![Denham, Lewknors at prayer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Denham%2C_Lewknors_at_prayer.jpg)
Sir Edward Lewknor or Lewkenor (1542 – 19 September 1605) was a prominent member of the
puritan
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...
gentry in East Anglia in the later
Elizabethan
The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
period, and an important voice on religious matters in the
English Parliament
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised ...
.
Origins and young life
Edward was the eldest son of the courtier
Edward Lewknor of
Kingston Buci
Kingston by Sea, also known as Kingston Buci, Kingston Bucii or simply Kingston, is a small area in the Adur district of West Sussex, England. Although it is now part of a continuous urban area, its origins lay in an ancient village and parish ...
, Sussex, and his wife Dorothy, daughter of Robert Wroth and Jane Hawte, and sister of Sir
Thomas Wroth. His father grew up in the wardship of Robert Wroth (an associate of
Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell (; 1485 – 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false charge ...
and
Richard Rich
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (July 1496 – 12 June 1567), was Lord Chancellor during King Edward VI of England's reign, from 1547 until January 1552. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated almshouses in Essex in 1564. He wa ...
), who left directions in his will (1536) for the marriage of his ward to his daughter Dorothy. The elder Lewknor's career as a courtier benefited from the high favour in which King
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
held his brother-in-law Thomas Wroth, one of the
Gentleman of the Privy Chamber
A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England.
The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, f ...
, whose wife Mary was a daughter of Richard Rich. However, with King Edward's death and the accession of
Queen Mary in 1553, Wroth (a strong favourer of the Protestant reform) went with Sir
John Cheke
Sir John Cheke (or Cheek) (16 June 1514 – 13 September 1557) was an English classical scholar and statesman. One of the foremost teachers of his age, and the first Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge, he played a great pa ...
and Sir
Anthony Cooke
Sir Anthony Cooke (1504 – 11 June 1576) was an English humanist scholar. He was tutor to Edward VI.
Family
Anthony Cooke was the only son of John Cooke (died 10 October 1516), esquire, of Gidea Hall, Essex, and Alice Saunders (died 1510), da ...
into exile abroad.
The elder Lewknor, who was reputedly
Groom Porter
The Groom Porter was an office at the royal court of the monarch of Britain, who had "the Inspection of the King's Lodgings, and takes care that they are provided with Tables, Chairs, Firing, &c. As also to provide Cards, Dice, &c. when there is ...
to both monarchs, kept his position at court, but became implicated in the "Dudley conspiracy" (of
Henry Dudley and
Henry Peckham) to depose Queen Mary and install her sister
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
when he used his situation to procure a copy of King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
's will on their behalf. In 1556 he was found guilty of treason,
attainted
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary ...
, and imprisoned in the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
under deferral of execution awaiting a possible pardon. At this time the Queen sought urgently to force Sir Thomas Wroth to return to England, but without success, and after three months in the Tower attended by his wife and one of his daughters Lewknor expired there in September 1556. His son Edward at the age of 14 therefore faced a complete reversal of his childhood status and expectations when his father was buried at the Tower.
Many lands, including the manor and
advowson
Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, ...
of
Hamsey
Hamsey is a civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The parish covers a large area () and consists of the villages of Hamsey, Offham and Cooksbridge. The main centres of population in the parish are now Offham and Cooksbridge. ...
, East Sussex, were restored to his mother in February 1556/57 by Mary's
Letters Patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
. In the first year of Elizabeth an act was passed, on the petition of Lewknor's four sons (Edward, Thomas, Stephen and William) and six daughters (Jane, Maria, Elizabeth, Anne, Dorothie and Lucrece) to restore them to their blood, lineage and degree. This restored all their ancestral hereditaments excepting those held in use, possession or reversion by their father at the time of his treason and
attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditar ...
, or any which either Mary or Elizabeth should have found cause to withhold. They were therefore entitled to make their
pedigrees as Lewknor's heirs as if he had never been attainted, and to make conveyances thereof, except of lordships, honours and other benefits to which their Majesties were entitled on account of the attainder.
His fortunes so far restored, Edward was educated at
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...
, matriculating a pensioner at Easter 1559 and graduating B.A. in 1561, and was a fellow of the college from 1561 to 1563. He entered the
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...
in 1562 to study law. His son recorded in his father's printed epitaph that he next found some service in the royal household of Queen Elizabeth. His next brother Thomas Lewknor (presumably the same who matriculated from
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
in
Lent term 1557–58 and graduated B.A. in 1562–63) was presented Rector of Hamsey by the Diocesan 'by lapsed authority' in 1563, remaining until 1568.
Marriage and relocation to Suffolk
![Denham, Dame Susan Lewknor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Denham%2C_Dame_Susan_Lewknor.jpg)
Around 1570 Edward married Susan, daughter of Sir Thomas Heigham of
Higham Hall, Suffolk and his wife Martha, daughter of Sir
Thomas Jermyn of
Rushbrooke Hall
Rushbrooke Hall was a British stately home in Rushbrooke, Suffolk.GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Rushbrooke, in St Edmundsbury and Suffolk , Map and description, ''A Vision of Britain through Time''. http://www.vision ...
. While his mother Dorothy Lewknor remained of Kingston Buci, in consequence of his marriage Edward moved to Suffolk, settling at Denham near
Bury St Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market town, market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – ...
, Suffolk, near to Rushbrooke and Higham, and established his family there, where the male line continued in three generations. This placed him firmly within the kinship of the central East Anglian gentry, and, so far as his immediate Jermyn and Heigham relations were concerned, with a group embodying the radical puritan interest in Suffolk. Lewknor assumed this role naturally and energetically: the twin social pillars of the magistracy and ministry working together under the authority of this particular family group (which had a strong parliamentary presence) form the subject of an oft-quoted case-study by
Professor Collinson.
Susan Heigham's father Sir Thomas Heigham was the grandson and senior heir of John Heigham (died c. 1522), whose younger brother Clement Heigham of
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Babergh district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is noted for its Guildhall, Little Hall, 15th-century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walks. In the medie ...
(died 1500) was father of Sir
Clement Heigham
Sir Clement Higham, or Heigham, (pre-1495 – 9 March 1571) of Barrow, Suffolk, was an English lawyer and politician, a Speaker of the House of Commons in 1554, and Chief Baron of the Exchequer in 1558–1559. A loyal Roman Catholic, he held va ...
of
Barrow, Suffolk
Barrow is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk (district), West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, about eight miles west of Bury St Edmunds. According to Eilert Ekwall the meaning of the village name is grove or wood, hill or moun ...
(died 1571)
Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings.
Systems that have such a position include:
* Speaker of ...
in 1554, an open Catholic, and a notable persecutor of Protestants. Speaker Higham's son Sir John Heigham (died 1626), however, with whom Lewknor had more to do, was a central patron of the puritan movement in East Anglia. The Jermyns were similarly bi-partisan. Martha Jermyn's father Sir Thomas died in 1552, and her brother Sir
Ambrose Jermyn
Sir Ambrose Jermyn (1511 – 5 April 1577) of Rushbrooke, Suffolk, was an English courtier, magistrate and landowner.
Origins
He was the son of Sir Thomas Jermyn (died 1552) of Rushbrooke by his wife Anne Spring, the eldest daughter of Tho ...
(died 1577) was reportedly a fervent Roman Catholic and strong persecutor of Protestants in East Anglia during the reign of Queen Mary, but by another account took immediate steps to curb the excesses of commissioners as soon as Elizabeth came to the throne. His son, Sir
Robert Jermyn
Sir Robert Jermyn DL (1539–1614) was a prominent East Anglian landowner and magistrate, of strongly reformist views in religion, who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1584 and 1589.
Jermyn was the eldest surviving son of ...
(died 1614), however, was an uncompromising puritan and patron, and the associate of John Heigham.
Martha Heigham held the manor of Denham as her jointure and may have been responsible for building Denham Hall (beside the church), the old fabric of which remains behind its later facade. Strongly puritan in sympathy, she lived down to 1593. Her minister there was Robert Pricke, alias Oldmayne, whose family name was apparently changed to evade persecution during Mary's reign. In 1577 Oldmayne baptized his son Timothy at Denham, and remained minister there for 30 years throughout the time of Edward and Susan Lewknor. In 1581 Robert Jermyn's sister Frances died leaving endowments for Fellowships at St John's and Trinity College, Cambridge, granting Robert the choice of appointments, and she gave copies of the
Tremellius bible to several East Anglian ministers including Richard Pricke and
John Knewstub
John Knewstub (or Knewstubs) (1544–1624) was an English clergyman and one of the participants in the Hampton Court Conference of 1604 representing the Puritan side. Patrick Collinson calls him presbyterian by conviction, but moderate in his view ...
. Upon the foundation of
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...
in 1584, Sir Robert's heir Thomas Jermyn was at once enrolled, Sir Robert himself endowed a Fellowship there, and a lasting connection was begun in which the Lewknors followed.
Parliament
![Sir Edward Lewkenor (died 1605)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Sir_Edward_Lewkenor_%28died_1605%29.jpg)
Lewkenor was sponsored in a successful Parliamentary career by Puritan sympathisers such as the
Earl of Leicester
Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837.
Early creations ...
, with whose help in 1571 he was elected MP for
Tamworth. In 1572 he was elected MP for
New Shoreham, near his ancestral domains. He was then elected for
Maldon
Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea ...
in 1584 and 1586. Lewknor, Sir John Heigham (knighted 1579, MP for
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...
in 1584 and for Suffolk in 1586) and Sir Robert Jermyn (MP for
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
in the same parliaments) led a strongly Puritan faction in Parliament, often working together in committee, advocating the importance of a learned clergy and the reform of episcopal powers and activities, with which Jermyn in particular came into direct confrontation.
In 1584 Lewkenor was involved with a bill for the more reverent observation of the Sabbath – which, as an intervention in Church affairs, met with royal resistance. Later in that year he served on a committee to consider petitions for the liberties of godly preachers. In 1585 he offered a petition concerning abuses in the ministry on behalf of the people of
Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
, simultaneously overseeing the formulation of an official prayer of thanksgiving to God for the great benefits bestowed upon the realm by Queen Elizabeth, to be used in Parliamentary proceedings. In late 1586, in test or proof of this loyalty, he, Heigham and Jermyn were appointed with others to consider a means by which
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
might be brought to the execution of justice.
This, however, did not protect him when, in 1587, a revised
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
and accompanying bill were put before the House by
Anthony Cope, M.P. for
Banbury, Oxfordshire
Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census.
Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshire ...
. It was hoped thereby to reform certain problems in ecclesiastical affairs, and the proposer asked for it to be read and to be approved to replace the existing books in all churches. Lewkenor was among those who spoke, solemnly but unsuccessfully, in favour of its reading. These proceedings caused immediate royal disapproval, and when an issue of
freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...
was raised the Member doing so (
Peter Wentworth
Sir Peter Wentworth (1529–1596) was a prominent Puritan leader in the Parliament of England. He was the elder brother of Paul Wentworth and entered as member for Barnstaple in 1571. He later sat for the Cornish borough of Tregony in 1578 and ...
) was sent to the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
. On the following day Cope and three others including Edward Lewkenor were also imprisoned there. Sir John Heigham and Sir Robert Jermyn were among those appointed 11 days later to consider their release: their durance lasted about a month.
Later life
Lewkenor was not in the Parliament of 1588–89. In 1589, when he sat for Maldon again, his mother Dorothy Lewknor died at Kingston Buci, making Edward sole
executor
An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, may sometimes be used.
Overview
An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker of a ...
responsible for her legacies. In these she and he were bound by a
recognizance
In some common law nations, a recognizance is a conditional pledge of money undertaken by a person before a court which, if the person defaults, the person or their sureties will forfeit that sum. It is an obligation of record, entered into before ...
of two thousand marks made with her kinsman
Sir Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster".
Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wals ...
in 1570, limiting to £1000 any bequests or payments thereof made to unmarried daughters, with which she exactly complied. In 1594 Lewknor sold the manor and advowson of Hamsey, which in 1563 had been granted to him in reversion to take effect after his mother's death. In the previous year, he once more sitting for Maldon, his mother-in-law Martha Heigham died at Denham, also making Edward her sole executor and leaving him very extensive estates, Denham itself coming to him in Susan's share of the matrilineal inheritance divided between the two Heigham daughters.
Martha by her will established a scholarship at Emmanuel College (which it fell to Edward Lewknor to implement) on condition that it be enjoyed by Timothy Oldmayne when he should be ready to take it up, which Timothy accordingly did in 1595, proceeding to BA in 1598–99 and MA in 1602. Robert Jermyn, the younger son of Sir Robert, matriculated from Emmanuel in 1597 and graduated BA in 1599–1600. The Suffolk preacher Richard Blackerby, meanwhile, of Trinity College (admitted 1587, BA c. 1590), who was greatly influenced by the teaching of
William Perkins, on leaving Cambridge lived in the household of Sir Robert Jermyn as his chaplain, and then for two years lived at Denham in the same capacity to the Lewknors, before marrying Timothy Oldmayne's sister. Lewknor's elder son, Edward, was admitted to Emmanuel in 1599.
Edward Lewknor was MP for
Newport, Cornwall
Newport ( kw, Porthnowyth) is a suburb of the town of Launceston in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Originally a separate settlement, Newport is immediately north of the town from which it is separated by the River Kensey.
Until the early ...
in 1598. He continued active in parliamentary business of various kinds, including the extended consideration of proposed bills for relief of the poor and prevention of idle beggars in November 1597. Having been knighted by
King James I
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
in 1603, he was returned as MP for Maldon in 1604, and resumed his intense involvement in questions of church and religion. In particular he strongly advocated that the requirement of subscription should extend only to the
Thirty-nine Articles
The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (commonly abbreviated as the Thirty-nine Articles or the XXXIX Articles) are the historically defining statements of doctrines and practices of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the ...
and not to the Prayer-book, so that the "godly ministers" should not be excluded from the established ministry.
The younger Edward Lewknor (the second of Denham) was admitted pensioner at Emmanuel College in July 1604, and his elder brother graduated BA in 1605. Called home from Cambridge to Denham with a neighbour's son in 1605, to avoid a smallpox outbreak, the friend brought the infection with him which, at the beginning of October 1605, claimed the lives of their mother and father on consecutive days.
Death and exequies
![Monument of Sir Edward and Lady Lewkenor - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Monument_of_Sir_Edward_and_Lady_Lewkenor_-_geograph.org.uk_-_965561.jpg)
The dates of death for Dame Susan (who died first) and Sir Edward vary slightly between the tomb inscription (2 and 3 October), the printed epitaph and the funeral certificate (3 and 4 October). They were buried in St Mary's church, Denham on 5 October 1605, and Sir Edward was succeeded as heir by his elder son Edward Lewknor.
The funeral, which was held on 9 January following, was a formal
heraldic
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
occasion, his sons, daughters and sons-in-law attending as mourners, the
standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
being borne by his sister Mary's son John Machell, and the
pennon
A pennon, also known as a pennant or pendant, is a long narrow flag which is larger at the hoist than at the fly. It can have several shapes, such as triangular, tapering (square tail) or triangular swallowtail (forked tail), etc. In maritime ...
by Edward as Chief Mourner. Robert Prick alias Oldmayne delivered a funeral sermon which was published. Edward the son erected an elaborate canopied table monument featuring painted stone carvings of Sir Edward, his wife and their eight children at prayer, within a chapel in the church recently built for that or another purpose. He also published a
Threnody
A threnody is a wailing ode, song, hymn or poem of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person. The term originates from the Greek word θρηνῳδία (''threnoidia''), from θρῆνος (''threnos'', "wailing") and ᾠδ ...
for his father, in which Latin, English, Greek and Hebrew verse tributes from many university theologians were collected, including some lines from
William Bedell
The Rt. Rev. William Bedell, D.D. ( ga, Uilliam Beidil; 15717 February 1642), was an Anglican churchman who served as Lord Bishop of Kilmore, as well as Provost of Trinity College Dublin.
Early life
He was born at Black Notley in Essex, and ...
, then of Emmanuel College and afterwards of
Horringer
Horringer is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It lies on the A143 about two miles south-west of Bury St Edmunds. The population in 2011 was 1055.
Heritage
Horringer was earlier known as Ho ...
, and from
Joseph Hall, also of Emmanuel, then minister at
Hawstead
Hawstead is a small village and civil parish in the West Suffolk (district), West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is located south of Bury St. Edmunds between the B1066 road, B1066 and A134 roads, in a fork formed by the River ...
.
The funeral was directed by the
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
and
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
Heralds (John Raven and Robert Treswell). The heraldry of the tomb includes as a canopy centrepiece a shield with many
quarterings alluding to the ancestry of Lewkenor's great-grandfather, another Sir Edward (d. 1522), both in his paternal descent from the Bardolph, Tregoz, Noel and D'Oyly, the Dallingridge and Echingham families, and in his maternal Camoys and De Braose inheritance through Elizabeth (Isabella) Radmylde. It is an emblazoning to represent the House of Lewkenor of Kingston Buci in that branch, no additional heraldry being shown for the intervening generations. The meaning and contemporary understanding of this descent is shown in an extensive pedigree drawn up in 1612 and 1615 in the time of the younger Sir Edward Lewkenor, who in 1610 became son-in-law of Sir
Henry Neville Henry Neville or Nevile may refer to:
*Henry Neville (died c.1415), MP for leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency), leicestershire
*Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland (1525–1564), English peer
*Henry Neville (Gentleman of the Privy Chamb ...
.
In an equivalent position at either end of the canopy are
impalements showing the same quarterings for Lewkenor (
dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British Diary of a Bad Man#Main, web series ''Diar ...
) with eight-quarters for Heigham (
sinister
Sinister commonly refers to:
* Evil
* Ominous
Sinister may also refer to:
Left side
* Sinister, Latin for the direction " left"
* Sinister, in heraldry, is the bearer's true left side (viewers' right side) of an escutcheon or coat of arms; see ...
). Individual Lewkenor impalements for the marriages of Sir Edward's children are displayed on the
transoms of the canopy, those at the eastern side being prepared for the two sons with the sinister pales left invitingly blank. The Latin tomb inscription (no doubt written by his son Edward) refers to his loyal and valuable services for court, parliament and commonwealth, which earned him the approbation of all good men, and his work to introduce the preaching of the Gospel in Denham. The Christian virtues of Dame Susan, her devout modesty, chastity, generosity and kindness to the poor are also commended.
Sir Edward died possessed of considerable estates (including the half of Sir Thomas Heigham's estate which his wife had inherited), to which his eldest son was heir. The
Inquisition post mortem An Inquisition post mortem (abbreviated to Inq.p.m. or i.p.m., and formerly known as an escheat) (Latin, meaning "(inquisition) after death") is an English medieval or early modern record of the death, estate and heir of one of the king's tenants-in ...
was held on 9 January 1605/06.
Children
The children of Sir Edward Lewkenor and his wife Susan Heigham are shown as follows:
*Dorothie (1575–1603), married Robert Castell,
armiger
In heraldry, an armiger is a person entitled to use a heraldic achievement (e.g., bear arms, an "armour-bearer") either by hereditary right, grant, matriculation, or assumption of arms. Such a person is said to be armigerous. A family or a cl ...
, of East
Hatley, Cambridgeshire
Hatley is a civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England. It lies between the villages of Gamlingay and Croydon, 12 miles south-west of the city of Cambridge and eight miles south-east of the town of St Neots. In 2001, the population of Hatley ...
. She is said to have died without issue, though a son Robert was christened at Denham in 1598. She died before her parents, and is not among the mourners depicted on Sir Edward's tomb. Sir Robert remarried and had five children, the elder son being named Robert.
*(Sir) Edward (1586–1618), of Denham Hall, was admitted pensioner at
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...
in 1599 and proceeded to B.A. in 1604–05. He married (?1607 or 1610) Mary, daughter of Sir
Henry Neville Henry Neville or Nevile may refer to:
*Henry Neville (died c.1415), MP for leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency), leicestershire
*Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland (1525–1564), English peer
*Henry Neville (Gentleman of the Privy Chamb ...
and Ann Killegrew of
Billingbear House
Billingbear House was situated in the parish of Waltham St. Lawrence in Berkshire, England, about six miles from Windsor.
Originally owned by the Bishop of Winchester, the land was given to Sir Henry Neville (father of politician and diplomat, ...
, Berkshire, by whom he had six children. He was knighted in 1606, was M.P. for
West Looe
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
in the Parliament of 1614 and served as
High Sheriff of Suffolk
This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Suffolk.
The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually (in March) by the Crown. The Sheriff was originally the principal law enforcement officer in the county a ...
in 1617, while holding which office he died. He was buried at Denham.
*(Sir) Robert (1588–1636), was admitted pensioner at Emmanuel College in 1604. He was knighted in 1607, married Mary (daughter and coheir of Alexander Hamon of
Acrise, Kent), by whom he had five children. Sir Robert was to inherit the manor of Kingston Buci, but also inherited the manor of Acrise from his father-in-law, and was
High Sheriff of Kent
The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (prior to 1974 the office previously known as sheriff)."Sheriffs appointed for a county or Greater London shall be known as high sheriffs, and any reference in any enactment or instrum ...
in 1630.
![Denham, Three Lewknor daughters](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Denham%2C_Three_Lewknor_daughters.jpg)
*Hester (d. 1612), married (1601)
Robert Quarles of
Romford, Essex
Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romford ...
, eldest son of James Quarles of
Ufford near
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
,
Clerk of the Green Cloth
The Clerk of the Green Cloth was a position in the British Royal Household. The clerk acted as secretary of the Board of Green Cloth, and was therefore responsible for organising royal journeys and assisting in the administration of the Royal ...
. Robert, knighted in 1608, was brother of the poet
Francis Quarles
Francis Quarles (about 8 May 1592 – 8 September 1644) was an English poet most notable for his emblem book entitled ''Emblems''.
Early life
Francis Quarles was born in Romford, Essex, and baptised there on 8 May 1592. His family had a long hist ...
. Robert made two further marriages.
*Anne (d. 1608), married (c. 1598) Godfrey Rodes, armiger, of
Great Houghton, Yorkshire, eldest son of the second marriage of the judge Sir
Francis Rodes
Sir Francis Rodes (c. 1530–1588) of Barlborough Hall in the parish of Barlborough, Derbyshire, was an English judge who took part in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. He built Barlborough Hall and was one of the founders of Netherthorpe Scho ...
of
Barlborough Hall
Barlborough Hall School became an independent Catholic day school, in the Jesuit tradition, around 1939. The school is now the Preparatory school for Mount St Mary's College at Spinkhill, 2.2 miles down the road. The present head teacher is Mrs K ...
. They had five children.
*(Martha, died in childhood).
*Martha (d. before 1639), married Thomas Gurney, armiger, eldest son of Henry Gurney of
Ellingham, Norfolk
Ellingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located north-east of Bungay and south-east of Norwich, along the River Waveney. The majority of the population lies in the east of the parish in Kirby Ro ...
. They had eight children. She survived her husband and was buried at
Barsham, Norfolk
Barsham is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, and includes the villages of East Barsham, North Barsham, West Barsham and Houghton St Giles. The villages are all situated within 2 miles of each other, about 3 miles north of the tow ...
.
*Sarah, married Thomas Stuard, armiger, son of Thomas Stuard of
Barton Mills, Suffolk (and probably grandson of Simeon Stuard of
Lakenheath
Lakenheath is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It has a population of 4,691 according to the 2011 Census, and is situated close to the county boundaries of both Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, ...
).
[W. Rye, ''The Visitation of Norfolk Anno 1563 and 1613'', Harleian Society Vol. XXXII (London 1891)]
p. 60.
Consult also A. Barclay, ''Electing Cromwell: the making of a politician'' (Routledge 2015)
pp. 44–45.
/ref> Six of their children were christened at Denham between 1608 and 1619.
*Elizabeth (b. 1591), married (before 1618) Thomas Catelyn (possibly second son of Richard Catelyn or Catlin, Serjeant-at-arms
A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...
, of Wingfield Castle
Wingfield Castle in the parish of Wingfield in Suffolk, England is a fortified manor house which was the ancestral home of the Wingfield family and their heirs, the de la Pole family, created Earls and Dukes of Suffolk. It is now a private hou ...
). Three of their children were christened at Denham between 1619 and 1622.
*Susan (d. 1609), without issue.
References
External links
Entry in Oxford DNB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewknor, Edward
1542 births
1605 deaths
Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
Members of the Middle Temple
English Puritans
Members of the pre-1707 English Parliament for constituencies in Cornwall
English MPs 1571
English MPs 1572–1583
English MPs 1584–1585
English MPs 1586–1587
English MPs 1589
English MPs 1593
English MPs 1597–1598
English MPs 1604–1611
Members of Parliament for Maldon
People from Hamsey