Day after Day 17

Almost September, 1903. May and Muriel had not yet recommenced their studies at the Victoria Institute, which, since the launch of the Workers Educational Association, now offered a variety
of new courses and activities. Both girls thought they should learn to type.

May asked Muriel how her quest was going to find the family ring and to discover whether or not she had noble ancestors.

Muriel had written about these matters to a girl she had met at a dance given by the Walker family. "I rather felt she was not at all interested,'' said Muriel. "That she was pushing me off onto other people named Paulet. I wrote to some of these, but nothing came of it. Then, out of the blue, the woman wrote again, suggesting that I should consult Burke's Peerage.

"Worcester library did not have a copy of the book. However, I thought of the Beauchamp family, They would be sure to have a copy. You recall that Earl Beauchamp, before assuming the
title was William Lygon, the governor of New South Wales. He did not much care for that position and returned to England. He was Mayor of Worcester in 1895. I wrote a letter to the Earl and his wife and they invited me to their home, Madresfield Court. I went there last Wednesday by train. Their house is a short walk from the station. It's a wonderful place. The Earl's wife Lettice...''

Noticing May's startled expression, Muriel chuckled. "She told me to call her that. She and the Earl have only been married since July. Lettice told me something of the house. It was built in 1593 and remodelled in the 1800s in the Elizabethan style. It has around 100 rooms. There's a moat, and Lettice said that in spring there's a wonderful display of daffodils.

"She showed me into the library where they have the most recent edition of Burke's Peerage. It traces lineages back to the 13th Century. I was searching for references to the Marquis of Winchester, but Lettice informed me that they also held the title of Earls of Winchester.''

"So are you related to monarchy?'' May asked, tiring of the suspense. "Charles I or Henry VIII?''

"Well...if we are descended from Peter Paulet, and I have no reason to doubt that we are, his ancestry can be traced back to 1472. And Ann Boleyn was one of our ancestors, so we are linked to Henry VIII. Lettice took pleasure in pointing out that the Beauchamp family can be traced back to the 14th Century. Thomas de Beauchamp was one of the founding members of the Knights
and Ladies of the Garter.''

"And are you related to the Beauchamps?'' May inquired.

"Oh no, but since Lettice was being kind to me I had to show interest in the history of her husband's family.''

"And were any of your other forebears famous, besides Ann Boleyn?''

"Infamous rather than famous,'' said Muriel with a wry smile. She took a notebook from a desk. "Listen to this...''

 

Marquis of Winchester (pictured above)  to be attached.
Ordered,
That the Gentleman Usher attending this House shall bring the Marquis
of Winchester to this House presently, to acknowledge his Offence
committed against this House, he being taken in Arms at Basing House;
and then this House will take into Consideration how to dispose of
him further; and the Gentleman Usher to take him into Custody wheresoever he shall find him.

Marquis of Winchester committed to The Tower.
This Day the Marquis of Winchester was brought to this Bar, as a
Delinquent. And the Speaker, by the Direction of the House, told him,
'That, for his High Offence, in deserting the Parliament, and for
taking up Arms against the Parliament and Kingdom contrary to his
Duty, this House for the present doth commit his Lordship to The
Tower of London, there to be kept in safe Custody, during the
Pleasure of this House.

Marquis of Winchester, a Servant to attend him.
Ordered, That the Marquis of Winchester shall have One of his
Servants to attend him, in The Tower of London.

"And what happened to him?'' May asked.

"I don't know. That is as far as I read. That information came from the Proceedings in the House of Lords, October 20th, 1645. The Beauchamps have quite a library.''

"What else did you find out?"

"Well the name Paulet was spelled in different ways down the years. Paulet, Paulett, Poulet, Poulett, and Powlett, all members of the same family.''

"So the fancy Miss Poulett probably was a relative of yours after all."

"I dare say she and I share some ancestors."

"Any other famous names in the family?''

"Well, the 2nd Marquis was the son of Sir William Capel, the Lord Mayor of London in 1503.''

May was impressed. "I think if they would let us, we should go together to Madresfield Court to do more research. We could even write a book about your family.''

"What a wonderful idea,'' said Muriel enthusiastically. Even if I never find Peter Paulet's ring we would
have something to treasure.''

So Muriel again wrote to the Beauchamps, requesting that she and a friend spend a day in their library. In reply Lettice said she would be delighted to welcome them on October 14th. They could work in the library, and stay to lunch.

When the appointed day arrived, the girls, laden with notebooks and pencils, arrived at Madresfield Court. A butler conduced them to Lettice, and she in turn led them to the library. Muriel thought that Lettice was looking plumper than she was on her first visit, but she was far too polite to ask the obvious question.

The girls worked diligently, taking copious notes. At 1 pm they were conducted by a maid to a small dining room, there to enjoy game soup, home made bread, a salad with cheese and fresh
fruit salad. May thought that the fruit must have been imported, as she had not seen its like in the local shops or market. Everything was beautifully presented on fine china. The girls were almost afraid of drinking out of the splendid crystal water glasses.

As they contentedly made their way home in late afternoon the girls agreed to meet next day to compare the notes they had made during their researches.

Next morning May went to Muriel's house. Producing her notebook, she said "Here's what I discovered. I have arranged the material in date order.''

First of all there is all sorts of stuff about how Papists should be disarmed, so I won't go through all of that.

  That Precedents are extant: That the
Marquis of Winchester, the Earl of Arundell, and others, have been
disarmed, being Recusants."

"What do you think Recusant means?'' May mused.

Muriel went to consult her dictionary. She returned to announce "It means displaying the back instead of the front, if that makes any sense."

She then read

"Mr. Sewer, being called in to
the Bar, did inform this House, that he did see, on Monday
Sevennight, a great many of Arms in the Marquis of Winchester's House
at Basingstoke, a Recusant; and that the Keeper of them told him,
there were Arms for Fourteen or Fifteen Hundred Men.''

"Interesting how they talked about sevennight, meaning a week. We still use fortnight, but I never heard the word sevennight before."

"They obviously felt they had good reason to be worried about your relative."

May read on.

"18th October 1643. Proceedings against Marquis of Winchester.
A Warrant of the Marquis of Winchester, to levy Monies, was read. Resolved, &c.

That the Marquis of Winchester's Estate shall be forthwith sequestered; and
that it to be recommended to the Committee for Sequestrations, where
his Estate lies, to put the same in Execution.

Resolved, &c. That the Marquis of Winchester be accused of High Treason:

And Mr. Browne is to bring in a Charge against him.

"It took them over two years to go from worrying about the arms at his house to arresting him.
14th

October 1645
Marquis of Winchester to be attached.
Ordered,
That the Gentleman Usher attending this House shall bring the Marquis
of Winchester to this House presently, to acknowledge his Offence
committed against this House, he being taken in Arms at Basing House;
and then this House will take into Consideration how to dispose of
him further; and the Gentleman Usher to take him into Custody
wheresoever he shall find him. Marquis of Winchester committed to
The Tower.

This Day the Marquis of Winchester was brought to
this Bar, as a Delinquent. And the Speaker, by the Direction of the
House, told him, That, for his High Offence, in deserting the
Parliament, and for taking up Arms against the Parliament and Kingdom
contrary to his Duty, this House for the present doth commit his
Lordship to The Tower of London, there to be kept in safe Custody,
during the Pleasure of this House.

11th November 1645
March. of Winchester, Leave to come to London, to her Husband.
Upon reading the Petition of
Ja. Marquis of Winchester, Prisoner in The Tower of London; shewing,
"That, by reason of his Imprisonment, he finds himself deprived
of many Comforts he was wont to receive; and it being now Winter
Season, and the Petitioner in Want of many Necessaries, and for the
present somewhat infirm, he humbly beseecheth, that their Lordships
would give Leave that his Wife may come up to the City of London, and
have Access unto him, and to bring with her such Servants, and in
such Sort, as their Lordships shall seem meet.
It is Ordered, That
the Petitioner's Wife shall have a Pass to come to London, with her
Servants and Necessaries.''

May paused to draw breath. "I don't expect prisoners nowadays have servants and necessaries. He'd only been there a month."

15 January 1646
Marquis of Winchester to have an Allowance.
The House was informed this Day of the great
Necessity of the Marquis of Winchester in The Tower; that he hath
nothing to feed him but what his Keeper voluntarily gives him.
Therefore to send to the House of Commons, that he might have some
Allowance of his own Estate, for his Maintenance.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Dr.
Heath and Dr. Aylett to acquaint them of the distressed Condition of
the Marquis of Winchester in The Tower; desiring some speedy Course
may be taken for his Relief, that he may not starve.

Passed the House of Commons
the 7th of September, 1647.
It is Ordered, by the Lords and
Commons in Parliament assembled, That the Marquis of Winchester, a
Prisoner in The Tower of London, shall have Liberty to go to Epsom
Waters, for the Recovery of his Health; upon good Security given to
the Lieutenant of the said Tower of London, to render himself a true
Prisoner that Day. Five Weeks that he shall go out of The Tower upon
the said Security.

"Now he not only has servants and necessaries, and an allowance, and relief, but he also gets to go to take waters in Epsom!''

"But look at the date. This is nearly two years after he was arrested. I think he had served his time.'' said Muriel.
May read on:

"Marquis of Winchester's Bill.
The Lord Marquis of Winchester's Bill was reported, with the Amendments and
Additions; which being read Twice, was Ordered to be ingrossed.
Memorandum, The Bond of Ten Thousand Pounds, entered
into by the said Marquis of Winchester, for preserving of Woods, and
preventing committing of Waste on the Lands, is to be kept in the
Hands of the Lady Viscountess Savage, Grandmother to the Lord
Marquis's Son.

"While he was in prison he was receiving funds from his mother.''

"That's what it sounds like,'' Muriel agreed. "But perhaps he received those funds before going into prison.''

"Almost a year passed by,'' said May, continuing her reading.

"30 June 1648
Message from Lords.
A Message from the Lords, by Dr. Heath and Mr. Eltonhead;
The Lords desire, That the Marquis of Winchester be at Liberty, upon Bail, by
reason of his great Weakness, which very lately so extremely took
him, that he was seeming dead for a great while.

"And just over a year later

The Lords Concurrence to be desired herein.
5 September 1649
Sir T. Jervis', &c, Claims.
Mr. Garland reports from the Lord President's Committee, the several Petitions of
Sir Thomas Jervis Knight, Robert Wallopp Esquire, and Peter Weaver
Gentleman, That it hath been proved unto the said Committee, That the
said Sir Thomas Jervis Knight hath lost by these Wars, to the Value
of Fifteen thousand Pounds: That the said Robert Wallopp hath also
thereby lost to the Value of Fifty thousand Pounds: And that this
Committee do think fit, if the Parliament be so pleased, to give unto
the said Peter Weaver the Sum of Five hundred Pounds for his Losses
and Imprisonment by the Marquis of Winchester:
And that the said
Committee do also think sit that the said Sir Thomas Jervis have the
Sum of Nine thousand Pounds, and the said Robert Wallopp the Sum of
Ten thousand Pounds, allowed unto them out of the Marquis of
Winchester's Estate, by whom principally they suffered such their
Damages: And that, for the Relief of the said Sir Thomas Jervis,
Robert Wallopp, and Peter Weaver, the said Mr. Garland bring in Acts
of Parliament accordingly.''

"So after releasing him from prison they seized his estate, sold it, and gave the proceeds to those whom they said had suffered because of him,'' said Muriel.

"Yes, that seems to have been the case,'' said May.

“Goodness what a lot of information to take in,“said Muriel, “but I do find it most interesting. Let's find
out what happened to him after he got out of prison.”