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home of the M.P. Sir William and his three brothers — Colonel Sir James Croft, 

 Herbert Croft (Dean and Bishop of Hereford), and Colonel Robert Croft, of 

 Yarpole — were aU conspicuous for their loyalty to Charles I. and no family made 

 greater sacrifices for the King than the house of Croft. Although Sir William 

 had been temporarily banished from Court at the Duke of Buckingham's instance, 

 yet it was only to be expected that the head of this fa?nily would be a strong 

 loyalist, judging from what the Crofts had done for the Royal family in earlier 

 times. In the thirteenth century his ancestor. Sir Roger de Croft, met Prince 

 Edward on the top of Dinmore-hill with a re-mount, a white horse, after his escape 

 from Hereford, and took him through Leominster amid great rejoicings to Croft 

 Castle, where he had the honour of entertaining Prince Edward for the night ; 

 and next day he accompanied the Prince to Wigmore Castle, and eventually Sir 

 RogBr de Croft, together with the Mortimers, took part in the battle of Evesham 

 and defeat of Simon de Montfort and the Barons. Edward I. was not ungrateful, 

 for, after his accession, he appointed Sir Roger de Croft Sub-Escheator of the 

 county of Hereford in 1274, and a lion was added in the first quarter to the arms 

 of the family, which had been up to that time a simple shield — quarterly per fess 

 indented azure and argent. Again, in the Wars of the Roses another ancestor, 

 Sir Richard Croft, was one of the most celebrated soldiers of his time, and was 

 present on the side of the house of York at the battle of Mortimer's Cross on 

 Candlemas Day, 2nd February, 1 461, and also at the battle of Tewkesbury on 4th 

 May, 1471, where Sir Richard took Prince Edward, son of Henry VI., prisoner 

 and brought him before Edward IV. — in pursuance of that king's merciful 

 proclamation— when the young prince was barbarously murdered, notwith- 

 standing the assurance to Sir Richard Croft that his life should be preserved. 

 After the battle of Stoke, 16th June, 1487, and defeat of Lambert Simnel, Sir 

 Richard was made a Knight Banneret by King Henry VIL, and he is said to have 

 been created a Knight of the Bath on the Coronation of Elizabeth of York, Queen 

 of Henry VII., which is not unlikely, as the Crofts were staunch adherents of the 

 White Rose. Sir Richard was made by Edward IV. General Receiver of the 

 Earldom of March in counties Hereford and Salop, and was also Treasurer to the 

 household of Henry VII. and to Prince Arthur at Ludlow. To return to the 

 immediate subject of this notice, viz.. Sir William Croft. He was born in 1593, 

 and was Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Charles I., but, having evinced 

 his dislike to the Duke of Buckingham, he was suspended from his oflBce for three 

 years, and on the murder of that favourite in 1628, Sir William was banished from 

 the Court and dismissed from his post. This treatment did not destroy his 

 attachment to his Royal master (Charles I.), in whose army he held the rank of 

 colonel, and Sir William particularly distinguished himself at the battle of 

 Edgehill. Lloyd describes Sir William as "a man of very great ability," and 

 states that ' ' when King Charles I. saw him put on his armour at Edgehill he 

 admired it first, and afterwards was very glad of it. ' Sir William Croft being 

 (said King Charles) the only man in England he feared — being looked upon as able 

 enough to be Secretary of State always, and as the fittest man at that time, being 

 a man inured to great observation and constant business from his childhood.' " 



