284 



The Descent of the Manor oj Stoc/cton. 



Joan * his wife, and William Maton, their son, for the term of their lives. And 

 for the further security of the said John Topp, the Earl covenants that he, and 

 Mary Countess of Pembroke, his now wife, and their heirs, &c, or any other 

 person claiming to have any estate in the said manor by or under William, late 

 Earl of Pembroke, or him the said Henry, will, within the space of seven years, 

 upon reasonable request and at the proper cost and charges of the said John Topp, 

 or his heirs, execute such further lawful and reasonable acts and assurances in 

 the law as they or their counsel shall reasonably require, so that the said Earl 

 or his heirs be not compelled by so doing to travel from his place of residence at 

 the time of such request. In witness whereof the parties aforesaid have inter- 

 changeably set their seals on the day and year above written." 



Below this signature is a portion of the label to which was 

 originally attached the seal of the Earl of Pembroke, but this no 

 longer exists. This document, no doubt, was retained by the 

 purchaser, John Topp, and the duplicate, with the seal of John 

 Topp, was kept, and perhaps still exists, amongst the muniments of 

 the Pembroke family. Another signature is found at the foot of 

 the deed, that of John Penruddocke, who was commissioner for the 

 Earl of Pembroke, that nobleman having signed and sealed the 

 conveyance in London, before a Master in Chancery, as appears by 

 endorsement. 



• Mr. Miles, in his History of the Parish of Stockton, says, " Ucfore the south wall of the Church 

 was re-built, there was a largo altar-tomb placed against it, west of tho door, inscribed ' Joahn M aton 

 ye wife of Nicholas Maton, deceased, (month effaced) 1622.' This tomb was too much broken to bo 

 restored, but the inscribod stone and a part of the moulding were built up in the wall in 1841." 



