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.

Boreham.

The inheritance and honours of this famous, and right noble race of the Fitz-waters, came at length by mariage into the stocke of the Radcliffes,

for (in the pedegree of Sir Alexander Radcliffe of Ordsall in the county of Lancaster, knight of the Bath; descended, as the Earle of Sussex is, from the Radcliffes, anciently of Radcliffe in the said County; the sonne of that valiant and generally beloued Gentleman, Sir Iohn Radcliffe, Lieuetenant Colonell, slaine, fighting against the French, in the Isle of Rhee, the 29. day of October, in the yeare of our Lord, one thousand sixe hundred, twenty and seuen) I finde that Sir Iohn Radcliffe Knight, (sonne of Sir Iohn Rad∣cliffe knight, who married Katherine, the daughter and heire of Edward Lord Burnell of Acton Burnell in the county of Salop) married Elizabeth, the daughter and heire of Walter, Lord Fitz-water, of Woodham, a Ba∣ron of great riches, as of ancient nobility, the father of Iohn, who was Fa∣ther of Robert Radcliffe, the first of that sirname, Earle of Sussex, Viscount Fitz-water, Lord Egremont and Burnell, who with other two Earles, his Sonne and Grandchilde, lie here interred vnder a sumptuous monument, as appeareth by their seuerall inscriptions and liuely portraitures. To the memory of the first Earle (for I am tied by my method onely to his at this time) these funerall lines following are engrauen.

Robertus Radcliffe miles Dominus Fitz-water,* 1.1 Egremond et Burnel, Vi∣cecomes Fitz-water (magnus Camerarius, Anglie) Camerarius Hospitij Re∣gis Henrici octaui, ac eidem a consilijs Prelijs in Gallia commissis aliquoties inter primos ductores honoratus, in alijs belii pacisque consultationibus non inter postremos habitus, aequitatis, Institiae, constantiae, magnum aetatis suae columen, obijt xxvii. die Nouemb. Anno Dom. M.ccccc.xlii. aetat.

This Earle had three wiues, whose portraitures are cut here vpon the Tombe, by all of which he had issue. By his first wife Elizabeth, who was the daughter of Henry Stafford Duke of Buckingham; hee had Henry, after him Earle of Sussex, here intombed; George Radcliffe, and Sir Humfrey Rat∣cliffe of Elnestow. By Margaret his second wife, daughter of Thomas Lord Stanley, Earle of Darby, he had Anne, married to Thomas Lord Wharton, who lieth here buried by her father, and Iane maried to Sir Antony Browne, Knight, Viscount Mountague. By his third wife, the daughter of Sir Iohn Arundell of Lanherne in Cornwall, Knight; he had issue, Sir Iohn Radcliffe, Knight, who died without issue, in the yeare 1566. and lieth buried in Saint Olaues Hart-streete, London.

Henry Radcliffe, Earle of Sussex, sonne of this Robert as aforesaid, was one of the priuie Councell to Queene Mary, as I finde it in her Grant of li∣berty made vnto him for the wearing of Coyfes or Cappes in her presence, which I coppied out of the Originall amongst the Euidences of Robert late Earle of Sussex deceased; expressed in these words following.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ro. Radcliffe Earle of Sussex