PROCEEDINGS FOR COMPOUNDING. 135 



John Gell Baronet, Sir John Coke Knight, Francis Revell, 

 Nathaniel Hallowes, and James Abney Esquires." 



Additional ordinances were voted from time to time, making 

 special regulations and changes with regard to delinquents' 

 estates in different counties, and certain general details were 

 altered at a later date with regard to compounding ; but, never- 

 theless, the ordinance of April ist, 1643, remained the basis of 

 the process of sequestration throughout the Commonwealth. 



HARPUR OF SWARKESTON. 



The founder of the once influential and wealthy Derbyshire 

 family of Harpur was Richard Harpur, son of a younger son 

 of the Harpurs of Rushall, Staffordshire. He married Jane, 

 daughter and heiress of Sir George Findern, and hence obtained 

 the large properties of Swarkeston, Findern, etc. Richard 

 Harpur was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and died on 

 January 29th, 1573. Both his son and his grandson, Sir John 

 and Sir Richard, materially increased their wealth by their 

 marriages. The children of Sir Richard Harpur dying without 

 issue, the property devolved upon his next brother, Jolm, who 

 had married Dorothy, daughter and heiress of John Dethick, 

 of Breadsall. His only son became Sir John Harpur, Knt., 

 of Swarkeston and Breadsall. He married firstly, Catherine, 

 daughter and heiress of Henry Howard, third son of Thomas, 

 .Earl of Suffolk, by Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Thomas 

 Bassett of Blore ; and secondly, Frances, eldest daughter of 

 William Lord Willoughby of Parham. Sir John Harpur, of 

 Swarkeston, who was High Sheriff in 1636, was beyond doubt 

 the richest man of his times in the county of Derby. He strongly 

 backed the king's advisers in the matter of the disastrous ship 

 money. The fourth ship-writ reached the county during his 

 shrievaltry, so that Sir John was responsible for its collection. 

 On February 27th, 1636-7, he forwarded the following letter^ 

 with a plan of assessment, to the lords of the Council : — 



