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.

West Ham.

QVeene Mawd,* 1.1 wife to king Henry the first, passing ouer the riuer of Ley at Ouldford, hardly escaped danger of drowning: after which shee gaue order that a little beneath, at Stretford, there should be a bridge made ouer the water; going ouer which towards West Ham, I saw the remaines of a Monasterie, pleasantly watered about with seuerall streames, which William Montfichet (a Lord of great name of the Norman race) built, in the yeare of our Lord, 1140. The reuenues of this house were much aug∣mented and confirmed by king Richard the second, in the tenth yeare of his raigne, as by his charter amongst the Records in the Tower appeareth. Dedicated it was to the honour of Christ, and Mary his blessed mother, re∣plenished with blacke Monkes. And valued at the suppression to be worth 573. l. 15. s. 6 d. ob. q.

Diuers other beside the founder endowed this religious Structure. Some of whose donations I finde to be confirmed by the said William Montfichet in this manner.

Willelmus de Montefixo omnibus prepositis & ministris & hominibus suis tam Francis quam Anglis Salutem.* 1.2 Sciatis quod ego concedo et confirmo do∣nationem quam fecerunt Ecclesie Sancte Marie de Ham; Matheus Geron, de tota terra sua de Cambridg cum pertinenciis absque omni servicio; & Geral∣dus de Hamma de vno prato per concessum Martini filia sui, & aliorum siliorum suorum. Donationem etiam quam fecit ergo Capellanus meus ••ecime Dominii mei, &c. Quod si quis hominum meorum Elemosinam de terra fa∣cere voluerit, quod de feodo meo sit, non concedo vt alibi det nisi ad Abbati∣am meam de Ham. Et insuper si quis hominum meorum quicquam beneficii deinceps eidem Ecclesie facere voluerit in terra, prato vel quacanque re libere

donet, hec, omnia que et ego concedo confirmo Abbatic & Monachis de Ham ••••perpetuum. Precor igitur omnes homines meos vt islam meam Elemosinam manuteneant et conseruant. Hiis testibus Margareta vxore mea, Richardo de Poylei, Humfrido filio Eustachii Willelmo filio Richardi Willelmo de By∣ron. The Seale of this deed is in blouddy waxe.

* 1.3The Baronie or habitation of this familie de Monte Fixo, or Montfichet, was Stansted in this County, from whom the Towne is called Stansted Montfichet to this day. They were reputed men of very great Nobilitie; vntill that their ample inheritance was diuided among three Sisters. One of which progenie, namely Richard, was in the raignes of king Iohn and Hen∣ry the third famous for his high prowesse and chiualrie: Three the most for∣cible and valiant knights of England (saith Stow) in those dayes were Ro∣bert Fitz-water, Robert Fitz Roger, and Rich. Mont-Fichet.

* 1.4Here lieth Iohn Hamerton Esquvr, Sergeant at Armes to kyng Henry the eyght, and of Edith his wife, and Richard Hamerton his brother of the Pa∣rysh of Fedston in the County of Yorke. Which Iohn and Richard fell both sicke in an houre and died both in one houre, Ann. Dom. M.ccccc.xii. on whose Sowles Iesu haue mercy. Amen.

* 1.5Hic iacet Henricus Ketleby quondam Serviens illustrissimi Principis Hen∣rici filii metuendissimi Regis Hen. septimi qui obiit 8. die Augusti, 1508.

* 1.6Hic sub pede iacet Margareta quondam vxor Iohannis Ketleby de Com. Wigorn. Armig. que obiit 10. die Iunii.....

* 1.7Of your cheritie prey for the sowles of Io. Eglesfeeld, who died 13. of Au¦gust, 1504. and for the sowl of Edith his wyf. Who died 22. of Iune 1533.

* 1.8Of your cherite prey for the soul of Walter Froste of West Ham, Esquyr, and Sewar to kyng Harry the eyght, and of Anne his wyff, doughter of ..... and widow of Richard Caly Merchant of the Staple of Calis. Which Anne died the xxiii of October 1527.

For the word Sewar, saith Minshew, I haue heard of an old French book containing the Officers of the king of Englands Court, as it was anciently gouerned, that he whom in Court we now call Sewar, was called Asseour, which commeth from the French Asseoir, to set, setle, or place, wherein his Office in setting downe the meate is well expressed.

Or Sewar, saith he, is deriued perhaps from the French word Esquire, id est, a Squire, because he goeth before the meat as a Squire or Gentleman Vsher. The Fees allowed to this Officer in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth (as I haue it out of a generall collection of all the Offices of England in her dayes) was thirtie and three pounds thirteene shillings foure pence.

* 1.9Orate pro anima Valentini Clerke & Elisabethe vxoris eius qui quidem Valentinus obiit 6. die Iunii 1533. et dicta Elisabetha.....

Notes

• * 1.1

  Foundation of the Abbey of West Ham. Cart. Antiq. Litera ••.
• * 1.2

  In bib. Co••t.
• * 1.3

  ••amd in Essex.
• * 1.4

  Io Hamerton Edub his wife, and Rich. his brother.
• * 1.5

  H••n. Ketleby.
• * 1.6

  Marg. Ketleby.
• * 1.7

  Io. Eglesfeeld & Edith•• his wife.
• * 1.8

  Walter Frost, & Anne his wife.
• * 1.9

  Val. Clark and Elis. his wife.