The Reader is requested to turn also to the Addenda at the end of THIS ancient family have been Barons by the male line from 1342; their ancestor, Sir Thomas West, having been summoned to parliament as Lord West, 16 Edw. III. The Barony of Delawarr, which takes date from 1294, having been brought into the family by marriage about 1400. That this family had large possessions in the west of England, our public records and other evidences, prove, and, it is probable, on that account, had the name of West. The first that I can, with certainty, fix on, as ancestor to the present Earl Delawarr, is SIR THOMAS DE WEST, Knight, first LORD WEST, who having married Eleanor, daughter and heir of Sir John de Cantilupe, of Hempston Cantilupe in com. Devon. Knight, by Margaret, his wife, daughter of John Lord Mohun, of Dunster in com. Somerset, had, in 17 Edward II.a entailed on him, and his said wife, and on the heirs of their two bodies, the manor of Sniterfield in com. Warw. The same year he obtained from the Kingba charter for a market, every week, there upon VOL. V. Fin. in co. War. lev. ann. 17 Edw. II. Cart. 17 Edw. II. no. 10. B Tuesday: as also for a fair, yearly, upon the eve and day of St. Kenelme, and six days after; likewise for free warren, to them, and the heirs of their two bodies, in their demesne lands there. In the said 17th year of Edward II. he served in the parliament then held at Westminster, as one of the knights for the county of Warwick. In 1826, he received the honour of knighthood by bathing, &c. his robes, and all accoutrements for that solemnity, d being then allowed out of the King's great wardrobe: and the same year, going into France with the King, had his protection (dated August 20th, that year) till Christmas following. e In 1327, 1 Edw. III. f he obtained leave from the King to make a castle of his manor house at Rughcombe in Wiltshire; and on 8 May 26th, 1329, he embarked at Dover with the King, when his Majesty went to do homage to the French Monarch, Philip VI. for the duchy of Guienne, earldom of Ponthieu, &c. which " was performed verbally in the cathedral of Amiens, on June 6th, and not after the manner of his predecessors, by putting off the crown, and laying aside both sword and spurs, to do it kneeling. k In 4 Edw. III. he was made governor of Christ-chuch castle in com. Southamp. In the year after, King Edward having summoned David Bruce, King of Scotland, to do his homage, as also to render to him the town of Berwick, and his refusal thereof occasioning a war with Scotland,' this Sir Thomas was present at the siege of Berwick, and memorable battle of Halidown, July 23d, 1333, and thereupon a truce ensued, which being near expired, in 1335, the King, about Midsummer, m at the head of his army, on July 12th, entered Scotland in an hostile manner," in which expedition this Sir Thomas de West was also with him. He was likewise with the King, in 12 Edw. III. who, on July 16th, took shipping in the port of Orwell, in com. Suff. having in company 500 sail of ships, and many Barons: and on the expedition into Flanders, being in the retinue of William Earl of Salisbury, he had thereupon a protection, P dated July 10th, that year, to hold in force till Christmas following. He was also there in 13 Edw. III. and the same year, in consideration of those Claus. 17 Ed. II. in dors. m. 24. n Rot. Scot. 9 Ed. III. m. 9. d Comp. Tho. de Useflete. f Pat. 1 Ed. III. p. 2, m. 10. h Barnes's Hist. Ed. III. p. 36. k Barnes's Hist. Ed. III. p. 7c. m Barnes, p. 94. • Barnes's Hist. Ed. III. p. 120. 4 Rot. Aleman. 13 Ed. III. his services, had a 'grant in fee, for return of all writs and summons of the Exchequer, within his manor of Swacliff, and Sutton, in Wiltshire. In 16 Edward III. the Countess of Montford sending from Brittany to the King for succours, and Laurence de Hastings, Earl of Pembroke, being dispatched, het accompanied him in that expedition into France, wherein he behaved so well, and merited so much in other his great employments, that, the same year, the King thonght him" worthy of a seat in parliament, among the BARONS of this realm. And deceasing in w 17 Edward III. left issue, by Eleanor his wife, aforesaid, SIR THOMAS, his son and heir, who then became possessed of the manors of HempstonCantilupe, and Great Torington, in com. Devon. as is evident from the inquisition taken after the death of his said father. By the same wife he had also another son, John, besides Thomas. с a W 2 Which THOMAS, in 19 Edward III. was in the French wars, in the retinue of Richard Earl of Arundel; in which year,y divers strong towns and castles were taken. The year after, 1346, he was with the King in his wars in France, and in the famous battle of Cressy. In 29 Edward III. he was in the wars of Scotland. In 33 Edw. III. he went with the Lord Chamberlain, Thomas de Cherleton, into Gascony, and was in the service there, the 44th year of that King's reign. In 1 Richard II, he was on board that fleet sent to scour the seas of the French and Scots; and in 3 Richard II.e in the wars of France. In 8 Richard 11.f he was retained to serve in the wars against the Scotch for forty days, the King being in person there; and in 9 Richard II.5 for one quarter of that year, in fortifying of Calais. In 1386, 10 Richard II. he was again retained to serve against the French. He died on September 3d, the same year, seised of the manor Rot. Vasc. 13 Edward III. m. 10. 1 R. Franc. 16 Edward III. m. 26. s Barnes's Hist. Edw. III. p. 256. u R. Claus. ejusd. ann. x Rot. Franc. 19 Edward III. m. 16. y Barnes's Hist. Edward III. p. 31, to p. 328. Rot. Scot. 29 Edward III. m. 9. b Rot. Vasc. 33 Edward III. p. 2. d Rot. Franc. 1. R. II. p. 2. m. 6. f Ex Autog. penes Cler. pell. h Rot. Franc. 10 Richard II. m. 13. i Esc. 10 Richard II. n. 52. * Writs of Summons were not always regularly continued at this time from father to son; and I do not find that this Sir Thomas received a writ. of Compton-Valence, in Dorsetshire; of the third part of the manor of Trente, in com. Somerset; of the manors of Snyterfelde, in com. War.; Welneford (now Wetford), Weston, and Willerseye, in com. Gloucest.; Hempston-Cantilupe, in com. Devon.; Okehangre, Newton-Valence, and Terstwode, in com. Southampt. Wyke, and Haseldene, in com. Lanc.; East Hacche, Napprede, Roughcombe, Swalclyve, Eston near Berewyck, Upton, Bradmore, Sutton-Mandevile, and Stratford-Tony, and Newton-Tony, in com. Wilts. By Alice his wife, daughter of Reginald Fitz-Piers, Baron of Wolverley, in Worcestershire (and of Joan his wife, daughter and heir of Sir Edm. Hallet, Knt.), he had Thomas, his son and heir, twenty-one years of age, in the said 10 Richard II. Alice, his said wife, surviving him, made her will at HyntonMartel, in com. Dorset, "on Thursday, July 15th, 1395, wherein she orders her body to be buried in the priory of the Canons of Christ-church, in com. Southamp. with her ancestors; and gave to Thomas, her son, a bed of tapiters work, as also a pair of matyn-books, a pair of beads, and a ring wherewith she was espoused to God, which were the Lord her father's: to Joan, her son's wife, a bed paled black and white, a mass-book, and all her books of Latin, English, and French; also the vestments of her chapel, and what belongs to the altar, with all other apparel thereunto belonging; as silver basons, with escutcheons of her ancestors arms, &c. to Sir Nicholas Clyfton, Knt. and Eleanor his wife, her daughter, and Thomas Clyfton, her son, one hundred and twenty pounds: to her sister, dame Lucy Fitz-Herbert, Prioress of Shaftesbury, forty pounds: to her sister, Thomasine Blount, a nun at Romesey, in com. Southampt. forty marks. And she bequeathed eighteen pounds ten shillings, for four thousand four hundred masses, to be sung and said for the soul of Sir Thomas West, her lord and husband, her own soul, and all Christian souls, in the most haste that might be, within fourteen nights next after her decease: also forty pounds to the Canons of Christchurch, to read and sing mass for her Lord's soul, and her own, while the world shall last. She further bequeaths to the nuns of St. Olaves, in London, and to the priests of the said house, one hundred shillings, for to pray for the soul of her Lord and husband, Sir Thomas West, her own soul, and for the estate of 1 Lb. Gen. Eng. & Irel. MS. no. 257. p. 22. in Bibl. Lambeth. Reg. Rous. qu. 26. in cur. Præærog. Cant. |