Oliver Le Neve (1662 – November 1711) was a

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

country squire ''Country Squire'' is the third studio album by American country musician Tyler Childers. Recorded at the Butcher Shoppe in Nashville, the album was produced by Sturgill Simpson and was released on August 2, 2019, through Childers' own Hickman H ...

and landowning sportsman who lived most of his life at Witchingham Hall in

Great Witchingham Great Witchingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk about north-west of Norwich. It covers an area of and had a population of 564 in 235 households at the 2001 census, including Lenwade but reducing to a populati ...

, Norfolk, England, and is significant for his 1698 mortal duel with Sir Henry Hobart of

Blickling Hall Blickling Hall is a Jacobean stately home situated in 5,000 acres of parkland in a loop of the River Bure, near the village of Blickling north of Aylsham in Norfolk, England. The mansion was built on the ruins of a Tudor building for Sir Henry ...

, the last-recorded duel fought in Norfolk.

Early life

Oliver Le Neve was born in 1662 to Francis Le Neve (d.1681), a London draper and upholsterer at Cornhill, and Avice, his wife, who was daughter to city merchant Peter Wright. Francis Le Neve, who may have been brought to London by his Norfolk kinsman William Le Neve, owned a modest amount of London property, warehouses and shops. Oliver Le Neve had an older brother,

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

, who became an antiquary, elected President of the Antiquarian Society in 1687, and became a

Norroy King of Arms Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the Provincial King of Arms at the College of Heralds with jurisdiction over England north of the Trent and Northern Ireland. The two offices of Norroy and Ulster were formerly separate. Norroy King of Arms is ...

herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...

.Rye, Walter
"Le Neve, Peter"
Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 33. Retrieved 31 March 2018 Le Neve's immediate family originated in Norfolk, with the ancestral family dating there to at least the early 15th century, particularly at Ringland; his grandfather Firmian Le Neve was the first from Ringland known to live in London.

Nicolson, Adam Adam Nicolson, (born 12 September 1957) is an English author who has written about history, landscape, great literature and the sea. He is also the 5th Baron Carnock, but does not use the title. He is noted for his books ''Sea Room'' (about t ...

(2012); ''Gentry: Six Hundred Years of a Peculiarly English Class'', Part III: The Great Century 1610-1710, "Honour: The le Neves, Great Witchingham, Norfolk",

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...

. Rye, Francis, Rye, Amy; ''Calendar of Correspondence and Documents Relating to the Family of Oliver Le Neve, of Witchingham, Norfolk, 1675-1743'', Norwich, A. H. Goose, (1895). Reprint Rarebooksclub.com (2012). "Chapter 3: OLiver Le Neve"
''The Le Neve's of Norfolk'', Leneve.com,

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...

, 22 March 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2018 An older half-cousin twice removed of Le Neve, also called Oliver Le Neve ( 1600 – 1678) of Great Witchingham, who had been a stationer in London, willed in 1674 everything to his 10-year-old namesake, leaving the brother Peter as the recipient of the

bequest A bequest is property given by will. Historically, the term ''bequest'' was used for personal property given by will and ''deviser'' for real property. Today, the two words are used interchangeably. The word ''bequeath'' is a verb form for the act ...

if Oliver died without male heir. The settlement left Le Neve wealthy and the owner of Witchingham Hall, with his income being augmented by rent from his properties in London. Le Neve was sent to

Hart Hall Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main ga ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in 1679–80, and later in life became a local

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

and captain of the local

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

Marriage and Witchingham Hall

Great Witchingham Hall (geograph 3935879) optimized and spun

In 1692 Le Neve was staying at

Mannington Hall Mannington Hall is a moated medieval country house in the civil parish of Itteringham near the village of the same name and is in the English county of Norfolk within the United Kingdom. The first manor house built on this site was constructed in ...

in Itteringham, after which he resided at Witchingham Hall. In 1684 Le Neve married Anne Gawdy (1656–1696), who was from a further Norfolk

gentry Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies ''Gentry'', in its widest c ...

family at

West Harling Harling is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 2,201 in 932 households at the 2001 census,William Gawdy (1612–1669), who was an MP in the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...

, and who had bought his

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

cy in 1663. Anne died in 1696 after producing two boys, one of whom died in 1689 in infancy, and three girls. Le Neve was a strong friend to Bassingbourne, Anne's brother, until his death of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

. He renovated and replanted gardens at Witchingham Hall, with plants, particularly fruit, he bought from local contacts, or in London and transported through the port of Great Yarmouth from the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

. He shipped additional London purchases under personal request of the Gawdy family, particularly painting materials for the painter and brother of Bassingbourne, John Gawdy who succeeded to the Gawdy baronetcy as the 2nd Baronet. Le Neve became a popular and social focus for young

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a ...

s, the sons of

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

cavalier The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ) ...

s, with Witchingham Hall becoming a centre for convivial hospitality, and animosity towards the Whigs in power and the

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...

. The pastimes he and his friends favoured were hunting with

beagle The beagle is a breed of small scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking instincts, th ...

s, shooting, fishing, and horse racing at Newmarket. Through these he became close friends with John (Jack) Millecent, a rakish squire from

Linton, Cambridgeshire Linton is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, on the border with Essex. The village is approximately southeast from the city and county town of Cambridge. The A1307 road, A1307 passes through the village. The civil parish po ...

, whose family also shared mutual animosity with their local Whigs. By 1694 Millecent had persuaded Le Neve to breed and keep his own beagle pack, sold to him by Millecent who later stated was "the finest pack of Beagles in England". The growing reputation of Le Neve's pack in 1697 prompted Sir Horatio Pettus Bt. to beg a hound off him, one of a number sold to members of the Norfolk gentry. In 1707, after hunting hare and fox in Norfolk, Essex and Surrey, Le Neve sold his pack, only to buy another soon after. Le Neve was a collector of ribald verse penned by his Witchingham Hall circle of friends which he edited and gathered into a folio miscellany, and which today is kept by

Chetham's Library Chetham's Library in Manchester, England, is the oldest free public reference library in the English-speaking world.Nicholls (2004), p. 20. Chetham's Hospital, which contains both the library and Chetham's School of Music, was established in ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. Some verses were by Le Neve himself, with titles such as 'Madam as victors when they quit the field', 'Tell me insipid lecher now the tide', and 'When Lydia thou the rosy neck and arms'. After the death of Le Neve's wife Anne, Millecent promoted a match with Jane Knyvet (b.1670), referred to as one of the "

Darsham Darsham is a village in Suffolk, England. It is located approximately north east of Saxmundham. The village is bypassed by the A12 and is served by Darsham railway station, which is approximately one mile away from the village centre, on the ...

Ladies" of Suffolk, and the fourth daughter to Sir John Knyvet of Ashwellthorpe; Le Neve married her in 1698.

Election and animosity

Le Neve was frequently at odds with, and slighted by, Norfolk higher

who tended to be Whigs and supporters of William III. A particular earlier slight was the patronizing attitude of Thomas Browne of Elsing Hall over the 22-year-old Le Neve's trade ("mircatorian") family background. This animosity came to a head during the election year of 1698. Sir Henry Hobart MP of Blickling Hall was "the undisputed leader of Norfolk Whigs",Handley, S. (2002)
"HOBART, Sir Henry, 4th Bt. (c.1657-98), of Blickling Hall, Norf"

History of Parliament Online The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in ...

, using text from ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715'', ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks. Retrieved 31 March 2018 and an influential operator of Whig patronage of government, public office and county favours, part of a perceived corrupt regime that excluded Le Neve and his fellow Tories. The election was, however, a turning point for Hobart, a sitting MP. Three candidates contended for two positions: Sir Henry (Whig), Sir William Cooke (Tory), and Sir Jacob Astley (Whig). Hobart lost after spending a considerable sum to ensure his seat. In the heightened atmosphere surrounding the election, rumours were circulating about Hobart, particularly concerning his growing debts and creditors, and one that Le Neve was saying Hobart was a coward, especially during 1689–90 when he was

Gentleman of the Horse Gentleman of the Horse was a position in the stables department of the British Royal Court, subordinate only to the Master of the Horse. It existed from 1693 until abolished in 1782, and carried a salary of £256. The post was revived in 1828, wi ...

for William III while campaigning in Ireland, and it was this poor reputation cost him the election. Le Neve denied the accusation. Hobart, who believed Le Neve was instrumental in his defeat, publicly accused him of spreading the rumour—this in the market square at Reepham in Le Neve's absence—and that the only reason he denied it was that he was too afraid to fight. Le Neve wrote to Hobart asserting again his innocence, but offering to give satisfaction to whoever had spread the rumour, saying if Hobart could not prove the name of the culprit, he would assume it was "Blickling" (code for Hobart himself) that was generating this quarrel, and that he would meet him at his choosing. An appointment was made for the duel.

Duel and aftermath

Duels had been tacitly assumed illegal since a 1614 edict by

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

, but often a blind eye was turned. However, prosecution for duelling was a possibility, especially if no seconds or witnesses were present to assure fair play.

Adam Nicolson Adam Nicolson, (born 12 September 1957) is an English author who has written about history, landscape, great literature and the sea. He is also the 5th Baron Carnock, but does not use the title. He is noted for his books ''Sea Room'' (about t ...

in his book ''Gentry: Six Hundred Years of a Peculiarly English Class'' conjectures that despite this, the reason Hobart and Le Neve refused seconds was conversely to avoid any witness for possible prosecution. Some sources suggest that a young servant girl witnessed the duel from nearby bushes;Briggs, Stacia; Connor, Siofra
"Weird Norfolk: The Cawston duel stone and a ghost of Blickling Hall"
''

Eastern Daily Press The ''Eastern Daily Press'' (''EDP'') is a regional newspaper covering Norfolk, northern parts of Suffolk and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is published daily in Norwich, UK. Founded in 1870 as a broadsheet called the ''Eastern Counties Daily P ...

'', 20 October 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2018 reliable sources either don't mention this, or if they do, treat it as

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

. The duel took place on Cawston Heath on 20 August 1698. Both men rode from their respective seats: Hobart from Blickling to the north-east, and Le Neve from Witchingham 4 miles to the south-west. During the duel the left-handed Le Neve was apparently struck in the arm and replied with a thrust to the belly. The mortally wounded Hobart returned to Blickling Hall, died the following day and was buried in the Blickling family vault. Duel stone at Cawston

Narcissus Luttrell Narcissus Luttrell (1657–1732) was an English historian, diarist, and bibliographer, and briefly Member of Parliament for two different Cornish boroughs. His ''Brief Historical Relation of State Affairs from September 1678 to April 1714'', a c ...

, parliamentary diarist, heard that Le Neve "was wounded in the arm and Sir Henry run into the belly" The antiquary John Nichols in 1812 stated that Le Neve wasn't struck as Hobart's sword thrust was caught in a

greatcoat A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the ...

Le Neve was wearing. Adam Nicolson believes these accounts say more about class attitudes towards the differences in the backgrounds of the two men: the rapier of the elegant swordsmanship of the grand gentry in its finery aiming for the arm and being tangled in the coarse cloth of the minor gentry, which replies with a stab to the belly. However, Nicolson is sceptical, believing that as a captain of militia Le Neve would be more than skillful in refined use of sword, and on a possibly hot August day, would prefer not to be encumbered by a greatcoat. Le Neve decided to escape the area, concerned over repercussions of killing a Whig of such high rank. A £500 reward for capture was offered by Lady Hobart. The armed

Norfolk Militia The Norfolk Militia was formed under the Militia Act of 1757, replacing earlier less formal arrangements. From this date, better records were kept, and the men were selected by ballot to serve for longer periods. Proper uniforms and better weapo ...

was set to look for him, some searching the Gawdy house at West Harling. From London, Le Neve left for

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

, although occasionally returning incognito to London, where he was once nearly captured. He kept in touch with his family and friends who offered advice to avoid capture and provided Norfolk comestibles, he sending goods back from Holland. While on his travels and in Rotterdam he adopted the aliases of 'Davyes', 'Captain Janszen', and 'Mr Browne, the sword cutler'. He received a visit from his wife Jane in 1699. In East Anglia Le Neve was a hero and martyr for Tories, while the Whigs wanted him outlawed if he didn't return to face trial. His friends tried to arrange a sheriff and jury who would be, to their mind, honest and responsible. He returned and went on trial at

Thetford Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just east of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , in 2015 had a population of 24, ...

assizes in 1700, was found not guilty, and returned to Witchingham. After Jane died in 1704, and was buried at St Mary's Church, Jack Millecent again turned matchmaker for Le Neve. He secured a further marriage on 31 July 1707 to Elizabeth (b.1678), daughter to his friend Robert Sheffield who was the grandson to the

Earl of Mulgrave The title Earl of Mulgrave has been created twice. The first time as a title in the Peerage of England and the second time as a Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1626 for Edmund Sheffield, 3r ...

; she was one of two eligible Sheffield sisters presented by Millecent. Three months later Elizabeth died. Following the duel, Lady Hobart erected a memorial stone plinth with urn at the site. Today the plinth is a Grade II

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

structure.

Death

Oliver Le Neve died on 23 November 1711 at West Harling, and was buried with his first wife Anne Gawdy at Great Witchingham. As his sons predeceased him, his estate passed to his elder brother Peter until his death in 1729, who in his will intended the estate to pass to his three nieces, Le Neve's daughters. However, after legal battles, with accusations by the Le Neves of conflict interest, the estate was taken through reversion of the will by the trustees of a John Norris, whose grandfather, a

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

lawyer of the same name, had acted as trustee for the young Oliver Le Neve. The three daughters of Le Neve were ejected from the estate.Parkin, Rev. Charles; (1808) ''An essay towards a topographical history of the county of Norfolk'' vol, 3; p.300 (reversion of Peter Le Neve will), p.308 (Oliver Le Neve church monument)Blomefield, Francis
"Eynford Hundred: Witchingham, Magna and Parva."
''An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk'': Volume 8. London: W Miller, 1808. 297-311.

British History Online ''British History Online'' is a digital library of primary and secondary sources on medieval and modern history of Great Britain and Ireland. It was created and is managed as a cooperative venture by the Institute of Historical Research, Univer ...

. Retrieved 1 April 2018 These three surviving daughters by Anne Gawdy—Isabella, Anne and Henrietta—inherited the Gawdy estate at West Harling, and erected a chancel marble wall monument to their parents in St Mary's Church at Great Witchingham. The monument inscription reads:

Under the earth near this stone lyeth the dust of Oliver le Neve Esq late of this parish one of the Justices of the Peace and Captain of a Foot Company of the Militia of this County Second son of Frances le Neve gentleman Citizen and Draper of London and of Avice his wife daughter of Peter Wright and sister and heir of Peter Wright of London Merchant he died on the 23rd day of November Anno Domino 1711 and was buried on the 26th of the same month leaving behind him by his first wife Anne only ye daughter of Sir John Gaudy of West Herling in this County Baronet (who lyeth by his side) three daughters and co-heirs Isabella Anne and Henrietta Le Neve who caused this Memorial to be set up As also what remains of Elizabeth his second wife daughter and co-heir expectant of Robert Sheffield of Kensington in Middlesex Esq grandson of Edmund Earl of Mulgrave long since deceased she died suddenly on the 8th day of November 1707 without child and was buried here on the 12th day of the same month.
Tam Math quam Mercurio 'As much a man of war as commerce''ref name=Parkin/>

Early life

Marriage and Witchingham Hall

Election and animosity

Duel and aftermath

Death

References

Further reading