284 Charles, Lord Stourton, 8fC. 



Wm. Lord Stourton's first lawful wife, Elizabeth Dudley, having 

 therefore not been disposed of by death, had she been divorced ? 

 That she may have lived separate from her husband is, under the 

 circumstances, not improbable, but of any actual divorce we have 

 at present no information. There had certainly been none down to 

 1544, four years before "Wm. Lord Stourton's death, for in that 

 year a License was granted by the Crown to him and the Lady 

 Elizabeth his wife to alienate to "W". Hartgill some messuages, &c., 

 in Hardington Mandeville.^ She is also still called by himself 

 " his wife " in the first letter to Hartgill from Newhaven (Havre) 

 in France (Doc. No. 18. p. 276), in which he "is not contented that 

 his wyfie dothe goo so far abrode."^ 



Under all these circumstances it is difficult to understand how 

 Agnes Ryce could have been the lawful second wife of William 

 Lord Stourton. 



Agnes Ryce, having been present with Charles Stourton's father 

 at the time of his death, kept possession of the jewels, plate, &c., 

 then in the house. Charles Stourton brought an action against 

 her, on the following charge.' 



(No. 21.) Hilary Term, 4 Edw. VI., (January 1550.) 



Charles Stourton Knt., Lord Stourton Administrator of all the goods, &o. of 

 William Stourton deceased who died intestate, complains against Agnes Ryce in 

 custody of the King's Marshal, that on the 28th October 1548 she took and 

 carried away by force the goods and chattels which belonged to the said William 

 Stourton at the time of his death, viz : three gold rings set with diamonds, one 

 set with an emerald : another called a "Hoop," five others called " Gymmewes," • 

 a gold brooch, one pair of napkins, a black cloak, two saddles, a " trapper " of 

 black velvet, two reins, two short cloaks of sable skins, two daggers hafted and 

 bound with gold and silver, two belts garnished with silver and gold, a silver 

 basin parcel gilt, a silver ewer parcel gilt, all of the value of £40 : and £100 

 in money ; all belonging to the aforesaid William Lord Stourton at the time of 

 his death, at Lambeth co. Surrey ; and committed other damages against the 



1 Pat. 36 Henry Till. 



''By the phrase "so far abrode" is merely meant not that she went out of 

 England, but was in the habit of paying visits at some distance from Kilmington 

 where she appears to have been left under Hartgill's charge. 



^Abstracted from the Latin. Coram Rege Rolls, Hilary Term, 4 Edw. VI. 

 Rot. cij. dorso. 



* Gimmal rings : some say, from Oemelli, twins : a kind of jointed or double ring used as a 

 betrotliing token. 



