diser to look after what may please you, but I cannot make things doe as I would, so that was the case I did not trouble your lordship with my letters; and so I remain Your duttyfull Daughter to command November the 3 [? 1665].† [Addressed] For the Right Frances G.* Sir: in God John Lord MRS. FRANCES GERARD to [MILES STAPYLTON]. Nov: the 22, 1665. I sent a man one purpose to Shelehugh‡ and did intend he should a brought him to you as yesterday: but he is sicke and sayes, if his life lay one it he could not come tell the next Munday, and then he will not fale to come: and if he be not well he will send his son and his frind with both rent and acounts. The bearer hereof who went for him can tell you better what he promised then I can doe. When he comes you must have his accounts, what he ded with his rent this 3 halfe yeares. He brought his accounts 2 days *Bishop Cosin's second daughter, Frances, married first Charles Gerard, brother of Sir Gilbert Gerard, husband of Mary Cosin. He received from his father-in-law the keepership of the episcopal manor-house at Darlington, the bailiwick of Coatham Mundeville, etc. Of the marriage there was issue three sons and one daughter, as set out in the pedigree. Charles Gerard was buried at Darlington, 15th April, 1665. After a short interval his widow married, as her second husband, Thomas Blakiston, without her father's knowledge. On the 19th March, 1667-8, the Bishop writes to Stapylton, You have mentioned my daughter, not as the relict of Charles Gerrard but as the wife of T.B. which I have not yet acknowledged, nor was it ever made knowne to mee that they were legally married, and whensoever it shall be so made knowne I must professe beforehand that I am extreamly displeased with it for I was most treacherously used above, and for my part shall never owne it." (Longstaffe, Darlington, p. 147.) Mrs. Blakiston died after bearing her second husband a daughter, and was buried at Darlington on the 10th March, 1668-9. For his daughter's sake the Bishop acknowledged the marriage and did something for her husband and his child, though with thinly veiled contempt, generally speaking and writing of his son-in-law under the initials T.B. Letters written by the Bishop to Stapylton, dated from Pall Mall, in January, 1670, raise an inference that Mrs. Gerard's conduct had been unguarded while a widow. "It is a poore account and excuse that Mr. T. B. makes for the bed and plate given to my second daughter's children which she had before he trepann'd her and got another child added to them You and hee know very well how unworthily hee dealt with me in hanting my daughter's chamber in the night time and perswading her to mary him without my knowledge or any other of her sisters." Surtees Soc., No. LV, pp. 266, 267. †The year torn off in breaking the seal. Shelehugh, apparently at South Shields. OF DURHAM. 666. 3 Dec., 1671, Bishop, by his will, left wife of ... Allen of Norfolk (c) Mary, wife of Samuel Rush of Norwich; mar. 19 Nov., 1634, at St. Andrew's, Norwich (6) wife of William Hartley of Norwich (<) wife of . . . . Skinner, mother of Thomas(c) Skinner, of Hull, merchant (c) wife of . . . . Ward, town-clerk of Yarmouth (c) wife of . . . . Blackerby (c) fe) Sir Gilbert Gerard (a), first bart., of Fiskerton, Lincolnshire bapt. at Brancepeth; mar. (1) Henry Hutton, of Goldsborough (a); rampton, Westmorland, knight (a); (3) Samuel Davison of Wingate St. Andrew 23 Dec., 166(2), who was buried in Auckland Chapel Basire, mar. at Stanhope 4 July, 1672 rd(a), brother of the abovenamed Sir Gilbert Gerard, bart., and Cathedral the day of her mother's burial; mar. Denis Granville(a), h; mar. 16 Dec., 1662, at Auckland St. Andrew; she was deserted uried in Durham Cathedral 14 Oct., 1691 (b) To face p. 144 befor Mir Gerard died, and he did not like them, and so I refer it to you with this proviso, that you take no account for subsidies and you se his aquitances for what ever mony he sayes he hath payed allrady. For my owne part I recived sence Mir Gerards death one tenn pound; and one pound 9 shillings and fourty shillings, and that is all I have recived towards the 3 halfe years rents. Mir Chayter intends to be with my lord tomorow and give an account of the wells* and would be glad to rid of his trust, and so shall I allso; for all the account he hath or will give the wells are so bad that to repaire them throwly will cost more mony then they have allredy cost, and mony itt will cost to put downe the wells that takes away ther costome; or ells they will never yeild that rent which they have done hetherto; for the are lett for les and lesse every yeare, which is not my fault. Pray lett my lord know of this letter, and lett me know if ther be anny thing more required of me to doe in thes bisines, and so I remaine Your sarvant Frances Gerard. As soune as you have recived my rents you shall have the bills that must be payed, by this acquittance you will se what I am in arreares for Granges close and Shaws for leale (sic) ther is nothing behind nor shall be. You will se by the leases Mir Stueard hath, which I hope is renewed, what I am indeated for my lord's rent sence this acquittance, and as soune as you have mony you will be pleased to let it be payed for me and set to rits. [No address.] MRS. FRANCES GERARD to MILES STAPYLTON. Mr Stapleton: November 29, 1665. I find by your letter that the tenant of Sheelehugh doth tell you that I received 10 pound in part of this Martimas rent, which I protest is altogether false; for I recevid the 10 pound before Whitsuntide last and he pad 301 to Dr Breuint† so that was his 401 for his halfe yeare at Whitsuntide last he was forbeding to pay any to Dr Breuint then. He came to me from you when he was with you before, and told me that you only forbed him to pay any more to Dr Breunint and so he told me how he had payed the panes and houes rents for the 2 halfe yeares ending at Whitsuntid only 29 sheilnens he gave me and told me he had 40 more to send me as * 'The sulphur springs at Croft were known and esteemed at the period, but they are in Yorkshire. The wells referred to by Mrs. Gerard may have been what was afterwards known as Dinsdale Spa. † Daniel Brevint, a native of Jersey, of Jesus College, Oxford; incorporated 12th October, 1638, D.D. 1662, prebendary of the tenth stall of Durham 1661, rector of Brancepeth 1662, dean of Lincoln 1682, to his death 5th May, J soune as he came home and the rest he counted was payed by Mir Gerareds order. I told him I would give an acounte for what I recived but I would not alow of any theing that he told of tell you did; so that when I sent the man for him to come to you againe I bed the man if he gave him the 40 shillenes or had it, to bring it me. So he did send it, so that I have recived but 3 pound and 9 shellenes towardes the 2 halfe years for the pan and houes rents and for thes bill of 18 pound he brouth that day Mir Gerard diyed, and Mir Gerard was not able to talke with him but yet he did not alow of all he sayed for he was not to pay subsity mony and whom can tell what he hath done to the barne. But this Martulmis you should have fully recived 40 pound of him besides the pan rents he gathers them tho the be not in his lease so that I will asuer you if you had minded my letters I writ or the words I told you, you would not have lett him a gone so. I doubt it will be long enough before you gett him againe; for it was notthing but an excuse for to kepe 30 pound in his hand for feare Dr Breuing's stuard should sue him and if I had bine with him and you he should not a gone before he had payed me. He is not a man that wants mony. As for the rents I am to recive heare: the tanant of Leake* payes quartly a .II. pound 5 shellens and this quarter my lord hath 9 pound for his halfe yeares rent so that I recived of him but 2 pound 5 shellens for my selfe and the quarters rent of Granse close 31 158 and the proufet of the wheat that I valy at 6 pound and 8 shellenes; so that sume comes to 121 8s that I have recived heare or am to recive tell the quarters rents comes in and I was faint to send Jane my maid to Durham to by my chelderen sum things with sum of this mony and I had sarvants wages to pay so that I have but a smale sume by me. My lord told me in one of his letters that he had aded 201 more a yeare to me; and I was to recive the moyety wherof I should recive at Martimus by your hands. I suppos it should be payed to and so pray know who is to pay it that you may recive it and when you have got it and the tanant of Shelehugh hath payed you then you may pay my lord 26 pound for the arrear of thes meles; and the 2 apotheture bills comes to 71 138 0 and Mir Haresonst bill comes to 151 128 0 for Cranes close and Shwes closes I cannot se what the can have in arrear when the have given an acquittance for 64, so that ther will be but sum 3 pound to put them cleare in order; I hope Mir Stuard hath lett his man to drawen them new againe befor this time thes debts cannot be payed if the tanant of Sheelehugh‡ come not and payes you his mony and that of Bedbur[n]. Pray lett me have an answer what you intend to doe further in it by the next post so I rest your sarvant * Probably Leek or Leake, near Northallerton. Frances Gerard. † Probably John Ayreson of Durham, alderman and mercer. cf. pedigree Surtees Soc., No. cxxiv, p. 56n. Sheelehugh, at South Shields. |