The fon and heir of the above-mentioned Thomas de Pelham was another Thomas, the father of

Sir John de Pelham, renowned for his military exploits under Edward III. whom he accompanied in his wars against the French, and at the battle of Poitiers, Sept. 19, 1356, with Sir Roger la War, lord la War, and other knights, was very inftrumental in retaking John king of France, after he was refcued from Sir Dennis de Mothec, a knight of Artois, to whom he had furrendered. In acknowledgment of the faid king's giving up his fword to the faid Sir Roger, lord la War, and John de Pelham, the former got the crampet of his majefty's fword, and the latter had the buckles of the belt, which his defcendants fometimes used for a device on their feals, and at other times bere for their creft, with a cage between them, as an emblem of the faid monarch's captivity. The buckles and belts are now frequently quartered in their coats of arms. Sir John de Pelham was not lefs confpicious for his probity and knowledge in private life, than for his bravery in the field: he was nominated by John de Vere, earl of Oxford, one of the executors of his laft will and teftament; he was chofen one of the efquires of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancafter, in whofe fervice he received the honour of knighthood; he was conflituted attorney by Sir John Sutton, and Thomas Teuwe, to deliver feifin of the manor of Laughton, and hundred of Shiplake, to Thomas de Vere, earl of Oxford; and was, by William archbishop of Canterbury, 8th March, 2d Richard II. appointed mafter and furveyor of his whole demefnes, woods, and fisheries, in the bailiwick of Stoneham, in Suffex. His wife Joan, daughter of Vincent Herbert, or Finch, predeceffor of the prefent earl of Winchelfea and Nottingham, brought him divers lands and houfes in Winchelfea; and bore to him a fon of his own

name.

This Sir John de Pelham not only inherited his father's eftate, but likewife his martial prowefs, of which he gave early proofs in the fervice of Henry of Bolingbroke, fon of the above-mentioned John of Gaunt, from the latter of whom he had a grant of the office of conftable of the castle of Pevenfey, with the fees, &c. thereto belonging, during life, as alfo of all the lands in the marshes of Pevensey, and

their whole appurtenances, being then his Efq. About two years after, 1339, when the faid Henry of Bolingbroke was invited by the difcontented barons, to dethrone their Sovereign Richard II. Sir John de Pelham accompanied him in his expedition to England, and ftrenuously exerted himself in raifing him to the throne, which he mounted by the name of Henry IV. While Sir John was acting for Henry in the North, his lady maintained Pevensey caftle against the royalists: in confideration of which fervices, the faid Henry granted to him, and his heirs male, the office of conftable of the castle of Pevenfey, with the honour of the Eagle, and all thofe his manors, lands, &c. as also all perquifites of courts of the hundred, heriots, &c. and all other profits whatever, and franchises of the Cinque-ports, within the rape of Pevensey. He was also created a knight of the Bath at the coronation of the faid Henry IV. who gave him the privilege, during his life, to carry the royal fword before him, at all places and times requifite. In the 3d of faid Henry, he was, with others, commiffioned to view, and caufe repair the banks of Pevensey-marsh, between Bixle and Bechief, and likewife thofe of the marsh of Romney. He was alfo in 1404, one of the commiffioners of array for the county of Suffex, and for borrowing money on the faith of the fupplies granted by the illiterate parliament. That affmbly, which met on the 6th of October, the fame year, affigned to John Taibot, lord Furnival, and him, the application of the fubfidies then voted, and nominated them treasurers for that purpose. Sir John Pelham was moreover, in 1405, entrusted with the keeping of Edward Plantagenet, duke of York, who was accufed of being acceffory to the taking out of Windforcaitle, with a defign to convey them to Owen-Glendourdrey, in Wales, the fons of Roger Mortimer, earl of March, the rightful heir to the crown: and in 1409, the cuftody of the faid fons was committed to him. In the ninth year of the same reign, he was declared chief butler of Chichester, and all the other parts in Suffex, and jointcommiffioner with Sir John Dalyngrugge, for infpecting and repairing the banks on the coaft between Haftings and Bexly. In 1412 he had a grant of the manors of Crowehurst, Burwash, and Benylham, from Henry IV, to whom he was then treasurer,

treasurer, and foon afterwards one of the executors of his laft will and teftament. He was also greatly favoured by king Henry V. who, in the first year of his reign, nominated him one of his ambaffadors, to negotiate a marriage between him and Catherine, daughter of Charles VI. king of France, and to treat of a peace with that king. Henry likewife entrufted him with the tuition of James I. king of Scotland, who had been, about feven years before, illegally made prifoner in his paffage to France. In this reign he was twice a commiffioner of array for the county of Suffex, an inspector of the banks on the coafts of that county, and as often employed to borrow money to enable his majefty to profecute his wars in France, in which Sir John attended him in 1418, at the fiege of Rouen, where the king committed to his cuftody queen Joan (the last wife of Henry IV.) who had been arrested on fufpicion of a design against the life of Henry V. and whom Sir John confined in his castle of Pevenfey. He was alfo one of the executors and adminiftrators of the laft will of that prince, with whose fon and fucceffor Henry VI. he was likewife in great favour and confidence, as appears by his being empowered to treat with divers perfons in Kent and Suffex, for a loan of money for the king's use; by his being one of thofe appointed in 1423, to treat with the Scottish ambassadors, for the release of the before-mentioned king James I. and by being twice a commiffioner for the repair of the feabanks in Suffex. Befides enjoying the offices above-mentioned, he was once high-fheriff of Suffex, and in eight parliaments one of the knights for that county. He was poffeffed of above forty lordfhips, manors, &c. at his death, which happened on the 12th of Feb. 1428-9, his corpfe was interred in the church of the Virgin Mary, at Robert's-bridge (formerly called Rother-bridge) in Suffex. By Joan his lady (before-mentioned) he had one fon, and two daughters, viz. Agnes and Joan, the respective wives of John Colbron, and Sir John Seynclere.

His fon and heir, another Sir John Pelham, appears likewife to have ferved in the wars in France, under Henry V. whofe queen, Catherine, nominated him her chamberlain, furveyor of all her towns, caftles, &c. and mafter of her royalties and forefts

in Normandy. She alfo appointed him one of her commiffioners to remove the bishop of Lifieux, her chancellor in France, and to take from him her feal. Being affected with the devotion of those days, he was admitted into feveral religious orders or fraternities. By his firft wife Joan, daughter and co-heir to Sir John de Escures, he had no children: but by his fecond, Joan Courcy (who was received with him into the religious focieties) he had three fons, viz. John, William, and Thomas, and three daughters, Catherine, first married to John Bramshot, (who had by her an only child, Elizabeth, efpoused to the grand-father of John Dudley, duke of Northumberland) and laftly to Sir John Lewknor; Cicely, the wife of William Lunsford, Efq; and Joan, who was first married to John Covert, and fecondly, to William Afhbornham, Efqrs.

Sir John Pelham, the eldest fon, having by his wife Alice, daughter of Sir Thomas Lewknor, an only child, Isabella, married to John Covert, Efq; the eftate defcended to his next heir-male and brother, William Pelham; and he dying Feb. 24th, 1503, without any iffue by his wife Emeline, daughter of Nicholas Carrel, the estate devolved on Thomas his younger brother.

The faid Thomas Pelham died on the 1st of Feb. 1515-16, leaving four fons, John his heir; Thomas, who died unmarried; William, who fucceeded his brother John; and Anthony, the progenitor of the Pelhams of Swinfhead, in Lincolnshire, and of Compton-Valens in Dorfetfhire; and two daughters, Catherine, the wife of Thomas Morley, Efq; and Joan, who died unmarried.

John, the eideft fon, dying without issue, was fucceeded by his brother Sir William Pelham, who for his great fervices to Henry VIII. obtained the privilege of inclosing and imparking 500 acres of wood, and 200 acres of land called the Herthwode, or the Old Brule, and of having free warren and fishing in his feveral manors, &c. in Suffex; as is evident from a patent granted in the 16th of the reign of that prince, who afterwards, in 1532, chofe him for one of his attendants at his interview with Francis I. king of France, at Boulogne. This Sir William Pelham died about the 30th of faid Henry VIII. and by his two wives, Mary, daughter 0002

of

......

of Sir Richard Carew, of Bedington, and Mary, daughter of William, lord Sands of the Vine, had fix fons and five daughters. The names of the latter were Bryget; Margaret, married to . . . . . . Hawkins; Mary; Anne, the wife of Sir Edward Capel, the earl of Effex's predecessor ; and Jane, married to Richard Dryland, Efq, The fons by his first lady were, Sir Nicholas his heir, Edward, and William: thofe of the fecond venture were, Sir William Pelham, (the ancestor of the Pelhams of Brokelby, in Lincolnshire) well known for his proceedings in Scotland, France, Ireland, and the Low-Countries, where he died, at Flushing, 24th Nov. 1587; Francis; and Sir Edward, who was by queen Elizabeth, appointed chief baron of the exchequer in Ireland; and dying in 1606, was the progenitor of the Pelhams of Cottesfield, in Suffex.

Sir Nicholas Pelham, their brother, and eldeft fon of Sir William Pelham, was high-fheriff of Suffex, and twice one of its reprefentatives in parliament, as he had been formerly for Arundel. He died a proteftant on the 15th of Dec. 1559, leaving, by his wife Anne (the daughter of Sir John Sackville, predeceffor to the duke of Dorlet) three fons, viz. Sir John, his fucceffor; Sir Thomas, who fucceeded the faid John's fon, and Robert; and four daughters, whereof, Mary was married to John Thatcher, Efq; and Anne to Thomas Shirley, Efq.

Sir John Pelham, his eldest fon, ferved in parliament for the county of Suffex, and dying on the 13th of October, 1580, left by Judith his wife, (daughter of Oliver lord St. John of Blethoe, who is buried with him in Trinity-church, of the Minories without Aldgate, London) an only fon, named Oliver.

The faid Oliver dying without issue, the aforefaid Sir Thomas Pelham, his uncle, fucceeded to his eftate; and was one of the knights in parliament for the county of Suffex, in the 28th of queen Elizabeth, and high-fheriff for that county and Surry, in the gift of that reign. At the erection of the dignity of baronets, he was promated to that order by king James I. on the 22d of May, 1611, being the 11th in precedency. His wife was Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Walfingham; and by her, he had Sir Thomas his heir, and Judith, married to Henry Cary, earl of Dover.

The faid Sir Thomas Pelham fucceeded his father on the 22d of Dec. 1620, and ferved for the county of Suffex in feveral parliaments, particularly in that convened in 1640. He died in August 1654, having had three wives, 1ft Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir Thomas Wilbraham, by whom he had Sir John his fucceffor; Judith, married to the predecessor of the prefent lord Monson, and Elizabeth the wife of Henry Pelham of Lincolnshire; 2d, Judith, daughter of..... Shirley, whofe children died young; and, 3d, Margaret, daughter of Sir Henry Vane of Fairlane, in Kent, who was mother of Philadelphia, married to Francis lord Howard of Effingham: and of Sir Nicholas Pelham of Cattsfield-place, who, by his wife Jane, daughter and co-heir of James Huxley, Efq; was father of Thomas Pelham, Efq; member in several parliaments for Lewes, and one of the commiffioners for trade and plantations; of James Pelham, Efq; fecretary to the late duke of Grafton, when lord-chamberlain, and member in divers parliaments; and of Margaret, the wife of Sir William Afhburnham of Bromham, in Suffex, bart. and one of the chamberlains of the Exchequer.

Sir John Pelham, eldest fon and heir of the laft-mentioned Sir Thomas Pelham, was elected knight of the shire in four par liament for Suffex, in the reign of Charles II. By his wife, lady Lucy Sidney, daughter of Robert earl of Leicester, he had three fons and two daughters, who lived to the years of maturity. Elizabeth was married to Edward Montague, Efq; to whom the bore George, late earl of Halifax ; and her fister Mary was the wife of Gervafe, lord Pierrepont, but died without iffue. His fons were, Sir Thomas, the first lord Pelham; John, who died a batchelor; and Henry, clerk of the Pells in the Exchequer; who by Frances, daughter and co-heir to John Bine, Efq; had three fons and four daughters. Henry and John, the eldest of the faid fons, dying unmarried, Thomas the youngest became heir to their eftate at Stanmere, in Suffex; and by his wife Anne, daughter of---Bridges, Efq; left Thomas his fon and heir, who married in 1754, daughter of Fred. Frankland, Efq; and Harriot, espoused first to Henry Temple, Efq; fecond son to the viscount Palmerston, and afterwards to

.......

George

George lord Abergavenny. The daughters of the faid Henry and Frances were, Elizabeth, married to Thomas, fon of Sir Nicholas Pelham, before-mentioned; Grace, to William Poole, Efq; Frances, to Francis, fon and heir of Sir James Poole, bart. and Lucy, to Talbot Yelverton, first earl of Suffex.

- Sir Thomas, the first lord Pelham, fucceeded in January 1702-3, to the estate and title of his father Sir John Pelham. He was returned member to the parlia ment, fummoned to meet in 1679, and continued a member in every fubfequent parliament, till he was called up to the higher houfe. Having been a keen partizan for the cause of the prince and princefs of Orange, in the convention-parliament, he was, after their elevation to the throne, twice appointed one of the commiffioners of the treafury. At the acceffion of queen Anne he refigned his office : but on the 29th of Dec. 1706, when the interest of his friends the Whigs prevailed, he was created lord Pelham, baron Pelham of Laughton, which title he enjoyed until the 23d of February, 1711-12, when he departed this life. His lordship, by his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Jones (attorney-general to Charles II.) had two daughters, Lucy, who died unmarried, and Elizabeth the first lady of Charles, late viscount Townshend, and mother of the prefent viscount, &c. Lord Pelham's fecond lady was Grace, youngest daughter of Gilbert Holles, earl of Clare, and father of John late duke of Newcastle. By her he had five daughters, viz. Grace, married to George Nailor, Efq; Frances, to the viscount Caftlecomer of Ireland; Gertrude, to David Polhil, Efq; Lucy, to Henry late earl of Lincoln; and Margaret, to Sir John Shelly, bart. The faid lady Grace Holles bore to him two fons, viz. Thomas his fon and heir, now duke of Newcastle, and Henry Pelham. The faid Henry Pelham commanded a troop of dra goons, in Dormer's regiment, at the affair of Prefton, in 1715; in 1720, he was appointed treasurer of the chamber to George I. in 1721, one of the lords of the treafury ; in 1724, fecretary of war, and in 1725, a privy-counsellor. At the acceffion of George II. in 1727, he was continued at the council-board, and in the employment of fecretary of war; which last he refigned in 1730, when he was

invefted with the office of pay-master-general of the army. This department he quitted in 1743, for one of more extenfive influence and power, being then placed at the head of the treasury, as first commiffioner thereof, and chancellor and under-treasurer of the exchequer : in which high ftation he died on the 6th of March, 1754, with the character of a minifter endued with feveral great and amiable qualities. He fat in every parliament from 1717 to his death; and was one of the regency during four of the vifits made by the late George II. to his German dominions. In 1726, he married the lady Catherine Manners, daughter of John, first duke of Rutland; and hy her had feveral fons and daughters, of whom the following only lived to the age of maturity, viz. Catherine, married in 1744 to Henry earl of Lincoln; Grace, in 1752, to Lewis Monfon Watson, now lord Sondes of LeesCourt; and Frances and Mary unmarried.

Thomas, duke of Newcastle, was born on the 1st of July, 1693; and, with the estate and titles of his father Thomas lord Pelham, inherired his zeal for the Hanoi verian fucceffion; of which he gave signal proofs both within and without doors. According to the will of his uncle, Joha duke of Newcastle, who died in 1711, he fucceeded to his large poffeffions, and added the furname and arms of Holles to his own. On the acceffion of George I. to the crown, in 1714, he was declared lord, lieutenant, and cuftes rotulorum of the counties of Middlex, and Nottingham, and liberty of Westminster, and also steward, &c. of Sherwood-foreft and Folewood, park, in Nottinghamshire. In the faine year he was created viscount Haughton, and earl of Clare; and in 1715, marquis of Clare, and duke of Newcastle, with remainder, in cafe of his want of iffue male, to his aforementioned brother Henry, and his heirs-male. In 1717, he was appointed lord-chamberlan of the houthold, and fworn one of the privy-council. In November, the fame year, his Grace, by his Majefty's command, ftood god-father, in his own name, at the baptifm of a child of the prince of Wales (the late George II.) which his highnefs (who intended his uncle the bishop of Ofnaburg, for one of the fponfors by proxy) refented in fuch expreflions to his Grace, that if a former difference