By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 283 



This at first sight looks like evidence of a lawful marriage. 

 But now comes a perplexity. Before Agnes Ryce could be the 

 second lawful wife of William Lord Stourton, the first lawful wife, 

 Elizabeth Dudley, mother of Charles Stourton, must have been 

 disposed of, naturally or legally ; by death or divorce. Dead she 

 certainly was not, but on the contrary alive and well, for some 

 years after William Lord Stourton's death in 1548 : of which we 

 have the following evidence. 



1st. In the Narrative of the Murder (above p. 245) it is stated 

 that shortly after William Lord Stourton's death (1548) Dame 

 Elizabeth his late tvyff ivas sojourning at HartgilVs house at Kilming- 

 ton, when Charles Stourton first went there to induce her to enter 

 into a bond never to marry again. 2ndly. She did marry again 

 notwithstanding : for there is a Recognizance in the Court of 

 Chancery 4th July 1550, by which her son Charles was bound to 

 pay £300 "to Edward Ludlowe Esq. and the lady Elizabeth his 

 wife, late wife of William Lord Stourton deceased." 1 3rdly. She 

 survived her son Charles's execution (which was in the reign of 

 Queen Mary, March 1557) and did not die until about 1560. 

 This is proved by a letter (among the Longleat papers, see Docu- 

 ment No. 68) written by Sir John Zouche to Sir Robert Dudley 

 (her brother's son), addressed to him as "Master of the Horse to 

 the Queen." The Queen to whom Sir R. Dudley was Master of 

 the Horse was certainly Queen Elizabeth, and the letter must have 

 been written before 1564 : for in 1564 Dudley was created Earl oj 

 Leicester, so that any letter, written to him in or after that year, 

 would have been addressed to him by his new title. Queen 

 Elizabeth's reign having begun 17th November 1558, the letter 

 must have been written between 1558 and 1564. In it Sir John 

 Zouche mentions that the " old Lady Stourton is of late deceased 

 and that her son Charles had been attainted "in the life time of his 

 mother." 



legitimacy does not seem to have been ever questioned : and Richard Gore's 

 wife got nothing. At least there is no subsequent entry in the Gore Family 

 Register of any of the Stourton estates having been obtained by the Gore family. 

 1 Close Roll, 5th part, 4 Edw. YI. 



