WIGMORE CASTLE, HEREFORDSHIRE. 255 



tinguished himself as to have an especial grant of arms, where his 

 valour and prowess are duly extolled.* 



He returned to England, and married Elizabeth, daughter of 

 Evan Lewis, of Llanvihanijel Nantmelan, and Gladestry, in the 

 county of Radnor, a young widow, that had lately lost her first 

 husband, John Gwyn, of Llanelwedd, in the same county. 



About the year 1582, the young Earl of Essex, being at his 

 father's seat, Lamfey Court, in the county of Pembroke, became 

 acquainted with Sir Gelly, and so strong a friendship sprung up 

 between them, as to render these kindred souls inseparable ever 

 after. In 1587 the earl appointed him to what was then considered 

 the first step towards nobility, one of his stewards, and he accord- 

 ingly assumed the gold chain.t This nobleman, in his ardour for 

 military renown, two years after fitted out some ships at his own 

 expense, and set sail with his brother, Walter d'Evreux, his stew- 

 ard. Captain Meyrick, Sir Roger Williams, Sir Philip Butler, and 

 Sir Edward Wingfield. They joined the expedition under Sir 

 John Norris and Sir Francis Drake. That distinguished soldier. 

 Sir Roger Williams, of Penrhos, Monmouthshire, thus speaks of 

 their valiant conduct. " The world doth know 5000 of our nation, 

 made guarde at the gates of Lisborne foure dayes, although there 

 were in the town 5000 Spaniards and 4000 Portugeses, carrying 

 armes. Besides, they were assured of all the burgesses, for they 

 had sent into Spaine, and kept in the cytadell their wives, children, 

 and chiefest goodes. Also, by reason of our armie staying in Gali- 

 tia, where 6000 of ours overthrewe 16000 of theirs, before we ar- 

 rived at Lisborne, they had twenty dales respit, to arm and put 

 themselves in order. But had our armie not touched at the Groine, 

 and sailed straight to Lisborne, as the Earle of Essex did, neither 

 soldier nor captaine can deny but the towne had been ours ; for it 

 was unmanned, without any good order, and when we arrived, had 

 our navie entred, we could have entred the towne, or the world 

 should have witnessed so manie Englishmen had been buried in 

 that place.":]: 



In 1591, when the queen despatched the Earl of Essex to France 



* See original grant in the State-Paper Office. The arms were gules, two 

 porcupines pass, arg., armed or ; crest, a hon's head couped arg., transfixed 

 with a broken lance, or. These bearings are quartered with the family arms 

 in his seal at Goodrick Court. The grant is dated 1583. 



f Wood's Athen Oxm., MS. letter of Earl of Essex to Richard Bagot, 

 Esq., dated 22 June, 1588, penes Lord Bagot. 



X Discourc of Warrc. 



