THE BERNARDS OF ABINGTON AND NETHER WINCHENDON Vot. I. HE BERNARDS OF T ABINGTON AND NETHER WINCHENDON A Family History BY MRS. NAPIER HIGGINS IN TWO VOLUMES Vol. I. LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY All rights reserved PREFACE IN writing this book, my· first wish has been to leave a record of a family which in its time played some little part in the affairs of this country. As the la.st scion of the last known branch of those Bernards whose history is here traced, the task seemed to devolve on ine. It has been laborious, owing to the extensive destruction of documents which has evidently taken place at different times. The co-heiresses of the eldest branch no doubt carried off many parchments and papers, which cannot now be recovered. Some others probably went to Huntingdonshire, where the second branch was located. Further havoc must have been occasioned by the frequent :iµoves of the third branch, with which these volumes a.re chiefly concemed, and especially by the chequered career of Sir Francis Berna.rd, the early ages at which he lost both parents and left his first home, his subsequent departure for America, and even bis return. Since that time additional losses appear to have been sustained through the zeal of executors in sorting, and, as they considered, weeding family papers. But the mischief is not only of this private nature. Documents illustrating the most critical period of the his­ tory of England in its rela.tions with America have been Vl THE BERNARDS OF ABINGTON allowed to fa.ll into American hands, 1 and it has not there­ fore been practicable for me to consult them. How much it has been possible to achieve appears in the following pages. And I purpose to continue the narra­ tive, in two more volumes, to the death of Sir Francis Bernard's youngest child. For this second portion the ma­ terials are more ample, though occasionally defective. In ·the meantime my thanks a.re due to all those who have given me help; their names, in most cases, will be found recorded in the notes to these volumes. Some, at least, of these friends have passed away, but a. tribute is due to their memory. SOPHIA ELIZABETH HIGGINS.. NETHEB WINORENDON : N()'l)6mber 1902. [' The papers of Governor Bernard, thirteen volumes, are in the Sparks MSB., in Harvard College Library. Vols. i.-viii. are letter-books, 1758-72; ix~xii., oorrespondenoe, 1758-,;79; xiii., orders a.nd instructions, 1758-61. Sparks bought them in London in 1846.-Ed.'] This is a note to 'The Royal Governors,,' by George Edward Ellis, President of the Ma.ssaoh11Setts Historioa.l Society. Winsor's Memorial History of B08ton, vol. ii. ch. ii. CONTENTS OJ!' THE FIRST VOLUME CHAPTER I THE BERNARDS OF WANFORD, ISELHAllll, AND ABINGTON PAGE Godfrey Berna.rd-The Berne.rd Ar.moriaJ. Bee.rings-St. Berne.rd of Ole.ir­ va.ux-Tomb of Godfrey Berne.rd-The Bernards of Iselha.m-Robert Berne.rd-Sir Nichola.e Lillyng-Me.rria.ge of Robert Berne.rd-Thomas Berne.rd-Death of Bir Niohola.s Lillyng-Tomb of Robert Berne.rd­ Hie Children-MemoriaJ.s of the Bernards in Iselhe.m Church-Thome.s Berne.rd-Thomas Berna.rd, Vica.r of Pe.tteshaJ.1-Sir John Berne.rd of Abington e.nd his Wife, Me.rge.ret Bcr-0pe-The Be.ttle of Northampton -Bir John's Sons-Eustace Berne.rd, Prior e.nd Canon-Sir Ralph Ha.msterley-Widowhood of Margaret Berne.rd 1 CHAPTER II THE BERNARDS OF ABINGTON (conti'l'IIUed) Me.rriage of John Berne.rd-The Da.undelyns-New Qua.rterings-John Beme.rd's Tudor Ma.neion-Dee.th of -John Berne.rd-Me.rrie.ge of his son John e.nd Cicely Musoote-Christopher Bee.ufew-Da.ughters in the Berne.rd Pedigree-Elee.nor, Prioress of Little Marlow and St. Mary de Pre.tis-Childre;u of John e.nd Cicely Berne.rd-Dorothy Bernard-John Ma.untell of Hayford-Deaths of John e.nd Cicely Berne.rd-Francis Berna.rd and his Wife, Alice Ha.slewood-The Ma.nor of Brington Pe.rva. -Ma.rria.gee of Francie Beme.rd's Daughters-The Fe.mily divided into Three Bmnches-Richard Berna.rd 20 CHAPTER III THE LAST YEARS OF THE BERNARDS AT ABINGTON BaJ.dwin Berne.rd e.nd Alice Stafford-William Berna.rd-Dea.th of Alice Berne.rd-Francis Berne.rd of Kingsthorpe-BaJ.dwin Beme.rd's Second Wife-The Fullwood Family-The Ardens-She.kespee.re-John, Son of BaJ.dwin Berne.rd-Edmund Ha.mpden-Foreign Tre.vele of John Berne.rd - Eliza.beth Edmondes - The Civil War - Sir Alexandel' Ha.mpden-Susa.nna. Shakespeare -The Halls-Elizabeth Nash- viii THE BERNARDS OF ABINGTON l'A.GB Death of Charles Bernard-John Bowe&-Marrie.gee of the Co-heiresses -The Gilberte of Looker-William Bernard of Ecton-The Fre.nkline­ Knights of the Royal Oak-Sale of Abington-Death of Lady Bernard · -Death of Sir John Bernard-The Fate of Abington .44 CHAPTER IV THE BERNARDS OF HUNTINGDON AND BRAMPTON Kingethorpe-Francie Berne.rd of Kingsthorpe-Robert Bernard of Hunt­ ingdon created a Baronet-Sir Thomas Cotton and John Milton the Elder-Frances Whitelock-The Montagne-Samuel Pepy&-John Bernard Knighted-The Mansion at Brampton-Grace Bhuckburgb­ Joanna Bernard-The Bentley&-The second Bir Robert Bernard of Brampton-The la.et Sir Robert-Brigadier-General Robert Bernard Sparrow-Millicent Viscountess Mandeville, afterwards Duchess of Manchester . 73 CHAPTER V THE IMMEDIATE ANCESTRY OF sm FRANCIS BERNARD Birth of Thomas Bernard-The Va.chells, Knollyses, and Blagra.ve&­ Thomas Bernard's Family-Bea.ding during the Civil War-Sir Francis Knollys-Christopher Milton-Francis Bernard's Family­ Peter Mews, the Fighting Bishop.:._Young Francis Bernard at Oxford­ Edward Berna.rd, Fellow of. St. John'&-Francis Bernard graduates at Oxford-The Family House at Reading-Dr. Calamy-Ma.rriage of Edward Bernard-His Visit to Holland-His Death-Presentation of Francis Berna.rd to the Living of Codford St. Mary and to Brightwell (Berks) • 95 CHAPTER VI NETHEB WINCHENDON IN OLDEN TIMES Lipscomb's Account of Nether Winchendon-Notley Abbey-The Black Death-Notley Parsone.ge-La,ngland's Close-Sir John Dauncey-Sir Thomas More-The Last Abbot of Notley-Henry VIlI.'s Progress to Reading-The Earl of Bedford-The Dormer&-John Holyman-SaJe of Nether Winchendon to William Goodwyn-The Tyringhams-Sir Francis Knollye--Bir Wm. Knollys, Earl of Banbury, and Lattice Knollye . 118 CHAPTER VII THE LATER TYBINGRAMS OF NETHER WINCHENDON Richard Ingoldsby-Aylesbury a Stronghold of Rebellion-Thomas Tyringham appointed to the Committee of Public Safety-Death of John Hampden-Joseph Bentham-Francis Tyringhe.m.-Thomas Tyringham-Dove House Close-The Grove-Thomas Tyringham'& CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME IX PAGE Will-Lord Wha,rton-Portraits of Francis and John Tyringham­ Francis Tyringhe.m's Will-Elizabeth Tyringham-End of the Me.le Line of the Elder Branch-The Winlowes-Birth of Jane Tyringham­ The Third Francis Tyringham-End of the Male Line of the Younger Branch-Ghostly Apparitions . 142 CHAPTER VIII THE EARLY LIFE OF sm FRANCIS BERNARD Rev. Francis Bernard presented to the Living of Brightwell-Richard Winlow~ane Terry-Death of Rev. F. Bernard-Sir Jonathan Trelawney, Bishop of Winchester-Anthony Alsop-Margery Berna,rd's Second Marriage-Bir Francis at Westminster-Mr. Alsop's Associates -Bir Francis a Student at Christ Church-Called to the Bar-Lincoln in the Eighteenth Century-Bishop Reynolds-Marriage of Jane Tyringham-Death of Christopher Beresford-The Uncle of Warren Hastings-Warren Hastings' Childhood • 170 CHAPTER IX MARRIAGE AND FRIENDSHIP Marriage of Francis Bernard and Amelia Offley-The Offley Pedigree-­ The Shutes-Benjamin Shute and Ann Caryl-The First Viscount Barrington-The Pownalls----:Alliances by Marriage with the Bernard Family-The Dymokes of Bcrivelsby-Adlard Stukeley-Bishop War­ bmton of Gloucester-A Jacobite Rising-Edmund Offley's Will-The Sisters of Edmund Offley . 193 CRAFTER X THE BBEAX•UP OF THE LINCOLN HOME Literary Tastes of Francis Bernard-His Remarkable Memory-His Reasons for leaving Lincoln-The Second Viscount Barrington-Shute Barrington-Francie Bernard accepts an Appointment from the Dee.n and Chapter of Lincoln-A Tragic Occurrence-Leaving Old Friends­ Quitting England-Frances and Jane Berne.rd-Mrs. Beresford-Mrs. Minshull-The Avenue of Limes-' The Bell-:6.re Club '-Rebecca. and Martha Bowland . • 213 CHAPTER XI FffiST YE.Al!.S IN AMEBICA The Voyage to America-New Jersey-Birth of Two more Children to Francis Bernard-The Quakers e.nd Aborigines of New Jersey­ Governor Bernard's Attitude to the Indians-The Conference at Easton-Governor Berne.rd'e Attitude towards the Quakers-The MaJcontents of Pennsylvania-Lavish Use of Paper.- Money-Massa­ chusetts-Mr. and Mrs. Bernard leave New Jersey-Their Arrival at :Boston-At 'Province House';;-' The King's Chapel . 283 X THE BERNARDS OF ABINGTON CHAPTER XII GOVEBNMENT lN MASSACHUSETTS PA.GB An Epoch of Glory-Dea.th of Chief Justice Sewall-Colonel Otis- Thoma.s Hutchinson appointed Chief Justice-Poor Pa.y of Judges-­ Mutterings of a. Possible Storm-Death of George II.-Mr. Pitt's Deepe.tch on the Restrictions on Tmde-The Question of 'Writs of Assiste.nce' -The Birth of Independence - The Chief Justice's Enemies ·. 257 CHAPTER.XIII THE NEW' HOMES IN AND NEAR BOSTON Altercations between Revenue Officers and the Smuggling Ola.sees-The Old South Ohurch-Fe.neuil HaJl-J-ulie. Bernard's Reminiscences­ The Home near Roxbury-Shirley PlB,Ce-Na.the.niel Hawthorne's 'Legends of the Province House '-Life in Boston-Puritan Ideas of Beligi.on-The Influence of Religion and Commerce-Slavery-The Sta.ta of Society .