ton, certain lands in Potterton, near Barwiche in Elmett, in the county of York, and of other manors, lands, tenements, rents, services, hereditaments, with the appurtenances in Clareburghe, Welborne, Aunton, Scalsworth, Grinley, Walesby, and Doughton, in the county of Nottingham; of the Manor of Dobledyke with other lands, tenements, and services in Gosburton, Pinchbeke, Spalding, and Quadringe, in the county of Lincoln; and other lands, tenements, rents, and services in Adlingfleete, Garthorpe, Luddington, Amcoates, and Westwode, in the Isle of Axholme.

Contemporary with these two gallant knights, Sir Hugh and Sir Robert, was John Waterton, who was an esquire of the body to the Prince of Wales. It appears that he succeeded Sir Robert Waterton, as Master of the Horse to the King, for he accompanied Henry the Fifth to the invasion of France, with a retinue of sixty persons, and was present at the battle of Agincourt*, after which, the King pledged to him certain gold cups for the payment of his wages. Het was also Steward of the lordship of Kirketon Soken, in the county of Lincoln; and the King granted him all the lands and tenements which belonged to William de Bowes§, within the city and suburbs of York, of the yearly value of ten marks, which had been in the possession of Ralph Delve, attainted. He held also the following offices of trust and importance,―ambassador to treat with the Duke of Burgundy, upon secret affairs concerning our Lord the King and the good of his whole realm, for which service he received as his wages £40; Commissioner to treat for a personal interview or convention between the King and John Duke of Burgundy; and he was ap+ pointed to treat of all matters which had been declared by Hertonk Van Clux, on behalf of the King of the Romans. He was one of the persons empowered to grant letters of protection to the French ambassador coming to Calais to treat for peace**. John Waterton was Comptroller to the Royal Household in the reigns of Henry the Fifth and Sixth, and died in the 9th

year

* History of the Battle of Agincourt, by Sir Harris Nicholas.

+ Rot. Normaniæ.

Issue Rolls of the Exchequer.
Gascon Rolls.

Cal. Rot. Pat.

Rot. Franc.

**Rot. Norm.

year of that reign. He married Eleanor, daughter of John Lord Clifford, and had issue only Eleanor, a daughter, who married Sir John Bapthorpe. During the reign of Henry the Seventh I have not been able to trace the members of this family, as taking a prominent part in public affairs; but in the reign of Henry the Eighth, we find that the office of Master of the King's Horse was still held by a Sir Robert Waterton: for, on his refusing to acknowledge the supremacy, that tyrant wrote to him the following laconic letter, "Waterton, I will take thy estate, but I will save thy life. HENRY REX,” a threat which was immediately executed.

After this time, the family continuing firm in their attachment to the See of Rome, were not employed in any office of trust or emolument, except during the reign of Philip and Mary, when Thomas Waterton was High Sheriff for the county of Lincoln and for the county of York, and one of her Majesty's honourable Council established in the north parts. They suf fered severely under the Stuart family, from penalties and fines. Like many other Catholics, however, during the great rebellion, this family continued loyal to the Crown; and Robert Waterton was killed in the battle of Marston Moor, and brought in a sack to be buried at Methley. Shortly after which, that active servant of the devil, Oliver Cromwell, sat down before Walton Hall, with a small force, and with his own hand fired a musket* at the widow, as she indignanly shut the gates in his face. He remained six days, destroyed the draw-bridge, drove off the horses; but the place was so strong and well defended that he was obliged to retire without having reduced it.

On the Pretender's expedition, in 1745, Waterton took arms, and for the better security of the remaining part of his estate, he deposited, before he set

out,

*This bullet is still in the massive oak door in the gateway, which part of the ancient fortifications are still preserved. The besieged had a swivel which carried an iron ball; during the attack, a man from Oliver's band, was seen to go up a path through an adjoining wood to the village, with an empty keg on his shoulder, to be filled with ale; one of the defenders conjecturing that he would return by the same rout, levelled the swivel with such an accurate aim that, as soon as the man reached the spot, he fired, and hit him, and broke his leg. Tradition from father to son did not fail to point out the spot where the ball entered the ground. The father of the present Charles Waterton dug for it, and found it, and it is now preserved in the Museum at Walton Hall.

out, some portion of his title-deeds with a neighbour. After the defeat of Prince Charles, at Culloden, he was sent prisoner to York, his house was ransacked, all his arms taken away, and he was compelled to send his valuable horses to Wakefield, to be kept there at his own expense, during the pleasure of Government, and was sentenced to pay double taxes. Owing to these troubles, the deeds were never returned, and the loss to the family was irreparable.

This ancient and honourable family can boast of ten belted knights, and has furnished three ambassadors to the court of France. They have also, as is evident from this brief sketch of their history, held many offices of great trust and importance under the Crown. While we regret that the country should, under any circumstances, have been deprived of their services, we cannot but admire the fervour and sincerity of that piety which has led them to make such sacrifices, and to endure such losses and privations, for the sake of their religion. Nor is it easy to conjecture by what other motives they could have been actuated. Many families complied with all the changes in ecclesiastical affairs, made by Henry the Eighth and during the reign of his son Edward the Sixth, enriched themselves out of the spoils of the Religious Houses, and afterwards, in the reign of Queen Mary, were reconciled to the Roman Catholic Church. No such stain, however, can be cast on this ho. nourable house, whose members have always been

“Bold and true,

Who fraud and falsehood never knew."

GARTHORPE,

GERLETHORPE, or GERULESTORP, which is the last place I have to describe, was formerly a market town, which, as we are informed by the Calendarium Inquis. ad quod dammum, was transferred, through the influence of

the

NORMAN DE NORMANBI

Elizabeth. Reiner Thomas de Waterton, dead 1316.

Agnes, of Stamford Bridge, living 23 Edward III.

Blanche, wife of Robert Challons.

Elizabeth, wife of John ap Harry.

Eleanor, married Sir John Bapthorpe.