Jan. 8. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



41 



May I ask you or some of your readers to give 

 me an interpretation of the inscriptions ? 



G. T. H. 



Hallett and Br. Saxby. — In the Literary 

 Journal, July, 1803, p. 257., in an article on "The 

 Abuses of the Press," it is stated : 



" Hallett, to vex Dr. Saxby, published some dis- 

 graceful verses, entitled ' An Ode to Virtue, by Doctor 

 Morris Saxby ; ' but the Doctor on the day after the 

 publication obliged the bookseller to give up the 

 author, on whom he inflicted severe personal chastise- 

 ment, and by threats of action and indictment obliged 

 both author and bookseller to make affidavit before the 

 Lord Mayor that they had destroyed every copy in 

 their possession, and would endeavour to recover and 

 destroy the eight that were sold." 



Can any of your readers throw a further light 

 upon this summary proceeding, as to the time, the 

 book, or the parties ? S. K. 



Rugby. 



3R0j>ItE^. 



DESCENT OF THE QUEEN FROM JOHN OF GAUNT. 

 (Vol. vi., p. 432.) 



I have in my possession a pedigree, compiled 

 from original sources, which will, I believe, fully 

 support your correspondent's opinion that the year 

 usually assigned for the death of Joan Beaufort's 

 first husband (1410) is inaccurate. Two entries 

 on the Patent Rolls respectively of the 21st and 

 22d Richard II., as cited in the pedigree, prove 

 that event to have taken place before Lord Neville 

 of Raby's creation as Earl of Westmoreland ; and 

 I am inclined to think that his creation was rather 

 a consequence of his exalted alliance than, as the 

 later and falsely assigned date would lead one to 

 infer, that his creation preceded his marriage by 

 twelve or thirteen years. 



Robert Ferrers son and heir of Robert, first 

 Lord Ferrers of Wemme (second son of Robert, 

 third Baron Ferrers of Chartley), and of Elizabeth, 

 daughter and heiress of William Boteler of 

 Wemme, was born circa 1372, being eight years 

 old at his father's death in 1380 (Esc, 4 Ric. II., 

 No. 25.). He married Joan Beaufort, only daugh- 

 ter of John Duke of Lancaster by Catharine 

 Swynford, who became the duke's third wife, 13th 

 January, 1396 ; their issue before marriage having 

 been made legitimate by a patent read in parlia- 

 ment, and dated 9th February, 1397 (Pat, 20 

 Ric. II. p. 2. m. 6.). It might almost be inferred 

 from the description given to Joan, Lady Ferrers, 

 in the patent of legitimation, "dilectse nobis no- 

 bili muliei'i JoJiannce Beauford, domicellee," that 

 her first husband was not then living. We find, 

 however, that she had certainly become the wife 

 of the Lord Neville before the 16th of February 



following, and that Lord Ferrers was then dead 

 (Jokanne qui fuist femme de Monsieur Robert 

 Ferrers que Dieu assoile) : Pat, 21 Ric. II. p. 2. 

 m. 22. ; Pat, 22 Ric. II. p. 3. m. 23. The Lord 

 Ferrers left by her only two daughters, his co- 

 heirs, viz. Elizabeth, wife of John, sixth Baron 

 Greystock, and Mary, wife of Ralph Neville, a 

 younger son of Ralph, Lord Neville of Raby, by 

 his first wife Margaret Stafibrd. The mistake in 

 ascribing Lord Ferrers' death to the year 1410, 

 has probably arisen from that being the year ia 

 which his mother died, thus recorded in the pe- 

 digrees : "Robert Ferrers, s. & h. ob' vita matris," 

 who (i.e. the mother) died 1410 (Esc, 12 Hen. IV., 

 No. 21.). His widow remarried Ralph, Lord 

 Neville of Raby, fourth baron, who was created 

 Earl of Westmoreland, 29th September, 1397 % 



* There is amongst the Records of the Duchy of 

 Lancaster an interesting grant from John, Duke of 

 Lancaster, to his daughter Joan Beaufort, very soon 

 afler her marriage with Lord Neville of Raby. This 

 document, of which the following is a translation, proves 

 that Robert Ferrers died before 16th February, 1397. 



« John, son of the king of England, Duke of Guienne 

 and of Lancaster, Earl of Derby, of Lincoln, and of 

 Leicester, Steward of England, to all who these our 

 letters shall see or hear, greeting. Know ye that, of 

 our especial grace, and forasmuch as our very loved, 

 son, the Lord de Neville, and our very loved daughter, 

 Joan, his wife (sa compaigne), who was the wife 

 (femme) of Monsieur Robert Ferrers (whom God 

 assoyl), have surrendered into our Chancery, to be 

 cancelled, our other letters patent, whereby we formerly 

 did grant unto the said Monsieur Robert and our afore- 

 said daughter 400 marks a-year, to be received annually, 

 for the term of their two lives, out of the issues of our 

 lands and lordships of our honour of Pontefract, pay- 

 able, &c., as in our said other letters more fully it is 

 contained : we, willing that our abovesaid son, the 

 Lord de Neville, and our aforesaid daughter, his wife 

 (sa compaigne), shall have of us, for the term of their 

 two lives, 500 marks a-year, or other thing to the value 

 thereof, have granted by these presents to the same, our 

 son and daughter, all those our lordships, lands, and 

 tenements in Easingw;old and Huby, and our three 

 wapentakes of Hang, Hallikeld, and GUling, the which 

 Monsieur John Marmyon (whom God assoyl) held of 

 us in the county of ifork : to have and to hold our 

 abovesaid lordships, tenements, and wapentakes, with 

 their appurtenances, to our said son and daughter, for 

 the term of their two lives, and the life of the survivor 

 of them, in compensation for lOOZ. a-year, part of the 

 abovesaid 500 marks yearly. And also, we have 

 granted by these presents to the same, our son and 

 daughter, the manor of Lydell, with appurtenances, to 

 have and to hold for their lives, and the life of the sur- 

 vivor, in compensation for 40 marks a-year of the 

 abovesaid 500 marks yearly, during the wars or truces 

 between our lord the king and his adversary of Scot- 

 land : so, nevertheless, that if peace be made between 

 our same lord the king and his said adversary of Scot- 

 land, and on that account the said manor of Lydell, with 



