his manor of Wheatacre borough, in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, with the appurtenances to him and the heirs male of his body, as also all his messuages, lands, &c. with appurtenances, known by the name of Willoughby Rents, scituate in Barbican and Golding Lane in London, to enjoy the same after the death of his sister Susan Countess of Kent.

"He bequeaths to his son Henry Bertie, the manor of Fulstowe, Beek, and Arseik in the county of Lincoln, for two years after his decease, and the manor of Wythegall for life, and after to his heirs male, and the manor of Hanby in com. Linc. for sixty years, and Willoughby parsonage for life.

"To Vere Bertie his son, diverse lands and tenements in several manors for his life.

"To Roger his son, so much of his demesnes of his manor of Gosberton, as are in the occupation of Henry Valentine, and diverse other lands, &c. for life.

"And whereas a marriage was concluded between his only daughter Catharine and Charles Sheffield, Esq. son and heir of the Lord Sheffield, who was to have with her a portion of 4000 l. he bequeaths the said 4000l. to be divided between his said four younger sons, if so be she died before the marriage was consummated (which said marriage took no effect, the said Charles Sheffield, Esq. dying.)

"He bequeaths to Edward Lord Zouch, Robert Lord Rich, Sir Drew Drury, and Sir John Peyton of Baupre-Hall, Knights, his manors of Grimsthorp, with the park, &c. Toynton and the park, Stickford, Allford, with the royalties thereof, lately bought of Mr. Hanby; the manor of Well, the manor of Eresby, with the east park and west park, the manor of Spilsby, and Skidbroke, with Saltfleet haven, Friskney, certain lands in Earebie, Hundleby and Rathebie; the lastage of Sherbecks, two parks of the demesne lands of Valdye, als. Vaudye, with the woods, warren of conies, and certain lands inclosed; the new park of Grimsthorp, with divers other lands adjacent; the third part of his great mansion house called Willoughby House in Barbican, and all his other lands, &c. not before devised. To bold during the minority of his son and heir Robert Bertie, and on his decease without issue, during the minority of his other sons.

"Moreover, he in most humble and dutiful manner desired her most gracious Majesty, that in some respect of his loyal and ready heart always to do her all faithful service, it would please her Majesty to grant the education and wardship of his son and

heir, and one lease of her Majesty's third part of his lands during his nonage to the said Lord Zouch, &c. whereby her Majesty would most royally respect his long and affectionate service towards her. And for a small remembrance of his loyalty and duty which he had always observed toward her Majesty, he desires she would accept of a cup of gold to the value of 100l. or some jewels of that value, as may best content her, and best represent the loyalty of his heart. He ordains his son Robert Bertie sole executor, and the Lord Zouch, &c. supervisors to his said son, and to administer in his behalf, till such age as by law he can take upon him to be executor. And ordains Sir Robert Cecil the only overseer, to whom he gives two of his best horses, at his election. Dated at Berwick, 7th August, 1590."

In a paper schedule annexed to his will, made at the same time," he gives to his son Peregrine seventeen pieces of hangings brought out of the Low Countries, then at Berwick, as also a carnation cloth of silver, bed, chairs, &c. belonging to it; a yellow velvet bed, a watchitt field-bed embroidered with haircoloured velvet: and orders the rest of his hangings, &c. at Berwick brought from London and Eresby, should be sent to the same places for the use of his eldest son, together with his plate and silver vessels.

"He also leaves to his son Robert for a token, the chain of gold with the Palsgrave's figure to it set with diamonds, which was given him by the said Palsgrave,

"To his son Peregrine all his books at Berwick and Eresby, and half of his library at London; but his whole library at Grimsthorp, the other half of that at London, and all his goods not bequeathed, to his son Robert; and was bountiful to every of his servants."

He concludes, "Thus acknowledging myself most bound unto God, that neither made me abound with worldly trashe, nor yet suppressed me with poverty; expecting richer joys that never faile in his hiest kingdom, whereunto, through his mercy, I have by the scale of faythe set forwarde on foot, and apparently discerned the difference betweene heaven and earthe, and so apprehended stedfastly the joyes of the one by that I have temporally here observed. For I am sure my Redeemer lyveth, and he shall stand the last upon the earthe, and thoughe after wormes destroy this body, yet shall I see God in my fleshe, whome I myself shall see, and myne eyes shall behoulde, and no other for me, though

my reynes are consumed within me. So to his mercy I commend you all, beloved race, and frendes."

His Lordship married Mary, daughter to John Vere, Earl of Oxford, sister and heir of the whole blood to Edward seventeenth Earl of Oxford, and left issue by her, who died in 1624, five sons, and a daughter Catharine, married to Sir Lewis Watson of Rockingham Castle in the county of Northampton, afterwards Lord Rockingham. The eldest son was Robert, who succeeded his father. Peregrine, the second son, at the creation of Henry Prince of Wales, June 2d, 1610, was by a bill signed with the King's own hand, appointed to repair to Durham House, and was made one of the Knights of the Bath. He died aged sixtyfive, in 1640, (and by Margaret his wife, daughter of Nicholas Saunderson, Viscount Castleton, left issue Nicholas Bertie, of St. Martin's in the Fields, Westminster, Esq. who died.... January, 1671, and by his wife Mary, daughter of Edward Raybone, of Chard in com. Somers. had issue Peregrine Bertie, Esq. born January 14th, 1655, and died in 1721, leaving issue Peregrine, from whom the Berties of Low Layton in Essex, were descended.) Henry, the third son, married Dorothy, daughter of.... Corbet of Clipston in Rutlandshire, and was ancestor to the Berties of Lound in Lincolnshire. Vere, and Roger, the other sons, died without issue.

ROBERT, the eldest son, FIRST EARL, in the first of James I. making his claim to the Earldom of Oxford, as also to the title of Lord Bulbeck, Sandford, and Badlesmere, and to the office of Lord High Chamberlain of England, as son and heir to Mary, the sole daughter of that great family, (as before noted) after much dispute, had judgment on his behalf for the office of Lord High Chamberlain; and the same year took his seat above all the Barons. On January 5th, 1604-5, he was with Charles Duke of Albany (after Charles I.) and ten others, made Knights of the Bath. On November 22d, 1626, the 2d of Charles I. he was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Lindsey. The preamble to his patent recites, that the King, in consideration of the merits of Robert Lord Wil

a

* Anstis on Knighthood of the Bath, p. 61, 62.

Mary, daughter and coheir of Peregrine Bertie, Esq, of Low Layton in Essex, was married, June 26th, 1782, to Samuel Lichigaray, Esq.

z He claimed as heir of the whole blood, there being nearer heirs of the half blood.

a Anstis on Knighthood of the Bath, 4to. p. 60.

loughby of Willoughby Beake, and Eresby, Lord Great Chamberlain of England; and that he is a man, the brave son of a most noble and gallant father, and of great loyalty to us and also how much he merited by his services to us, when in Denmark and Norway, and commander of the forces in the United Provinces ; where he behaved as a valiant Knight fit for command, and crowned his high birth, with virtue, wisdom, and sweetness of behaviour. Also remembering his hereditary right to the office of Lord High Chamberlain of England, devolved upon him from Robert de Vere, his next cousin and heir; and as that place in the earliest times was enjoyed by no person, under the degree of an Earl, he creates him EARL OF LINDSEY. And four years after he was elected a Knight of the most noble order of the Garter on November 28th, next year, 1631, was made Constable of England, for the trial of the lord Rea, and David Ramsey, in the court military; but his patent was revoked 20 Maij after.

In the 11th of Charles I. he was constituted Lord High Admiral of England; and in 1639, on the Scots taking arms, he was made governor of Berwick. Also in June 1642, being chosen general of the King's forces at the breaking out of the civil war, he, on October 23d following, received his death's wound in his Majesty's service, at the battle of Edge Hill in the county of Warwick, and was brought prisoner to Warwick Castle, where he died the same night, aged sixty years, and was buried at Edenham in com. Linc. The Earl of Clarendon gives him this character: "He was, says he, a man of great honour, and spent the youth and vigour of his age in military actions, and commands abroad; and albeit he indulged to himself great liberties of life, yet he still preserved a very good reputation with all men, and a very great interest in his country, as appears by the supplies he and his son brought to the King's army; the companies of his own regiment of foot being commanded by the principal knights and gentlemen of Lincolnshire, who engaged themselves in the service principally out of their personal affection to him. He was of a very generous nature, and punctual in what he undertook, and in exacting what was due to him; which made him bear that restriction so heavily, which was put upon him by the commission granted to Prince Rupert, and by the King's preferring the Prince's opinion in all matters relating to the war before his. Nor did he conceal his resentment; for the day before the battle he said to some friends with whom he had used freedom, that he did not look upon himself as general; and therefore he was resolved,

when the day of battle should come, that he would be at the head of his regiment as a private colonel, where he would die. He was carried out of the field to the next village (and if there could have been a surgeon procured, it was thought his wound would not have proved mortal); and as soon as the other army was composed, by the coming on of the night, the Earl of Essex about midnight sent Sir William Balfour, and some other officers to see him, and meant himself to visit him. They found him upon a little straw, in a poor house, where they had laid him in his blood, which had run from him in great abundance. He said, he was sorry to see so many gentlemen (some whereof were his old friends) engaged in so foul a rebellion; wishing them to tell the Earl of Essex, that he ought to throw himself at the King's feet to beg his pardon; which, if he did not speedily do, his memory would be odious to the nation; and continued this kind of discourse with such vehemence, that the officers by degrees withdrew themselves, and prevented the visit the Earl of Essex intended him, who only sent him the best surgeons; but in the very opening of his wounds he died before morning, by the loss of blood. He had very many friends, and few enemies, and died generally lamented."

He married Elizabeth, only child of Edward the first Lord Montagu of Boughton in com. Northampton, (by Elizabeth his first wife, daughter and heir to Sir John Jefferies of Shillingley, in Sussex, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter and heir of John Ansley, Esq.) and by her, who died November 30th, 1654, and was buried at Weekeley in Northamptonshire, had eight sons and five daughters,

First, Montagu, his successor.

Second, Roger, Knight of the Bath at the coronation of Charles I. married Ursula, daughter and heir of Sir Edward Lawley of Wenlock, in the county of Salop, Knight, and dying October 15th 1654, left a son Robert, who died in August 1698, without issue.

Third, Sir Peregrine was of Eveden in com. Linc. in right of his wife Anne, daughter and coheir of Daniel Hardeby, or Hardby, of the same place, Esq. and left issue an only daughter and heir Elizabeth, married to William, Lord Widdrington. The said Peregrine, and his wife, lie buried in the church of Eveden, where they have a monument erected to their memory, but without specifying when they died. According to Anthony à Wood, in his Athena Oxon. Sir Peregrine had a daughter married to Robert