1913.] SIR EDMUND, HIS SON. 55 



office, New York had increased in size, population and trade, 

 " and the colony improved beyond any of our neighbours. I 

 do find all the imputations upon myself to be totally 

 untrue." W 



He evidently succeeded in convincing the King of his 

 innocence for he was made a gentleman of the King's Privy 

 Chamber forthwith. 



On Sir George Carteret's death in 1679 the Island of 

 Alderney came into the Market, and in 1693 Sir Edmund 

 Andros and Dame Mary his wife bought the remainder of the 

 lease from his widow and heirs, and immediately volunteered 

 to surrender their rights to the Crown. Not to be outdone in 

 generosity, Charles II. issued a fresh Patent, dated April 

 28th 1683, granting Alderney to Sir Edmund and his heirs 

 for the period of ninety-nine years for the purely nominal 

 rent of thirteen shillings per annum. (2) 



On May 31st, 1684, Sir Edmund appointed Thomas Le 

 Mesurier, of Guernsey, to be his Lieut.-Governor of Alderney. 

 This Thomas had married Rachel de Sausmarez, daughter and 

 heiress of Dean de Sausmarez. Their son, John Le Mesurier, 

 married Anne Andros, sister and eventual heiress of the 

 George Andros to wdiom Sir Edmund bequeathed his island 

 of Alderney. It was in this way that the Le Mesuriers 

 became hereditary Governors of Alderney. 



Meanwhile Philip de Carteret had also died and certain 

 of Sir George's lands in America had been bought in Feb., 

 1682, by William Penn and eleven Quaker associates for 

 £3,400, and incorporated in the province of Pennsylvania. 



Sir Edmund was still in England and had again taken up 

 his abode with his friend, Lord Craven, in Drury Lane. He 

 was there on Feb. 6th, 1684, when reckless, witty, pleasure- 

 loving King Charles was " such an unconscionable time in 

 dying,'' and it was there that the States of Guernsey wrote to 

 him on the 27th of the month announcing that Charles's 

 brother and heir James II. had been proclaimed in the Island 

 " a l'audience de la Cour et par les Carrefours de la ville." 

 They added that they were enclosing a loyal address to the 

 new King which they requested him as their Bailiff to present 

 to his Majesty, incidentally remarking " Et de nous procurer 

 d'Elle en cette occasion tout l'avantage que vous pourrez." (3) 



But James's position as King was somewhat unstable ; 

 the Duke of Monmouth, Charles II. 's illegitimate son, even 

 in his father's lifetime had conspired against the throne and 



(1) Guille MSS. 



(2) Clarke's Guernsey Magazine, July, 1888. 



(3) Guille MSS. 



