ON THE MANOR HOUSE OF SOUTH WINFIELD. 67 



that it is fair to assume that by that time the buildings were 

 definitely completed. The date of this fabric may, then, be 

 accurately placed between the years 1450 and 1460. John, the 

 second Earl of Shrewsbury, was slain at Northampton in 1460, 

 but the manor-house of Winfield was a favourite seat of his five 

 immediate successors. George, the fourth Earl, died here on 

 July 26th, 1 541, leaving his body to be buried in the church of 

 Sheffield. Two of his daughters by his first wife, Anne and 

 Dorothy, were born within the walls of this manor-house. 



George, the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury, is chiefly known in 

 history as the custodian for some sixteeen years of the unhappy 

 Mary Queen of Scots. She was first committed to his care in 

 January, 1569, at the Castle of Tutbury, and remained in his cus- 

 tody, chiefly at Sheffield Castle, until December, 1584. Through 

 his marriage with his second wife, the celebrated " Bess of 

 Hardwick," Chatsworth House also pertained to the Earl. There 

 the Queen was originally taken in May, 1569, and she was also 

 therein 1573, 1577, 1578, and 1581. But this Manor House was 

 where she first made acquaintance with Derbyshire, sleeping here 

 on the night of February 2nd, 1569, when being taken from 

 Sheffield to Tutbury. The Queen was brought back to Winfield 

 on April 20th of the same year, making a sojourn of about six 

 months' duration. 



Though Winfield Manor was a far superior place of confine- 

 ment to Tutbury Castle in every particular, the Queen had not 

 been here more than three weeks when she was taken alarmingly 

 ill. The Privy Council sent two physicians to visit her, who 

 reported adversely as to the cleanliness of the place. The Earl 

 of Shrewsbury retorted that " the very unpleasant and fulsome 

 savour in the next chamber hurtful to her health " was caused by 

 the " continual festering and uncleanly order of her own folke." 

 Shrewsbury, however, caused her to be removed to Chatsworth 

 for a few days, whilst her lodgings were being sweetened and the 

 sanitary arrangements improved. She returned on June 1st, but 

 in August was again so unwell that she desired change, in which 

 she was supported by her custodian alleging that the manor- 



