376 A Letter to Cromwell concerning the Surrender of Lacock Abbey. 



person as the subsequent grantee of the site, etc. This seems to 

 show that he had already fixed upon Lacock as a desirable place 

 of residence, though it was not formally granted to him till July 

 26th, 1540. As Sharington came of a Norfolk family, and had, so 

 far as we know, no interest in the county of Wilts before, the 

 question presents itself, what drew his attention specially to 

 Lacock ? and a possible answer may be the following : Sharington 

 was at this time married to his second wife Elyanor, daughter of 

 William Walsingham. This lady's first cousin, Eleanor, daughter 

 of Sir Edmund Walsingham, William's brother,was the second wife 

 of Edward Baynard, of Lack ham ; may we suppose that during some 

 visit to that place, knowing as he must have done, that all religious 

 houses were doomed to suppression, Sharington chose Lacock as his 

 share of the spoil, and prevailed on Cromwell to give him the 

 administration of the house, until such time as a more formal 

 grant should be issued ? 



W. G. Clark-Maxwell. 



Letters and Papers, Henry VIII., vol. xiv., part i., No. 100. 



A letter addressed : — 



" To the Right Honorable 

 and his most singla r good 

 lorde and Maister my lord 

 pryvey seall 



" My most bownden duetye remembryd it may please yo 1 lordyshipp to bee 

 aduertised thatt sens the departing of m r smyth m r Tregonwell and I haue 

 receyvyd the Surrenda r of the monasterye of Lacok the demaynes 

 wherof war all leassyd vnder covent seall befor o r comyng And nothing of 

 the same remayning in ther hande att this tyme wee hadd nott examyned 

 the maner of grawnting the same whiche according to yo 1 lordyshippe 

 commawndment wee wyll exarayfi befor o r departing, and after leave the 

 possession of the howse w l m r Sharington accordinge to yo r pleasure. Jn all 

 other thinge wee shall endevo r to accomplish^ theffecte of yo r lordyshippe 

 Ires send vn to vs according to o r most bownden duetyes as knoweth God 

 who have yo r lordyshipp in his most blessyd keping ffrom Lacok the 



xx th of Januarye 



" Yo r lordyshippe most bounden 

 " beadyman and s r uant 



" (S d ) William Petre." 



[ Endorsed'] " Docto r Peter." 



\In another hand~\ " shewinge the s r render of Lacok Abbaye." 



