THE truly ancient and honourable family of SHIRLEY, has had the good fortune to have been illustrated by a history of them, compiled by an eminent member of their own house. Sir Thomas Shirley, Knt. of Botolph's Bridge, in Huntingdonshire, younger son of Sir George Shirley, the first Baronet, composed three distinct MSS. histories of the SHIRLEYS, all of which are preserved in the British Museum.a

My indefatigable friend, Mr. Nichols, in his History of Leicestershire, Vol. III. p. 704, et seq. has furnished me with the copious materials, which will render it necessary almost to re-compile this article. From thence the titles of the above MSS. are here cited.

« Shirleorum, Warwicensis et Darbiensis familiæ quam antiquissimæ, genuina Prosapia; a quodam Sewallo, viro perillustri, prospero ac felici successu, interrupta etiamnum serie continuata; ac longe aliter quam hactenus unquam delineata: Unde Henricus Shirley de Eitington, Shirley, Staunton-Harold, &c. in Warwici, Darbiæ, et Leicestriæ ditionibus, inclytus Baronettus suorumque Majorum Genealogiis honoratissimus, perenni masculorum successione recte derivatur ; necnon et Thomas Shirley de Botulphbridge, in Comitatu Huntingdoniæ Miles, Philarchismus; qui pio erga majores affectu ductus, eorum propagationes, cum suis conjugiorum copulis, armisque gentilitiis ex publicis regni archivis, et privatis ejusdem familiæ evidentiis, ecclesiis, monumentis historicis, monasteriorum registris, et rotulis armorum vetustissimis, aliisque rebus reverendæ antiquitatis, et indubitatæ veritatis, maximo labore ac fide oculata deprompsit, atque ad perpetuam rei memoriam, seriatim hoc ordine describi curavit. Quibus ad latera diversorum magnatum virorumque clarissimorum adjunguntur stemmata; quorum accessione plurimorum huic familiæ honoris tam in armorum delationibus, quem etiam ex census et prædiorum incremento, fæminarum hæredum jure obvenisse ostenditur." Harl. MS.S. 4028.

The second History is entitled, " Genealogica Historia Domus de Shirley, Do minorum de Etingdon, Shirley, Hogâ, Ednesonor, Staunton-Harald, Ragdal,

"This renowned family of Shirley (says Sir Thomas), bath produced so long a succession of noble personages, who have so admirably conjoined the practice of most excellent virtues and nobleness of blood with so great perfection, that their heroic actions, by the complete union of these two rare qualities, have far surmounted the lustre of their birth; for by their piety and merits, they have acquired all the prerogatives of honour and glory, which may raise a house to height of splendour, and engrave the memory of its name within the eternity of ages. But for the principles, there are seven most remarkable; so eminent, so rare, and singular, that they are to be found in few other families. One is, the nobleness and antiquity of blood, which hath passed for seven entire ages, being assured, by most renowned recorders, worthy to be believed, that the first ancestors of this house have had the reputation and honour of a most ancient Saxon line, flourishing in opulence and dignity long before the Norman conquest; and since the happy times of the glorious King, and most beloved servant of the King of Kings, blessed St. Edward the Confessor, it justifies itself to have continued prosperously, from male to male, unto this present, by a continual uninterrupted succession of many renowned persons, whose actions have been most famous, and truly worthy of a history. The second mark of ornament, which shines most resplendently in the house, is, that they have contracted all their marriages with the ancient and most illustrious houses in England. In the third place, the renown of this family hath been marvellously increased, by the prowess, memorable acts, and high attempts of the descendants, who have always appeared in the first ranks in all places where fortitude and glorious military virtue might make itself admired. The fourth advantage of glory, which so highly raiseth the fame of this house, is the great devotion and singular fidelity it hath always

Braylesford, Astwel, et plurimorum aliorum locorum chartis publicis diversarum ecclesiarum, authenticis aliisque solidis certisque probationibus confirmata, variis iconibus, et discursibus antiquitatem redolentibus ornata. Per Thomastos CaloJeimon Philopatron." Harl. MSS. 4023.

The third History is, "The Genealogicke Historie of the House of Shirleys, Lords of Etingdon, Shirley, Hoga, Ednesouer, Staunton-Harald, Ragdale, Braylesforde, Astwell, and divers other places. Justified by Charters of divers Churches, publike Recordes of the Kingdome, private Evidences, and other good and certain Proofs. Enriched with divers Figures, and Discourses of Antiquity. By Thomaston Caloleimon, Philopatron." Harl. MSS. 4928. This is principally a translation of the last article, though considerable variations and additions are to be found in each,

borne to their sovereign Princes. The fifth prerogative is most commendable, in their bright and renowned alliances; having the honour to be joined in a near degree of propinquity of blood with the royal stem of England, both Saxon and Norman; as likewise to those of France, Scotland, Denmark, Arragon, Leon, Castile, the Sacred Roman Empire, and almost to all the princely Houses of Christendom; and within their own kingdom, to the most honourable and princely Houses of the Barons of Berkeley, Dukes of Norfolk and Buckingham, Earls of Arundel, Oxford, Northumberland, Shrewsbury, Kent, Derby, Worcester, Huntingdon, Pembroke, Nottingham, Suffolk, Berkshire, and to most of the ancient, famous, and flourishing families of the nobility and gentry of the monarchy; insomuch that they that remain of this House at this present time, have the honour to have issued from the blood of many Emperors, Kings, Princes, Dukes, and most renowned Earls. In the sixth place, the great lands and seigniories, which they, from all antiquity, have held, hath given no small addition of honour to the house; for they have possessed the manors of Etingdon, Newton Regis, ShirleyStreet, Thorinton in Warwickshire; Shirley, Branzinton, Hoone, Croxhall, Hatun, Eveley, Bradley, Sturston, Beardshall, Wroncele, Etwall, Yolgrave, Hopwell, Ylchesley, Ednesover, Irton, Hope, Braylesford, in Derbyshire; Sutton Bunnington, in Nottinghamshire; Ragdale, Willowes, Radcliffe super Wreke, Barrow super Soram, Staunton-Harold, Dunton, Long Wotton, Burton Overey, in Leicestershire; Hanbrooke, in Gloucestershire; Great Chellworth, in Wiltshire; and divers other ample and fair manors, which have gone out of the House, either by younger sons, their daughters, and heirs; or by alienations. Lastly, holy piety is one of the particular eminences, which rendered the family of Shirley most remarkable among others, they having so religiously maintained this virtue, that all of them, for the most part, have exercised an ardent and unextinguishable charity towards the advancement of the service of God; and a singular liberality towards the Church, shewing the zeal of their devotion, by the enrichment of a great number of Abbeys, Priories, Convents, Collegiate Churches, Chantries, and other places of devotion, which they had founded, built, re-edified, or endowed, with their means and revenue, in divers places in this realm.

They derive their descent from SASUALLO or SEWALLUS de Etingdon, whose name (says Dugdale, in his Antiquities of Warwickshire), argues him to be of the old English stock; which Se.

wallis resided at Nether-Etingdon, in com. Warwick, about the reign of king Edward the Confessor: which place had been the seat of his ancestors, as there is reason to believe, for many generations before. After the Conquest, the lordship of Etingdon was given to Henry Earl of Ferrars, in Normandy, who was one of the principal adventurers with the Norman Duke William, and was held under him by this Sewallus; to whose posterity, in the male line, it has continued to the present reign, the late hon. George Shirley, who died 1797, having been owner thereof; which circumstance is mentioned by Dugdale, who says, in his Warwickshire, that Etingdon is the only place in the county, which could glory in an uninterrupted succession of its owners for so long a tract of time; and it is now more than a century since Dugdale wrote. This Sewallus de Etingdon founded and endowed the church of Nether-Etingdon. That he was an eminent man, is obvious from his large possessions in the counties of Warwick, Lincoln, Northampton, and Derby, in the time of the Conqueror; few being allowed at that change to enjoy more than a part of their estates, and even obliged to hold that by military and other services, from their new lords. Therefore if we may guess of his authority by the extent of his estate, which amounted to seventeen hides of land in this place only, he must have been no less than a Thane in the time of the Saxons; which was the same degree of honour among them, as a Baron, or Peer of England after the Norman Conquest; for as the learned Selden observes, not little more than five hides of land was an estate for some who were so dignified. He died about 1085. It appears by Kenilworth Register, that he built and endowed the church of Etingdon.

FULCHER, his only child, succeeded him; and died about 1105, leaving issue, 1. Sewallus. 2. Henry, from whom the Shirleys of Ireton, Co. Derby, who took the name of Ireton. 3. Fulcher, twice married, but died S. P. 4. Nicholas. 5. Robert.

SEWALLUS died about 1129; leaving by his first wife, Matilda, daughter of Ridel, of Halaughton, Co. Derb. 1. Henry. 2. Ful

b The hon. George Shirley, younger son of the first earl Ferrers, by his second wife Anne Finch, born 1705, and a Captain in the First Regiment of Foot Guards, died October 22d, 1787, aged eighty-two; and has a sumptuous monument at Etingdon.

• Nichols supposes him to have been Thanus Mediocris; a lord of the Manor, or lesser Baron.

cher, who held four Knights fees; but died S. P. 3. Hugh, a priest. 4. Ralph. 5. Richard. Having translated his seat from Etingdon to Shirley, in Derbyshire, he was the first of that family that called himself DE SHIRLEY.

HENRY, eldest son, held five Knights fees in Derbyshire, of Robert de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, and died about 1165. He gave the lordship of Ivanbrook to the Monks of Bildewas; and was a witness to the foundation Charter of Merevalle Abbey. He left issue by Joanna, daughter and heir of John de Clinton, of Effex,

SEW ALLIS, his son and heir, who, in 1167, acknowledged himself to hold of William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, those nine Knights fees which Henry, his father, and his uncle, some time held of Earl Robert, grandfather to the said Earl. He married Isabel, daughter and coheir of Robert Meynell, of Langley Meynell, Co. Derb. by whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth, wife of Jolin de Walton, son of Simon Bishop of Norwich: and a son and heir,

Sir JAMES DE SHIRLEY, who was a Knight, and had freewarren granted to him in all his demesnes at Shirley in 1247, and at Etingdon in 1255. He married Agnes de Walton, daughter of Simon de Walton, Bishop of Norwich, and had issue by her Sir Ralph, his successor.g He died about 1278.

Which Sir RALPH de Shirley, in 7 Edw. I. held the manor of Eatendon aforesaid, in com. Warwick, of Edmund Earl of Lancaster, the King's brother, by the service of two Knights fees. In 9 Edw. I. he was of full age. In 28 Edw. I he had the custody of the counties of Salop and Stafford, with the castle of Shrewsbury, committed to his charge; and was Sheriff of the counties of Derby and Nottingham, in the 27th, 28th, and 30th of Edw. I In 1301, he was summoned to attend the King at Berwick upon Tweed, on Midsummer-day, well-appointed with horse and arms, to march against the Scots. In 3 Edward II. he was constituted

d Of Ednesour, co. Derb.

Ever since the marriage with the heiress of Clinton, the family have taken her arms; viz. Paly of six, Or, and Arg. a quarter of Bretaigny; the family of Clinton, being allied to the Dukes of Bretaigny.

f See Lib. Nig. Scacc. under Derbyshire.

Nichols gives also three younger sons; James, Simon, and Henry, a priest, parson of St. George, co. Norf.

h He held also the manor of Barnham, co. Suff. near Thetford, by gift of his grandfather, Bishop Simon Walton.