THE ffliarij anh itntnhinnrapfi11 OF EDMUND BOHUN ESQ. AUTHOR OF THE 'HISTORY OF THE DESERTION ' OF THE THRONE BY KIXG J.A..."\lES II, ETC. ET<:., LICE.~SER OF THE PRESS IX THE REIGN OF WILLIA..'\I Al\"D MARY, A~'"D S1.7BSEQt,EXTLY CHIEF JUSTICE OF SOUTH CAROLIYA: ;jnfrnhudnrtJ Jllrmuir, JfoftR, nnh jfhrntrntiuns, llY S. WILTON RIX . • YIR -J"C'STUS, PROBUS, D."NOCENS, TDIERis.• )[.um.u. PRIVATELY PRINTED AT BECCLES, BY READ CRISP: M.D.CCC.LIII. ,i'·r- i .:: "' ,~ -- r·'-:-. ./ "'- ':: >✓ £ -✓~:t -::..-. I , ~ • . I .,,. 7···>-- c.>·':::£<~ - ;;.· --=_;:=:'""' -:::._-:;;...--v --~---:-- -~-~~ ., . , ~ ~:;--- . .... ._:_~ Wesl:. tnntrnts. EDITOR'S PREFACE • • page m LIST OF llLUSTRA.TIOXS • V DESCIDi'"T OF THE FA.'\IILIES OF DE BOHUS, BOHUN OF FRESSINGFIELD, BRO'Wlli"E-BORUN, ETC. facing page vu .. Dt'"TRODUCTORY :MEMOIR • page vu LIST OF EDMUND BOH'\JYS PUBLICATIOXS llXlll .. THE DIA.RIST 'TO THE READER' XXXTil 'DIA.RY OF MY LU'.E' 1 CORRESPO~"DEXCE 131 INDEX 141 .... , ,., ,..,..,,.,,...,,..,...,...,..., .. - lfihitnr' s ,rrfnrr. '-'~ HE present volume contains what is known, from his own account and from other sources, ~ of EnMIDi"l> BoHUN, a voluminous political and miscellaneous writer in the latter part of the seventeenth century. He was of a Suffolk. family; and the book is, in one view, a humble contribution to the still incomplete topography of that county. However, it is not entirely local in its bearing. The lover of the older literature meets here with one who loved it too. The student of human character may find material for thought and lessons of instruction. Now and then topics are referred to, which have long agitated and still continue to interest the world - government, freedom, protestantism, commerce, colonization. Lastly, the autobiography presents the image of one of that class of politicians whose loyalty to the Stuarts did not induce them to sympathize with the nonjurors, and may help to illustrate perhaps the most interesting period of English history. The autograph Diary occupies a hundred and fourteen pages, nearly of the size technically called foolscap octavo. It is in the possession of my friend Richard Bohun esq. of Beccles, and is printed with his sanction. A few of the diarist's letters are added-the only specimens which ha,e been discovered. I haYe preferred the plan of giving in the text a translation of that part of the diary which is written in latin; the original being inserted underneath. In general the orthography of the manuscript has been adopted; but in many instances I have followed the learned editor of Wood's' Athenre' in rejecting, as of little value, that minuteness which 'retains the mistakes of an author merely for the sake of bibliographical accuracy.' In the notes-demanding, I fear, an apology for their number and extent-will be found some account of Yr. Bohun's writings, of books which he read, of localities with which he was connected, . l"{ EDITOR'S PREFACE • and of his family and acquaintance. But chiefly in the 'Descent of the families of De :Bohun, Bohun of Fres&ngfi.eld and Westhall, Browne-Bohun, etc.' andin the 'Introductory memoir' to·which it is prefixed, must be sought what 1w been collected towards completing his biography. In the preface to his ' Character of queen Elizabeth' he says, 'If I were worthy to have my story written, or my picture drawn, I should wish they might be equally true, and represent both my life and face just such as they were.' By this injunction I am excused, and even prohi.oited, from concealing bis natural frailties, however strongly marked. Nor have I, in general, undertaken either to vindicate or to combat the opinions of the diarist: it is my province to exluoit his views and modes of thinking, not my own. It has not been my aim to produce a 'popular' book; and I am conscious that a literary monograph should manifest a mastery and precision to which I have no pretensions, and a nice adherence to the line between general statement.s and trivial details which I can scarcely hope even to have approached. I might refer to disadvantages under which I have worked. But it is more proper, and more ~o-reeable, to acknowledge the frequent, various, and kind aSfilStance without which I could have done nothing. My thanks are especially due to Dawson Turner esq., Sir Francis P~arave, Thomas William King esq. York herald, and the registrars of the ecclesiastical co~ in the diocese of Norwich; to John Bruce esq., Francis Offley :Martin esq. of Stondon place, Brentwood, the Rev. Samuel Blois Turner of Halesworth, the Rev. Alfred Suckling of Barsham, the Rev. J. F. N oott of W esthall, and WiUiam A. Wright esq. of Trinity college, Cambri<Ioo-e- Nor would I forget to name the late David Elisha Davy esq. of Ufford, to whose fine collection of materials for Suffolk history, recently deposited in the British Museum, and to the courteous liberality of their possessor I have been not a little indebted. In justice to the printers, and to the various processes employed, it should be stated that I alone am answerable for all fault.s in the illustrations. S. W. R. BECcLES~ 15th February, 1853. ~id nf ~llnliirntinns. W csthall hall to face tke tit'le Poppy head, W esthall church • page i .. Ornament on chimney-piece in Ufford hall, Fressingfield, (seep. 65) • • ll Carved chimney piece in the church farm house, Fressingfield, (referred to at p. vii) iii Carved wainscot at W esthall hall (see p. xviii) • • V Arms, in the 'Descent of the families of De Bohun, Bohun of Fressingfield,' etc : to face page vii viz :-Humphry de Bohun (10), from a deed in the office of the duchy of Lancaster - Bohun of Fres.smoafield and Westhall quartering Dalinghoo -Thomas of Woodstock-Bomehier-Dade-Debden-Latimer­ W.ingneld- Cooke - Lany- Coke of Mileham - Xn:rvett - Grud.crefi.eld:- Barter- Scrivener - Lawrence - Godbold- Brampton - Warren- Rabett - Browne - Offley - Price- Shore - Edmunds- Crowfoot -Ward-Yartin-Elam. Arms of Bohun, in burnt clay, at W esthall hall, (referred to at p. xviii) page Til Font at Fressingfield • X .Arms, from a roll in the possession of T. W. Edmunds esq. of W orsbro' . to face page xiii viz :-I. lwhun of Fressingfield, impaling Dalinghoo ( vert ~ of 1le1ll'S-de-lis arg. )"-Il. Bohllll quartering Dalinghoo, impaling Wingfield quarterly-III. Bourchier, nine coats, impaling Howard quarterly -IV. Bohun quartering Dalinghoo, impaling Xnyvctt, six coats. Initials and date at W esthall ball, (referred to at p. :niii) page xiii Architectural fragment, W csthall • Stall and poppy head in St. Mary's chapel, Westhall church XIV The trans~omation ; from the rood screen, W esthall church to face page xiv Confession, or .Absolution ( ?) from the font, W esthall to face page xiv Ruins of Mendham priory, (seep. ix) page xv Arch of entrance door at W esthall hall xriii South-east tower, W esthall hall Arms of Bohun impaling W"mgfield, at Westhall hall Arms of Bohun impaling Knyvett, at W esthall hall Autograph of Edmund Bohun, from his diary IlV Autograph and seal of the same, from his will • to face page mi l\Ionogram . page :x:xxu Carred ivory haft of knife, 1676, (referred to at p. xx:ri) • X-'7.XlH Planta genista • • XXXIV Crest of Bohun of Fressingfield and W esthall . xn,·fr Part of screen, St. Mary's chapel, W esthall church • . I Initial • • • • . i.IST OF ILLtrSTJU.TIONS. Arms of Temple • page 2 Initial • • 5 Autograph of William Cave D. n. • • Arms of Brome • • • Arms of Bedingfield • • • • 16 Arms of Playters and autograph of Sir John Playters • 17 Wrentham hall • • 29 Stone with the arms of Brewster impaling Forster :Arms of Anthony Sparrow, bishop of Norwich • 30 Autograph of the same • • Arms and autograph of Lionel Playters esq. • 37 Autograph of Sancroft, afterwards archbishop • 66 Tomb of archbishop Sancroft • Sancroft' s chair at Fressingfield • Autograph of Sir Leoline Jenkins • 66 Autograph of ~o-emon Sidney • • • 67 Autograph of bishop Jewel • • 68 Autograph and seal of Edmund Bohun, the diarist • • • 70 Autograph of Lord Guilford • • • • 71 Tomb in St. Mary's chapel, Westhall church, (referred to at p. xiv) to jace page 78 Autograph of King James n. • page 82 Autograph of George Hickes n. n. Autograph of Sir Roger L'Estrange • • • 83 Autograph of archbishop Sancroft - 88 Dale hall, Whitton • • - • • to face page 91 Autograph of William of Orange page 101 Autograph of Sir John Trenchard - 114 Autograph of queen Elizabeth - 118 Arms of Warren • • 129 Motto on hatchment of Edmund Bohun (son of the diarist) in Westhall church 130 Carved girder, or beam, in Dale hall, (seep. 91) 131 Monogram • 140 Caned wainscot at Westhall hall, (seep. xviii) 143 Seal of Francis Bohun, 1605, from his will, (seep. xv) 148 jnfrnhurtnr~ mtmnir. • t Vl.f 3ntrnu1rrtnr1r ,,u,,..,'111 r mn t• r . ,vvvvvvvvv-vvvvv family bearing tho name of Bahun ·was located at Fressingfield, in Suffolk, in the fifteenth century, "'"hen Jolin Boliun acquired an estate there by marriage with the heiress of Robert Dalinghoo. -;.~ The Bohuns of Suffolk were not, at any period, extensive land-owners; yet they formed alliances wi.th various honourable houses, including those of Wingfield, Latymer, Coke, and I{ny,ett. An intermarriage ,vith the last mentioned family enabled tho ,f" In virtue of this alliance the Bohuns quartered the arms of Dalinghoo, vert, 9 flem·s-do-lis argent, 3, 3, ancl 3. The will of John Bohun was, in 1812, among tho muniments of Dr. Fisher bishop of Salisbury. It scrres to identify, as a Frcssingfield domicile of tho llohuns, the spot now called tho Church farm, which passed, by marriage, into the Grudge:field family, and again to the Scriveners, with whom it continues.