Correspondence of Edward Seymour, son of the Protector, Earl of Hertford (cr. 1559);...

Correspondence of Edward Seymour, son of the Protector, Earl of Hertford (cr. 1559); 1559-1607. Followed (f.197) by correspondence of James Kirton his agent; 1600-1614.

Among the writers of letters to the Earl of Hertford are:- Frances Seymour, his 2nd wife [daughter of William Howard, Lord Howard of Effingham], Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp, and Thomas Seymour his sons, Lord Henry and Lord John Seymour his brothers, Lady Mary Seymour and Lady Elizabeth Seymour, wife of Sir Richard Knightley, his sisters, Mary, wife of Sir Edward Seymour, his sister-in-law, Lady Mary Grey his sister-in-law (sister of Lady Katharine Grey his first wife), Thomas Butler, Earl of Ormonde, Thomas Churchyard the poet, Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon, Henry Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, Katharine Howard (apparently his sister-in-law, but addressing him as her "housbond") Francis Newdegate (who married Anne, widow of the Protector), William Paulet, Marquis of Winchester, Lord Treasurer, Sir Gilbert Prynne, Sir John Spencer of Althorp, Sir John Thynne, and Sir Francis Walsingham.

The most interesting of the letters are:-

1. The Earl of Hertford to the Duke of Norfolk, excusing himself for not doing his "dutie to the Queenes majestie", and for not visiting the Duke, on the ground of ill-health, etc.; Hanworth, 16 July, 1559. f.1

2. Barnabe Penethorne to the Earl of Hertford, with an account of his new "brasse pesse" (piece), which was tried at a mark in Greenwich Park, when every one who saw it "shote was in love with it", and giving court-news, etc.; no date. f. 3.

3. Letters, etc., relating to the fine of £15,000 imposed on the Earl (12 May, 1562) for marrying the Lady Katharine Grey without the Queen's consent, viz. (a) The Marquis of Winchester, Lord Treasurer, to the Earl's receivers and tenants as to levying his rents, etc.; 19 Nov.-26 Dec. 1564. Copies. ff. 5-10;- (b) Earl of Hertford to ---- Drewry, his receiver, consenting to his following the Lord Treasurer's orders; 26 Dec. 1564. Copy. f.11;- (c) The same to the Lord Treasurer, agreeing to pay a yearly sum towards his fine, "so the large same be no more then land myne maye have lyvinge", and desiring to have his liberty; 5 Feb., 1564-1565. Draft, "of my Lord Tresurers devyce". f.12;- (d) The Lord Treasurer to the Earl, complaining of the non-payment of the yearly sum of £300 towards his fine, etc.; 5 Mar., 1565-1566. f.13;- (c) The Earl to the Privy Council, praying them to be "a meane unto her hyghnes to have pytty upon my pyttefull and wery lyf, my lone and longe inprysonment", etc; [circ. 1570]. Draft. f.15.

4. Edward Stanhope to the Earl of Hertford, concerning suits at law with Lord Wentworth, Henry Knevett and others; Gray's Inn, 31 Oct.-9 Dec., 1572. ff. 29, 31, 33, 39.

On the first letter are memoranda in the Earl's hand, beginning "Smawll commodity to her Majesty to undoe one of her nobility to enrich a few informers", etc. (cf. vol. XI.)

5. Sir John Spencer to the Earl of Hertford, on his "boke of the xpedicion into Scottland" [?under the Earl's father in 1547], with a design for "the plasinge of the hole storye in tapistrie", etc.; Althorp, 31 May, 1573. f.41.

6. Sir John Thynne to the Earl of Hertford on an attempt to impugn his (Thynne's) title to Sharpham Park, co. Somerset, which he had in exchange from Sir Edw. Seymour, Longleat, 30 Oct., 1574. f.52.

7. Katharine Berkeley to the Earl of Hertford enclosing a warrant from her husband [Henry, Lord Berkeley] for "a skore of red dere", etc.; Calloughdon [co. Warw.], 8 Feb., 1574-1575.

8. John Jernegan (or Jerningham) to the Earl of Hertford on the illness of the French king and other French news; Paris, 11 June, [1575]. f. 64.

9. Latin verses in honour of Qu. Elizabeth on her entering the 19th year of her reign, by Thomas Seymour, Roger Brome, Thomas Durdaunt, William Saunders and Robert Smith, with Latin speeches addressed to Lord Beauchamp on the same occasion by T. Durdaunt and E.L.; the whole sent to the Earl of Hertford by his two sons from Magdalen College, Oxford, in a letter of 27 Nov. 1576. ff. 66-76.

10. Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Hertford, summoning him to Court to attend upon the "Marques of Havericke", [Havré, Netherlands Ambassador]; Oteland, 18 Sept., 1577. f. 81.

11. French news in letters to the Earl of Hertford from (a) R. Lemaçon; London 1 Apr. 1578. f. 83;- (b) Sir Jerome Bowes; Paris, 20 Oct. 1579. f. 87.

12. Sir John Thynne to the Earl of Hertford (a) defending himself against adverse reports, and mentioning proposed matches between his son and the Earl's sister, and his daughter and John Seymour the Earl's cousin; Longleat, 31 Oct., 1579. f. 89;- (b) giving him advice as to means for obtaining his liberty and redress: "but if it should com to extremyte.. in my simple opynion I know no better way than that advice I gave, only tappeale to the quenes majeste, considering what iniustice was doon to you an infant by the malice of that tyme", etc.; Corseley, 14 June, 1571. f. 99.

13. Correspondence relating to the clandestine marriage of Lord Beauchamp to Honora, dau. of Sir Richard Rogers of Bryanston, viz.:- (a) Lord Beauchamp to his stepmother, Lady Hertford: "So far I asseure you I think my selfe free from any vowe concerning mariage", etc.; Hanworth, 15 Mar., 1581-1582. Copy. f. 118b;- (b) The same to his "most loving mistris"; 15 Mar., 1581-1582. Copy. f. 119;- (c) Lord John Seymour to his brother the Earl of Hertford; Hanworth, 22 Mar., 1581-1582. f.124;- (d) Lord Beauchamp to his father, saying that he has had from his "mistris nether letter nor token"; 23 Mar., 1581-1582. f. 126;- (c) Frances, Lady Hertford, to Lord Beauchamp her stepson, with advice: "Lett not a case myend posses so honorable a persone, make your choyse lyke unto your sylfe, stayne not your cloude" etc.; [Mar., 1581-1582]. f. 130;- (f) Lord Beauchamp to Sir Francis Walsingham, desiring his aid to reconcile him to his father and to the Queen; 29 Sept., 1582. Copy. f. 152;- (g) Sir F. Walsingham to the Earl of Hertford, advising him to consult civilians and divines whether his son may "free himself of the matche", and, if not, to put up with it; Windsor, 3 Oct., 1582. f.153;- (h) The same to Lord Beauchamp, advising him, "consideryng how deepely you have offended your father by matching yourselfe against his will", to carry himself in "humble and duetifull sort towardes" him, etc.; Windsor, 3 Oct., 1582. Copy. f.155;- (i) Lord Beauchamp to his father, acknowledging the obedience due to him, but "joyning therewyth duty of a husband as to his wife", etc.; 16 Nov., 1582. f.156. See Vol. XI. art 5.

14. Piero Paillie to the Earl of Hertford, sending the printed account of the Entry of the Duke of Anjou into Antwerp, with news of the siege of Oudenarde, etc.; London, 8 June, 1582. f. 133.

15. John Stanhope to the Earl of Hertford, with news from Ireland, etc.; "They saye the younge kynge of Scottes practyseth to steale over into France".... "Out of France are gonne VI thowsande Scott with Strozzi theyr Captaine to the Indias, as they saye for the behalfe of the king of Portyngale", etc.; Greenwich, 8 June, [1582]. f.137.

16. Frances, Countess of Hertford, to her husband, (a) with an account of an accident to the Queen from the stumbling of her horse; noted as received 11 June, 1582. f.144;- (b) on conversations of her brother Chas. Howard, Ld. Howard of Effingham & herself with the Queen as to her marriage to the Earl "which from this letter seems to have been concealed from the Queen", no date (rec. 1 Feb., 1584-1585). f.164;- (c) on conversations with the Queen as to Lord Beauchamp's case (see above, art. 13); no date (rec. 12 Aug 1585?, perhaps 1582). f.168.

17. Henry Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, to the Earl of Hertford, sending a copy of a letter from the Privy Council to the Commissioners for Wilts "for present service to be done"; Wilton, 4 Jan., 1583-1584. f.158.

18. Jasper More, sheriff of Wilts, on proceedings of the commission of musters; Hatredesbury (Heytesbury), 26 Jan., 1583-1584. f.160.

19. The Privy Council to the same, (a) on the musters of Wilts and Somerset, Whitehall, 31 Dec., 1602. Copy. f.171;- (b) ordering him to provide for the "conduction of 100 men to Waterford; 28 Oct., 1607. Signed by John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Chancellor Ellesmere, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, and others. f.173.

20. Thomas Churchyard, the poet, to "hys syngular and especyall good lord" the Earl of Hertford; without date. f.175.

Printed in "Notes and Queries", Oct., 1877. p.331.

21. Lady Mary Grey [sister of Lady Jane Grey and Lady Katharine Grey, Countess of Hertford] to her brother-in-law the Earl of Hertford sending him "the newe survaye", and asking him, as she has "becom nowe a housekepper", and needs "sum trusty sarvant", to let her have Harry Parker, who had served him and her sister for 13 years; 21 Feb.,-- f.180.

22. Gilbert Prinn to the Earl of Hertford on the progress of Lord Beauchamp and his brother in "theare virginalls" and other music; Tottenham, 5 Dec.,--. f.186.

The correspondents of James Kirton (ff.197-304) include Lettice Kirton his mother, William and Josias Kirton his brothers, Francis Kirton his son, Sir John Rodney, his father in law and Sir Edward Rodney. Richard Fiennes, Lord Say and Sele, Sir Gilbert Prynne and Sir Lewis Lewkenor. Included also are letters from:- (a) Frances [Seymour, 3rd wife of Edward, Earl of] Hertford, commissioning Kirton to buy a "night capp" of "blacke silcke and gould and silver", and not of "exchange woorke or playne sale woorke", etc., Easton, 4 Nov., 1603. f.204;- (b) Samuel Daniel, the poet; 20 May, [31 May, 1608]. Printed in the "Wilts Arch. Mag". XVIII. 1879, p.272.

<p>See SE/VOL. XI. art. 5.</p>