Part 6 (1/2)
Sir THOMAS BROMLEY, Knight, Privy Councillor to Queen Elizabeth, and eight years Chancellor, in which office he died, April 12, 1587, to the grief of all good men. The eight children depicted on this tomb, were all by his Lady, Elizabeth, of the family of Fortescue.
Sir DUDLEY CARLETON, afterwards made Viscount Dorchester, for his eminent services to Charles I. and his father, both abroad and at home. He was a person versed in the languages, customs, and laws of most of the European nations, and was entrusted both by James I. and his successors, with the most important foreign negotiations. After the death of James I., he was sent to Holland, and was the last deputy who voted in the a.s.sembly of the States, which great privilege the crown of England possessed from the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign to this period. He died Feb. 15, 1631, aged fifty-seven.
FRANCES, Countess of Ess.e.x. This great lady was the wife of Thomas Ratcliffe, Earl of Suss.e.x, Lord Deputy of Ireland, and Knight of the Garter, &c., and daughter of Sir William Sidney, of Pensehurst, Knight. By her last will, having outlived her husband, she inst.i.tuted a divinity lecture to be read in this Collegiate Church, gave 5,000_l._ towards the building of a new College in Cambridge, now called Sidney Suss.e.x College; and left a sufficient yearly revenue for the maintenance of one master ten fellows, and twenty scholars, either in the said new college, or else in Clare Hall. She died April 15, 1589, aged fifty-eight.
Next to this is a monument of black marble, very remarkably different from every other in the Abbey. On the top of it is a circular frame of gilt bra.s.s, enclosing the bust of ANN, Lady Cottington, wife of Francis, Lord Cottington, Baron of Hanworth, so created by Charles I. She was daughter of Sir William Meredith, of Denbighs.h.i.+re, by Jane, his wife, of the family of the Palmers, in Kent, and died February 22, 1633, in the thirty-third year of her age, having had four daughters and a son, all of whom died before their father, who, on a table monument beneath, lies in effigy, resting on his left arm; and over a satyr's head is this inscription in English: ”Here lies Francis, Lord Cottington, of Hanworth, who, in the reign of Charles I., was Chancellor of his Majesty's Exchequer, Master of the Court of Wards, Constable of the Tower, Lord High Treasurer of England, and one of the Privy Council. He was twice Amba.s.sador in Spain, once for the said King, and a second time for Charles II., now reigning, to both of whom he most signally showed his allegiance and fidelity, during the unhappy civil broils of those times; and for his faithful adherence to the Crown (the Usurper prevailing) was forced to fly his country; and, during his exile, died at Valladolid, in Spain, June 19, 1652, in the seventy-fourth year of his age, whence his body was brought, and here interred, by Charles Cottington, Esq., his nephew and heir, in 1679.”
The next is a very old Gothic monument, erected to the memory of LEWIS ROBERT, or ROBSART, a foreigner, but standard bearer to Henry V., a Knight of the Bath, and afterwards of the Garter, and at length created Lord Bourchier. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of St. Bartholomew Bourchier, and probably a relation to Geoffrey Chaucer, the old English poet.
On leaving this Chapel, on your right is a monument to the memory of WILLIAM PULTENEY, Earl of Bath, with a medallion and urn, supported by Wisdom and Poetry. The inscription is as follows:--”Erected to the memory of William Pulteney, Earl of Bath, by his brother, the Hon. Harry Pulteney, General of his Majesty's Forces, 1764, Ob. July 7, 1767, aet.
eighty-one.”--_Wilton, sculptor._
[Ill.u.s.tration: CHAPEL OF EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, LOOKING WEST.]
CHARLES HOLMES, Esq., Rear-Admiral of the White; who is represented in a Roman habit, leaning against a cannon mounted on a sea carriage; an anchor, cable, and flag in the back ground.--”He died the 21st of Nov., 1761, Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's fleet stationed at Jamaica, aged fifty. Erected by his grateful nieces, Mary Stanwix and Lucretia Stowe.”--_Wilton, sculptor._
In front of the monument to Admiral Holmes, is an old gravestone, plated with bra.s.s, with Latin inscription, to JOHN of WINDSOR, nephew of Sir William of Windsor, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the reign of Edward III.
He died April 4, 1414.
Near this spot was buried JOHN PYM, the celebrated Parliamentary orator, who died December 13, 1643; and also JAMES USHER, Archbishop of Armagh, 1656.
VI.--Chapel of St. Edward.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
1. Henry the Third, 1272.
2. Queen Eleanor, 1290.
3. Henry the Fifth, 1423.
4. Queen Phillippa, 1369.
5. Edward the Third, 1377.
6. Margaret Woodville, Daughter of Edward the Fourth, on which is placed a Sword and s.h.i.+eld of State, carried before Edward the Third, 1316.
7. Richard the Second and Queen, 1399, 1394.
8. Coronation Chair of Edward the First, 1297.
9. Coronation Chair made for Mary, Wife of William the Third.
10. Tomb of Edward the First, 1307.
11. Shrine of Edward the Confessor, 1065.
12. Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, 1397.