Baronetcy in 1641, and before his marriage; and probably the earlier anecdotes assigned to "Sir W. Spring" came from his father of the same name, who was knighted in 1610, and was Sheriff of Suffolk in 1621. Afterwards the son might be called indifferently "Sir W. Spring" or "Brother Spring." The Lady Spring, as she occurs late in the book, is probably the writer's sister; or if she was the old Lady Spring, she was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Smith, of Theydon Mount in Essex, Knt. Sir Nicholas's brother, Hamon Lestrange, was baptized at Sedgford on the 29th Aug. 1605. He married Dorothy, daughter of Edmund Lavarich, of Upwell in Norfolk, by whom he had Hamon Lestrange, esq. his son and heir, who was living at Pakenham at the period of Sir Edward Bysshe's Visitation of Suffolk in 1664. This brother Hamon was the author of "The Reign of King Charles, an History faithfully and impartially delivered and disposed into Annals," published anonymously, in folio, 1655. He also wrote "An Answer to the Certamen Religiosum, or the Conference between Charles I. and the Marq. of Worcester," 8vo. 1651, which created a controversy with the celebrated Dr. Peter Heylin; and two theological essays, one on the Sabbath, published in 1641; another on the Liturgy, entitled "The Alliances of Divine Offices," fol. 1659; and also a third essay, written to prove "The Americans no Jews," 4to. 1652. c Of Sir Roger Lestrange it will not be necessary to say many words, as there is a long memoir of him in the Biographia Britannica, which has of course been transferred, in part, to other works of a similar nature.d It may be remarked, however, in illustration of the anecdote of the "very choice Rose Viole," told on his authority (No. XLI.), that his performance on the same instrument, at a private concert held at the house of Mr. Hinckson in St. James's Park, during the course of • See Wood's Athenæ Oxon. by Bliss, ii. 527; iii. 201, 563. d An original portrait of Sir Roger, by Kneller, which it is believed has never been engraved, is in the possession of Richard Frankum, Esq. a member of the Camden Society. which the Protector Cromwell unexpectedly came in," and found them playing (for such was Sir Roger's explanation of the affair), afterwards gained him from his political antagonists the nickname of "Oliver's Fidler." e Sir Roger was thirteen years younger than his eldest brother, having been born at Hunstanton Dec. 17, 1616: after incurring various hazards from his political zeal, he lived to the advanced age of eighty-eight, and, dying in 1704, was buried in the church of St. Giles's in the Fields. According to the usual practice of former times, Sir Nicholas speaks of his wife's relations as his own. Of these we find My Wife, Nos. 123, 173, 175, 365, 369, 402, 408. Lad. Lewkner, No. 294. Ned Lewkener, Nos. 64, 77, 78, 86, 89. My Sist. Ka. Lewknor, No. 370. My Bro. Russell, Nos. 323, 331. Mr. Russell, Nos. 163, 164. Ed. Gurney, Nos. 30, 451. N. Gurney, No. 103. Ned Gurney, No. 135, 363. Fra. Gurney, No. 120. Tho. Gurney, Nos. 99, 271, 273. Sir Nicholas's wife was Anne, My couz. Dol. Gurny, No. 169. Couz. Dor. Gourny, Nos. 234, 343, 354, 359, 364. My aunt Nevill, No. 31. Mr. Wil. Nevill, Nos. 69 to 74. Mr. H. Nevill, jun. No. 61. Mr. Catline, No. 28. My unck. Catline, Nos. 48, 51, 52. My unck. T. Catline, Nos. 60, 76, 94, 100, 109, 115, 330, 355. Unck. Rich. Catline, Nos. 79, 159, 447. daughter of Sir Edward Lewke nor, of Denham in Suffolk, Knt. an alliance which is peculiarly memorable in the history of the family of Lestrange, as through it their present representative is one of the coheirs of the ancient Barony of Camoys. She was born in the year 1612, and was consequently about There is a pamphlet in the British Museum, printed in 1683, attacking him under the title of "The Loyal Observator; or, Historical Memoirs of the Life and Actions of Roger the Fidler; alias, The Observator." See the case of " Henry Le Strange Styleman, of Hunstanton, in the county of Norfolk, Esq. on his claim to the title and dignity of Baron Camoys," in the House of Lords, Session 1838; also the "Minutes of Evidence given before the Committee of Privileges, to whom the Petition of Thomas Stonor, of Stonor, Esq. claiming to be the senior co-heir of the Barony Camoys, was referred." Printed by order of the House of Lords, 1838. nine years younger than her husband. They were married in the year 1630; and she survived him about eight years, dying on the 15th July 1663, aged 51; having given birth to a very numerous family of sons. Her mother," Lady Lewkner," was Mary daughter of Sir Henry Neville, of Billingbere in Berkshire. She had been a widow for some years before her daughter's marriage, Sir Edward having died on the 1st May 1618, at the early age of thirty-one. He consequently is not mentioned by Sir Nicholas Lestrange. By her will made in 1642, Lady Lewkenor left" to my eldest daughter the lady Ann le Strange, my coach and fower coachorses, with all to them belonging. All my other goods, plate, jewells, household stuffe, &c. to my three daughters, to be equally devided, viz. the lady Ann le Strange, wife unto Sir Nicholas le Strange, of Hunstanton, barronett; Catherine Calthorpe, wife unto James Calthorpe of East Basham, esq. and Mary Lewknor, my youngest daughter." The lady last-mentioned died an aged spinster in 1678 i. "Ned Lewkenor" was this lady's only son, and consequently brother-in-law to our Anecdotist, viz. Edward Lewkenor, of Denham, Esq. who died in 1634, aged twenty-one, leaving by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Russell, of Chippenham in Cambridgeshire, Bart. (who had for her second husband Dr. John Gauden, Bishop Their marriage settlement was made by an indenture quadripartite, dated the 25th Aug. 1630, between Sir Hamon Le Strange, of Hunstanton, Knight, and Dame Alice his wife, of the first part; Sir Nicholas Le Strange, Baronet, son and heir apparent of the said Sir Hamon and Alice, of the second part; Dame Mary Lewkenor, the relict of Sir Edward Lewkenor, late of Denham in Suffolk, deceased, Richard Catline, of Lakenham, in the county of the city of Norwich, Esq. and Thomas Catline, of Norwich, gentleman, of the third part; and John Spelman, Esq. son and heir-apparent of Sir Henry Spelman, of Congham, in Norfolk, Knt. and Sir Robert Walpole, of Houghton, co. Norfolk, of the fourth part. This document is printed at length in the Minutes of Evidence mentioned in the last note, pp. 378-391. Among the witnesses to its execution were Fra. Bacon, Valentine Pell, Edward Gourney. The two latter persons will be noticed hereafter; and Fra. Bacon was, perhaps, "Mr. Bacon the lawyer " mentioned in p. 9 of the present volume, as the Chancellor is duly called "the Lord Verulam " two pages after. h Printed in the Minutes of Evidence (as above), p. 170. iSee her will, made in the previous year, ibid. p. 208. of Worcester), an only child Mary, afterwards married to Horatio first Viscount Townshend. Whether" My Bro. Russell" was one of this family (in which case the title "brother" must have been quite one of courtesy,) there are not sufficient grounds to form a conclusion: but this mention of the name affords an opportunity of correcting a note in p. 78 of the present volume, in which it is conjectured that the "Francke Russell" of the anecdote No. CXXXIX was a son of the Earl of Bedford. He was, in fact, a much more prominent character of the busy times in which he lived. He was the eldest son of Sir William Russell, of Chippenham, and a zealous Parliamentarian, though his next brother Sir William Russell, j who was joint Treasurer of the Navy with Sir Henry Vane, was always steadfast in his loyalty, and suffered imprisonment on that account. "Francke" was returned to the Long Parliament for the county of Cambridge; k had a Colonel's commission from the Parliament at the breaking out of the war; was made Governor of the Isle of Ely, afterwards of Lichfield, and then of Guernsey and Jersey; and at length, in 1657, was selected by Oliver Cromwell to be a member of his House of Lords. He had succeeded to the title of Baronet on his father's death in 1653-4. Sir Francis Russell survived the Restoration, and died in 1664. To return from this digression to the other relations of Lady Lestrange : Sir William Russell (the father) was himself Treasurer of the Navy; and held that office in 1633, at the period of the settlement on the marriage of his daughter with "Ned Lewkenor," which will be found in the Minutes of Evidence on the Camoys Peerage, 1838, p. 371. * Sir John Potts, mentioned in the same anecdote (see p. 79,) was one of the Members for the county of Norfolk, and took the Solemn League and Covenant. Three alliances took place between the family of Sir Francis Russell and that of the Protector. His son and heir Sir John married Frances, the Protector's youngest daughter, widow of the Hon. Robert Rich (who died in 1657-8); his daughter, Elizabeth Russell, was married (about 1655), to Oliver's younger son Henry, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; and, thirdly, Elizabeth Cromwell, one of the offspring of the last-named couple, was married to William Russell, of Fordham, co. Camb. esq. nephew to Sir Francis. CAMD. SOC. 5. с "My sister Ka. Lewknor" was afterwards the wife of James Calthorpe, Esq. of East Barsham, Norfolk, who was Sheriff of Norfolk in 1643, and whose portrait in military costume (painted in 1640,) is engraved in the History of Norfolk. He died on the 19th April, 1652, aged 48; and his widow Katharine, having survived him twenty-five years, on the 17th Nov. 1677, aged 61.m Their son, Sir Christopher Calthorpe, of East Barsham, K.B., married Dorothy, daughter of Sir William Spring, of Pakenham, Bart. and niece of Sir Nicholas Lestrange ; and they, among other children, had a daughter Anne, who was married to her cousin Sir Thomas Lestrange, the fifth Baronet of Hunstanton, and died in 1742, s. p. By descent from Mrs. Katharine Calthorpe, Sir Jacob Astley, of Melton Constable, Norfolk, Bart. is now another of the coheirs of the barony of Camoys. Philip Calthorpe, the contributor of many stories to Sir Nicholas Lestrange's collection, is believed to have been an uncle of James, and a younger son of Sir James Calthorpe of Cockthorp, Norfolk, who died in 1614. If so, he was brother of Sir Henry Calthorpe, of Ampton in Suffolk, and Recorder of London, the ancestor of the present Lord Calthorpe. Philip was of Gressenhale, in Norfolk, where the principal manor belonged to the Lestranges of Hunstanton; whether his wife (whose name, from two different authorities, we gather to have been Elizabeth Wade) was a relation of that family has not been ascertained, but he named his son Lestrange; and Sir Lestrange Calthorpe, Knt. became a serjeant at law and King's Serjeant to Charles the Second; and dying April 5, 1678, was buried at West Barsham.n The Gurneys were Lady Lestrange's maternal cousins; and they were also more distantly related to Sir Nicholas himself. Martha, daughter of Sir Edward Lewkenor, of Denham,° and aunt of Lady m Epitaphs at East Barsham. See her Will in the Evidence on the Camoys Peerage, 1838, p. 196; witnessed by Elizabeth Spring and Mary Lewkenor (her sister). " See the History of Norfolk, vii. p. 46, for his descendants. • This Sir Edward Lewkenor died and was buried at Denham in 1605. See in Evidence |