WINGFIELD, VISCOUNT POWERSCOURT. THIS ancient noble family is denominated from the na nor of WINGFIELD in the county of Suffolk, where they The 33 Mr. Anftis, Garter King of Arms, in his history of that order, makes a doubt whether the caftle of Wingfield was the feat of the family, till the time of Sir John Wingfield, living in 1348, fince (fays he) the patronage and advowfon of that place was in Sir Richard Brews in 1302, 1323, and 1329; but from the family pedigree it appears, that Robert Robert. Wingfield was Lord of Wingfield-Castle, fo early as the year 1087, and left the fame to his fon, John de Wingfield, John, the father of another Robert, Lord of Wingfield, who mar- Robert, ried Joan, daughter of John Falstaff of the county of Norfolk, and had Thomas Wingfield, his fucceffor there, who Thomas, by Alice, daughter of Nicholas de Weyland of the faid county, was father of Sir John Wingfield, Lord of Wing- Sir John, field, and of Dynington, who married Anne, daughter of Sir John Peachy, and left four fons, Roger and Giles, who both died childlefs; Sir John; and Richard, whose issue failed in his grandfon William, the fon of his fon Sir William Wingfield, Knt. Lord of Dynington 3.Sir John Sir John, Wingfield, Britann. titl. Suffolk. 2 Idem, titl. Northampton, Pedigree communicated to J. L. by Richard, Viscount Powerfcourt, (1) (2) Wingfield, Knt. who fucceeded, died in the latter end of Edward II. or first of Edward III. leaving three sons by the daughter and heir of Honeypot ; viz. I Sir John Wingfield, who in 1348 prefented as patron, to the church of Saxmondham in Suffolk, and was living in 1360, (25 Edw. III.) He married Alianor, daughter of Sir Gilbert de Glanville *, by whom he left an only daughter and heir Catharine, married to Michael Delapole, the first of that name, created Earl of Suffolk in 1385, to whom the carried the manors of Wingfield, Stradbrook, Silhamı, Trefingfield, Saxmondham, Netherhall in Saxlingham, and a very large estate in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk 2, and by him, who died 5 September 1388 (12 Rich. II. had five fons, Michael, his fucceffor, ancestor to the family of Suffolk, long extin&t; Thomas, William, Richard, and John. Richard of Dynington +, who in 1325 was beyond fea with K. Edw. II. and in 1342 prefented to the church of Dynington, So the pedigrees have it; yet Mr. Anftis obferves, "there is an appearance fhe was the daughter of the afore-mentioned Sir Rich"ard de Brews, who not only prefented to several churches immediately before the advowfons thereof came into this family, but this "fame Lady, being co-executrix of her husband's will, ordered on "the foundation of the collegiate church at Wingfield in 1362,prayers "for the foul of Sir Richard de Brews, there named immediately af "ter the father and mother of her deceased husband, and the name "of Glanville is not mentioned in that bead-roll; and her younger “fon Thomas in his will devifes filver-plates with the arms of Brews. "To the mastership of this college Sir Michael Delapole prefented in "October 1379, in right of his Lady, fole daughter and heirefs of Sir "John Wingfield."- -This obfervation is far from being conclufive; for had the been the daughter of Sir Richard Brews, she would probably have mentioned him as her father; and the latter part is a manifeft contradiction; for, how could fhe have a younger fon Thomas to devise filver-plates by his will, when Sir Michael Delapole presents to the mastership of Wingfield college in right of her only daughter and heir? It is more likely that he was the widow of Sir Richard de Brews, by whom she had her male iffue, and (as the pedigrees of the family teftify) daughter of Sir Gilbert de Glanville. Thus Mr. Anftis places him, but doubtlefs his authority has deceived him; for, in the pedigree communicated by Lord Powerfcourt, he is made the fon of Sir John by the daughter of Peachy, brother (not fon) to Sir John, who married the daughter of Honeypot, and will be found to be the fame perfon with Richard, mentioned in the text, whofe iffue failed, if the reader will obferve the chronology, for in 1348 his elder brother's fon prefents in the church of Saxmondham, and in 1349 his own fon presents to the church of Dynington. Dynington, as did his fon Sir William in 1349 and 1355. Hic jacet tumulatus Dominus Willelmus Wingfield Cujus Animæ propitietur Deus '. He had two wives, Joan and Margaret; and by the former was father of William Wingfield, Efq. who left no iffue by his wife Catharine, daughter of Wolfe, who survived him, and by her will, dated at Cotton in Suffolk 19 May 1418, gave 10l. to the parishioners there, to keep an anniversary for her husband on the feast of St. Bartholomew; and 20l. to be kept in a cheft, to be lent to her tenants upon pledges, without intereft, every borrower to fay five Pater nofters, five Aves, and Credo for her foul, &c. She lies buried in the chancel at Dynington by her husband, with this broken infcription; Hic jacet Willelmus Wingfield, Armiger, et 1 Sir Thomas Wingfield, who by his marriage with Margaret, daughter and heir to William Bovile 3, and widow of William Carbonel, became seized of Letheringham in Suffolk, before 38 Edward III. in which church they and feveral of their defcendants are interred, the family continuing there till after the revolution.He makes his will there 17 July 1378 (proved 27 September) and orders himVOL. V. S felf *This pedigree of Sir John and Richard is proved by an inquifition, taken after the death of this William in 1418 (6 Hen. V.) finding that William Delapole, Earl of Suffolk, was his next heir, and that by his death, without iffue, feveral lands defcended to him, a mong which was Denyngton, where that family founded an hofpital. (Anflis. Lodge.) 1 Weaver 755. 2 Idém, 3 Family Pedig, (3) Sir Thomas, Sir John. Sir Robert. Robert. felf to be buried in the choir of that priory; that the fum of 461. 13s. 4d. should be expended on his funeral; and devifes feveral fums for the repair thereof, and of the parish church, with his filver crofs and a vestment of the arms of the Earl Warren, &c.; devises to his fon John 12 of his best filver dishes, 12 filver fawcers, 12 fpoons, 6 filver pieces with the coat armour of Brews, and his golden cross, upon condition that it should not be fold or alienated, but remain to his heirs for ever; and gives him all his wardrobe with cloaths, armour, &c. He had a daughter Margaret, married to Sir Thomas Hardell, and the said fon Sir John Wingfield, Lord of Letheringham, who in fome pedigrees, is faid to have ferved the Black Prince in his French wars, and to have written his acts very learnedly; but it is more probable it was his uncle Sir John; However, he had the honour of Knighthood, when he presented to the free chapel of Stradbroke in 1389. He married Margaret, daughter of Sir Hugh Haftings of Elfing in Norfolk, and by her (who was buried with him in the choir of Letheringham church 2) had Sir Robert Wingfield, whose wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Ruffel of Strenfham in Worcestershire, and dying 3 May 1409, was buried with her at Dennington, with this infeription; I Hic jacet Dominus Robertus Wingfield miles et Elizabetha, Having iffue Robert, William, Anne, and Margaret, a nun. Sir Robert Wingfield, the elder fon, was knighted by K. Henry VI. at Hereford, on Whitfunday in his fourth year, and attended on the Duke of Norfolk in an embaffy, of whofe lands he was made fteward, for the good fervice he had done to the noble Prince his father and himself. He increased his eftate by marriage with Elizabeth, daughter and coheir to Sir Robert Goufell, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter and heir to John Fitz-Allan, (brother to Richard, Earl of Arundel) by Eleanor his wife, daughter and heir to John, Lord Maltavers, and deceafing in the year 1431, was buried at Letheringham, having iffue fix fons, and a daughter Elizabeth, the first wife of Sir William Brandon, Knt. whofe fon Sir William, was father of Charles Brandon, Duke Pedigree. 2 Weaver's funeral monuments, 755. 3 Pedig. 5 Sidney's ftate papers. I. 78. 4 Weaver, 759. Duke of Suffolk, who married Mary, daughter of K. Henry Sir John, his fucceffor at Letheringham. Sir Robert, who in 1450 (28 Hen. VI.) with Sir Henry Barlow, were Knights in parliament for the county of Hertford ; and 3 Edw. IV. had licence to perform feats of arms with Lewis de Brueil of France. He was Comptroller of that King's houfhold, and died before 23 November 1481, having fepulture at Rufhford, or Rushworth in Norfolk, leaving no iffue by his wife Anne, daughter and heir to Sir Robert de Harling, and widow of Sir William Chamberlayne of Gedding in Suffolk, with whom he obtained a plentiful estate, and in October 1492 (or 1493) fhe took to her third hufband John, Lord Scrope of Bolton, Knight of the gar ter. did Richard, died also without iffue before the year 1509; as Sir Thomas, before 12 Edw. IV. whofe wife was Philippa, daughter of John, Lord Tiptoft, fifter to Edward, Earl of Worcester, coheir to her nephew Edward, Earl of Worcester, and widow of Thomas, Lord Roos. He obtained a grant 23 January 8 Edward IV. of feveral lands belonging to that Lord, which were forfeited 1 of that reign, upon his attainder by act of parliament 2. I William, who made his will the last day of February, 1509, directing his body to be buried under the fame stone with his brothers Richard and Thomas, in the priory of Letheringham, devifing lands for the maintenance of one canon there, of the order of St. Auguftin, for fourscore years; to which he alfo bequeathed two bafons and an ewer of filver, with a plain cup and cover; and gave divers fums to several priories, for a trental to be fung, in each, for his foul and thofe of his friends. Sir Henry Wingfield, feated at Orford in Suffolk, who by his will, dated 21 February 1483, defired to be buried in the Freres of Orford, by his first wife Alice, his fecond Lady being Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Rook 3, and The lies buried in Wefthorp-chancel, Suffolk (where the aforefaid Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk had a feat) with this infcription; Orate pro Anima Elizabethe Wingfield, S 2 He Chauncy's Hertfordshire. 2 Collect. 3 Pedig. |