Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

The parish of NORTH MIMS fs adjoining to Ridge. This was th cinheritance of the family of Magnaville; and in the reign of Edward III. the property of the celebrated Sir Robert Knolles. It came by marriage to the families of Coningsby, Hyde, and Osborne, duke of Leeds. On the death of whom, in 1779, the manor was purchased by Henry Brown, Esq. whose seat of NORTH MIMS PARK, is a very handsome structure, surrounded by beautiful scenery.

GOBIONS, in this parish, is so named from the Gobions, its antient lords, and was afterward the seat of lady More, mother-in-law of that illustrious character Sir Thomas More; on whose execution it was wrested from her by the tyrant Henry, notwithstanding it was her jointure from her first husband. It was settled on the princess Elizabeth, who retained it till her death, when it reverted to the More family; and having passed through several families, it was purchased by Sir Jeremy Sambrooke, who dying a batchelor, his sisters inherited the manor in 1760. It was afterwards purchased by John Hunter, Esq. an East India director; and is now the property of Mr. Holmes. The gardens were formerly very very much celebrated.

BROOKMANS, formerly belonged to the great lord Somers; it now belongs to S. R. Gaussen, Esq.

North Mims church is dedicated to St. Mary, and contains some antient memorials for the Coningsbys, Botelers, &c. and a stately monument erected by dame Eliza Jekyl, to lord chancellor Somers.

We now cross the roads from Barnet, and Edgware, to St. Alban's, and arrive at ALDENHAM, which stands near the Watling Street. The manor belonged to the abbots of St. Alban's; at the Dissolution it was conveyed to Ralph Stepney, Esq. whose son, in the reign of Edward VI. sold it to Sir Edward Cary; whose son, Henry Cary, lord viscount Falkland, in Scotland, was made lord deputy of Ireland by James I. Sept. 8, 1622. He was a most accomplished gentleman and courtier, and discharged his great trust so well, that none but a few rebellious Irish complained of his usage, though

1

though even these were subdued by lenity and not severity. His lordship died in 1633. In his time the memorable protestation was made by the bishops in Ireland, and published by Dr. Downham, bishop of Londonderry, in Christchurch, Dublin, against popery.

His son Lucius Cary, lord Falkland, is thus described by Mr. Granger: "The character of lord Falkland, by the earl of Clarendon, is the completest, if not the finest drawn of any in his admirable history. He is represented as an assemblage of almost every virtue and excellency, that can dignify or adorn a man. His encomium is doubtless somewhat exaggerated; but there seems to be much truth in it, with respect to the private part of his life, as it appears to have been taken from near and repeated views."

The church contains monuments for the above great men, and several antient tombs. Among some of the quaint poetry we select the following, on the tomb of John Robinson, only son of John Robinson, who died May 3, 1674, aged twenty-four.

On a label from his mouth:

"Sarah Smith.

"I. R.

Death parts the dearest lovers for a while,
And makes them mourn, who only us'd to

[ocr errors][merged small]

I Sarah Smith, whom thou didst love alone,
For thy dear love, have laid this marble stone."

We shall now skirt the county, and proceed to ELSTREE, or EAGLESTREE, now a small village, given by king Offa to the monastery of St. Alban's. At the time of the Conquest it is probable that it was a piece of the waste overgrown with wood, which is the the reason that it is not mentioned in Domesday Book, parcel of the manor of Park, which belonged to the monatsery of St. Alban's.

Upon the dissolution of abbies, it came to the crown, and afterward was settled by an act of parliament on Sir Anthony Denny, by the name of Parkbury; in that family it continued till James I. when it was sold to Robert Briscoe, of Aldenham, Esq. who granted it to Sir Baptist Hickes, reserving so much of the court baron, as lies within this

parish,

[graphic][subsumed][merged small][subsumed]

parish, to himself and his heirs. It ultimately came by purchase to the late George Byng, Esq. whose son, one of the knights for Middlesex, is the present possessor.

The church here is a rectory, in the presentation of the crown, ever since the dissolution of the abbey of St. Alban's. The building is near the street, upon a great hill, and contains a body, with a small aisle divided from it, with a wooden building; at the west end of which hang three small bells.

There are no monuments of any consequence.

In 1779, Miss Martha Ray, "the unfortunate victim of an ungoverned passion," was buried here, after having been shot by Mr. James Hackman, a clergyman, who was executed at Tyburn for the offence.

The Roman Sulloniacis has been stated to have existed here; but with more probability on Brockley Hills, where Camden has placed it.

The market town of BARNET, or BERGNET, is sometimes called HIGH BERNET, from its situation on an hill; and CHIPPING BARNET, from the market, which Henry II. granted to the abbots of St. Alban's, to be kept weekly on Monday, as it still continues. It is famous for buying and selling cattle, which are brought hither in great numbers.

In the time of the Saxons, this place was a large wood, granted to the church of St. Alban's, by the name of the woods of Suthaw, Borham, and Huzehege.

Upon the Dissolution, the manor came to the crown, where it remained till queen Mary I. granted it to Anthony Butler, Esq. whose grandson sold it to Sir John Weld, in whose family it continued for some successions, and then passed through divers hands, till it came to Sir Thomas. Cooke, knt. and alderman of London, who alienated it, and after passing to various possessors, it belongs to the lady of Beeston Long, Esq.

The church here is a chapel of ease to East Barnet. The building is situated in the middle of the town, and contains three aisles, a small chapel, or vestry house, and a tower with five bells. In it are many handsome monuments

with

« AnteriorContinuar »