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THE SECOND BOOK.

1st.

HITHERTO I have traced our Name from its K.Hen. first Rise in Hereward, to its first Setlement in Hugh Lord Wake. I shall now pursue the Fortunes of our Family during the Time of its highest Eminence, and which was for the Space of about 200 Years. For Emma the Wife of Hugh Lord Wake having augmented the great Possessions and Dignities of Leofrick and Hereward by the Addition of the Wealth and Honours of three other very considerable Familys, setled it altogether in her Husband, and the Children descended from Them. As on the other side Margaret sister to Thomas Lord Wake, carryed not only this, but all that was farther added to it, into an other House;

le Wac.

and ruined our Name by the Same Means, by which it had been so mightily enlarged before.

Hugh Who this Hugh was, in whom our Name became first the Name of a Family, I have not found; and am apt to think, from his taking of his Wives Name, that he was not very considerable of himself, nor does it appear, that he did any extraordinary Matters after his coming to so high a Fortune. The only thing that I can learn of him is that being led away with the Superstition of the Age in which he lived, He was very profuse in his Gifts to the Church; and either founded, or endowed several Religious Houses, both here and beyond the Seas. And in this he seems to have been, not only comply'd with, but encouraged by 'Emma his Wife, of whose Charities, we find no less a Commendation, in the Monkish Historys of those Days.

Baldwin 1st.

What Children these two left, I cannot particularly say: But the Person who succeeded them, both in their Name, and Honour, was Baldwin le Wac: so called from his Grandfather by the Mothers side, Baldwin Fitz-Gil1166, bert, of whom I have said so much before.

K.Hen,

2nd. An.

1 Monasticon T. 1. p. 954. T. 2. p. 236 Baronag: T. 1.

p. 539: B.

Richd.

How he pass'd the younger part of his Life King I am not able to say: But the first time, I find ist. any Mention of him, is at the Coronation of King Richard the 1st. where he was assign'd as one of the Barons, who was to attend upon the King at that Solemnity, And when that brave, but unfortunate Prince, was seized upon by the Emperour, in his Return from the 3Holy Land and forc'd with a great Sum to Redeem his Liberty Baldwin was one of those Nobles, who with Walter Arch-Bishop of Rouen was left as an Hostage to secure the Payment of the Money promised for his Ransome; and continued there, till the Payment of it accordingly.

From henceforth we find but little more of him, than what concerns his Works of Piety. In many of which he joyned with his Father, and Mother; in others he added to what they had before begun, and of which the 'Charters of the Abby of Brunne, which still remain, afford us a very particular Account.

It was about the third Year of King John, Baldthat this Baldwin dying, was succeeded by a

2 Brompton col: 1158.

3 Radulf: de Diceto. col: 672. 4 Monasticon To. ii. p. 236. &c.

E

win: ii.

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