THE nobility of Guelderland has ever been remarkably distinguished; and Menestrier, an ingenious and learned writer upon heraldry of the last century, says, "Les etats les plus celebres pour la noblesse, sont seux de la province de Gueldre, ou cette Noblesse s'est conservée." One of the most ancient and eminent families among the said nobility, is this of KEPPEL, whose castle (situate in a Lordship of the same name in the country of Zutphen, near the Old Ysel) is not more remarkable for its antiquity, than the great privileges it enjoys; a particular account whereof may be seen in the description of Guelderland.

WOLTER VAN KEPPEL was Lord of Keppel in 1179, and 1231, and founded a monastery at Bethlehem, near Doetinchem. By his wife, Beatrice, he was father of

DEREK, who became Lord of Keppel, and

WOLTER, who held the lordship of Verwoelde, under his elder brother; which however continued to his posterity; for his younger son, Hendric van Keppel, was seated at Westerholt near Lochum; and the elder,

DEREK van Keppel (who was living 1326,) had among other children, a son

DEREK, who held the lordship of Verwoelde, as a fief of his cousin, Sweder van Voerst, Lord of Voerst and Keppel, is the year 1362: his eldest son,

WOLTER Van Keppel, Lord of Verwoelde, married Roode van Heckeren, daughter of Everst de Roode van Heckeren, and Bartha van Araspen; his eldest.son,

DEREK Van Keppel, Lord of Verwoelde, was present at a general convention for the province of Guelderland held at Nimeguen in 1463; his son,

WOLTER Van Keppel, Lord of Verwoelde, was also, in 1458, Lord of Wesenberg in the province of Overysel, and Knight of Zutphen in 1469, and 1472. He married Wichmoert van Itterdaughter of John van Ittersum, and had issue several sons and daughters.

sum,

DEREK Van Keppel, the eldest son, became Lord of Verwoelde, and on his father's death, in 1495, was vested in the Fief of Wesenberg, which foedal tenure was renewed in 1498, and 1521. He first married Cunicunda, daughter of Otto van Heekeren, surnamed Rechteren, by whom he had four daughters and a son, Frederick van Keppel, whose only daughter and heir, Cunicunda, married Alert van Hieften, and carried with her the lordship of Verwoelde.

His second wife was Joanna Herman van Woelbeck, surnamed Keppel, by whom he acquired the lordship of Woolbeeche, and had issue two sons, the youngest whereof, Derek van Keppel, was seated at Oelde, and the eldest,

JOACHIM Van Keppel, became Lord of Woolbeeche, and by his wife, Angele, daughter of Jurnen van Loon, had issue three

Bons,

First, Derek.

Second, Jurien, ancestor to the Keppels of Oddwick, Mallum, and Campferbeck; and,

Third, Harmen, from whom are descended the Keppels of Molecateu.

DEREK, the eldest son, succeeded his father at Woolbeeche, and marrying Alyt vander Voorst of the Voorst, obtained that lordship, and had two sons.

First, Evert, the eldest, succeeded to the lordship of Wool. beeche, whose decendants still remain there.

Second, OESWOLT van Keppel, obtained of his father Voorst He married Mechtelt, daughter of Gerrit vander Capelle, and she dying in 1610, he re-married the year following Willelmina, daughter of Henric de Ruyter; she died 1633, without issue, but by the former, he was father of an only son,

DEREK Van Keppel of the Voorst, who in 1635, married Theodora, daughter of Wynant van Sallant of the Pol, and dying in 1646, left issue a minor, named,

ASEWOLT van Keppel of the Voorst, who married Reinczą

Anna-Gertruyde, daughter of Johan van Lintello tot de Mars, by whom he had issue,

ARNOLD JOOST van Keppel, Lord of Voorst, in 1692, admitted into the knighthood of Zutphen, and afterward into the knighthood of Holland and West Friesland.

The said Arnold-Joost, who was created EARL OF ALBEMARLE, attended King William into England, in the year 1688 (being then page of honour to his Highness), and was afterwards made one of the grooms of his bed-chamber, and master of the robes. On March 25th (N. S.) 1691, being one of the grooms of the King's bed-chamber, he was sent from the Hague to compliment the Elector of Bavaria, on his arrival in Flanders: and attending on his Majesty in several campaigns, wherein he distinguished himself by his courage and fidelity, he was by letters patent, bearing date February 10th, 1695-6, 8 William III. created BARON ASHFORD, of Ashford in Kent, VISCOUNT BURY, in com. pal. Lanc.; and EARL OF ALBEMARLE, a town and territory in the dukedom of Normandy, heretofore belonging to Stephen the son of Odo, descended from the Earls of Champagne, whom William the Conqueror made Earl of Albemarle, as being the son of his halfsister by the mother's side, and gave to him, for the further maintenance of his estate, the territory of Holdernesse in Yorkshire. And when his issue failed, the Kings of England honoured others, who had greatly deserved of them, with the same title, though they had long since lost their estate in Normandy.

"About this time," says Burnet," the King set up a new favourite: Keppel, a gentleman of Guelder, was raised from a page into the highest degree of favour, that any person had ever attained about the King: he was now made Earl of Albemarle," (1695) " and soon after Knight of the Garter, and by a quick and unaccountable progress, he seemed to have engrossed the royal favour so entirely, that he disposed of every thing that was in the King's 's power. He was a chearful young man, that had the art to please, but was so much given up to his own pleasures, that be could scarce submit to the attendance and drudgery, that was necessary to maintain his post : he never had yet distinguished himself in any thing: he was not cold nor dry, as the Earl of Portland was thought to be; who seemed to have the art of creating many enemies to himself, and not one friend; but the Earl of Albemarle had all the arts of a court, was civil to all, and procured many favours. The Earl of Portland observed the progress of this favour with great uneasiness; they grew to be not only

incompatible, as all rivals for favour must needs be; but to hate and oppose one another in every thing; by which the King's affairs suffered much. The one had more of the confidence, and the other more of the favour. The King had heaped many grants on the Earl of Portland, and had sent him ambassador to Spain, upon the peace; where he appeared with great magnificence, and at a vast expense, and had many very unusual respects put upon him by that King and all that court; but upon his return, he could not bear the visible superiority in favour, that the other was grown up to; so he took occasion, from a small preference that was given him, in prejudice of his own post, as groom of the stole, and upon it withdrew from the court, and laid down all his employments. The King used all possible means to divert him from this resolution, but without prevailing on him: he consented to serve the King still in his affairs, but he would not return to any post in the household; and not long after that he was employed in the negociation, set on foot for the succession to the crown of Spain."

He was a major-general, before the year 1697; when his Majesty, in his camp at Promelles, June 17th, ordered the Earl of Albemarle, with a considerable detachment, to cover the left wing of the army, which foraged towards Lovain.

In the year 1699, on the resignation of the Earl of Scarborough, he was constituted colonel of the first troop of horseguards. On July 14th, 1699, he introduced the Sieur Galesky, envoy from the King of Poland, to a private audience of his Majesty, in his bed-chamber at Loo, in Holland; which fine seat that King afterwards made him a present of. On May 14th, 1700, he was elected one of the knights companions of the most noble Order of the Garter, being then one of the lords of the bedchamber to his Majesty; and was installed at Windsor on June 5th following.

King Willian held his Lordship in the highest esteem, and bequeathed to him, in a codicil annexed to his last will and testament, the lordship of Breevost, and 200,000 guilders, the only legacy he gave from the Prince of Nassau Friezland, whom his Majesty made his heir. In September 1701, his Lordship, with the Earl of Galway, reviewed the forces encamped on the Moerdike, near Nimeguen, and continuing there and at the Hague, set out from thence, in March 1701-2, to view the frontier places against the French. And receiving there the melancholy news of the King's decease, he arrived in England, June 26th, 1702.

His Lordship having waited on the Queen, and being deeply affected with the death of his royal master, retired to his native country, and on his arrival in Holland, took his place, as a member of the Nobles, in the assembly of the States-General.

In 1702, he was declared general of the Dutch forces; and taking his leave of the States-General at the Hague, August 3d, joined the army on the 7th.

In 1705, he came into England, and attending on the Queen, when she visited the university of Cambridge, he was, on April 16th, created doctor of laws there. He returned to Holland soon after; and on June 11th, left the Hague to join the army under Monsieur Auverquerque; being also that year at the forcing of the French lines near Tirlemont, July 18th, N. S. He was at the battle of Ramellies, May 23d, N. S. next year, and took up his winter quarters at Brussels. On April 20th, 1708, the StatesGeneral declared his Lordship general of horse; and on July 11, that year, he was in the memorable battle of Oudenard; and soon after, Augustus, King of Poland, and the Landgrave of HesseCassel, arriving in the camp at Helchin, the Duke of Marlborough entertained them, August 19th, with the review of the first line of his army; after which they dined with the Earl of Albemarle. At the siege of Lisle, the Duke of Marlborough having advice that thirty of the enemies squadrons were marched, through Tournay, to intercept a convoy of ammunition, sent out from Brussels for the siege: the Earl of Albemarle was immediately ordered to march with the like number of squadrons towards Gramont, for security of that convoy, and to take a thousand horse more from Oudenard, if necessary. And accordingly his Lordship brought the convoy safe to Menin, and joined the army September 12th. After which, the French investing Brussels, during the siege of Lisle, the Duke of Marlborough, having passed the Scheld to its relief, raised the siege: but encountering with a party of the enemy, under M. de Hautefort, November 28th, 1708, his Lordship's horse was shot under him. In 1710, he had her Majesty's leave to dispose of his troop of horse-guards, which, by her favour, he had hitherto kept; and accordingly (for a valuable consideration) by agreement between him and the Earl of Portland, the Queen conferred it on that Earl, who was afterwards created Duke of Portland. On August 27th, 1711, the Earl of Albemarle with nine battalions and 1100 horse, conducted the second convoy of ammunition and artillery to the siege of Bouchain and commanding at the battle of Denain, July 24th, 1712,