SIR HENRY VANE was knighted for his valiant behaviour at the battle of Poictiers, on September 19th, 1356, and continuing in France, in the service of Edward Prince of Wales, was married there to Grace, daughter and heir to Sir Stephen de Leeke, a French lady, by whom he had issue, d JOHN Vane, Esq. who married Isabel, daughter and co-heir of Martin St. Owen, grandson of Sir Gilbert St. Owen, Knight, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter and heir of Robert Fitz Ellis; and from the said marriage proceeded RICHARD Vane, Esq. their son and heir, who had to wife Ellen, daughter of Sir John Pembridge, Knight, and his issue by her was, a It appears from a pedigree set forth in the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and entered in the visitation of Kent, G. 12, in the office of arms, that the ancestors of the Earl of Westmorland, and the now Earl of Darlington, anciently wrote their name Vane; and descended from HOWEL ap Vane of Monmouthshire, living before the time of William the Conqueror, as may be computed from the number of descendants from him, and the Kings reigns they lived in. His son, styled by the Welsh heralds GRIFFITH ap Howel Vane, had to wife Lettice, daughter of Bledwin ap Kenwyn, Lord of Powis, whose son by her was Ivon Vane, styled the fair Vane, from his complexion; and by Angharaud his wife, daughter of Owen ap Edwin or ap Evan Meredith, left issue JOHN Vane, Esq. who married Guellan, daughter of Kynon ap Meredith; their son and heir HENRY Vane, Esq. married Joan, daughter of David Lloyd, and was father of a son of his own name, who wedded Margaret, daughter and heir of John de la Dene; and his son by her, JOHN Vane, Esq. had by a sister of Sir Richard Harley, Henry his son and heir, above-mentioned. Visit, de Com. Kanc. G. 12, in Offic. Armor. . Ibid. JOHN Vane, Esq. who, by Elizabeth his wife, had issue twe sons. First, HENRY, the eldest left issue by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Trafford, only a daughter and heir, Grace, married to Sir Peter Blondevil. Second, Another HENRY Vane, Esq. who was of Hilden in Tunbridge, and made his will 34 Hen. VI. having wedded Isabel, daughter and co-heir off Humphry Peshall, son of Sir Hugh of Knightley in Staffordshire, had issue by her eight sons, viz. First, JOHN, of Hilden in Tunbridge, from whom the Earls of Westmorland and Darlington are descended. Second, Thomas, Dean of Salisbury, who died without issue. Third, Henry, whose son Sir Ralph, knighted 1544, was eminent in the reigns of Hen. VIII. and Edw. VI. and had a grant of the manor of Penshurst, 4 Edw. VI.; but in 6 Edw. VI. was accused as an accomplice of the Duke of Somerset, and being found guilty was hanged, and attainted, February 26th. Fourth, Geoffery, servant to the Duke of Gloucester. Seventh, Robert. And eight, Humphry, left no issue. i Also two daughters, Dorothy, wife of Thomas Whetenal, Esq.; and Anne, married to John Abych, of Shropshire, Esq. JOHN Vane, of Hilden in Tunbridge, Esq. in Hen. VI's reign, had a grant of the manor of Hadloe, in Kent; and took to wife Isabel, daughter of Jonn Darell, of the county of Kent, Esq. by whom he had four sons and three daughters. First, Henry. Second, Richard, ancestor to the Earls of Westmorland. And fourth, John, ancestor to the Lords Barnard now Earls of Darlington. His daughters were, Anne, Alice, and Mercie, (whereof one .Hasted's Kent, vol. ii. p. 334. f St. George's MS. præd. Heyward's Life of Edw. VI. in Kennet, vol. ii p. 325. i All these sons above three, must rest on the authority of the last Edition of Collins, 1779; not having appeared in former editions. was married to Thomas Wombewell, Esq.) who were all living when he made his last will and testament; and died the same year, as the probate thereof shews; and was the first of the family that took the name of FANE. By the said will,' bearing date April 16th, 1488, writing himself John Fane of Tunbridge, Esq. he orders his body to be buried in the church of St. Peter and Paul of Tunbridge; and that a priest celebrate mass there for his soul, and his ancestors souls, and all the faithful deceased, for three years, and to have 207. for his wages. As also that every priest coming to his funeral should have 6d. and bequeaths 20s. to the prior and convent of Tunbridge to pray for his soul; likewise to the high altar of the church of Tunbridge 20s. and five marks for the structure of the rood-loft thereof, on condition the churchwardens build it in two years. And further bequeaths 6s. 8d. to every of the churches of Hadloe, Leigh, East Peckham, Seale, Morden, Lamberherst, Bitberyh, Wittersham, and Snergate, in the county of Kent, in all which he held lands, &c. He bequeathed to his daughters, Anne, Alice, and Mercie, twenty marks each, with annuities of five marks per annum for their lives; and assigns lands to each of them on their marriages. The residue of his goods, chattels, &c. after his funeral expenses, &c. discharged, he bequeaths to Isabel his wife, and Henry Fane his son, made by him joint executors of his will. As to the disposition of his manors, lands, tenements, &c. in Kent, or elsewhere; first, that Isabel his wife shall have, during her life, all those lands, &c. which he and she were jointly seised of to her use; and while that she is sole, and his widow, all that is due to her as dower; and that his feoffees, Richard Fane, Henry Fane, Thomas Fane, and John Fane, his sons, suffer Isabel, his wife, to receive the issues and profits of all his lordships, manors, lands, &c. (besides her jointure) for the space of four years, except his lordship called Albonys, with the appurtenances in East Peckham in Kent, the which he orders his feoffees to deliver to Henry his son, for his own use, in fee simple for ever. And the said Isabel, his wife, with the profits of the said lordships, &c. to pay his debts and bequests; and after the said term of four years, to revert to Henry his son and heir. He bequeathed to Richard Fane, his son, his manor of Snergate, with * Ex Regist. Hogen. Qu. 4. 1 Ex Regist. vocat. Milles, p. 77, in Cur. Prærog. Cantuar. m the appurtenances; and after his wife Isabel's decease, his lands lying in Marden, to remain to the said Richard and Agnes his wife, and to his heirs and assigns; also his lands lying in Lamberherst; to Thomas Fane his son, the mansion with the gardens and edifices, &c. that were Henry " Fane his father's; to John Fane his son, when he comes to the age of twenty one years, all his lands and tenements called Holynden, and all other lands and appurtenances assigned (to his feoffees) for him, as by deed of fee simple, bearing date the 1st of April, more plainly shews. And entails his lands on his sons severally, and if they die before the age of twenty-one, on his sons that survive. He bequeaths to Humphry Fane, his brother's son, a house in fee simple, with a garden at the town's end of Tunbridge: the residue of his lands not bequeathed, he settles on Henry Fane his son. The probate bears date June 3d, 1488, and Henry Fane his son administered. I was induced to recite the major part of his will, as it shewed his wife, children, and kindred; and that he was both a good husband, and a good father, which appears from the prudent disposition of his estate: and the care for his soul (according to the devotion of those days) is apparent from his piety and bounty to the churches where he had lands; by which testimony, he may justly be reputed "a person that had a regard to a good name, and good report." I shall now first treat of HENRY, his eldest son: he resided at Hadloe," and was sheriff of Kent in 23 Hen. VII. He had to wife Alice, sister to John Fisher, Esq. and died without issue, in 25 Hen. VIII. his wife surviving him, as appears from his last will and testament. And forasmuch as the preamble thereof shews he had none of the Popish superstition in those early days of the reformation, I shall insert it, as also the prudent disposition he made of his estate among his kindred. " "In the name of God, Amen. The 12th day of May, in the 25th year of the reign of our sovereign Lord King Henry the VIIIth, I Henry Fane, of Hadloe, in the county of Kent, Esq. declare, and make my testament and last will in manner and form following: first, I bequeath my soul unto Almighty God, and my body to be buried, as the body of a true Christian may, where it m This proves the late edition of Collins erroneous, in calling his father's name Richard. n Fuller's Worthies in Kent. • Ex Regist. Hogen. Quire 4, in Cur. Prærog. Cantuar. shall please God, by the discretion of my executors. Also I bequeath to the high altar of the parish church of Hadloe, for my tythes forgotten, 13s. 4d. and to the same church, two chalices of four pounds price." He bequeaths to Sir James Baynes, his chaplain, till he be provided of a benefice in perpetuity, four marks yearly, to his brother Richard Fane, his best gown; and to his brother John Fane, his second best gown. He was bountiful to his servants, who were many; and after his bequests, &c. satisfied, he bequeaths the residue of his goods, chattels, &c. to his brethren Richard Fane, and John Fane, whom he appointed executors of his will. The disposition of his manors, lands, and tenements, was, first, that Alice his wife, for the term of her life, have the lands he appointed for jointure; that his brother John Fane, and the heirs male of his body, have all his lands, &c. lying in Great Peckham in Kent; and, in default of issue male, to remain to Ralph Fane, and to the heirs male of his body; in default to Richard Fane, brother to him the said Henry; in default to the eldest son of John Fisher of Hadloe, his brother-in-law; in default to remain from one brother to another of the said Fisher's sons; in default to Thomas Wumbewell his sister's son; in default to the next heirs of him the said Henry Fane; and for default to remain to Ralph Fane, and to his heirs for ever. Also his will is, that immediately after his decease, his manor place that he dwells in, with all the lands thereto adjoining, shall remain unto Ralph Fane, and the heirs male of his body, so that he do not suffer a recovery to be had against him thereof, or sell any of the lands whereof he hath a possibility to retain by this his will. Then he wills, that the profits shall be employed to the finding of his brother John Fane's children; that is to say, to Henry Fane, and Richard, his sons; and after their decease without heirs male of their bodies, to be entailed as before recited: also after the decease of Alice his wife, that his brother John Fane shall have all the lands of her jointure, and to the heirs male of his body; in default to the said Ralph Fane, and his heirs male; in default from heir to heir, as before entailed; in default to the said Ralph, and his heirs for ever. So that his intent and meaning is, that Ralph Fane shall have all his lands in Hadloe and Capel; and his brother John Fane all his lands and tenements in Great Peckham and Tunbridge, and to be entailed, to every of them as before recited. The probate is dated |