Instead of this Pedigree being founded on original and well-attested documents, as Chatterton affirmed, I have no hesitation in expressing an opinion that the whole is a fabrication, and that from the following considerations. In the first place Chatterton commences the work with an erroneous assertion, No such person as "Simon de Leyncte Lyze, alias Senliz," came to England with William the Conqueror, as appears from an examination of the list of Names, still extant. And in affirming that this Senliz was created Earl of Northampton, by William, after the execution of the former Earl of that name, it is contrary to express and acknowledged fact. Nor are the authorities which Chatterton cites in support of his assertions entitled to greater credit. We have heard of Oral traditions, but Oral Deeds, Writings and Tournament Rolls, are a new and inadmissible species of evidence. And although with many Readers the authority of Rowley may still be deemed legitimate, yet the Records of MARCH and GARTER, So often referred to, are absolute non-entities; these titles being applied to officers only in different departments of Heraldry, and not to particular Writings. There are two Lancashire families of the name of Chatterton, but neither of them is entitled to arms, resembling in any respect that ascribed to "RADCLIFF DE CHATTERTON." (A most significant and appropriate Name!) The first being, Gules, a Cross Potent Cross'd, Or, and the second, Argent, a Cheveron, Gules, between three Tent Hooks. With respect to the Authorities which Chatterton gives for his Emblazonments, they will be found to consist merely of a number of names, well known in Heraldry, as might be supposed, without any particular reference, amongst which frequently appear, March! Garter! and Rowley! In order to ascertain, in a general way, what portion of Truth was contained in the Pedigree of De Burgham, I have examined several of the works referred to in the margin of the MS. and find, except in one instance, the information pretended to be derived from them wholly unfounded. This one exception refers to Sir William Moleneux, who is mentioned at nearly the end of the Manuscript as having died at Canterbury, on his return from the wars in Spain, in the Year 1372, and at which place he was buried with a latin Inscription. This information and inscription are accurately taken from WEAVER'S FUNERAL MONUMENTS, page 234, and to which Chatterton directs the Reader. But there is collateral evidence that Chatterton was acquainted with this Work, as he refers to it in his account of the Christmas Games. Several Epitaphs and Paragraphs in old French and Latin will appear in different parts of the following Pedigree; but it should be remarked that Chatterton did not understand what he had thus written, as he uniformly applied for an explanation to Barrett, the Historian of Bristol; and the translations which are given, are accurately printed from Barrett's hand-writing, which invariably follows the Latin and French in the original MS. The ingenuity which Chatterton discovered in adopting and applying quotations from languages which he did not understand, will be very observable, and shew that he not only possessed no ordinary share of perseverance, but a power of assembling the plausible, and it may be added, a love, a very PASSION for imposing on the credulity of others. Remarks by Mr, Cottle. Account of the De Bergham Family. PRINTED, WITH RESPECT TO THE REFERENCES, IN THE EXTRA FORM IN WHICH CHATTERTON WROTE IT. + Roll of 7th in Stem: 'SIMON de Leyncte Lyze, alias Senliz, married | Heylin Newbery Matilda, Daughter of Waltheof,* Earl of Northum- Creeche. berland, Northampton and Huntingdont. He came Battle into England, with Wm. the Conqueror ‡, who after Abbey, the execution of Waltheof, for high Treason, created order. him Earl of Northampton in the year of Christ, M. Par. M.LXXV: by Deed by him granted, it appears he was possessed of Burgham Castle, in Northumberland. He had three Sons, Simon, Nigell de Lea,§§ Ex who married Hawisia de Asheton, by whom he had fam: de a Son, Normannus, Father of Nigelle de Asheton,5 Lee. Knight, who married || Hester de Haroldstan Com: Pem whose Son, Harrie de Orme,* married" Sywarda de Castleton, from whom descended Sir Thomas de Ashton,† Knight Lord of Ashton, whose successor was, Sir Robert de Asheton, his Son and Heir, a Person of great note: for he was Vice-Chamberlain to Edward 3d, and by that title was in Commission with others, for obtaining a Peace with Charles, King of France. He resided in the West, was Warden of the Cinque Ports, and Admiral of the narrow Seas, also Justice of Ireland in 43 of Ed. 3d, and constituted Treasurer of England in 47 : 1 Per Pale indented, Or and Gules. 2 Argent a Lyon Rampt: Azure: a Chief Gules. 3 Bendy Or and Azure, a Pale Counter-changed. 4 A Cheveron between three Gauntletts. 5 Sable on Fess Argent, an Estoile Gules. 6 4th, 1st. Or a Chief indented Azure. 2d. Argent a Lyon Rampt: Gules debrused with a frette parted per Pale, Or a Sable, 3dly. Lozengis Argent and Gules; 4thly. Barrie Bendy Or and Sable. 7 Or a Fess Vert. 8 (Omitted in the MS. || Ex Stemma fam. Sir Johan de Lereches. * Mss. R. Thoresby, F.R.S. + Collins, Ashmole's order of the Garter Page 669. Collins Thoresby. Reigat Mar. 1460 * MonAngl. Vol. 1. + Visit de Cant. Records. Ed. 3d, about which time being in that office, he was appointed.* with John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, King of Castile, and Leon. Sir Roger de Beaucamp and others of the greatest quality. Granteest in Trust of divers manors, rents, and reversions purchased in Kent by the King, to enfeoff therewith the Abbey of St. Mary le Grace, near the Tower of London. He was afterwards constituted Thoresby Constable of Dover Castle, and was in such esteem and favour with that King, that he appointed him one of the Ex:ors of his last Will and Testament. He was continued in favour in the succeeding Reign, and in the 4th of Richard 2d, was warden of the Cotton's Cinque Ports. He died the Sth Richard the 2d. His Son Thomas de Asheton, Father of John Asheton, being then a Knight, served in Parliament 12th Richard 2d. as one of the Knights for Lanca$ Pryme shire. This Sir John was drowned at Norham, Register. leaving Issue by his Lady, the Daughter of Sir Robert Standish, of Standish, two Sons, 1st, John, and Nicholas, Knight of 10St John of Jerusalem in Rowley's Bristol.* John de Asheton, the eldest Son, succeeded to the Lordship of Ashton, and at the CoroNom: Mil: nation of Henry 4th, was made Knight of the Bath,+ served in Parliament, 12 and 13 Henry 4, 1 and 2 Henry 5, for the County of Landcaster, and was made Captain and Bailiff of Constance in France as a reward for his services, as appears by several Ex. Her: deeds, and the following extracts from the TournaGarter: Ap ment Books of Qauraster Heralde. "Syr: R: de: Shellie " agenst Syr T: de Ashtoune: the which Brief MSS. † Collins in Coll: Thos. Tekyll. Bochor. 9 9 Ermine a Pile Sable. 10 Per Cheveron in Chief three Estoils in Base a Lyon Rampant, t: w. 11 Or Semie de Shells Sable. Syr Johan dyd possesse ande houlde Constaunce Hic jacet Ossa, Dom: Isabeilae Ex Org Penos 7 + Thoresby. • Collins. Ex. 2 By which it appears she had been the Wife of Alan de Mirfield (18) Knight. Her 4 Sons and eight Daugh: by Sir John Asheton, were these, Viz: 1. LUCIA, married 1st. to (14) Sir Richard Byron, 2d. to Sir Bartin Entwiste,(15) and 3d. to Sir Ralph Shirley,(16) Knights. 2 MARY, Wife Halstead's of (17) Thomas Langley; 3d. CATHARINE, of (18) John Duckenfield Esqrs: 4th. ELIZABETH, 1st. of (19) Sir Ralph Harrington, 2d. of (20) Sir Richard de Hammerton, Knights. ANN, of (22) Thomas Birch. MARGARET, of Edmund Talbot:(2) JOAN, of Ranulphe de Dutton and JANE, (12) Argent Seven Lozenges Varye 3.3.1. (13) Argent three Cat-a-Mountains Passant. (14) Parted per Bend sinister Crenselled Or and Sable. (15) 6thly. 1st. Or Six Lyoncells Rampant Gules. 2d. Or three Eagles heads erased Sable beaked Gules. 3d. Gules. 4th. Sable a Sheveron Or. Trefoil slipped proper for Difference. 5th. Girronny of 8 Argent and Gules. 6th. as 1st. (16) Or two bars Sable. (17) Argent on a Fess Gules three GreyHounds courant of the field. (18) Azure a Buck Trippant Argent wreathed Vert attired Or. (19) Sable a Frett Or. (20) Vert three Garbs Or. (22) Argent a Cross reguled Sable. (23) Sable three Talbots Or. Geneal: Ex Coll: Ex Coll: Ex etemua familia Thoresby. of John Rochley, of Rochley in Com: Ebor: Esqrs. The Sons were 1st. THOMAS, 2d. (*)RoBERT, 3d. (*)LAURENCE, and 4th. (28) JOHN; whereof Thomas de Asheton, the Eldest succeeded to the Inheritance, and with (29) Sir Edmund de Trafford, Knight, had a Patent from Hen: 9 in the 24th year of his Reign, for the use of Alchymy and converting other metals. Nom: Cotton: Dugdale's Cotton wids: March Garter 1460. Per Artem sive Scientiam Philosophiæ operari E E: Metalla imperfecta de suo proprio genere, transferre and tuno ea per dictum Artem sive scientiam in aurum sive argentum perfectum transubstantiare ad omnimodas probationes and examinationes, sicut aliquod Aurum sive Argentum in aliqua minera crescens expectandum and indurandum. This THOMAS left issue four Sons. 1st. John. 2d. (1) Edward Ashton, of Chatterton in Com: Lanc: in the right of his Wife, the Daughter and Heir of (2) RADCLIFF DE CHATTERTON of Chat By the Art and Science of Philosophy &c. to transmute Metals Imperfect out of their proper kind, and then to transmute them into Gold perfect or Silver, according to all kinds of proofs and examinations, so that some Gold or Silver, growing into some Metal, be expected and harden'd by it. (24) Or a Chevor between three Gadflies. (25) Azure seven rows three, two, two proper of York. (26) Argent an Estoile Sable. (27) A Rose slipped for difference. (28) A Flour de Lye for difference. (29) Gules three Cheverons Or (1) Argent three Estoiles Sable. (2) 12thly. 1st. Or a Fess Vert. 2d. Gules two bends one Or the other Argent 3d. Or a Pheon Azure 4th. Ermine a Lyon Rampt: Gules 5th. Or a Pale Gules. 6th. Argent a Cross varey Sable and Or. 7th. Argent two bars Argent a border Engrailed Sable, 8th. Gules, a Saltier Argent, 9th. Barry of 6 Argent and Azure. 10th. Or three Lyons passant Sable, 11th. Gules a Fess Checky Or & Az. 12, Or an Annulet 9.6.7. difference. *This and the succeeding translations are in Barrett's hand-writing in the MS. |