Hinc illæ lacrymæ, or, An epitome of the life and death of Sir Wlliam Courten and Sir Paul Pyndar ... with their great services and sufferings under the crown of England : together with a brief narrative of the case and tryal of certain persons for pyracy and felony on the 10th of February 1680 : upon a special commission of Oyer and Terminer, grounded upon the statute of the 28 of Henry the 8 / faithfully and modestly collected by Thomas Carew ... ; with some remarques thereupon.

A short Narrative of the Life and Death of Sir William Courten.

SIR William Courten was born in the Parish of St. Mary-Hill in London; his Father and Mother in the time of Persecution (under the Duke de Alva) in Flan∣ders, having fled from Menen in the year 1567. into England for Protection, having Transported all their Goods and Moneys to the City of London, dealt in Silks and Fine Linnen during their Lives; and left three Children, Named William, Peter and Margaret, unto whom they gave plentiful Estats.

Sir Willlam being the Eldest Son was Bred a Merchant, and his Fathers Factor some∣time at Harlem, and other while at Corterick, where he Married his first Wife the Daughter of Peter Cromeling, with whom he had sixty thousand Pounds Sterling.

In the year 1606. the said Sir William Courten entred into a Trade in Partnership with a Ioynt Stock, in Company with Peter Courten his Brother, and John Mon••y his Brother in Law, that Married his only Sister, the Widow of Matthias Boudaen her first Husband: Two parts, or the Moiety of the said Stock in Company belonging to Sir William, and to each of the other a fourth part: This Trade was carried on Ioyntly in Silks and Linnens until the year 1631. wherein was returned Communibus Annis, one hundred and fifty thousand Pounds Sterling. But besides that Trade in Company to Holland, France and Flanders, Sir William carried on his own particular Trade to Guinea, Portugal, Spain and the West-Indies, wherein he had raised a vast Estate: His Lands in the year 1633. being of the value of 6500 l. per annum, besides a Personal of 128000 l. Sterling, at which time he had a vast Credit; which afterward he Ingaged in the East-India Expeditions as aforesaid, and Died infinitely in Debt upon that account.

It would swell a Volume to a vast Magnitude to write all the Passages and Transactions of the Lives and Deaths of Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pyndar: Wherefore I give you here Abstracts of their Last Wills and Testaments Registred in the Prerogative Court, whereby you may make a conjectu••e of what Misfortunes their Estates fell under, after their Lives, there being not a Foot of Land left in England, nor any considerable Personal Estate to their Heirs, Executors and Administrators out of those two large Inheritances and Possessions, which they were once Masters of in the Kingdom of England.