BLITHFIELD. 161 



which can still be traced, from Blithmoor to the Forge 

 farm, which latter no doubt takes its name from the works. 



Perhaps the most amusing incident in the Memorials, 

 from which these extracts are taken, is the furious letter, 

 dated February, 1589, from Lord Stafford, grandson of 

 the Duke of Buckingham, to Richard Bagot. In it he 

 falls foul of Mr. Bagot in no measured terms, while the 

 reply is both moderate, courteous, and convincing. 



Of this letter. Lord Bagot, the author of the 

 Memorials which, by-the-by, were written in 1823, says : — 



It certainly stands pre-eminent for insolence ; and for ignorance (if ignorance 

 could be supposed) most unbounded. For possessing as he did all the " faire 

 recordes " as well as the great Cartulary of Stafford deeds, and asserting that the 

 name of Bagot is nowhere to be found in them, is most wonderful ! INIy 

 surprise, however, has been lessened since the Stafford MSS. came into my 

 possession, for I find that the name of Hervey Bagot has in many, if not all, the 

 places in which it occurs been blotted out with a pen — doubtless by Edward, 

 Lord Stafford at this very time. I shall here introduce both Lord Stafford's 

 letter and Richard Bagot's answer to show the different characters of the men — 

 the violence and folly of the one compared with the quiet, composed, gentleman- 

 like firmness of the other. 



Like as the High Shreef of this Shyre told me that you pretend my name to be 

 Bagot and not Stafford, which untrew speeches you have said unto dyvers others, 

 although some dnmken, ignorant Herawld, by you corrupted, therein hath 

 soothed your lying. I do therefore answer you, that I do better know the 

 descents and matches of my own lyneage than any creature can inform me ; for 

 in all my records, pedigrees, and armes, from the first Lord Stafford that was 

 pocessed of this Castle, afore the Conquest, bearinge the very same coate that I 

 do now. The Feeld Gould, a chevron Gules. I cannot finde any Stafford hatli 

 married a Bagot, or they with him. I have faire recorde to prove that the lords 

 of my hows were never without heirs male to succede one after another, and 

 therefore your pretens, in alledginge that Bagot married an ancestor of mine (as 

 peradventure she married her servant), yet will I prove that neither she nor no 

 wydow of ray hows did take a second husband before they were grandmothers by 

 the children of their first husband ; and therefore the lady of my hows was too 

 old to have issue by yours. Besides this, we have been nyne discents Barons 

 and Earles of Stafford before any Bagot was known in this shire ; for Busse, 

 Bagot, and Green, were but rayzed by King Richard II. And to prove that you 

 were no better than vassals to my hows, my Stafford Knot remeyneth still in 

 your parlour ; as a hundred of my poor tennants have, in sundry shires of England, 

 and have ever held your lands of my hows, until thateynder of the Duke, my 

 grandfather. Surely I will not exchange my name of Stafford, for the name of a 

 " Bagge of Gates," for that is your name, " Bag-ote," Therefore you do me 

 a great wrong in this surmyse as you did with your writing to the Preevy 

 Counsaile to have countenanced that shame-fast Higoiis to charge me with 

 treason — whereof God and my trawtlie delivered me. 



Your neighbore I must be, 



Edward SxArFoiiD. 



VOL. I. M 



