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Conqr.

K.Wm. him, was the Party which settled in the Isle of Eli, and the Marshes thereabouts, as a place most commodious for such a purpose, and most easy to be defended by Them. To this party a great part of the English Nobility assembled themselves; and being thereupon Outlaw'd by the King, resolved to stand up in Defense of the Libertys of their Country and their own Priviledges and by their common Consent made 'Hereward their Captain, and committed the Management of the War to Him.

From this honourable Choice, as I suppose, the Title of Here-Ward either was taken up by him, or ascribed to Him; So from the Care and Vigilancy which he shew'd in the Discharge of it, I conceive the Character of Le Wake, or the Watchfull became added to it: and how well he deserved both, a short Account of his Actions, on this Ocasion will abundantly suffice to shew.

How these Confederate Lords proceeded, whilst they held together, is but very imperfectly deliver'd to us. *This we are told, it was

2 Ingulf: pag: 70.71.

3 See his Life written by the Monk of Peterburgh M.S. at Peterburgh. 4 Ingulf: p. 71. Walsyngam Hyp. reustor P. 439.

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but a very little while, before either out of ffear K.Wm. or Interest, all the rest submitted to the Fortune and power of the Conquerour. Only Hereward resolv'd to stand it out, and not submit upon any Terms whatsoever, to Him. So far are they mistaken, who make this great Man to have been One of those who came over with the Conquerour, and help'd to enslave his Country to Him.

It happen'd about that time, that Brando, a Relation of this Hereward, as one tells us, his Uncle, being Abbot of the Monastery of Peterburgh, dying, the Conquerour collated "Thorold one of his Foreigners, to that Dignity. Being enraged at this, "Hereward attacks the Monastery, drives away the new Abbot, and notwithstanding all the Help he procured from Ivo Talbois, a very powerfull Norman, and created by the Conquerour Lord of Hoyland, took him Prisoner, and exacted a great Sum of him for his Ransome.

Nor was it any little provocation to Hereward to do this, that the Conquerour, but a little before, had given a good part of his

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K.Wm. Estate to this Ivo Talbois, who was his Sisters Conqr. Son, and from whom Hereward was resolv'd by Force, to recover it. To help him in this Design, it happened very luckily for him, that at that very time, the Danes once more landed upon those parts, under the Command of Suenus their King. With these Hereward joynd his fforces: and so made that sad Havock of the Monastery of Peterburgh, of which I was speaking before. And thô being forsaken of these also, and having a powerfull Army raised out of all the neighbouring Countrys against him, He was reduced to great Straights; yet so well did he manage his Affairs, that by the Help of some Woods near the Town, to which he retired, he wearied out that great Army, and forced them to leave him, and in their Retreat fell upon them, and then (as some say) took not only the Abbot, but Ivo Talbois himself who commanded Them.

In short, so great was his Vigilance, and so good his Conduct, that thô all the rest of the Kingdom forsook him, and submitted to their new Master, yet the Conquerour plainly shewed himself afraid of Him; and resolv'd to try, by

7 Gunton Hist: of Peterburgh P. 262. 263.

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an Honourable Composition, to bring him over K.Wm. to his Interest. And accordingly about the Year 1076. they came to an Agreement; By virtue whereof He was intirely restored both to his Estate and Honour, and after which He served the Conquerour with as much Fidelity, as ever he had with Constancy opposed him before.

And thus have we seen how that Title came first to be ascribed to this Great Champion, from which our Family afterward took its Denomination. I have before said, That he left only one Daughter behind him marryed to Hugh Evermur; who in his own and his Wives Hugh Right, became thenceforth Lord of Brunne and Depyng. I must now add that this Hugh also left but one Daughter, his Heir; who marryed Richard de Rulos, Chamberlain to King William Rd. de the Conquerour, and carried away both the Honour and Estate of her Family to Him.

Ever

mur.

Rulos.

'It was now a kind of Fate to this Family to have no Male Issue to settle in: For as Hereward and Hugh Evermur before, So this Richard de Rulos now left only one Daughter Baldw and Heir, Adelhildis who married Baldwin Gilbert Fitz-Gilbert; a very eminent Person, and a hildis

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and

Adel

noble Family, being Brother to Walter, 'the Father of Gilbert de Gant, the first Earl of Lincoln of that Race.

By this Baldwin she had a Son, whom in an Ancient Charter, relating to the Abby of Brunne, founded by this Baldwyn, I find by the Name of Roger, and in whom it was to have been hoped the Family might have fixed. But the time of its Settlement in the Male Line, was not yet come: For either this Roger dyed unmarried, Or he left no Children to succeed him. And so the Dignity and Estate fell to Emma his Sister; And by her came Hugh deWac: de Wac, her Husband: in whom that Name Wac first began to settle, and from whom the Family has eversince been call'd by it.

Hugh

Emma

But here I find one of our Learned Antiquaries adding another Discent, and of which therefore some Notice must be taken, He tells us that Baldwin left only a Daughter, and heir, As I have said, but then he adds, that the Name of this Daughter was Roesia, that she marryed William de Ruseis, that by him, she

1 Baronag: To. 1. P. 539.

2 Monasticon To. ii. p. 237. b. 40. ibid: p. 235. b. 25

3 Baronag: ibid: p. 236. a. 539. b.

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