206 



Wulfhall and the Seymours. 



No. XXV. 



Letter from Mr. T. Gape, her steward, to Frances (Devereux) Duchess 

 of Somerset, widow of William Seymour, Marquis ot Hertford 

 and Duke of Somerset, about the funeral of her grandson, William, 

 third Duke of Somerset, at Bedwyn. Christmas, 1671. See p. 163. 



E.* 



"May it please your Grace 



We came safe with the Hearse to Reading the first night, having Col. Cooke's 

 mourning Coach and himselfe, Sir John Elwes [Nephew to the Lady Seymour]f 

 Mr. Wingfield the Herauld & myself therin, drawne by my Lord Marquesse of 

 Worcester's % 6 Horses, having in all about 8 or 10 Horsemen attending the 

 Hearse and Coach, we bayted not, nor so much as dranke by the way. The 

 next morning betwene 5 and 6 we sett forth from Reading towards Hungerford, 

 and came thither about 1 at noone, where the gentry of the countrey, viz. Sir 

 Francis Popham with his coach in mourning and sixe horses, & a Gentleman of 

 his kindred with him (but Sir Francis was in a light greyish suite) Sir John 

 Elwes of Barton, Mr. Giles Hungerford, Mr. Pleydall of Mugehill, Mr. Geoffrey 

 Daniell, Mr. Goddard, Mr. Deane, Mr. Hungerford of Chisbury, and many 

 others of lesser note, together with many of his late Grace's servants, tenants, 

 farmers, Bayliffs, & some others. After dinner we removed towards Bedwyn 

 and came thither about 3 in the afternoone, and drove into the Church-yard ; 

 the Coffin was covered with blacke velvett and a silver plate nayled on it, having 

 an inscription in a plate of silver with his Grace's Titles of honor, a black velvett 

 Cushion with a Ducal Coronett thereon. The Corps being taken out of the 

 Hearse was carried by some of his Grace's servants ; Sir Francis Popham, the 

 two Sir John Elwes, Mr. Daniell, Mr. Giles Hungerford and Mr. Pleydall bearing 

 up the Pall at the 4 corners and the middle part. The Chauncell was hung 

 round with blacke Bayes, having Escutcheons with his Grace's Coat-Armes 

 pinned thereon. Mr. Charlett, Parson of Collingbourne Duois performed the 

 Funerall service, in the middle of which after the Corps was lett down into the 

 grave, the Herauld rehearsed his Grace's Titles of Honour and Dignity. Col: 

 Cooke was the chiefe mourner. There was much rudenesse of the common 

 people, amongst whom none suffered that I hear of, but my selfe, I having above 

 a yard of the cloth of my long Black Cloake cutt or rent off in the crowd at my 

 going into the Church. I lay that night at the great House at Bedwin, being 

 now in the possession of S r John Elwes of Barton [who married the widow of 

 Mr. Duke Stonehouse]. Col : Cooke, S r John Elwes the younger, the Herauld, 

 Mr. Thomas (who came into our company at Hungerford), the late Duke's & the 

 Lord Marquess's Servants went that night to Marlborough: of whome I can give 

 your Grace noe further information, save what I heare from Mr. Clotterbocke 

 (who went with them thither) that Mr. Thomas hath displaced the Woodward 

 of Collingbourne Woods, and putt his younger brother Alexander Thomas (who 

 had runne out of his whole Estate, and left the Countrey for debt) into his place. 



* E. for " Emanuel " (see above page 195). 



+ The Lady Seymour alluded to was Elizabeth, daughter of William Lord Allington, wife of 

 Charles Lord Seymour, of Trowbridge. 



t Mary Capel, the mother of the deceased William Third Duke, had remarried Henry, Marquis of 

 Worcester, afterwards first Duke of Beaufort, 



