Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

Cobham.

In this Church are many faire Monuments fouly defaced, vnder which the Cobhams, and Brookes, Lords and Barons of this Towne of Cobham, with many of their kindred, Allies and progenie lie interred; who for many descents did flourish in honourable reputation, euen vntill these our times.

Vous{que} passericy . . . . pries pur l'alme le curteis . . . . . Iohan de Cobham,* 1.1 auat a nom dieux luy fari verray. Pardon qe trespassa lendemayne de Seynt Mathy le passent oustre a demorer one lay, en l'an de Grace 1354.

Icy gist Margerie de Cobham iadis Femme a tresnoble cheualier .......* 1.2 Regni . . . . ordre . . . . que morust le IIII iour de Sept. l'an de Grace 1375. de . . . . dieu et mercy.

To make this maymed inscription more perfectly to bee vnderstood, let me tell you that this Margerie or Margaret (for I can hardly discerne whe∣ther by the engrauement) was the wife of that braue warriour Reynold Ba∣ron Cobham, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, knight of the Garter, and Admirall of the Sea coasts from Thames mouth Westward;* 1.3 who dyed of the second Pestilence, in theraigne of king Edward the third, An. Dom. 1361.

Vous q par icy passer . . . . . Hen. de Cobham . . . . . qui morust ban de gra . . . . 1392.* 1.4

This Henry de Cobham was sonne of the foresaid Reynold, who also was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

Icy gist dame Margarete de Cobham iadis fille a noble Sir Counte de De∣uonshire Femme de Sir de Cobham de ceste place qe morust le secound iour du mois de August l'an de grace 1385.* 1.5 L'alme de . . . . eit mercy. Amen.

This Margaret was the daughter of Hugh Courtney, the third of that Christian name, Earle of Deuonshire.

* 1.6Dame Ione de Cobham gist icy Dieu de salme aie mercy. Qui pur le alme priera Quarant iours de Pardon auera.

* 1.7Vous . . . . par icy passer . . . lalme Thome de Cobham pries qui trespassa la . . . . S. Thom . . . le Apostre . . . luy ottrye a demorier en companye le vostre en lan de grace 1367. Le haut Trinyte luy soit defender d'inferne abisme. Et Icy gist dame Maude de Cobham qe fust le Femme de Sir Thomas Cobham que dellya 9. iour de Auerillan de grace 13.... 3. Ric. 2.

* 1.8De terre fust fait et fourme Est in terre . . . . retourne Cobham founder de ceste place Le Seint Trinyte mercy de mesme.

This Iohn Lord Cobham was the builder of Cowling Castle, and the founder of this Colledge:* 1.9 valued at the suppression, at one hundred eight and twenty pounds, ten shillings nine pence, halfe penny, by the yeare. He was the last Lord Cobham of that surname; for he left but one onely daugh∣ter, wife to Sir Iohn de la Pole knight. And shee likewise (howsoeuer she had many husbands) (of which number Sir Iohn Oldcastle was one) had not any issue,* 1.10 but onely by Sir Reygnold Braybroke, who dyed all young, excepting one daughter called Ioane; who married with Thomas Brooke of Somersetshire, to whom she brought both her mothers inheritance and ho∣nour; which these Brookes did happily enioy for the space of sixe descents, being euer employed in offices of State, and matters of high consequence. Yet alwayes standing firme, both in the fauour of the Prince, and his people, vntill the last of these Lords, stumbling vpon a shallow-pated Treason, which was laid in his way; fell downe to the ground, together with his house, his inheritance, and all his additions of honour. But to returne to the rest of the Epitaphs.

* 1.11Hic iacet Iohanna Domina de Cobham quondam vxor domini Reginaldi Braybroke militis que obiit in die Sancti Hilarii Episcopi Ann. Dom. 1433.

Cuius anime propitietur altissimus.

Hic iacet Dominus Reginaldus Braybroke miles,* 1.12 ac maritus Domine Io∣hanne, Domine de Cobham, heredis Domini Iohannis de Cobham fundatoris istius Collegii: qui quidem Reginaldus obiit apud Midleborrow in Flandria, 20. die mens. Septemb. Ann. 1405. Cuius anime propitietur Deus.

Vpon the same marble these words are engrauen.

Hic iacet Reginaldus filius eorum. Hic iacet Robertus filius eorum:* 1.13 Which were his and her children that dyed in their infancie.

This Reignold (by the honour of his marriage stiled Lord Cobham) was the sonne of Gerard Braybroke,* 1.14 who was the sonne of Henry Braybroke, Lord Warden of the fiue Ports, in the raigne of king Henry the third.

Hic iacet Nicholaus Hawberk quondam maritus Domine Iohanne,* 1.15 Domi∣ne de Cobham, heredis Domini Iohannis de Cobham fundatoris istius Collegii, qui quidem Nicolaus obiit apud Castrum 9. die Octobris, Ann. Dom. 1407.

Hic iacet Iohannes Broke miles ac Baro Baronie de Cobham ac domina Margareta vxor sua quondam silia nobilis viri Edouardi Nevil nuper Do∣mini de Burgaueny,* 1.16 qui quidem Iohannes obiit . . . . die mens. Septemb. Ann. Dom. 1506. quorumanimabus. Amen.

Orate pro anima Tho. Broke militis Domini de Cobham consanguinei et heredis Richardi Beauchampe militis, qui quidem Thomas cepit in vxorem Dorotheam,* 1.17 filiam Henrici Heydon militis; & habuerunt exitum inter eos, septem filios, & sex filias, & predicta Dorothea obiit . . . . et predictus Thomas cepit in vxorem Dorotheam Fowthewel viduam, que obiit sine exitu; & po∣stea cepit in vxorem Elisabetham Harte & habuerunt nullum exitum inter eos. Qui quidem Thomas obiit 19. Iulii 1529.

Raph de Cobham de Kent Esquier* 1.18 Qi morust le xx iour de Ianier L'an de Grace mil cccc gist icy Dieu des••alme eyt mercy.

Hic iacet Iohannes Terrye quondam socius istius Collegii qui obiit 7. Id. Iulii,* 1.19 Ann. Dom. 1417.

Hic iacet Iohannes Clauering quondam filius Rogeri Clauering, ciuis & pannarij de Ciuitate London.

Orate pro animabus predicti Iohannis Clauering,* 1.20 Iuliane & Alicie vx eius, & predicti Rogeri Clauering, & Iohanne vx. eius, patris & matris predicti Iohannis Clauering, fratrum & sororum suorum, et siliorum eorum, ac etiam Anne Westbye et Matildis matris eius, et progenitorum nostrorum, et Io¦hannis de Brendward, Thome Legge, et Simonis filij eius, et pro animabus omnium Benefactorum nostrorum, et omnium fidelium defunctorum quorum animabus propitietur Deus. Amen.

Such was the politike deuotion of religious houses in those dayes, thus publikely to remember, and pray for the soules of all their Benefactours: thereby to incite others to the like works of charity, by which they still en∣creased their Founders first endowments.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioane Lady Cobham.
• * 1.2

  Margery Lady Cobham.
• * 1.3

  Lib 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in hil. Cot.
• * 1.4

  Henry Lord Cobham.
• * 1.5

  Margaret Lady Cobham.
• * 1.6

  Ioane Lady Cobham.
• * 1.7

  Tho. Lord Cob∣ham and Maud his wife.
• * 1.8

  Iohn Lord Cobham.
• * 1.9

  Cobham Col∣ledge.
• * 1.10

  Sir Iohn Old∣castle knight Lord Cobham.
• * 1.11

  Ioane Baronesse Cobham.
• * 1.12

  Sir Reignold Braybroke knight, Lord Cobham.
• * 1.13

  Reignold and Robert Braybroke
• * 1.14

  Lamb. p••ramb
• * 1.15

  Nicholas Haw∣berke Lord Cobham.
• * 1.16

  Io. Broke Lord Cobham, and Lady Margaret his wife.
• * 1.17

  Tho. Lord Cob∣ham, and his three wiues.
• * 1.18

  Raph Cobham.
• * 1.19

  Io. Terrye.
• * 1.20

  Io Clauering: