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BODLEIN

15 NOV 1928

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THE ancestry of the noble Poet, a complete edition of whose works is now

for the first time presented to the public, forms a very trifling element in that character which he has left behind him; but as every thing relative to such a man has a certain degree of interest, it may not be amiss to take line through the family-succession since the Conquest. At that time there were two powerful Barons of the name,—Ernest, who had extensive domains in the Counties of York and Lincoln, and Ralph, whose possessions by in Nottingham and Derby, and who was the direct ancestor of the subject of the present memoir. The two successors of Ralph were both amed Hugh; they were great benefactors of the Church, and the last of them retired from the world, and led a monastic life. Roger succeeded to the second Hugh, and was in his turn succeeded by Robert, who enriched the family by marrying Cecilia, only daughter of Sir Richard Clayton, of Clayton in the County of Lancaster. This happened in the reign of Henry the Second; and from that period, till the time of Henry the Eighth, Clayton continued to be the family-residence of the Byrons. The fortunate Sir Robert was succeeded by a son of the same name, vhose two sons again were eminently distinguished for bravery in the vars carried on by Edward the First. Sir John, the elder of these Warriors, became governor of the castle of York; and his son, also Sir John, distinguished himself in the wars in France under Edward the Third, by whom he was knighted at the siege of Calais. This Sir John dying without issue, was succeeded by Sir Richard, and he again by another Sir John, who fought under Henry the Fifth, and received the honour of knighthood as a reward for his valour. His youngest son succeeded him, and was succeeded by another Sir John, who, dissatisfied at the conduct of Richard the Third, was among the first that joined Richmond upon by landing at Milford. He displayed great bravery at the decisive battle Bosworth. His prowess was not unrewarded, for Henry bestowed upon in the offices of Constable of the castle of Nottingham, and steward and Varden of Sherwood Forest. Having no family, the lands descended to brother Nicholas. It had been through barons or knights of the name John, that the family had hitherto been chiefly enriched and ennobled; nd in the reign of Henry the Eighth, another Sir John was made steward Manchester and Rochdale, and lieutenant of the Forest of Sherwood. This Sir John was a great favourite with Henry, supporting him warmly à all his measures, and entering fully into all his views, both in his

change of religion and his changes of queens. In return for this, when the lands of the church came to be divided, he was not forgotten. The church and abbey of Newstead, with the manor of Papelham, and the rectory, with the adjoining lands, were given to him. Newstead Abbey was a foundation for regular canons of the Augustine order; its situation was beautiful, and its riches considerable. Sir John, the son of this expeller of the canons, and regainer back from the church of a good deal more than his ancestors had ever bestowed upon it, was high in favour with Elizabeth; and his son, Sir Nicholas, having gained much military skill in the wars in the Netherlands, was, if not of ultimate service to Charles, at least one of the first, firmest and boldest supporters of the royal cause, upon the breaking out of the civil war. In consideration of his services at the battle of Edgehill, he was made governor of Chester; and he defended that city against the Parliament-army for a considerable time. Sir John, son of the younger brother of this Sir Nicholas, was also a zealous royalist. He had been knighted by James at his coronation, and was appointed governor of the Tower, after the Commons had denounced Colonel Lunsford; in this situation he showed a great deal of firmness. He afterwards became an equally zealous and more fortunate partisan than his uncle Sir Nicholas. After the battle of Newbury, in which he played a very conspicuous part, he was, on the 24th of October 1643, created Baron Byron, of Rochdale, and appointed field-marshal of all the king's troops in Worcester, Salop, Cheshire, and North Wales. His uncle having been taken by the Parliament forces, he was appointed governor of Chester; and having defeated Sir Thomas Fairfax, and performed some other services of importance, he was so hated by the Parliament, that they passed a special act, exempting him from pardon, and confiscating his property. The king, however, in the meantime appointed him governor to the Duke of York (afterwards James the Second), with whom he effected his escape to Holland. From Holland he passed into Flanders, with his royal pupil, and was in the army of Marshal Turenne. He died at Paris, in 1652, without issue, and was succeeded in his titles and estates by his brother Richard. This second Lord died in 1679, and was succeeded by William, the third Lord. William, the fourth Lord, was thrice married, but his first lady died of the small pox, soon after their marriage; and the three sons and daughters which he had by his second lady all died before him. William, his eldest son, by a third marriage, was born in 1722, and succeeded him in 1736. He had been in the navy in his younger years, and was a man of considerable influence at court; but being a man of ungovernable passions, he was, in 1765, sent to the Tower, under a charge of having killed his relation, Mr. Chaworth, in a duel, which took place under very peculiar circumstances, at the Star and Garter Tavern, in Pall-Mall. The dispute which led to this fatal: catastrophe was begun and ended in the same room, and at the same meeting, Lord Byron insisting that they should instantly settle it by the sword, and with such light as one glimmering candle afforded. Being the more expert swordsman of the two, his friend and neighbour received a mortal wound, although he lived long enough to settle his own affairs, and supply such information as led the Coroner's jury to return a verdict of wilful murder against his lordship. The trial, which excited an immense degree of public interest at the time, came on at Westminster-Hall, before the peers. It lasted two days, and ended by an unanimous sentence of manslaughter, pronounced by upwards of two hundred and fifty members

the upper house. Upon being brought up for judgment, he pleaded

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