to England. Mr. Wright published an account thereof in two volumes in quarto, illustrated with several prints from his own accurate drawings, as he had a masterly hand, both in designing and painting. His Lordship had a great share in framing and carrying on the act of parliament for altering the style and at the second reading thereof, made a speech in the house of Peers, which he was prevailed on to publish, by the pressing instance of a great many of the Lords who heard it.s Several foreign Academies chose his Lordship one of their members. On November 30th, 1752, he was unanimously elected President of the Royal Society, on the resignation of the late valuable and learned Martin Folkes, Esq. and at the installation of John Earl of Westmoreland, as Chancellor of the university of Oxford, on July 3d, 1759, his Lordship received the honorary degree of Doctor of Law. At the funeral procession of Frederick Prince of Wales, on April 13th, 1751, his Lordship was one of the supporters of the pall. On September 18th, 1722, his Lordship married Mary, eldest of the two daughters and coheirs of Ralph Lane, Esq. an eminent Turkey merchant, lineally descended from William Lane, of Glendon, Esq. and of Anne his wife, daughter and heir to John Isham, of Pightesley, in com. Northamp. Esq. and was son of Richard Lane, Esq. son and heir of Robert Lane, Esq. who died before his father Sir William Lane, who was possessed of Horton, as well as Glendon, in com. Northamp. his father Sir Robert Lane (son of Sir Ralph Lane), acquiring the seat and estate at Horton, from his mother, Maud, who was the eldest daughter and coheir of William Lord Parr, of Horton, December 23d, 25 Henry VII. and was second daughter of Sir William Parr, Knt. by Elizabeth his wife, daughter and heir of John Lord Roos, of Kirby-Kendal; whose grandson, William Parr, was Earl of Essex, and Marquis of Northampton. By his said Lady, his Lordship had issue two sons; Thomas third Earl of Macclesfield. And, 2. George-Lane Parker, born September 6th, 1724, taking to a military life, was made Captain of a Company in the first Regiment of Foot-guards, and on February 19th, 1762, allowed the rank of Colonel. On April 30th, 1770, was advanced to the rank of Major-General; and on August 29th, 1777, promoted to that of Lieutenant General. He was also Colonel of the 20th Regi g See Park's R. and N. A. IV. 272. ment of Foot, and member of Parliament for Tregony, 1774. He died September 6th, 1791, having married in May, 1782, Lady Cottrell Dormer, relict of Sir Cottrell D. and daughter and heir of Cesar. His Lordship's Lady, who was endowed with all virtues, deceased on June 4th, 1753. She ordered her body not to be dressed in linen and laces, but in woollen; and instead of velvet, her coffin to be covered with cloth; and that the expense saved by it should go to the clothing of some of her poor neighbours. Accordingly thirty poor women were put into mourning, who walked in procession at her funeral, and before it had a repast at Shirburn, in Oxfordshire, where she was privately interred, and each of them, at their going home, received a half-peck loaf. His Lordship, in November 1757, married Dorothy, daughter of Nesbit, but died without any issue by her on March 17th, 1764, and was buried at Shirbourne; and she died July 14th, 1779. THOMAS, THIRD EARL OF MACCLESFIELD, was born on October 12th, 1723, was chosen one of the members for Newcastleunder-Line, to the Parliament summoned in 1747. He was returned for the county of Oxford in 1754, and for the city of Rochester in 1761. His Lordship was LL.D. Fellow of the Royal Society; and on December 12th, 1749, married his cousin Mary, eldest daughter of Sir William Heathcote, of Hursley, in Hampshire, Bart. by which Lady he had two sons : 1. George, present Earl. 2. Thomas Parker, who was originally in the Foot Guards; and in the late war raised and commanded the Oxfordshire Regi ment of Fencible Cavalry. He married, first, on March 16th, 1796, Miss Edwards, daughter of Lewis Edwards, Esq. of Ludlow; and by her, who is deceased, had a daughter, born in 1797. He married, secondly, March 19th, 1807, Eliza, youngest daughter of William Breton Wolstenholme, Esq. of Holly-hill, in Sussex (one of the sons of the late Eliab Breton, of Forty-hill, in Middlesex; and Norton, in Northamptonshire, Esq.) And three daughters: 1. Lady Elizabeth, born June 29th, 1751, married, November 16th, 1773, John Fane, Esq. of Wormsley, in Oxfordshire, and has a numerous issue. 2. Lady Mary, born March 27th, 1753. 3. Lady Anne, died in 1774. His Lordship died February 9th, 1795, leaving a character for eminent acquirements in science. He was succeeded by his son and heir, GEORGE, FOURTH EARL OF MACCLESFIELD, born February 24th, 1755. He was a Lord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales: elected 1790, M. P. for Minehead; made Comptroller of his Majesty's Household, 1791, which he held till 1797. His Lordship was appointed Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, June 24th, 1804. He is High Steward of Henley, LL.D. and F. R. S. His Lordship married May 25th, 1780, Mary Frances, daughter and coheir of Thomas Drake, D. D. Rector of Amersham, Bucks, by whom he has had issue a son, George, who died an infant, and an only daughter, Maria, born Jan. 23d, 1781, and married, November 13th, 1802, Lord Binning, only son of Charles Earl of Haddington... Titles. George Parker, Earl of Macclesfield, Viscount Parker, and Baron Parker of Macclesfield. Creations. Baron Parker, of Macclesfield, in Cheshire, March 10th, 1715-16, 2 Geo. I.; Viscount Parker, of Ewelne, in Oxfordshire, and Earl of Macclesfield, November 5th, 1721, 8 Geo. I. Arms. Gules, a Chevron between three leopards faces, Or. Crest. On a wreath a leopard's head erased and guardant, Or, ducally gorged, Gules. Supporters. Two leopards, reguardant, proper, each gorged with a ducal coronet, Gules. Motto. SAPERE AUDE. Chief Seat. At Shirburne-Castle, in the county of Oxford. THAT the name of this family was anciently wrote Ricards, alias Fermour, appears as well from other authorities, as from the last will and testament of THOMAS Ricards, alias Fermour; whose mother was the daughter and heir of the family of Fermour; and his father, Ricards, of Welch extraction, by tradition in the family. In the said will, dated September 9th, 1485, he is wrote Thomas Ricards, alias Fermour, senior, of Whitney, in Oxfordshire; and thereby orders his body to be buried in the chapel of St. Mary Magdalen, in the church of Whitney, and bequeaths 201. to the altar in the chancel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in that church, for his tithes forgotten. He also bequeaths to the building of the isle of the Blessed Mary Magdalen in the said church, called Carsewell Isle, 201. To Emmotte his wife, he bequeaths 2001. with his goods and utensils in his house at Whitney. To William, his son, 200 marks, and all his lands in the villages of Cogges and Burford. To Laurence, his son, 200 marks, and all his lands in Chadlington. To Richard, his son, 200 marks, and all his lands in Filkingre and Langford. To Alice, John, and Elizabeth Wenman, children of Emmotte, his spouse, by Henry Wenman, to their marriages, 101. 78. And the rest of his goods, lands, &c. till his sons come to the age of twenty-one years, be bequeaths to Emmotte, his wife, whom he constitutes executrix, and Sir Richard Harcourt, Knight, supervisor. He soon after departed this life, as appears by the probate of the said will, dated November 8th, following. By Alice his first a Ex Regist. in Car. Prærog. Cant. vocat. Logge, q. 18. wife, he had issue LAURENCE, his son and heir, who was of Minster-Lovel, in Oxfordshire, aud had a son, WILLIAM, who died without issue, and a daughter, Mary, married to Thomas Benolt, Clarencieux King of Arms. b Emmotte, his second wife, who survived him, was widow of Henry Wenman, daughter and heir of Simkin Hervey, of Herefordshire, Esq. and by her he had issue, 1. Richard, ancestor to the present Earl of Pomfret; and 2. William, Clerk of the Crown, who was seated at the fair house and lordship of Summerton, upon the river Cherwel, in Oxfordshire, and having married four wives, left no issue male; and at his death, bequeathed all his lands to Thomas, the second son of his brother Richard, whose posterity remain the worthy possessors of it to this day, although they have removed their habitation to Tusmore, three miles distant from it. The said William lies buried in a chapel on the south-side of the chancel of Summerton, under a great raised monument of grey marble, whereon lies the portraitures of a gentleman and his wife, in brass, and under them this inscription: Here lyeth buried Mr. William Fermour, Esq. whych was born of this Towne and Patrone of this Churche, and also Clarke of the Crowne in the King's Bench in King Henry the 7th and King Henry the 8 Dayes, whyche died the 20th Day of 7ber in the Year of our Lord God a MCCCCCLII: and also here lyeth Mestres Elizabeth Fermour, his last Wyffe, which was the Daughter of S' Will Norrysse, Knight, upon whose and all Christene Soules Ihu have mercy. And at Horne Church, in Essex, was the following inscription for another of his wives. Here lyeth Katherin the daughter of Sir William Powlet, Knyght, wyf of William Fermour, clarke of the crown. Who died May 26, the second of Henry the eighte, RICHARD Fermour, his brother, having been bred a merchant of the staple of Calais, raised a noble fortune, and settled himself at Eston-Neston juxta Towcester, in Northamptonshire, which, together with the hundred and manor of Towcester, he had purchased, as also many fair lands and royalties in that county; at Visitation of Shropshire, M. S. |