1313-14, he was commanded to raise 1000 foot soldiers from the counties of Salop and Stafford, to serve against the Scots, and in 1315, he was knight of the shire for Herefordshire, in which year he was again ordered to serve in Scotland 3; and, according to Hollingshed, he was killed by the Lacies in Ireland, whither he was sent by the Lord Chief Justice Mortimer, to treat for peace. In a contemporary Roll of Arms in the Cottonian Collection, he is stated to have borne " Quartile de argent e de azure endente, en l'un quarter un lion passaunt de or," which coat has been, and is still used by his descendants. At his death in 1317, his son Hugh was only eleven years of age in the 12th Edw. III. 1338, he received letters of protection, being then in the King's service 7; and in the same year was a justice of assize 8. His wife was Maud, the daughter and co-heiress of Sir Brian de Brampton, of Herefordshire, Knight, by whom he had Sir John de Croft, his son and heir, who was knight of the shire for Hereford in 1357; and who was succeeded by his son, Sir John de Croft, Knight, who was captain of Merk Castle, near Calais, in the 4th Hen. IV. 1402, at which time he was a knight, and was frequently employed in negotiations in Flanders between that year and 1404*, the correspondence relative to which is still extant. By Janet, the third daughter and co-heiress of the renowned Owen Glendower, he left issue, William Croft, Esquire", of whom the only

Rotuli Scotiæ, vol. i. p. 120.

2 Duncombe's Collections.

3 Appendix to the First Peerage Report, p. 249. 4 Hollingshed's History of Ireland.

6 Esch. 11. Edw. II. No.

Caligula, A. xviii.

7 Fœdera, N. E. vol. ii. p. 158.

8 Rolls of Parliament, vol. ii. p. 101. Several writs were issued to Hugh de Croft, in the 9th and 10th Edw. III., to raise troops from Huntingdonshire, and who was probably the same individual. Rotuli Scotia, vol. i. pp. 350, 360, 372-3-4, 404-7, 421-2.

9 Harleian MSS. 1545, 5799.

Pedigrees in Harl. MSS. 1159, 1140, 1434, 1545, 5799.

Duncombe's Collections for Herefordshire. His wife is said to have been a daughter of John Haviock.

3 Fœdera, Ed. 1708, vol. viii. pp. 279, 344, 375-6. A Matthew, alias Makyn Crofte, and a James Crofte, were men at arms at the battle of Agincourt; the former is described as an esquire in the act of resumption, 7th and 8th Ed. IV., by which a grant of an annuity of twenty marks is reserved to him. (Rot. Parl., vol. v. p. 609. Battle Roll of Agincourt.)

4 Fœdera, vol. viii. pp. 344, 375-6.

5 Cottonian MSS. Galba, B. 1. 6 Pennant's Wales, p. 302. Pedigree in Walwyn's MSS. Harleian MSS. 6596, 2121, 1545, 5799, 1157, 1159, 1140, 5058. She is said, in the Harleian MSS. 1969, to have married to her second husband, Sir Richard Monington, and to her third, Sir John Upton; and, according to some topographical collections for the county of Hereford, made in the seventeenth century, and preserved in the Harleian MSS. 6868, f. 37, the following arms stood in Croft church: "In Croft church, Arms, CROFT, WITH GLYNDORE's daughter, Cornwall, Skolls, Harbert, Sir James Croft, with Warnecomb, Blunt." but they do not now exist.

7 The Harleian MSS. before cited, and Vincent's MS. in the College of Arms, marked 115, and the MS. in that repository marked D. XII.

fact known is, that he was summoned to serve in the French wars in the 7th Hen. VI. 1427-8, and was living in 1434. His eldest son, Sir Richard Croft, was one of the most celebrated soldiers of his times. The first notice which occurs of him is in a letter from King Edward the Fourth, when Earl of March, and his brother the Earl of Rutland, to their father the Duke of York, about 1456, in which they complained of his and his brother's" odieux reule and demenynge," hence, it is presumed, that they were intrusted to his custody; which opinion is corroborated by the circumstance of his wife Eleanor, the daughter of Sir Edward Cornwall, Baron of Burford, and widow of Sir Hugh Mortimer, Knight, being called "Lady governesse," to the young princes at Ludlow 5. Sir Richard's attachment to the house of York was both manifested and rewarded after the accession of Edward to the throne. He was appointed general receiver for the earldom of March, in the shires of Hereford and Salop, and in the lordship of Wigmore, Radnor, and Melleneth, and parker of Gatelegh, which offices are specially reserved to him in the act of resumption of the 1st Henry VII. He was present at the battle of Tewksbury; and having taken the Prince of Wales prisoner, he brought him before Edward, in pursuance of the King's proclamation, when the young Prince was barbarously murdered, notwithstanding the assu

of

■ Harleian MSS. 5058, f. 30b, and f. 31.

2 Walwyn's MSS. penes Rev. J. Duncombe. By Margaret, daughter of Walwyn, he had issue, Sir Richard Croft, first son, mentioned above; Richard, second son, who by the description of Richard Croft the younger, received a grant of lands, together with Thomas Croft, Esquire, 1461, (Rot. Parl. vol. v. p. 586), and was apparently spoken of in the letter noticed in the text from Ed. IV., when Earl of March, and his brother, the Earl of Rutland, circa 1456, and died 18th Henry VII. 1502, (Cotton. MSS. Claudius, C. viii). His will is dated 12th August, 1501, and was proved 16th March, 1501-2, in which he described himself "of Chipping Norton" (Record in Doctors' Commons, marked Bluymyr, 14); he married Ann, daughter Fox, by whom he had issue Hugh, son and heir; Elizabeth, wife of Sir John Fienes, Knight; Lionel; and Ann, who married Sir John Rodney of Stoke Rodney, co. Somerset (Will before quoted). William Croft had also a daughter, who married John Dombleton, alias Downton, Esquire (Harleian MSS. 1566, fol. 116); and it is probable that he had a third son, Thomas, who received a grant of lands with Richard Croft, the younger, in 1461 and 1473 (Cal. Rot. and Patent Rot. Parl. vol. v. p. 589, and vol. vi. p. 84b): this Thomas Croft was Ranger of Whichwode Forest in Oxfordshire, Bailiff of Fawnhope in Hertfordshire, and Parker of Pembragge, also in Herts (Rot. Parl. vol. vi. p. 342). He committed "a detestable murder in the Marches of Wales," and thereby forfeited all his offices, and took sanctuary at Baudeley, 7th Hen. VII., 1491 (Rot. Parl. vol. vi. p. 441), and levied a fine of a third part of the manor of Shotswell in Warwickshire with Elizabeth his wife, 12th Ed. IV. 1472, by which it appears, that she was coheir to the lands formerly belonging to Sir John Beauchamp (Dugdale's Warwick, Ed. 1765, p. 385).

3 Authorities cited in note 7 in the last page.

4 Ellis's Original Letters, First Series, vol. i. p. 9. 5 Ancient Charters in the British Museum, xiv. 3. 6 Rolls of Parliament, vol. v. p. 589.

rance that his life should be preserved. Some writers have endeavoured to exculpate Sir Richard Croft from any participation in this treacherous action; for Habingdon says, "when the good Knight was aware of it, he repented what he had done, and openly professed his service abused, and his faith deluded." Of this event Drayton thus speaks 3,

"The princesse sonne who sees his friends thus fall
And on each side their carcases lie heapt,

Making away in this most piteous plight,

Is taken prisoner in his tardy flight.

And forth by Crofts before the conquerour brought
His proclamation cleering every doubt

Of the youth's safety."

And again, in the Polyolbion :

And through his enemies tents he march'd into the town,
Where quickly he proclaims to him that forth should bring
Young Edward a large fee; and as he was a King

His person to be safe. Sir Richard Crofts, who thought
His prisoner to disclose before the King, then brought
That fair and goodly youth."

5

Sir Richard was sheriff of Herefordshire in the 10th Edw. IV. when he was described as an esquire, and in the 11th Edward IV. when he was styled a knight; and was knight of the shire for that county in the 17th Edw. IV. In the 1st Hen. VII., he was Treasurer of the King's household, and at the battle or Stoke, 6th June, 1487, he was created a Knight Banneret". He was one of the council to Arthur Prince of Wales, for that principality, in the 13th Hen. VII. 1497-8, and was steward of the Prince's household at his Highness's death in 15029. This distinguished soldier died on the 29th of July, 1 Hen. VIII. 1509', being then seized of Croft, leaving by Eleanor his wife,

• Hall's Chronicle, Habingdon's Life and Reign of King Edward the Fourth, Succession of England's Monarchs, Dyde's Tewksbury, Lodge's Herefordshire. "Hall and Habingdon, &c.

3 Battle of Tewkesbury.

4 Harleian MSS. 5172 and 2122.

5 Duncombe's Collections.

6 Fœdera, vol. xii. Ed. 1708, p. 277.

7 Cottonian MSS., Claudius, Č. III. f. 10.

8 Hardyng's Chronicles by Ellis, p. 584.

9 Leland's Collectanea, vol. v. pp. 373, 378, 381.

1 Cole's Escheats, Harleian MSS. 756 and 347. The other issue of Sir Richard Croft by Eleanor Cornwall were, two sons and five daughters. Of the latter, Anne married Sir Thomas Blount of Kinlet, Salop; Elizabeth married John Whittington of Pawnley, Gloucestershire, Esquire; Joyce married Thomas Mill, Esquire; Jane, or Alice, married Sir Edward Darell of Littlecote, Wiltshire, Vice Chamberlain to Queen Katherine; Sybill married Sir George Herbert of St. Julians, Monmouthshire: Robert Croft, his

before mentioned, who survived him, Edward Croft, his son and heir, then forty-four years of age, who was sheriff of Herefordshire in 1505, again in the 1st Hen. VII. when he was described as an esquire, and in the 5th, 9th, 13th, 21st, 25th Henry VIII. when he was styled a knight 2. In July, 17 Hen. VIII., 1525, Sir Edward was appointed one of the learned counsel to the Princess, afterwards Queen, Mary, with a fee of 101. per annum3. He died about the beginning of March, 1547*; and by Joyce, daughter and sole heiress of Sir Walter Skull, of the Holt in Worcestershire 5, had Richard Croft, his eldest son, of whom nothing more is known than that he was living in 15357, and that by Katherine, daughter of Sir Richard Herbert, of Montgomery, Knight, he left several children, one of whom was James, the subject of this article.

The exact time of SIR JAMES CROFT's birth has not been

third son, of Kyre, co. Worcester, whose daughter, Margaret, married Thomas Wysham of Tedston, Herefordshire, and had four sons (Duncombe, vol. ii. part 1. p. 195); and John Croft of Holt, Worcestershire, his second son, who married first a daughter of Walter Skull, Esquire, who died without issue; and secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Seymour, Knight, from whom descended the Crofts of Holt (Visitation, Salop, 1623, and Vincent's MS. 115, in Coll. Arms).

1 Ibid.

2 Harleian MSS. 5712 and 2122.

3 Harleian MSS. 6807, f. 3b.

4 Copies of the Proceedings of the Privy Council, 8th March and 12th April, 1547, in the Harleian MS. 352, f. 7, where Sir Edward Croft is said to be then deceased, and whence it also appears that he was one of the council in Wales.

5 Vincent's MSS. 115, and the MS. marked D. x11. both in the College of Arms. 6 Authorities cited in note 7. The other issue of Sir Edward Croft were Thomas Croft, his second son, ob. s. p. (Ashmole's MSS. 8495); 3rd George, a priest, who was presented to Sapey, co. Hereford, 1523, living 1535 (Duncombe's Collections); Eleanor, married Thomas Scryven of Froydesly, Salop, Esquire; Margaret, wife of John Aprice, alias Gwynne of Clun, Salop, Esquire; Anne, married, 11th Henry VIII., John Harley of Brampton Brian, Esquire, ancestor of the Earls of Oxford and Mortimer; Joyce, married Sir Henry Owen of Midhurst, Sussex; Elizabeth, wife of James Vaughan of Hergest, Esquire; Maud, married Hugh Lloyd, of the Bellus, Esquire; and another daughter who married Phillips of Leominster, Herefordshire, Esq. (The Harleian MS. 7510 only, gives the two last mentioned matches, but the latter is proved by a letter from Sir James Croft, noticed in the text, in which he speaks of his cousin Fabian Phillips"); and William, or Robert Croft, of Okeley Park, Salop, who married a daughter of Scryven, Esquire, from whom descended the Crofts of Okeley Park (Vincent's MS. 115. John Davies' "Scourge for Folly." Epitaph on Mary Croft, the wife of John Davies, cited in Kent's Banner Displayed, edit. 1728, vol. i. p. 221).

7 Duncombe's Collections. There can be little doubt that the following passages, in a letter from Cecill to Sir Ralph Sadler, dated 5th October, 1559, referred to Sir James Croft and to his father. "The lettres from you and Mr. Crofts came this day to my hands, touching the unnaturall proceeding of old Mr. Crofts, wherein I will have as good regard as possible." Sadler's State Papers, vol. i. p. 482.

8 Authorities cited in note 5.

9 Namely, Richard, first son, who died without issue; John and Edward both died at Boulogne likewise without issue; Thomas Croft, who married Audrey, daughter of Sir Philip Paris of Lynton, Cambridgeshire; Joyce, wife of Sir Thomas Gamage, Knight; Anne, wife of Thomas Delawar, Esquire; and Sybell, who married first Edmund Randolf, Esquire, and secondly, John Hastings, Esquire.

ascertained, but he must have been born before the year 1520, as in 1541, 33 Hen. VIII. he was knight of the shire for Hereford', which is the earliest notice of him extant. It is to be inferred from Churchyard's "Chips concerning Scotland," that he served at the siege of Boulogne, where he lost his brothers, John and Edward. On the 24th November, 1 Edw. VI. 1547, he was knighted at Westminster; and although but few particulars are known of his early life, there can be no doubt that he had gained considerable military reputation in 1549, in which year he was appointed governor of Haddington . Of his conduct whilst he held that situation, we have the testimony of one of his contemporaries. Hollingshed observes that, "in that roome he bare himself so worthilie as if I should not be suspected of flatterie, for that he liveth yet, and in such credit, as the world knoweth, I might move myself matter to saie rather much than sufficiently enough in his due and right deserved commendation ;" and in 1551 he was sent to serve in the Marches of Calais 5.

It was probably the ability which he displayed in the discharge of his duties as governor of Haddington, that caused him to be selected for the more important post of Lord Deputy of Ireland on the 23rd of May, 1551. In November in that year, the King informed him in a letter, which is preserved among the Shrewsbury Papers, of his satisfaction at his conduct; that," in consideration of his substance of richesse and maner of intertaynment" being less, and "yet your charges myche moore than any other that hathe served us as deputies ther," he was pleased to give him in reward to his relief one thousand pounds; that he should have in his wages, of his household servants, forty able horsemen, at xijd per diem, and sixty footmen, at vjd per diem; and finally, that, "we be pleased to receve yow into the service of our Privee Chamber, and meane to accept yow as a gentilman

1 Duncombe's Collections.

2 Cottonian MSS., Claudius, C. III.

3 Hollingshed's Chronicle, vol. iii. sub anno.

5 Ibid. vol. iii. p. 1550.

• Lodge's Illustrations of British History, vol. i. p. 144.

4 Ibid.

7 Ibid, vol. i. pp. 144-5. In a "Book of the Monthly Wages in Ireland, during Sir James Crofte's deputation among them,” in the additional MS. in the British Museum, No. 4767, his allowance is stated to be as follows:

His diet at 1000l. per annum.
72 Horsemen

The Lord Deputy,

751. 12s.

Men 75.

One Cappetaine
Standerd berer
Trumpeter

For the funeral of Edward the Sixth, Sir James was allowed ten yards of black cloth for himself, and twenty-four yards for eight servants. Archæologia, vol. xii. p. 387.