The Hapsburg family dominated Europe for over 700 years. They were hereditary Archdukes of Austria from 1270 to 1918, and the head of the family was, with only one exception, elected Holy Roman Emperor from 1438 to 1806.
The Court of King's Bench was formerly one of the superior courts of common law in England. King's, or Queen's, Bench was so called because it descended from the English court held coram rege ("before the monarch") and thus traveled wherever the king went. King's Bench heard cases that concerned the sovereign or cases affecting great persons privileged to be tried only before him. It could also correct the errors and defaults of all other courts, and, after the close of the civil wars of Henry III's reign (1216-72), it mainly tried criminal or quasi-criminal cases. In 1268 it obtained its own chief justice, but only very gradually did it lose its close connections with the king and become a separate court of common law. The Court of King's Bench exercised a supreme and general jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases as well as special jurisdiction over the other superior common-law courts until 1830.
William Hewitt was born in Coventry in 1719. In 1767 Hewitt was appointed a Commissioner 'for the sale and disposal of lands in the Ceded Islands in the West Indies' (Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica and Tobago), and also held several minor appointments such as Customs officer and aide-de-camp. The work of the Commission terminated in 1771 and Hewitt returned to England. However, in 1776 he was appointed Commissioner 'for adjusting the differences that have arisen or may arise in respect to sales and leases of lands in the islands of Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica and Tobago,' although he did not receive his salary or expenses for the period 1776 to 1781. He lost his estates on Dominica when the island fell to the French in 1778, and having been involved adversely in several bankruptcies, he left considerable debts. He died in St. Eustatius on 16 May 1781.
Mention of the Newton Family in Barbados dates back to 1654 when one Samuel Newton is recorded and who was, by the time of his death, a substantial landowner. The family estate passed through several generations of Newtons until finally being inherited by the brothers John and Thomas Lane sometime after the death of John Newton in 1783.
A militia was a military organization of citizens with limited military training, which was available for emergency service, usually local defence.
No information available at present.
Richard Simon (1638-1712) was a Professor of Philosophy and a Hebrew scholar, who wrote commentaries on the language of the Bible. Isaac-Louis (Le Maistre) de Sacy (1613-1684) was a scripture translator and commentator, and director of the Port Royal Monastery. He was imprisoned for three years in the Bastille for his Jansenist opinions, and translated the Bible during his captivity (1666-1670). Nicolas le Tourneux (1640-1686) was Prior of Villiers sur Fere, and a respected theologian. Adrien Baillet (1649-1706) was a theologian and the librarian to Francois-Chrétien de Lamoignon.
A pontifical is a book of ceremonies performed by a bishop.
Thomas Wentworth was of an ancient and wealthy Yorkshire family, and was born at London, in 1593. He studied at Cambridge, married in 1611, was knighted, and travelled on the continent. He was returned to parliament as member for Yorkshire in 1614, and the next year was named custus rotulorum for the West Riding. He sat in several parliaments for Yorkshire, and without going to extremes, took part with the opponents of the court. In 1628 he went over to the side of the king, and was created Baron Wentworth, then Viscount, Lord President of the Council of the North, and in 1629 Privy-Councillor. In 1633 he was made Lord-Deputy of Ireland (1632-1640), where his harsh government led to the rebellion of 1641. In 1639 Wentworth was created Earl of Strafford, and received the title of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Strafford took his seat in the House of Lords in November 1640 and was immediately impeached of high treason for attempting to raise Irish troops to fight the King's English enemies, and committed to the Tower. In March, 1641 his trial began - Strafford defended himself admirably and, as the impeachment seemed likely to fail, a bill of attainder was proposed. Though he initially refused his assent to the attainder, King Charles I finally gave way and his minister, who had trusted in his promise of protection, was beheaded on Tower Hill, May 12, 1641.
No information was discovered at the time of compilation.
The English Parliament is the main legislative body of the country. The House of Commons has the right to impose taxes and to vote money to various public departments and services.
George Rennie was born in London on 3 December 1791. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh. In 1811 he joined his father's engineering practice, where he remained until 1818. From 1818 to 1826 he was inspector of machinery and clerk of the irons at the Royal Mint. On the death of his father Rennie entered into practice with his brother. At the firm Rennie was responsible for the construction of the Grosvenor Bridge over the River Dee at Chester and several railway projects. He was also responsible for the firm's manufacturing business, which made various types of machinery including biscuit making machinery and engines for the Royal Navy. In 1822 he was elected fellow of the Royal Society and contributed papers to Transactions in 1829. Rennie died in 1866.
Thomas Lovell Beddoes was a poet whose work featured strongly in the Elizabethan revival of the late Romantic period. Born in 1803, his father was the radical physician Thomas Beddoes, and his mother Anna Edgeworth, sister of the novelist Maria Edgeworth. Educated at Charterhouse and Pembroke College, Oxford, Beddoes published The Improvisatore (1821) and The Bride's Tragedy (1822) soon after his graduation. Following a spell among the literary circles of London, he attended medical school in Gottingen, Hanover, and Wurzburg, Bavaria. He achieved his medical doctorate in 1831, but was banished from Bavaria the next year for writing anti-establishment pamphlets, and moved to Switzerland, where he was to spend the rest of his life. Beddoes committed suicide in 1849. After his death, his friend and literary executor, Thomas Forbes Kelsall, published his play Death's Jest Book, and a collected volume of his poems.
Robert Clayton was born in Northamptonshire in 1629. He became an apprentice to his uncle who was a London scrivener where he became acquainted with fellow apprentice Alderman John Morris. They both went on to become successful businessmen and to establish the bank, Clayton & Morris Co. Clayton entered politics representing several wards depending on Whig favour. He was knighted in 1671 and went on to be elected Lord Mayor for 1679-80. Clayton built a considerable fortune and, as a mark of his wealth, in 1697 he lent the king 30000l to pay off the troops. He died in 1707.
The East India Company was an English company formed for the exploitation of trade with East and Southeast Asia and India, incorporated by royal charter on Dec. 31, 1600. Starting as a monopolistic trading body, the company became involved in politics and acted as an agent of British imperialism in India from the early 18th century to the mid-19th century. The company's defeat of the Portuguese in India (1612) won them trading concessions from the Mughal Empire. The Company mainly traded in cotton and silk piece goods, indigo, and saltpetre, with spices from South India. It extended its activities to the Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia, and East Asia.
Sir John Dawnay may have been the son of Sir Guy Dawnay, who died in 1552.
Clark was the chaplain at the Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea.
The Exchequer was responsible for receiving and dispersing the public revenue. In time the upper Exchequer developed into the judicial system, while the lower Exchequer became the Treasury.
No information available at present.
George Gordon Noel Byron, 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale, began writing Don Juan in Italy in 1818, and continued to add episodes until his death in 1824. The long, digressive satiric poem is a loose narrative, based on the life and adventures of the eponymous hero. The first two cantos were published in 1819, though the poem was not published in its entirety until eighty years after Byron's death. Willis W. Pratt, in his Notes on the Variorum Edition of Byron's Don Juan, Vol IV (1957), says (p.312) '...throughout the forties and fifties...there was still a spate of imitations and continuations [of Don Juan], but they became fewer, and, if possible, worse'. Among those he cites (on p.313) is 'John Clark (?), second of two volumes, titlepage missing, printed between 1834 and 1847'. The British Museum does not record a copy of this work.
The Conseil d'Etat is the highest court in France for issues and cases involving public administration. Its origin dates back to 1302, though it was extensively reorganized under Napoleon and was given further powers in 1872. It has long had the responsibility of deciding or advising on state issues and legislative measures submitted to it by the sovereign or, later, by the president, the cabinet, or the parliament. It is the court in which French citizens may bring claims against the administration.
Sir Ralph de Hengham (d 1311) was the Lord Chief Justice of Edward I from 1274-1290, when he was imprisoned and fined for corruption. He continued as a judge of the common pleas, and was the reputed author of the law tracts 'Hengham magna' and 'Hengham parva'.
At a date some time after 1139 (probably 1140), Johannes Gratian compiled the Church laws (`canons') from all available sources and called the collection Concordia Discordantium Canonum (the harmonizing of discordant canons). The collection became known as the Decretum Gratiani.
The Digestum Novum was a section of the Digests or Pandects of the Corpus Iurus Civilis organised by the Roman emperor Justinian I, which compiled the writings of the great Roman jurists such as Ulpian along with current edicts (533).
Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a Greek philosopher who was the student of Plato and tutor of Alexander the Great. His De anima (On the Soul) was a discussion of issues in the philosophy of mind.
No information available at present.
No information available at present.
Andrew Melville (1545-1622) was a Scottish religious reformer and scholar, who was ardent in his support of civil and ecclesiastical liberty, following in the tradition of John Knox. Melville was Principal of the University of Glasgow, 1574-1580, and the University of St Andrews in Edinburgh. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London from 1607-1611, then exiled to France, where he spent his last years.
One of the first acts of Charles I when he acceded to the throne was the Act of Revocation of 1625, which annulled all gifts made since 1540 of properties which the crown could claim, including the vast ecclesiastical revenues which had fallen into lay hands during the Reformation. In a further attempt to revive the fortunes of the episcopy, Charles insisted on the acceptance of the new Prayer Book in 1637. Many Scots actively opposed the Prayer Book, and a riot at St Giles on 23 July 1637 soon led to widespread and organised agitation. The various grievances against Charles coalesced into the National Covenant of 1638. This Covenant professed loyalty to the crown but asked for a return to ecclesiastical and constitutional practice as it was before Charles' reforms. A General Assembly met in November 1638 in Glasgow and it was decided to abolish Episcopal government. This led to a military confrontation but the kings forces were no match for experienced Scottish veterans and the government army refused to fight. A temporary peace was arranged at Berwick in June 1639.
On the 28 April 1801, the House of Commons appointed a Committee to 'consider acts relative to the Assize of Bread'.
John Ferguson was the owner of Robert Ferguson and Son, a textile manufacturing company in Carlisle.
No information available at present.
Inspeximus (literally 'We have seen') is a word sometimes used in letters-patent, reciting a grant, inspeximus such former grant, and so reciting it verbatim; it then grants such further privileges as are thought convenient. The term letters patent in its most general form refers to a letter delivered open with the royal seal attached, designed to be read as a proclamation.
Hume was born at Newington, Surrey on 28 April 1774 and received his education from Westminster School. In 1791 he became a clerk and later a controller of customs at Custom House in Thames Street, London. Between 1822 and 1825 Hume was given leave by the Treasury to study the laws of customs. His findings were published in ten acts in July 1825. In 1828 he was appointed joint secretary of the Board of Trade, which he retired from in 1840. During his time at the Board of Trade, Hume undertook an investigation in to silk duties and gave evidence before a committee on timber duties. From 1821 to 1841 he regularly attended meetings of the Political Economy Club, which he helped to establish in 1821. On retirement in 1840 he went to live in Reigate, Surrey. Although retired he gave evidence on the Corn Law and duties on coffee, tea and sugar. Hume died in Reigate on 12 January 1842.
The missal is a book which contains the prayers said by the priest at the altar as well as all that is officially read or sung in connection with the offering of the holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the ecclesiastical year.
An antiphoner is a liturgical book containing antiphons, the sung portions of the Divine office, both texts and notation. Such books were often of a large format, to be used by a choir.
See 'scope and content.'
A 'stent' was the rate levied on property owners in order to pay for local expenses, such as poor relief.
No information was discovered at the time of compilation.
The Victoria County History of Surrey, Vol.III, dates the grant of the reputed manor of Little Ashtead by Newdegate to Cole as 1604.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was discovered at the time of compilation.
Born in 1645, John Sharp had gained a BA and MA at Christ's College, Cambridge University, by 1667. He was successively domestic chaplain to Sir Heneage Finch, 1667-1676, prebendary of Norwich and incumbent of St Bartholomew's, London, and Rector of St Giles-in-the-Fields, 1675-1681. During this period he gained a DD at Cambridge, 1679. Sharp was appointed Dean of Norwich in 1681, and chaplain in ordinary to King James II in 1686. Shortly afterwards he was suspended for preaching sermons which were held to reflect on the policies of James II, 1686-1687. Sharp also refused to read the 1687 Declaration of Indulgence, which suspended the laws against Roman Catholics and Protestant dissenters. Following the accession of William III and Mary II in 1688, Sharp was made Dean of Canterbury and Commissioner for the reform of the liturgy and the ecclesiastical courts, 1689. He was created Archbishop of York in 1691 and a Privy Councillor in 1702, and acted as a Commissioner for the Scottish Union, 1707. Sharp died in 1714. A list of publications by Archbishop John Sharp may be found in the British Library catalogue.
George Smith was born on 15 July 1871. He was educated at Battersea Grammar School, 1880-1887. From 1881 to 1892 he was articled to Gilbert Ellis who were engaged in the business of Antiquarian books. Smith passed the Library Association examination with honours, being the only candidate to qualify for the full professional certificate prior to the revised scheme of 1901. From 1893 to 1894 he served as the sub librarian of University College London and chief librarian of the Linen Hall, Belfast from 1894 to 1902. On the death of Gilbert Ellis in 1902, Smith succeeded to a partnership in the firm of Ellis and Elvey, the rare and antique bookshop founded by John Brindley, the famous bookbinder and publisher in 1728. He remained with the firm until his retirement in 1937 and died in Brighton aged 91 years.
Ebenezer Elliott was born in Rotherham in 1781, the son of an iron founder. Between the ages of 16 and 38, he worked in the family business until it failed, leaving him bankrupt. Elliott moved to Sheffield, where he became a successful iron dealer. During this period, Elliott was very interested in politics, and his poems reflect this. He set up the Anti-Corn Law League in Sheffield, and wrote a series of strongly worded rhymes and poems which were then spoken at the thousands of anti-corn law meetings all across the country. Elliott's work came to the attention of Robert Southey and William Wordsworth, who lifted him out of obscurity and made him well-known nationally. A collection of his work was printed as Corn Law Rhymes (Sheffield Mechanics Anti-Tax Society, 1831). Elliott died in 1849.
Hackney is an area of East London.
The Cornish tin industry became so important during the Middle Ages that the Cornish tin miners were granted special privileges and were placed by the crown under the separate legal jurisdiction of the stannary (tin mine) courts. Cormwall had four stannaries: Foymore, Blackmore, Tywarnhaile and Penwith and Kerrier.Thomas Pearce, in his work on The Laws and customes of the stannaries (1725) records a convocation of the stannators of Cornwall held at Truro in 1703. A Thomas Hawkins and a John Hill are both to be found in A list of all the Adventurers in the Mine Adventure, 1700.
Tithes were a tax of a tenth of the income from the agricultural yield of the land and livestock, which was paid to the etablished church for the support of the clergy, or for religious and charitable uses.
The decretals are canonical epistles, written by the pope alone, or by the pope and cardinals, at the instance or suit of some one or more persons, for the ordering and determining some matter in controversy, and have the authority of a law in themselves. Pope Gregory IX (1143-1241) ordered the first complete and authoritative collection of papal decretals, the Corpus Iuris Canonici.
Anne Rushout was the daughter of John, 1st Baron Northwick of Northwick Park, Worcestershire.
The Vagrancy Act of 1531 made a distinction between those found begging although able to labour, and those incapable of work. Magistrates were allowed to give licences to beggars allowing certain kinds of begging.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
Joseph Yorke, younger son of Philip, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, was born in 1724. He entered the military, where he served under the Duke of Cumberland at the Battle of Fontency, 1745. In 1749 Yorke was appointed Secretary to William Anne, 2nd Earl of Albermarle, then the ambassador extraordinary to France, and later later (1751) the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the United Provinces. In 1761, Yorke himself was appointed ambassador extraordinary to the United Provinces, a post which he held until 1780, when he resigned due to the breakdown of diplomatic relations between Great Britain and Holland (caused by the latter giving aid to the US colonists during the War of Independence). During this period he was also elected MP for Dover in 1761 and 1768, and for Grampound, Cornwall, in 1774. He was created a General in 1777 and Baron Dover in 1788. Yorke died in 1792.
No information was discovered at the time of compilation.
Aside from the poor rate, which was set by the overseers of the poor, much of the money for local poor relief came from various charities. The parish of Lutton was in the Thrapston Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.