appointed one of the lords of his Majesty's bed-chamber in December 1777, and is unmarried.

Titles. George Finch, Earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, Viscount Maidstone, Baron Finch of Daventry, and Baronet.

Creations. Baronet, June 29th, 1611, 9 Jac. I. and June 7th, 1660, 12 Car. II. Baron Finch, of Daventry in com. Northampton, by letters patent, January 10th, 1673-4, 25 Car. II. Viscount Maidstone in Kent, July 8th, 1623, 21 Jac. I. Earl of Winchelsea in Kent, July 12th, 1628, 4 Car. I. and Earl of Nottingham, May 12th, 1681, 33 Car. II.

Arms. Quarterly, first and fourth, Argent, a chevron, between three griphons, passant, Sable, for Finch; second and third, Gules, three lions, rampant, Or, for Fitzherbert.

Crest. On a wreath a flying horse, argent, winged, maned, and ducally gorged, Or.

Supporters. On the right a flying horse, as the crest; on the left a griphon, Sable, ducally collared, Or.

Motto. ADVERSIS MAJOR par secundIS.

Chief Seats. At Burley in Rutlandshire; and Raunston in Buckinghamshire.

2 Formerly the seat of George Villiers, the witty and profligate Duke of Buckingham.

THAT this family has been of great antiquity and honourable extraction, is evident from our records, and the collections of our most noted heralds. The learned Camden, in his account of Nottinghamshire, mentions "Shelford, the seat of the famous family of Stanhope, Knights, whose state and grandeur in those parts is eminent, and their name renowned." And in his discourse on surnames, b observes them to be denominated from a place of their own name, (without doubt) the town of Stanhope (near a forest so called) in Darlington Wapentake, in the Bishoprick of Durham, of which they might be owners; for it is certain their residence was in those parts before they came into Nottinghamshire, as is fully attested by Glover, Somerset herald, Vincent, Windsor herald, Dodsworth, &c.

Sir RICHARD Stanhope (living in the reigns of King Henry III. and Edward I.) had large possessions in the North, and received the honour of knighthood.

His son and heir Sir RICHARD de Stanhope, Knight, Lord of Elstwyke in com. Northumberland, and of Usworth in com. Pal. Durham, and mayor of the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, had, in 24 Edw. III. in consideration of his services against the Scots, a grant of the third part of the village and fishery of Paxton, with the appurtenances, in Scotland. He married Alice, daughter

Britannia in com. Nott.

C Vincent's Baron. MS. in Offic.

Ex Coll. Nic. Charles, Lanc. Fecial.

f

b Remains, p. 114. Armor. n. 20. f. 143.

• Vincent's Baron. ut supra.

1 Segar's Baron Geneal. MS. in Bibl. Cotton.

who brought a great inheritance to her husband, John Babington, Esq.

But to return in 8 Hen. V. this Sir Richard Stanhope was the first in commission for the county of Nottingham, specially assigned to put in execution the statutes made at Winchester and Northampton; and the year after served again in parliament for Nottinghamshire; likewise in four several parliaments, viz. in 1, 8, 9, and 12 Henry VI. in which last year, he was constituted one of the commissioners to summon all persons of the best note, in the county of Nottingham, and tender them an oath, for the observation of the articles concluded on in the parliament then beld. He had two wives, first, Elizabeth (or, as others say, 2 Joan) daughter of Robert, and sister of Ralph de Stavely, who bore him, a

First, Richard, hereafter mentioned.
Second, Thomas.

Third, James.

Fourth, Elizabeth; and fifth, Agnes.

He married, secondly, Maud, daughter to Ralph Cromwell, and sister and heir to Ralph Lord Cromwell, of Tattershall castle in Lincolnshire, treasurer of England, and by her had a son Henry, and two daughters, who by their mother were great fortunes.

HENRY, the Son, died without issue, August 12th, in 31 Hen. VI. and was buried at Lamley; so that his sisters, Joan and Maud, were his heirs.

The first whereof was married to Humphrey Bouchier (third son to Henry the first Earl of Essex) who thereupon had summons to parliament by the title of Lord Cromwell, but left no issue; and

с

Maud, the other, was the wife of Robert Lord Willoughby of Eresby, whom she survived, having by him a daughter Joan, married to Richard Lord Welles, who in her right was also Lord Willoughby. In 31 Hen. VI. she had the King's precept to the sheriff of Lincolnshire for assignation of her dower. She was afterwards married to Sir Thomas Nevile, Knight, (a younger

x MS. Coll. Parl. penes B. Willis, Arm.

e

d

y Fuller's Worthies in com. Nott. p. 321. z Ex Stem per Vincent. b Vincent, on Brook, p. 184c Claus. de iisdem Anno in Dors.

■ Thoroton aut antea, p. 393.

Claus. 31 Hen. VI. m. 30, Dors.

Segar's Bar. Geneal. præd.

son to Richard Earl of Salisbury) who lost his life in the battle of Wakefield, December 31st, 1460, and had his lands and goods seized for his rebellion: yet she found so much favour, that 2007. per ann. was assigned her, out of those lands that were of her own inheritance. She was, thirdly, wife of Sir Gervase Clifton, of Scots-hall, in Brabourne in Kent, Knight, who being taken prisoner at the battle of Tewkesbury, May 9th, 1471, was beheaded but she had no issue by her two last husbands.

By her testament, bearing date July 18th, 1497, she bequeathed her body to be buried in the church of the college of Tattershall in Lincolnshire, before the high altar, on the right hand of her uncle Ralph Lord Cromwell, under a stone beforehand provided by her, appointing, that if she should die in the parish of Tattershall, her solemn obsequies (except burial) should be done in that church. And deceasing there the same year, was buried according to her desire, with this epitaph on her tomb:

Hic jacet nobilis Domina Matilda, nuper Domina Willughly, quondam Uxor Roberti Domini de Willughby Militis ac Consanguinea et Hæres illustris Domini Radulphi, nuper Domini Cromwell, Militis Fundatoris hujus Collegii ; quæ obiit 30 Die Augusti Anno Dom. Mccccxcv11, cujus Animæ propitietur Deus. Amen.

i

The aforesaid Sir Richard Stanhope died on Easter Monday, in 1436, seised of the manors of Rampton, Egmanton, Skegby, South Cotham, and the third part of the manor of Tuxford in com. Nottingham, and of the manor of Ansty, &c. in com. Warwick, leaving John his grandson, his next heir, son of Richard Stanhope, eldest son and heir of the said Sir Richard Stanhope.

k

Which RICHARD married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Markham, of East Markham in Nottinghamshire, Knight, chief justice of the King's Bench, by whom he had issue, John ̧ Nicholas, William, and Ralph. He lies buried in the church of Tuxford, under a flat stone at the east end of the north isle, his portraiture and the arms of Longvilers, viz. a bend between six cross croslets, being inlaid thereon in brass, with this inscription :

Obitus Ricardi Stanhope, Fil. et Hær. Ricardi Stanhope de

Rampton Militis, qui obiit secundo Die Mensis Marti, Anno Regni Regis Henrici sexti decimo, cujus Anime propitietur Deus. Amen.

JOHN Stanhope, Esq. (son and heir to the said Richard) 1 married, first, Catherine, daughter of Richard Molineux, of Teversal, Nottinghamshire, widow of Sir Robert Ratcliffe, but had no issue by her; secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Talbot, of Bashal in the county of York, Knight, the marriage covenants agreed to by his grandfather Sir Richard Stanhope, bearing date 5 Hen. VI. He was upwards of 23 years of age" in 14 Hen. VI. when he succeeded to the estate of his grandfather; and in 16 Hen. VI. was found son and heir of Elizabeth, relict of Richard Stanhope, Esq. son and heir of Richard Stanhope, Knight. In 28 Hen. VI. he was elected one of the knights for Nottinghamshire, in the parliament summoned to meet at Westminster; and in 31 Hen. VI. to that parliament summoned to Reading. In 33 Hen. VI. he paid relief for lands in Rampton, Tuxford, and Egmanton, which fell to him that year, by the death of Maud the second wife of his grandfather. He took part with the house of Lancaster; for in 36 Hen. VI. he was in the commission for the array of men in the counties of Nottingham and Derby; and having been thrice sheriff of the counties of Nottingham and Derby, and again knight of the shire for the county of Nottingham, 38 Hen. VI. likewise in the 9th and 12th of Edw. IV. departing this life, leaving,

First, Thomas, his son and heir; and,

Second, Henry Stanhope, of Stoke Rochford, in com. Lincoln, Esq. in right of Joan his wife, daughter of Henry Rochford of the same place, Esq. by which Joan he had Edmund Stanhope, Esq. who by Alice his wife, left two daughters, first, Margaret, his heir, who was married to Thomas Skeffington, of Skeffington in Leicestershire, Esq. and died January 1st, 1539-40; second, Joan, the wife of Humphrey Hersey, of Grove in Nottinghamshire, Esq.

THOMAS Stanhope, Esq. (son and heir of John) in 14 Edw. IV. was retained by indenture to attend the King in person in his