Mary Neville

MARY NEVILLE

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INDIVIDUAL NOTES AND SOURCES

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Thomas Barrett-Lennard. An Account Of The Families Of Lennard And Barrett; Compiled Largely From Original Documents. Printed for Private Circulation; 1908. The Descent of Margaret Fynes; pedigree. Family History Library, 35 North West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150, FHL Book 929.242 L547b; Fiche #6036475.

('Notes of olde Mr. Thorisbye.' Mr. Thursby was the third husband of Mary Lady Dacre, widow of the Thomas Lord Dacre who was hanged. Post, p. 207, n.1)

The young Lord Dacre, the third Thomas in succession, was summoned to attend Parliament in January 1534 when only nineteen years of age. He married, apparently in 1536, just before his twenty-first birthday, Mary Nevill, a daughter of George Lord Abergavenny. She was one of the ladies appointed to assist at Queen Mary's funeral, and drove with three other peeresses in the fyrste chariot'; these ladies were directed to be 'apperelled accordinge to their Estates viz manteles and their Barbes above their chines.' (Barbe or barb, part of a woman's head-dress, still sometimes worn by nuns; it consisted of white plaited linen passed over or under the chin, and reaching midway to the waist.) By her he had two sons: Thomas, who was fifteen years of age in August 1553, and was therefore born in 1538, and Gregory, and one daughter Margaret.

Upon Lord Dacre's execution and attainder, his widow was left quite penniless, but no time was lost in obtaining an Act of Parliament in order to provide a dower for her from out of her late husband's estates. Among our papers is an ancient copy of this Act, which was passed in the same year as he was executed, and which runs as follows:-

'An acte whereby certen landes are passed to the Lady Dacres.
'Anno xxxiij Henry VIII.' [1541-2]
It recites that:

Mary Fynes widowe, late the wief of Thomas Fynes late lorde Dacres, commonly called Lord Dacres of the Sowthe lately atteynted of wilfull murther by the lawes of this Realme of England is not dowable nor oughte to be indowed of any the Manors lands &c. which were in the possession &c. of the said late Lord Dacres &c. nor yet had any jointure in her late husband's lands for that the said Mary was espowsed & maryed unto her saide late Husband he being within the age of Twenty & one yeares & in the custody & ward of the King. The King's Majestie &c. according to his accustomable goodness of his liberalitie inclyned to mercy & pitty willing to extend his grace & clemency to the said Mary Fynes at the humble sute &c. of the said Mary for the relief of her and her children &c is contented & pleased that it be enacted by His Highnes with the assent of this present parliament, & by authority of the same, that the said Mary Fynes shall possess & enjoy for the term of her natural life, from Michaelmas last past, the Manors of Burham & Codham co. Kent-of Fromquinton & Belchwell co. Dorset, of Nashall co. Essex, & all their rights & privileges &c. the said attainder &c. not withstanding.'

But on July 2nd the King ordered her to be paid 50. at once, and directed that the Sheriff of Sussex should deliver to her 'All her apparel of velvet, satin, pearls, stones or goldsmiths work pertaining as well to her head as to the rest of her body.' And during the course of the month the King, being 'moved with pity' for the destitute position of the widowed Mrs. Mantell, said that upon being fully informed as to her circumstances he would take order for her relief.

I am not able to state at what date Lady Dacre married her second husband, who was - Wootton, Esq., of N. Tuddenham, Norfolk, nor whether she had children by him. She outlived him and married, as her third husband, Francis Thursby, Esq., of Congham in the same county; by whom in 1559 she had living three sons and three daughters. (This information as to Lady Dacre's second and third husbands is derived from Ld. D. His. In Blom. I can find no Wootton holding a manor in N. Tuddenham who could have been her husband. The same authority speaks of the family of Thursby (Thursbie) owning a manor in Congham from Henry VIII. till 39 Elizabeth, but does not mention a Francis of that name.) I believe that Lady Dacre died in or about 1576. Thomas, her eldest son by her first husband, died on August 25th, 1553, as appears by the following document in our possession:-

The extente &r clere yerely vallew of all the Castelles Lordships Manors &c.1ate of the enheretans of Thomas Fynes Lorde Dacre of the South deceased; the xxvth of August anno 1 Q. Marie [1553] being then of the age of xv yeres & warde to her Majestie; all wch sayd Castelles &c. descended to Gregory Fynes Lord Dacre his brother & next heyre beynge of the age of xiij yeres & a half at the deathe of his sayd brother.

Then comes a list of his estates with their respective rents, the total of which amounted to 1180. 18s. 7_d.

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