THE

HE surname of Hervey, or Harvey, written anciently with Fitz (i. e. son of Harvey), is derived from ROBERT Fitz-Harvey, a younger son of Harvey Duke of Orleans, who is recorded among those valiant commanders, who accompanied William the Conqueror in bis expedition into this kingdom, in 1066, and were rewarded by him with lands, &c.

с

a

This Robert Fitz-Harvey had several sons; one of them, Robert, writing himself Son of Hervey, gave lands to the Abbot of Abington, which Henry I. confirmed. Likewise, in the same reign lived Hervey, who, being Bishop of Bangor, was translated to the bishopric of Ely, and made the first Bishop of that see, 1109, wherein he sat twenty-two years, departing this life on August 30th, 1131.

Of the same lineage was COUNT Hervey, a Briton, a famous soldier,d and Governor of the castle of the Devizes, in the reign of King Stephen, which he held out against the Earl of Gloucester, and powerfully assisted that king in his wars with Maud, the Empress; but was at length forced to retire beyond the seas with a few attendants.

After him was HERVEY de Yuon, who married a daughter of William Goieth, that died in his journey to the Holy Land. Which Hervey delivered certain castles in France unto Henry II.

a Stow's Annals, edit. 1614. p. 104, 107.

Mon. Ang. Vol. il. p. 106.

c Goodwin's Cat, of B'shops, p. 201 Tyrrel's Hist. of Eng. Vol. 1. p. 69. e Holinshed's Chron. Vo!. III. p. 75

despairing to keep them against Theobald Earl of Chartres, who, by aid of the French King, sought to dispossess him in 1169. He afterwards accompanied King Henry in his conquest of Ireland, as appears by the roll collected by William Camden, in his observations of Ireland.

Our genealogists agree, that HENRY was son of the said Harvey de Yuon; and I find his name among other persons of note, who were witnesses to Roger de Clare's grant to Rievaulx-Abbey,f in com. Ebor. in 1190, being styled Hen. fil. Harvet. This Henrys embarked for the Holy Land with Richard I. who, in that expedition, subdued the isle of Cyprus, restored to the Christians the city of Joppa,h and in many battles put the Turks to flight. He was held in much esteem by King John, as i appears by his grant to him of the forestership of New-forest, Achilles Garth, and other lands, Ry his wife, Alice, daughter to Henry, son of Ivo, he had issue,

OSBERT de Hervey, who held lands in Helnfestune, as is evident by the register of the monastery of St. Edmundsbury, fol. 174. b. and being styled son of Hervey,' is mentioned as one of the King's Justices at Norwich, with Roger le Bigot, in the 3d year of the reign of Richard I. as also m one of the Justices itinerant at Huntingdon, on the octaves of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the same year; and fines were levied before him " to the octaves of St. Martin, in the 7th of King John, when he departed this life, leaving issue by his wife, Dyonisia, daughter of Jeffery de Grey, Adam, his son and heir, under age.

Which ADAM de Hervey was in ward to Henry III. and by his appointment (as was usual in those times), was married to •Juliana, daughter of John de Fitzhugh, by whom he had issue

John de Hervey, his son and heir, who, by marrying Joan, daughter and heir of John Harman, or (as others) Hammon, of Thurley, in Bedfordshire, became possessed of that lordship, which he made his principal residence: and departed this life in 21 Edward I. leaving issue,

1. John, his son and heir.

f Mon. Ang. Vol. II. p. 731

Segar's Baronagium, MS. in Stem. hujus Fam.

h Stów's Annals, p. 159.

i Ex Evid. Fam.. penes Joh. Com. Bristol. k Apparatus Geneal. MS. in Bibl. Harley, p. 636. 1 Ib. p. 746. m Mon. Ang. Vol. II. p. 854.

• Segar præd.

P Ibid.

Dugdale's Origin. Jurid. p. 41. 9 Ex Stemmate præd.

And, 2. Peter," from whom the Herveys of Northamptonshire are descended.

S

Which JOHN Hervey, of Thurley, Esq. taking to wife Margaret, daughter and heir of Sir John de Nernuytt, of Burnham, in com. Bucks (son of Thomas de Nernuytt, by Alice his wife, daughter and heir of Thomas Buckland, of Buckland, in com. Devon), did thereby greatly increase his inheritance, which descended to his son and heir,

JOHN Hervey, who married Margery, daughter of Sir William Colthorpe. Knt. And in 1386, was elected Knight of the shire for the county of Bedford, in the Parliament then held. In 4 Henry IV. he was authorised," with Sir William de Roos, Sir Richard de Grey, and others of great note, to treat with Owen Glendowr, and his council, and to conclude with him, what they should conceive most expedient to be done, for the redemption of Reginald Lord Grey, of Ruthyn, then prisoner with the said Owen. And the King, on December 8th, 1404, *grants licence to Gerard Braybroke, Knt. John Hervey, and others, to found a Collegiate-church at Northill, in Bedfordshire (in the room of the parish-church there), to celebrate divine service for the souls of Sir John Traylly, Knt, and Reginald his son, deceased. The Lady of Sir John Hervey survived him, and being after wife to Sir John Argentine, died in the 5th year of Henry VI. She had, by y her first husband,

1. Sir Nicholas Hervey, slain at the battle of Tewksbury, on May 4th, 1471, fighting on the part of Prince Edward, son of Henry VI. as also,

2. THOMAS Hervey, of Thurley, Esq. who married Joan, daughter to William Paston, one of the Justices of the King's Bench (ancestor to the late Earl of Yarmouth), by whom he had issue

a

JOHN Hervey, of Thurley, Esq. who, in 1461, had a grant from the King, of the Office of Master of his Ordnance, with the wages of two shillings a day for himself, and six-pence a day for his clerk; and six-pence a day for his other servants in the said office. He took to wife Christian, daughter of John Chichley,

MS. St. George præd.

• Jekyll's Lib. Baron. MS. p. 225. t Pryn's 4th Part of a Brief Reg. p. 392.

x Mon. Ang. Vol. III. p. 141.

u Pat. 4 Henry IV. p. 1. m. 28. & Rot. Parl. 4 Henry IV. n. 13.
y Stow's Annals, p. 424.
z Visit. de Com. Suff. in Bibl. Harley, Not. 5. B. 11.
a Claus. 1. Edward IV. m. 1.

Archbishop of Canterbury, founder of All-Souls college, in Oxford, and Cardinal of St. Eusebius. From that marriage proceeded several sons and daughters, viz.

1. John Hervey, of Thurley, Esq.

2. John Hervey, junior, Esq. who married Margaret, daughter and heir of William Wickham, relict of William Fines, Lord Say.

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3. Edward Hervey.

4. Richard Hervey.

Isabella, a nun at Ellstoe, in Bedfordshire; Anne, Christian, Alice, Margery, and Florence.

JOHN Hervey, of Thurley, Esq. (son and heir of John), was wedded to Alice, daughter of Nicholas Morley, of Glind, in Sussex, and left issue two sons.

1. George.

And, 2. Thomas Hervey, ancestor to the present Earl of Bristol.

C

Also a daughter, Isabel; first married to Thomas Atcliffe; secondly, to John Leigh, of Addington, in Surrey, Esquires; she died January 8th, 1544, and lies buried at Addington.

d

GEORGE Hervey, the eldest son, succeeding at Thurley, was twice Sheriff of the counties of Bedford and Buckingham, viz. in 24 Henry VII. and 8th of Henry VIII. He had a brave spirit, and signalized himself in several martial exploits, particularly at the sieges of Teroven and Tournay, and in that battle, which our historians, call the Battle of Spurs, from the swiftness of the French in running away, on August 16th, 1513. For his valiant behaviour in these actions, he was knighted by Henry VIII. on October 13th, after his entrance into Tournay. In 1520, he was retained to attend his Sovereign f into France, with one chaplain, eleven servants, and eight horses, in his retinue; in which year there was a meeting, first, of the Emperor Charles V. who came over into England, and was received by the King at Dover; and afterwards, of the Kings and Queens of England and France, at a camp between Guisnes and Ardes; and likewise with the same Emperor, and his aunt the Duchess of Savoy, at Graveline and Calais.

Vistt. de Com. Suff. præd. e Aubrey's Hist. of Surrey, Vol. II. p. 57. d Fuller's Worthies in Com. Bedford, p. 124.

e Nom. Equit. in Bibl. Cott. Claudius, c. iii. p. 91. and Jekyll's Cat. of Knights, p. 24.

f MS. not. b. 5. in Bibl. Joh. Anstis.

Stow's Annals, p. 510.

This Sir George Hervey's last will and testament bears date on April 7th, 1520, which was just before his intended voyage; but he did not depart this life till six years after, as should seem by the probate thereof, dated on May 8th, 1526. "He orders his body to be buried in the parish church of Thurley, or in the monastery of Elmstow, if he should decease there; and that a marble stone, of the price of four marks, should be laid over the bodies of John Hervey and his wife, one of the daughters and heirs of Sir John Nernuytt, Knight, who lie there buried. Also, that his executors cause the image of our Lady, that standeth within the chancel of Thurley, to be painted, and provide a new tabernacle to set her in; and that they find an honest priest for the space of twenty years in the said church, to pray for the souls of his father and mother, and others his friends.

He

"He further directs his executors to uphold his manor-place of Thurley; and bequeaths to them for the performance of his will, all his manors, lands, and advowsons, in the counties of Huntingdon, Bedford, Bucks,. Oxon, and Hertfordshire. wills his lands in Fleetmarston, to Margaret Smart, for the term of her life, remainder to GERARD her son, and the heirs male of his body and in default thereof, to his nephew John Hervey, of Highworth, Esq. He also bequeaths his manor of Thurley to the said Gerard, when he arrives at the age of twenty-five years, provided he marries by the advice of his executors, Sir William Parr, Knight, John Hervey, and John Lee, Esquires; and appoints supervisors of his will, Sir Henry Gray, Knight, Sir Edmund Bray, and William Paston, Knights.

Sir George married Elizabeth, daughter of John Stamford, by whom he had an only child, Joan, married to Arthur Walton; but it may be presumed she died before her father, and without issue, as she is not mentioned in his will.

From the said Gerard, who took the name of Hervey, and was elected for the town of Bedford, to the Parliaments in the first of Edward VI. as also in the reign of Philip and Mary, and was knighted, descended the Herveys of Thurley, in the county of Bedford. His descendants continued at Thurleigh till the death of John Hervey, Esq. in 1715."

Ex Regist. vocat. Ayloofe, qu. 3. in Cur. Prærog, Cant.
Of course, Sir George's illegitimate son.

* Peerage of England, by the Rev. Mr. Jacob.

'Willis's Not. Parl, in eod. Com.

m Visit, de Com. Essex in Bibl. Harley, not. 90. a. 13.

n Lysons's Mag. Brit. I. 140; who adds, that they had previous'y sald this