with my kinde love to you and your wife, and all yours, desireing your answer to be left for me at one Roger Cerby's puterer in Newcastle on the Syde I rest Your obliged friende If you thinke it convenient you may writ to Squire Fenwicke aboute them before you drive. I prey God send you much joy of your litil doughter,† and my cousin, your wife, a sound and safe recoverrye. I should be glad to heare of Mergerit Dixson's recoverrye, and I prey you take that course for the removell of the sick that you maye presarve the whole. The noyse is heare that the hafle (sic) blood‡ cannot be capable of an adminystraytion, though thare be never so much of pretention for me. My adversarrys ar very active against me, and it hapned the other daye that I was in a roume where Mr Moore§ was, that marryed Sir William Fenwick youngest daughter, but he did not know who I was, and thare he did declare that he had the best counsell opinyons in England in his pockit, and they had given it under thair hands that the administration could onely be given to the whole bloode, * Of Dame Catherine Fenwick, third wife of Sir John Fenwick of Fenwick and Wallington, first baronet, very little is known. According to Dugdale's Visitation of Northumberland in 1666 her maiden name was Bone, but her origin has not been ascertained. This letter reveals the existence of two daughters, whose names are not found in the family pedigree. † Elizabeth, daughter of Miles Stapylton, was baptised at St. Mary in the South Bailey, 28th May, 1667, her godparents being Mr. Francis Forster, Lady Gerard, and Mrs. Granville. Alluding to the medieval legal fiction that the remote issue of a man's full brother or sister was nearer to him than his half-brother or sister. § Dorothy, daughter and coheir of Sir William Fenwick of Meldon by his first wife, Isabella, daughter and heir of Sir Arthur Grey of Spindleston, was married to Edward Moore of Bank-hall, Lancashire, son and heir of Colonel John Moore, one of the regicides. She was married before 7th May, 1656, when she received Hallington and part of Scremerston for her purparty of her father's property. A letter written by her at Meldon, 17th February, 1652, to her sister, Lady Radcliffe, is printed in the new History of Northumberland, vol. i, p. 185. cf. pedigree of Fenwick of Meldon, Rev. John Hodgson, History of Northumberland, part ii, vol. ii, p. 18. [(1) of [Sir] Andrew Young of Bourne, co. York., and (2)] e of Wolverton, Ist bart. (c) By the latter she was mother wife of Sir Miles Stapylton of Carlton, bart. wife (1) of Henry Lawson of Brough, and (2) of Francis, (c) wife of Edward Moore of Bankhall, co. Lancaster (c), John Moore, the regicide fe first of Thomas Venables of Kinderton, Cheshire (a), ond of Richard Sneyd (a) of Stafford i, p. 256. ii, p. 17. Fenwick, first baronet, and half-sister of Sir William Fenwick of Meldon, knight. [To face p. 168 and for my leagatie, he sade, they would not give me two pence for, I haveing not recoverted in my Lady Forster's* life time, thare was not one groate due to me now. I went out of the roume and he doth not yet know who I was. I do not yet know whether I shall neede a commistion or no; for the judgis, the last teerme, would not admit that I should bring any more allygatians in, but onely admit of what was done at Yorke. If my cousin Frank Forstert and Mrs Fielding had beene so kind to me as they ought to have beene, I should not have needed a commistion for them now. The friuts I find that was thare worke all along. For Mrs Blaxston's house I have given over thinking of it, but I doe exspect that my cousin Frank Forster should give me that threescore pownd which he tolde me was in his hands of my lady Forster's when she died. I doe wonder that his tenants and Sir William Forster's‡ can pay them thare rents and that thair is nothing for me, but if Sir Francis Ratclifes come to call of my cousin Frank Forster tenants I beleeve he will wish that he had let them come in to me. If you could privitly agree for reares it will doe well, but if this court should heare of it befor they give seansore they maybe would take it for an afront; but I prey you let us never make any more agreement with any lose to us, for I have had two much lose allredie by the housis of Durham, for they wair assurely my owne as any thing elce. Mr Ardone is sending my writings to you as soune as he can convay them. All that I must come to must be by exstreemyty and lose. I doe beleeve the tenants of Stifford¶ should pay to me at Whitsonetide or Midsumer aboute forty pownd. I prey you labor to get all *Dame Elizabeth Forster of Blanchland, widow of Sir Claudius Forster of Bamburgh and half-sister of Sir John Fenwick of Fenwick, first baronet. Administration of her goods had been granted at York, 17th March, 1665-6, to her niece, Miss Elizabeth Fenwick, the writer of the letter. Sir Claudius Forster, by a nuncupative will, proved at York, 15th January, 1623-4, gave £1,000 to Mrs. Elizabeth Fenwicke, daughter unto Sir John Fenwicke, knight.' This legacy apparently had never been paid by the testator's widow. † Francis Forster of the South Bailey, Durham, owner of Easington Grange in Bamburghshire, fourth son of Thomas Forster of Adderston by his marriage with Mary, daughter of Sir William Fenwick and full sister of Lady Forster. The latter in her life-time, by deed dated 10th March, 1662, conveyed to him her lands at Easington Grange, Belford, Budle, Shotley, etc. cf. pedigree of Forster of Adderston, new History of Northumberland, vol. i, pp. 229, 232. Sir William Forster of Bamburgh and Blanchland, born 1636, died 1674, was great nephew and heir-at-law of Lady Forster's husband, Sir Claudius Forster. § Sir Francis Radcliffe of Dilston, third baronet, subsequently created Earl of Derwentwater, married Catherine, widow of Henry Lawson of Brough, daughter and coheir of Sir William Fenwick of Meldon. She was sister of Mrs. Moor, mentioned above, and of Mary, successively wife of Sir Andrew Young, knight, and Sir Thomas Longueville, bart. ¶Styford, in the parish of Bywell St. Andrew and barony of Bolbec, was acquired by Sir Claudius Forster in part from the Crown and in part from the Earl of Suffolk. After his death it was enjoyed by the abovenamed Lady Forster of Blanchland in dower. the monys you can, for it is hatefull to me to be in debt, and it is straing that none of those that ar my debters hath not so much resone or contience to consether my condistion. Where you can get bonds, and not mony, I think it will doe well to doe it privitly, and to antydate the bonds. If you could make consetterable compositions for olde bonds you have in keeping that ar in my Lady Forster name I would advise you to give in the bonds and take mony, and if Sir Francis Radclife come to have to doe with them they will find haveing taxsis. Thairfor they had better give mony to me and get in thair bonds. Thire is one Simson which my cousin Frank Forster hath the bond of, he is able anouth to pay. My cousin Frank Forster hath resone to assist me, for I would have lost my hand befor I would have quit my intrist in Durham housis, if it had not beene for feare Sir Francis Radclife might have got advantage of him by my keeping on the cause. Me thinkes the tenants of Stiford should pay me willingly and readily, I haveing forgiven them so much as I did. I exspect to heare the glad tydings of Mr Harrysone and Mr Ewbanck's bringing you my mony. It is strainge to me that so many bonds as ar oweing and the days so long past that they pay nothing. If my cousin Frank Forster doth exspect Sir William Forster bond, I looke for the threescore pownd that he confesed was of my lady Forster's mony of that bond that is yet in his hand. The Duchis of York* is a sorryfull woman the Duke of Kendile† being deade and the Duke of Cameberage‡ his death exspected every day. I wish my Lady Fenwick§ and my two sisters had all thair owne and that they wair heare with me and then we might joyne alltogether heare and live hansumly. I shall long much to heare good news from your selfe and all your famaly, to whome I present my love and service, remaining your most affectionit cousin to sarve you Elizabeth Fenwicke. May the 14, 1667. God speede your driving upon my nephew Fenwicke. Ther *Anne, Duchess of York, daughter of Edward, Earl of Clarendon. † Charles, Duke of Kendal, son of the Duke of York, afterwards James II; born 4th July, 1666, was buried in the Royal vault at Westminster 30th May, 1667. James, Duke of Cambridge, second son of the Duke of York, born 11th or 12th July, 1663, and registered at St. Martin in the Fields, was buried at Westminster 26th June, 1667. § Dame Catherine Fenwick, widow of Sir John Fenwick, mentioned above. Probably John Fenwick, who succeeded his father as third baronet. He was stated to be 21 years of age when his father entered his pedigree, 1st September, 1666, in Dugdale's Visitation of Northumberland, but may have been a little older seeing that he was then the father of a son. He wasted his patrimony, and in 1689 sold Fenwick, Wallington, Hexham, and other estates in consideration of an annuity payable to himself and his wife. A ruined and landless man, he fell into rebellion, was attainted, and 27th January, 1697, was beheaded on Tower Hill. |