"The Right Honourable

ANNE Countess of Abingdon, Baroness of Kinderton, daughter and heiress to PETER VENABLES, Baron of Kinderton, by his wife CATHERINE SHIRLEY, one of the daughters of Sir ROBERT SHIRLEY, and sister of the present Earl FERRERS of Chartley.

By her FATHER, the ancient BARONY of Kinderton descended to her in a direct line, without any collateral variation, from GISBERT VENABLES, one of the seven BARONS in the PALATINE of CHESTER, under WILLIAM the CONQUEROR.

She was born the seventh of May, A. D. 1674, and married the two and twentieth of Sept. 1687, to MONTAGUE LORD NORREYS, eldest son and heir to JAMES late EARL of ABINGDON, whom he succeeded in his estate and honours, A. D. 1699.

She was Lady of the bed-chamber to her late MAJESTY QUEEN ANNE, from the first of her REIGN, till the DEATH of that Ex. CELLENT QUEEN, by whom she was highly regarded, and by whom she received such constant marks of a particular affection, that when her MAJESTY was prevailed on to displace her LORD, with the rest of the NOBILITY and GENTRY of the same LOYAL PRINCIPLES, all possible means were tried IN VAIN, by those then in great power to get HER removed.

Yet her LOVE and DUTY to HER LORD made her chuse to quit the court, and accompany him in his retirement; till in a more happy juncture of affairs, he was restored to his employments, and she returned to her attendance on the BEST of QUEENS: from which time she continued ever near to HER till HER MAJESTY's DEATH, which happened August the first, 1714, which but a little preceded, and perhaps hastened her own, She died April the twenty-eighth, 1715.

HER BODY IS HERE BURIED IN PEACE, BUT HER
NAME (we trust) LIVETH FOR EVERMORE,"

His Lordship married, secondly, on February 13th, 1716-17, Mary, daughter and sole heir to James Goulde, of the town of Dorchester, Esq. and widow of General Charles Churchill, brother to the famous John Duke of Marlborough, and by her (who died on January 10th, 1757) had one son, James, Lord Norreys, who died of the small-pox, on February 25th, 1717-18, and departing this life, without other issue, on June 16th, 1743, was succeeded in his honours and estate by his nephew,

WILLOUGHBY Bertie THIRD EARL OF ABINGDON, eldest son

of James, second son of James first Earl of Abingdon. He was born at Lindsey-house, in Westminster, on November 28th, 1692; and, soon after his uncle's decease, took his seat in the house of peers, where he was always numbered among the true friends of his country. His Lordship married, at Florence, in August, 1727, Anna-Maria, daughter of Sir John Collins, Knight, a gentleman of Scottish extraction: and by her Ladyship, (who died of an apoplexy, on December 21st, 1763, at the Venetian ambassador's, Powis-house, where she was visiting their Excellencies) he had three sons, viz.

First, James, Lord Norreys, who was burned in his bed, at Rycote, on October 12th, 1745.

and,

Second, Willoughby, Lord Norreys, fourth Earl of Abingdon ;

Third, the Hon. Peregrine Bertie, who was born on March 13th, 1741, and choosing a maritime life, and going regularly through the subordinate stations of midshipman and lieutenant, was, on November 6th, 1762, appointed captain of his Majesty's ship Shannon, and was member of parliament for the city of Oxford, from 1774 till his death, August 20th, 1790, having married in the preceding May Miss Hutchins, by whom he left not issue.

His Lordship, by the same Lady, was also father of seven daughters, first, Lady Elizabeth, married to Sir John Gallini, and by him, who died August 1804, had issue; second, Lady Jane, wedded on September 29th, 1760, to Thomas Clifton, of Latham in Lancashire, Esq. died February 25th, 1791; third, Lady Bridget, who died unmarried on December 9th, 1760; fourth, Lady Anne; fifth, Lady Eleanora, married on July 7th, 1766, to Philip, Viscount Wenman of the kingdom of Ireland, who died 1800; sixth, Lady Mary, married to Miles Stapleton, of Clints in Yorkshire, Esq., and, seventh, Lady Sophia, who departed this life, on October 12th, f 1760, unmarried.

Their father died on June 10th, 1760; and was succeeded by his said eldest surviving son,

WILLOUGHBY, FOURTH EARL OF ABINGDON, who was born on January 16th, 1740; and being a student at the University of Oxford, when the late Earl of Westmoreland was installed chancellor there, on July 3d, 1759, was one of the three noblemen selected to address the said Earl in congratulatory verses, which

f Quere October 19th?

be delivered in Latin, with uncommon but merited applause. His Lordship, in 1761, was chosen high steward of Abingdon and Wallingford in the room of his father; and afterwards visited foreign countries for the further qualifying himself for the important duties of his high station.

His Lordship was a man of a fervid mind, though somewhat eccentric. &

His Lordship died September 26th, 1799, aged sixty.

His Lordship married, July 7th, 1768, Charlotte, daughter and coheir of the late Sir Peter Warren, Knight of the Bath, and by her, who died January 28th, 1794, he had,

First, Willoughby, Lord Norreys, who died February 20th, 1779, aged twelve days.

Second, Lady Charlotte, born October 12th, 1769, died January 11th, 1799.

Third, Lady Amelia, born January 6th, 1774, died in May, 1784.

Fourth, Montagu, present Earl.

Fifth, Lady Louisa Anne Maria Bridget, born March 8th, 1786.

Sixth, Lady......, born October 18th, 1788.

His Lordship was succeeded by his only son,

MONTAGUE, present and FIFTH EARL OF ABINGDON, born in April 1784.

His Lordship married, August 27th, 1807, Emily, youngest sister of Henry, late Viscount Gage, and has issue

Lord Norreys, son and heir, born May 18th, 1808.

Titles. Montague Bertie, Earl of Abingdon, and Baron Norreys of Rycote.

Creation. Allowed Baron after the restoration of King Charles II. by descent, and writ of summons to parliament, April 12th, 1675, 27 Car. II. originally to the parliament May 8th, 1572, 14 Eliz. and Earl of Abingdon, November 30th, 1682, 34 Car. II.

Arms. Argent, three battering rams, barways in pale, proper, armed and garnished Azure.

Crest. On a wreath, the head and bust of a King, couped, proper, crowned ducally, and charged on the chest with a fret, Or.

See Parks's R. and N. A. vol. iv.

Supporters. On the dexter side, a pilgrim, or friar, vested in russet, with his staff and pater noster, Argent: on the sinister, a savage, wreathed about the temples and middle with ivy, proper. On each of their chests a fret, Or.

Motto. VIRTUS ARIETE FORTIOR.

Chief Seats. At Witham in the county of Berks, and at Rycote in the county of Oxford.

THE learned Camden, a and other of our antiquaries agree, that variations in surnames were usual; and an evident proof of the alteration thereof, appears in this family of Windsor.

OTHOERE, OTHER, or OTHо (as sometimes wrote) is said, in some pedigrees of this family, to be descended from the Dukes of Tuscany, and, coming from Florence into Normandy, passed from thence into England: but Othoere is mentioned, in the appendix to the life of King Alfred, to be living in his reign, a rich and powerful Lord, and to derive his descent from ancestors in the kingdom of Norway.

It also appears, that OTHER, as wrote in Doomsday-Book, was living in England in the reign of Edward the Confessor; and in the pedigrees is made to be the son of Othoere.

d

The most ancient record in this kingdom is that survey made by William the Conqueror, which is kept in the Exchequer at Westminster, and entitled, Liber Judiciarius, or Doomsday- Book, begun in the 14th of that monarch, but not perfected till the 20th, as the book itself declareth. By this survey it appears, that WALTER FITZ OTHER (i. e. Walter the son of Other) was found to be possessed, in Godelmin hundred, in the county of Surrey, of fourteen hides of land in Contone; and that Tezelin held Hormer of this Walter for fifteen hides; and Gerald held of him Piperherge for five hides. In Kingestone hundred, he had a man