[from Memoirs of Bishop Hildesley]

No. XV.

GENEALOGY, and FAMILY of the HILDESLEYS ; with Monumental Inscriptions.

Invidia careat ; bona nec sua quisque recuset:
EST HONOR ET TUMULIS.

We are naturally inquisitive about the. descents and alliances of those who have. . figured in the world. Whether they sprung from new or old families ; whether their forefathers were men of renown : or whether they themselves gave the first lustre to their name ; are questions, which, however more or less important they may be, are usually asked with avidity by such, as hear or read concerning them. To gratify the curiosity therefore of the reader,—if such has been excited by what was said in the Memoirs. concerning it,—we here subjoin the good bishop’s Line of Ancestry, from a copy. found amongst his papers ; the authenticity of which is confirmed, by collateral records of his family,

KING EDWARD III.
LIONEL, Duke of CLARENCE his son. PHILIPPA, married to EDMUND
MORTIMER, Earl of March - his dau.
ROGER, Earl of March - her son.
ANN, who married RICHARD, Duke of YORK, and Earl of CAMBRIDGE - his dau.
RICHARD, Duke of YORK - his son.
GEORGE, Duke of CLARENCE, Brother to EDWARD IV. - his son,
MARGARET, Countess of SALISBURY. - his dau.
HENRY, Lord Vifcount MONTAGUE her son.
WINIFRID, Lady BARRINGTON his dau.
Sir FRANCIS BARRINGTON - her son.
Lady MASHAM - his dau.
WILLIAM MASHAM,-Esq. ‘afterwards Sir William Masham, Bart. her son.
A MASHAL. who married Counsellor Mark Hildesley - his dau.
MARK HILDESLEY, Rector of Houghton cum Wyton - her son.
MARK HILDESLEY, Lord Bishop of Sodor and Mann ; and Master of Sherburn Hospital - his son.

THE following quaint lines are of uncertain date : and are here added, not for any peculiar merit that they possess ; but as being in some degree confirmatory and illustrative of the Genealogy above given, which the note also, found with it, helps to explain.

IN DOMINAM WINIFRIDAM BARRINGTON,

a Regibus editam.

JOHANNA fair, that honourable pearl,
Child of JOHN GAUNT, of famous memory,
The second wife of RALPH, Westmoreland’s earl
Had issue RICHARD, earl of Salisbury;
Whose famous heir, call'd by his father s name,
Was earl of Salifbury, and Warwick eke :
He left, co-heirs, Iwans of worthy fame
Call’d ISABEL and ANN, both fair and meek.
These sisters two, two brothers eke did wed;

King RICHARD nam’d the Third, made Ann his bride,
GEORGE, duke of Clarence, th’ eldest married :
Their heir, Edward, earl of Warwick died,
And left no child : therefore his sister fair,
Countess of Salilbury, that MARGARET hight *
Was of that houfe left the sole only heir :
Her eldest son, once heir eke by right,
Was HENRY POOLE, Lord Montague create:
Whose two co-heirs, fair ANN and WINIFRID,
Unto two brothers join’d in married state ,
The eldest sister was the lovely bride,
Of Francis Hastings, earl of Huntingdon,
Whose Issue doth enjoy that earldom still :
Fair WINIFRID her wedded life begun
With Thomas Hastings,Knight, whom death did kill ;
Who dead, she married Thomas Barrington,
A worthy knight, whom she likewise survived:
And now, alas ! at last, her glass is run,
When as full fourscore years compleat she’d lived.
One only son and heir she leaves behind,
Call’d FRANCIS BARRINGTON, a worthy wight:
Her royal blood, and virtues of her kind,
If more may be, do thine in him more bright.
Then, though you moan her death, who here doth lye,
Joy, for the sife of her pofterity.

HONORIS ERGO.

 * " Margaret, countess of Salilbury, was sole daughter and heir of George, duke of Clarence, brother to king Edward. IV. She was married to Jeoffrey Poole of Wales, by king Richard III ; and Lord viscount Montague, and cardinal Poole Montague. The lord viscount Poole had issue co-heirs Ann and Winifrid. The eldest married to the earl of Huntingdon:

Winifrid married Sir Thornas Hastings, brother of the said earl. She was his wife twenty years, without issue ; and surviving him, afterwards married Sir Barrington, great grandfatherof Sir John Barrington. By him she had issue Sir Francis Barrington, when she was fifty-two years old ; also Henry Barrington, Esq. and one daughter, named . Kathrine, married to Sir Robert Bourchier of Yorkshire. Lady Winifrid survived Sir Thomas also, and lived to eighty years."

OF THE immediate family connections of bishop Hildesley, the following statement is given, by a very obliging communication to the editor, from the Rev. J. H. Standen, rector of Muriton, near Sittingbourn, in Kent ; a successor of the good bishop’s father.

Murston House, Nov. 5, 1797.

" Sir,

I take the earliest opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of your favour of the 1st instant ; and as I apprehend the information you with, may be for a literary purpose, I think it proper to trouble you with a correct copy of the respective registers, wherein the name of HILDESLEY OCCURS.

MARK HILDESLEY, rector of Murston, succeeded the Rev. Samuel Symmonds,

REGISTER of BAPTISMS.

1697, Jan. 20. JOHN; the son of Mark and Avis Hildesley, was baptized.

1698, Dec. 11. MARK, the son of Mark and Avis Hildesley, was baptized.

He was born, Dec. 9.

1699, Feb. 29. ROWLAND, the son of Mark and Avis Hildesley, was baptized. He was born, Feb. 17.

1700, Feb. 14. ANNE, daughter of Mark and Avis Hildesley, was baptized.

She was born, Feb. 3. 1703,

1703, May 19. FRANCES, daughter of Mark and Avis Hildesley., was baptized.

She was born,, April, 26.

1704, April 17. MASHAM, EDWARD, PETER thrée Sons , of Mark and Avis

Hildesley, were born 17th and baptized 18th of April, 1704.

1705, April 30. WILLIAM and FRANCIS, two sons of Mark and Avis Hildesley,were baptized. . .

17066, May 16. GEORGE, son of Mark and Avis Hildesley, was baptized. . He

was.born, April 23 *.

REGISTER of BURIALS.

1697, Jan. 27. John, the son of Mark and Avis Hildesley.

1701, Aug. 2 ANNE, the daughter of Mark and Avis Hildesley.

1705, Mar. 18. PETER, the son of Mark and Avis Hildesley.

1706, Feb. 4,. WILLIAM, the son of Mark and Avis Hildesley

I am :Sir, -

Your obedient Servant,

J.H. STANDEN, Rector

* Subsequent to the birth of George, here noticed, should have been inserted the names of HESTER HILDESLEY; and of MARY ; who both surviverl the bishop, and died in London.

No such entry, however, of their births is found on the register at Muiston, though this was evidently their native place. Their father removed to the rectory of Houghton cumWitton, in 1710. See MEMOIRS, p. 8.

THE remaining collateral branches of his Lordship’s Family have also been certified, by the following polite letter to the Editor. .

" Rev. Sir,

I have carefully searched the registers of both Houghton and Wyton, and found the names Only of three children born, and three buried.

I shall be much pleased with receiving the Memoirs of a man, for whom all my family, as well as myself, had great esteem and regard. I am, Sir,

Your faithful friend, and , obliged humble Servant,

JORN PERY,

Wyton, April 17, 1798."

Copy of Register of BIRTHS, in the Parish of Wyton.

1711 May 25. Avis, daughter of Mark and Avis Hildesley, born May 6, was baptized.

1714, Aug. 31. BERNARD, son of Mark and Avis Hildesley, born Aug. 20, was baptized.

1715, Oct:. 13. SARAH, daughter of Mark and Avis Hildesley, was born ; and baptized Oct. 28.

Signed MARK HILDESLEY.

Copy of Register of BURIALS, at Wyton.

1715, Jan 1 SARAH, daughter of Mark and Avis Hildesley

1716, May 6. EDWARD, son of Mark and Avis Hildesley

1717, June 4 BERNARD HILDDESLEY, son of Mark and Avis.

Signed MARK HILDESLEY

In the Memoirs, p. ii , it was inadvertently said, that bishop Hildesley did not appear to have had any children Since then, the editor is better informed, that two, a boy and a girl, were just " born to die," at Hitchin and this is the extract from the Registers there, for’ which he is indebted to Mr. Isaac James, a native of Hitchin, ;now resident in Bristol.

"BAPTIZED,

1732, June 24. MARK, son of Mark and Eliz, Hildesley,.

1735, July 16. ELIZABETH, Daughter of ditto,

BURIED.

1732-3, Feb. 10. MARK, son of Mark.and Eliz.Hildesley

1735, Oct 17. ELIZABETH, their daughter.",

IN the chancel of Wyton chapel, in the county of Huntingdon, on a free-stone monu.ment, placed over the altar steps, is the following

Inscription ; drawn up by Mr. HILDESLRY, afterwards Bishop of Mann, in honour of his Father:

" H. S. J.
Exuviæ
MARCI HILDESLEY, A. M.
Hujusce et proximæ parochiæ, diligentis et probi
per annos XVIII
RECT0RIS:
Qui
propter
studium in fuos peculiare, benevolentiam erga univerfos integram,
et
simplicitatem
apertam prorsus, et jucundam,
Uxori,
gnatis, cognatis, amicisque omnibus, adriiodum dilectus,
vixit;
Nec non ab iisdem sincero luctui
memoratur
mortuus.
In
summá valectidine,
de mundiet mundanorum levitate,
et.
de obitu suo, indies expectando
servide locutus
novo, prorses, et acuto in, manibus dolore,
subitò correptus est:
Quo ingravescente,
brevissirno ternporis spatio interposito,
tacitè suspirantem
animam efflavit,
Apr. 288, 1726, Æt. 58.

Summa cum observantiá, hoc posuit M. H.
Filius defuncti natu maxirnus."

The Epitaph subjoined, for the Mother of the bishop, is inscribed on a flat stone, in the south part of the church-yard at Bromley, in Kent.

Mrs. AVIS HIDESLEY,
widow of the late
Rev. MARK HILDESLEY, M. A.
formerly rector of Murston, and
vicar of Siftingbourn,
in this county;
afterwards rector of Witton, in the
county of Huntingdon,
where he died, in 1726.
She had sixteen children
born alive, and baptized;
five of them within
one year and thirteen days!
She died at Bromley college,
25 Nov. 1743,
in the 71st year of her age."

At Hemingford Abbats St. Margaret, rectory, in the county of Huntingdon, upon the pavement of the chancel opposite the door, the following is inscribed on a free stone, to the memory of the bishop’s great uncle.

" Here lieth
JOHN HILDESLEY, Esq. barrister at law.
He was.the eldest son of MARK HILDESLEY,Esq..
of Kingston upon Thames, in the county of
Surry,
barrister at law;
grandson of MARK HILDESLEY, Esq.
lord mayor elect, and representative of the city of London * .
His mother was JOHANNA, the eldest
daughter of Sir WILLIAM MASHAM, of Oates, in the county of Essex, bart..
by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir THO. TREVOR,
of Trevallion, in the county of Flint,
in North Wales, knight.
He married CATHARINE,
the second daughter of BENEDICT MARTIN,
of Highdust, in the county of Sussex, Esq.
and died April the 2d, 1731,
aged 70 years.
CATHARINE, his wife, also lieth here;
who died Dec. 2, 1744, aged 82.
also four of his grand children : viz.
Samuel, Joseph-Francis, John, and Isaac DICKENS."

* This has excited a doubt, and there seems to be some mistake; as this gentleman, we are told, is not found in any list of members for London, during his time ; nor in the various lifts of Sheriffs ; which office must have been served, previous to the being elected Mayor.

The Arms qf HILDESLEY are, Topaz, two bars gemelles, Diamond, in chieef three Torteauxes * impaling Martin ; Or, three Bars, impalling Gules, a chief Ermine

.* See the Plate, in the title.page of this volume.

THERE are also two inscriptions to the same, on painted glass, in the chancel windows

[NORTH WINDOW.]

"In this chancel lies

JOHN HILDESLEY, Esq,.

barrister at law;

who died March 30 *, 1731
aged 70."

[ SOUTH WINDOW.]

" In this chancel lies CATHARINE,
second daughter of Benedict Martin, Esq.
of Highduft, in the county of Sussex, and
relict of JOHN HILDESLEY, Esq.

By whom she left issue, the honourable ,John Hildesley, admiral in his
majesty’s royal navy ;
Francis,, colonel in , his majesty’s
first regiment of guards ; and Mary, wife of the Rev. Samuel Dickens,
rector of this church. She died Dec. 2, 1744, æt. 82."

To both the above are added the arms of Hildesley and of Martin, as before specified

* This differs from the date upon the stone ; but the Rev. Charles Greene of Hemingford obligingly informs the editor, that the date on the glass agrees with the parish register. .

JOHN HILDESLEY, the above-mentioned son of

John Hildesley, barrister at law, pursued the naval profession, through a long series of years, with credit and success. We find him on the 14th Sept.1716, appointed captain of the Flarnborough. In May 1738,. he commanded the Kent, a third rater In September, 1739, he was removed to the Grafton, of 70 guns ; afterwards to the Buckingham ; and in Jan. 1742 was made commander of the Devonshire, of 80 guns. On the 24th of July, 1747, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral, on the superannuated list; lived many years in honourable tetirement ; and died in Green-street, Westminster, Feb 13, 1771.

FRANCIS, younger brother of the admiral, and colonel in the guards, lies buried in Hemingford Church on the southside of the communion table, betwen the rails and the wall ; with this short inscription on black marble :

" F HILDESLEY, Esq
obiit 21 Sept. 1769
aged 77"