484 ^^Eo7/al Families" — Whence Came They? October, 



brouglit the king to tlie scaffold and establisted tlie commonwealtli 

 under his "Protectorate," Sir Edward Hyde was too prominent a 

 member of the royalist party to escape the vindictive enmity of the 

 "round-head" rulers, and was obliged to fly with his wife and fami- 

 ly, and resided on the continent some thirteen years, till the restor- 

 ation of the Royal House of Stuart, in the person of Charles II., 

 ■with whom Hyde had escaped to the continent. While abroad, he 

 was so much esteemed by the exiled Prince, afterwards Charles II., 

 that he was there appointed Lord High Chancellor of England, the 

 highest post an English subject can hold, and this appointment, thus 

 made, while abroad, was confirmed when the king was restored to his 

 throne. Some years afterwards, Hyde was elevated to the peerage, 

 first as a Baron, and subsequently as the Earl of Clarendon, a title 

 which he made familiar and famous in English history. 



Those events all passed while Lady Aylesbury still lived; and she 

 had now the gratification of seeing her only child Countess of Clar- 

 endon, and her grandchildren, born to her of that daughter, min- 

 gling as equals with England's highest nobility. 



But a position still more exalted awaited the descendants of the 

 poor friendless girl who had come barefooted to London in search 

 of service in a wagoner's van. Her granddaughter, Anna Hyde, 

 a young lady of rare accomplishments and beauty, had been appoint- 

 ed, while her family remained abroad, during Cromwell's protecto- 

 rate, one of the maids of honor to the Princess of Orange. While 

 in this position, she had so strongly attracted the affections of James, 

 Duke of York, and brother of Charles II., that he contracted a pri- 

 vate marriage with her. The birth of a child forced on a public an- 

 nouncement of this contract; and ere long. Lady Aylesbury saw her 

 granddaughter, Anna Hyde, openly received as the Duchess of York, 

 and sister-in-law of the king of England! 



Lady Aylesbury did not long survive this event; but before de- 

 scending to the grave she saw her lineal descendants heirs presump- 

 tive to the throne of the British Empire ! for king Charles, though 

 married, had no issue by that marriage ; and accordingly, his brother 

 James, Duke of York, and husband of Anna Hyde, and her children, 

 had the right and prospect of the succession. Charles died without 

 issue : his brother James succeeded him to the throne, but not in 

 the life time of Anna Hyde ; she died Duchess of York. She left 

 two daughters, Mary and Anne — great-granddaughters of Lady 

 Aylesbury. Of these, Mary married William, Prince of Orange, and 



