SIR BERNARD BROCAS, FIRST HEREDITARY MASTER. \) 



previously described, he was appointed by Edward III. to the 

 office of Master of the Royal Buckhounds, About this time 

 Sir Bernard Brocas acquired the manor of Little Weldon, 

 Northamptonshire, which had been held of the Crown, from 

 the earliest times, as a sporting sergeanty, under the following 

 circumstances : — 



There is no doubt that some portion of the Manor of Little 

 Weldon, Northamptonshire, was held by the tenure of keeping 

 the King's Buckhounds prior to this illustrious monarch's reign. 

 Here, however, we must distinguish the difference between 

 the tenure of Keeping these hounds and Mastership of the 

 pack. Prior to the 36th year of the reign of Edward III. 

 (a.d, 1362) we cannot find any authentic mention of the Master 

 of the Royal Buckhounds in any of the various official deeds 

 relating to the custody of the pack appertaining to the holders 

 of the Manor of Little Weldon, This essential distinction 

 appears to have been overlooked by Professor Montagu Bur- 

 rowes in his very interesting history of " The Family of Brocas 

 of Beaurepaire and Roche Court, Hereditary Masters of the 

 Royal Buckhounds." In that volume (p. 26.4) the gallant and 

 erudite author gives the following "List of the Hereditary 

 Masters of the Royal Buckhounds by tenure in capite of 

 Hunter's Manor, in Little Weldon, Northamptonshire : — 



" 1. [?] Osborne Lovel, Chamberlain to Henry II. 



" 2. []] William Lovel. 



"3. Hamon le Venour, by grant from Henry III. in 1216. 



(?) Resumed and regranted to Lovel. 

 " 4. William Lovel. 

 "5. John Lovel, ob. 1316. 



" 6. Thomas de Borhunte, ob. \Z^O,jure Margaret Lovel. 

 " 7. William Danvers, oh. jure Margaret Lovel. 

 " 8. Sir Bernard Brocas (1363), ob. 1395, jwre Mary de Borhunte." 



Now, with reference to the first seven individuals mentioned 

 in the above list, as having been Hereditary Masters of the 

 Royal Buckhounds, we are unable to accept them in that 

 capacity. We can find no confirmation or allusion to any of 



