Blyth, to Scrooby, where he continued until Michaelmas. From Scrooby he removed to Cawood, and the memorable scene there enacted is thus described by an eye-witness : ' The Earl of Northumberland and Wolsey were standing by the window by the chimney in my lord's bedchamber, when the Earl tremblingly said with a very faint and soft voice unto my lord, his hand on his arm, " My lord, I arrest you of high treason." At these words the Cardinal was marvellously astonished, and even stood for a considerable time without uttering a word.' % Leaving Cawood on his melancholy journey, Wolsey passed through Doncaster, Hardwick, and Notting- ham. He was very ill when he reached Nottingham, and he died at Leicester Abbey. In his necessitous condition he had been compelled to borrow money wherever he could, and amongst the debts which he owed at his departure from Cawood were the following: 'Jas. Nichol- son, glazier, for glazing Southwell, Scrooby, and Cawood, ^58 ; Robert Brown, of Newark, for money lent for repairs of Southwell Manor, ,£124 ; and the College and Chapter of Southwell, for freestone, timber, etc., £9.'$ * State Papers, Hen. VIII., 4 2906. f Ibid., 4-2934. % Ibid., 4-3054. § Ibid., 4-3048- Southwell. 107 Influenced doubtless by Cranmer, whose native place is almost within sight of Southwell, the church was declared by Act of Parliament ' the head mother church of the town and county of Nottingham ' (1543), and not only became refounded and re-endowed, but made the site of a bishopric. Dr. Cox, afterwards Bishop of Ely, was appointed to the new see ; but for want of sufficient revenue the establish- ment was not completed. In the reign of Edward VI. the Chapter was dissolved, and the possessions alienated ; but they were restored by Queen Mary ' in as ample a manner as they had before been holden.' Archbishop Heath, who had been instrumental in procuring for South- well a restoration of the estates, was deprived of his see by Queen Elizabeth through his adherence to the Roman Catholic faith (1560), and his successors for sixteen years did not take much notice of the town. But in 1576 Arch- bishop Sandys manifested a great fondness for the palatial abode near the minster, and is said to have lived in it during the greater part of a long prelacy. He was a prominent figure in his day, having been one of the Com- mission by whom Mary Queen of Scots was tried and condemned. Fuller gives him a good character, stating in his own quaint way that he was ' an excellent and painful preacher of a quiet and godly life, which increased in his old age, so that by a great and good stride, while he had one foot in the grave, he had the other in heaven.' His beautiful monument in the minster is one of the most interesting objects for any visitor to inspect. James I., travelling from Scotland to London to assume the reins of government, passed through the town in 1603, and expressed his admiration for the church as one which, in his opinion, could compare with any in the kingdom. Of Charles I. and his visits to Southwell much might be said, but it will suffice to mention that it was here the unfortunate monarch, after negotiations with the Scots Commissioners, surrendered himself into their hands. On 108 History of Nottinghamshire. May 6, 1646, his Majesty arrived at the King's Arms, now known as the Saracen's Head, and having stayed awhile to take refreshment, was conducted to Kelham, near Newark, where the Scottish army lay encamped. It is to this circumstance that Bishop Selwyn, who spent a night at this historic inn in 1842, alludes in verses entitled 'A Sleepless Night at Southwell :' ' I cannot rest — for on the spot Where I have made my bed, O'erwearied with the strife of state, A king hath laid his head. ' Thy sacred head, ill-fated Charles, Hath lain where now I lie, And thou hast passed in Southwell Inn As sleepless night as I.' Subsequently the town was occupied by Puritan troops, and it is said that the nave of the minster was used as a stable for their horses. The palace was damaged, and the unrestrained troopers wrought havoc at their own sweet will. 'From this time,' says Mr. Shilton, 'ravage was the order of the day, and Cavaliers, Roundheads, and Covenan- ters alternately exercised their several abilities with such effect that when, soon after the surrender of Charles, an order was made for dismantling the palace very little was found undone.' It is stated that a warrant was issued for taking down the ante-choir of the church, and such other parts of the fabric as might not be necessary for the use of the parish, but that the edifice was saved these threatened losses by the intervention of Mr. Cludd, a prominent Parliamentarian, who, on the alienation of the archbishop's property, had purchased a good deal of it, and had taken up his residence in Norwood Park. From this time forward the chief events may be sum- marized. In 171 1, a violent storm of thunder and lightning caught the north spire, and occasioned the burning of part Sotithwell. 1 09 of the church. It became necessary to recast the bells, and this was done in 1721, as appears by the inscriptions. In 1801-1802 the spires on the western towers were re- moved, fears being entertained as to their safety and security. From 1S04 to 1807 Lord Byron's mother resided at the Burgage Manor House ; and it was here that the youthful poet came from Eton to spend his holidays. On a South- well play-bill, dated August 8, 1804, the play is announced as bespoke by ' Mrs. and Lord Byron.' Moore supplies us with many interesting details of his Southwell life, and an insight into the varied nature of his occupations in the cathedral town may be gleaned from one of Byron's own letters, wherein he says : ' I have been transporting a servant who cheated me, performing in private theatricals, publishing a volume of poems, making love, and taking physic' The volume of poems was a thin quarto of sixty- six pages, with the simple title of ' Fugitive Pieces/ and issued from the press of Messrs. S. and J. Ridge, of Newark, in November, 1806* In 1805 a very interesting addition was made to the church in the brass eagle, now used as a reading-desk. It had been found in the bed of the lake at Newstead Abbey, and had passed into the hands of a dealer, from whom it was bought and given to the church by Sir Richard Kaye, Prebendary of Southwell, and Dean of Lincoln. About thirteen years ago vigorous steps were taken to create a new diocese, to consist of the counties of Nottingham and Derby, and to raise Southwell Minster to the dignity of the cathedral church. These efforts were happily success- ful, and the endowment having been secured by subscrip- tion, an Order in Council was issued on February 2, 1884, founding the bishopric, and the collegiate church of South- well became the cathedral of the new diocese. The first * For local details see 'Worthies of Notts/ pp. 309-319. 1 10 History of Nottinghamshire. Bishop nominated was the Right Rev. George Ridding, D.D., Head Master of Winchester College, who was con- secrated on May I, 1884. Thus through a long succession of years the old church of Southwell has been an important centre of Church life, and its noble fabric has been used and admired by numbers of eminent divines and statesmen, who have loved to worship within it. In the words of Bishop Selwyn, 4 And hence the daily choral song, The Gospel's hopes and fears, Have sounded forth to Christian hearts, Beyond a thousand years.' We can only hope that it may long remain to have the ' Gospel's hopes and fears ' sounded to Christian hearts within its sacred walls, and that clothed in its new dignity it may have a future worthy of its historic greatness — a future of brightness and prosperity, and of ever-increasing influence for the good of the Church, and the welfare of the diocese of which it constitutes an ornament and a centre. CHAPTER XI. ' The Key of the North '—An Old Town's Story— The Castle Built by Bishop Alexander — Death of King John — The Coming of the Friars — The Friary and the Chantry House — A Fine Parish Church — The Civil War Period — Loyalty of the Old Borough — Modern Events. No town in Nottinghamshire can exceed in historical importance the ancient borough of Newark, or, as it is more picturesquely described, ' The Key of the North ' — a figure of speech well calculated to convey to the stranger a vivid idea of its strategical position when civil war ravaged the land. We will not attempt to penetrate the mists of antiquity stretching back to the Roman occu- pation, when the town of Newark is said to have arisen, but content ourselves with sketching its rise from the erection of the castle by Alexander the Magnificent in the twelfth century. Alexander was a Norman, and by birth a son of the brother of Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, who had risen from the position of a parish priest to be Chancellor and Justiciar — the most powerful man in the realm. Having been brought up by his uncle, he was, through his influence, made Bishop of Lincoln on the sudden death of Robert Bloet. The author of the ' Gesta Stephani ' gives us an insight into the character of the great prelate. ' Neglecting the 1 1 2 History of Nottinghamshire. pure and simple way of life belonging to the Christian religion,' says the writer, ' he gave himself up to military affairs and secular pomp, taking, whenever he appeared at Court, so vast a band of followers that all men marvelled. He emulated his uncle (celebrated as the greatest builder of his age), and erected the castles at Newark, Sleaford, and Banbury, on the plea that such fortresses were absolutely necessary in a time of lawlessness and violence for the protection and dignity of his see.' There was no wonder that a subject so powerful should excite the suspicious attentions of a monarch like Stephen, insecurely seated upon the throne. A rumour reached the King's ears that the Bishops of Lincoln and Salisbury were carrying on a treasonable correspondence with the Empress, and he summoned them to appear at Court. At Midsummer, 1 139, the Bishops and the King met at Oxford. Seizing the Bishops, Stephen threw them into prison at Devizes, and kept them in until they had sur- rendered their fortresses to the Crown.* In 12 1 5 Newark Castle again changed hands when it was seized and held by the Barons under Gilbert de Gaunt. At this period it was a very formidable stronghold, as a glance at the ruins which still remain overhanging the waters of the navigation will clearly indicate. It was made still stronger early in this, the thirteenth century, for the greater portion of it was rebuilt in a more substantial manner. The fact is, the masons who have enriched our country with many beautiful specimens of architecture were very active in Newark at this time, for the lower part of the tower of the noble Parish Church, with its beautifully- moulded arches and dog-tooth ornament, is attributed to 1230, when the Early English style was at the height of its perfection. A few years passed by, and Newark was visited by King * « Dictionary of National Biography,' i. 269. Newark. 1 1 3 John, who breathed his last within the portals of the castle. The monarch was on his way to meet the Barons when he sustained that loss of baggage and treasure which proved the forerunner of more serious trouble. While travelling from Swineshead he was seized with dysentery at Sleaford, and carried on a litter to Newark, where, after suffering two or three days, he died on October 18, 12 16. A tower at one extremity of the ruins is still standing in which the King is traditionally affirmed to have expired, and the legend is kept alive by its denomination of ' King John's Tower.' In Henry III.'s reign the castle narrowly escaped demolition, but the order was revoked, and it passed into the hands of Robert de Gaugy. He was commanded to surrender it in 12 18 to the Bishop of Lincoln ; but on his refusal the King, with a large army, proceeded to Newark to compel the submission of the haughty Baron. A stout resistance ensued, and in a siege of eight days the strong- hold sustained the heavy damage which necessitated its reconstruction. Eventually, De Gaugy was allowed to retain possession by paying the Bishop a hundred pounds. This settlement concluded the first period in which Newark was the scene of turbulence and war. A time of repose set in, and the establishment of religious houses marked an important era in the history of the town. Already Alexander the Magnificent had founded a hos- pital, which he dedicated to St. Leonard, and after Pope Innocent IV. had given power to the Friars to journey into every country in the world, some of them, of the Order of St. Augustine, wandered to Newark, and, tarry- ing there, took up their abode at the Friary in Appleton- gate, now the pleasant residence of Mr. Henry Bran- ston, J. P., one of the foremost of Newark's citizens. Opening upon the same thoroughfare called Appleton Gate, was another large religious house for the accommoda- tion of the chantry priests, which has ever since retained 8 ii4 History of Nottinghamshire. the name of the Chauntry. No less than fourteen chantries were founded at Newark, and the mansion-house was established by Widow Alice Fleming, so that the priests might associate together. The Rev. F. J. Dimock says : 'We might search through all England, and should find few indeed, if any, parish churches which could boast such an array of chantries as Newark possessed in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.' During the Wars of the Roses Newark was the scene of warlike demonstrations, and Edward IV. passed through the town on his way to combat the wearers of the Red Rose gathered at Doncaster. His Majesty was ' worship- fully accompanied ' to the Castle, and there marched through the streets of Newark so many 'goodly men well arrayed ' that it was said the like had not been seen in England before. The rebels did not care to risk an en- counter with this powerful host, and retired towards Man- chester. In October, however, a strong contingent of them, headed by the Duke of Exeter, Lord Bardolph, and others, assembled at Newark, and occupied the town for some days. Edward started with such forces as he could control to meet his enemies, but they did not tarry until his arrival. The Duke of Exeter deemed it prudent to unite with the larger army of the Earl of Warwick, and to await battle in a more promising locality. Eventually the contending forces met at Barnet, and the result was the overthrow of the warriors who had lodged at Newark, and the triumph of the White Rose. But the bitter feelings to which so much fierce contention had given rise between the partisans of the rival houses did not die out at Barnet. It smouldered in a multitude of breasts until 1485, when it burst into a flame on Bosworth Field, and the last embers of it ignited the outbreak in 1487 in favour of Lambert Simnel, which came to an inglorious close at Stoke, near Newark. Proceeding along the centuries over which the annals of Newark extend, we cannot do otherwise than briefly refer Newark. 1 1 5 to the visit of the great Cardinal Wolsey in 1530. The chancel of the church, one of the largest and most beauti- ful in England, was completed in 1487, and, without doubt, the famous prelate would officiate in it, as was his wont to do at the churches in the towns through which he passed. Two Newark worthies won the esteem of the rich Cardinal. Robert Brown, Alderman of Trinity Guild and Constable of the Castle, was his confidential adviser and receiver. He it was who introduced his neighbour, Thomas Magnus, to the notice of the Archbishop, and both of these men, Brown and Magnus, were munificent benefactors to the town, the latter having established the Grammar School, with which was also incorporated a school for teaching singing. A few years after Wolsey 's visit the Lincolnshire rebellion caused a great sensation in the district, and the Vicar of Newark, Henry Lytherland, became so involved in the subsequent disturbances under Robert Aske, that he was convicted of high treason in 1538, and sentenced to death. Some details of his trial are given in the State Papers. During Elizabeth's reign large bodies of troops stayed at Newark on their way to suppress the rebellion in 1569, and the castle had at times several eminent occupants — notably, the great Lord Burleigh, whose son William was baptized there in 1591, and Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury, who wrote poetry at Newark in 1594. Coming to the times of the Stuarts, the part played by Newark in the Great Rebellion is unique in history. The town was so strongly Royalist, and so well defended, that it was never reduced by the forces of the Parliament. James I. passed through the borough on his way to assume the crown ; and on subsequent occasions he appears to have paid the castle a visit, according to the entries in the State Papers. However interesting these evidences of royal favour may have been to the burgesses of the ancient 8—2 1 1 6 History of Nottinghamshire. town, they were altogether eclipsed by the events of the next reign. The imposition of ship money pressed heavily upon Newark, and there were other grievances calculated to alienate the feelings of the inhabitants from the King's Government, yet so deeply was the spirit of loyalty and fidelity infused into them, that upon the eve of the war between Charles and his Parliament, the King repaired to Newark, not (said he) ' to inspire their devotion, but only to confirm it.' In the summer of 1642 the town was garrisoned under Governor Henderson, earthworks were thrown up, and arms and ammunition collected. The next winter the Marquis of Newcastle arrived, and preparations were completed to repel an onslaught of the enemy. Two troops of cavalry attempted by stealth to capture the town, but were easily repulsed. Early in 1643 soldiers from Derby and Nottingham, under Sir John Gell and Colonel Hutchinson, assailed the town on one side, while forces from Lincolnshire besieged it on the other. A sharp struggle ensued, but the garrison succeeded in with- standing all assaults. In June, 1643, tne Queen, accom- panied by General Cavendish, passed through the town, and in a letter from her to the King, dated Newark, July 27, she states that the army with her consisted of no less than 3,000 foot, thirty companies of horse, and six pieces of cannon. The daring of the garrison was such that, having re- pulsed the attacking parties of the Parliament, they gallantly endeavoured to make reprisals upon the forces under Colonel Hutchinson at Nottingham. The Parlia- mentarians therefore determined to make a grand assault upon the place in order to reduce it. In February, 1644, about 8,500 men under Sir John Meldrum, with a powerful train of artillery, assembled in front of Newark. An intima- tion of this movement on the part of the enemy was conveyed to the gallant Prince Rupert, who hurried to the relief of the Newark. 1 1 7 suffering garrison. Drawing up his men at Coddington, he charged down Beacon Kill with his accustomed im- petuosity, and with a shout ' For God and for the King,' carried all before him. The courageous action of the Prince and the equally vigorous efforts of the garrison proved more than Sir John Meldrum could withstand, and after three weeks' siege Newark was happily and successfully relieved. ' They gained the Beacon Hill, and the town beneath them lay, The rebel army round the walls, gathered in dense array. The grand old castle still from her battlements did fling The Royal Standard proudly, for God and for the King. ' And the river by the castle still murmuring did run, For ever, ever murmuring, and glittering in the sun, Unheeding of the tumult, of the strife and tears within, Of those who still fought bravely, but were starving for the King. ****** ' As he entered the old gates one cry of triumph rose, To bless and welcome him who had saved them from their foes ; The women kiss his charger and the little children sing, "Prince Rupert's brought us bread to eat from God and from the King." ' Messages of congratulation poured in from Cavaliers in all parts of the country, and the King, in a letter to the Corporation, which is copied in the old minute-book, said he had a greater sense of their merit than he could possibly express. Another assault upon the garrison took place early in 1645, when it was relieved by Sir Marmaduke Langdale. When not defending the town, the Newark horse were formidable in attack, and in the famous Battle of Naseby they bore a gallant part. After that disastrous day, it was to Newark that many of the dusty troopers rode for succour and encouragement, and upon the loss of Bristol it was to the famous ' Key of the North ' that Prince Rupert hurried to give an account to the King of the surrender of that 1 1 8 History of Nottinghamshire. town. A stormy scene occurred, in which his Majesty reproached his royal nephews Rupert and Maurice for their conduct, and the two Princes, calling for their horses, marched sadly away, the King looking out of a window and weeping to see them as they went. Sir Richard Willis, the Governor, who had not been popular with the garrison, was removed from his command, and the Lord Bellasis appointed in his stead. Under his direction the town was strongly fortified, and prepared to resist a third siege — the severest and most desperate of all. The King retired from Newark on November 3, 1645, and soon after the town became invested by the Scotch and English forces. The Scotch lay at Kelham, a village just outside Newark. General Poyntz, Colonel Roseter, Colonel T. Gray, and Colonel Henry Gray were at other villages in the neighbourhood ; but still there was no idea on the part of the garrison of surrendering, until the King, who had opened up communication with the Scotch commis- sioners, sent an order to Bellasis to give up the town. The garrison marched out with the honours of war, and a few days afterwards gangs of men reduced the noble castle to ruins, leaving nothing but the front wall, part of the tower, and the remains of a very fine gatehouse. Of the earthworks, the Queen's Sconce on the Farndon Road is still a magnificent remnant of that style of fortification, and the site is now used for fetes and holiday gatherings. The town was first incorporated in the reign of Edward VI. (1549), when the chief dignitary was called the Alderman. A new charter was granted by Charles I. in 1625, since which time a Mayor has been elected every year. In 1661 the borough sent two representatives to the first Parliament of Charles II., and continued to do so till the last Redistribution Act, when this privilege was taken away and Newark was made the centre of a Parliamentary division returning one member. Newark. 119 About the time of the Reform Bill, the town was the scene of some exciting Parliamentary contests. Mr. Glad- stone in 1832 found his first seat in Parliament as repre- sentative for Newark, nominated by the Tory Duke of Newcastle, who wielded at the time great political influ- ence in the borough. His opponent was Serjeant Wilde, afterwards Baron Trurc, Lord Chancellor of England. Another candidate for Newark, who rose to be Lord Chancellor, was Mr. Thesiger, and the contest between him and Serjeant Wilde in 1839, when the latter was made Solicitor-General, is one of the most memorable in the electioneering history of Newark. Serjeant Wilde was returned by the small majority of nine votes, and the event has ever since been known as the ' number nine election.' Newark, with its 15,000 inhabitants, is a model town of its size. A capacious and well-proportioned market-place is flanked on one side by the handsome parish church, whose graceful spire and chaste architecture are the delight of every beholder. A handsome free library, given by Sir William Gilstrap, Bart, stands on ground which was once within the precincts of the castle, and surrounding this is a beautiful public garden designed and planted out of funds raised by subscription, and opened in 1888. On the opposite side of the Castle Hill is an extensive building erected by the late Viscountess Ossington (who was the widow of Speaker Denison, and resided near Newark) as a temperance refreshment house. It is called the Ossing- ton Coffee Tavern, and is, perhaps, one of the most unique establishments of its kind in England.* From the time that the stage coaches crossed each other's courses as they bounded along the broad road from Lincoln to Nottingham, or swept along the * Two large quarto volumes containing the history of Newark have been published; one by Dickinson in 1816, and one, 'Annals of Newark,' recently by Cornelius Brown. 1 20 History of Nottinghamshire. grand highway, called the Great North Road, running from London to York, to these days of steam and electricity, when the smoking expresses of the Great Northern rush from the Metropolis on their direct journey to the northernly points in Caledonia, Newark has always been familiar to the traveller : long may the good old town con- tinue to show its hospitality to strangers, reminding them by its ancient buildings of the history of the past, and by its elegant modern structures of the prosperity and muni- ficence of the nineteenth century! CHAPTER XII. Brough, a Roman Station — Danethorpe Hills — Holme and Lord Bellasis — Cromwell and the Cromwells — Muskham — Norwell — North and South Collingham — Fledborough and its Owners — Woodcotes — The Gretna Green of the Midlands — Dr. Arnold's Connection with Fledborough — Sutton-on-Trent — Grassthorpe and the Furnivals — Memorials of the Cartwright Family at Marnham. Among the places once of historic importance, but now only consisting of a few scattered houses, is the little hamlet of Brough, lying about three miles to the north of Newark. It was, without doubt, the Roman Crocolana, and under this name the station appears in the Itinerarum Antonini. Great numbers of Roman coins have been found here, and they were so common at one time as to be denominated ' Brough pennies.' Dr. Stukeley, the anti- quary, mentions the tradition that there was a church upon a place called Chapel Yard, and speaks of 'great foundations being met with on either side of the road for half a mile together.' The destruction of the place is attributed to 'one of those ruthless forays which made the reign of Edmund Ironsides so unquiet,' in which case it would be demolished about 1016. There are no old remains of any kind now visible. Potter Hill, close by, has been considered the site 12 2 History of Nottinghamshire. of a Roman outpost ; and on Danethorpe Hills human remains and coffins have been dug up. A little to the west lies Holme, on the banks of the Trent, and here there is a very interesting old church, with many memorials of the Barton family. The Bartons, who were large property owners in Lancashire, possessed the greater part of Holme early in the seventeenth century, and one of them, a merchant of the staple, built ' a fair stone house here,' in the windows of which he placed this posie : ' I thank God, and ever shall, It is the sheep that paid for all.' By marriage the estate was conveyed to Lord Bellasis, the gallant Governor of Newark at the time of its surrender. Dr. Wake, in his ' History of Collingham,' referring to the house at Holme, says : ' Only a part of the original building remains. It is generally believed that an underground communication exists between this house and the church.' Dick Turpin, the famous outlaw, is said to have found shelter in a cottage in this village. On the opposite side of the river is the village of Crom- well, which gave its name to a remarkable family. ' It was,' says a writer in the Harleian Collection, 'anciently the seate of Cromwell, which was raised in Sir Raufe Cromwell to Lord Cromwell, of Tattershall, in Lincolnshire, and Lord Treasurer of England in the time of Henry the Sixth.' To the same family belonged Oliver Cromwell, a circumstance to which Carlyle quaintly alludes in his ' Letters and Speeches ' of that hero : ' From this village (he says), without any ghost to teach us, we can under- stand that the Cromwell kindred all got their name.' The adjoining village of Muskham also gave its name in early days to an influential family, of whom one Geoffrey de Muskham (spelt Muschamp) was consecrated Bishop of Lichfield in 1198. Collingham. 123 From Norwell, near Muskham, came William de Northwell, who became Baron of the Exchequer [temp. Edward III.), and of whom some details are given in Foss's 'Judges.' In this village there were at one time three prebends of the collegiate church of Southwell and six large houses or halls, moated round. North and South Collingham are two populous parishes, the centre of a fertile agricultural district. Dr. Wake traces their origin to Saxon times, and their nearness to the Crocolana (Brough) of the Romans renders probable the surmise that the existence of the community extends back to very early times. In 1042 Peter de Burgh, Abbot of Peterborough, was taxed for a manor at ' Colingeham.' Subsequent owners of land here were Ralph, son of Robert de Colingham, and Walter, son of Alured de Colingham, Sir Hugh de Babington, Sir Henry de Perepont, ■ and Nicholas de Breydestone. There are fine churches in the Early English style in both North and South Colling- ham, and each of the sacred edifices has been restored carefully and judiciously. Dr. Blow, the composer of Charles II.'s time, was born at Collingham. In the immediate vicinity are the parishes of Besthorpe (whose name implies Danish origin) ; North and South Scarle, or Scorveley, as they appear in Domesday Book ; Stapleford, with its moor; and Langford (or Landford), the land near the ford, a parish close to the river. Another interesting Trent-side village is Fledborough. Godiva, the famous Countess of the Saxon Earl Leofric of Mercia, is the earliest owner of the manor of whom we have any record, and this lady, on pious deeds intent, gave it, with Newark, to the church at Stowe. After the Con- quest it was occupied by one Nigellus, as tenant ^of the Bishop of Lincoln. Then there came upon the scene members of the Norman family, De Lisieux, who held the manor of the Bishop as chief lord, and it was during their 124 History of Nottinghamshire. residence here that the great work of building a new church was commenced. The estate passed from Lisieux to a still more famous family — that of Basset, some of whom had occupied positions of great influence and power. The Bassets, like the men they succeeded at Fledborough, were of Norman birth, and had been enriched by royal grants until they were the owners of considerable property in the Midlands. They attained great eminence as judges and military men, and intermarried with many distinguished families. Fledborough passed from the Bassets by pur- chase to the feoffees of the Earl of Shrewsbury, and subse- quently the manor became part of the possessions of the Earl of Kingston. The sacred edifice is still of fair proportions, but it is much smaller than in the days of the Knights of Norman descent who assisted in its erection. In 1764 the church had become sadly in need of repair, and in response to a petition from the inhabitants the Duke of Kingston and the Archbishop of York co-operated with the Rector to build up out of the crumbling walls a neat and snug build- ing. The portion of the north aisle between the pillars of the first bay has evidently been a chantry chapel, and is believed to have been connected with Woodcotes, a hamlet to Fledborough. The seats in the north aisle chapel have always been appropriated to Woodcotes farmers. The secluded situation of Fledborough, and the residence there of an accommodating Rector, who rejoiced in the name of Sweetapple, caused it to be regarded in the earlier part of the last century as the Gretna Green of the Midlands. Hither runaway couples journeyed to be united in the bonds of wedlock, and Rector Sweetapple, who was surro- gate, and profited by the licence fees, drove a brisk trade. The register shows two, three, and four marriages at the beginning of his reign, and it ends with forty-two and forty-four per annum at the time of his death. It is said Fledborough, 125 that a nobleman was married here under an assumed name, but there is no hint of it in the register. More interesting than the Sweetapple episode is the con- nection of Dr. Arnold with the parish, he having married on August 1 1, 1820, Mary, youngest daughter of the Rev. John Penrose, Rector of Fledborough, and sister of one of his earliest school and college friends. The licence is still extant, and is carefully kept with the entry in the register. Fledborough is several times mentioned in the life of Dr. Arnold by Dean Stanley, and Keble also mentions it. Mr. Penrose was a man of much culture and amiability, with a wide circle of friends. One of his daughters was Mrs. Markham, the writer of the well-known History of England for children. Sutton-upon-Trent, a populous place, is famous for having given its name to one of the oldest and most influential of our local families — a family that gave Earls to Warwick and Leicester, and Lords to Lexington and Dudley. On the opposite side of the river is Meering, where the Trent originally formed a mere or lake, from which the name of the village is derived. This place also gave its name to a noted family, some of whom received the honour of knighthood, and intermarried with the Markhams, the Hercys of Grove, and members of other powerful houses in the vicinity. In Sutton Church is some carved stone screen- work, ornamented with the arms of the Meerings. From Sutton we pass on to Grassthorpe through a level tract of country, over which the river at times, after a heavy rainfall, makes considerable encroachments. The village is small, and possesses nothing worthy of note ; but it seems to have once had a chapel founded in honour of St. James. When the sacred building became ruinous it was converted into a cottage and barn, and granted by ' good Queen Bess ' to Alexander Rigby and Percival Gunstone, 126 History of Nottinghamshire. gentlemen. Grassthorpe had several centuries before this period formed part of the possessions of the lordly family of Furnival, and it had also recognised as its landlord no less prominent a personage than Michael de la Pole, Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal and Earl of Suffolk. The eminent and worthy family of Chaworth owned the manor of Marnham for several centuries, and Sir Thomas Chaworth (24th Henry VI.) obtained a grant of a yearly fair for two days, which continues to be kept. Henry de Lexington, Bishop of Lincoln, held the fourth part of a knight's fee in Marnham, of Richard de Weston, for a pound of pepper yearly, and Robert de Markham had some property here of a like tenure. The rectory was held by the Preceptory of Eagle, being part of the possessions of the Knights Hospitallers, but was granted, with the lands and meadows connected therewith, by Henry VIII. to Thomas Babington. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth Anthony Babington had the property, but, being attaint for his complicity with Mary Queen of Scots, the estate passed into other hands. The church and parsonage are in the centre of the village, and the sacred edifice has been carefully restored. There are numerous memorials to the Cartwright family, members of which were soldiers, politicians, and travellers of wide celebrity. Some of them were endowed with literary ability, and one Edmund, who was in holy orders, attracted considerable attention for his inventions of curious machinery — notably for the weaving of cotton, for which Parliament made him a substantial grant. The old hall from which these famous people emanated was pulled down nearly a century ago and a new one erected. It occupied a lonely but a commanding site, and had extensive views of the vale of the Trent, and of the old church where so many of the Cartwrights sleep. On leaving the churchyard we noticed an inscription on a Marnham. 127 gravestone of the last century, which may be interesting to the collector of epitaphs : ' Reader, mind that thou giues ear Upon the just that sleepeth here, And whilst thou reades this state of me, Thinke of the glas that runes for thee.' CHAPTER XIII. The Manor-house at Hawton — Memorials of the Molyneux Family — The Easter Sepulchre — Judge Molyneux at Thorpe — Old Hall at Cotham — The Markham Family — Sibthorpe and its College — Staunton and its Story— Attack on Staunton Hall — Elston and the Darwins. HAWTON is a pleasant little village two miles from Newark, and here stood once upon a time the residence of a branch of the Molyneux family, the progenitors of the Earls of Sefton. The site of the house can still be identified, though the dimensions of it and the date of its demolition are nowhere recorded. It was erected by Thomas Moly- neux, who was made a banneret at Berwick in 1482* and here was doubtless born his more famous son, Sir Edward Molyneux, who occupied a seat on the judicial bench in the reign of Henry VII. In the church, which owed its fine tower to the Christian zeal of Sir Thomas, several members of the family lie buried, and in Thoroton's time there were brasses to Robert Molyneux (a.d. 1539), and Dorothy his wife ; and to William Molyneux (1541), and Margaret his wife ; while the windows contained armorial bearings of the Molyneux, Leeke, Bussy, Bingham, Fitz- Williams, Aslacton, and other ancient houses. The principal objects of interest to be seen to-day are * Throsby's Thoroton, i. 355. Haw ton. 129 in the chancel, and comprise the founder's tomb, with the effigy of one of the Comptons (descended from the Comptons of Fenny Compton, county Warwick, who once held the manor), and an Easter sepulchre, which is noted as one of the finest specimens of sculpture of its kind to be found anywhere. In architectural books the sepulchre is often referred to as superior even to that at Heckington * and one's only regret on looking at such beautiful handi- work is that the heads of many of the figures have been sadly battered and damaged — an act of vandalism which is usually set down to the credit or discredit of iconoclasts of the seventeenth century. Judge Molyneux settled at Thorpe, two miles away, where he would have a dwelling suitable to his position, and was succeeded there by his son, grandson, and great- grandson, the latter of whom, Sir John Molyneux, sold the manor to John Halsey and others.f At Cotham, a mile away, there was another house of universal interest and dignity, which was probably the largest mansion hereabouts in early days. Standing on the elevated position which the Hall occupied, and which is now known as the Parks, we may look across the fair plain to the village of Stoke, or, turning a little to the left, have a beautiful view of the vale of Belvoir. In the field immediately in front are some ponds, still known as the Fish-ponds, and an old resident informed us that when digging on the site of the house some years since, stones which formed part of the old foundations were turned up in considerable quantities. In the early part of the present century there were several fine old thorns and oaks, ' so large as to have been hollowed out for the purpose of concealment in shooting deer,' and this is confirmatory of a statement which an aged villager * Rickman's ' Architecture,' 286. t Foss's ' Judges,' oct. ed., 447. 1 30 History of Nottinghamshire. recently made, that ' there must have been many deer in the parks, for antlers had been dug out in clearing the river,' meaning by the river the Devon, which runs at the foot of the field in which the old Hall stood. When the Wars of the Roses were devastating the land, the Manor of Cotham was in the possession of Sir Robert Markham, to whom it had come by marriage. Sir Robert was a descendant of the Markhams of Markham, near Tuxford ; and his wife, who brought him the Manor of Cotham, was the daughter and heir of Sir Giles Daubney and of Mary, his wife, daughter of Sir Simon Leeke. ' The family of Markham,' says Thoroton, ' then made Cotham their principal residence, and were of great note.' As a wearer of the white rose, Sir Robert took an active part in support of Edward IV., and it was after the de- cisive Battle of Towton Field, when the crown sat safely on Edward's royal brow, that he was created a Knight of the Bath as a reward for his loyal services. He had two sons, John and Robert, the elder of whom married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William de Mering, and was commemorated in the Markham chantry chapel, in the choir of Newark Church, by a monument (long since dis- appeared) and a Latin inscription. The eldest son, Sir John, who inherited Cotham, is mentioned by Polydore Virgil as one of the leaders at the Battle of East Stoke, an engagement that might have been watched from the windows of Cotham Hall. Dugdale tells a funny story of Sir John. ' He was,' says the author, * an unruly spirited man, and striving with the people of Long Benington about the boundaries of their lordship, he killed some of them (some have it that he hanged the priest), for which, retiring, he lay hid at a place called Cressi Hall, which he had through his great- grandmother, the daughter of Sir John Cressi, of Hodsac. Here it was his good -fortune to entertain the Lady Cot ham. 131 Margaret, mother of Henry VII., who not only procured his pardon, but married her kinswoman, Anne, to his son, who was likewise a Sir John.'* We have not met with any confirmation of this curious anecdote, but the Lady Margaret and Archbishop Cranmer were both well disposed towards Markham's son,f who died at a ripe old age in 1564, and his eldest son being dead, bequeathed to his grandson Robert 'such implements at Cottom as can be proved heirlooms and no further,' and the parsonage of Cotham, with the lease of Balderton Grange. Robert Markham, who came to Cotham after his grand- father, was born at Syerston, where his father had a house. Robert was more often seen at Court than on his estates, being a favourite with Queen Elizabeth, who described him in a couplet as ' Markham the Lion.' One of his sons was an author, and a very voluminous writer. Plays, poems, and numerous treatises on horsemanship, farming, farriery, sports and pastimes, heraldry and military dis- cipline,{ emanated from his fertile pen. The eldest of the brothers, who bore his father's name of Robert, remains to be mentioned. He came into possession of the Cotham property, but was, as Thoroton describes him, ' a fatal unthrift and destroyer of this eminent family.' He was a courtier, as his father had been before him, and when Queen Elizabeth visited Sir Robert Sydney, he did several gallant feats on a horse before the gate, leaping down and kissing his sword, then mounting swiftly on his * The same story is given in Thoroton on the authority of Francis Markham, but it is quoted only as a tradition (i. 343). t Cranmer's ' Letters ' (Parker Society), i. 350 ; and ' Remains of Archbishop Cranmer,' i. 153-155. % A full list of his works may be found in Lowndes' Manual, part vi., 1476. • He appears,' says Harte, 'to be the first English writer who deserves to be called a hackney writer. All subjects seem to have been alike easy to him.' 9—2 132 History of Nottinghamshire. saddle, and passing a lance with much skill.* In his hands the family funds dwindled and were dispersed, Cotham passed by sale from the Markhams, and with the demolition of the Hall the village bade a long farewell to all its great- ness as the abode of a powerful and historic family. Not far from the site once occupied by the Hall is the church, a small, unpretentious structure. Inside is a tomb to one of the Markhams, and a handsome monument, bearing upon it the figures of a lady and seven children, and the following inscription : ' Ann, D r of John Warburton of Cheshire, Knight, wife to Robert Markham, of Cotham, Esquire, died ye 17 Nov., 1601.' Another substantial house close by was at Sibthorpe, where also stood a college, founded by Thomas de Sibthorpe, parson of Beckingham, who was a great man in his day {temp. Edward II.). The house is described as 'a large mansion,' -f- and it stood in a field near the church. It belonged to the Burnell family, to one of whom, Edward Burnell, who died in 1589, there is a fine alabaster monu- ment in the chancel of the church, erected by his widow. The position of the college is not so easy to define as that of the mansion and park, though, judging from the conforma- tion of the ground, a very probable site can be pointed out in one of the fields. We have some evidence of the dimen- sions of the building in a letter written by Thomas Magnus, who was warden of the college in the reign of Henry VIII., to Cardinal Wolsey.J The college was surrendered to the King April 17, 37th Henry VIII., and, with all its lands, granted to Thomas Magnus and Richard Whalley. Magnus had only a life interest in it, so that at his demise it became the private property of the Whalley family. Dr. Thomas Seeker, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1758, * There is a letter extant from Sir Robert Sydney describing these feats of ' the younger Markham.' t Throsby's Thoroton, i. 332. j Ellis's ' Original Letters,' third series, ii. 176. Staunton. 133 was born at Sibthorpe in 1693, and in the little church of Shelton is a tablet to the memory of his father. In the charming little village of Staunton readers of the Waverley Novels will be reminded of the absorbing interest with which they first followed Jeanie Deans on that bold mission of mercy which saved her sister's life, as recounted in the ' Heart of Midlothian.' After visiting Newark and Grantham, Sir Walter Scott takes his heroine to Staunton, on the borders of Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, and a very pretty picture of Staunton Hall and Church is in the Abbotsford edition of the Waverley Novels, from a drawing by Barber. The history of Staunton is in the main the history of the ancient and estimable family to which it has belonged for centuries. The pedigree in the Visitation of Notts com- mences with Sir Bryan de Staunton, temp. Edward the Confessor, and Thoroton quotes a rhyming account of the Stauntons, written by a poet named Robert Cade, com mencing with the life of Sir Malger Staunton, who was here before the Conqueror, and defended Belvoir Castle, where he had charge of a high tower known as Staunton's Tower. Whenever the Royal Family visits Belvoir, the head of the Staunton family attends and presents the golden key of the tower, as did the Rev. F. Staunton on the occasion of the first visit of the Prince of Wales. The church, which has been restored with great liberality and care, adjoins the Hall grounds, and is full of monu- ments of the Staunton family. Here are effigies of gallant knights girt in chain armour, with swords and shields, doubtless stalwart men in their day, and, according to Cade, valiant in every enterprise. In the ' Parliamentary Writs and Writs of Military Summons ' we have some trace of their services. Thus we find William de Staunton sum- moned to perform military service with horses and men at the muster at Nottingham, July 7, 1297. Hervey de 134 History of Nottinghamshire. Staunton was a famous lawyer and ecclesiastic. After being Prebendary of Hustwhait in the cathedral of York, he was appointed a justice itinerary in 1302, and four years later became a judge of the Common Pleas. Lord Camp- bell says he filled a greater variety of judicial offices than any lawyer in the annals of Westminster Hall. His most important appointments were those of Chancellor of the Exchequer in 13 16, and Chief Justice of the King's Bench in 1323. When the Civil War broke out, the head of the family was William Staunton, who, like most of the gentry of his native county, was a stanch Royalist. He was present at the raising of the standard at Nottingham, and in connec- tion with the part he took in those anxious times Mrs. Staunton has written and recently published an interesting brochure. The troop raised by the gallant Cavalier partici- pated in the Battle of Edge Hill, October 23, 1642, and the next day the King raised Captain Staunton to the rank of Colonel. His unswerving loyalty and energy marked him out as the object of attack, and in the assaults on the Royalist houses in the county Staunton Hall was not for- gotten. Colonel Staunton was away when the Round- heads came upon the scene, but brave Mrs. Staunton and her twenty servants put the house in order to withstand attack. A man was stationed in the church-tower to signal the approach of the enemy, and one sad evening he announced that they were in sight. Next day a skirmish ensued, the effects of which are still to be seen in the marks of the shots on two of the panels in a fine old door under the porch at the north side of the Hall. The Cavaliers returned the fire with great vigour, Mrs. Staunton aiming at the enemy from the window of the porch, and it was not till orders had been given by the leader of the besiegers to fire the Hall that the little garrison yielded. Mrs. Staunton and her children made their way across the park to Benington ; from there they rode to Grantham, and Elston. 135 thence to London. They were subsequently taken for greater security to the coast of France. When the war was over the Colonel returned to Staunton, and succeeded in making his peace with the Parliament, for his name is included in a draft ordinance which was passed January 7, 1647-48, to clear several persons of their delinquency. The old house had been badly used in his absence, part of it and of the church having been damaged by fire, and many of the monuments and tablets broken and defaced. After a short stay the Colonel joined his wife and children in London, and died there on March 11, 1656. Mrs. Staunton died in 1684, and was buried in Staunton Church. About three miles from Staunton lies the village of Elston. As you journey on the old Foss-road from Newark to Nottingham a turn to the left beyond Stoke leads to Elston, lying very snugly and prettily ensconced in the midst of a pleasing landscape. Nearly opposite each other are the Hall and vicarage, both occupying delightful situa- tions, and built in elegant and stately style. The church has been handsomely restored, and is singularly rich in its memorials of the Darwins. This eminent family appear to have come to Elston from Lincolnshire towards the close of the seventeenth century, the manor being brought into the possession of William Darwin through his marriage with the heiress of Robert Waring of Wilford. William had two sons, and Elston was left to Robert, the younger, in whom the taste for scientific research began to develop. His eldest son, Robert, who succeeded him at Elston, devoted much time to botanical studies, and wrote a ' Prin- cipia Botanica/ which reached a third edition. The younger brother of this philosopher, and born like him at Elston Hall, was Erasmus Darwin, M.D., who became celebrated as a physician, poet, and inventor, and died in 1802. He was a man of untiring industry and close 1 36 History of Nottinghamshire. observation. He wrote ' Zoonomia/ ' The Botanic Garden,' and other works, the last named containing the prophetic couplet : ' Soon shall thy arm unconquered steam afar ; Drag the slow barge, or drive the rapid car.' His third son, Robert Waring Darwin, became a Fellow of the Royal Society ; but he is best known as the father of Charles Darwin, the author of the ' Origin of Species,' whose researches and theories have made the name of Darwin famous throughout the world. The Darwins are still lords of the manor of Elston and owners of the Hall, which has been much modernized and improved. Four almshouses were erected by Ann Darwin in 1744 for aged women. There was a skirmish at Elston during the Civil Wars, but beyond this it has not been the scene of any noteworthy events of general interest. CHAPTER XIV. Tuxford and its Neighbours — Curious Sculpture in the Church — The Rebel Stone— The Markhams of Markham— Memorials in the Church— A Prolific Village— Mrs. Markham's ' History of England' — Bevercotes and its Early Owners— Haughton and the Holies Family — A Once Famous Mansion— The Chapel Ruins— Markham Clinton and its Mausoleum. TUXFORD is a small market -town possessing a rail- way station on the Great Northern main line between Newark and Retford, and an excellent grammar school founded by Charles Read. Throsby, during his peregri- nations through the county on horseback, speaks of the ' clayey grounds ' in this vicinity, over which his steed could not travel more than two miles an hour. 'About Tuxford is the most absolutely ill road in the world,' writes William Uvedale, Treasurer at War, to Matthew Bradley, Deputy Treasurer, in a letter dated 1640, and quoted in the State Papers. But there have been great improvements since those days, and though intermingled with luxuriant pasturage and fertile plains, there is plenty of evidence of the heavy nature of the soil. Tuxford, where Jeanie Deans, the heroine of the ' Heart of Midlothian,' spent a night on her journey along the great north road, has long since redeemed its reputation and ' mended its ways.' Going back to the time to which its ancient records carry us, we find that like so many other towns and 138 History of Nottinghamshire. villages in this county, it can boast of association with members of eminent families, some of whom lie within the beautiful church, which is a conspicuous landmark to the traveller passing along the line. Thomas de Gunthorpe, Prior of Newstead, was buried here in 1495, and the cele- brated family of Lexington, deriving their name from the village of Lexington about three miles off, long held the Manor of Tuxford. The representative of the Lexing- tons, who was created a Baron, made it his chief seat in Henry III.'s reign. He was a judge, as was his brother John who succeeded him, to whose hands were entrusted the Great Seal on four occasions. Upon his death he left the Tuxford property to his younger brother Henry, who rose to the high ecclesiastical position of Bishop of Lincoln. The heirs of this prelate were Richard de Mark- ham and William de Sutton, who divided the lands between them. From Sutton the Lords Dudley are descended ; but there is a more remarkable man still who is associated with the ownership of Tuxford. Early in the fifteenth century part of the town belonged to the Cromwells, and it came into the hands of Ralph, Lord Cromwell, who was Lord Treasurer of England, and died in 1456. It can also claim to be connected with another famous family, for on a tomb in the church was once an inscription to the memory of John White and his wife Dorothea. Sir Thomas White was the father of this John, and his mother was Agnetis Cecil, sister of Lord Burleigh, the great statesman of Queen Elizabeth's time. In the church, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, are buried some members of the Stanhope family, of Ramp- ston, and the mortuary of the family of White, of Wallingwells, is on the north side. Captain Charles Lawrence White, of the 3rd Foot Guards, was mortally wounded at Bayonne in 18 14, and a tablet is here erected to his memory. But the principal antiquarian feature is a Tuxford. 1 39 representation of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, who was roasted on a gridiron at Rome during the sway of the Emperor Valerian. The details of the scene are brought out in a singular manner on a sculptured stone, which has suffered like many other monuments of the past, and is now inserted in the wall at the end of the south aisle. The church is the only ancient building in Tuxford, for the place was almost destroyed by fire in 1702, and the resi- dences are chiefly of modern construction. In the State Papers is a letter, dated from Tuxford, December 5, 1569, from Lord Clinton to Lord Cecil, stating that the Earl of Warwick was going to Nottingham and thence to Doncaster for the purpose of suppressing the rebellion in the North. Mention is also made of Tuxford in connection with the delay of the mails to London, and the times allowed for traversing the district are well worth reproduction, as indicating the rate of travel- ling in those days. They are as follows : Scrooby to Tuxford, seven miles, two hours ; Tuxford to Newark, ten miles, three hours ; Newark to Grantham, ten miles, one and a half hours, which shows that progress was much slower on the road in the Tuxford district than on the portion between Newark and Grantham. Tuxford does not figure in any of the records relating to the Civil War, but a stone about a mile on the road to Newark bears the significant inscription, ' Here lies a rebel, 1746,' and probably has reference to the movement in favour of the young Pretender. Near to Tuxford is East Markham, from which the renowned Markham family took their name. In the chancel of the church is the alabaster tomb of Judge Markham, who died in 1409, and near it was found a stone coffin with a lid level with the pavement. From the carving on the lid it is surmised that the coffin contained the remains of the judge's first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Roger de Cressy, of Hodsock. His second wife was Milicent, 140 History of Nottinghamshire. daughter of Sir John de Bekeryng, and widow of Sir Nicholas Burdon, who was slain at the Battle of Shrews- bury in 1408. This lady, on the death of the judge, married Sir William Merying, and was buried at the east end of the south aisle. A stone inlaid with brass com- memorating her contains the figure of a lady elaborately draped, her hands in an attitude of prayer. It is believed that the judge lived in a manor-house not far from the church, and that a moat surrounded both buildings. His son, who became Lord Chief Justice, was born in this dwelling, and to their memories a beautiful stained glass window has been erected, upon which is the following inscription : 'This window was rebuilt, 1885, to the glory of God, and in memory of Judge Markham, the founder of this church, who died A.D. 1409, and of his son, Sir John Markham, Lord Chief Justice of England, who died A.D. 148 1, by some of their descendants.' Both these men were eminent in their profession, and were highly distinguished for their ability and influence. Judge Markham drew up the legal instrument for the deposition of Richard II., and was one of the commis- sioners appointed to receive the crown which Richard resigned in favour of his rival. This great man's son became Chief Justice in 146 1, and risked the favour of the King by his famous ruling, which comes down to us till this day, that no subject can be arrested by the King for treason, ' for if the arrest be illegal the party has no remedy against the King.' It was in consequence of his decision to this effect in the case of Sir T. Cook, whom the King was anxious to convict, that Markham lost his position, and, retiring to Sedgbrook, near Grantham, died there in 148 1. In 1606 Sir Robert Markham sold the village partly to Robert Williamson and partly to William Hewett. But the members of the family continue to show an interest in the birthplace of their illustrious ancestors, and among the Markham. 1 4 1 visitors to the village have beerf Dr.-Markham, Archbishop of York, and his son, Dean Markham. Mr. Clements R. Markham, C.B., the popular Secretary of the Royal Geo- graphical Society, wrote a history of the parish, which was sold in aid of the restoration of the church. Mrs. Markham, the authoress of the ' History of England,' was the daughter of Dr. Cartwright, who was born in the adjoining village of Marnham, and was the inventor of the power loom. Having been brought up with two aunts at Mirfield Hall, Markham, she was married to the Rev. John Penrose, son of the incumbent of Fled borough, but took the nom de plume of Markham, to which she had been attached in her younger days. In 1837 the gifted authoress died, and was buried in Lincoln Minster ; but there is a stained glass window to her memory in East Markham Church. There are also memorials to the Kirke family, who settled here in 1681, some of whom served the State in a military capacity. William III. passed through Markham on his way from Lincoln to Welbeck in 1695, the event being recorded in the parish register, the entries in which commence in 1561. There are few villages that have pro- duced men who have more nobly vindicated the constitu- tional rights of Englishmen than the two famous judges to whom we have referred ; and it must be confessed that Markham adds more than its share to the roll of illustrious names the possessors of which own Nottinghamshire as their native county. To an unusual degree the district hereabouts has been productive of heroic and determined men, animated by a stern sense of duty, and prepared to do diligently and firmly that which they believed to" be right, at whatever cost. About four miles from Tuxford there are two villages which consist each of a few scattered farmhouses, standing far apart in the middle of green fields. One of these is Bevercotes, which covers a broad expanse of well- 142 History of Nottinghamshire. wooded and apparently fertile country. Here and there are comfortable homesteads dotting the landscape, amid which Lound Hall, a more imposing building, occupies a prominent place, but there are no clusters of cottages lining a well-worn street, as in the typical English hamlet. The main road passes through fields where the cattle are grazing, and winding branches of it lead conveniently from farm to farm. It is on record that a church once stood here which fell down during the seventeenth century, and traces of it have occasionally been met with. In the thirteenth century the village gave its name to a family of some influence, of whom William de Bevercotes was Chancellor of Scotland (35th Edward I.). Thoroton gives a full pedigree, which shows that the last heir, Cuthbert Bevercotes, died without male issue, and the property was carried by his daughter Mary to Rutland Molyneux, her husband, grandson of Judge Molyneux, by whom it was sold to the Earl of, Clare. Of Haughton, the next village, though not of greater importance in its aspect to-day, there is more to be said concerning its history in the past. The river Idle still continues to be the source of the motive power of a mill as in the time of Edward III., when John de Lungvillers had two messuages, half a carucat of land, ten acres of meadow, and two water-mills, which he held by the service of a rose ; and possibly the present mill stands on the site of one of those existing even before his time. The daughter of Lungvillers married Mallovel, Lord of Rampton, and took Haughton to that family. Thence it passed to the Stan- hopes, who sold it to Sir William Holies, the ancestor of the Earls of Clare. Two centuries and a half ago one of the most famous coun- try mansions in Nottinghamshire was situated at Haugh- ton, but now all that is left of it are some ancient stones worked into the foundations of the outbuildings of a farm- house. It was within this stately mansion that many Haughton. 143 members of the celebrated Holies family were born ; and in the little chapel, whose ruins may still be seen on the banks of the meandering Idle, they were christened and buried. We have before us an engraving of the Hall, showing the magnificent grounds by which it was sur- rounded. The chapel seems to have had only a nave and a north cemetery or burial - place. Throsby men- tions a memorial on the old stone floor containing the words ' Jesu mercy, Lady helpe,' and under the arms ' Orate pro ai Johanne Stanhope, Uxor Henrici Stan- hope, Arm., etc.,' the armorial devices being those of Lungvillers, borne at that time by the Stanhope family. Other monuments to the dead were also in existence, for the Holies manuscripts in the British Museum refer to 1 two pourtraytures ' which • seem by their habits to have been chaplaynes.'* A magnificent deer-park of 900 acres stretched in front of the great mansion, which was surrounded by a moat, and over this was a drawbridge protected by an embattled gatehouse. A tower was built to the house by John Stanhope, who also added the south side. The Hall owed its erection to Sir William Holies, who was son of a Lord Mayor of London, and inherited a great fortune, through which he was able to purchase the estate from the heiress of the Stanhopes and her husband. He kept up a princely style of living at Haughton Hall, and his hospitality was almost boundless, especially in the festivities at Christ- mas-tide, when the population of the district thronged to participate in the good cheer, and witness the performances of a band of players which Sir William kept to enliven himself and his guests. ' Thirty proper fellows ' accom- panied him when he attended the sessions at Retford, and at the coronation of Edward VI. he appeared with a cavalcade of fifty followers in blue coats and badges. His * MSS. of Gervase Holies in the Lansdowne Collection, No. 207, vol. i., p. 24. 1 44 History of Nottinghamshire. death took place in 1590, and he lies buried in Haughton Chapel. The grandson of this wealthy knight, Sir John Holies, was the next to take up his residence at Haughton. He had shared in the glories of the Spanish Armada, and his proud grandsire desired him to marry a relative of the Earl of Shrewsbury ; but upon the death of the old knight he preferred to wed a daughter of Sir Thomas Stanhope. Holies was high in favour at Court, and Henry, Prince of Wales, visited him at Haughton. He obtained a peerage in 1616, when titles could be bought, and the ^"10,000 he paid for his honour was used to defray Lord Hay's expenses to France.* An additional ^5,000 raised him to the dignity of Earl of Clare, and dying in 1637, he was buried in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. John, second Earl, was in possession of the estates when the Civil War arose. Mrs. Hutchinson, in her solemnly decisive way, says of him that he was ' often of both parties, and of no advantage to either.' But the Earl's brother, Denzil, was a man of sterner mettle. He lives in the history of England as that member of Parliament who held the Speaker of the House of Com- mons down in the chair till resolutions were passed against Arminianism, Papistry, and illegal tonnage and poundage —a scene described by Carlyle in his terse and pointed language.^ Holies was one of the five members whom Charles I. went down to the House of Commons to arrest. He and Pym, forewarned of what was about to happen, retired, and the monarch was baffled and crestfallen at his failure to infringe upon the liberties of Parliament. Next we find him a leader of the Presbyterian party ; but fearing the usurpation of the army, that it would become as great a tyrant as the King had been, he sought to * Letters from Sherburn to Carleton in the State Papers, A.D. 161 6, 9. 326. f Carlyle's ' Cromwell's Letters,' i. 56. H aught on. 145 restrain its excesses, and was proceeded against as one of the members who opposed its ascendancy. Again he evaded apprehension, and withdrew to France. At the Restoration he returned to his allegiance to the King, and was created Baron Holies of Ifield, Sussex. He died in 1680, and was buried at Dorchester. Gervase Holies, a relative, who lived at Grimsby, was a Colonel in the Civil War. In addition to his military duties, he developed a taste for literature, and collected pedigrees as well as much antiquarian information, con- tained in six volumes of manuscripts at the British Museum. The third Earl of Clare resided at Haughton, but took little part in national events. His sister Anne married Lord Clinton, and was mother of Edward, fifth Earl of Lincoln. John, the fourth Earl of Clare, married the heiress of Henry Cavendish, second Duke of Newcastle, and acquired thereby Welbeck Abbey, where the Duke lived. The estates of Denzil Holies also descended to this nobleman, for the barony of Holies of Ifield had become extinct on the death of the grandson of Denzil without male heirs. The fourth Earl, therefore, left Haugh- ton for Welbeck, and Haughton Hall was permitted to fall into decay. On the death of his father-in-law, the Earl was created Duke of Newcastle, but having no sons, the property passed partly to his nephew, Lord Pelham, who was created third Duke of Newcastle, with special remainder to the Earl of Lincoln, who succeeded him, and partly to his daughter, married to Lord Harley, whose only surviving daughter became the wife of William Bentinck, Duke of Portland. The remains of the old chapel and burying-place at Haughton have been fenced round, and the spot carefully protected as one so historic fully deserves to be. A visitor returning from Haughton to Tuxford cannot fail to be attracted by a fine church erected at West Mark- 10 146 History of Nottinghamshire. ham by the Duke of Newcastle in 1831. It was built from Doric designs by Sir R. Smirk, and is intended to serve partly as a mausoleum. Here is the vault of the noble family of Clinton ; and herein the two last Dukes of Newcastle were interred. The church contains a monu- ment to the fourth Duke, and opposite to it is a beautiful piece of statuary to the memory of his Duchess, by Westmacott. The inscription states that her Grace ' gave birth to fourteen children, ten of whom lived to deplore the bereavement of an incomparable mother. Of the others, Anne Maria preceded her by a few months, and it is humbly hoped led the way to regions of eternal bliss. Two infants were carried by their parent to the grave." The parishioners of West Markham and Bevercotes worship in this new edifice, and the old church at Markham, which stands at the foot of the village, is not now used. v CHAPTER XV. Memorials of a Famous Family— Robert de Lexington and the Jews- Sir William Dugdale and the Family of Sutton— Lord Lexington and Charles I.— Kelham Hall— A Destructive Fire— Upton and Hockerton — Thoroton's Connection with Hockerton — Winkburn Park and Hall— An Ancient Church— The Countess of Rutland at Winkburn— A Peninsular Hero— Bilsthorpe— A Controversy with a King — Modern Memorials in Bilsthorpe Church— The Ancient Owners of Eakring— Visitation of the Plague— Heroism of the Rector. ALTHOUGH Averham is a small village possessing few inhabitants, and no place of note except its ancient church, it has associations that must always be of deep interest to Nottinghamshire people. Connected with it for many- centuries has been the eminent family of Sutton, and within the walls of its sacred fane, on the edge of the silvery Trent, many distinguished men have worshipped, and some at the close of active public careers have been there consigned to rest. Before the Norman Conquest Sweyn held ' Aygrum ' and ' Sterthorpe,' and after the Conqueror came upon the scene the former became the property of Gislebert Tyson. The chancel of the present church has Early English windows (date 1220 to 1300), and the tower is Perpen- dicular, surmounted by eight pinnacles. The masonry consists of rude courses of gray stone, and they are laid on the north side in the herring-bone style. The porch was built by Sir Thomas Sutton, who died in 1526, and his 10 — 2 148 History of Nottinghamshire. initials may be seen above one of the shields on the arch. There are several ancient memorials to the Suttons in the church. On the south wall is a mural monument, adorned with cherubs and armorial bearings, to the memory of the Right Hon. Robert Lord Lexington, ' descended from ye ancient family of ye Suttons.' The inscription testifies that he was ' a loyall subject, a lover of his country, a good Husband, Father, Friend, Landlord, Master, and Neigh- bour. He died October 12th, Anno Dni. 1668, in the three- score and fourteenth year of his age.' A door in the north wall of the chancel opens into a mortuary chapel, in which other members of the Sutton family, and also some of the Chaplins, lie buried. After the Tysons and their relatives of the name of Hose, the owner of the manor was Robert le Sauvage, in the reign of Henry III., who, being responsible for 'a great sum,' was pressed for payment by one Aaron, a Jew, of York. Under these circumstances he turned to an astute neighbour, Robert de Lexington (or Laxton), in this county, who, having influence at Court, no doubt rendered aid to him in a very substantial manner. John de Lexington, his brother, was appointed to try the Jews who were charged with various offences in those times of persecution, while Robert had acquired sufficient wealth to enable him to acquit Sauvage of the sum due to Aaron. In return for the relief afforded Sauvage granted to him the Manor of Aygrum. Lexington kept it until his death, which took place on May 27, 1250, and being an ecclesiastical person, and having no children, he left it to his nephew, Robert de Sutton, the son of his sister Alice, who had married Roland de Sutton. The Suttons took their surname from Sutton-on-Trent, which is only a few miles from Lexington, and like the Crom wells, who came from another of our Notts villages, they branched out into various localities, and rose to great dignities. Sir Aver ham. 149 William Dugdale commences his account of the Sutton family with the following observations : ' In the time of Queen Elizabeth, when Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick, and Robert his brother, Earl of Leicester (sons to John Dudley, some time Viscount L'Isle, Earl of Warwick, and, lastly, Duke of Northumberland), powerful men in their day, did flourish, the most learned and expert genealogists of the age spared not their endeavours to magnifie this family, whence those great men did, by a younger son, derive their descent ; some deducing it from Sutton, of Sutton in Holdernesse ; some from the Suttons, of Sutton Madoc, in Shropshire; but others from Sutton, of Sutton- upon-Trent, near Newark, whence the Suttons of Aram (near at hand) are descended. Of which opinion was the right learned and judicious Robert Glover, then Somerset Herald, and Henry Ferrers, of Badsley Clinton, in the county of Warwick, Esq. (a person likewise much versed in those studies), all of these giving probable reasons for their various conjectures.' Thoroton also shows in the pedigree in his history how the Suttons of Averham and the Suttons Lords of Dudley sprang from the same stock. Sir William Sutton was a courtier in Queen Elizabeth's time, and his eldest son, Robert, was the owner of Kelham and Averham when the Civil War broke out. There is a curious entry in the parish register of Averham which marks the untimely death of one of Mr. Sutton's retainers : 1 A.D. 1618, Richard Linley, clerk to Mr. Robert Sutton, Esq., and Matthew Broumely, servant to Sir George Manners, of Haddon, Knight, each of the other in single combat slaine, were buried the twentieth day of June.' The feud between the servants did not extend to the masters, or was speedily adjusted, for Mr. Sutton shortly afterwards married Elizabeth, daughter of this Sir George Manners. In consequence of his adhesion to the cause of the King his estates were sequestered by Parliament, and his house 150 History of Nottinghamshire. at Averham burnt by the troops. He had been created Lord Lexington by Charles I., and recovered his estates on payment of a heavy fine. His son Robert was a distin- guished diplomatist, and had an only son, who died at Madrid while his father was Ambassador there, and whose body, concealed in a bale of cloth, was conveyed to Eng- land and interred at Kelham. Lord Lexington died at Averham Park in 1723, and the title became extinct. His lordship devised his estates to his only daughter Bridget, Duchess of Rutland, for her life, and afterwards to her second son, Lord Robert Manners, on condition of his assuming the name and arms of Sutton. In the mortuary chapel, on the south side of the chancel at Kelham, there is a fine marble monument with the effigies of Lord Lexing- ton and his wife, classically treated and reclining back to back. There is a lengthy inscription which mentions that the house of Sutton had given earls to Warwick and Leicester, and lords to the Barony of Dudley. A tablet in the chapel commemorates Thomas, Lord Manners, grand- son of Bridget, heiress of Lord Lexington of Kelham, who, having filled successively the office of Solicitor-General to the Prince of Wales and King George III., became one of the Barons of the Exchequer, a peer of the realm, and eventually Lord High Chancellor of Ireland. He died in 1842. It is a singular fact that whilst Lord Thomas was Chancellor of Ireland, his brother, who had been Rector of Averham and Kelham, was Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Archbishop's eldest son was Speaker of the House of Commons. In the last Lord Lexington's time one of the principal seats of this distinguished family was at Averham Park ; but this has long since disappeared, and the representative of the Suttons now resides in an elegant house on the banks of the Trent, in the adjoining parish of Kelham. In 1857 it was in process of restoration, and while the work- men were on the premises fire broke out and left it a Hockerton. 151 wreck. Some five years after the fire a new Kelham Hall, of magnificent proportions, and of an architectural beauty far superior to that possessed by its predecessors, either at Kelham or Averham, was erected in the Italian style from the designs of Sir Gilbert Scott, and is justly said to be one of that architect's most successful works. It is the residence of Mr. J. H. Manners-Sutton, J. P., and is one of the noblest of the stately homes that still grace our historic county. The next village to Averham on the road to Southwell is Upton, whose Perpendicular church-tower is a feature in the landscape, and bearing to the right is the still smaller village of Hockerton. There are some remains of Norman work visible in the church there, and on the south side of the chancel an arched recess, in the centre of which a small niche has been inserted. The end of one of the old benches, of late Elizabethan work, has been preserved, and the tops of the new benches are appropriately modelled after this pattern in poppy-head design. There are no memorials save a modern mural tablet ; but in the tower is part of a slab to a former Rector, temp. i486. To Hockerton Thoroton has devoted more than ordinary attention, inas- much as a large portion of it belonged to Gilbert Boun, his father-in-law. It appears from his record that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries various gifts were made by property owners to the Abbey of Rufford. Hubert de Hokerton gave to the monks four selions of land, but in return they were to grant him their brotherhood, and after his death to do for him as for a convert. And with a due regard for his bodily as well as his spiritual welfare, he stipulated that the monks should provide him each year at Michaelmas a pair of shoes or 4d. — the shoes, no doubt, preferred. It was customary in those times to sign with a seal, but Master Hubert did not possess one, so he borrowed that of the Chapter of Southwell, and caused it 'for a testi- mony' to be hung at his chartel. Following the family 152 History of Nottinghamshire. who took their name from the village came the Butilers, who were at Hockerton until the days of Henry VII., and another old family who also held property in the parish at a similar period was the family of Criche. In the time of Henry VI. the Criches sold their lands to John Hunt, Merchant of the Staple, and from him they descended in part to Isabell, wife of Edward Boun, grandfather of Gilbert Boun, serjeant-at-law, and father of Mrs. Thoro- ton. We must pass on, however, without further delay to Winkburn, and the drive through the park is one of unusual beauty. The country is well wooded and undu- lating, and the scenery is very picturesque. Winkburn lies in a pretty valley, watered by the river Winkle, the central points of interest being the venerable church and the Hall (dating from the last century), which are side by side, forming a happy combination of the ancient and the modern. The mansion of brick, the abode of Colonel Burnell, J. P., has a pleasing elevation, and the park and grounds which it overlooks are of considerable extent. The church contains in its architecture distinctive traces of the Norman period, and within it are the high-backed pews familiar to our forefathers. Some time in the twelfth century both church and town of Winkburn were given to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, one of the military orders of the religious, who were introduced into this country about A.D. 1100. The Knights retained possession until the seizure of monastic property by Henry VIII., when Winkburn reverted to the Crown, and was granted by Edward VI. to William Burnell, Esq., and Constance his wife, with whose descendants it still re- mains. In 1588 the manor appears to have been occupied by Elizabeth, Countess of Rutland, as there are in the Belvoir Manuscripts numerous letters from her ladyship dated from Winkburn. John, Earl cf Rutland, died in March, BilstJwrpe. 153 1587-88, and it is probable that the house would be taken for awhile by the widow, as affording a peaceful seclusion from the troubles and anxieties of public life at the Court of Queen Elizabeth. After the temporary occupation of Winkburn by the Duchess as tenant, the owners resumed possession of their estate, the head of the family resident at the Hall being William Burnell, Esq., to whom there is a fine monument on the south side of the east window. A marble monu- ment is erected to D'Arcy Burnell, who died in 1774, and another interesting memorial is a beautiful brass on the north wall to Hugh DArcy Pegge Burnell, Colonel com- manding 7th Queen's Own Hussars, born July 16, 1836* died December 18, 1883, erected in loving memory by the officers and non-commissioned officers who served with him in the regiment. On the brass is inscribed Dettingen, Peninsular, Waterloo, and Lucknow, with the monogram of the regiment above and the arms of the Burnell family below. A pretty village on the borders of the far-famed forest of Sherwood is Bilsthorpe, situated at the foot of a hill a few miles from Southwell. In the ancient parish church lie the remains of several eminent men, among the foremost of whom is Bishop Chappell, to whose memory there is a tablet at the west end, with a flattering Latin inscription. The prelate was born at Laxton in 1572, and after pro- ceeding through his university course at Christ's College, Cambridge, became Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, and Dean of Cashel, being subsequently appointed Bishop of Cork and Rosse. He appears to have been a learned disputant, for in Fuller's ' Worthies ' reference is made to a debate taking place at Cambridge, in which he so disposed of the arguments of Dr. Roberts, of Trinity College, that the latter had to be carried out of the theatre in a fit ; and King James, who was present on the occasion, taking up the thread of Roberts' disputations, was obliged to relin- 1 54 History of Nottinghamshire. quish his position, ' thanking God that Chappell was his subject and not another's, lest he should lose his throne as well as his chair/ Chappell was the author of a book on the method of preaching, and he also wrote his own biography. Flying from Ireland in consequence of the rebellion in 1640, he sought the secluded parish of Bilsthorpe, of which his friend, the Rev. Gilbert Benet, was Rector, and died in 1649 at Derby. In the sixteenth century Bilsthorpe belonged to Sir Brian Broughton, eldest brother of Peter Broughton, of Lowdham, but later came into the possession of the Saviles of Rufford, and in that family it still remains. In the church, which was originally a Norman structure, is a fine tomb erected to the memories of Mr. Henry Savile, of Rufford Abbey, who died in 1881, and of his wife Amy, who died in 1878. Near this tomb, within a tablet of glass and marble, is a wreath of everlasting flowers, sent by Queen Victoria on the occasion of the funeral at Bilsthorpe of Mr. Augustus William Savile, her Majesty's Assistant Master of Ceremonies, who died at Cannes in 1887. This member of the noble family of Savile was universally esteemed for his high and courtly bearing; while his cultured taste in art and decoration was unsurpassed. He built the charming Villa Edelweiss on the heights of California at Cannes, which was occupied by the Queen. Throsby preserves a tradition that in Bilsthorpe Hall, near the church, Charles I. for some time concealed himself from his enemies, and the cupboard in the manor farm- house is still shown where he is supposed to have been secreted. Possibly the incident may have occurred when his Majesty proceeded to join the Scottish army at Newark after escaping from Oxford. In addition to specimens of the Norman style of archi- tecture in the church, there are windows of the Decorated and Perpendicular periods. A considerable portion of the Eakring. 155 moat formerly surrounding- the church and the mansion of the Norman lord still remains. The next village to Bilsthorpe standing in this pleasant part of Nottinghamshire is Eakring, spelt in Doomsday Book ' Echering.' One of the early owners of Eakring was Gilbert de Gant, a grandson of the De Gant who accom- panied the Conqueror in his invasion of this kingdom. It was Gilbert de Gant who, in 1148, founded Rufford Abbey, and endowed it with his property in this village. William de Albini, whose family subsequently became Earls of Arundel, was also the owner of land at Eakring, and became a benefactor of Rufford. In process of time the manor fell into the possession of Roger, Earl of Rutland, from whom it passed to the Earl of Kingston, the portion of the property vested in the monastery going with Rufford from the Earl of Shrewsbury to Lord Halifax. Nothing of historic importance has transpired at Eak- ring, but in its church lies one who, though his name is not inscribed on battle scrolls, is none the less a hero. William Mompesson was Rector of the parish for twenty-eight years ; but before this he had been Rector of Eyam, in Derbyshire, when the deadly plague swept through the land. Dr. Meads, in his ' Treatise on the Plague,' says it was brought to Eyam in September, 1665, in some material sent from London to a tailor in the parish. After seizing the tailor's family, it spread to the other inhabitants, four-fifths of whom were swept away, and it was only through the exertions and timely precautions of the Rector that the epidemic was prevented from spreading to the surrounding neighbourhood. The clergyman never ceased to visit and care for his suffering flock, and in order to ensure that the contagion might not be spread through him, he preached to his hearers from a rock in the open air instead of in the church. As many as 266 persons fell victims, 78 of whom died in August, 1666, in which month Mr. Mompesson's wife died, and there is a monument to 156 History of Nottinghamshire. her in Eyam churchyard. A pathetic letter was written by him to Sir George Savile, the patron of the living, in which he calls himself a dying man, and bespeaks the favour of the Baronet for his orphans. Happily, he sur- vived the terrors of the plague and his severe bereavement, and was presented to the living of Eakring by his noble friend and patron. For some time the villagers of Eakring were fearful lest their new clergyman might be infected with the plague, and he resided in a hut in Rufford Park till that feeling wore away. Mr. Mompesson died in 1708, and in the chancel on the north side is a brass erected to his memory. In the words of William and Mary Howitt, who published a book in 1827 entitled 'The Desolation of Eyam, and other Poems :' 1 Bright shines the sun upon the white wails wreathed With flowers and branches, in that lone And sheltered quiet where the mourner breathed His future anguish ; pleasant then the tone Of bees ; the shadows o'er still waters thrown From the broad plane-tree ; in the gray church nigh And near that altar where his faith was known, Humble as his own spirit we descry The record which denotes where sacred ashes lie.' CHAPTER XVI. Queen Eleanor and Harby — Founding a Chantry— Broadholme and its Nunnery — Rampton in S.ixon Times — The Babingtons and Eyres— Remains of the Ancient Mansion— 'The Whole Duty of Man' — Heroes of Modern Times— Laneham and the Archbishops of York— A Duel— Sturton— The White Lady— Colonel Thorn- haugh— Fenton the Mariner. ■'o* On the borders of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, as you approach the cathedral city, is the village of Harby, and in its beautiful new church there is a brass in the floor of the chancel which bears this inscription : ' Here died Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England, Nov. 27th, A.D. 1290.' The little chapel of one aisle mentioned by Throsby, which stood close to the new church, was a small building of stone, with massive walls. In the field adjoining the churchyard are the remains of a moat, and the tradition is that it was on this spot the house stood in which the good Queen died. In the reign of Edward I., Richard de Weston had free warren at Harby, and for some considerable time the family of Weston were owners of the place conjointly with the Bishops of Lincoln.* A Sir John Weston was employed in the royal service in Edward's time, and it may have been because he stood high in favour that, when Queen Eleanor came with her consort to this county, the house at * Throsby's Thoroton, i. 384. 158 History of Nottinghamshire. Harby, belonging to Richard de Weston, was selected as the place of her abode. It was on September n, 1290, that their Majesties arrived at Harby. As the Queen was unwell, suffering from a slow fever (Wikes says, ' Modicae febris igniculo contabescens '), she would probably remain in the quietude of Harby while the King proceeded to hold his Court at Clipstone, and to pay visits to other houses in the locality. From the 13th to the 17th September his Majesty was at Newstead, and on the 18th and 19th at Rufford, and on the 22nd at his own house at Clipstone, of which some por- tion of the ruins still remain.* The Parliament was sum- moned to meet at Clipstone on October 27, and prior to its assembly the King enjoyed himself in field sports, for which the district was famous. The Parliament sat at Clipstone till November 13, and very important would be the business that came before it, for the dispute as to the Scotch succession had arisen, and Edward was trying to shape the strife towards his own ends. On November 14 the King had reached Laxton, where the writs were tested for several days, and was moving towards Harby. The Queen meanwhile continued unwell, but we may be sure no immediate danger was apprehended, or the King, who was a most devoted husband, would not have left her. On October 18, syrups and medicines had been brought for her use from Lincoln, for there is an entry of the payment of 13s. 4d. for physic to one Henry de Montepessulano. When the King reached Harby on the 20th, grave symptoms had developed. So dangerously ill had the Queen become that it was impossible for them to continue their journey. A physician from her native country had arrived, and spiritual advisers had been sent for to ad- minister consolation. Sir Garcia de Ispania brought her a cross, and to the physician of the King of Aragon, who * Pari. Writs, i. 15. Harby. 159 had come to attend her, the Queen presented a silver goblet.* What a mournful gathering- it was in those dull Novem- ber days in that house of Richard de Weston, A.D. 1290! There lay the suffering Queen with life ebbing slowly away, and by her bedside the sorrowing husband, whom she had accompanied in the crusades, and whose fortunes she had loyally and lovingly shared for thirty-five years. A career begun in Spain, and characterized by all that was noble and creditable — a career of great service to England from her betrothal at the age of ten to her joyous landing, when ' the fountains spouted wine, and the windows rained gold' — was coming to a close in a little Nottinghamshire village. The tall stalwart monarch, beloved of his people, the object of almost boundless admiration, who had been crowned with her amidst a scene of great magnificence, was bidding her a sad farewell in the little house of a country squire, far away from the busy haunts of men, in a secluded part of a quiet country district. From the 20th to the 27th, the King so far attended to business as to sign writs, and then the entries cease. On the evening of the 27th the Queen breathed her last, and her consorfc in the midst of his great grief had no thought for State affairs for some days to come. His anxiety was to pay every possible honour to her memory. ' I loved her tenderly in her life- time/ he wrote to her friend, the Abbot of Clugny, ' and I do not cease to love her now she is dead.' Writing on the day of her death to Archbishop Romanus, he desired the prayers of the faithful for the soul of Queen Eleanor, ' our wife from our childhood,' and the Archbishop at once granted an indulgence of forty days for those who should pray for the Queen's soul. The Chapter of York ordered a full peal to be rung when they heard the sad news, and * ' Archaeologia,' xxix., Art. 13, ' On the death of Queen Eleanor,' by Rev. Joseph Hunter. 160 History of Nottinghamshire. there were sincere manifestations of mourning throughout the country.* After her death costly memorials were erected to her memory. At Harby ample provision was made by the Queen's will for the perpetual celebration of memorial services. A hundred marks were placed in the hands of the Dean of Lincoln in 1292 for the purpose of founding a chantry. Gough says that the Prebendary of North Clifton was to receive ten marks yearly, out of which he was to pay 1 00s. a year to the chantry priest and to find him a lodging, and also to provide furniture for the altar. In the ' Valor Ecclesiasticus ' it is mentioned that the annual stipend then was 103s. The entry is as follows : ' Cantaria de Herbe, Thomas Kyllyall, Chantrey priest. Having a mansion wt a garden of the yerely value of iiijs. in money paid to him by the Prebend of Clyfton Cs Sma. of th' ole and clere value ciijs.' The payment would come to an end 1 Edward VI., when an Act was passed by which chantries were suppressed throughout the country. For nearly three centuries no observance or memorial commemorated Queen Eleanor at Harby, but the tradi- tion of a Queen having been at the village still lingered. Throsby says ' the inhabitants have a simple tradition that a Queen Catherine resided ages since at this place,' though how the name of Catherine came to be substituted for Eleanor, it is difficult to imagine. All doubts as to the identity of the royal personage whose name is associated with Harby are now dispelled, and the appropriate memorials in monumental brass and sculptured stone with which the new church is adorned will long remain to remind residents and visitors that the sacred edifice stands on famous ground. f * ' Fasti Eboracenses,' 338. t A statue of the Queen, which stands outside the building in a niche over the door at the east end, was given by Mr. Freeth, an antiquary of cultured tastes and never-failing kindness and liberality. Brodholme. 1 6 1 There are two railway-stations almost equidistant from Harby, those of Thorpe and Saxilby, each about four miles off. On the way to the latter the fine broad road passes through the hamlet of Brodholme, which consists of about a dozen houses ; but it must always be a place of interest as the site of one of the earliest nunneries founded in this country. A short distance from the main road there is a large farmstead known as the Manor Farm. On this spot, now covered by a modern house, with its spacious out- buildings and farmyard, there was in the reign of King Stephen a house of Premonstratensian nuns founded by Agnes de Camville, wife of Peter de Gousla, who introduced the order into England about A.D. 1140. Camville was a name of note in Lincolnshire. Gerard de Camville was sheriff of the county, and constable of Lincoln Castle ; while his widow, Nicholas, afterwards defended the castle bravely and successfully for King John against the insurgent barons. A well-informed local writer says that Brodholme would at this period of its history ' be slightly raised above the surrounding swamps in which the flood waters^of the Trent, unrestrained by artificial banks, would mingle with those of the Witham, and possibly to the pious mind of the foundress the seclusion of the spot and its level grassy surface may have presented a fancied resemblance to the original Pre Montre, the meadow miraculously'pointed out as the fitting site of a religious order.'* In this isolated abode a prioress and nuns con- tinued to reside for several centuries, the calm and even tenor "of their monastic life only broken, so far as we know, on one occasion when a sister was forcibly abducted. The outrage tookjplace in the reign of Edward III., A.D. 1350, and is thus described in a manuscript in the British The portrait was copied with great care from the tomb at Westminster Abbey. * Article on Brodholme in the Deanery of Graffoe Parish Magazine. II 1 62 History of Nottinghamshire. Museum :* ' William Fox, parson of Lee, near Gains- borough, John Fox and Thomas de Lingeston, Friars Minor of the convent in Lincoln, were indicted before Gilbert de Umfravill and other justices of the parts of Lindsey, at Thwacaster ; on the Saturday after the feast of St. John the Baptist in the said year, for that they came to the nunnery of Brodholme, in the county of Notting- ham, and then and there (" rapuerunt et abduxerunt inde, contra pacem Di Regis," etc.) violently took and forcibly carried away, a certain nun by name Margaret de Evering- ham, a sister of the said house, stripping her of her religious habit and putting upon her a green gown or robe of the secular fashion.' They were also charged with taking away divers goods to the value of 40s. What punishment was inflicted on the offenders, the record does not say. The nunnery must have been strangely agitated at this violent intrusion, and it could ill afford to lose any of its goods, for it was not richly endowed, its annual income being in the time of Henry VIII. only £16 5s. 2d. The farmhouse which now occupies the site is largely built of the old stone which formed part of the nunnery. Over the front door is a square fragment bearing a plain shield, and carved with running foliage, while other por- tions of stone evidently formed parts of the arches and mullions of windows. The moat which surrounded the house remains, and relics have been dug up which give a clue to the situation of the various parts of the establish- ment. In the grass fields are traces of the fish ponds, and where is now a copse there was formerly a duck decoy. The field in which the mill stood is still known as the mill field, and two of the millstones are on the premises, one of them forming a slab near the kitchen door. Foundation walls have been discovered, showing that the chapel stood at the back of the present house, and a stone coffin was * Quoted in the ' Beauties of England and Wales,' xii. 280. Ramp ton. 163 dug up which is now at Doddington, and which was pro- bably that of some influential personage who was buried before the high altar. The ordinary burial-place was in the paddock, now used as an orchard. 'Seven Thanes had seven manors or mansions here,' says Thoroton in referring to Rampton in Saxon times. The village stands within a mile or two of the Trent along the Lincolnshire border, and has been the resi- dence of ancient and eminent families. After the Con- quest that mighty Norman warrior, Roger de Builli, became possessed of the lands of the Saxon nobles, and succeeding him one of the earliest owners of whom definite mention is made is Nigellus de Rampton, whose daughter carried it by marriage to Robert Malluvell. This family became extinct in the male line, after which the manor came by other marriage alliances into the possession of the Stanhopes, who held it for six generations, when Saunchia Stanhope married John Babington, and the Babingtons retained it for four generations more. John Babington married a daughter of Hercy Nevile, of Grove, and on his death left as his co-heiresses his two daughters, Barbara and Elizabeth. Widow Babington took for her second husband Anthony Eyre, who had a son, Gervase. This son fell in love with Elizabeth, the heiress of a moiety, and he purchased the other moiety which was the portion of Barbara. Rampton has remained in the hands of the gallant family of Eyre ever since. Its members come of ancient lineage, for William le Eyre of Hope held lands of Henry III., in capite, by the service of the custody of the Forest of the Peak in Derbyshire. From him was descended Gervase Eyre, who took a prominent part on the side of the Royalists in the wars of Charles I.'s time. He was given the command of a troop of horse, and participated in the many conflicts by which the Newark cavalry succeeded in making itself conspicuous for^ its bravery and prowess. 11 — 2 164 History of Nottinghamshire. When the ancient castle was besieged, and Prince Rupert hastened to its relief, Sir Gervase Eyre's regiment of horse was entrusted with the duty of preventing the two wings of the enemy's forces from uniting. In 1645 the gallant soldier was slain in action, and his body was interred at Rampton, where there is a brass inscribed to his memory. Throsby speaks of the house which Sir Gervase and his predecessors, the Babingtons, occupied as ' a large old mansion, built so long back as the time of Henry VIII.' Only a fine stone gateway which led to it now remains, at the north-east corner of the churchyard, for the house was taken down about 1730, and the family removed to Grove, where they had a residence. The village saw little of its owners for about a century, but in 1853 they again made it their home, and a splendid Elizabethan mansion uprose worthy of its possessors. The ancient church contains many memorials of the Stanhopes, Babingtons, and Eyres. In one of them Gervase Eyre, who represented the county in Parliament, is described as entitled to the favour of ' all true friends of the Church and Constitution'; while his mother, Lady Packington, was so esteemed for her piety that the authorship of a once popular book, 'The Whole Duty of Man/ was attributed to her. There is also a tablet to the memory of Vice- Admiral Sir George Eyre,K.C.B., G.C.M.G., who died in 1839, after having seen much active service in the French wars ; while another tells of the sacrifices the Eyres have made in the cause of their country in later times. Lieutenant Eyre was killed in the Ashantee War in 1874, when only twenty-three years old, and his father, Lieutenant-General Sir William Eyre, was one of the heroes of the Crimea. Rampton now belongs to Colonel Eyre, C.B., the much- esteemed member for the Gainsborough Division, who was wounded in the attack on the Redan, and was at the siege of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny. Laneham. 1 6 = Passing from the martial glory of which we are reminded in the history of Rampton, we come to the neighbouring village of Laneham with its clerical reminiscences. For centuries the owners of Laneham were the Archbishops of York, and one of them, Thomas de Corbridge, died there in 1304, his remains being taken for interment to the col- legiate church at Southwell. In the chancel of Laneham Church a fine monument exists to Ellis and Gervase Markham, who once held estates at Laneham and Dunham. Gervase, a captain of horse 'in Irelande and ye Lowe Countries,' had a romantic career. He was the confidant and champion of the Countess of Shrewsbury, to whom some indignity was offered by Sir John Holies. Markham challenged him to a duel in Worksop Park, but Sir John's rapier ran him through so that the weapon came out at the small of the back. He recovered from the injury, but vowed he would not eat supper or take the Sacrament till he had been revenged. From a correspondence in the State Papers, it appears that his peculiar conduct caused doubts to be entertained about his religious belief — probably in consequence of his absten- tion from the Sacrament — and his house was searched in 1629. The Earl of Newcastle, Archbishop Harsnett, and Walter Cary, Vicar of Dunham, declared him to be a bedridden gentleman, who had been a Protestant from his youth, so that he escaped further trouble on this score. But in 1635 the old soldier objected to the payment of the historic ship-money, alleging that he was assessed too heavily. The Sheriff had assessed Markham at ^50 because he was a single man with £800 a year, and the Council, upholding his valuation, ordered his arrest. The warrant was not carried into effect, for the Constable of Dunham replied that the old warrior was not ' portable.' But the moral effect of it seems to have been sufficient, as he apologized and promised obedience. He died Jan. 16, 1636, after six years' confinement in his chamber, 1 66 History of Nottinghamshire, and was buried at Laneham among the tombs of his family. Between Retford and Gainsborough the railway runs past the village of Sturton-le-Steeple, the massive tower of whose parish church is a prominent feature in the land- scape. Its name was varied from Sturton to Streton, or Estreton, and here our pious forefathers erected a noble edifice with a large square tower. Inside are monuments to the Thornhaughs, and a fine alabaster statue of the ' white lady/ as she is called by the local residents, who was probably one of the same family. This church is inseparably connected with the history of Fenton, a hamlet about a mile distant. Once there was a stately mansion here, where men eminent for valour in their country's cause passed to and fro. Some stones of it, forming part of a farmhouse, remain, and there is a pleasant walk across the fields from the house to Sturton Church. In 1 6 14 Sir Francis Thornhaugh was the possessor of the greater part of Fenton, and his son Francis took the side of the Parliament in the Civil War. He raised a horse regiment, of which he was Colonel, and his son Lieutenant -Colonel, and Mrs. Hutchinson passes a glow- ing eulogium upon him for his bravery and benevo- lence of character. A skirmish took place at Lea, about three miles from Fenton, at which Thornhaugh and Cromwell were both present. Sir Charles Caven- dish, a Royalist leader, was killed, the circumstances of his death being tersely alluded to in Carlyle's ' Letters of Cromwell.' In 1644, the year after this event, Colonel Thornhaugh was engaged in the conflicts round Newark, when he had a personal encounter with Prince Rupert, and in the action received two wounds. The following year he became member of Parliament for Retford, but met his death at the Battle of Preston, in 1648, and was brought to Sturton for burial. He lies interred on the north side of Fenton. 167 the altar, where there is a slab bearing a Latin inscription to his memory. Let us go back, however, to an earlier period than the stirring times of the Great Rebellion. Whether the house which the Thornhaughs occupied was the same as that tenanted by the Fentons, their predecessors in the owner- ship of the estate, we know not ; but the little hamlet is famous for its connection with a statesman and navigator of Queen Elizabeth's time. Geoffrey and Robert Fenton pushed their way in the world with unusual success. The former, devoting himself to literature, produced, in 1577, the • Golden Epistles,' a book of translations, which brought him into notice, and marrying the daughter of the Lord Chancellor, he became Principal Secretary of State in Ireland, and before his death in 1608 saw his daughter Catherine married to Sir Richard Boyle, after- wards Earl of Cork. His brother Robert entered the navy, and became acquainted with Raleigh and Frobisher, the latter of whom, though a Yorkshireman by birth, held property at Fin- ningley, in Nottinghamshire, some ten or twelve miles from Fenton. A voyage was made by Martin Frobisher in 1576 to the New World, and, having reached the coast of Labrador, he returned with a glowing account of the wealth beyond the sea. Another expedition was fitted out, and among the adventurers was Fenton, who commanded two vessels, the Judith and the Michael. This was in 1578, and after many dangerous encounters the navigators returned with cargoes of ore reputed to be of fabulous worth. But alas for these day-dreams ! When the wonderful treasure was examined it was found that two hundredweight contained nothing of value but two particles of silver, which are still attached with sealing-wax to the report of the analysis. Nothing daunted, Fenton induced some rich merchants to equip another fleet, and in 1582 he set sail for the Cape 1 68 History of Nottinghamshire. of Good Hope, intending, after landing cargo, to discover a north-west passage to China. But he fell in with the Spaniards near St. Vincent, and a fight ensued, in which the Englishman's ships parted company, and he arrived home after having endured great suffering and priva- tion. When the Spanish Armada threatened the shores of England, Fenton was again to the fore in the offer of his services at that hour of imminent peril. As captain of the Mary Rose, he distinguished himself for the part he took against the haughty Dons, and when England was de- livered for ever from the menace of this foe, he retired to Deptford, where he died, in 1603. He was buried in Deptford Church, where his monument with effigy may still be seen on the chancel wall. Although the villages of Fenton and Sturton are of great antiquity, there is one about three miles away, on the banks of the Trent, whose existence can be traced still further back, to the time of the Roman occupation. This is Littleborough, and here the Roman route from Lincoln to Doncaster crossed the river. Camden, in his ' Britannia,' identifies it with the Agelocum or Segelocum of Anto- ninus, and refers to the fact that there were traces of walls hereabouts, while the ploughmen turned up coins of the Roman Emperors. Relics of the former civilization con- tinue to be discovered, tending to confirm the claim of Littleborough to be regarded as one of the earliest settle- ments in this county. CHAPTER XVII. Retford and its Records — Battle on the Banks of the Idle — Royal Grants and Favours — The Parish Church — Tower and Steeple blown down — An Army at Wheatley — Curious Election Story — Mattersey and its Monks — Wiseton and its Distinguished Visitors — Ranskill and its Danish Ancestry — Clayworth and its Clergy. On the main line of the Great Northern Railway, as it cuts through the county on its way from London to York, is the town of Retford, discernible from the line as a mass of red- brick houses and smoking chimneys, with the tower of an old parish church rising in their midst. The borough, with many evidences in it of vigorous life, is notable in these modern days as the centre of the Parliamentary Hundred of Bassetlaw, and as comprising within its electoral area the first group of villages which enjoyed the pleasures of household suffrage. But its old-time records are not unworthy of study. To begin as far back as the period of the Danish in- vasion, we find mention made by Baeda of a battle on the banks of the river Idle, A.D. 617. The circumstances were these: 'In the year 617 ^Ethelfrith, the powerful King of pagan Northumbria, demanded from Raedweald, the half- Christian and half-pagan King of East Anglia, the sur- render of Edwin, the representative of the kingly stock of Deere, or Deira, the southern half of Northumbria, who had found an asylum at Raedweald's Court. The East Anglian 170 History of Nottinghamshire. King, after some hesitation, refused to surrender the fugitive, and, fully appreciating the consequences of this refusal, gathered his forces in haste, and set out to meet the terrible Northumbrian King. Raedweald was so expe- ditious that he surprised iEthelfrith on the borders of Mercia before the body of his army had come up. Here, on the eastern bank of the river Idle, near Retford, was fought a battle in which the Northumbrian King was defeated and slain.'* The next reference to Retford or its immediate vicinity that we meet with is in Domesday Book, and it is unusually brief and insignificant. It men- tions that in Retford there was one mill belonging to the fee of Sutton, the property of the Archbishop of York, but it gives no further information of any interest or value. It is evident, however, that the place soon flourished and developed, and that it came to be looked upon as a business centre for the district around. The date of the first charter is not known, but in 1246 Henry III., for 'the bettering of his borough of Retford,' granted to the burgesses and their heirs one fair annually of eight days, viz., on the eve, the day, and the morrow of Holy Trinity and five days follow- ing.f Other liberties and privileges were given by Henry, and his son, Edward I., in 1279 granted the town to the burgesses in fee farm, paying for the same £10 a year. They were to have a market every Saturday, and to have the amendment of the assize of bread and beer, and the pillory and the ducking-stool, and wrecks and waifs, and to have a Bailiff of themselves. So important had the town become that in the reign of Edward II. (a.D. 13 15) it had the honour of sending representatives to Parliament. In 1330 it sought to be excused from exercising this right on the ground of poverty and inability to pay the burgesses * ' The Early History of Nottingham,' by Mr. W. H. Stevenson, P-5- t Throsby's Thoroton, iii. 275. Retford. 1 7 1 the heavy expenses of their long journeys, and the prayer of this petition was granted. But if the town ceased of its own volition to exercise its influence in the control of national affairs, two of its sons made their way to the forefront, and took no small part in the government of the country. Robert de Retford, son of Richard de Retford, rose to the dignity of a judge, and was summoned to Parliament in that capacity in August, 1295.* He continued to be called upon to assist at the delibera- tions of the senate until 13 18, and having left on one occa- sion without royal permission, he was peremptorily sum- moned to return, and not to absent himself again without the King's licence. His name is entered amongst those present at the coronation in 1308, and there are entries of his acting in his judicial capacity in the home district and in Durham and Leicester. William de Retford, whom we believe to be his son, was appointed Keeper of the Great Wardrobe, and in 1354 made a Baron of the Exchequer, f He is described as ' clericus/ but it did not follow that he was a clergyman, for the 'clerics ' of 600 years ago com- prehended all those whom we now call the professional classes. The law of the land was merciless and cruel, hanging men on small provocation, but a cleric was only half amenable to it, and could demand the protection of the Church. ' As a natural and inevitable consequence of such a privilege accorded to a class, there was a very strong inducement to become a member of that class ; and as the Church made it easy for any fairly-educated man to be admitted, at any rate to the lower orders of the ministry, anyone who preferred a professional career, or desired to give himself up to a life of study, enrolled himself among the " clerics," and was henceforth reckoned as belonging to the clergy/;}: Only a small proportion of them ever became * ' Parliamentary Writs,' i. 801. t Foss's 'Judges,' 552. X 'The Coming of the Friars,' by Dr. Jessop, p. 82. 1 72 History of Nottinghamshire. ministers of religion ; they were lawyers or lawyers' clerks, and William de Retford * clericus ' was an influential lawyer and a judge. We have shown that the town had contributed two eminent men at least to the service of the State, and we believe it had sent another, for in the records of Parliament we find that in 1404 Sir Henry de Retford was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons, and it was through his mouth that the Commons gave to the King their most humble thanks for his many valiant exploits.* He was succeeded, in 1406, by Sir John Tibetot, who would also be, we presume, a Nottinghamshire man, for the Tibetots were the ancient lords of Langar, in this county. Mean- while, the parish church of St. Swithin continued to be the principal building within the borough. When the first stones were laid of the sacred edifice, wherein so many generations of Retford people have worshipped, it is diffi- cult to say ; but it is certain that there was a church here in the twelfth century, if not in the eleventh. The earliest record is of its being given by Archbishop Roger to his newly-founded Chapel of St. Mary and Holy Angels near the Minster of York. Now, Archbishop Roger occupied the see from 11 54 to 1181, and his endowment of the chapel was a very noble one. Eleven churches were appro- priated to it, five of which were purchased with his own funds.f In 1258 Gilbert de Tyva was made sacrist of the cathedral, andnnducted into the possession of the church by Archbishop Sewal de Bovil, the Bishop directing that the Vicar of Retford should have 100s. out of the altarage, and the small tithes, viz., of chickens, pigs, geese, and the bread and wine*which should happen to be brought to the altar. In 1392 the Bailiffs founded a chantry, one altar being dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the other to St. Mary ; and chantry priests continued to officiate here until chantries were abolished by Edward VI. The chapel was * ' Parliamentary History,' ii. 70. f ' Fasti Eboracenses,' p. 248. Retford. 1 7 * o at the back of the chancel, but being in ruins, was demolished, and the church repaired with the old material. We come next to an interesting item about the church, in regard to which we are able to supplement the informa- tion hitherto given. In 165 1, according to Mr. Piercy, the tower, the steeple, and a considerable portion of the rest of the church were blown down, and he quotes an entry from the minute-book of the Corporation, dated November 4, 1652, describing the disaster. The following entry in the State Papers will throw some additional light on what took place in connection with this remarkable event : 'June 3rd, 1658. Order on the petition of the bailiffs and burgesses of East Retford, and certificate of the Justices of the Peace of Notts, of 21st Jan., 165 1, showing that the steeple of the only church there was blown down by a great wind nth January, 1657-8 (sic), that the cost of repairing it will be ^"3,400, with which repair they have made con- siderable progress, selling their lands and contracting debts to pay for the same, — to advise letters patent to collect money for the purpose in Notts, Lincoln, York, and the City of London.'* The petition was thus acceded to, and the brief renewed in November, 1658. The church was thoroughly restored in 1855, and some valuable gifts and additions have been made to it since that date. In the troublous events which arose in the reign of Charles I., Retford took little part. It was assessed to ship-money in 1635-36 at only .£30, whereas Newark had to pay £120, and complaint was made that it was let off so easily. When the war prevailed the town was several times visited by bodies of troops, and the King passed through on his way to Doncaster, but it was never the scene of any great turmoil or bloodshed. There are several entries in the State Papers relating to the town during the Stuart period which may not be uninteresting. The Com- missioners of Musters were in the habit of holding musters * State Papers : Domestic, 1658-59, p. 46. 174 History of Nottinghamshire. at Retford. In 1622 they reported to the Council that they had held a muster and found all in good condition, ready for instant service, and to suppress riots if required. There was a good provision of powder and bullets, and the state of the beacon was satisfactory. In 1625 a licence was granted to John Watson, of Retford, and his wife to keep a tavern and sell whisky at such prices as they pleased, certain statutes notwithstanding, upon payment to the King of £$ per annum. At the Retford Sessions in 1630 the justices reported to the Council that they had taken the recognizances of John Molanus and three other workmen of Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, the complaint being that while digging in a field of Sir Francis Thornhill the men had struck Edward Thornhill and used indecent words against Sir Francis. Sir Cornelius Vermuyden was a famous Dutch engineer, and the Cars were drained by Dutch and Flemish workmen under his supervision. In 1745, on the occasion of the rebellion under the Young Pretender, an army of 6,000 English and Hessian troops encamped upon Wheatley Hills, and the soldiers, on marching through Retford, made a stable of the church for their horses. The members for Retford at this period were John White and William Mellish, and in connection with their return in 1741 the following curious story is told : 1 Mr. Mellish resided at Blyth, and in early life was betrothed to a Jewess of considerable property, but which, by a curious clause in the will of her father, her husband could not inherit until chosen member of Parliament. Accordingly, he offered himself for Retford, and as a matter of course was anxious to succeed in his endeavours. On the morning the election took place he brought two different-coloured horses to Retford — the one gray, the other bay — by means of which he was to send information of the result. If chosen, the gray one ; if not, the other • There being no opposition, he was elected, and immediately despatched a messenger on the gray horse. His lady, Retford. 175 anxious for the success of her lord, was keeping a sharp look-out for the signal, on discovering which she was so overjoyed that she fell into hysterics, and in the course of two or three days actually died from the effect.' In 1826, after an exciting contest, the members returned in that year were unseated on petition, and it was resolved that the corrupt state of the borough required the serious attention of the House. Protracted debates and divisions ensued, but eventually, in 1830, the franchise was extended to the Hundred of Bassetlaw, of which Retford has since formed the centre. Travelling on the Great Northern Railway, six miles beyond Retford, there is a station at the village of Ranskill, the name of which carries us back to the Danish invasions. Our local literature has been greatly supplemented by the able parochial history of Blyth by the Rev. John Raine, who regards Ranskill as a Danish word pure and simple. Ranskill is ' Ravenskelf,' the shelf or shelving knoll of the raven ; another form of the word being 'Rashelf,' by which definition a village and station north of York is called. The raven was consecrated to the god Odin, and the word enters into the combination of the names of two or three places, such as Ravensfield and Ravenspur, in which may be discerned unmistakable rallying centres for the hardy Northmen. The owner of the village at the Conquest was the Arch- bishop of York, and the most notable circumstance in the history of Ranskill is its long association with the occu- pants of this see, to whom it has paid suit and service for centuries. Two miles away, on the banks of the river Idle, lies Mattersey, where once stood a noble abbey. Some time in the twelfth century — the exact date is difficult to fix — Roger de Maresay founded a monastery, dedicated it to St. Helen, and endowed it with property in the immediate vicinity. Six monks found a retreat within its walls, and 176 History of Nottinghamshire. their religious life was conducted according to the Order of the Gilbertines. To some extent the Gilbertines were a local body, for they were brought into existence by Gilbert, the priest of Sempringham and Tissington in Lincolnshire; but their code of regulations was substantially that of the Benedictines. For nearly four centuries the monastery continued to flourish, and received additional benefactions to those of its founder. A hundred years after the death of Roger de Maresay, a descendant of his, Isabell de Chauncey, left all her property in Mattersey and Thorp to the priory at the former place, and confirmed the monks in the enjoyment of the gifts of her predecessors in the parishes of Gamston, Elksley, West Retford, Misson, and Boulton. From these endowments the convent grew rich, and the Prior became a dignitary of considerable importance in the locality. The privilege of being toll-free at every market, bridge, and port in England was claimed by him, and at a later period a market was established at Mattersey itself, where the country people could buy and sell their pro- duce. The monks appear to have lived very comfortably in their secluded village, till the great Act of 1536 suppressed all the lesser monastic institutions. In 1539, Thomas Wood- cock, the Prior, and four monks, surrendered it, the former being allowed a pension of £26 13s. 4d. The total income of the lands and mills was £51 14s. 2d., and the abbey was granted to Anthony Nevile, Esq. An heiress of the Neviles married Sir William Hickman, whose family resided there until the last century. The site of the abbey is now occupied by a farmhouse. The road to it is through an occupation lane, which leaves Mattersey near the church, and at a distance of about half a mile turns to the left until it reaches the Abbey Field. The front of the house looks over the river to Wiseton, and immediately adjoining it, in the garden, are several distinct Matiersey. iyf portions of the ruins of the ancient monastic edifice. In the field are the remains of what we suppose to have been the priory church. The Austin canons, whom the Gil- bertines closely resembled, were like a community of parish priests living under a rule, and they had churches with naves of considerable length to accommodate large congre- gations. If the ruins in the field are those of the church, it must have been an edifice capable of holding a large number of worshippers — far more than would be likely to be gathered together on ordinary occasions from so scattered a district. It is impossible to stand near these venerable walls without recognising the judicious choice of ground which was made by the original builders. It is sufficiently high to be out of the reach of floods, and while it has the advantages which proximity to a little river would give it, there is a fine stretch of landscape around, bordered in the distance by gently sloping hills. There are more of the ruins remaining than we expected to find, and we trust they will continue to stand for centuries as an evidence of the long connection which existed between Mattersey and its Gilbertine monks. Drakeholes is a small hamlet not far from the site of the abbey, and is believed to have been once a minor Roman station. Passing onward to Wiseton, we come to the charming residence of Mr. Laycock. The property was formerly in the possession of the Acklom family, and passed from them, by marriage, into the hands of Lord Althorpe, afterwards created Earl Spencer. At the time of the Reform Bill Wiseton was visited by many political celebrities, among whom was the great Lord Brougham. Lord Althorpe died at Wiseton in 1845, and was buried at Brengton, near Althorpe. At Clayworth, a mile and a half distant, the parish church was restored in 1875, under the superintendence of Sir Gilbert Scott. There is in it at the end of the south aisle a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, and the chancel contains 12 178 History of Nottinghamshire. the fine altar-tomb of Humphrey Fitzwilliam, who died in 1556. There are also mural tablets to the Ackloms of Wiseton, and to a former High Sheriff, Anthony Hartshorn, of Hayton Castle, and a brass setting forth the virtues of an earlier member of the family, John Hartshorn, who died in 1678. In the possession of the Rector of Clayworth is a seven- teenth-century diary, containing a list of the Rectors from 1266 downwards, many of whom were Deans of Lincoln at the same time. One of them, William Sampson, founded a free school in 1672, and another — John Cromwell, of Barnby Moor — was presented to the living by the Protector in 1655, on the death of Dean Topham. He received the presentation from the Protector, ' not from any relationship, but on account of his name ' ; and Oliver also offered him a post about his household, which he declined. When the Act of Uniformity passed in 1662, he was ejected from the living, and subsequently he was imprisoned at Newark on suspicion of plotting against the Government. In the State Papers are entries relating to his arrest, and there is a petition from him, dated April, 1666, praying for his release. It states that he was arrested two and a half years previously by the Duke of Newcastle, though he never broke the peace, and had never been called before a magis- trate. Cromwell was eventually liberated, and took charge of a congregation at Norwich. He died in 1684, and was buried at Sutton. CHAPTER XVIII. Scrooby— The Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers— An Absorbing Story — Elder Brewster and his Residence — The Archiepiscopal Palace — Blyth — Its Monastery and Church — Bishop Saunderson — An Ancient Tournament-Ground — Hodsock Priory — Finningley and the Frobishers — A Hero of the Armada. THERE are few rural villages with which the early history of the colonization of the United States is entwined in so interesting a manner as it is with that of Scrooby, a little cluster of cottages surrounded by a few larger residences near the Great Northern Railway, between Retford and Bawtry. The tiny river Ryton still runs its course, as it has done for centuries, spanned at one end of the village street by a water-mill, the ancient stones of which bear the names of the people who cut them in 1710. Scrooby, now so little noticed, was once the seat of the Archbishops of York, and, curiously enough, in its old archiepiscopal mansion the leaders of the Pilgrim Fathers met ere they had completed their project for colonizing New England. Thoroton, referring to the Archbishops' palace here, compares it with that at Southwell, and says it was ' a better seat for provision than Southwell.' In Doomsday Book it is entered as the Archbishop of York's manor, and in 1270 allusion is made to it in the register of Archbishop 12 — 2 1 80 History of Nottinghamshire. Giffard.* The building seems to have been added to from time to time till it became a large and comfortable resi- dence. Henry VIII., on his way into Yorkshire, sojourned a night here, and the magnificent Cardinal Wolsey made several visits in the heyday of his prosperity. On the eve of his downfall also he spent some time at this pleasant but secluded home on his last lingering journey northward. Bonner, afterwards Bishop of London, dates a letter 'at Scrooby, with my Lord's Grace,' in 1530/f to Cromwell, asking for the loan of some Italian books. After leaving Scrooby, Wolsey proceeded to Cawood, and was there arrested. J As to the dimensions of the residence, Leland gives us some idea in his ' Itinerary,' where he speaks of it as 'a great manor-place, standyng within a mote, and belonging to the Archbishop of York, buildid yn to courtes whereof the first is very ample.' The village occupied an important position in the coaching days, for it was on the Great North Road, and was the stage between Tuxford and Doncaster. In the time of Archbishop Sandys, who died at Southwell, in 1588, one Brewster held the office of postmaster, and he was suc- ceeded at a farm there by his son William, a tenant of Sir Samuel Sandys, who had been granted a lease of the manor by his father, the Archbishop, on exceptionally favourable terms.§ William Brewster, the son of the postmaster, had been well educated, having been at the University of Cambridge, after which he became attached to Sir William Davison, the Ambassador to the Low Countries. In 1587 he retired to Scrooby, and it is now that we get our first glimpse of the Pilgrim Fathers there. * 'Fasti Eboracensis,' p. 312. f Ellis's ' Original Letters,' ii. 178. % In the inventory of goods belonging to the Cardinal is ' Bay salt 4 tuns, 1 pipe at Cawood and 10 hhds. at Southwell and Scrooby.' — State Papers : Domestic, 1530. § State Papers : Domestic, 1593. Scrooby. 1 8 1 Some doubt has been expressed whether William Brew- ster was the son of the Scrooby postmaster or the son of the Vicar of Sutton-cum-Sound, also named Brewster, and the writer of the able article on our hero in the ' Dictionary of National Biography ' also raises the point. An entry in the State Papers fortunately throws a flood of light upon it. It seems that when the postmaster died in 1590 his son applied for the post, which was conferred on Samuel Bevercotes. Sir John Stanhope, writing to Secretary Davison, gives reasons why he did not appoint 'young Bruster,' and on the back of the correspondence which passed between them there are notes in Davison's hand urging the claims of his protege, the Cambridge scholar, to the position. Davison apparently kept up his interest in Brewster, for the latter eventually obtained the office, as is shown in an entry of payments made to him until 1 607.* In his retreat at Scrooby, Brewster developed a strong bias towards Puritanism. But Puritanic principles found little favour with James I., and the strong arm of the law was invoked to put down the leaders of the movement. In 1608 Brewster fell into trouble for conscience' sake, and was fined .£20 for not appearing when summoned before the Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes at South- well.-f- About this time a congregation of Puritans met at Scrooby, and John Smyth, once curate of Gainsborough, * In the letters and other papers of the family of Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of York, published by the Surtees Society, are entries of the expenses of Sir Timothy Hutton, the Archbishop's son, on his journey to London. The following items were paid to Brewster : ' Paid the post at Scrooby for a conveyance and guide to Tuxford, ios. ; for candle, supper and breakfast, 7s. iod.' And on his return : ' Paid the post at Scrooby for conveyance to Doncaster, 8s. ; for burnt sack, bread and beer, and sugar to wine, 2s. ; and 3d. to the ostler.' \ Hunter's ' Collections concerning the Church or Congregation of Protestant Separatists formed at Scrooby, Notts,' p. 131. 1 82 History of Nottinghamshire. and Richard Clyfton, who had held the livings of Marnham and Babworth, were the ministers. Tradition says that they worshipped in one of the outbuildings of Brewster's house, and, as the influence of the little community spread, they were joined by William Bradford, a sturdy yeoman, of Austerfield, and the Rev. John Robinson, whose name has been handed down to posterity in honourable connection with the settlement of New England. The circumstances which led to the flight of the Puritans to Holland, their return, and resolve to find a home in a new country across the great Atlantic, are written in the histories of the Old and the New Worlds, and there is no need to detail them here. In Virginia the Governor was Sir Edwin Sandys, a brother of the owner of Scrooby and of Brewster's old landlord. Communications took place with him for per- mission to be granted to the Pilgrims to establish them- selves upon the shores of North America. On August 5, 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Southampton, and Brew- ster, the oldest of the Pilgrims, was one of the principal leaders of the expedition, his friend Bradford, of Auster- field, being his companion and biographer, and furnishing the details of the early stages of the project which was destined to have such mighty issues. A chair formerly used by Brewster is still preserved in Pilgrim Hall, Ply- mouth, and his sword is in the cabinet of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Some little time after Brewster had left the old palace to seek freedom in Holland the buildings were demolished. The Archbishops had ceased to resort there, and we pre- sume the house, and especially the wooden portions of it, were falling into decay. Thoroton speaks of it as having stood ' within memory/ so that it would be taken down about 1620, or very soon after Brewster's tenancy came to an end. The large gateway was removed, and the park, which had fed much venison for the Archbishop's table, Scrooby. 183 was divided into farms. The site, however, is still very clearly defined. The palace stood in the large field near the station, which is bordered by the line of railway on the east and the river on the north. The moat is plainly to be seen, and the site of the fishponds can readily be traced. On the north of the field, near the river, there stands a farmhouse and outbuildings, which were put up some time after the palace was destroyed. The walls of the house are very thick, and it has a substantial though somewhat quaint appearance. The end is towards the field and the front looks into a garden, in which stood, until very recently, an old mulberry-tree, said to have been planted by Cardinal Wolsey. The outbuildings are at the end of the garden, and a short distance from the front of the house. The courteous occupier of the farm, who showed us round the place, pointed out some carved oak beams in the sheds, very solid and very strong, and said that these were taken from the palace at its demolition. He mentioned that eminent Americans often visit this birthplace of the great Puritan movement, and years ago one of these carved beams was sent over to the new country to be treasured amongst its relics. No other portions of the ancient fabric remain, nor could we trace any memorials of the Sandys family, save a stone in the floor of the church, whereon is the following inscrip- tion : ' Here lyeth ye body of Penelope Sandys, daughter of Sr Marten Sandys, obyt 25 of December Anno Dom. 1690.'* But the temptation is irresistible to linger awhile on this famous spot and to reflect on the progress of a movement which, starting like a tiny rivulet in this little hamlet of our county, broadened and deepened till it overflowed a continent with its swiftly-flowing streams. * Scrooby was settled by Sir Samuel Sandys on his second son, Martin, who was born in 1597. 184 History of Nottinghamshire. The Rev. John Raine, a cultured and able antiquary, has done much to bring to light the parochial records of the parish of Blyth, of which he was the Vicar. Few villages have the important events connected with them treated in so interesting a form as is found in his ' History of Blyth,' and it may well serve as an example for other learned in- cumbents to follow. The tower of Blyth Church may be seen rising promin- ently in the landscape as the visitor travels from Ranskill Station, from which Blyth is distant about two miles. The meandering river Ryton threads its way through the village, which, indeed, has the appearance of a small market town, with broad streets and open spaces. No satisfactory solution is given of the derivation of the name of Blyth, and the early origin of the place is enshrouded in antiquity; but it was part of the vast possessions with which the Conqueror loaded his favourite follower, Roger de Builli, who established a religious house here in 1088, inhabited by the monks of the Benedictine Order, and granted to it the church and township, as well as the customs appertaining to the manor. The Norman noble also conferred the privilege of holding a market, and further endowed it with property in various Nottingham- shire villages. Tradition has it that Roger de Builli built a castle at Blyth, but there are no traces of any such stronghold left in the village, and if there ever was a fortified place here, it was probably not of great importance, as the warrior's chief residence was not more than four or five miles away, at Tickhill. The alien character of the Nor- mans was never better illustrated than in the injunction laid upon the monks to pay 40s. per annum to the Church of the Holy Trinity at Rouen, and in the Abbot of this church was also vested the appointment of Prior of Blyth. It soon, however, shook itself free from foreign domination, as may be gathered from documents quoted in Dugdale's Blyth. 185 * Monasticon,' and Precentor Venables, in a pamphlet on the subject, shows how the monks became independent of the Norman Abbot, and held their endowments at their own pleasure. Soon after the introduction of the monks the sound of chisel and mallet was heard in the erection of the splendid parish church. This work was completed about the middle of the fourteenth century, when the tower reared its lofty head to be a landmark in the distance. The monastic buildings were on the north side, and the cloister adjoined the church, the rest of the premises occupying the spot where Blyth Hall now stands. Nothing remains of the portion once tenanted by the monks, and the conventual choir, extending 60 feet eastwards beyond the present church, has long been swept away. The Abbot of Rouen seems to have exercised the right to appoint a Prior down to Henry IV. 's time, but the dignity was not always conferred upon a foreigner, as in 1273 William Burdon, of Maplebeck, held the office. The hospitality of the monastery was often put to the test by royal and distinguished personages, for Henry I. and Henry II. both visited it ; and one of the witnesses to a charter, granted by the latter monarch on his sojourn here, confirming the monks in their possessions, was Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Another witness was Ralph de Broc, in whose castle at Saltwood the murder of the prelate was planned. Blyth was one of the five places licensed by King Richard I. for the holding of tournaments. The Popes had denounced these exhibitions of skill in arms, but Richard was not the one to bend to the mandate of the Church in this particular, so he issued his royal license to five localities where tourneys might be permitted. A level tract of land between Blyth and Styrrup was the locality where the feats of horsemanship took place, in which the flower of English chivalry engaged sometimes under the 1 86 History of Nottinghamshire. personal patronage of royalty itself. We can well imagine the animated scenes that must have occurred at these war- like gatherings, and the busy aspect on such occasions of the Angel Inn, just opposite the monastery — a hostelry existing from time immemorial. Many allusions are made in the Close Rolls to the Blyth meetings, which continued till the end of the sixteenth century, when the popular taste began to change and tournaments became but a reminiscence of the past. At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries Blyth was granted, in 1543, to Richard Andrews, of Gloucester, and William Ramsden, of Longley, Yorks, They appear to have been stock-jobbers in monasteries, and within a fortnight disposed of the property, which passed through the Stansfields and Stanhopes to Robert Saunderson in the time of James I., one of whose sons became the famous Bishop Saunderson of Lincoln. In 1635 William Saun- derson sold the estate to John Mellish, and in the north aisle of the church stands a fine stone monument to Edward Mellish, who died in 1703. This gentleman was a merchant in Portugal, and it was he who built the mansion which stands on the north side of the church. A beautiful memorial brass is erected on the south wall to Sir George Mellish, Lord Justice of Appeal, and others to Lieutenant- Colonel William Leigh Mellish and Colonel Henry Francis Mellish. The Blyth estate was sold in 1806 to Mr. Joshua Walker, of Clifton, near Rotherham, and the church was restored in 1885 at a cost of ^"2,500, the work being undertaken chiefly through the praiseworthy energies of the Rev. Canon Gray. The seat of the Mellish family is now at Hodsock Priory, two miles from Blyth. On the site of the house was once the mansion of the Cressys, who were warriors in the time of the Crusades. They founded a leper hospital at Blyth Spital, and were succeeded in the ownership of the estate by the Cliftons in the fourteenth century. It was sold by Sir Finningley. 187 Gervase Clifton, in 1765, to William and Charles Mellish, Esqs., in whose honourable family it remains to-day. At the extreme north of the county the boundary takes an eccentric course, for in a curious little tongue of land, projecting into the county of Yorkshire, is situated the parish of Finningley. Every appearance of the village betokens it an old-fashioned country community ; its spacious green, upon which the spreading branches of a stately elm cast their shadows, its village pond, and its manor-house, are all institutions peculiar to rural life, and it is among such scenes as these that many of our bravest heroes have spent portions of their time. Such may be said of Finningley, for the manor-house once belonged to that famous Elizabethan seaman, Sir Martin Frobisher. Some biographers have assumed that the great mariner was born in the village, but careful investigation leads us to the conclusion that his birth took place among the broad acres of the neighbouring shire, at Altofts. The earliest reference to him in the State Papers speaks of him as being of ' Normanton, county York,' and the ' Dictionary of National Biography' says his family was of Welsh extraction, and removed from Chirk to Altofts, in the parish of Normanton, in the middle of the fourteenth century. Martin's father, Bernard Frobisher, died during his infancy, so the hero was sent to London, and placed under the care of Sir John York, who introduced him to a seafaring life. In 1576 he started on a voyage to discover a north-west passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and two other expeditions were also undertaken by him ; but none of them could be regarded as successful, though they demon- strated in a remarkable degree the wonderful powers of endurance possessed by the Elizabethan mariners, who put to sea in vessels utterly insignificant compared with the ships of the present day. Frobisher was accompanied in his second and third 1 88 History of Nottinghamshire. voyages by Edward Fenton, to whom allusion has already been made in these pages. The exploits of both of them live in the history of the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Frobisher, for his gallantry on that occasion, was knighted, and the Queen granted to him for a money payment Finningley Grange, which had originally belonged to the Priory of Mattersey. It is impossible to say whether the naval hero saw much of his Notting- hamshire possession. He seems to have had an inborn love of the sea, and after the destruction of the Armada he was again afloat in command of a squadron against the Spaniards. In this expedition he was wounded, in 1594, in attacking Fort Croyzan, near Brest, and died on his return home at Plymouth. According to the parish register, a Francis Frobisher was baptized at Finningley in 1589, and a year afterwards a Martin Frobisher was also christened, receiving his name after that of his^famous relative. These were the sons of Francis Frobisher, of the Grange, who was the grandson of another Francis, Recorder of Doncaster, and was buried there in the 29th Queen Elizabeth. From this it would appear that the Grange had been held by the family prior to the time when the seaman obtained possession of it by purchase from the Queen. The State Papers throw some light on |this transaction, for a certificate is there produced of a payment of ^"948 17s. 3^d., by Sir Martin Frobisher, for the Manor of Whitwood, in Yorkshire, and Finningley Grange, Notts. Frobisher made Whitwood his chief residence, and there married, as his second wife, Dorothy, widow of Sir W. Widmerpoole, a daughter of Lord Wentworth. Other members of the family appear to have been in the naval service at this time, for there occur the names of • Young Martin Frobisher' and Captain Frobisher. The hero does not seem to have become rich by all his adventures, for he had a difficulty in settling for his newly- Finningley. 1 89 acquired properties, and after his decease there was a re-grant of Whitwood and Finningley to Peter Frobisher, his cousin and heir, on payment of £500, the estates having been forfeited by Sir Martin through default in payment of that amount. Finningley remained in the family until the end of the seventeenth century, when the Harveys of Ick- well Bury, in Bedfordshire, became the possessors of it. In 1885 the church where the Frobishers formerly wor- shipped was restored at a cost of £1,250, of which sum £500 was a bequest from John Harvey, Esq. There are specimens of the Norman, Early English, and Decorated styles, which were carefully treated in the work of restora- tion under the able direction of Mr. C. Hodgson Fowler. The pulpit bears the date of 1603 and the name of John Partik. The western portion of the manor-house was in existence till three years ago, when it was taken down and rebuilt. Before this reconstruction the old chimney and fireplace still remained as they had existed in the lifetime of the great explorer. "1 > CHAPTER XIX. Worksop and 'The Dukeries' — The Lovetots— Foundation of Worksop Priory — The Furnivals and Talbots — Dissolution of the Monastery — Mary Queen of Scots at the Manor — Sherwood Forest — Clumber House and the Dukes of Newcastle — Thoresby, Seat of Earl Manvers — Welbeck Abbey and the Dukes of Portland — Birkland and Bilhagh — Edwinstowe, Ollerton — Cockglode — Ruf- ford Abbey — Clipstone Palace — Shireoaks — Gateford — Osberton — Serlby Hall. There is one feature of our county that is unique. If we cannot boast romantic scenery, or point to mountains, lakes, and waterfalls with streamlets flowing through flowery glens, we can claim the possession of forest glades of unrivalled beauty. A large portion of ancient Sherwood still happily remains to us, and where shall we find its compeer ? There are glimpses of sylvan scenery of equal beauty in the New Forest, but in Sherwood art has united with Nature to make an incomparable combina- tion. In the midst of the venerable forest, with its memories of Robin Hood and of sport-loving kings who resorted hitherto to enjoy the pleasures of the chase, there are ' stately homes ' of great magnificence, worthy of the natural grandeur by which they are surrounded. Nature beautifies and enriches art, while art helps us to realize and enjoy the charms of Nature. The noble seats which have won for the district the name of 'The Dukeries' — Clumber, Thoresby, and Welbeck — give a charm to it that Shenvood Forest. 191 it could not otherwise possess. After passing through miles of forest admiring the ancient oaks, which, gnarled and weather-beaten, have stood the storms of centuries, or looking at the graceful silvery beech, the lady of the wood, or watching the movements of groups of deer half hidden amid the bracken, the great houses burst upon the sight with delightful effect. Truly they are like ' apples of gold in pictures of silver.' Genius and wealth combined have made these palaces of the forest very fair to look upon, and have given to historic Sherwood a fame that is world- wide. Not only ' Here waving groves a chequered scene display, And part admit and part exclude the day,' but in the midst of them tower the mansions of the nobility, with the terraces, lakes, and running cascades that make up visions of loveliness, and leave a deep and pleasurable impress on the mind. Thanks to the kindness of the noble owners — a kindness that deserves to win a hearty and cordial appreciation — the public may, under reasonable restrictions, enjoy a full view of the beauties of these splendid domains, and it is not surprising to hear that as people accustomed to travel begin to realize the attractions that exist nearer home, Sherwood Forest is being visited from year to year by largely-increasing numbers. Truly it may be said of Sherwood, as Mr. Eyre, a well-known traveller, said of the New Forest when giving evidence before a Select Committee, that ' he did not half appreciate its beauties until he had travelled,' and that, ' taking it in its natural state, there is nothing like an English forest in the world.' The forests of the Continent are overcrowded, and ' there is no chance for any tree to assume individu- ality,' but in the glades of Sherwood there are monster oaks possessing individual characteristics, and some of them distinctive names, that have for generations stood in the full strength of maturity, like silent sentinels watching 192 History of Nottinghamshire. over the slenderer growths and forms around them. In the words of Washington Irving, who bore a warm tribute to the beauties of Merry Sherwood, 'they are shattered, hollow, and moss-grown, it is true, and their leafy honours are nearly departed ; but, like mouldering towers, they are noble and picturesque in their decay, and give evidence, even in their ruins, of their ancient grandeur.' It would be difficult to find a greater relief for the wearied townsman than a few brief days in the midst of this ancient forest can afford. Talk of contrasts and of the impetus to health and vigour which is given by a change, where can we find a greater change than this ? In every sense the transition is thorough and complete. From the noisy shop, the dusty factory, the stuffy warehouse, the crowded thoroughfares where men jostle shoulder to shoulder and push and struggle for the use of a few inches of roadway, to the pure energizing atmosphere of the ancient forest, where myriads of people might roam at large without overcrowding, and where the great oaks invite you to restfulness, quietude, and peaceful medita- tion under their umbrageous shade, is as complete a change of locality and surroundings as could be found anywhere. The one is all modern and artificial, the other is ancient and natural ; the one absorbs you in the struggles and anxieties of the present age, the other carries you back irresistibly over the records of the past. As we wander under the protecting shadow of the old oaks, knotted and gnarled in their contest with Time's destroying hand, but still strong and lusty and vigorous in their venerable age, we find ourselves conjuring up visions of the days long ago when Robin Hood and his trusty men roamed at their own sweet will through the forest glades, and when king, prince, and noble hawked or hunted to beguile themselves with abundant sport, and to fill their capacious larders with the royal venison. It is a pleasant relief to breathe freely the pure forest air, and Worksop. 193 banishing for the nonce the cares of the world to turn over the pages of history, and live amidst the memories and traditions of olden days. Before passing into this delightful region, of which so much has been said and sung, it will be interesting to refer to Worksop, which is on the verge of the forest, and at which so many of those who pay a pilgrimage to Sherwood are wont to stay. The town has many attractions for the antiquary and a constant source of delight in its abbey church and the ruins of the monastic buildings, which arose there in the twelfth century. When Archbishop Thurstan arrived in the Midlands, religious houses in this diocese were comparatively few and far between, but under his auspices a new impetus was given to the diffusion of the monastic principle. Between the years 11 20 and 1125 six houses of Austin Canons were established in Yorkshire, and for institutions already in existence he succeeded in securing additional grants and privileges. One of the monasteries that was undoubtedly enriched in his lifetime was that at Worksop, founded by William de Lovetot, the son of a Norman baron who had come over with the Conqueror, and who had succeeded the powerful Roger de Builli in the possession of the Worksop property. The date at which Lovetot introduced the Austin Canons to this locality is given by Thoroton as A.D. 1103, a date which is confirmed by the documents quoted in Dugdale's ' Monasticon.' Archbishop Gerard was at this time guiding the destinies of the see of York, and though he was not always popular with the monks, he set an example of munificence which was followed by liberal gifts to religious institutions. The Priory of Lenton was founded during his episcopacy, by William Peverel, and Worksop received its first endowment by William de Lovetot at a similar period. Gerard, who died at Southwell, was succeeded by Thomas II., the nephew of the first Norman Archbishop, who also took 13 194 History of Nottinghamshire. much interest in the progress of the Church in this county. To ' T. Archbishop of York ' Lovetot directed a docu- ment making liberal grants to the Priory which he had founded, and in Thurstan's time, when a wave of enthu- siasm in behalf of the monastic orders was spreading over the diocese, the Worksop Canons had confirmed to them the rich gifts which Lovetot had made, including churches, lands, tithes, mills, and fishponds, amongst others the fishpond and mill then existing ' nigh the church.' The confirmation of the grant was made by Henry I., and joyfully witnessed by Thurstan,* who had himself swayed the hearts of so many of the laity in the same direction. The example of the father was followed by the son. Richard de Lovetot, temp. Henry II., gave to God and the church of St. Cuthbert 'the whole site of the town of Worksop near the church, as it was shut in by the great ditch unto the meadow of Bersebrigg,' and other valuable possessions which we need not specify. Other members of the family added to the benefactions, and it was not to be wondered at that the Abbey of Worksop should have become in course of time a flourishing and an extensive place. Before referring to its progress and importance, let us glance at the family which gave to Worksop the institution that made it a centre of monastic influence. The first of the Lovetots had, as we have said, come over with the Conqueror, and the assistance he had rendered that eminent warrior had been rewarded with extensive grants of land. William de Lovetot, the son of this worthy, found himself the owner of property in Yorkshire and Huntingdon, and succeeded ' Roger, the man of Roger de Builli,' in the possession of several manors in this county. On his death he was buried in Worksop Church, on the * Throsby's Thoroton, iii. 386. Worksop. 195 north side, near the high altar.* After him came Richard de Lovetot, Lord of Sheffield, who was buried beneath his father, under a white stone. William de Lovetot succeeded Richard, and died without male issue, so that the family became extinct in the direct line. They are said to have occupied a castle on a rock of red sandstone on the north- west side of the town, at a place still known as Castle Hill. Leland, who visited the place in the sixteenth century, mentions this tradition. He says, ' There is a place now environyd. with trees, caulyd the Castelle Hill, where the Lovetofts had sumtime a castel. The stones of the castel were fetched, as sum say, to make the faire lodge in Wyrk- soppe Park, not yet fynished. But I am of opinion that the chanons had the ruins of the castel stones to make the closure of their large waulls.' During their residence at Worksop the Lovetots ren- dered continual service to the State, and members of the family^'who had settled in other parts were equally active and influential. From Nigel de Lovetot, a younger son of the founder of Worksop Priory, sprang Lovetots who were Lords of Car Colston and of Wysall in this county, one of whom (Richard) served as a crusader, and formed one of the great army commanded by Richard I., in 1191. Sir John de Lovetot, of Wysall, became a Justice of the Common Pleas in 1275, and in 1278 was made one of the Justices of the Bench at Westminster at an annual salary of 50 marks.-f- He did not win a very enviable reputation, except for his legal learning. Charges of extortion were made against him, and he was imprisoned in the Tower, from which he was not released until he had paid a heavy fine amounting to 3,000 marks.! He died November 5, 1294. * Dugdale's ' Monasticon,' vi., part i., 118. t ' Parliamentary Writs,' i. 717. J Foss's 'Judges,' iii. 123. 13—2 196 History of Nottinghamshire. Another Sir John de Lovetot was employed by royalty in important missions, while Roger de Lovetot, brother of the Judge, was Governor of Bolsover Castle and thrice Sheriff of Notts. Of the three grandsons of the Judge, only one had issue, viz., John, who died unmarried, and Margaret, who married Sir John Cheyne. William de Lovetot, of Worksop, had only one child, a daughter, Matilda, and with her marriage to Gerard de Furnival, Worksop passed from one great family into the possession of another. The Furnivals, who succeeded the Lovetots, were certainly a family of equal if not greater distinction. According to the rhyming pedigree in Dugdale they 'came out of Nor- mandie streight as we rede,' and were landowners in that country, for at Gerard's death he was entombed at Ebrard in his own demesne ' which is called Furnival.' He had three sons — Thomas, Gerard, and William. The two former became Crusaders. Thomas was slain by the Saracens, and his body left in the Holy Land, but his mother caused Gerard to return to recover the remains, which were subsequently entombed at Worksop. The rhyming chronicler quaintly writes : ' Then tumulate here in Nottinghamshire, At Wyrksoppe, the north syde of this Mynster, With his helm on his hede will enquere With precious stones sometyme, that were sett sere, And a noble charbuncle on him doth he bere On his hede to see they may who so will Of my writing witness for to fulfill.' Thomas was succeeded by his son Gerard, and Gerard by another Thomas — the latter being evidently the favourite family Christian name. There was a Thomas de Furnival who was the commander of the levies raised from the counties of Notts and Derby in 1298, and was a commissioner appointed in the following year to summon the knights of these counties to meet the King Worksop. 197 for the purpose of performing military service against the Scots.* During his war with Scotland Edward I. frequently sojourned at Nottingham Castle, and Furnival was again employed in 1301 to raise forces for him in this locality. The year previously he had joined in a letter addressed to the Pope, and had been styled ' Dominus de Sheffield.' He was often summoned to Parliament, and his name appears in this capacity in 1307, when he attended the Parliament held at Carlisle for the purpose of treating on the affairs of the kingdom with the Papal Legate. During the reigns of the Edwards there were two Thomas de Furnivals, who were busily employed in important missions. In the ' Parliamentary Writs/ the mandates addressed to Thomas Furnival, the elder, occupy no less than two large folio pages.* He was entered as Joint Lord of Bingham, Saxondale, Sutton, Colston, Ossington, Normanton, and Worksop in Notts, and Lord of Sheffield, and other manors in the adjoining county. He was returned as a Baron to Parliament, and employed in military services in Scotland, Aquitaine, and Gascony, down to 1332. His lordship's son, Thomas de Furnival, junior, sat in Parliament at the same time, and also served in the Scotch wars. He died in 1339, having added greatly to the family possessions by his marriage with a heiress, and was succeeded by his son Thomas, another warrior, who shared in the glories of Cressy. William de Furnival, the fourth Baron, was summoned to Parliament from 1366 to 1383. 'This nobleman per- mitted the pale of his park at Worksop to be so defective that divers of the King's deer out of the forest of Sherwood came freely into it and were destroyed. In consequence of this, William de Latimer, Warden of the Forests beyond Trent, seized the park for the King ; but it was soon after * ' Parliamentary" Writs,' ii. 626. f Ibid., ii, 904-5. 198 History of Nottinghamshire. released, and Lord Furnival pardoned on payment of a fine of ^20.'* His lordship died in 1353, and having no children except a daughter, Joan, the famous family of Furnival became extinct, as the Lovetots had done before them. During the residence at Worksop of the two great families we have described the abbey and church had been enriched by continuous grants, and within the precincts of the sacred edifice many stalwart warriors had been buried. The abbey covered a large area, and the church, which had been erected, was (as it still is) one of the finest in the county. With the demise of the last of the Furnivals, the barony was conveyed by the heiress to Thomas Nevill, her hus- band, one of another ancient and lordly line. Strange to say, this ' Lord Furnival,' as he was styled, had no son, and the property again passed into another great family by the marriage of his eldest daughter to Sir John Talbot. Whatever may have been the merits and achievements of the successive owners and residents of Worksop thus far, the deeds of the worthy Knight who now possessed it eclipsed them all. Summoned to Parliament in 1409 as * Johanne Talbot de Furnyvall,' he became, in 1412, Lord Justice of Ireland, and subsequently Lord-Lieutenant of the same kingdom. He served under Henry V. in France, and was with that monarch when he died. During the reign of Henry VI. he was the most famous and successful general in command of the English troops. Shakespeare terms him the 'great Alcides of the fields,' and he was certainly the bravest and most heroic of all the English military leaders who were serving in the wars with France. He suffered a reverse in 1429, when his forces were routed by Joan of Arc, and he was taken prisoner. The French liberated him in exchange for one of their own officers, who had been captured by the English, and he immediately * Burke's 'Extinct Peerage,' 219. Worksop. 199 threw himself into the war again with renewed vigour. To narrate all his military exploits would fill a volume. He participated in at least forty battles, and his activity only closed with his death, which took place in 1453, from a wound in the thigh. In recognition of his services he was loaded with honours by a grateful monarch. He was created Earl of Shrewsbury in 1442, and made Lord of at least half a dozen other places, his honoured name being known wherever the fame of English prowess had penetrated. ' Then shall our names, Familiar in their mouths as household words — Harry the King, Bedford, and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloster — Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.' The famous Earl was not buried at Worksop, but his wife, Matilda, was interred there in St. Mary's Chapel. His son John, who succeeded as second Earl, was Lord Treasurer, and fell at the battle of Northampton in 1460, fighting for the Lancastrian cause. He was carried to Worksop and buried near the tomb of his mother. ' Here,' says Mr. Hunter, the historian, 'the funeral obsequies of the Lords of Hallamshire were performed, and here their bodies one by one were returned to the earth out of which they were taken. Before the Reformation might be seen a fine series of monuments, ranged on each side the choir, immediately before the altar, and in the Lady Chapel, commencing with the founder and ending with the third Earl of Shrewsbury in the time of Edward the Fourth. What a noble study of the monumental architecture of this kingdom ! What a deep impression must they have com- municated of the existence of heroes of former ages !' Of the fourth Earl we need not say much ; but we may mention that he was visited at Worksop, in 1530, by Car- dinal Wolsey, a reference to which may be found in Cavendish's life of that famous prelate. It was during the lifetime of the fifth Earl that the 200 History of Nottinghamshire. abbey was shorn of all its greatness. The place that had sheltered the Austin Canons for more than four centuries was seized by Henry VIII. in the 33rd year of his reign, and the whole of the site and precincts granted to Francis, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his heirs for ever. The property was to be held of the King in capite by the service of the tenth part of a Knight's fee, and also by the service of rinding the King a right hand glove at the coronation, and of supporting the royal arm that day as long as it should hold the sceptre.* A rent of £23 was also to be paid. The Prior, Thomas Stokkes, who lost his position through the surrender of the abbey to the King, received a pension of £50 a year. The total revenues of the priory amounted to £302 6s. iod., and the clear income to £239 15s. 5d.f Thus enriched with additional funds, the Earls of Shrews- bury kept up great state at the Manor House, and enter- tained within it many distinguished personages. The sixth Earl had entrusted to him the custody of the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots, and towards the summer of 1583 he brought her to Worksop for a change of air, of which, in her weak state, she stood much in need. Thirty orange-trees were planted while she was there — tradition says with her hands. Shrewsbury applied for permission for her to walk in the adjacent forest of Sherwood, but it does not appear that license was given for these sylvan rambles. From Worksop she was taken to Sheffield, as appears by the following letter, addressed to Elizabeth Pierrepont, the youthful granddaughter of the Countess of Shrewsbury :J * Throsby's Thoroton, iii. 393. f DugdaleVMonasticon,'vi. 118. The Earl's son seems to have been equally successful in obtaining grants. In 30 Henry VIII. he obtained the site of the Priory of Flanesford, Herefordshire ; and finally, in exchange for other property, the Cistercian Abbey of Rufford — vide Ellis's ' Royal Letters,' iii. 20. \ Strickland's ' Mary Queen of Scots,' ii. 370. Worksop. 201 1 Darling, 1 1 have received your letter and good tokens, for which I thank you. I am very glad you are so well. Remain with your father and mother this season if willing to keep you, for the air and the weather are so trying here that I already begin to feel the change of the temperature from that of Worssop, where I did not walk much, not being allowed the command of my legs. Commend me to your father and mother very affectionately, also to your sister and all I know, and to all who know me there. I have your black silk robe made, and it shall be sent to you as soon as I receive the trimmings, for which I wrote to London. This is all I can write to you now, except to send you as many blessings as there are days in the year, praying God to extend His arm over you and yours for ever. In haste, this 13th day of September. ' Your very affectionate mistress and best friend, 'Marie R.' ' Endorsed to my beloved bed-fellow, Bess Pierpont' In 1603, Mary's son, James I., proceeding from Scotland to London to ascend the throne, stayed at the mansion which had sheltered his ill-fated mother, and was sump- tuously entertained by the seventh Earl. A contemporary chronicler says, ' After his Majesty's short repast at Worsop his Majesty rides forward, but by the way, in the parke, he was somewhat stayed, for there appeared a number of huntsmen all in green, the chief of which, with a wood- man's speech, did welcome him, offering his Majesty to show him some game which he gladly condescended to see, and with a traine set he hunted a good space, very much delighted ; at last he went into the house where he was so nobly received, with superfluitie of all things, that still every entertainment seemed to exceed the other.' The same writer assures us that there was ' excellent and soul- ravishing music,' and that the King remained at Worksop 202 History of Nottinghamshire. all night. On leaving the next day after breakfast such a store of provisions remained behind that it was left open for any man that would to come and take. The step- mother of this hospitable Earl was the famous Bess of Hard wick, who died immensely rich in 1607. After his first visit James appears to have paid several others* while his ill-fated son, Charles I., was feasted here in 1633, as appears from a letter in the State Papers, wherein Secretary Coke describes his Majesty as being most cheerful, enjoying the love and dutiful demonstrations of his subjects in every place. The same year the Lord Treasurer was invalided at Worksop, where he was attended by Mr. Harvey jf On the demise of the seventh Earl his extensive estates were divided between his three daughters, and on the decease of the two elder without issue, the baronies of Talbot and Furnival vested in Alathea, who was married to Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, Surrey, and Norfolk. In this way Worksop once more saw a change of owner- ship, the manor becoming the property of the illustrious Dukes of Norfolk, in whose hands it remained until 1839, when it was sold to the Duke of Newcastle. The stately manor-house which the Earl of Shrewsbury had erected was burnt in 1761, and the present edifice built on its site four years later. The old house is said to have had no less than 500 rooms, and the loss caused by the fire was estimated at .£100,000. Horace Walpole, writing to Richard Bentley, in 1756, says of his visit to Worksop, ' The house is huge ; one of the magnificent works of old Bess of Hardwick, who guarded the Queen of Scots here for some time in a wretched little bedchamber within her own lofty one.' % The wretched little bedchamber is re- garded as a fiction, though there is no doubt the Queen * Vide White's ' Worksop,' pp. 63-4. f State Papers : Domestic, 1633. % 'Walpole's Letters,' iii. 238. Worksop. 203 was very closely guarded, for the Earl (writing to Baldwin in 1583) says, 'She was never out of my park during her abode at Worksop.'* The present "mansion is a very fine and commodious residence, and is now the seat of Mr. John Robinson. Thus far we have dealt with the famous owners of Worksop, and apart from them and their doings there is little to say. The history of the town is essentially that of its ancient abbey church and manor-house.-f- Of the former some picturesque ruins remain, which are well worthy of inspec- tion. Evelyn, in his ' Diary,' says, ' The church has a double flat tower, entire, and a pretty gate. The manor belongs to the Earl of Arundel, and has to it a fair house at the foot of the hill in the park, that offers a delicate prospect.' Both the abbey gate and the church have long excited the admiration of all who have inspected them. The church has been well described as a proud monument of ancient ecclesiastical magnificence. It constituted, ac- cording to Dugdale, the west end of the priory church, and its two lofty towers give it an imposing appearance, though we can scarcely endorse the opinion that ' it strikes the eye of the beholder with an impression equal to that of West- minster Abbey.' The interior of the sacred edifice is very striking, and a grand specimen of early architecture. Of ancient monuments the only remains are three broken effigies at the west end of the church, one of a lady and two others of knights in armour, supposed to represent members of the family of Lovetot. Several stone coffins have been dug up, and are to be seen close to the south wall. Near the east end of the church, with which it was * State Papers : Domestic/' 1533, letter 537. f There are few references to Worksop in the State Papers, but we may mention thejgrant to Henry.Howard of a weekly market and three fairs there, November 21, 1661. 204 History of Nottinghamshire. formerly connected, are the ruins of St. Mary's Chapel, which was evidently a fine structure in the Early English style. It used to be attached to the east side of the tran- sept, the church having originally been erected in the form of a cross. The priory gateway is another pleasing specimen of old architecture. It stands some distance from the south front of the church, by the side of the present churchyard. It used to have a double gate with a wicket. It now serves as the entrance to a road leading past the west end of the church. Of modern memorials within the sacred edifice mention may be made of a tablet to Barry St. Leger, Esq., who died December 26, 1793, and who was Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's forces in the province of Canada. He was a brave and humane officer, and served his country with zeal and fidelity for 32 years. There are also memorial win- dows to members of the Foljambe and other respected local families. Leaving Worksop, the first of the great houses we reach as we drive from the town is the ducal residence at Clum- ber, with its memories of famous owners and its rich treasures of art. Entering by the lodge gates we pass through the midst of a glorious woodland, with its wealth of graceful trees and its thick undergrowth of fern, bracken, and heather making a carpet of varied hues. On the grassy lawn, which fringes the park, rabbits and squirrels are sporting in the sun, while the woods echo with the merry notes of feathered songsters. Presently the front of the mansion may be seen towering amid the trees, and then we get a delightful view of Clumber from the bridge, which spans the lake. ' Before the mansion lay a lucid lake, Broad as transparent, deep, and freshly fed By a river, which its softened way did take In currents through the calmer waters spread Clumber. 205 Around ; the wild fowl nestled in the brake And sedges, brooding in their liquid bed ; The woods sloped downwards to its brink, and stood With their green faces fixed upon the flood.' Looking across the placid water, into which the trees gracefully dip their branches, and on the surface of which the wild fowl are swimming without thought of danger, we see in the distance the magnificent terraces for which Clumber is famous, the stately mansion, and, towering over all, with its finger pointing heavenwards, the bright red spire of the beautiful church which has just been erected. It is an enchanting vista, and one that it is diffi- cult by any word-painting to bring before the imagination with sufficient vividness and truth. But who made it what it is ? How came the house with its beautiful surroundings to spring up on the border of quiet forest-glades, which about a century ago consisted of 'little more than a black heath full of rabbits, having a narrow river running through it, with a small boggy close or two ' ? For answer we must turn to history. In a previous article on Haughton, and on the ruins that remain there, we have shown that the original seat of the ancestors of the Dukes of Newcastle was at Haughton Park. Here stood a large mansion with attractive grounds, which Sir William Holies, a great merchant and Lord Mayor of London, purchased of the Stanhope family in the reign of Henry VIII. His son lived at Haughton in great splendour and hospitality. It is recorded of him that 'he began his Christmas at All Hallowtide and continued it until Candlemas, during which time any man was per- mitted to stay three days without being asked whence he came or what he was.' He kept a company of actors of his own to perform plays and masques at festival times, and never travelled without thirty or forty men in livery at his heels. The worthy knight was succeeded by his grandson, John 206 History of Nottinghamshire. Holies, who was raised to the peerage, and in 1624 made Earl of Clare; When he died, in 1637, he was buried in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham, at a spot which he had himself selected for his sepulture. ' He seemed,' we read, * to have had some presage of his death, for on the Sunday before going from prayers at St. Mary's Church, he sud- denly put his staff on a particular spot and said, " Here will I be buried." ' His son John, the second Earl, was born at Haughton, and the mansion continued the residence of the family until the time of the fourth Earl, John, who was born in 1663. This worthy married Margaret, third daughter of Henry Cavendish, second Duke of Newcastle, and was himself raised to the dignity which his father-in-law had held. By his family connections and marriage he became one of the richest men in the kingdom, and was created Duke of Newcastle in 1604, three years after his father-in- law's death. It is said that his own estate and the Caven- dish together amounted to £40,000 per annum — an enormous sum in those days, Haughton, upon the acquisition of these estates, was suffered to fall into ruin, and the Duke took up his abode at Welbeck Abbey. 'Afterwards/ says a writer quoted by Throsby, ' when the Holies and the Cavendish estate came to separate again, and the latter went through the Harleys to the Bentincks, a mansion was wanted for the former, and Clumber Park, which might be a lodge before, was by degrees extended to its present size and import- ance.' Haughton, where Danzell Holies and many other eminent men were born, was allowed to decay, and even- tually removed, all now remaining being the ruins of the chapel. Clumber having thus been selected as the site of a family seat, preparations for a house on a scale of becoming mag- nificence were made. About 1772 a mansion was erected, extensive plantations laid out, lake and pleasure grounds Clumber. 207 formed, and so palatial an abode created, that Throsby, who visited the place 25 years after its construction, quaintly describes it as calculated to ' paradise the mind.' The estate had been carried from the Ht)lles family to the Pelhams, and through the Pelhams to their relatives, the Clintons. And a very famous and historic family it is that gave to Clumber its princely abode, and that has exercised a powerful and beneficent influence on the fortunes of this country. Without entering into the dry-as-dust details of an ordinary pedigree, we may mention two or three of a long line of Clintons, who took a prominent and worthy part in affairs of State. Geoffrey de Clinton, with whom Dugdale commences his history of the family, was Lord Chamberlain and Trea- surer to Henry I., and afterwards Justice of England. Foss, in his ' Judges/ says he was a witness to the King's charter to Westminster Abbey. He built the castle of Kenilworth, and gave all the lands he had there, except those attached to the castle and park, to endow the priory of Augustinian monks which he had founded. His posses- sions extended through no less than fourteen counties. William de Clinton was Lord High Admiral in 1333, and created Earl of Huntingdon in 1337. John, second Lord Clinton, and John, the third Lord, distinguished themselves in the wars of Edward III., and William, the fourth Lord, in the conflicts of succeeding reigns. John, the sixth Lord, fought under Henry VI. in France, and was a prisoner more than six years ; while Edward, the ninth Lord, was a distinguished commander at sea, and Lord High Admiral of England in 1550. He was ad- vanced to the title of Earl of Lincoln, and died in 1585. Henry, the second Earl, was one of the Commissioners on the trial of Mary Queen of Scots, and Theophilus, the fourth Earl, was a staunch supporter of the royal cause during the Civil War. Sir William Henry Clinton, son of 208 History of Nottinghamshire. the sixth Earl, was Commander-in-Chief of the land forces in America, and his brother Henry was Lieutenant-General. The seventh Earl filled successively the important offices of Paymaster-General, Constable of the Tower, and Cofferer to the royal household ; while his second son, who became the ninth Earl, also held several of the highest offices at Court. This nobleman married Catherine, eldest daughter and heir of Sir Henry Pelham, and inherited, in 1768, the Dukedom of Newcastle, on the demise of her ladyship's uncle, Thomas Pelham-Holles, who had been created Duke in 1756, with special remainder to the Earl of Lincoln. As Clumber was built about 1770, it would be this noble- man, we presume, who would have the chief hand in its construction, and would make it the ancestral home of the family in those parts. Of the eminent Dukes who have lived at the forest mansion mention must be specially made of Henry Pelham, fifth Duke, who died deeply lamented in 1864 after a busy life devoted to the public service. His Grace filled the onerous offices of Chief Secretary for Ireland, Secretary of State for the Colonies, and Secretary of State for War, holding the last-named appointment during a portion of that most anxious and trying period — the Crimean War. Miss Martineau, writing his memoir in 1864, says, 'Few Ministers could be more missed and mourned by good citizens of all parties and ways of thinking. Those who were nearest to him were subject to frequent surprises from his simplicity, his unconcealable, conscientious, and abiding sense of fellowship with all sincere people, whoever they may be. As a rrobleman of aristocratic England he was in this way a great blessing and a singularly useful example.' His Grace died at Clumber with awful suddenness, October 18, 1864. At twenty-five minutes past six o'clock on that day he was conversing freely with his solicitor, Mr. Ouvry, that gentle- man having been to the church festival at Shireoaks, and Clumber. 209 the Duke had been expressing his gratification at the great success of the festival, when he suddenly threw up his arms, gave a shriek, and died in about four minutes. His Grace's physician and two or three other gentlemen were present at the time. The body was interred in the family mausoleum at Markham Clinton. Having glanced thus briefly at a few eminent members of the distinguished family to whom Clumber owes so much of its beauty and its fame, let us say a word or two of the house itself. Its praises have been sounded by many writers, and it well deserves all that can be written in its favour. It has been said, to quote Mr. Laird's description in the ' Beauties of England and Wales,' that ' it embraces magnificence and comfort more than any other nobleman's mansion in England ; that everything reflects the highest credit on the taste displayed in the accommodation and ornaments found in this delightful retreat ; and that in this princely abode the writer of romance (and why not the reader also ?) might enrich his fancy, and the poet imagine himself wandering through an enchanted palace.' The mansion consists of three portions, and in the centre of that which faces the lake there is a light Ionic colonnade which has a pleasing effect. The lawns and terraces are laid out with much skill, and taste- fully adorned with lofty vases and graceful statuary. A splendid fountain plays in the centre of the terrace, and in front of all is the beautiful lake, on which two vessels sail. The interior is worthy of the imposing appearance that is outwardly presented. Since the disastrous fire, which occurred in March, 1879, destroying the oldest part of the house, and many treasures of art, the west front has been rebuilt, and contains some unusually fine apartments. There is a lofty hall supported by pillars, and a noble staircase, leading to a gallery adorned with valuable paintings, Clumber being noted for the pubse.ssion of pictures of the great masters of almost price- H 2 1 o History of Nottinghamshire. less value. The grand drawing and dining rooms, the library, and other apartments, are sumptuously adorned ; and the magnificent suites of rooms which constitute the mansion, replete with gems of art and choicest articles of vertu, may well be said, as Byron said of the huge halls, long galleries, and spacious chambers of Newstead, to ' Leave a grand impression on the mind ; At least, of those whose eyes are in their hearts.' From the south front, facing the lake, the terraces stretch to the edge of the water, and make a most pleasing and effective picture. On the eastern side of the mansion the noble Duke to whom Clumber now belongs has made a splendid addition by the erection of a new church. It is a handsome structure, and gives dignity and beauty to the surroundings of a palatial abode. About three miles from Clumber is another splendid residence — Thoresby — once the home of the Duke of Kingston, from whom, as our references to Holme Pierrepont show, the present noble owner, Earl Manvers, is descended. The original mansion was destroyed by fire in 1745. It had been enlivened by the presence of the celebrated Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and other eminent personages, and was a solid substantial structure. The Duke of Kingston replaced the old house, but his brick mansion has in its turn given way to a glorious dwelling of Steetley stone in the Elizabethan style of architecture, which will ever remain a monument to the munificence and good taste of the present estimable Earl, to whom it owes its inception and construction. In the apt words of Mr. Robert White, 'it may be considered as one of the most splendid modern additions to the long roll of baronial homes that dot the land so pleasantly, and which, with their parks and avenues, give us some of the finest thoughts of England and its people in their national home-like character.' Thoresby. 2 1 1 Leaving the sweeping, well-kept roads of the beautiful Thoresby estate by the picturesque' Buck Gates,' and passing thence through the forest, amid oaks, knotted and gnarled, that have borne the fierce storms of many centuries, we reach the famous domain of Welbeck, the Notting- hamshire seat of the Duke of Portland. The mansion occupies the site of an abbey of Premonstratensian canons, founded by Thomas de Cuckney in 1140,* and dedicated to St. James. The abbey was enriched by liberal gifts from the Goushills, D'Eyncourts, Bassets, and other county people of that day ; and it also re- ceived a considerable grant from Edward I. With so much wealth at his disposal, the Abbot of Welbeck was an influential man, and to his custody in 15 12 all the houses of the same order of the religious were entrusted. f On the dissolution of the monastery, the site was granted by Henry VIII. to Richard Whaliey, of Screveton, and his heirs, and after passing from them to other owners, it came into the hands of Sir Charles Cavendish, youngest son of the Countess of Shrewsbury, whose son entertained James I. there, and was raised to the peerage. As Baron Cavendish and Earl of Newcastle, he rendered eminent services to Charles I. during the Civil Wars, and was Commander-in- Chief of the Forces North of the Trent. In 1642, when the Queen arrived with arms and ammuni- tion, he made arrangements for her reception, and con- ducted her in safety to the King at Oxford. % At the Restoration he was raised to the dignity of Duke of Newcastle, and s,pent the remnant of his days in retire- * In the village of Cuckney, a few miles away, is a mount, called Castle Hill, believed to be the site of the residence of this worthy. Thoroton says, ' He made himself a castle in this said land of Cukeney, for Thomas was a warlike man (or souldier) in the whole war.' t 'Worksop, the Dukery and Sherwood Forest,' p. 138. % ' Worthies of Notts,' p. 227. 14 — 2 2 12 History of Nottinghamshire. ment at Welbeck, which he had rebuilt and beautified, while his wife devoted herself to writing plays and poems and a life of her husband. The Duke's great-grand- daughter married the second Earl of Oxford, as the peerages testify ; and their only daughter married William Bentinck, second Duke of Portland, in 1734, and so brought the estate to the noble family who still possess it. Few houses in the country contain such wonders as are to be found at Welbeck. There is now but an insignifi- cant trace left of the remains of the old Premonstratensian abbey; but the catacombs, or underground apartments, built at the instance of the last Duke, fill the visitor with astonishment, only tempered with delight, that these spacious halls beneath the surface of the earth should be so beautifully adorned, and in them so many choice works of art. A labyrinth of tunnels communicates with various parts of the Welbeck estate. The new riding-school and tan gallop, the stables, farm outbuildings, where many prize cattle are housed, the gardens and conservatories, are all on a scale of almost unparalleled grandeur; and since the marriage of the sixth Duke, one of the most popular and respected noblemen in the country, the glories and hospi- tality of Welbeck are often enjoyed by many distinguished visitors. It would occupy much space to enter into a detailed description of the house; and as the guide-books and newspapers afford so many details, it is needless to do so. One brief quotation will sufficiently indicate the grandeur of the subterranean portion of this remarkable mansion. ' The underground apartments,' says an observant visitor,* 'are nobly planned and proportioned, and for chaste- ness and elegance of decoration could hardly be surpassed. All the workmanship is curiously perfect. The walls are * Daily News, December 18, 1879. Welbeck. 213 not only of vast thickness, but so treated with asphalt as to make the penetration of damp next to impossible. The doors, of enormous size and weight, are so perfectly hung that a child could open or shut them, and they close with the beautiful precision of those in the private drawing- rooms of Windsor Castle — that is to say, as accurately as a Scotch snuff-box. Even by the comparatively dim light of a winter afternoon this magnificent suite of apartments is perfectly lighted from above, and an effective side-light is obtained from a glass-roofed corridor running on one side. Both library, writing- rooms, billiard -rooms, and reception-rooms are finished and prepared for lighting by gas in the night-time. Equally notable is the magnifi- cent ball - room,* 160 feet long, lighted by day by gigantic bull's-eyes, and at night by gas. It is difficult to imagine a more perfect apartment for the purpose of festivity. Its tasteful decorations have a light and elegant effect, and the arrangement of corridors, conservatories, and refreshment - rooms, and the devices which secure efficient ventilation, are as well and carefully thought of as the spacious " lifts " for raising ample but weary parents to the upper air. It is, moreover, admirable in its acoustic qualities, which is more than can be said for many of the music-rooms in great houses. A vast quantity of iron girders has been used in the construction of these subter- ranean apartments, which have been actually excavated out of the foreground of the abbey. There can be no doubt that they successfully supply the purpose for which they are intended, novel as the scheme of underground libraries and ball-rooms may appear at first sight.' Leaving Welbeck and its many marvels, we plunge once more into the forest glades. In summer-time, for a sight of rich woodland scenery there is nothing to be compared to a drive through Birk- * Now used as a picture gallery, and abounding in choice works of the great masters, 2 1 4 History of Nottinghamshire. land and Bilhagh, as one part of Sherwood Forest is called. Here we have the monarch of the forest, the Major Oak, with other lesser giants within easy access. Passing the pretty villages of Edwinstowe — Saxon, as its name denotes — and Ollerton, once the residence of a branch of the Markham family, by the beautifully-situated residence of Mr. George Savile Foljambe, at Cockglode, we come to Rufford Abbey, the home of Lord Savile, G.C.B., an eminent diplomatist, who has rendered great service to his country. The mansion is on the site of a Cistercian abbey, founded in 1 148, in honour of the Virgin Mary, by Gilbert de Gaunt, Earl of Lincoln. At the dissolution of the monasteries the estate was granted on lease to Sir John Markham, but subsequently came into the possession of the Earl of Shrewsbury', and was the occasional residence of the famous ' Bess of Hardwick.' James I. was enter- tained there from September 19 to 22, 1616, and it received several visits from Charles I. From the Shrewsburys the estate passed by marriage to the Saviles, with which noble family it still remains. The mansion has some beautiful apartments— notably the state rooms and picture-gallery — and contains a choice collection of pictures, tapestry, and articles of vertu. There are numerous references to the abbey in the State Papers, but no entries of general interest. Accounts of the eminent members of the Savile family are given in biographical books, and in the ' Lives of Notting- hamshire Worthies.' A few miles away, on the road from Edwinstowe to Mansfield, is the little village of Clipstone and some remains of an old castle, popularly known as ' King John's Palace.' The Close Rolls show that royalty was often at Clipstone, and that many gay parties issued from the palace to hunt the deer with which the forest abounded. Almost a mile distant is the Parliament Oak, under which King John is said to have taken counsel with his advisers, and in other parts of the district are famous trees, patri- Clipstone. 215 archs of the forest, for at almost every turn we meet with — 'A huge oak, dry and dead, Still clad with reliques of its trophies old, Lifting to heaven its aged hoary head, Whose foot on earth hath got but feeble hold, And, half disbowell'd, stands above the ground, With wreathed roots and naked arms, And trunk all rotten and unsound !' Shireoaks, as the name implies, is a village where once stood a grove of trees, on the boundaries of the counties of Nottingham, York, and Derby. The Hall is the residence of Mr. George Eddison, J. P., and about a mile distant, in a richly-wooded park, on Gateford Hill, is the handsome house of Mr. Henry Vessey Machin, J. P. Osberton Hall is another commanding country mansion, rich in archaeo- logical treasures, belonging to Mr. Francis John Savile Foljambe, J. P. — a worthy and honoured representative of some of the most ancient of our Nottinghamshire families — and, like Serlby Hall, the seat of Viscount Galway, is erected in the midst of charming scenery. A large volume might be written on this part of our county, its forest, its mansions, its traditions, and historical reminiscences. There are scenes, we admit, more picturesque, and there are spots on which great national events have been decided, or where the possessors of ' heaven-born genius,' first saw the light of day, more classic and more historic. Sherwood cannot offer to the delighted gaze the lakes, cascades, and murmuring rivulets which amid the rugged hills of Westmoreland and Cumberland constitute the lovely scenery of the English lakes ; it cannot rival in some respects the rustic beauties of Devonshire, or unfold so pretty a panorama as may be seen on a trip down the Wye ; nor can it compare in historic importance with some of the ruined castles, around whose walls warriors have fought and bled, or in classic interest with the places sacred 2l6 History of Nottinghamshire. to the memories of Shakespeare or Milton, Pope or Words- worth. But in the blending of the great sources of peren- nial attraction, in the grandeur of its natural adornments, and in the beauty of its palatial abodes, with all the asso- ciations aroused by the historic names of Robin Hood, the Pierreponts, the Clintons, the Bentincks, the Saviles, and, we may also add, the Byrons, the domain of Sherwood may be fairly said to rival, if not to transcend, many other scenes which possess a wider popularity. CHAPTER XX. Mansfield and its Environs — Newstead and the Byrons — Annesley — Felley — H ucknall Torkard — Papplewick — Blid worth. Camden, in his quaint sketch of the county, says : ' More inward, the forest of Shirewood (which some expound by these Latine names Lympida Sylva, that is a shire or cleere wood ; others Prceclara Sylva, in the same sence & signification) in ancient times overshadowed all the country over with greene leaved branches, & the boughs & armes of trees twisted one within another, so implicated the Woods together that a Man could scarcely goe alone in the beaten pathes ; but now the trees grow not so thicke, yet hath it an infinite number of fallow Deere, yea Stagges with their stately branching heads feeding within it. Some Townes also : among which Mansfield carryeth away the name, as maintaining a great Mercat passing well served, & as well frequented. The name of which Towne, they that delineat the Pedigree of the Graves of the great family of Mansfield in Germany use as an argument to proove the same & set downe that the first Earle of Mansfield was one of King Arthurs Knights of the round table, borne & bred at this Mansfield. Indeed our Kings used in old time to retyre themselves hether for the love of hunting : & that you may reade the very words out of an ancient Inquisition, " W. Fauconberge tenebat manerium de Cuke- ney in hoc Comitatu in Sergientia per Servitium ferrandi 2 1 8 History of Nottinghamshire. Palfredum Regis quando Rex veniret ad Mansfield," that is W. Fauconberge held the Manour of Cukeney in the County in Sergiency by service to shooe the Kings palfrey when the King came to Mansfield. And the hereditary Foresters or Keepers of this Forest of Shirewood were men in their time of high estimation, viz. Sir Gerarde de Nor- manvile in the time of the Conquest, the Cauzes & Birkins, by whose heire it came to the Everinghams, of which Family Sir Adam Everingham was summoned to Parlia- ments in the Raignes of King Edward the Second & King Edward the Third. At which time they were seated at Laxton, anciently called Lexinton, where also flourished a great family so surnamed, whose heires were marryed into the Houses of Sutton of Averham & Markham ' — as in previous chapters has been shown. Mansfield is said to have derived its name from the little stream called the Maun, which runs gently through it. The district around is full of interest, and the town itself (the scene of the old story of the ' King and the Miller of Mansfield ') is worthy of notice, and possesses many inter- esting associations, which we hope some day to see gathered up into a comely volume. Without desiring to dive too deeply into its history, we may mention that Mansfield, with its very modern appearance, possesses claims to great antiquity. The finding of many Roman coins, in- cluding those of Vespasian, Constantine, and Marcus Aurelius, and the fact of a Roman villa having been dis- covered^ the vicinity by the late Major Rooke, the anti- quary^lead to the belief that Mansfield may have been a Roman station ; and there is no doubt that during the Saxon heptarchy the Mercian Kings frequently stayed at Mansfield, through its proximity to the forest, where sports of all kinds abounded. Edward the Confessor had a manor htre, and when William the Conqueror came into posses- sion he had here 'two car. or plows in demesne and five sochman, on three bovats of this land, and thirty-five Mansfield. 219 villains ; twenty bordars with nineteen car. and a half, one mill, one piscary ; twenty-four acres of meadow, pasture wood two leu. long and two broad ;' and there were also in the town two churches and two priests.* The manor was freely dealt with by various royal owners, gifts being made of it, or of portions of it, by William Rufus, Edward II., and Henry VI., either for church purposes, or to recompense for services rendered, or to reward favourites. In the reign of Henry VIII. it was settled by Act of Parliament on the Duke of Norfolk, for his prowess at the great Battle of Flodden Field, but subsequently exchanged by the King for some other. A description of the town at this period is given by Leiand, who visited it in Henry VIII. 's reign. He says, ' Thence to Maunsfield, a praty market town, and there runneth in the middle of it a rille, which goeth to Clip- stone, or three miles lower, and so to Rufford water.' Reference is made by our county historian, Thoroton, to a fire at Mansfield Woodhouse in 1304, which partially destroyed the church. The mention of Mansfield Wood- house brings to mind a circumstance which is worth noting, as indicative of the curious customs by which the tenure of land was held in olden days. In the reign of Henry VI., one Sir Robert Plumpton, Knight, died seized of one bovat of land in Mansfield Woodhouse, called Wolfhunt land, and one essart in the same town at Wadgate, near Woodhouse Mill, held by the service of sounding a horn, and driving or frightening the wolves in the Forest of Sherwood. We must not linger over the items which go to make up the interesting history of this thriving town, but cannot forbear mentioning that Mansfield has been the birthplace of several eminent men. Quaint old Fuller describes one William de Mansfield, ' born at that noted market town,' who flourished about 1320, and was famed for his skill in 'logic, ethics, physics, and metaphysics.' * Throsby's Thoroton, ii.; 308. 220 History of Nottinghamshire. Henry de Mansfield, Dean of Lincoln (a.d. 1315), was elected Bishop on the death of Bishop Dalderby, but refused to accept the dignity.* Archbishop Sterne, grandfather of the famous Laurence Sterne, author of ' Tristram Shandy,' was born at Mansfield in 1598. Sterne was a stanch Royalist, and attended Arch- bishop Laud on the scaffold. When the Puritans gained the mastery he wisely avoided the occasions of public strife or disputation, remaining in comparative seclusion until the Restoration, when he was rewarded with the Bishopric of Carlisle, becoming subsequently Archbishop of York. He died in 1683. Other Mansfield celebrities were : Dr. Mason, Bishop of Sodor and Man ; Dr. Halifax, Bishop of Gloucester ; William Martin, the naturalist ; Dodsley, the energetic and estimable publisher ; and Hayman Rooke, the antiquary. Lord George Bentinck, a statesman who attained great celebrity, and exercised much influence during the Corn Law agitation, and who died suddenly in Sherwood Forest while walking from Welbeck to Thoresby, in 1848, though not born at Mansfield, always took a deep interest in the town, and in memory of him an elegant Gothic monument was erected in the market-place, by subscription, in 185 1. Reference must also be made to Thompson, one of the benefactors of Mansfield, whose grave, standing on a hill which overlooks the town, and walled round with stones, is a conspicuous object from the public roadway. Thompson, who was a native of Mansfield, after a long residence in Persia as agent for the Russia Company, settled at Lisbon* where he realized a competency. In 1755, when the terrible earthquake which swallowed up Lisbon occurred, Thompson was an affrighted spectator of the scene. He had rushed at the first alarm to the nearest hills, and turning round, he saw the huge city 'rocking and stagger- ing below,' while the noise of crashing buildings was * Giraldus Cambrensis, vii. 215. Mansfield. 221 mingled with the shrieks and groans of thousands of sufferers. When the earthquake was over, Thompson went back to the deserted city, where he subsequently- succeeded in digging out his money ; with this he returned to England, and spent the remainder of his days at Mans- field, selecting the site overlooking the town, where his grave is, as his place of sepulture, from its resemblance to the spot on which he stood when the ill-fated city of Lisbon was suddenly entombed. Mr. William Howitt, who has told the strange story of Thompson's career in his own graphic language, describes the manner of his death, which he says took place ' not in travel ; not in sailing over the ocean, nor up the tulip-margined rivers of Persia or Arabia Felix ; nor yet in an earthquake ; but in the dream of one. One night he was heard crying in a voice of horror, " There ! there ! fly ! fly ! the town shakes ! the house falls ! Ha ! the earth opens ! away !" Then his voice ceased ; but in the morning it was found that he had rolled out of bed between the bedstead and the wall, and there, like a sand-bag wedged in a windy crevice, he was dead.' Among the interesting and thriving villages around Mansfield, mention may be made of Sutton-in-Ashfield, the nursery and home of so many county cricketers ; Mansfield Woodhouse, where Mr. Rooke found the Roman villa, a full account of which may be seen in the * Archasologia '; Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and other localities that are rapidly growing in population and influence with the development of the mining industry. In the same neighbourhood is the historic Newstead Abbey, the home of the Byrons, around whose ancient walls so many precious memories will ever cling. Who has not read Washington Irving's inimitable sketch, by far the most attractive that has yet been penned, or the pleasantly written introduction to Lord Byron's ' Life and Letters' by Thomas Moore? The editors of innumerable 222 History of Nottinghamshire. editions of his lordship's poems have each had something to say of Nevvstead and the Byron family, so that the subject has been amply discussed. But it has the rare merit of being never dull or uninteresting. No matter how much we have read or seen about Newstead Abbey, we can always recur to it with renewed delight. It possesses an especial interest that will last for all time, and cause it always to be thought of, or read of, with proud and pleasurable emotions. It was in 1170 that Henry II. founded a priory at New- stead and dedicated it to God and the Virgin.* It was in the midst of the famous forest of Sherwood, in which were also the abbeys of Welbeck and Rufford, and like them it was far removed from the busy haunts of men. The monks were canons regular of the Order of St. Augustine, and their possessions and privileges were considerable. King John, who several times visited this county, confirmed and enlarged their territories, and they had other bene- factors, amongst whom Robert Lord Lexington was one of the most considerable^ Enjoying substantial revenues, the busy monks built up a church and house which must in their palmy days have been, from an architectural point of view, very fair to look upon. The portions which now remain cannot fail to elicit admiration. The front of the abbey church is ' built in the form of the west end of a * The witnesses to the foundation charter included Geoffrey, Arch- deacon of Canterbury, who became Bishop of El v in 1 174, and Manassar Byset, the owner of East Bridgford, Notts, a member of a great and powerful family. Henry Byset, of Bridgford, was a courtier of King William the Lion. Henry II. visited this county on several occasions. He was here in 1175, and spent part of the month of July at Notting- ham, impleading a great number of inhabitants of the county who had taken his deer. f John de Lexington was Abbot of Newstead, and amongst other local rulers of the priory were Richard de Halum, William de Thur- garton, Hugh de Collingham, William de Allerton, Thomas Gunthorpe, and William Misterton. Newstead A bbey. 223 cathedral, adorned with rich carvings and lofty pinnacles,' while the cloisters somewhat resemble those of West- minster Abbey, only on a smaller scale. The west front is an exceedingly beautiful specimen of early English, scarcely equalled by any other specimen in elegance of composition and delicacy of execution. There is an effigy of the Blessed Virgin, to whom the monastery is dedicated, in a canopied niche above the great west window : 'In a higher niche, alone, but crowned, The Virgin Mother of the God-born Child, With her Son in her blessed arms, look'd round, Spared by some chance when all beside was spoil'd.' Above the cloisters are the corridors or galleries which connected all the rooms of the house, and the windows open into a quadrangular court, in the midst of which is a lofty and fantastic fountain, wrought of the same gray stone as the main edifice, 'symmetrical, but decked with carvings quaint.' The chapter-house has been converted into a beautiful chapel, which is richly and appropriately adorned. The crypt is very extensive, and there is much that is ancient in other parts of the building to arrest the notice of the architect and the antiquary. Here in this fine abode, to quote the glowing words of Throsby, 'Calm religion sweetened the hours of those retired from the world and its vain allurements. And here the poor, the sick, the fatherless, the widow, and the weary traveller found at all times a comfortable asylum.' But the record of most monasteries is very uneventful as far as the outer world is concerned, and there was nothing that we read of at Newstead out of the ordinary way of monastic life down to the sixteenth century. There would, in fact, be little to say about it had it not fallen into the hands of famous people. The family of Byron, which has given to Newstead undying fame, became associated with it at the dissolution 224 History of Nottinghamshire. of the monasteries by Henry VIII. They had held lands in the county since the days of the Conqueror, whom they accompanied into England, and the church and priory of Newstead were added to their possessions by royal grant. This was in 1540, and the member of the family to whom the gift was made was Sir John Byron, of Colwick, Steward of Manchester and Rochdale, and Lieutenant of Sherwood Forest. This worthy, who figures in the traditions of the abbey under the quaint appellation of ' Sir John Byron the Little with the great beard/ converted the saintly edifice into a castellated dwelling. He made part of the abbey into a house, and the south aisle of the church was incor- porated in the apartments : 1 One holy Henry reared the Gothic walls, And bade the pious inmates rest in peace ; Another Henry the kind gift recalls, And bids devotion's hallowed echoes cease.' The first of the Byrons of whom there is any mention is Ralph de Burun, and following him were several genera- tions of warriors, who had their principal seat in an adjoining county. Thoroton says : ' In the Park of Horseley there is a castle, some of the ruins whereof are yet visible, called Horestan Castle, which was the chief mansion of Ralph de Burun's successors.' From this Derbyshire stronghold mail-clad barons went forth to assist the monarch on many a hard-fought field of battle. It is recorded that at the siege of Calais under Edward III., and on the fields, memorable in their respective eras, of Cressy and Bosworth, the name of Byron reaped honours both of rank and fame. During the Civil Wars the family clung to the ill-fated monarch throughout all his misfortunes with the utmost pertinacity and valour. There were seven Byrons on the King's side at the Battle of Edge Hill. Sir John, created in 1643 Baron Byron, of Rochdale, was Field-Marshal of all his New stead Abbey. 225 Majesty's forces in Worcestershire, Shropshire, Cheshire, and North Wales, and Governor to the Duke of York, with whom he fled to Holland when the capture of the King rendered further warfare useless. Richard Byron was one of the valiant colonels at the Battle of Edge Hill, and Governor of Newark. And Nicholas Byron, his uncle, colonel and commander of foot, was so much valued by the King that ' in all warlike engagements he would have him always near him.' At the Battle of Marston Moor four brothers were valiantly engaged, a circumstance to which the poet thus proudly alludes : 1 On Marston, with Rupert 'gainst traitors contending, Four brothers enriched with their blood the bleak field ; For the rights of a monarch their country defending, Till death their attachment to royalty sealed.' For a century or more after these exploits we read little of the Byrons. They took no part in national movements, nor came to the forefront by any display of genius or valour. It was not until 1750 that any member of the family attracted public attention, and this was Mr. Byron, afterwards Admiral Byron, a gallant sailor, who published an account of his shipwreck and sufferings on a desolate island in the South Seas, which won for him consider- able sympathy. A few years later another of the Byrons earned an equally extensive, but less enviable, notoriety. Lord Byron had a quarrel and a duel with his neighbour, Mr. Chaworth, of Annesley, and in the scuffle Mr. Chaworth was slain. The two gentlemen were in the habit of meeting at the Star and Garter tavern, in Pall Mall, at what was called the Nottinghamshire Club. On January 26, 1765, a discussion took place at the club as to the best method of preserving game. Mr. Chaworth, in the course of the debate, said that Sir Charles Sedley had more game on five acres than Lord' Byron had on all his manors, and to this statement his lordship demurred. From this trivial 15 226 History of Nottinghamshire. incident a fatal duel arose, Mr. Chaworth's account of it being as follows : That Lord Byron and he entered the room together, Lord Byron leading the way ; that his lordship in walking forward, said something relative to the dispute, on which he purposed fastening the door; that on turning himself round from this act he perceived his lordship with his sword either drawn or nearly so, on which he instantly drew his own and made a thrust at him, which he thought had either wounded or killed him ; that then perceiving his lordship shorten his sword to return the thrust, he thought to have parried it with his left hand ; that he felt the sword enter his body and go deep through the back ; that he struggled, and being the stronger man, disarmed his lordship, and expressed a concern as under an apprehension of having mortally wounded him ; that Lord Byron replied, saying something to a like effect, adding that he hoped now he would allow him to be as brave a man as any in the kingdom. Mr. Chaworth added that he fully forgave Lord Byron, and hoped the world would do so. His lordship was tried before the House of Peers, and dismissed on paying his fees ; but little more was heard of him during his lifetime. It was reserved for the poet to win for Newstead and his family a world-wide fame. His grand-uncle, from whom he inherited the title and estate after the fatal quarrel with Mr. Chaworth, led the life of a recluse. The mansion and grounds were left neglected, and their con- dition had become deplorable. Well might the young owner pen the familiar lines : ' Through thy battlements, Newstead, the hollow winds whistle, Thou, the hall of my fathers, art gone to decay : In thy once smiling garden the hemlock and thistle Have choked up the rose which late bloomed in the way.' It was in the summer of 1798 that Lord Byron, then a boy of ten, had his first glimpse of the ancestral home. Newstead Abbey. 227 He was accompanied by his mother and nurse, and when they reached the Newstead toll-bar and saw the woods of the abbey stretching out to receive them, their minds were filled with varied and impressive emotions. Mr. Moore tells us that Mrs. Byron, affecting to be ignorant of the place, asked the woman at the toll-bar to whom that seat belonged. She was told that the owner of it, Lord Byron, had been some months dead. 'And who is the right heir?' asked the proud and happy mother. 1 They say,' answered the old woman, ' that it is a little boy who lives at Aberdeen.' 'And this is he, bless him!' exclaimed the nurse, no longer able to contain herself, and turning to kiss with delight the young lad who was seated in her lap. Connected as Newstead thus was with the recollections of his early days — days that are dear in memory to all of us — it became to him a favoured and a cherished spot. Some of the friends of his youth lived there, and it was at Annesley that he formed that devoted attachment for Miss Chaworth, of which he thought and wrote so much. Writing in 1809, he said thus earnestly, 'Newstead and I stand or fall together. I have now lived on the spot, I have fixed my heart upon it, and no pressure, present or future, shall induce me to barter the last vestige of our inheritance.' It was about this time that he was dispensing at New- stead his abundant hospitality to a circle of college friends, and making the walls echo with strange revels, of which an account is given in a letter of Mr. C. S. Matthews. On that occasion it was their custom or whim to hand burgundy round after dinner in a skull which had been mounted in silver and converted into a drinking-cup. After Lord Byron's death, Newstead was bought by Colonel Wild- man, a schoolfellow of the poet, who spent considerable sums upon it, and it secured an equally liberal possessor 15—2 228 History of Nottinghamshire. on the demise of the gallant Colonel in Mr. W. F. Webb, J. P., who purchased it in i860. It is a happy circumstance that a place of such world- wide interest should have passed into the hands of an estimable gentleman like Mr. Webb. Under his direction everything of interest, Byronic or historic, has been care- fully preserved, and a generous but judicious liberality exercised in permitting the public to visit the house and inspect its beautiful rooms and gardens, and its priceless treasures. Not only has Mr. Webb been thoughtful in his preservation and collection of relics of the poet, but he has linked the abbey with other great names which the world will not willingly let die. Himself a traveller and a sports- man of no ordinary prowess, he was on intimate terms with Dr. Livingstone, and it was at Newstead, in a room known by Livingstone's name, that ' The Zambesi and its Tribu- taries' was written. In subsequent years Mr. H. M. Stanley, the discoverer of Livingstone, was entertained at the abbey, and planted a tree, as Livingstone had done before him, in memory of his visit to this hospitable abode. Several relics of Livingstone are preserved in the abbey, including the great explorer's cap and sword ; while the Byronian treasures include the plain circular table on which a portion of ' Childe Harold ' was written ; crockery ware, spill-cups, candlesticks, inkstand, swords, single-sticks, boxing-gloves, face-suards, 'Boatswain's' collar, etc.; carved oak chairs, containing embroidery work by Lord Byron's sister, Augusta; and the rapier with which Mr. Chaworth was killed. The dog's monument, with its well-known epitaph, is in the gardens. Space will not permit us to describe the various rooms of the abbey, with their sumptuous adornments. Of the more historic apartments we may mention the monk's chamber, the great dining-room, once used as a re- fectory ; the breakfast-room, formerly the Abbot's parlour ; Edward III.'s bedroom, Henry VII.'s lodgings, a tapestry- New stead Abbey. 229 room, once occupied by Charles II., and Lord Byron's bed- room, kept undisturbed, with its adjoining dressing-room. Here may be seen his lordship's bedstead, with gilded coronets ; portraits of Murray, his valet, and of the noted pugilist, ' Gentleman Jackson '; while in the oriel window is his writing-table and inkstand. In addition to all these attractions, Newstead possesses natural charms which it would be difficult to find excelled, and some of which are graphically depicted by the poet himself in the thirteenth canto of ' Don Juan.' The gardens are magnificent, and the pleasure-grounds are arranged in terraces and straight walks by Le Notre in the style of Hampton Court and Versailles. The estate is beautifully wooded, and in the vicinity of the abbey are two ornamental sheets of water. Everything is kept in the most perfect order, and looking at Newstead as it is to-day, after all that has been done with a generous and unsparing hand since Lord Byron's time, one cannot but feel that the hope faintly breathed by the poet for his favourite abode has been fully realized : ' Haply thy sun, emerging, yet may shine, Thee to irradiate with meridian ray ; Hours splendid as the past may still be thine, And bless thy future as thy former day.' Very thankful must all lovers of the poet be that this famous and now magnificent house is in such excellent and kindly keeping, and we can only hope that Mr. and Mrs. Webb, to whom Newstead owes so much, may long be spared to maintain with becoming splendour the ancient and stately abode on which they have lavished so much care and treasure. Looking across from Newstead is the thriving village of Annesley, with its Hall embowered in trees. ' Hills of Annesley, bleak and barren.' For so Lord Byron apostrophized the locality when he bade farewell to Mary Chaworth, the love of his heart. In the days of the Plantagcnets the estate was held by the 230 History of Nottinghamshire. De Annesleys, and through marriage it subsequently- passed into the hands of Lord Chavvorth, a peer of Ireland. By another marriage, that of beautiful Mary Chaworth to Mr. John Musters, it came to be the property of the latter gentleman, who took the historic name of Chaworth. A Sir John Musters was knighted in 1663, and among the possessions of the family were also the Colwick estate and Wiverton Hall, both of which have been described in previous pages. Annesley Hall is beautifully situated, with broad acres, richly timbered, stretching far and wide around it. It is elegantly furnished, and contains many trophies calling to memory the great men who have made it their home. Portraits of the Byrons, the Chaworths, and the Musters adorn the walls, and the whole demesne bears abundant testimony to the admirable taste which, in addition to its natural beauties, has made Annesley Hall one of the most delightful mansions in the county. At Felley, a village hard by, once stood an Augustinian priory, dedicated to the Virgin Mary ; but little of it now remains. In the same vicinity is Hucknall Torkard, a populous parish, about three miles from Newstead. The remains of Lord Byron were interred in the family vault at Hucknall, in 1824, and notwithstanding the uninviting appearance of the village, with its grimy mining operations, incessantly pouring out volumes of smoke and dust, many visitors make pilgrimages to the last resting-place of one of the most brilliant of England's poets. Papplewick Hall has somewhat of a political history. The Right Hon. Frederick Montagu, some time a Lord of the Treasury, built it in 1787 ; but for thirty years it has been the residence of Mr. H. F. Walter, J.P., to whose family the nation is indebted for the establishment and development of that powerful and unrivalled organ of public opinion — the Times newspaper. For eighteen years Papplewick. 231 Nottingham was represented in Parliament by a Walter — first by Mr. John Walter, and afterwards by his son — and the political history of the borough is inseparably bound up with the stirring contests in which they were honourably engaged. Another pleasantly-situated village is Blidworth, on the confines of Sherwood Forest, a delightful sylvan locality, with lovely woodland scenery in every direction. All its historical reminiscences have been carefully and lovingly collected by the Vicar, the Rev. R. H. Whitworth, whose valuable contributions to county history (often anonymous) are always welcome. CHAPTER XXI. The Erewash Valley — Trowell and the Hackers — The Early Possessors of Cossall — Shaw, the Life Guardsman — The Family of Strelley — Stapleford — An Ancient Cross — William Peverel — The Teverys and Palmes— A Gallant Admiral — 'A Petrified Enigma'— Beau- vale — A Carthusian Monastery — The Cantilupes — Greasley Castle — The Prior of Beauvale hanged. In the Erewash Valley, rich with wonderful resources of mineral wealth, lies the ancient village of Trowell. Al- though the small homesteads, with the charming outlook from their windows across hill and dale, have a modern look, ancient associations cling round the parish church and Hall. Who that has studied the annals of the Civil War has not read of the Hackers, an influential county- family hereabouts, one of whom, William Hacker, dying in 1668, was buried in the church, where a tablet is erected to his memory ? In 1590 John Hacker settled at East Bridgford, and had four sons, one of whom, John, purchased an estate at Trowell from Gervase Brunsley. He died in 1620, and was succeeded by his eldest son, William, cousin of the regicide, and this is he to whom the tablet refers. His descendants continued to reside at Trowell till 1735, when this branch of the family in the direct male line became extinct. The church is dedicated to St. Helen, and has several features of architectural interest, notably an Early English chancel. Strelley. 233 Still on the Derbyshire border is Cossall, looking from an elevated site across the thriving and busy valley. In the Middle Ages Sir William de Cossall was appointed a Baron of the Exchequer by Edward III. Another family holding property here was that of Mortein, from whom it passed to the eminent family of Willoughby by the marriage of Sir Richard Willoughby with Isabella, the daughter of Roger de Mortein. The manor also passed into the hands of the Latimers and Skevingtons until the Willoughbys recovered posses- sion. The modern history of Cossall is associated with a famous military hero, Shaw, the Life Guardsman, whose exploits at Waterloo have been so often described in prose and verse. A handsome monument has been erected in the churchyard to the memory of John Shaw and Richard Waplington, of the Life Guards, and Thomas Wheatley, of the Light Dragoon Guards. The two former fell gloriously at Waterloo ; the latter, returning home, lies buried in the churchyard. Some two or three miles away, in a well-wooded and picturesque locality, is Strelley, with its fine old ivy-covered church and stately Hall, forming a pleasing picture. Within the church are some splendid monuments of the ancient family of Stradlegh or Strelley, who took their name from the village, and were associated with it for several centuries. As far back as the reign of Henry I.(A.D. 1100-1135), Walter de Stradlegh or Strelley was the principal owner of the parish, and from him it descended to his son Samson, one of the warlike Nottinghamshire gentry who took up arms in behalf of Earl John. This conduct of the representative of the Strelleys, as may be imagined, did not meet with the approval of King Richard, and Strelley was seized by that monarch ; but when John came to the throne his adherent was abundantly recompensed for the exactions which Richard had insisted upon. Successive members of the family 234 History of Nottinghamshire. took part in most of the national events and baronial con- flicts of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The Strelleys were called to perform military service against Wallace in Scotland, and one of them, Robert, was made a leader of levies in Notts in 13 13, and in 1324 represented the county at a great council at Westminster. After being in the hands of a family whose proud boast it was to have had twelve generations honoured with knighthood, the manor was at length disposed of. Strelley Hall is situated near the church, which was erected about 1356. It occupies the site of the old man- sion, and is the seat of Mr. J. T. Edge, J.P., whose ancestor purchased the estate in 1678. The mining enterprise in this locality has wholly trans- formed the scenery in the valley of the Erewash. Smoking furnaces and densely populated towns and villages, with a network of railways, now occupy what once was a quiet rural district, little affected by the throb of manufacturing and commercial activity in other parts of the country. A visitor to Stapleford after an absence of twenty years would scarcely recognise in the mass of buildings and places of business the small hosiery village that he once knew ; but among all that is modern, near to the gates of the churchyard, standing on a strong pedestal, is the shaft of an ancient cross that deserves the closest attention. The transverse arms are gone, and modern hands have surmounted it with a cap and ball ; but a careful survey shows that it is a work of great and undoubted antiquity, and that it must date backpo the time when the district first heard the glad tidings of the Christian faith. The shaft is about ten feet high, roughly rounded at the lower part, and gradually working into a square shape towards the top. It is elaborately ornamented with interlaced and knotted ribbon work, arranged in geometrical devices ; and on one of its faces, near the top, is a curious and indistinct carving that looks somewhat like the outline of Stapleford. 235 an enormous bird. The shaft has fortunately been the subject of special and careful study on the part of a very competent authority. The Rev. G. F. Browne (Disney Professor of Archaeology in the University of Cambridge), referring to the evidences of early Christian work in this county, says : 'At Staple- ford you have a sculptured pillar of quite unique beauty of ornament, and interest of ecclesiastical tradition. It has cost me three days in three successive years to make out the intricate interlacements of its ornamentation, and it stands now revealed as a work of art as remarkable as any page of the best Hibernian MSS. of the eighth cen- tury, the Book of Kells, or the Gospel of Lindisfarne. And it is unique in this respect, that it has on it the symbol of the Evangelist St. Luke — a great winged figure treading on a serpent, with the head and ears and horns of a calf. The church is an early dedication to St. Helen. The pillar is earlier than that, for if you ask when the village feast is, you find it is fixed by a complicated rule of thumb, which determines that Old St. Luke's Day comes always in the wake week. The pillar takes us to a time before there was a church there at all. It records for us the first taking possession by the first Christian missionaries in the name of Christ and His Evangelist, St. Luke.' Domesday Book records that before the Norman in- vasion there were here four manors, which Ulcicilt, Godwin, Staplewin, and Gladwin had, and that thereafter the famous William Peverel held land in demesne. • There were then a priest and a church, and 58 acres of meadow,' valued in the Confessor's time at 60s., and in the Conqueror's at 40s. only. Peverel was a man of great influence, and held large possessions, which had been granted to him by the Con- queror. It is said that he was a natural son of that fortu- nate warrior, but Mr. Freeman scouts the suggestion as an utterly uncertified and almost impossible scandal. His vassal or feudary at Stapleford was Robert de 236 I History of Nottinghamshire. Heriz, and from his grandson it passed to Avicia, wife of Richard Cazmera. One of their descendants took the surname of the village, and the estate was carried with the heiress of the Staplefords by marriage to the Teverys, a Derbyshire family resident at Long Eaton. Memorials of the Teverys are still in a good state of preservation in Stapleford Church. The last member of the family, Geoffrey, settled his possessions upon Tevery Palmes, his grandson, from whom it passed to William Palmes, and he sold it to Arthur Warren of Toton. Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren rebuilt the hall in 1797, and after the Peace of Amiens went as Ambassador to Russia. He subsequently took part in the American War, and was made a K.C.B., returning to Stapleford to spend his last days. He represented Nottingham in Parliament, and died in 1822. His only daughter married the Hon. George Vernon, and by their successor it was sold to Colonel I. C. Wright, the present owner of the Hall. The church is an Early English edifice, to which alterations and repairs were made in 1878 at a cost of ;£ 2,000. On the shoulder of the ridge which separates Bramcote and Stapleford Valley is a huge giant in the shape of an enormous mass of red sandstone, known as the Hemlock Stone, forty or fifty feet high, and fifty feet round the base. There it has stood for centuries ' a petri- fied enigma,' and there we doubt not it will continue to stand for ages, one of the oldest and most curious relics in this part of the county. Very happily named is another pleasant stretch of country which forms a picturesque part of the Erewash Valley, and is known by the familiar appellation given to it not less than six centuries ago. Beauvale has been partly invaded by houses — it has given its name to a populous locality containing a large Board School — but it is a beautiful vale still, and, looking across the valley to the Derbyshire border, the eyes rest upon as pretty a panorama Beauvale. 237 as can be seen in any part of the county. The district is well wooded, and there are diversified views of hill and dale — of busy, thriving towns on the one side, and of quiet rural hamlets on the other, with the handsome residences of the gentry nestling amid the trees. Throsby, in his wanderings, seems to have been struck with the varied scenes hereabouts, for, speaking of Kimberley, which almost touches Beauvale, he writes thus quaintly and enthusiastically : ' The village is one of the most romantic I have seen in these parts. Its site is extraordinarily diversified ; some of the dwellings perch upon an eminence, others sit snugly on the side, some on the base. Comparing little things with great, the travelling of an insect over a succession of ant-hills is like that of a man over the lanes or passages of this village.' Could the venerable antiquary revisit the locality to-day, he would find a large part of it covered with houses, alike at summit, side, and base. But the vale itself, which runs at the foot of a thickly wooded slope down to the broad Erewash Valley, has not been greatly built upon. Leaving Kimberley and Greasley, with their rapidly growing populations, and passing along a country lane a distance of a mile or more, we enter the rural spot to which the pleasing term Beauvale would, we presume, be first applied. It is a pretty stretch of pastoral landscape, with verdant fields and hedgerows, and nestling at the side of the hill, within the shadow of the trees, and almost at the head of the vale, is an ancient farmhouse known as the Abbey Farm. Here, in a secluded locality, amid forest sceneiy, stood for two centuries or more a house of the Carthusian Order, and at the back of the farmer's resi- dence considerable portions of the monastic buildings still remain. At the dissolution of the monasteries there were only nine of the Carthusian Order in England, and Beauvale is entered on the list given in Dugdale as one of them. It 238 History of Nottingliamshire. will be interesting, therefore, to inquire what manner of men they were who occupied this ancient abbey, and gave to it the distinction of being one of the nine English houses which owed allegiance to the Grand Prior of Chartreuse. According to reliable authorities, the rule they followed was similar to that of the Benedictines, but with the addition of a great many austerities. They were the strictest of any of the religious orders, and the use of flesh meat was abso- lutely forbidden at all times, even to the sick. Each monk lived in his own separate dwelling, and none of them were allowed to go out of the bounds of the monastery except the priors and proctors, and they only to attend to the necessary affairs of the house. An old writer thus summarizes their chief restrictions : ' They are not to go out of their cells, except to church, without leave of their superior, nor speak to any person without leave. They must not keep any portion of their meat and drink until the next day ; their beds are of straw, covered with felt ; their clothing two hair-cloths, two cowls, two pairs of hose, and a cloak, all coarse. In the refectory they are to keep their eyes on the dish, their hands on the table, their attention on the reader, and their hearts fixed on God.' They were enjoined to study, and to work with their hands, their labour con- sisting in cultivating the fields and gardens, and in tran- scribing books. Mrs. Jamieson, in her ' Legends of the Monastic Orders,' says 'they were the first and greatest horticulturists in Europe, and of them it may emphatically be said, that wherever they settled they made the desert to blossom as the rose.' Their habit was all white, except their outward plaited cloak, which was black. Such was the order of men who, immured in the Abbey of Beauvale, spent their days in labour, prayer, and medita- tion, and in rigorous observances. If the ruined walls could speak, they could tell us some interesting stories of those who voluntarily gave themselves up to hard work and partial starvation. It was a life of almost entire Beauvale. 239 seclusion from the world, and carried with it the pains and pangs of solitary confinement. It must have required no ordinary fortitude to live without flesh meat, and to fast frequently on bread and water in a locality where the fresh, pure air is a great incentive to the appetite. And what of the restrictions on speech? Were they a sad and silent body, or were the rigid rules ' more honoured in the breach than the observance'? It is difficult to say, but most writers aver that throughout the period of their existence in this country they adhered more closely to their rules than the vast majority of their brethren, and stood less in need of reform. Before inquiring what happened to the Carthusians at Beauvale, it will be well to see who it was that brought them hither, and what provision was made for them by the founder of the abbey. The gentleman who chose this retired spot for monastic purposes was one Nicholas de Cantilupe, lord of Ilkeston, and the owner of considerable property in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The Manor of Greasley had come to the Cantilupe family by the marriage of Nicholas de Cantilupe with Eustachia, grand- daughter and heiress of Hugh Fitz-Ralph, one of the great barons who, in the days of John, took up arms against the King. Of William de Cantilupe, their son, we have some glimpses in the ' Parliamentary Writs,' and it is evident that he was a powerful man in his day and generation. He is described as of Bedford and Nottingham, and having distinguished himself greatly in the French and Scottish wars of King Edward I., was summoned to Parliament as Baron Cantilupe from December 29, 1299, to August 5, 1308. He joined in a letter which was addressed to the Pope from Lincoln February 12, 1300, and is there styled ' Dominus de Ravensthorpe.' His grandfather had been steward to King John, and one of that monarch's chief counsellors ; while his uncle, Thomas de Cantilupe, became Lord Chancellor of England, being 240 History of Nottinghamshire. elected to that dignified office by the Barons in the 49th Henry III. Much might be written of the doings of distinguished members of the eminent and noble family of Cantilupe (so called from the original Champ de Loup or Campus Lupi), who came over with the Norman Conqueror, but we pass on to notice the stalwart warrior who founded Beauvale — Sir Nicholas de Cantilupe, third Baron, second son of William de Cantilupe, Lord of Eselburgh, in Bucks, Ilkeston, Greasley, and of several villages in the adjoining county of Lincoln. This nobleman served in the Flemish and Scottish wars of Edward III., and had summons to Parliament from 1337 to 1354. His principal residence appears to have been at Greasley, the mansion - house standing in a field near the church, where portions of it remain to this day. Having obtained the King's per- mission to strengthen and fortify this abode, he converted it into a formidable fortress, and being embattled, it took the name of Greasley Castle, by which name it has been known ever since. The site is now occupied by a modern farmhouse, but incorporated with the out-buildings is one of the ancient walls, of great thickness and solidity. The trenches and works in the home field show that the castle was well protected, and that the fortifications around it were of an extensive character. The fertile tract of country stretching from Greasley Church to the Erewash Valley was then a forest or park, and it was within this forest, in the Beauvale, that Nicholas the Warrior resolved to estab- lish a religious house. His lordship obtained the King's license on September 2, 1343, to found a monastery 'in his park of Greysley ' for a Prior and twelve monks of the Order of the Carthusians, and proceeded to endow it with £10 per annum rent, together with the park aforesaid and the advowsons of the churches of Greasley and Selstone. The foundation deed says that he did this and built the monastery ' for Beauvale. 241 the glory of Almighty God and the increase of religion and Divine Worship, and for the good and healthful state of the said king and of Wm. Le Zouch, the Lord Arch- bishop of York, his most deare lord and cousin, and of the Lord Henry de Lancastre, Earl of Derby, and of himself, and Joane his wife,' and his various relatives. The witnesses to the deed included the Archbishop, the Bishop of Durham, the Earls of Northampton, Derby, and Huntingdon, and other great men, and was dated at Greasley, December 9, 1343- It was a liberal gift which Nicholas thus made, according to the spirit of the times in which he lived, and it was quite in accord with the instincts and traditions of his family, two of whom had been eminent dignitaries of the church — Walter de Cantilupe, Bishop of Worcester, who founded the Nunnery of White Ladies, and was otherwise munificent to his see ; and Thomas de Cantilupe, who, after being Lord Chancellor, became Bishop of Hereford, and was canonized in 1320, thirty-two years after his death, by Pope John XXII. In 1347, by a further deed, in the presence of the same distinguished witnesses, Nicholas and his son William increased the endowment by £20 per annum, from certain land and messuages in the locality, and other benefactors in succeeding years bequeathed property to the monastery, that they might have full participation 'of all the masses, prayers, psalms, watchings, disciplines, fastings, alms, and other spiritual exercises of the said house of Beauvale.' For two centuries after its foundation the Carthusians occupied the monastery, and pursued in silence and peace their daily round of duties. They cultivated the land around their cells, prayed and fasted, and distributed alms to all comers, for charity and hospitality are acknowledged to have been two of their special characteristics. According to the entry in the 'Valor Ecclesiasticus,' the net income had grown to £196 6s., a substantial sum in 16 242 History of Nottinghamshire. those days ; and their numbers had not become large, for it was the rule of the order that there should not be in a monastery more than twelve monks with their Prior, eighteen lay brethren, and a few paid servants. But the ample revenues which had thus been provided were not suffered to remain untouched. Henry VIII. took the matter in hand in a way that is too well known to need description, and consternation reigned throughout the monastic orders. When his Majesty first indicated his intention to lay ruthless hands on the possessions of the monks, the leaders of the Carthusians prepared themselves for stubborn resistance. Prior Houghton, of the London Charterhouse, spoke out openly against the spoliation of Church lands by the King ; and Prior Webster, of Beau- vale, leaving the seclusion of his monastery, journe}'ed to London to make common cause with him against the royal edicts. But Henry would not brook opposition, and Prior Webster never saw his monks again. The first blood shed on the scaffold, through Henry's determination to forcefully thrust all obstacles out of the way, was that of Houghton, Webster, and three other Car- thusians, who were hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn, and their heads set on the City gates (May 5, 1 535)- Sir Thomas More saw them led to execution from his prison window, and said to his daughter (Mrs. Roper), who was with him, ' Lo, dost thou not see, Megg, that these blessed fathers be now as cheerfully going to their deaths as bridegrooms to their marriage?' Deprived of their Prior in this tragic manner, the monks of Beauvale were deeply agitated and grieved. Another Prior was appointed in the person of Robert Laurance, who was succeeded by Thomas Woodcock, and he and his brethren surrendered the monastery to the King on July 24, 1540. Pensions were granted to Woodcock and to the following monks who were turned out : John Langforde, William Beauvale. 243 Veil, Alexander Louthe, Edward Garnet, Robert Gowton, Nicholas Dookener, Thomas Lyghton, Thomas Wallshe, Richard Wakefield, and Richard Byrde. The site of the priory and divers lands in the county belonging to it were granted to Sir William Hussey, and in the following reign to Richard Morison and Bridget, his wife. As already mentioned, the spot where the abbey stood is now covered by a farmstead, known as the Abbey Farm, and incorporated in the outbuildings are considerable por- tions of the ancient monastery. The principal part of the ruins, which stand at the back of the house, form two sides of an open yard. An old building, which has had a modern roof put to it, consists of several apartments, the lower rooms being used as cowsheds, and an upper one as a fowl-house. This building is contiguous to massive ivy-covered walls, in which there have been some very fine windows. In the construction of the modern outbuildings a good deal of the old stone has been used, and in the wall of the house a piece of carved stonework is inserted. Judging by the formation of the ground, the abbey occupied a large space, and was protected by a deep moat, a part of which still remains. Thus travelling down the rich Erewash Valley, and linger- ing as we go over the historical associations which cluster around it, we come back to Nottingham, giving but a hasty glance at Nultall with its stately temple, erected in imita- tion of the famous Villa Capra, near Vicenza ; Watnall ; Chaworth and Cantelupe, at whose venerable Hall the Rollestons have resided since the days of 'good Queen Bess'; Bramcote, with its picturesque scenery, its old manor-house, and its charming Hall, the residence of Mr. F. C. Smith ; Chilwell, where another esteemed county family (the Charltons) have long resided in a mansion built on the site of a house that was once the property of Chief Justice Babington {temp. Henry VI.) , and Beeston, 16 — 2 244 History of Nottinghamshire. for many years the residence of Mr. E. J. Lowe, J. P., F.R.S., the eminent astronomer, meteorologist, and author, and his lamented son, Captain A. E. Lawson Lowe, F.S A., whose early death deprived the county of one of its ablest antiquaries and most diligent and accomplished literati. Leaving Beeston, the villas of Nottingham Park and the gray walls of the castle are close upon us, and in a short time we are once more amid the whirl and bustle of a thriving and historic county town. CHAPTER XXII.* GEOLOGY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Natural Features dependent on Soils — Coal-Measures : their Extent under the County — The Magnesian Limestone and Creswell 'Bone-Caverns' — The New Red Sandstone, and the 'Forest Lands ' of Notts — Hemlock Stone — The Keuper Marls and Gypsum — The Lias — Ancient Course of the Trent to Lincoln and the Wash — Museums. Dr. BUCKLAND, in his famous ' Bridgewater Treatise,' says that if three foreigners visited England with the intention of examining and describing its general natural features, and agreed to walk separately through the country from north to south, one choosing Western England, another Central England, and the third Eastern England, each one would take back to his native land an entirely different report. What is thus true of England as a whole is certainly true of Nottinghamshire considered by itself. A traveller through the western portion of Notts would say that the county was a 'black country,' and that the inhabitants were engaged in coaL mines and limestone quarries ; a traveller through the centre of Notts would say that the county had a poor, dry, sandy soil, abounded in uncultivated tracts and dense forests, but had glorious woodland scenery ; a traveller through the eastern portion would report that the county had a rich and well-cultivated * Contributed by Mr. A. T. Metcalfe, F.G.S. 246 History of Nottinghamshire. soil, good meadow and pasture land, and that the inhabi- tants mainly occupied themselves in agriculture. The variation in these reports would be accounted for by the fact that in Notts its rock-formations (and it is from the disintegration of rock-formations that 'surface soils' arise) run in long narrow bands, extending from north to south. A traveller through Notts, moving from north to south, would remain for practically the whole distance on one geological formation ; but a traveller moving from east to west would cross successively all the rock-formations to be found in the county. The coal-bearing strata, which have been pierced to considerable depths in the western parts of Nottingham- shire, consist of a series of beds of sandstone, shale, clay, and ironstone, with seams of coal at intervals. These beds are not horizontal, but have a decided dip to the east. In the shales fossil-ferns of great beauty may frequently be found. Probably nothing affects the future of Nottinghamshire so much as the question, whether the coal-measures, after they have disappeared below the surface of the ground in Western Notts, persist in the easterly dip until they finally thin out altogether at a vast depth underground, or whether they gradually lose the dip, become horizontal, and eventually rise again with a westerly dip. In other words the question is, Are the coal-measures under Not- tinghamshire basin-shaped ? It is certain that they do not rise again so as to crop out at the surface of the ground, but it is quite possible, nevertheless, that they rise again in the direction of Lincolnshire, aithough they do not become visible, being overlaid by other and more recently-formed rocks. Sir Roderick Murchison brought forward this pro- blem — which is of vast commercial importance as well as scientific interest — at the meeting of the British Association held at Nottingham, in 1866. In 1871 the same question was considered before the Royal Commission on Coal, and Geology. 247 some of our ablest geologists favoured the view that the coal measures under Nottinghamshire are basin-shaped, and may be met with again farther to the east. A recent boring at South Scarle, on the border of Lincolnshire, was made, but, unfortunately, was abandoned before a solution of this all-important question could be arrived at. If the coal-measures are basin-shaped, coal can be found at work- able depths under the whole of Nottinghamshire. Mr. Tylden Wright, F.G.S., in his article on the ' Geology of Sherwood Forest ' (White's ' Worksop, the Dukery, and Sherwood Forest '), says : ' Those who have so long revelled in the wildness and solitude of old Sherwood — reduced in area, but still unrivalled in this country — will think with regret of the change that must in the course of years come over such a scene, when the old oaks will give place to the lofty chimneys, the stag to the collier or mechanic, and the solitude will be broken by the engine's throb ; but such a day must come when the more accessible seams to the west of this district become exhausted.' In our sketch of the geology of Nottinghamshire we will travel from west to east, and the next formation with which we come in contact after the coal-measures is the magnesian limestone. This formation can be seen exposed in many railway cuttings and quarries near Mansfield, Shireoaks, and other places. The fossils are few, dwarfed and badly pieserved. The various chemical elements in the waters of deposition seem to have been unfavourable to life. The Houses of Parliament are built of magnesian limestone, but the atmosphere of London has proved too much for the stone. In clearer atmosphere, however, its suitability for building purposes is well proved, and may be well seen in the nave of the ancient Cathedral of South- well. The most picturesque exposure of the magnesian limestone in Nottinghamshire is at Creswell Crags, near Worksop. Here time and a running stream have carved 248 History of Nottiiigliamshire. out and fashioned a long ravine. On each side of the stream in the tall limestone cliffs are deep caverns, which have recently been explored by a committee of the British Association. In these caverns have been found an amazing number of remains of animals long ago extinct in this country. Amongst these were the lion, tiger, leopard, hyena, wolf, bear, rhinoceros, bison, hippopotamus, Arctic fox, and the elephant. Doubtless the Creswell caves were in ages past the abode of the cave-dwelling hyenas who dragged their prey into these recesses in the rock. A large proportion of the bones found were gnawed after the manner peculiar to the hyena tribe. In one of these caves the writer discovered a 'first milk molar' of the mammoth (Elephas primigenius), which completed the national collec- tion of the teeth of the mammoth. Before this specimen was handed over to the British Museum, it was described by Sir Richard Owen, F.R.S., before the Geological Society of London.* A portion of Creswell Crags is in Derbyshire, but the magnesian limestone of that spot is a totally distinct rock from the ' mountain limestone,' which is such a familiar feature in the scenery of Derbyshire. The next formation that we encounter is the new red sandstone, the site of the old Forest of Sherwood. The ' forest lands,' past and present, of Nottinghamshire may be said to be synonymous with this formation. In some districts the sandstone is hard ; in others quite loose, giving rise to ' blow-away sand.' It generally abounds in hard pebbles (quartzites), which ignorant rustics firmly believe to grow. The grains of sand are white quartz, and the present red colour is due to an external coating of the individual grains. The soil of the new red sand- stone is for the most part poor and gravelly, and but for this fact, doubtless, the wide limits of the old Forest of Sherwood (Worksop to Nottingham Park) would not have been suffered to continue so long. The yellow gorse * Quarterly Journal of Geological Society, 1885, vol. xli. Geology. 249 flourishes on and brightens the dry, barren and unculti- vated tracts of this formation, which in its higher levels is, owing to its extremely porous character, singularly devoid of brooks and streams. The rainfall is rapidly absorbed, and as at the base of the sandstone impervious beds of marl occur, the whole rock forms a fine natural water- reservoir. As a water-bearing formation, it ranks third in England. The sand has not only all the powers of absorp- tion of a vast sponge, but is an excellent filter. Many of the largest towns in England derive their supply of water from the new red sandstone. Some of the sand is excel- lently adapted for moulding purposes. At Bramcote there is a high pinnacle of rock, known as the Hemlock Stone ; at Blidworth there are similar pinnacles, commonly called ' Druidical remains.' These pinnacles are masses of rock, locally cemented, and made intensely hard by a vertical dissemination of calcareous matter (contained in percolating waters) before the removal of the surrounding mass took place. The surrounding and softer mass has been gradually removed by subaerial denudation, leaving the harder or cemented portion standing in the shape of pinnacles — objects of interest to the geologist, and a wonderful puzzle to the super- stitious and uninformed. The next formation we meet with is known as the ( keuper marls.' In the upper portion gypsum (sulphate of lime) occurs, and is worked as a commercial commodity at Beacon Hill, Newark, where this formation occurs capped by the ' rhaetic beds.' A fossil from the keuper marls of Nottinghamshire has been a long-sought-for ' philosopher's stone.' The marls are largely worked for brickmaking. The sea in which these beds were deposited must have been surcharged with various salts, and (Sir Andrew Ramsey says) must have been an inland sea, like the Great Salt Lake of Utah or the Caspian. Large pseudo- morphous crystals of salt are common in these beds. A 250 History of Nottinghamshire. fine section of these beds may be seen by the Midland Railway between Carlton and Nottingham. The last formation (to be met with on the eastern edge of the county) is the ' lias,' a formation characterized by most striking regularity of stratification. It abounds in ammonites (perhaps the best known of all fossils) of various species. The various species occur at various zones as systematically as the arrangement of speci- mens in the different drawers of a cabinet. The 'lias- plain ' extends to the base of the hill at Lincoln. This formation is the same as that existing at Whitby, York- shire, the ammonites of which place are celebrated. The limestones of this formation yield valuable hydraulic cement, and are extensively worked in some villages in the county. The officers of the Government Geological Survey have of late years made the discovery that the river Trent formerly flowed direct from Newark into the Wash by way of Lincoln. At Lincoln the river passed through the gap there in the long range of hills known as the Cliff. The gap was doubtless cut by the Trent itself at a time when the river With am was its tributary. Trent gravel is a distinct deposit capable of easy recognition. A deep deposit of Trent gravel (the site of the old river-bed) has been found to extend from Newark to Lincoln, and forward to the Wash. It is impossible for this gravel, composed as it is of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire rock materials unknown in Lincolnshire, to have become deposited in its present position but by the agency of a large river. The manner in which the river Trent became deflected from its ancient course is set forth in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, 1883, vol. xxxix., in a paper by Mr. A. J. Jukes-Brown, B.A., of her Majesty's Geological Survey. If a map of the county be examined, it will be noticed that the Trent from Nottingham runs for miles in a north-easterly direction, pointing to the gap at Lincoln ; Geology 251 at Newark, however, the river takes a somewhat sharp turn to the north in the direction of the Humber, into which it now flows. There are in Nottinghamshire two public geological museums — one at the University Buildings, Nottingham, and the other at Southwell. The latter was a bequest by the late J. B. Warwick, Esq., M.R.C.S., and, though small, contains some choice specimens. CHAPTER XXIII. ART AND ARCHITECTURE. The Treasures in the Stately Homes of Nottinghamshire— List of Country Seats — Ecclesiastical Buildings — Southwell Minster — Its Chapter-House — Newark Parish Church — The Church at Blyth — Worksop Priory Church — Parochial Churches. With so much of its prosperity dependent on its textile fabrics, wherein elegance and beauty of design unite with excellence of workmanship, it is natural that Nottingham- shire should be an art-loving and art-cultivating county. The metropolis of lace has long been pre-eminent for the efforts which have been made within it to develop the artistic faculties of its sons, and a lasting monument to its enterprise in this direction is the beautiful art museum with which the Castle Rock is crowned. Within the county, notably at Clumber, Welbeck, Thoresby, Newstead, Rufford, Wollaton and Bestwood, are some choice collections, including many examples of work of the great masters. At Clumber, for instance, there are landscapes by Zuccharelli ; studies by Rembrandt ; four large market pieces by Snyders, representing game, fruit and fish ; a large picture of dead game by Jan Weenix ; rural scenes by Teniers ; Joan of Arc by Gerard Dow ; Venetian pictures by Canaletti ; battle scene by Van der Meulen ; landscapes by Claude Lorraine, and works by Vandyke, Rembrandt, Holbein, Rubens, Lely, Lawrence, Poussin, Wouvermans, Rosa di Tivoli, Hogarth, Reynolds, Art mid Architecture. 25 Dahl, Gainsborough, Van Oss, Kneller, and many more. At Welbeck there is a very fine collection of miniatures, including examples by Cooper, Hilliard, J. Oliver, P. Oliver, the Chevalier de Beaumon, Flatman, Lewis, Mingard, Largillier, Drouais, Nattier, etc., while the immense picture- galleries, all underground, contain masterpieces by D. Mytens, Tintoretto, Teniers, Snyders, Bassano, Wyck, De Vos, Poussin, Berghem, Zucchero, Van der Velde, Maas, Honthorst, Van der Meulen and many portraits by Vandyke, Holbein, Lely, Kneller, Shee, West and others. The state-rooms and corridors are crowded with pictures, and Welbeck is literally a palace of art. There are Titians, Claudes and Raphaels interspersed with innumerable ex- amples of scarcely less celebrated painters. Several por- traits by Sir Peter Lely are a feature of the treasures in Bestwood Lodge, and at Thoresby, in addition to a great number of family portraits, are pictures by Vicat Cole, Milbye, Creswick and Ansdell. Wollaton Hall, the seat of Lord Middleton, also contains many gems of art. Three masterpieces of Snyders represent the various stages of the boar hunt ; there are mythological subjects by Luca Giordano ; examples of the genius of Philip Roos ; lions attributed to Rubens, and other works by Sibrects, Zucchero, Kneller, Heemskerk and Reynolds ; a Scripture piece by Rubens, and another of ' Achilles discovered in the Court of Lycomedes,' also by Rubens. It will readily be seen from this outline of the priceless contents of the noble houses of Nottinghamshire that the patrons of art in the county have been lavish in its support, and have shown the most cultured taste in the selections they have made. Loans from these treasure-houses, as well as from South Kensington, enable the public who visit the galleries at the castle to become familiar with the best productions of the artist's brush. With such facilities for the study of the beautiful, we may hope to find the county always taking an honoured place in the art world, and so maintaining the 254 History of Nottinghamshire. name that has been won for it by such eminent Not- tinghamshire painters as Paul Sandby, Thomas Chris- topher Hofland, Henry Dawson, Laslett, J. Pott, W. H. Cubley and others. That the taste for art is widely distributed may be shown in the number of students attending the art schools, in the many smaller collections of pictures in private homes, and in the munificent gifts made from time to time to the castle museum. The forest scenery of the county has lent itself specially to the artist's fancy, and many highly valued pictures of views in the forest and along the banks of the silvery Trent have been painted by artists of great re- pute. In architecture the county can point to stately homes of modern construction, such as Kelham Hall in the Italian style, Kingston and Thoresbyin the Elizabethan, Clumber, Osberton, Flintham, and many others, to say nothing of the great public edifices, such as the University College, the Municipal Buildings and Grammar School at Nottingham, and the Ossington Coffee Palace, and Gilstrap Free Library at Newark. Amongst the country seats not already mentioned, in varying styles of architecture, we may enumerate the following. The names appended are those of the present occupiers : COUNTRY SEATS. Annesley Hall : Mr. John Patricius Chavvorth Musters, J.P. Arnot Hill, Arnold : Mr. Chas. Grey Hill. Arno Vale, Arnold : Mrs. Thackeray. Ashley Grove, Worksop : Mr. Chas. Tylden Wright, J.P. Aspley Hall, New Radford : Mr. Edward W. Field. Babworth Hall : Lieut.-Col. Henry Denison, R.E., J.P. Babworth Rectory : Rev. W. Bridgeman-Simpson, M.A., J.P. Balderton Hall : Mr, W. Deeping Warwick. Balderton Old Hall : Mr. John Scales Bakewell. Barnby Manor House : Mr. Frederick Piatt, J. P., D.L. Barton Lodge : Mr. Thos. Hill, J.P. Country Seats. 255 Beauvale Hall, Greasley : The Right Hon. Earl Cowper, K.G., P.C., D.L., J.P. Beesthorpe Hall : Col. C. B. Vickers. Beeston Fields : Mr. Geo. Fellows, J.P. Beeston House : Mr. Edmund Percy, J.P. Berry Hill Hall, Mansfield : Mrs. Hollins. Bleasby Hall : Mr. Robert Kelham, J.P. Blidvvorth Dale : Col. Edmund Bacon Hutton. Blyth Hall : Capt. F. Willey. Brackenhurst, Southwell : Mr. Geo. S. Foljambe, D.L., J.P. Bramcote Hall : Mr. F. C. Smith, D.L., J.P. Bramcote Hills : Mrs. Sherwin Gregory. Bridgeford Old Hall : Mr. Leonard M. Milward, J.P. Bulwell Hall : Mr. Thomas Hardy. Bunny Park : Miss Hawksley. Burgage Manor House, Southwell : Mr. R. Huskinson Warwick. Car Colston Hall : Capt. F. Henniker. Carlton Hall, Carlton-in-Lindrick : Mr. G. Huntsman Shaw. Carlton House, Carlton-on-Trent : Col. Jas. Craig, J.P. ; and the Hon. Mrs. Skeffington Craig. Carlton-on-Trent : Mr. W. E. Tallents, J.P. Caunton Manor : Mr. J. R. Annibal. Chilwell Hall : Mr. E. Cope, J.P. Clarborough Hall : Mr. John H. Hutchinson. Clayworlh Hall : Mrs. Collingwood. Clifton Hall : Mr. Henry Robt. Clifton, D.L., J.P. Clifton (North) Hall : Mrs. Freeth. Coddington Hall : Col. James Thorpe, J.P. Coddington House : Mr. Godfrey Tallents. Collingham Old Hall (North) : Mr. Frank Broadbent. Collingham (South) Manor : Mr. John Wigram. Collingham (South) : Mr. C. Constable Curtis, J.P. Collingham (South) : Mr. T. C. Smith-Woolley. Colston Hall : Mr. R. Millington Knowles, J.P. Colwick Hall : Mr. J. T. Forman, J.P. Costock Manor House : Mr. R. B. Bagnall Wild, M.A. Cotgrave Place : Mr. Albert Armitage. Debdale Hall, Mansfield Woodhouse : Col. Edward Thomas Coke, D.L.,J.P. Eastwood Hall : Mr. Edward Lionel Walker-Munro. Edwinstowe Hall : Capt. James F. Alexander, J.P. Edwinstowe House : Mr. Launcelot Rolleston, J.P. Elms (The), Sutton Bonnington : Lady King-Hall. 256 History of Nottinghamshire. Elton Manor House : Count Wm. E. de Pully. Epperstone : Mr. C. F. Richardson. Epperstone Manor House : Mr. William Lambe Huskinson. Felley Abbey, Annesley : Mr. Albert Cantrell Hubbersty, J. P. Finningley Park : Mr. George S. Lister, M.A., D.L., J.P. Flintham Hall : Mr. Edward Elsey. Fountain Dale, Blidvvorth : Mr. James Arthur Need. Gamston Manor : Mr. Chas. Arthur Sykes. Gateford Hill, Worksop : Mr. Henry Vessey Machin, J.P. Gedling House : Mr. John E. Burnside, D.L., J.P. Gedling Lodge : Mr. Nathan Pratt. Gonalston Hall : Mr. J. Liell Francklin, J.P. Grove Hall : Mr. Edward Evelyn Harcourt-Vernon, J.P., D.L. Grove (The), Cropwell Butler : Mr. Henry S.nith. Grove (The), Winthorpe : Mr. John Starkey. Hayton Castle : The Misses Barber. Hermiston Hall, Blyth : Mr. John Gerard Riddell. Hesley HaH, Harworth : Mr. Benjamin I. Whittaker, J.P. Hexgrave Park, Farnsfield : Mr. Geo. Sugden. Highfield House, Newark : Mr. W. Oliver Quibell, J.P. Hill House, Southwell : Mr. J. H. Becher, J.P. Hill Side, Newark : Lieut-Col. W. Newton. Hodsock Priory, Blyth : Mrs. Mellish, Holme Hall : Mr. Chas. Cane. Holme Pierrepont Hall : Viscount Newark, M.P., D.L., J.P. Hoveringham Hall : Mrs. Nail. Kirklington Hall : Mr. Frank H. Pollock. Lamb Close House, Greasley : Mr. Thos. Barber. Lamcote House, Ratclifife-on-Trent : Miss Burnside. Langford Hall : Mr. William Henry Coape Oates, J.P. Langton Hall : Capt. Henry Salmond. Langwith Lodge : Mrs. Welfitt. Lenton Firs : Mr. William Lambert. Lenton Hall : Mr. Frederick Wright. Markham Hall : Col. J. H. Kirke, D.L., J.P. Mattersey Hall : Mr. Jas. Thompson. Middleton House, Elston : Mrs. Middleton. Morton Hall : Mrs. Mason. Nettleworth Hall, Sookholme : Miss Alleyne. Normanton Manor House : Mrs. Rowland. Norwood Park, Southwell : Mr. Lewis Randle Starkey, J.P. Nuttall Temple : Mr. John Holden, J.P. Oldcotes Manor : Mr. Herbert C. Wells, Country Scats. 257 Ollerton Hall : Mr. Martin Skin. Orston Hall : Mr. John Henry Fisher. Osberton Hall : Mr. Francis J. Savile Foljambe, M.A., D.L., J. P. Ossington Hall : Capt. William Evelyn Denison, D.L., J. P. Oxton Hall : Mrs. Sherbrooke. Park Cottage, Worksop : Sir Henry Edmund Watson. Park Hall, Warsop : Mr. William Welfitt Hall, J. P. Rainworth Lodge, Blidworth : Mr. Joseph Whitaker, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. Rampton Manor : Lieut.-Col. H. Eyre, M.P., C.B., J. P. Ranby House : Mr. Matthew Dawson. Rempstone Hall : Mrs. Martin. Ruddington Grange : Mr. T. I. Birkin, J. P., D.L. Ruddington Hall : Mr. Philo Laos Mills. Ruddington Manor : Mr. Henry V. Story, J. P. Royston House, Clayworth : Mr. R. C. Otter, J.P. St. Ann's Manor, Sutton Bonington : Major Charles Richard Tennant. Scarle Hall : Mrs. Colton. Scaftworth Hall : Capt. Fred. H. Blacker. Serlby Hall : Viscount Galway, M.A., D.L., J.P. Shelton Hall : Col. Francis Vere Wright, J.P. Sherwood Lodge, Arnold : Col. Chas. Seely, D.L., J.P. Shireoaks Hall : Mr. Geo. Eddison. Skegby Hall : Mr. Robt. Marsh E. W. Dodsley, J.P. Stanford Park : Mr. Richard Ratcliffe, J.P. Stapleford Hall : Col. Chas. Ichabod Wiight. Staunton Hall : Mr. Chas. J. Phillips. Stoke Hall : Sir Henry Bromley, J. P., D.L. Strelley Hall : Mr. Jas. Thomas Edge, D.L., J.P. Sturton High House : Mr. W. Wilkinson. Sutton Bonington Hall : Lieut.-Col. George Ernest Paget, J.P. Sutton Fields : Mrs. Tidmas. Syerston Hall : Mr. Geo. H. Fillingham, J.P. Teversall Manor House : Mr. E. Wilson Barnes, J.P. Thorney Hall : Col. G. H. Hutton, J.P. Thoroton Hall : Mr. Thomas Marsh. Thrumpton Hall : Lady Byron. Thurgarton Priory : Right Rev. George Ridding, D.D., Bishop of Southwell. Tollerton Hall : Mr. Alfred Brodhurst. Tuxford Hall : Mr. Robt. Stretton Wilson. Upton Hall : Miss Falkner. Wallingwells : Mr. William Jessop. Watnall Hall: Mr. R. G. Hanson. 1/ 258 History of Nottinghamshire. Welham Hall : Mr. William Birks. West Bridgford Hall : Mr. Albert Heymann, J. P. Weslfield House, Farndon : Mr. Jas. Hole. Westhorpe Hall : Major-Gen. William E. Warrand, R.E., J.P. West Retford Hall : Mr. B. Huntsman, D.L., J.P. West Retford House : Mrs. Overend. Whatton Manor House : Mrs. D. Hall. Woodlands, Shireoaks : Mr. R. Eddison, J.P. Worksop Manor : Mr. John Robinson. Widmerpool Hall : Major George Coke Robertson, J.P. Wigthorpe House, Carlton-in-Lindiick : Mr. Robert J. Ramsden, M.A., J.P. Winkburn Hall : Col. E. Strelley Pegge-Burnell, J.P. Winthorpe Grange : Mr. J. G. Branston, J.P. Winthorpe Hall : Major Geo. Thomas Pierse Duncombe. Winthorpe House : Mrs. W. Gilstrap. W T iverton Hall : Mrs. Chavvorth Musters. Woodborough Hall : Mr. Mansfield Parkyns. Woodborough Manor House : Mr. Roby Liddington Thorpe. Woodhouse Castle, Mansfield Woodhouse : Capt. Walter Need, R.N., J.P. But naturally of more enduring interest to the antiquary than the country seats is the work of the builders of old who have enriched us with noble churches in almost every parish. First and foremost of our ancient ecclesiastical edifices is the minster church at Southwell, rich in its reminiscences of great dignitaries, some of whom rest within the shadow of its venerable walls. That one of the earliest buildings in the land devoted to Christian worship was erected on this site, there is no doubt, and over its remains uprose by slow degrees the glorious edifice which now stands a noble monument to the piety and zeal of our ancestors. The principal Norman portions of the present fabric, nave and transepts, are said to have been built about 1 1 10, during the archiepiscopate of Thomas II., the namesake and nephew of the first Norman Archbishop of York, Thomas of Bayeux. In the Registrant Album is an undated letter, written by an Archbishop Thomas, soliciting alms to defray the cost of the building. It Art and Architecture. 259 is believed that this missive emanated from Thomas II., an opinion which receives confirmation from the style of the masonry being of a more compact and finished character than that of an earlier date. In searching for materials for the life of this eminent Archbishop, Canon Raine found few traces of him in the domestic affairs of his diocese. He is known, however, to have obtained from the King a grant of privileges to the church at Southwell, and to have freed the Canons and their church from the claims and exactions of himself and his successors. After the great work of the Normans, which cannot be looked upon without feelings of intensest admiration — the west door and the north porch and doorway being rare specimens of Norman enrichment — came the Early English choir, 12301250; the north transept chapel, 1260; the choir, 1 270- 1 285 ; the chapter-house and its vestibule, 1285-1300; the organ screen, 1335-1340. The sedilia is of pure Decorated style. There are late Decorated windows inserted in the north transept chapel, and inserted Perpen- dicular windows in the nave. These are all fourteenth-cen- tury work. The great west window is attributed to the century following. Unique in the beauty of its adornment and in the elegance of its construction is the chapter-house, to which so much attention is always directed as standing in the front rank of geometrical buildings. Mr. G. E. Street assigns it its proper place among the architectural wonders of this country, for he writes : ' What either Cologne Cathedral or Ratisbon or Wiesen Kirche are to Germany, Amiens Cathedral or the Saint-Chapelle are to France, the Scale- gere in Verona to Italy, are the choir of Westminster and the chapter-house at Southwell to England.' The effigies and sepulchral slabs include a fine monu- ment to Archbishop Sandys, and a slab formerly in the floor of the choir to the memory of William Talbot, a Canon of Southwell who lived in the fifteenth century. Immediately adjoining the church are the remains of one 17 — 2 260 History of Nottinghamshire. of the famous palaces of the Archbishops of York, of which one of the great apartments — the hall — is standing in the north-west corner of the quadrangle. This has been renovated and restored under the direction and through the liberality of that eminent antiquary, Dr. Trollope, Bishop of Nottingham. We may add that Southwell has been fortunate in its historians, a large volume having been written by Mr. Dickinson, a smaller one by Mr. Shilton, a third by Clark and Killpack, and recently a very interesting little work by Mr. Grevile M. Livett, B.A., in which the dates quoted above are assigned. Of the principal parochial churches there are several that deserve special mention. The chief ecclesiastical edifice in the county town is the Church of St. Mary which, from its commanding position, is a conspicuous feature. It is a cruciform building, very spacious, and of elegant Perpen- dicular work, comprising chancel, nave, transepts, north and south porches, and a central embattled tower of two stages with pinnacles. St. Peter's Church is also mainly in the Perpendicular style, though there are portions of Early English work in it. St. Nicholas's church was rebuilt in 167 1. Newark possesses a parish church of unusual size and magnificence, and full of interest alike to the architect and the antiquary. First we have the four central piers of a lost cruciform church, of which they are the sole remnants, excepting a contemporary crypt beneath. These are clearly of a Transitional character. Then there is the lower part of the tower, the most beautiful portion of all, built about 1230, when the Early English style reigned supreme in all its perfection and structural excellence. The lower and earlier portion of the tower rose only one stage above the nave roof, and is a noble feature, grand in design and excellent in detail. Above it is enriched with a fine arcade and the bold effective diagonal diaper used so freely in Bishop Grossetete's work at Lincoln Cathedral. About 1313 a general rebuilding of the church, except the tower, Art and Architecture. 261 was set on foot, and the upper stage of the tower and the grand spire above it were completed after some interrup- tion about 1350. The nave was built in the last quarter of the fourteenth century, then followed the chancel in 1489, the little chapel on the north side of the altar founded by Thomas Merying of Newark, A.D. 1506, and in a corre- sponding position opposite, the mortuary chapel of Robert Markham, erected about the same period. In this chapel is a very striking and peculiar feature : the outer side possesses a panelled screen, and two of the panels contain the first of a series of subjects illustrating the ' Dance of Death.' Other remarkable features in Newark Church are the magnificent chancel screen made about 1508, the old font rebuilt in 1660, the famous Fleming brass, one of the mo^t splendid remaining in the kingdom, to the memory of Alan Fleming, who died in 1 36 1 , and a very much smaller and less ornamental brass to William Phyllypot, who died in 1557. At Blyth there are the remains of a very fine edifice which united both a monastic and a parochial church under one roof. In its original form it consisted of a nave, side- aisles, transepts, central tower, and choir, terminating in an apse. Although much of this venerable church remains, yet much has been destroyed. The conventual choir, where for over four and a half centuries prayer was daily wont to be said, the central low Norman tower, and the transepts, have been swept away. The Rev. J. Raine, the historian of Blyth, believes that the Benedictines immediately after their original foundation, A.D. 1088, commenced with a Norman apse, and proceeded consecutively with the choir, transepts, central tower, nave and aisles. The existing portions of the north aisle, with its rude vault of rubble, of the nave with its round arches, massive piers, cushion capitals, triforium, clerestory and corbel table, and of the south wall and transept, all harmonize with this date. The first change which the church, thus constituted, underwent, was the 262 History of Nottinghamshire. substitution of an Early English groined vault with moulded rib and elaborate bosses over the nave for the original roof of wood. This was about 1250. Next came the expansion of the narrow Norman aisles for the purpose of forming a parish church, and not long after this the south aisle was widened. Henceforth the convent and the parish each possessed its own chancel, which in process of time were defined by two separate rood-lofts in a line with each other crossing the nave and south aisle. The latter of these screens remains. The next change which the church underwent was the construction of the present tower about the middle of the fifteenth century, and no work of any importance was done after it. The church is a very interesting one, and will well repay inspection. At Worksop the priory church of SS. Mary and Cuth- bert is one of great magnificence, and of cathedral-like proportions. When the Augustinian priory was founded, part of its original endowment consisted of the parish church, which Mr. White believes to have been a small Norman edifice terminating in an apse at its eastern end. The Augustinians were great builders, and the sacred edifice was rebuilt on a scale of unusual grandeur A.D. 1 170- 11 80, to which date almost the whole of the present fabric is attributable. The western front has lofty twin towers, and the west doorway possesses a recessed arch with zigzag ornament. A very striking feature is the nave with its unbroken aisle, and arcades supported by eight solid pillars. The following additional notes have been kindly supplied by Mr. John T. Godfrey, the author of ' The Churches of Notts of the Hundred of Rushcliffe,' and other local works : Though the parochial churches of Nottinghamshire do not possess any marked local architectural features, such as may be seen in the towers of Somersetshire, the wooden roofs and spires of Norfolk and Suffolk, or the double- Art and Architecture. 265 naved churches of Cornwall, yet many of them are of considerable interest. Omitting the cathedral church of Southwell, and the conventual churches of Blyth, Worksop and Thurgarton, and the remains of Newstead, to which previous reference has been made, the following list, although not exhaustive, will be found to include the more interesting churches in the county : Norman : Balderion % porch-arch on north side, and corresponding doorway on south side ; Carlton in-Lindrick, doorway in tower, and north arcade of nave ; Carllon-on- Trent, doorway ; Can u tot', indications in westernmost arch of south aisle arcade ; Everton, tower arch ; Hockerton y chancel arch, jainbs of tower arch, door- way within the porch, a corresponding one in the north wall, and a small light in the south wall of nave ; Hucknall, lower part of tower ; Kirklington, doorway within porch ; Laneham, doorway ; Linby, doorway within porch ; Mansfield, lower pait of tower ; Plumtre, lower part of tower ; Rolleslon, doorway ; South Lever- ton, tower ; South Muskham, lower stage of tower, and doorway in north aisle ; Teversall, doorway within porch ; Whation, lower stage of tower. Early English : Averham, chancel ; Balderton ; Bingham, tower ; Burton Joyce, nave ; Car Colston, nave and lower part of tower ; Cauntoti, nave and chancel ; Coddington, lower part of tower ; Cotgravc, nave ; Cromwell ; Alston, nave ; Everton, nave ; Farndon, nave ; Finningley, chancel ; Flintham, chancel ; East Leake j Edwalton ; Gedling, nave and chancel; Gotham, tower and spire ; Halloughton, chancel ; Hawton, nave and doorway in north aisle ; Keyworth, chancel ; Kingston-on-Soar, remains ; Kneesall, nave, south aisle, and chancel ; Langar ; Linby, chancel; Mansfield, nave; Maplcbcck ; Newark, lower part of tower ; Normanton-on-Soar ; North Muskham, tower-arch, north aisle arcade ; Norwell, lower stages of tower, chancel, aisle arcades, and doorway within porch ; Nottingham (St. Peter), nave ; Orston, nave and chancel ; Plumtre, nave and south aisle ; Radcliffe-on-Soarj Rolleston, except tower; Screveton, chance 1, nave, and aisles ; Slielford, nave and chancel ; South Leverton, nave and chancel ; South Muskham j Sturton-le-$tceple, nave ; Sutton Bonington (St. Anne), aisle and chancel ; Sutton-on-Trent, lower stages of tower and nave arcades ; Tcversall, chancel ; Thoroton, nave ; Thruinpton, nave ; Ipton, nave ; Wellow, :64 History of NottingJiamshire. tower; West Bridgefordj Whatton, aisle arcades ; Wilford, nave, south aisle, and porch ; Willoughby-on-the- Wolds. DECORATED : Annesley, Felley priory chapel ; Averham, tower-arch, south porch ; Barto7i-i7i-Fabisj Bilsthorpe, chancel ; Bingham, aisles, transepts, and spire ; Bunny, nave, aisles, tower, and spire ; Burton Joyce, aisles, chancel, tower, and spire ; Car Colston, chancel ; Caunton, aisles ; Costockj Cotgrave, tower ; Cromwell, tower ; East Bridgeford, porch ; East Stoke, windows ; Everton, chancel arch ; Flintham, windows ; Gedling tower ; Gotham, aisles ; Holme, broach spire ; Hawton, aisles and chancel ; Keyworth, nave ; Kirklin^ton ; Mansfield, windows ; Mansfield Woodhouse, tower and spire ; Newark, south aisle, upper part of tower, and spire ; Norwell, porch, south aisle, and transepts ; Nottingham {St. Peter), tower and spire ; Orston, aisles ; Rolleston, windows ; Ruddington, tower ; Scarrington, windows ; Screveton, tower ; Shelford, aisles ; Sibthorpe, chancel ; Stanford- on-Soar, chancel ; Staunton; Sutton-in-Ashfield ; Sutton-on- Trent, south aisle ; Sutton Bonington (St. Anne), nave ; Thoroton, tower and spire ; Thorpe, windows ; Thrumpton, chancel ; Upton, windows ; West Bridgeford, windows ; West Leake, nave and chancel ; Whatton, windows ; Widmerpool, tower ; Wysall. Perpendicular : Averham, tower ; Blidworth, tower ; Car Colston, upper part of tower ; Caunton, tower ; Clifton, chancel : Cot- grave, chancel ; East Markham, tower ; East Retford, tower ; Finningley, nave and north aisle ; Gedling spire ; Hawton, tower : Kelham, tower ; Keyworth, tower ; Kneesall, north aisle and upper stages of tower ; Newark, chancel, north aisle ; North Muskham, tower, and south aisle arcade ; Norwell, upper stage of tower ; Nottingham (St. Mary) ; Ordsall, tower ; Plumtre, chancel ; Rolleston, tower ; Scrooby ; Shelford, tower ; South Muskham, tower ; Slurton-le-Steeple, tower ; Sutton Bonington (St. Michael), tower ; Sutton-on- Trent, north aisle, chancel, and chapel ; Upton, tower ; West Bridgeford, tower ; West Retford, spire ; Wilford, chancel. CHAPTER XXIV. LEGEND, TRADITION, AND ANECDOTE. Robin Hood and his Band — Ballads of the Period — The Gothamites — The King and the Miller of Mansfield — Ancient Instruments of Torture — The Plough Bullocks — ' Riding the Stang ' — The Fair Maid of Clifton— St. Catherine's Well at Newark — Nan Scott's Chamber at Holme — Dick Turpin and his Accomplice — The Poets of the Newark Sieges — Hercules Clay and his Dream. THE county is not prolific in legend or rich in anecdote, but a mass of interesting tradition and story clings around one of its historical heroes — Robin Hood. The character of the famous outlaw and his exploits in the ' merrie green- wood ' are too well known to need any detailed repetition. Everyone has followed with curiosity at some time or other of his career the daring freebooter and his dashing com- rades, with their marvellous use of the weapon which won England some of its most glorious victories. Their bold thefts from the rich, their charity to the poor, and their strange pranks with captive travellers, especially those in monkish garb, to say nothing of their various encounters with the Sheriff of Nottingham, and even with royalty itself, make up a romance full of incident and attraction. Wash- ington Irving, in his delightful meditations upon the beauties of Sherwood Forest, speaks of ' the picturings of my boyish fancy which began to rise in my mind, and Robin Hood and his men to stand before me. 266 History of Nottinghamshire. tu He clothed himself in scarlet then, His men were all in green ; A finer show throughout the world In no place could be seen. ' " Good Lord ! it was a gallant sight To see them all in a row ; With every man a good broad sword, And eke a good yew bow." ' The heads of the story as collected by Stow in his annals are briefly these: 'In this time (a.d. 1190) were many robbers and outlaws, among the which Robin Hood and Little John continued in woods, despoiling and robbing the goods of the rich. They killed none but such as con- tinually oppressed the poor, or by resistance for their own defence. The said Robert entertained a hundred tall men and good archers with such spoils and thefts as he got, upon whom four hundred (were they ever so strong) durst not give the onset. He suffered no woman to be oppressed or other- wise molested. Poor men's goods he spared, abundantly relieving them with that which by theft he got from abbeys and the houses of rich Earls, whom Maior, the historian, blameth for his rapine and theft, but of all thieves he affirmeth him to be the prince and the most gentle thief.' As Professor Morley well says in his ' Library of English Literature ' : ' Robin Hood personified to thousands in England the spirit of liberty in arms against the cruel forest laws, against all the tyrannies of the strong in Church and State, against all luxury fed on the spoils of labour. From the old days when Hereward the Saxon held the woods in defiance of Norman kings, there had been stories of bold outlaws who through songs and tales of the countryside became heroes to the labouring man, with more freedom in their souls than in their lives.' John of Fordun places the date of Robin Hood's existence after the Battle of Evesham, A.D. 1265, and says: 'Then from among the dispossessed and the banished arose that most Legend, Tradition, and Anecdote. 267 famous cut-throat, Robin Hood, with Little John and their accomplices, whom the foolish multitude are so fond of celebrating in tragedy and comedy, and the ballads con- cerning whom sung by jesters and minstrels delight them beyond all others.' The rhymes and proverbial sayings connected with Robin Hood are so extensive as to form a literature of themselves. Some of the ballads are of considerable length, and dwell with enthusiastic admiration on the skill and valour of the hero and his men. Take, for instance, 'A Lytell Geste (Gesta) of Robyn Hood,' printed about the year 1489, which consists of no less than 1820 lines. It is divided into eight ' fyttes,' or songs, each of which tells in quaint English words of some escapade of the hero. In the first the outlaws seize a poor knight who is on his way to an abbey to beg further time in which to repay four hundred pounds he has borrowed from the Abbot on mortgage of his land. Robin hears his story, and lends him the money to free himself from the claims of the Abbot. In the second there is depicted the joy of the knight and his lady at thus being relieved of the prospect of becoming disinherited. The third relates to Little John, who took service with the Sheriff of Nottingham ; but becoming tired of this life of servitude, and having a quarrel with the butler, who would not give him his dinner when he was late one day, he determined to seek the freedom of the forest. The cook took his part, and the two joined Robin Hood's band of freebooters. ' That ilke same day at night They hied them to the treasure-house, As fast as they might gone ; The locks that were of good steel They brake them every one ; They took away the silver vessel, And all that they might get, Pieces, masars (bowls), and spoons Would they none forget ; 268 History of Nottinghamshire. Also they took the good pence, Three hundred pound and three, And did them straight to Robin Hood, Under the greenwood tree.' That day the Sheriff was hunting in the forest, and the outlaws surrounded him. They made him sit down to dine from his own stolen plate, and having played this joke upon him, kept him a night, and sent him home thankful that he had got off so cheaply with his life. The next ' fytte ' tells how the robbers waylaid two monks belonging to St. Mary's Abbey — the monks to whom the knight's lands were in danger of being forfeit. From them Robin Hood stole eight hundred pounds, and considered it the payment due to him for having lent the knight four. When the knight came to repay the loan, Robin refused it, and gave him the other four hundred obtained from the monks. This is followed by a description of how the robbers were in danger of being surprised by the Sheriff of Nottingham, and took refuge in the castle of the knight they had befriended. Upon this the Sheriff proceeded to London to complain to the King that the knight was harbouring the outlaws. This is told in the sixth ' fytte,' which also shows how, after the departure of Robin, Sir Richard at the Lee was out hawking one day, and was taken captive by the Sheriff for having entertained the merry freebooters in his castle. When Sir Richard was taken into custody his lady rode in all speed to Robin Hood and told him of the seizure of her husband. The chieftain then assembled his men, attacked the Sheriff at Nottingham, slew him, and liberated his friend the poor knight. In the seventh ' f>tte' the visit of King Edward is described : ' Half a year dwelled our comely King In Nottingham, and well more, Could he not hear of Robin Hood In what country that he were ; Legend, Tradition, and Anecdote. 269 But alway went good Robin By halk and eke by hill, And alway slew the Kinges deer, And welt them at his will. ' Then bespake a proud forstere That stood by our King's knee, " If ye will see good Robin Ye must do after me. Take five of the best knyghtes That be in your lede, And walk down by your abbey, And get you Monkes weed.; And I will be your lede*s man, And led^ you your way, And ere you come to Nottingham, Mine head then dare I lay That ye shall meet with good Robin, Alive if that he be, Ere ye come to Nottingham With eyen ye shall him see." 1 Full hastily our King was diglit, So were his knyghtes five, Each of them in Monke"s weed, And hasted them thither blithe. Our King was great above his cowl, A broad hat on his crown, Right as he were abbot-like They rode up in-to the town. Stiff boots our King had on, Forsooth as I you say, He rode singing to greenwood, The convent was clothed in gray ; His mail horse, and his great somers, Followed our King behind, Till they came to greene" wood, A mile under the lind : There they met with good Robin, Standing on the way, And so did many a bold archer For sooth as I you say.' j^ . 270 History of Nottinghamshire. The result of this meeting of the King disguised as a monk with Robin Hood, was that the latter detained his Majesty, and robbed him of ' forty pound.' The ' monk ' showed him the royal seal, and told him that he was bidden to the Court at Nottingham, upon which the 1 monk ' and loyal outlaw evinced great friendship towards each other, and engaged in the sports of the forest. Each man who missed the mark in an archery tournament was to receive a buffet. Robin at his turn missed the garland, and surrendered himself to the Abbot to receive the penalty. 'Anon our King, with that word, He fold up his sleeve, And such a buffet he gave Robin, To ground he yede full near.' This caused Robin Hood and Sir Richard at the Lee to scrutinize the King's features more keenly, when they recognised his Majesty in monk's attire, and all the outlaws fell on their knees and craved pardon. In the eighth and last ' fytte ' is a description of how Robin Hood and his men join the King's retinue and go to Nottingham to the Court. They continue as followers of Edward for over a year, when Robin Hood, pining for the freedom of the forest, craves permission to return for a time. This is given him, and having once more gathered his band around him, he leads a merry life in the forest. The piece concludes with the end of the bold hero at Kirklees Nunnery, where his aunt, the Prioress, treacherously bled him to death. The printer's colophon to this lengthy composition is : ' C (black letter) Explicit King Edwarde and Robin Hode and Lyttel Johan. Enprented at London in Flete Strete at the sygne of the Sone by Wynkin de Worde.' In Mr. Garrick's collection of old plays is a different edition of the same poem ' imprinted at London upon the thre Crane wharfe by Wyllyam Copland,' containing at the end a little dramatic piece on the subject of Robin Hood and the Legend, Tradition, and Anecdote. 27 r Friar not found in the former copy, called a ' newe playe for to be played in Maye games very pleasaunte and full of pastyme.' In 'Visions of Piers the Plowman,' written in the reign of King Edward III., a monk says : ' I can rimes of Robin Hood and Randal of Chester, But of oar Lorde and our Ladie I lerne nothing at all.' Not unnaturally, when we remember that Sherwood Forest covered so large a portion of the county, stretching almost to the gates of the county town, most of the ballads popular among the peasantry centuries ago were associated with deer - stealing exploits, in which Robin Hood and his men took so prominent a part. In the last century there was a well-known ballad having for its subject a night's expedition in Thorneywood Chase, in which the hero is made to escape the keepers, and to capture a store of venison. Returning from their free-booting errand, they are betrayed by a publican's wife, to whom they offered to sell a portion of their ill-gotten plunder, and are tried at the Quarter Sessions, but acquitted : 1 The Sessions are over, and we're all here, The Sessions are over, and we all sit here ; The very best game I ever did see, Is a duck or deer, but a deer for me.' A series of curious traditions attaches to a pleasant little village seven miles from Nottingham, which is said to have been the scene of some foolish proceedings on the part of a number of madmen, by whom the village was inhabited early in the sixteenth century. Andrew Borde, who compiled his ' Merry Tales of the Mad men of Gotham ' in the days of Henry VIII., gives an amusing account of these strange inhabitants of Gotham, and the stories repro- duced in Stuart times constituted one of the most popular jest-books in general circulation in the days of Charles I. The village of Gotham possesses little evidence of antiquity to-day, and no old building, except the church, which is in 272 History of Nottinghamshire. the Early English style, containing some interesting monu- ments. One of its public-houses, however, perpetuates the name of Cuckoo Bush, wherein the Gothamites are said to have tried to hedge in the cuckoo. Borde's book con- sisted of twenty stories, of which the following are speci- mens : THE CUCKOO. On a time, the men of Gotham would have pinned in the cuckoo, whereby she would sing all the year, and in the midst of the town they made a hedge round in compass, and they had got a cuckoo, and had put her into it, and said : ' Sing here all the year, and thou shalt lack neither meat nor drink.' The cuckoo, as soon as she perceived herself encompassed within the hedge, flew away. ' A vengeance on her/ said they ; ' we made not our hedge high enough.' FORETHOUGHT. When that Good Friday was come, the men of Gotham did cast their heads together what to do with their white herring, their red herring, their sprats, and salt fish. One consulted with the other, and agreed that such fish should be cast into their pond or pool (the which was in the middle of the town), that it might increase again the next year ; and every man that had any fish, did cast them into the pool. The one said : I have thus many white herrings ;' another said : ' I have thus many sprats ;' another said : ' I have thus many red herrings ;' and the other said : ' I have thus many salt fishes. Let all go together into the pool or pond, and we shall fate like lords next Lent.' At the beginning of the next Lent following, the men did draw the pond to have their fish, and there was nothing but a great eel. ' Ah !' said they all, 'a mischief on this eel ! for he hath eat up all our fish.' ' What shall we do with him ?' said the one to the other. ' Kill him,' said the one of them. ' Chop him all to pieces,' said another. ' Nay, not so,' said the other, ' let us drown him.' ' Be it so,' said all. They went to another pool or pond by, and did cast in the eel into the water. ' Lie there,' said they, ' and shift for thyself : for no help thou shalt have of us,' and there they left the eel to be drowned. Legend, Tradition, and Anecdote. 273 Questions have arisen as to whether the Gotham referred to was the village of that name in Nottinghamshire, or one of a similar name in Sussex ; but for many years the site of the Cuckoo-bush was pointed out in the Nottingham- shire Gotham, and a local story exists that the bush was planted in commemoration of a freak played by the inhabitants on King John as he passed through on his way to Nottingham. Richard Braithwaite in his ' Time's Curtaine Draune,' published in 162 1, describes 'a silly scene ' which he witnessed at Gotham, ' a small towne nere Nottingham,' and Barnaby, in his 'Journal' (1648-1650), makes a drunken traveller say : ' Thence to Gotham, where sure am I, Though not all fools, I saw many.' Mr. W. Davenport Adams thinks it is quite possible that the best of the tales of Gotham were foreign in origin, were afterwards naturalized in England, and finally localized, and that the collection reprinted by Mr. Hazlitt was simply made up by Borde from his recollections of popular story- telling.* Fuller says : ' Gotham doth breed as wise men as any other place,' and an anonymous writer expresses the sum and substance of the matter in the following lines : ' Tell me no more of Gotham fools, Or of their little eels in pools Which they were told were drowning. ****** ' The fools are those who thither go To see the cuckoo-bush, I trow, The wood, the barn, the pools ; For such are seen both here and there, And passed by without a sneer By all but arrant fools.' A story is told in the ' Percy Reliques ' concerning Henry II. and the Miller of Mansfield. The noble forest * Article on ' Gotham and Gothamites ' in ' Old Nottinghamshire, edited by J. P. Briscoe, 2nd series, p. 114. 18 274 History of Nottinghamshire. of Sherwood furnished abundant sport for the monarchs of Norman and Plantagenet times, and the Kings made the locality one of their favourite haunts. One day Henry II., when hunting, lost his way, and met a miller who, offering shelter to the benighted sportsman, took him home and gave him a share of his son's bed. A search was instituted for the King, and the next morning his attendant found him at the cottage. The miller was astonished when the rank of his guest was disclosed, and the King evidently relishing the joke, conferred the honour of knighthood on his humble host, who thus rejoiced under the dignified cognomen of Sir John Cockle, and subsequently ' overseer of Sherwood Forest.' • Then Sir John Cockle the King call'd unto him, And of merry Sherwood made him o'er-seer ; And gave him out of hand three hundred pound yearlye ; Now take heed you steale no more of my deer ; And once a quarter let's here have your view ; And now, Sir John Cockle, I bid you adieu.' Such is the brief outline of a tradition which is somewhat coarse in the form that it originally took shape. None of the old-world customs which lingered to a period within living memory now remain. The May-poles have disappeared, excepting in one or two parishes, notably on Wellow Green, and the old instruments of torture, the stocks, the ducking-stool, and the brank have gone for ever, though their names are perpetuated by the appellations attached to some localities. An amusing story remains of the last man in the stocks at Newark. A boon companion went to sympathize with him, and to inquire for what offence he had been seized. The old toper explained all he had been doing, on which his friend remarked : ' Why, they can't put you in for that !' ' But,' said the prisoner, ' / am in,' and surely a more conclusive argument was never advanced in the whole history of rhetoric. Legend, Tradition, and Anecdote. 275 Until a few years ago ' Plough Monday ' was a great day with the agricultural labourers. Bodies of them used to parade the village streets adorned with paper finery, and their cheeks dyed a deep red by the application of ochre, soliciting contributions with the request ' Remember the plough bullocks.' The writer has a distinct recollection of a party of them visiting his father's house at night adorned with paint and feathers, and performing a play. The text of this grotesque representation is given in * Hone's Everyday Book,' as one used by Christmas mummers; though it was customary to intersperse songs and speeches appropriate to the occasion according to the skill of the actors. The play commenced with one of the party delivering the following little prologue : ' Room, a room, brave gallants, room, Within this court I do resort, To show some sport And pastime, Gentlemen and ladies, in the present time.' Then appear other members of the company such as a Plough Bullock, a Turkish Knight, and St. George. The two latter enter into a fierce encounter with swords, which adds to the excitement of the scene. The Turkish Knight is mortally wounded ; but a doctor comes in to try and cure him. Other actors in the play are an Old Squire, Hub Hub, and the Box-holder. Immediately at the close of the performance contribu- tions were solicited, and the plough bullocks then pro- ceeded to other farmhouses to repeat the performance, winding up the day with a supper and jollification at the nearest public-house. When a man ill-used his wife the villagers were wont to gather in a body, draw his effigy through the streets, and repeat some doggerel verses descriptive of the offence of which the husband had been guilty. This custom was IS— 2 276 History of Nottinghamshire. known as ' riding the stang,' and lapsed into desuetude about half a century ago. One of the most romantic legends in the county is that of the Fair Maid of Clifton, told in pleasant verse by the youthful Nottinghamshire poet, Henry Kirke White. Margaret was the peerless beauty of Clifton, and as such had many lovers, of whom to young Bateman she gave the preference. After the two had exchanged vows one night, he told her he had to go to a foreign land for three years. Then, as an earnest of her constancy to him, she broke her ring in two pieces, giving him one part and keeping the other herself. But before the time for his return was up : ' Absence had cooled her love, the impoverished flame Was dwindling fast, when, lo ! the tempter came ; He offered wealth and all the joys of life, And the weak maid became another's wife.' Bateman returned to claim his bride only to find that she had become the wife of a rival. Driven wild with grief, he plunged into the silent waters of the Trent. 4 Then all was still, the wave was rough no more, The river swept as sweetly as before ; The willows waved, the moonbeams shone serene, And peace, returning, brooded o'er the scene.' Margaret heard of the fate of her lover. Remorse seized her, and having given birth to her child the same night, when her attendants were sleeping, she rushed to the river and there found a watery grave with the lover whom she had forsworn. 1 The neighbouring rustics told that in the night They heard such screams as froze them with affright ; And many an infant at its mother's breast Started dismayed from its unthinking rest ; And even now upon the heath forlorn They show the path down which the fair was borne By the fell demons to the yawning wave, Her own and murder'd lover's mutual grave.' Legend, Tradition, and Anecdote. 277 Another equally romantic legend of love and tragedy is that which surrounds the history of St Catherine's Well at Newark, the waters of which are still held in high repute for their purity and sweetness. Two knights, Sir Everard Bevercotes and Sir Guy Saucimer (so the story goes), loved the daughter of Alan de Caldwell, and the dame giving the preference to Sir Everard, he was slain by his rival. On the spot where he fell a stream of pure water gushed from the ground, and continued to flow plentifully and brightly ever after. Sir Guy withdrew to foreign parts, and Isabell, the fair enchantress, died of grief. When the former heard of her death he returned to England, having been, since his crime, stricken with leprous sores. As he was asleep in the forest of St. Avoid, the holy Catherine appeared to him and revealed that the well where Sir Everard had fallen was the only place where his sores could be cured. Thither he journeyed as a hermit, and built himself a cell on the banks of the Devon near the spot where he slew his rival. By the name of St. Guthred he lived till he was eighty-seven years of age, and was venerated by all for his piety and goodness. An equally romantic story is told by Mr. Thomas Bailey in a ' Handbook to Newstead Abbey ' of a fair maid at Broxtowe who lived during the Civil Wars. The daughter of a Royalist, she fell in love with a Puritan captain, who had rescued her from robbers. Stolen interviews followed, and when a bullet struck down her lover, she Hung aside her dainty attire, abandoned the amusements of the worid, and lived for sixty years in the diligent performance of all good works. A curious tradition has survived since the year 1666, when the district round Newark suffered severely from the ravages of the plague. In the village of Holme, says Dr. Wake, there is a little room over the porch of the parish church called Nan Scott's Chamber. The name is derived from that of an old woman who took refuge in it when the -7^ History of Nottinghamshire. epidemic attacked the villagers. She stored provisions in it sufficient to last her for several weeks, and, without leaving her place of refuge, watched from a window the funeral processions of her old friends as they were buried in the churchyard. When forced to visit her home for supplies, she found the parish deserted by all except herself and one other person, and was so horrified at the results of the plague that she returned to the chamber, and there ended her days. A small cottage in this same village of Holme is said to have been frequented by Dick Turpin, the outlaw, who procured food and cordial for his horse to sustain the animal during the famous journey from London to York. The tradition is that the occupant of the cottage underwent sentence for being an accomplice of the daring highwayman, and many years ago a richly-embroidered pistol-holster, with other articles, was found in the building — all of which circum- stances lend colour to the story. The romantic and important part which Newark took in the Civil War is matter of national- history, but it never fails to excite interest in those who love the reminiscences of chivalry and heroism. Some stirring lines come down to us descriptive of one of Newark's sieges, and ascribed to Sir William Davenant. The poem deals with the most glorious episode in the military exploits of the time — that of the relief of the garrison by Prince Rupert when the Roundheads had invested the town in 1644. A brilliant onslaught was made by the Prince from the eminence still known as Beacon Hill, and when the Parliamentary forces began to give way, and the garrison to free itself, the climax in the repulse of the rebel army is reached, which the poet thus depicts : ' The garrison have sallied out, the foes fall back a space, For Rupert presses onward : neither give nor ask for grace ; And ever in the hottest fight, above the battle din, His battle word is clearly heard, "For God and for the King." Legend, Tradition, and Anecdote. 279 ' They have won the bridge, those troopers ! they will keep it to the death, And the foes are drinking hard in the crimson stream beneath ; And down the gray hillside Rupert's Foot is marching in, And echo high the battle-cry, " For God and for the King." ' They have sheathed their bloody blades, at his word, those troopers wild, For he swore he'd shoot the first that harmed a woman or a child ; And jhe foe have begged for quarter, they are ready to give in, And leave Newark and her standard to God and to the King. ' As he entered her old gates one cry of triumph rose, To bless and welcome him who had saved them from their foes ; The women kiss his charger, and the little children sing, " Prince Rupert's brought us bread to eat from God and from the King." Another rhvming writer took the incidents of the last siege of Newark as his theme. He was no less a personage than the judge advocate of the garrison, John Cleveland, and the title of his volume of compositions was a curious one : ' The Muses' Mistress: a Storehouse of Rich Fancies, written at succedaneous hours, during the action at New- ark.' Here is a specimen culled from one of his poems, which was composed for the purpose of cheering the garrison during its troubles : ' Our braines are asleepe, then fyll vs a cupp of capporing sacke & clarett ; here is a health to King Charles ! then drinke it all op, his cause will fare better for itt. did not an ould arke saue Noyo in a fflood ? why may not a new arke to vs be vs good wee diead not their forces, they are all made of wood, then wheele & turne about againe.' While referring to the Civil War period, one local anecdote out of many is well worth reproducing. A worthy resident, Hercules Clay, some time Mayor of Newark, resided in a house at the corner of the market- 280 History of Nottinghamshire . place not far from the Governor's mansion. For three nights in succession he dreamt that the besiegers had set his place on fire, and he became so impressed with the circumstance that he and his family quitted their abode. They had no sooner done so than a bomb, fired from Beacon Hill, occupied by the Parliamentary forces, and believed to have been aimed at the Governor's house, fell on the roof of Clay's dwelling, and, passing through every floor, set the whole building in flames. The tradition is that a spy, blindfolded, and bearing a flag of truce, came from the army on the hill to the Governor's house, and was able on his return so accurately to describe its situation as to make the shot all but successful. To commemorate his deliver- ance, Mr. Clay left a sum of money to be distributed in charity (it is given away annually in penny loaves), and the memorial to him in the parish church testifies in a lengthy and curious inscription to the miraculous nature of his escape : 'Being thus delivered by a strength greater than that of Hercules, And having been drawn out of the deep Clay, I now inhabit the stars on high.' CHAPTER XXV. DIALECT AND FOLKLORE. Provincial Words ; their Origin and Use — Examples from Great Writers — Superstitions and Proverbial Sayings — Eccentric Epitaphs. The study of the dialect and folklore of the county (the latter already partially dealt with) opens up a wide field of interest. It is curious to notice how many old words which have lapsed into desuetude in ordinary writing and speaking still linger in the country villages. If a farm-labourer speaks of his week's work he will probably say that he has addled so many shillings as a result of his exertions. Thus in an old ballad we have the couplet : 1 With my good man's hogs, or corn, or hay, I addle my ninepence every day.' Addle is also used in this, as in most other counties, to indicate an egg that has gone bad under the hen while she is sitting. Men who urge others on are said to egg them on, from the Anglo-Saxon eggian, to incite. Cattle that are taken in to pasture are said to be agisted, from the Old Latin agistant. To haggle is to cut unevenly, and it is also to squabble over a bargain. If a master discharges a man, he is said to have given him the sack, and if the man went hither and thither 282 History of Nottinghamshire. talking- loudly of his grievances, he would be said to be blurting it about, or more commonly to blether. Thus in Beaumont and Fletcher : 1 There's nothing gained by being witty But wind to bletlier at his name.' A gossip is still known as a blab or a clat — 'A blab that will not keep her tongue ;' and there is also in common use the word blurt, as meaning to make some statement in a sudden, thoughtless manner. To boggle is to do anything awkwardly ; to brag is to swagger, and to swop is to exchange. A man who is surly is said to be diujfy, and one who is starved is looked upon as clammed. Thus in a poem of 1633 occur the following lines : ' Now barks the wolf against the full cheek'd moon, Now lions ha.\{- cla/;u/u'it entrails roar for food.' A sticky, dirty path is described as clarty. A falsehood is a crammer. A rich man is said to have ' a sight of money,' an expression used in ' Merry Tales,' published in 1567. ' She would not rest until Conom took out a great sight of the fairest roots.' A deceiver is still a sneak, as in Beaumont and Fletcher's days, and the word fond is often used to indicate a foolish person, though;; the expression is rapidly dying out. In Roger Aschams' preface to ' The Schoolmaster,' 1563, we have the saying : ' A sword in a fond man's handling,' and in another production of the same period : ' What fondness moveth thee ?' Anything kept in close confinement is usually said to be mewed up, or cooped up, the term originally describing, we believe, a place where hawks were kept while moulting. Dialect and Folklore. 28 o If a villager has found anything, he will very often say he has fun it, and the word is not merely a corruption or contraction, as might generally be supposed, for in ' The Shepherd's Play,' a fourteenth-century production in North Country dialect, we have : ' My part have I fun, I know my lesson,' showing that it was in common use in those days as a recognised word. It is interesting to a Nottinghamshire man to note how in the aforesaid play there are many words with which he continues to be made familiar. Nesh is still employed in the villages in the sense of being tender, as in the old couplet : ' I can find no flesh Hard or nesh! A bush is often called a busk, and in a play of 1535 ' Ralph Roister-doister,' we find the same word : ' As the beast passed by, he starts out of a busk, And e'en with pure strength of arms plucked out his great tusk.' In the same play royl is used as meaning to ramble ; but in Nottinghamshire to roil or rile is to aggravate. It is usual to say ' I had as lieve do this or that,' a term common to many counties, and in place of sigh, a Notting- hamshire man will sometimes say sike, as in the old-time writing ' She neither wept nor si/ced.' It is said to be good old English, if not now polite, to speak of a heap of people ; but we do not know whether it is old English or polite — probably neither — to say as some Nottinghamshire men do, when they have succeeded in irritating a neighbour, that they have ' got his rag out.' 284 History of Nottinghamshire. For might it is usual to say mote, pronounced ' mowt ' : 1 Good, he said, so jnote I thee, Thou hadst better have gold or fee.' Men are still spoken of as old files and fausse old files, the latter expression not being used to indicate deceitful- ness, but cunning. A man who walks with great strides is said to laup, and a flogging is described as a licking or leathering, probably from the use of a leather strap as a mode of punishment. For far, people say ferr, a word used by Chaucer ; and you may hear, on a blazing hot day, a man remark that he is siveltered to death, and wants to sleek (slake) his thirst. A boy playing at marbles will tell his comrade to knuckle down, and not fullock, the latter term meaning to jerk the hand. If he is beaten, as he thinks, unfairly, he will say that he has been swizled, or chiselled. If his companion is loitering in the street, he will tell you he is miching, and in so doing he uses one of the oldest words in the language, taking its derivation from the Old Norse mak, leisure — a term which even Shakespeare does not disdain to use : ' Shall the blessed sun of heaven prove a micher f 1 Henry IV. y ii. 4. Spenser writes, ' To straggle up and down the country, or miche in corners amongst their friends idly ' ; and in a pamphlet written in 1493 we find, 'At such fayrs and markets there be many theyvs, mychers and cut-purses.' If a micher in his lazy peregrinations went up a narrow lane, he would be said to have gone up a twitchel, in some counties called a twitchen, and as such classified in Dr. Brewer's ' Phrase and Fable.' The first milk given by a cow after calving is called beastlings, as it has been for centuries past, for in Holland's Pliny, vol. i., p. 36, we read : 1 The first milk that she gives down is called beastlivgs, which will soon turn as hard as a pumish stone.' Dialect and Folklore. 2S5 The fruit of the ash is known as ash-keys, and a man who had come from market after purchasing a steed would say that he had bote a /toss. For may happen we have mappen ; for nothing, nowt ; for himself, hisscn ; and myself ', mysen ; frit, for frighten; dry, for thirsty ; while a man will often say he is as ' hungry as a hunter.' We hear '/owance for allowance; eueiv for enough ; hanker, to desire ; waynt for wont. Dab is used in the double sense of to strike, and to give a quantity, as ' a great dab of fish,' and daivdle, to loiter. For mouldy we have froivsty or fusty, as Shakespeare says : ' As good crack afrowsty nut with no kernel.' A man who is stupefied is said to be mazzled, and if he has but little sense, he would have no nous about him, a term which is of Greek derivation. Scraps are termed orts, a word found several times in Shakespeare. A dish of creed wheat and milk is a popular one in Nottingham- shire, and is well known as furmity, concerning which poor Robin says : 'Those that are rich, and have a mind to it, May notwithstanding feed on mince-pie and furmity.' To pull about is to towse ; to wriggle is to squirm. A thing that is good for nothing is a wastrel, and when a man has had enough he is said to have got his whack. A fool is described as a ninny, a term which Shakespeare employs in 'The Tempest.' If a man pulled another's hair or ears, he would be said to lug him. Ears are also called lugs, as in an early play we have the following : ' Dare you think your clumsy lugs as proper to decide As the delicate ears of justice?' If a man is troubling himself he is said to be whittling. The affirmative is usually expressed by ah instead of yes ; and for ask, a common word among the peasantry is ax. This is by no means an innovation or vulgarism, as some 286 History of Nottinghamshire. would suppose ; but is of great antiquity. ' Axe, indeed,' says Richardson, 'is as old as the language,' and Trench points out that ' this is a genuine English form of the word, the form which in the earlier English it constantly assumed ; it is quite exceptional when the word appears in its other, that is, its present shape in Wyclifs Bible ; and, indeed, axe occurs continually, I know not whether invariably, in Tyndale's translation of the Scriptures.' Thus Matthew vi. 8, Wyclif translates, 'Youre fadir woot what is need to you bifor that ye axen him,' and Tyndale, ' Before ye axe of him.' So also Matt. vii. 6 : ' Eche that axeth taketh ' (Wyclif). A.S. axian, assian. We have not space to pursue the subject further, interest- ing though undoubtedly it is, and must leave to others the task of collecting what further remains of local words and traditions. As in Norfolk, a limp corpse is an invariable warning of death, and many a household has been alarmed by the midnight howling of a dog, which is also regarded as an evil omen. To help to salt is said to help to sorrow, and crossed knives are viewed with a shudder. If a bit of bride-cake is put under the pillow, it is believed that the future husband or wife will appear in sleep, and there is a tradition that quicksilver put inside a penny loaf and cast into a river will invariably indicate the whereabouts of the body of a drowned man. With reference to the supposed virtues of quicksilver, an instance of rural super- stition may be appropriately given. About a pound of quicksilver was recently found in a walnut-tree at Denton, on the borders of the county, and interesting dis- cussions took place on the subject both in Notes and Queries and the Pharmaceutical Journal. One corre- spondent surmised that it was placed there with malicious intent in order to spite a neighbour. Mr. Thiselton Dvvyer, however, thinks that it is connected with the old belief prevailing in country districts, that when a tree is infested with insect plagues of any sort it may be cured by boring Dialect and Folklore. 2S7 a hole obliquely in the trunk and filling it with mercury. The Chinese have a similar notion. They profess to be able to restore Cycas revoluta to health by driving an iron nail into the stem. If you have money in your pocket when you first hear the cuckoo you will continue in possession of it throughout the year. Again, if the sun shines through the apple-trees at noon on Christmas Day, it will be a good apple year. A wedding-ring is looked upon as a powerful charm to cure a sty by rubbing, while there are innumerable charms for warts, and of weather rhymes and sayings there are scores. 'Till May is out ne'er cast a clout' is a well-known Nottinghamshire maxim, while of magpies it is said : ' One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for a wedding, Four for a birth.' Among the familiar sayings current in the county we give a few of the most characteristic. One old couplet runs as follows : 1 Happy is the bride that the sun shines on ; Blessed is the corpse that the rain rains on.' If it should happen to rain while the corpse is carried to the church, it is reckoned to bode well to the deceased whose bier is wet with the dew of heaven— so says Pennant, whilst Herrick (' Hesp.' p. 152) writes : • While that others do divine, Blest is the bride on whom the sun does shine.' The following has long been a beekeeper's tradition of the apiary : 4 A swarm of bees in May Is worth a load of hay, A swarm of bees in June Is worth a silver spoon, A swarm of bees in July Is not worth a fly.' 288 History of Nottinghamshire. There are extended variations of these sayings current amongst the villagers. The following explanation is given by Dr. Fuller in his ' Worthies of England ' relative to the Nottinghamshire saying : ' The little smith of Nottingham, He doth the work that no man can. ' Who this little smith and great workman was, and when he lived, I know not ; perhaps this of Nottingham is a periphrasis of a person who never was. By way of sarcasm it is applied to those who, being conceited of their skill, pretend to the achievement of impossibilities.' A corre- spondent says, ' What Fuller and Deering count a proverb was often given as a riddle formerly : 1 " I'm the little smith of Nottingham, I do the work that no man can ; Riddle my riddle, if you can." ' Most of the weather rhymes common to various parts of England are frequently heard in the county. Here is one relating to St. Swithin : ' St. Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain ; St. Swithin's Day, if thou be fair, For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.' Gay says : ' Now, if on St. Swithin's feast the welkin lowers, And every penthouse streams with hasty showers, Twice twenty days shall clouds their fleeces drain, And wash the pavement with incessant rain ; Let not such vulgar tales debase the mind, Nor Paul nor Swithin rule the cloud and wind.' A country clergyman, having asked one of his tenants whether he had better pray for rain, was answered : • What's t' use of prayin' for t' rain when t' winds i'th north ?' Most villagers have faith in the following rhyme : ' The south wind brings wet weather, The north wind brings wet and cold together ; The west wind brings rain, The east wind blows it back again.' Dialect and Folklore. 289 Here is another weather prognostication in rhyme, which often proves true : ; Evening red and morning gray Will set the trav'ler on his way ; But evening gray and morning red Will bring down rain upon his head.' Of the tombstone epitaphs the following are reproduced as quaint specimens. In the churchyard at Sibthorpe, where four infants are buried in one grave : ' The cup of life just with their lips they pressed, They found it bitter and declined the rest ; Averse then, turning from the face of day, They softly sighed their little souls away.' Here is a professional epitaph at Bridgford-on-the- Hill: ' Sacred to the memory of John Walker, the only son of Ben- jamin and Ann Walker, Engineer and Palisade Maker ; died September 22nd, 1832, aged 36 years.' ' Farewell, my wife and father dear ; My glass is run, my work is done, And now my head lies quiet here. That many an engine I've set up, And got great praise from men ; I made them work on British ground, And on the roaring seas ; My engine stopp'd, my valves are bad, And lies so deep within ; No engineer could there be found To put me new ones in. But Jesus Christ converted me, And took me up above, I hope once more to meet once more, And sing redeeming love.' At Edwalton, under date of 1741, on Mrs. Rebecca Freeland, is a grotesque example : ' She drank good ale, good punch, and wine, And lived to the age of ninety-nine.' 19 290 History of Nottinghamshire. In the churchyard at Edwinstovve there used to be the following inscription : ' Robert Rockley body here is laid, It's for him these lines are made, That we all here may remember He died the 19th of September. Robert Rockley son he be, His age is near to 23. 1742.' At Bilsthorpe there is, or was, another attempt at poetry of similar merit. It runs thus : ' Little Mary's dead and gone, And was a loving And a precious wife to little John Fletcher.' CHAPTER XXVI. FLORA AND FAUNA. The Nottinghamshire Flora* — County Floras — Dr. Deering's ' Cata- logus Stirpium' — Mr. Ordoyno's ' Flora Nottinghamiensis' — Dr. Howitt's { Nottinghamshire Flora ' — The Nottingham Catchfly — Its History and Peculiarities — The Meadow Crocus — Fauna of the County — List of Notts Birds. THE county of Nottingham has an exceptionally brilliant record in the botanical branch of its natural history, as no less than three county floras have appeared, one of them being among the earliest of British local floras. As long ago as 1738, Dr. Charles Deering published a work con- sisting of 231 octavo pages, entitled, ' Catalogus Stirpium, &c. ; or, A Catalogue of Plants Naturally growing and commonly cultivated in divers Parts of England, More especially about Nottingham.' Although written at a time when botanical nomenclature was very different to what it is at present, the work must be acknowledged as a valuable record of the flora of the district. Its pages may be searched with interest to see the enormous changes which have taken place during the century and a half which have since elapsed. It may further be observed that it will always possess a more than local interest, because in it the two Nottingham meadow crocuses are for the first time introduced to the British flora. * Contributed by Mr. R. Allen Rolfe, A.L.S., of Kew. 19 — 2 292 History of Nottinghamshire. In 1807 Mr. Thomas Ordoyno, nurseryman and seeds- man of Newark, published his 'Flora Nottinghamiensis; or, A Systematic Arrangement of the Plants growing naturally in the County of Nottingham.' The work consists of 344 pages, and is arranged after the Linnean system of classifi- cation. The list of plants, with their stations, is very full ; and the work bears evidence of the intelligence and industry of its author. It is interesting to observe in the preface the remark that, since the appearance of Deering's workj ' the busy hand of human industry . . . has altered the face of nature, and expelled many of these inoffensive tribes from the habitations which they formerly occupied.' In 1839 Dr. Godfrey Howitt published 'The Notting- hamshire Flora,' a small work of 124 pages, with a geological map of the county. It is arranged according to the natural system, and in most cases a reference to the coloured plate in Sowerby's ' English Botany ' is given ; but each species is restricted to the smallest possible space, and not a word of preface or introduction is given. A series of papers which cannot be omitted in any account of Nottinghamshire botany is one entitled 1 Botanical Calendar for Nottinghamshire,' by ' II Rosajo,' which appeared in a local paper in 1826. They are twenty- eight in number. In the first (for January), we read : ' Our design is to give weekly a calendar of all the indi- genous plants of the county of Nottingham, according to their time of flowering,' and in the last (for December) : ' We may prepare a " County Flora " on a popular plan : we mention it only as a probability,' etc. Whoever ' II Rosajo ' may have been, these papers are full of very interesting matter, and are evidently written by someone thoroughly conversant with the subject.* * I should explain here that my knowledge of these papers is derived from a series of cuttings, mounted and bound in a thin volume, in the library of the Herbarium of the Royal Gardens, Kew. There is no clue to the newspaper in which they appeared, but I have been able Flora and Fauna. 29? j There are in addition a number of scattered papers relating to Nottinghamshire botany in various works, but as the information was largely drawn from the above sources, they may be passed over in silence. One other work, however, calls for a brief notice, namely, the new edition of Hewett C. Watson's ' Topographical Botany,' edited by Baker and Newbould. In this work the distribu- tion of British plants is traced through the different counties of Britain. The number accredited to Notts as truly indigenous is just under 750 species ; that is, including the flowering plants and vascular cryptogams. Howitt's enumeration includes 866 species, so that nearly 120 species have been rejected as introductions, errors, or doubtful. The number given for the whole of Britain is 1,428 species, so that, if we accept 750 as the total for Notts, it will show a proportion to that of Britain of little over one-half. Probably this is too low an estimate, and considering the great advance made in our knowledge of British botany during the last half-century, and the changes effected in the district by the exigencies of cultivation, the breaking up of waste land, and the drainage of bogs and swamps, it seems desirable that a systematic re-examina- tion of the county flora should be undertaken by local botanists, in order to supplement the work so well begun by Deering, Ordoyno and Howitt. In a brief sketch like the present it is impossible to say much about the flora of the county itself ; but it may be interesting to compare it with that of Britain as a whole, and afterwards to mention a few of the plants of specially local interest, which may serve to stimulate further inquiry into this interesting subject. to ascertain the date from an advertisement on the back of one of the cuttings. Nos. 3, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are also unfortunately missing. Possibly local records may furnish the missing information, and even serve to discover the author. Howitt's ' Flora ' did not appear until thirteen years later, or the closing remark by ' II Rosajo ' would suggest a possible clue. 294 History of Nottinghamshire. Investigating the origin of the flora of Britain, Professor Edward Forbes showed that traces of five distinct floras were represented. The first (and oldest) consists of a few species, found only in the West of Ireland, which creep up from the Spanish Peninsula, owing to the ameliorating effect of the Gulf Stream on the climate of our western coast. The second consists of species of South-west France, extending through the Channel Islands to Devon and Cornwall, and thence to South-east and part of South-west Ireland. The third consists of species of the North of France, which occur also in the south-eastern counties of England, especially in the chalk districts. Prior to the Glacial Epoch these three groups of plants probably occu- pied a far more extended area in Britain. The fourth group consists of Arctic-alpine plants from the mountains of Scandinavia, which migrated southwards during the Glacial Period, occupying an extensive area, but have now retreated to the mountains of Scotland and the northern parts of England. The fifth and last group, as it is also by far the most numerous and widely diffused, is known as the Germanic type. It consists of species from North Germany and the neighbouring parts of the Continent, which, with the close of the Glacial Epoch, extended westward over the great plain which then existed, and were finally isolated by the hollowing out of the Irish Sea, and later of the German Ocean. To these may be added a sixth group, consisting of a considerable number of plants which have been accidentally introduced, as it were, in the footsteps of commerce. A very different division was adopted by Mr. Hewett C. Watson. Britain was primarily divided into two botanical regions, the Agrarian, or Region of Cultivation, and the Arctic-alpine. The latter is characterized by a climate too cold for the successful cultivation of cereal crops, and is chiefly confined to the northern and elevated parts of the island, with some outlying peaks farther south. Flora and Fauna. 295 The general features of its vegetation are the absence of trees and herbaceous plants, and the predominance of true alpines. The Agrarian Region is subdivided into three altitudinal zones, or sub-regions, each characterized by well- marked differences in its flora. Taking them in ascending order we have, first, the Infer-agrarian zone, marked in its upper limit by the cessation of the clematis ; the Mid- agrarian, marked by the cessation of the buckthorn (Rhamnns) ; and the Super-agrarian, marked by the cessa- tion of the bracken and of cultivation generally. We may now compare our Nottinghamshire flora with these divisions. In the first place it consists entirely of plants of the Germanic type. Secondly, as the highest land in the county is under 600 feet above sea-level, it mostly falls into the Infer-agrarian zone. Lastly, owing to its position, it is naturally devoid of those species which are peculiar to a maritime region. These facts will serve as a guide to those who may be investigating the plants of the county by the help of our British floras, and also to explain why a considerable number of rare British plants cannot be enumerated. Three British plants, however, can boast of a special connection with the county of Notts, namely, the Notting- ham catchfly, and the two species of Nottingham meadow crocuses. The Nottingham catchfly {Silene nutans) obtained its name from the fact of its growing upon the walls of Nottingham Castle. The original discoverer of this in- teresting plant was Thomas Willisel, as recorded by the illustrious naturalist Ray in his ' Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum,' who himself observed the plant when he accompanied his friend and patron, Sir Francis Willoughby, to Wollaton, in 1670, for the purpose of investigating the natural history of the neighbourhood. It was then called the • Wild white catchfly,' and its habitat is recorded thus : ' On tlie walls of Nottingham Castle, and 296 History of Nottinghamshire. thereabout ; shown us first by Thos. Willisel.' Deering mentions it by the same name, and also adds that it grows on the rock at Sneinton Hermitage in great plenty. Withering, in 1770, appears to have first given it the name by which it has been known ever since, using the term ' Nottingham catchfly ' to distinguish it from the ■ Dover catchfly,' then supposed different, but now known to be identical. Ordoyno appears to be the first local writer who uses the name. It is interesting to note that the figure in Sowerby's ' English Botany ' (plate 465) was furnished by this gentleman, for we read : ' We received this from Nottingham Castle by favour of Mr. Ordoyno.' Howitt records a point of interest respecting it, namely, that ' Since the burning of Nottingham Castle this plant has extended itself over nearly the entire ruins.' It is still abundant there, and as this historic pile has passed into the custody of the town, may it long continue to flourish on the spot which it has graced for a period of over two centuries. A point of interest which may be mentioned in passing, and which may account for the plant being less familiar to local residents than would otherwise be the case, is that the flowers expand only during the evening, when alone they exhale a powerful perfume, something like meadow- sweet and blackthorn. In the day-time the petals are curled up, and their dull underside alone exposed to view, which conveys the impression that the flower is already withered and past ; but as evening comes on the petals uncurl and expand themselves, and the white colour of the upper side is exposed to view, which makes them quite visible, even in the twilight. The odour which is then exhaled attracts numerous insects which search for nectar in the evening or by night. Its name of ' catchfly ' is due to the fact that the upper part of the stem and calyx exude a viscid fluid which serves to imprison small insects — a defensive secretion against unprofitable or unwelcome Flora and Fauna. 297 visitors. The only insects welcome are dusk or night- loving insects, and for these alone the flowers unfurl their petals and exhale their perfume. The two Nottingham meadow crocuses, as already men- tioned, were added to the British flora by Deering, and therefore claim special attention. We may trace their histories separately. The vernal crocus {Crocus vermis) is thus alluded to : ' Crocus Vernus Cceruleus, the blue spring crocus, flowers in March. No mention is made of this in the Synopsis [i.e., of Ray]. I found it, in company with Mr. Tutin, a little above Fox Lane, in the Clay Field. It grows also in the Nottingham meadows, in several places, on the right hand side of the road going to the King's Meadows. It seemed to me at first that probably some roots might have been carried to that place among the dung from some garden, but when I considered they were very numerous, and spread very much, and the above-mentioned friend assured me he had for nearly ten years observed them there, I began to doubt whether they might not be of spontaneous growth ' (Deering, ' Cat.,' p. 60). ' II Rosajo,' in the * Botanical Calendar ' for Notts above cited, remarks : 'This beautiful flower, the pride of the Nottinghamshire flora, to which one of our poets alludes in speaking of " Trent's green vale, where spring-flowers bloom," may be found of every shade of colour between pure white and deep purple, and with many varieties of stripings, in its wild state, though purple more or less deep is by far the most common.' He also observes that about the end of February and beginning of March ' it clothes several acres of the Nottingham meadows with a purple flowery carpet, the hue of which may be distinguished for a considerable distance.' At the present day the area has been so much restricted by building operations that the younger genera- tion will find it hard to realize their former abundance ; but 298 History of Nottinghamshire. a writer in the Gardener's Chronicle for 1872 very well alludes to it when he speaks of hundreds of people of every age and condition gathering the flowers for the ornamentation of their homes, and of every kind of re- ceptacle being called into use to contain the quantities that were gathered — a condition of things that I can very vividly remember. The autumnal crocus {Crocus nudiflorus) is mentioned by Deering as follows : ' Colchicum commune. Synopsis [i.e., of Ray], 373. Meadow saffron. Flowers in Novem- ber, whence gardeners call them Naked Boys. In Notting- ham meadows and about Trent Bridge. . . .' (Deering, 'Cat.,' p. 61). Deering fell into error in identifying his plant as the colchicum, as was pointed out by the Rev. T. Becher, who supplied Sir James Smith with the following information : ' Crocus nudiflorus grows in the greatest pro- fusion between Nottingham Castle and the river Trent, in meadows whose soil is naturally sandy. . . . There this plant enamels some acres of ground every autumn, and has been mistaken by strangers for a piece of water. From its place of growth, time of flowering, and the information of old inhabitants of the neighbourhood, there can be no doubt of its being what Deering mistook for the colchicum, which does not grow thereabouts. It flowers in perfection early in October, and fades before the end of the month ' (Sowerby's ' English Botany,' plate S73)- The abundance of these two crocuses is very interesting, for they are natives of Southern Europe, and were certainly introduced in some way to the Nottingham meadows, as Deering shrewdly suspected. Notwithstanding this, they possess a very great local interest, and although their area has been enormously reduced by building operations, it is much to be hoped that they will not be completely banished from the district, as there are certainly places where they could be properly preserved. It would occupy far too great a space to enumerate the Flora and Fauna. 299 rare or local plants of the district. Those who desire further information will search the pages of the works already mentioned. Heaths and bogs are among the more promising localities, as owing to the changes which have taken place these have been considerably reduced in area, and in a few cases their peculiar plants banished, as, for example, the royal or flowering fern, which formerly grew wild in several localities. But sufficient still remain to interest all those who find a charm in this fascinating branch of natural history. Thus far we are indebted to Mr. Rolfe for his interesting sketch of the flora of the county. The fauna is equally de- serving of attention and study, though its literature is not so prolific. Of the winged fauna Mr. Sterland has treated in his 'Birds of Sherwood Forest,' and to him and Mr. J. Whitaker, J. P., F.Z.S., of Rainworth, we owe the production of an admirable little book on the birds of the county. Mr. Whitaker has kindly supplied us with the following notes : Though the county of Notts cannot be expected to show as long a list of birds which have occurred within its boundary as those counties which have a long coast-line, yet it quite or more than holds its own with other inland counties, having four more species than Oxfordshire, which, according to my friend Mr. O. V. Aplin (who has lately published a capital work on the birds of Oxon), number 242. I have been able so far to make out 246 species (many very rare, and in the case of Egyptian nightjar unique) to have occurred in Notts, and the following list is complete up to date — June, 1891. White-tailed Sea- eagle. Osprey. Peregrine Falcon. Hobby. Merlin. Kestrel. Goshawk. Sparrow-hawk. Kite. Common Buzzard. Rough - legged Buz- zard. Honey Buzzard. Red-tailed Buzzard. Montagu's Harrier. Marsh Harrier. Hen Harrier. Tawny Owl. Long-eared Owl. Short-eared Owl. Barn-owl. Great Gray Shrike. Red-backed Shrike. 300 History of Nottinghamshire. Woodchat Shrike. Lapland-bunting. Pheasant. Spotted Fly-catcher. Reed-bunting. Black Grouse. Pied Fly-catcher. Bunting. Red Grouse. Golden Oriole. Yellow Bunting. Partridge. Dipper. [Dipper. Chaffinch. Red-legged Partridge. Black-breasted Brambring-finch. Quail. Mistletoe-thrush. Hawfinch. Virginian Colin. Song-thrush. Greenfinch. Little Bustard. Redwing. Goldfinch. Great Plover. Fieldfare. Bullfinch. Golden Plover. Blackbird. House-sparrow. Gray Plover. Ring-ousel. Tree-sparrow. Green Plover. Hedge-sparrow. Siskin. Dotterell. Redbreast. Mealy Redpole. Ringed Plover. Nightingale. Lesser Redpole. Turnstone. Redstart. Linnet. Oyster-catcher. Black Redstart. Twite. Avocet. Stonechat. Crossbill. Black-winged Stilt. Whinchat. Parrot Crossbill. Greenshank. Wheatear. White-winged Cross- Redshank. Reed-warbler. bill. Spotted Redshank. Sedge-warbler. Pine Grosbeak. Green Sandpiper. Grasshopper-warbler. Starling. Wood Sandpiper. Greater Whitethroat. Rose-coloured Pastor. Yellowshank. Lesser Whitethroat. Raven. Common Sandpiper. Garden-warbler. Carrion Crow. Ruff. Blackcap. Hooded Crow. Spotted Sandpiper. Wood-wren. Rook. Knot. Willow-wren. Jackdaw. Curlew Sandpiper. Chiffchaff. Magpie. Purple Sandpiper. Golden-crested Wren. Jay. [pecker. Dunlin. Fire-crested Wren. Great Black Wood- Little Stint. Wren. Green Woodpecker. Temminck's Stint. Tree-creeper. Greater Spotted Sanderlin. Nut-hatch. Woodpecker. Grey Phalarope. Great-tit. Lesser Spotted Wood- Red - necked Phala- Blue-tit. Wryneck, [pecker. rope. Coal-tit. Hoopoe. Woodcock. Marsh-tit. Cuckoo. Great Snipe. Long-tailed Tit. Kingfisher. Common Snipe. Bearded Tit. Swallow. Jack Snipe. Waxwing. House-martin. Bar-tailed Godwit. Pied Wagtail. Sand-martin. Black-tailed Godwit. White Wagtail. Swift. Curlew. Gray Wagtail. Nightjar. Whimbrel. Yellow Wagtail. Egyptian Nightjar.* Spoonbill. Tree-pipit. Wood-pigeon. White Stork. Meadow-pipit. Stock-dove. Crane. Skylark. Rock-dove. Common Heron. Woodlark. Turtle-dove. Purple Heron. Snow Bunting. Pallas Sandgrouse. Great White Heron. * Egyptian Nightjar (only British specimen). Flora and Fauna. 301 Squacco Heron. Night Heron. Bittern. Little Bittern. Water-rail. Corn-crake. Spotted Crake. Moorhen. Coot. Whooper. Bewick's Swan. Mute Swan. Gray Lag Goose. Bean Goose. White-fronted Goose. Bernicle Goose. Brent Goose. Canada Goose. Egyptian Goose. Sheldrake. Ruddy Sheldrake. Wild Duck. Gadwall. Shoveller. Widgeon. Teal. Garganey. Pochard. Ferruginous Duck. Scaup Duck. Tufted Duck. Golden-eye. Long-tailed Duck. Common Scoter. Velvet Scoter. Smew. Eider-duck. Red - breasted Mer- Goosander. [ganser. Great Northern Diver. Black-throated Diver. Red-throated Diver. Great Crested Grebe. Red-necked Grebe. Sclavonian Grebe. Eared Grebe. Little Grebe. Razor-bill. Little Auk. Puffin. Guillemot. Cormorant. Shag. Gannet. Common Tern. Arctic Tern. Lesser Tern. Black Tern. Caspian Tern. Little Gull. Black-headed Gull. Kittiwake. Common Gull. Herring Gull. Glaucus Gull. Great Black -backed Gull. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Common Skua. Richardson's Skua. Buffon's Skua. Pomatorhine Skua. Storm-petrel. Leach's Petrel. INDEX Abbeys : Beauvale, 237 ; New- stead, 221, 230; Rufford, 214; Welbeck, 83, 84, 211, 213, 253 ; Worksop, 194 Alexander, Bishop, in Althorpe, Lord, 177 Anecdotes, chapter of, 265 Annesley, 224 ; the Hall, 230 Arnold, 26 ; church and Easter sepulchre, 27 Art and architecture, 252 Aslockton, 80 Attenborough, 39 ; and the Iretons, 40 Averham, 147-150 Augustine, St., Order of, 88 Babington, family of, 41 Balderton Grange, 131 Barlow, Sir Humphrey, 44 Barnstone, 64 Beacon Hill, 249 Beauvale, 236 ; abbey, 237 Beeston, 240 Belper, Lord, 43 Belvoir, 59 ; castle, ib. ; vale of, 59, 129 Besthorpe, 123 Bestwood, 126 ; park, 127 Bilhagh, 214 Bilsthorpe, 153, 154 Bingham, 59, 61, 71 ; owners of, 71, 72 ; church, 72, 73 '> plague at, 74 ; incendiarism at, ib. ; notable clergymen at, ib. j Richard de Bingham, 72 Birkland, 213 Blankney, 88 Blidworth, 231, 249 Blyth, 184-186 ; monastery, 53 ; Benedictine monks, 184 ; tour- naments, 185 ; church, 261 Bosworth Field, 49, 114 Bradmore, 44 Bramcote, 243, 249 Branston, Henry, J. P., 113 Brewster, William, 182 Bridgeford, 42 ; East. 74 ; the Hall, 76 Brightman, William, 20 Brodholme, 161 ; nunnery at, 161- 163 Brough, 121 Bunny, 44 ; hall and church, ib. Burton Joyce, 51 ; owners of, ib.j church and its monuments, ib. Byron, Sir Richard, 48 Byron, Lord, 50, 226 ; funeral of, 21 Byrons, the, 48, 224 Byset, Walter, 53-55 ; family of, '53 Calverton, 28 ; antiquity of, 31 ; church, ib. Cantilupe, Sir Nicholas de, 240 Car Colston, 72, 83, 87 Caythorpe, 52 Index. 3o: Chappell, Bishop, 153 Charles I., surrender of, 16, 107, 118 Chav.orth, Miss, 50 ; family, 160 Churches, parochial, 263, 264 Clare Hall. See Thurland. Clay, Hercules, 279 Clayworth, 177 Clifton, manor of, 33 ; Grove, ib. ; family, 34, 35 ; Fair Maid of, 275 Clintons, the, 207 Ciipstone, 103, 158, 214 Clumber, 204, 209, 210; works of art at, 252 Collingham, North and South, 123 Colvvick, 47 ; owners of, 47, 48 ; river rights, 48 ; church, ib.j and the Musters family, 50 Cooper, Sir Roger, 90 Cossall, 233 Cotham, 129; manor of, 130; church, 132 Country seats, 254-258 Cranmer, Archbishop, 57, 80, 82 Cranmers, burial-place of the, 81 ; arms of, 82 Cresswell Crags, 247 Cromwell, Oliver, 16, 122 Cromwell, Ralph, 32, 44 Cropwell Butler, 63 Danethorpe Hills, 122 Darwin, Charles, 136 Darwin, Erasmus, 135 Darwin, Robert, ib. Deane, Captain, 35 Deincourt, Ralph, 88 Devon, the, 130 Dialect and Folklore, 281-290 Drakeholes, 177 Dukeries, 190-193 Eakring, 155 ; early owners of, ib. ; William Mompesson, ib. Easter sepulchres, 27, 129 Edwinstowe, 214 Eleanor, Queen, 157; death of, 159 Elston, 135 ; the Darwins, ib. Epperstone, 56 Erewash Valley, 232 Eyre, Gervase, 163, 164 Fairfax, General, 85 Felley, 230 Fenton, 166 Fenton, Robert and Geoffrey, 167 Finningley, 187 Fledborough, 123 ; church, 124 ; the Gretna Green of the Mid- lands, 124, 125 ; Dr. Arnold 125 Fleming brass at Newark, 261 Flora of the county, 291-299 Folklore and dialect, 281-290 Foss-road, 67-71 Frobisher, Sir Martin, 167, 187, 188 Garnet, Henry, alias Whalley, 84 Gateford Hill, 215 Geological museums, 251 Geology of the county, 245 Gerard, Archbishop, sudden death of, 101 Gilstrap, Sir W. (Bart.), 119 Gladstone, William Ewart, as M.P. for Newark, 119 Gonalston Spital, 57 Gotham and the Gothamites, 271- 273 Goushills, the, 91 Grassthorpe, 125 Greasley, 237 ; castle, 240 Gunpowder Plot, 84 Gunthorpe, 52, 53, 104 Hacker, Colonel, 75, 76 ; and King Charles, ib.j Hacker family, 232 Harby, 157, 161 ; and Oueen Eleanor, 157-160 Haughton, 142-146 ; the Hall, 143 Hawton, 128, 129 ; and the Moly- neux family, 128 ; Easter sepul- chre, 129 Henry II. and the Miller of Mans- field, 273 Hockerton, 151 Hodsock Priory, 186 Holies family, the, 143 Holies, Sir William, 205 Holme, 122 ; the Barton family, ib.j Nan Scott's chamber, 277 Holme Pierrepont, 36 ; church and monuments, yj, 38 Hoveringham, 91 304 History of Nottinghamshire. Howe, Admiral, 64, 66 Howe, family of, 65 Hucknall Torkard, 230 Hutchinson, Colonel, 16, 40, 63 ; retirement of, 16 ; imprisonment and death of, 18 Hutchinson, Mrs., 16 Illingworths, the, 44 Ireton, General, 40 Isabella, Queen ; and Mortimer, 6 Kelham, 108, 150; the Hall, 151, 254 Kimberley, 237 Kingston - on - Soar, 41; earliest owners of, ib. Kingstone Hall, 254 Kippis, Dr. Andrew, 21 Kirby-in-Ashfield, 221 Kirke White, Henry, 20, 35, 36 Kirketon Hall, 83 Lambley, 31 ; church, 32 Laneham, 165 Langar, 59, 64 Langford, 123 Lea, 166 Lee, William, and the stocking- loom, 28-30 Legends and anecdotes, 265 Lenton Priory, 26, 193 Lexington, Robert de, 148 ; and the Jews, ib. Littleborough, 168 Lowdham, 52 ; of Danish origin, ib.; manor of, 54; relics of antiquity at, 55 Ludhams, distinguished position of family, 56 Lutterton, 82 Lytherland, Henry, 115 Magnus, Thomas, 105, 115, 132 Major Oak, the, 214 Mansfield, 217-221; celebrities born at, 220 ; Thompson's grave, ib. Mansfield Woodhouse, 221 Manvers, Earl, 38 ; house of, 36 Markham, Sir John, 72, 130 Markham, Sir Robert, 130 Markham, Gervase, 165 Markham family, 139 Markham, East, 139-142 Markham, West, 145 Marnham, 126 ; the Chaworths and Cartwrights, ib. Mattersey, 175 ; and the Gilbertine monks, 176, 177 Maypoles, 274 Meering, 125 Monastery at Blyth, 184 ; Matter- se yi r 75 ; Worksop, 193 Montford, Simon de, 53 Montford, Sir Peter de, 56 Mortimer, Roger, 6 ; execution of, ib. Muskham, 122 Musters, family of, 50 Newark, 16, 61, 71, 90, 104, 111, 120; Bishop Alexander, in, 112; religious houses, 113; visited by King John, 113; death of King John, ib.; Edward IV. at, 114; YVars of the Roses, ib.; distinguished visitors at, 115; Mr. Gladstone returned for, 1 19 ; Parliamen- tary contests, ib.; Thomas Magnus, 115 ; visit of Cardinal Wolsey, ib. ; the Great Rebel- lion, 115- 118; the town gar- risoned, 116; siege of, ib.; re- lieved by Prince Rupert, 117; second siege, 117, 118; the town incorporated, 118; Queen's Sconce, ib.; centre of a Parlia- mentary division, ib. ; free library and public gardens, 119; a model town, ib.; the key of the North, 120 ; the castle, 37, in, 113; the Friary, 113; St. Leonard's Hospital, ib.; the Chauntry house, 114; Grammar School, 115; church, 260; Fleming brass, 261 ; St. Catherine's Well, 276 ; and the Civil Wars, 278 ; Hercules Clay, 279 ; penny-loaf day, 280 Newark, Viscount, 37, 38 Newcastle, Duke of, 206, 208 Newstead, Priory of, 48 ; abbey, 221-230 Norwell, 123 Index. 305 Nottingham, 1 ; early history, 2 ; invaded by the Danes, 3 ; visited by Richard I. and Henry II., 4; visited by King John, 5 ; charters granted to, 4, 5, 7 ; religious houses, 5 ; Queen Isabella, 6 ; Parliaments at, 6, 7 ; visited by Richard III., 8 ; conference at, 10 ; Corpora- tion record^, 12 ; visited by Henry VII., 12; James I. at Thurland Hall, 14 ; outbreak of Civil War, 15 ; arrival of Charles I., ib.j at the Restora- tion, 17, 18 ; the Revolution of 1688, 19 ; the Quakers, ib. ; curious pamphlets, ib.; worthies, 21 ; commercial aspect, ib.j market-place, 21, 22; goose fair, 22 ; St. Mary's Church, 260 Nottingham Castle, 3 ; seized by Earl John, 4 ; Roger Mortimer, 6 ; raising the standard, 12, 15 ; dismantled, 16 ; claimed by Duke of Buckingham, 17 ; purchased by Duke of Newcastle, ib.; destroyed by fire, 20 ; its restoration, ib. ; as an art museum, ib. Nuttall, 243 Oldham, poet, 38 Ornithology of the county, 299-301 Osberton Hall, 215 Owthorpe, 63 Papplewick Hall, 230 Parkins, Richard, 44 Parkyns, Sir Thomas, 45 ; monu- ment of, ib. Parliament Oak, 214 Paulinus, 98, 100 Pelhams, the, 207 Penny-loaf day, 280 Peverill, William, 3 Pierreponts, the, 37 Pilgrim Fathers and Scrooby, 180 Plantagenet, Geoffrey, 103 Plough Monday, 274, 275 Potter Hill, 121 Priories : Lenton, 26, 193 ; Thur- garton, 57, 88 ; Shelford, 58, 77 ; Brodholme, 161 ; Hodsock, 186 ; Worksop, 194 ; Newstead, 222 ; Felley, 230 ; Beauvale, 237 ; Greasley, 240, 243 Rampton, 163, 164 ; and the Eyre family, ib. Ranskill, 175 Rempstone, 72 Rempstone. Sir Thomas, ib. Retford, 47, 169 ; Robert de Ret- ford, 171 ; William de Retford, 172 ; church of St. S within, ib.j chantry, ib. ; and the Civil Wars, 174 [no Ridding, Right Rev. George, D.D., Robin Hood, 265-271 Rufford Abbey, 214 Saltern, Rev. W., 38 Sandby, Paul, 21 Sandys, Archbishop, 107 ; monu- ment to, ib. Saviles, the, of Rufford, 154 Saxilby, 161 Scarle, North and South, 123 Screveton, 83 ; church, ib. ; memorials of the Whalleys, ib. Scrooby, 179-183; Archbishop's palace, 178; visit of Henry VIII. and Cardinal Wolsey, 180; the Pilgrim Fathers, ib. Scrope family, the, 65 Shelford, 53, 61, 77 \ priory, 58 ; priors, 77 ; manor, 78 Shelton, 133 Sherwood Forest, 4, 190, 248 Shireoaks, 215 Sibthorpe, 132 ; college, 83, 132 Simnel, Lambert, 92 Somerville, Gervase de, 44 Southwell, 98-110; visited by Archbishops, 100 ; death of Archbishop Gerard, 101 ; visits of King John, 104 ; distinguished visitors, ib. ; surrender of Charles I., 107 ; James I. at, ib.j made the site of a bishop- ric, ib.; the Saracen's Head, 108 ; late events at, ib.; and Lord Byron, 109 ; founding a bishopric, ib. Southwell Minster, 98, 100, 258 ; used as a stable, 108 306 History of Nottinghamshire. Stanhope, Michael, 69, 78 Stanhope, family of, 78 Stapleford, 123, 234 ; church, 236 Staunton, 133, 134 ; and the Stauntons, 133 ; and the 'Heart of Midlothian,' ib.j the Civil Wars, 134 Stocking-loom, invention of, 28 Stoke, 92, 129; interesting tradi- tion, 96 Stoke Field, battle of, 93, 97 Strelley, 233 ; the Hall, 234 Sturton-le-Steeple, 166 Sutton, family of, 148-150 Sutton-in-Ashfield, 221 Sutton-upon-Trent, 125 Thoresby, 210, 254 Thornhaugh, Colonel, 166 Thoroton, Robert (historian), 87 Thorpe, 129, 161 Thurgarton, 53, 88 ; priory, 54, 57, 88, 90 Thurland Hall, James I. at, 14 Tithby, 59 Traditions, legends, and anec- dotes, 265 Trent, valley of, 1, 44 ; original course of, 250 Trowell, 232 Tuxford, 137-139; St. Nicholas Church, 138 Upton '151 Wakefield, Gilbert, 20 Warton Hall, 59 Welbeck Abbey, 83, 84, 211, 213 ; pictures at, 253 Welbeck Monasterv, 60 Whalley, Richard, 83 Wh alley, alias Garner, and the Gunpowder Plot, 84 Whalley, Colonel, 85, 86 ; and King Charles, ib. Whalley family, the, 83-85 Whatton, 83 ; church, 80 ; parish registers, 81 White, Henry Kirke, 20, 35, 36 Wilde, Serjeant, 119 Wilford, 35 Willoughby, family of, 24 Willoughby, Sir Richard, 67, 69 Winkburn, 152, 153 Wiseton, 177 Wiverton, 60 Wollaton Hall, 23 ; works of art at, 253 Wolsey, Cardinal, at Southwell, 105 ; at Newark, 115 ; death of, 106 Woodborough, 31 ; and the Jebb family, ib. Worksop, 193 ; abbey, 194 ; and the Lovetots, ib.; the Furnivals, 196 ; Mary Queen of Scots at, 200 ; visit of James I., 201 ; the manor, 202 ; abbey church, 202-204 ; priory, 262 Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, London. POPULAR COUNTY HISTORIES. " We may look forward to many entertaining hours spent in reading this series of County Histories." — Land and Water. Demy 8vo., cloth, price 7s. 6d. ; Roxburgh, 10s. 6d. net ; large-paper copies, 21s. net each volume. A History of Nottinghamshire. By CORNELIUS BROWN, Author of "Annals of Newark." A History of Cumberland. By Chancellor RICHARD S. 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