In the Visitation of Cheshire, neither Sir William is mentioned as having a second son Piers, which may probably arise from his being in Wales. The Hooton branch does not seem to be connected with Wales until a later period, unless indeed it be by the marriage of Sir William Stanley with Blanch, daughter of Sir John Arderne, whose father is described as Sir John Arderne of Hawarden als. Harden, though the arms given are those of Arderne of Elford in Staffordshire. But, of course, the strongest point is the direct testimony of Harleian MS. 1971, though even there there is a discrepancy, since in one place it makes Piers of Ewlo son of Sir William Stanley and Mary Savage; in another, it makes him younger brother of this Sir William; but upon the whole, notwithstanding the formidable array of authorities upon the other side, we are inclined to believe the true state of the case to be that the Stanleys of Ewlo are a younger branch of those of Hooton, which is the senior line of the house: and that Sir William Stanley of Holt, being attainted and beheaded, was succeeded in very few, if any, of his Welsh lands, by his son William, who settled upon his wife's estate, derived from the Masseys of Tatton, while the castle of Holt, etc., reverted to the king. It must be remembered that Edmund (or Edward) Stanley, who married the daughter and sole heiress of Hywel ab Tudor ab Ithel Vychan of Mostyn, had a son, Sir William Stanley, who had all the lands, as Harl. MS. 1971 says. He was the uncle of Nicholas Saxon, who died without issue, and whose mother, Jonnet, then married John Conway of Bodrhyddan, who signs deeds of conveyance of land 35 Henry VI and 14 Edward IV; and it was their daughter Jonnet (Sionet), who (as is said by the late Joseph Morris) brought the Chilton estate in Shropshire to her husband, John ab Cynric ab Ithel Vychan of Holt. So that here is another connection with Holt, for Ithel Vychan had gained an estate there with his wife, Angharad, daughter and sole heiress of Robert (or Robin) ab Meredydd ab Hywel ab Davydd

of the House of Gwydir, and this Robert or Robin was of Holt, as was also his descendant, the above John ab Cynric, who himself and whose son and grandson, Richard and William, were born at Holt, though the latter succeeded his uncle John at Chilton about 1491-2; and it is on record that John Jones (ab John) of Chilton paid 26s. 8d. to the benevolence of 7 Henry VII.

These dates would also seem to shew that Sir William Stanley, who would be great-great-grandfather of this John, could scarcely have fought at the battle of Bosworth, though the aforementioned authorities accredit him with being the Sir William of Holt Castle who did so.

Where so much confusion has arisen, a deeper investigation of the Stanley Pedigree seemed desirable, and the above-mentioned manuscripts and works seem to throw considerable light upon the subject.

HISTORICAL MSS. COMMISSION.

(Continued from Vol. xiii, p. 274.)

MSS. IN THE REPOSITORY OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

1660, August 17. Affidavit of John Stainer of Uppington, Salop, that Andrew Lloyd of Aston, in the same county, refused to obey the order of the House for restoration of the Earl of Newport's goods. (L. J., xi, 131.)

Annexed: Copy of the order referred to, 30 June 1660. (L. J., xi, 79.)

1660, Aug. 22. Petition of Captain John Griffith. In the year 1651 petitioner, then an inferior officer in the city of Chester, was, amongst others, summoned to appear at a court-martial, where, finding them upon the trial of Lord Derby, petitioner presently withdrew, and was never present at any question or sentence of death; but has, notwithstanding, been summoned with the rest that sat in that court. Petitioner has suffered much for his adherence to His Majesty's party, and particularly

was sequestered, and very much abused by the Rump for assisting Sir George Booth in his late rising; but has not hitherto had an opportunity of truly informing the House of his case. He prays to be speedily discharged from his imprisonment, which he has now suffered above a month, and the charge of which he is not able to bear. (L. J., xi, 137.)

Annexed: Petition of the same to the Committee for Privileges; confesses that he was one of those who sat in the courtmartial upon the Earl of Derby, but positively affirms that he knew not of his execution, or who gave orders for it. The conclusion of the petition is similar to the preceding one. (Un

dated.)

2. Statement in favour of Griffith, and that the Earl of Derby consents to his release.

1660, Sept. 3. Petition of William Awbery, the son of Richard Awbery, in the parish of Boughrood, in the county of Radnor, in South Wales. During the late times of cruelty and oppression, petitioner's father, who was marked for a sufferer for his loyalty, was induced by William Watkins and another, for £300, to levy a fine and suffer a recovery of lands worth £1,500. This, after dejecting him, broke his heart, and within a short time he died. Petitioner prays for inquiry, that the fine and recovery may be cancelled, and right done to him as legal heir.

1660, Sept. 8. Petition of the Provost and College of the College Royal of the Blessed Mary of Eaton, near unto Windsor, in the county of Bucks, commonly called the King's College of our Blessed Lady of Eaton. Petitioners are seized of the manors of Goldcliffe, Nash, and Coldry, in the county of Monmouth; and the copyholders have, time out of mind, until the late unhappy wars, paid fines arbitrary for admittance; and such payment was confirmed by a decree of the Court of Chancery made in the sixth year of King James; but since the year 1644 the copyholders have refused to pay any fines but such as they please. Petitioners and their farmers have for ten years past endeavoured to maintain their right in the Court of Chancery, and have the former decree confirmed, until legally reversed by bill of review, or to have an indifferent county assigned for the trial at law; but such was the number and potency of their adversaries, and the strength of their purses, being at least two hundred joined together, that though petitioners have expended at least £1,000, and are able to expend no more, yet can they not obtain confirmation of the decree, or payment of fines since 1644. They pray for consideration of their sufferings, for an order confirming the decree securing them their fines until legally reversed by bill of review; and for a summons for tenants refusing to pay, to appear before the House. (L. J., xi, 162.)

1660, Sept. 8. Petition of Thomas Birch. An order has been granted, upon the petition of William Evans, to secure the profits of the rectory of Hampton Bishop, Herefordshire, upon pretence that he was forcibly ejected; but this plea has been heard and examined by the Lord Chancellor, and found empty, there being no proof that Evans was ever legally presented. Petitioner prays that the order may be reversed. (L J., xi, 163.)

1660, Nov. 17. Petition of Thomas Hillyard, of Newton Nottage in the county of Glamorgan, clerk; prays that Arnold Butter, who alleges that he was illegally ejected from the rectory of Newton Nottage, and has, by virtue of an order of the House, gathered in the tithes of the rectory, and converted them to his own use, may be called upon to appear, and to show cause why petitioner should not enjoy the rectory and tithes.

1660. Petition of Francis Lord Newport. In 1646 a fine of £10,000 was imposed upon Richard Lord Newport, deceased, and petitioner, his son and heir, for their (then called) delinquency, after a sequestration of all their real and personal estate, and demolition of their dwelling-house, beside the said fine for composition. In discharge of the fine, petitioner and his father were compelled to pay a great part in ready money; and for the residue, to convey their tithes and rectories in the county of Salop to William Pierrepoint and Humphrey Edwards, deceased, and their heirs, in trust for the augmentation of the maintenance. of the ministers of the several parishes. Petitioner hopes their Lordships will not interpret his and his father's loyalty and faithful adherence to His late Majesty as a crime, and prays that he may be restored to the estate and possession of the rectories and tithes so extorted as aforesaid, they being the only remaining part of the fine not swallowed up unrecoverably; and to that end, that the surviving trustee may be ordered to regrant and convey the said rectories and tithes to the petitioner and his heirs; and that persons in whose hands the deeds and conveyances made thereof by petitioner and his father remain, may be ordered to deliver them up to be cancelled.

1661, May 25. Draft of an Act for restoring of Charles, Earl of Derby, to the possession of the manors, lands, and hereditaments belonging unto James, late Earl of Derby, his father. Read first this day, and withdrawn after various subsequent proceedings. (L. J., xi, 265, etc.)

1661, June 19. Petition of Sir John Trevor, George Twisselton, and Andrew Ellis. There is a bill before their Lordships, which, under pretence of restoring the Earl of Derby to his lands, would dispossess petitioners of their lawful estates in certain manors and lands in the county of Flint, purchased by

them of the said Earl, and assured to them by conveyances, fines, etc., the best estate the law can give them. They pray to be heard at the Bar of the House before the bill shall be further proceeded with.

1661, June 26. Petition of Owen Owens, son and heir of Rice Owens, deceased, late brother and heir of Morgan, late bishop of Llandaff, deceased, and of Morgan Owens, sole surviving administrator of the said late bishop. By the cunning practices, forgeries, and abuses of Owen Price, heretofore a servant to the bishop, petitioners have been defrauded out of the greater part of the bishop's estate, particulars whereof are fully stated in the annexed paper. They pray that Price may be summoned to appear and answer their complaint.

Annexed: 1. Schedule of the crimes, forgeries, and abuses charged against Owen Price.

1661, July 15. Petition of Sir John Trevor, knight, Colonel George Twisleton, and Andrew Ellice, Esq. Complain that having purchased the manors of Hope and Mold, in the county of Flint, from Charles, Earl of Derby, and having enjoyed quiet possession, the rents are now stayed in the hands of the tenants under colour of an order of the House of the 14th of June, 1660, and a mill, timber, etc., has been seized by Edward Price, in the name of the Earl of Derby. They pray to be restored to the possession of their property. (See L. J., xi, 310.)

Annexed: Copy of an order of 14 June, 1660.

1661, Dec. 10. Draft of an Act for the restoring of Charles, Earl of Derby, to the manors of Mold and Moldsdale, Hope and Hopesdale, in the county of Flint. Read first this day. (L. J., xi, 347.) The Bill passed through all stages, but the royal assent was refused 19 May, 1662. (L. J., xi, 471.)

Dec. 1661. Petition of the cardmakers and wiredrawers of the counties of Worcester, Gloucester, and Salop, to the House of Commons. In the reigns of James I and Charles I the whole trade of cardmaking and wiredrawing was nearly spoiled by vagabondious persons, void of habitation, who travelled from I place to place collecting old cards, from which they drew out the teeth, scoured them, turned the leaves of the cards and reset the teeth in them, fixed them on new boards, and having counterfeited the marks of substantial cardmakers, sold them to the country people. A penal law was in consequence put in execution against the offenders, and the trade again flourished; but since the late unhappy wars there are more deceitful persons sprung up, who not only sell their base commodities in England and Wales, but transport great quantities into Ireland, almost levelling the trade to the ground, to the great disabling of many