1825.] Account of Merton, Norfolk. De Grey*, son of William de Grey, esq. The grounds surrounding the Hall are richly wooded. The park contains a great quantity of capital timber. Many of the oaks are the growth of centuries; one a little to the South west of the house measure 23 ft. 4 in. in circumference, six feet from the ground; and another to the Southeast, not far from the road, is 18 ft. 8 in. in circumference, six feet from the ground. A very handsome lime tree, now growing freely, a short distance North from the Hall, measures from the extremity of the branches on one side, across to the extremity of the branches on the other side, 74 ft.; and there are branches which would extend 40 ft. from the body of the tree, but they turn up and grow perpendicularly on the outside of the other branches t. The present noble owner has made considerable and tasteful improvements by plantations and different alterations. The parish of Merton contains (exclusive of the roads) 1349 acres, 2 roods, He was baptized at Merton, Aug. 13, 1680, chosen M. P. for Thetford 1705, and again 1708, and was afterwards Member for the County of Norfolk. He married Elizabeth, daughter of William Windham, esq. of Felbrigg, by whom he had six children: 1. Eliza beth, baptized in the parish of St. Anne, in London, Nov. 1707. 2. William, born and baptized at Merton, Sept. 4, 1710, buried at Merton, Feb. 15, 1718. 3. Catherine, baptized at Merton, April 26, 1713. 4. Thomas, baptized at Merton, Sept. 29, 1717. 5. William, born July 7th, and baptized at Merton, Aug. 14, 1719. 6. Charlotte, buried at Merton, Aug. 8, 1727. He was educated at Christ College, Cambridge, and was afterwards in the Secretary of State's Office. When the Norfolk militia was embodied, he served as Captain in the western battalion; and in the year 1759, when the kingdom was threatened with an inva sion, marched down to Portsmouth with that corps, of which he afterwards became Lieut.Colonel. He was elected, without opposition, M. P. for the county of Norfolk, 1764, in room of Lord Viscount Townshend; and in the year 1768, he was elected again, after a sharp contest, the numbers on the Poll being as follows:-Poll taken at Norwich, March 23, 1768, Sir Edward Astley, bart. 2977-Thos. De Grey, esq. 2754-Sir Armine Wodehouse, bart. 2680-Wenman Coke, esq. 2610. He was held in universal estimation during his life, for his charity and goodness of heart; and his memory is now revered by all the neighbourhood. He died without lawful issue, and was buried, at his request, in the Churchyard, under the East window of the chancel, June 28, 1781, but not a stone tells where he lies." He was succeeded in his estates by his younger brother William de Grey, who was born at Merton, July 7, and baptized Aug. 14, 1713. He was brought up to the Law, and educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge; practised afterwards with great eminence at the bar, was appointed one of his Majesty's Counsel, Jan. 30, 1758, was made Solicitor General, Dec. 16, 1764, Attorney General, Aug. 6, 1766, M. P. 1761, 1768, and 1770. He had the honour of knighthood conferred on him, and was constituted Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Jan. 26, 1771. His bad state of health obliged him to resign his office, and his Majesty was graciously pleased to reward his great services by creating him Baron Walsingham, of Walsingham, in the county of Norfolk, by letters patent bearing date Oct. 17, 1780. He was married in the Chapel belonging to Somerset House, Nov. 12. 1743, to Mary, daughter of William Cowper, esq. of Hartingfordbury Park, near Hertford, and first cousin to William Cowper the Poet. His Lordship died May 9, and was buried at Merton, May 17, 1781, leaving issue three children, William who died; Charlotte, who married Joseph Windham, esq.; and Thomas, born July 14, 1748, made Groom of the Bedchamber, June 1771, one of the Lords of Trade June 1777; in Feb. 1778 he was Under Secretary to Lord G. Germain, one of his Majesty's Secretaries of State for the American department; he was afterwards a Lord of Trade and Plantations, joint Post-master General, and many years Chairman of the Committees of the House of Lords. He married Georgiana-Elizabeth, daughter of Right Hon. William Irby, first Lord Boston, April 28, 1772, and was buried at Merton, Jan. 30, 1818, leaving issue 1. Georgiana; 9. Charlotte; 8. George, the present noble proprietor of Merton Hall; 4. Thomas, Archdeacon of Surrey; and 5, Augusta. This was kindly communicated to me by the late Mr. S. Tabrum, of Merton. of 12 Account of Merton, Norfolk. of which 750 acres are arable, 382 pasture, meadow, and heath, 68 plantations and woods, 131 common, in cluding the green, 18 acres, 2-roods, homesteads, including cottages and gardens. In 1821 there were 18 houses; vie Merton Hall, 1 private house, four farm houses, 12 cottages, containing 22 tenements. The number of inhabitants, in the same year, amounted to 162; viz. 78 males, and 84 females. Mary Codling, widow, aged 79, was the oldest person in the parish. From an Overseer's account-book, beginning" April the 6th day, 1675," it appears that only one person then received parochial relief, "John Rudnall, 8d, a weeke for 50 weekes," and that the whole poor rates and parish expences amounted to 1. 14s. 6d. I continued my search through the book, and adding together the parochial ex-pences for 33 years, from 1675 to 1707, both inclusive, I found them amount to 2871. Os. 4d. The Poor Rates of year, 1822, were 2811. 4s. 6d. (having encreased 741. 4s. 6d. in 22 years, from 1800). one, There is a School in the parish for the poor children, supported entirely by the De Grey family. The Church of Merton (see Piate I.) which is dedicated to St. Peter, stands in the park, a short distance on the right from the turnpike road leading from Watton to Thetford. It was given by Jeffrey Baniard (Baynard), and confirmed by Roger Baniard his son, and Fulk Baniard his grandson, to the nonks of St. Pancras at Lewes, in Sussex; viz. the church and parson of Merton with his land, and also the tithes of the demesne lands of the hall, and 80 acres of his gift. The rectory, temp. Edw. I. was valued at 13 marks, the prior of Lewes's portion at 10 [July, marks, peter pence 19d. The ́temporals of the prior of Lewes were taxed at 41s. 3d*. It stands in the king's books by the name of Marton, alias Merton, and is valued at 61. Os. 5d. and being sworn of the clear yearly value of 401. 5s. is discharged of first-fruits and tenths, and so is capable of aug mentation. It is subject to the Archdeacon of Norwich.. The Church, which is a very pleas sing object from every side, consists of a chancel, South aile, nave, North and South porch, and tower. The chancel and South porch are tiled, the other parts are all leaded. The tower is round (a thing not uncommon in this county t), and has a small wooden spire surmounted by a vane. are three bells, thus inscribed: There 1. ANNO DOMINI 1564. I. B. The lower part of the tower is lighted by a small round-headed window, to the West, divided into two lights by a stone mullion; the upper part has one round-headed window to each of the cardinal points. The date of the tower may, I think, be safely fixed in the 12th century. The nave is lofty, and is separated from the tower by a plain circular arch, and from the aile by four sharp pointed arches upon three octagonal pillars. The entrance through the porch, on the North, is by a pointed arch. It is lighted on the North by two long, narrow, lancet-shaped windows, decorated both on the inside and outside with slender shafts, and divided by one plain mullion, finished at the top with a quatrefoil. On the South are three clerestory windows, each one divided into two lights by one mullion, forming a trefoil at the top. They contain, William, son of John Bacon of Griston, gave to William, Prior of Lewes, his right in ■ messuage and 46 acres of land, 2s. 6d. rent in Merton, all which revenues continued in that monastery till its dissolution, and then came to Thomas Duke of Norfolk, and were afterwards sold to the De Greys. In 1874 there was a composition made between the Prior and Rector, by which the latter was for ever to have all their portion of tithes in Merton, with a toft called Lewes-yard (of course from the priory of Lewes, in Sussex), and 50 acres called Lewes-lond, or land. Mr. Ledwich [see Gent. Mag. for Oct. 1813, p. 817 note§] ascribes the round towers of Norfolk and Suffolk Churches to Irish Missionaries. And why?-merely from the prevalence of those round towers in Ireland, which have occasioned so much disquisition with antiquaries! It appears to me more probable, that the architects in Norfolk and Suffolk (where the Churches are almost all built of small flints), preferred the round to the square form, to save the expence of free-stone, which would have been wanted in the latter case for the corners of the building. 1825]. Account of Merton, Norfolk. as is usual in country churches, frag ments of stained glass. Near the first pillar to the west stands the font, which consists of an octagonal bason and shaft, raised on a base of two steps, all of stone. The bason is lined with lead, and perforated at the bot tom. The eight faces are ornamented with plain strields. The corners of the lower part of the bason have angels, with expanded wings, bearing shields. The covering, which is of wood, is lofty, reaching nearly to the top of the arch: it was formerly gilt and richly ornamented with tabernacle work, but is now going to decay. The seats on the north side of the nave are open, and appear antient. On the south side are four inclosed pews, built in 1813, and appropriated to the four farms into which the parish is divided. The hall pew, which is of carved oak, and lined, stands at the south-east end. Opposite to it, on the north side, are fixed the reading-desk and pulpit, both of oak; the latter is octagonal. In the middle of the nave there is a stone, which formerly had this inscription: Orate pro a'i'a Christianae Bucken ham nuper uroris Georgii Buckenham filiae Will: de Grep Armigeri, que oblit riiio die Junii o d'ni inCCCChrrrrii. et pro a'i'a Agnetis Weth quonda' filiae Francisci Heth Ar migeri, que diem clausit extremum, viz: xxiiii „Maii MCCCClxxxxiiii. At the east end of the above lies a stone which had formerly five shields, viz. the 1st has De Grey's arms t; 2nd, now gone, had De Grey, quar See Bl. Ask. I. 287. 13 tering Baynard; the 3rd bears De Grey's; the 4th, Manning, quarterly Az. and Gu over all a cross patonce between three trefoils slipped Or; the 5th has De Grey impaling Manuing. The inscription, which has been reaved off, was as follows: Drate pro a'i'ab's Will'ide Grep Ar migeri & Christianae uxoris ejus, fifiae Job'is Mannynge nuper de Ellingham Magna gener: & pro a'i'ab's omnium benefactoru' suoru', & pro a'i'ab's pro quib's tenentur. Qui quide' Willi’us obiit in festo Sci Martini Epi. an's ni MCCCCirriv. dicta Christiana obiit in festa D'e'i Petri ad vincula... Another stone, partly covered by the hall pew, had five shields and an in scription on brass, all gone. It was in memory of Mary, wife of William de Grey, son and heir of William de Grey, and sister to Edmund Beding field, esq. who died April 5, 1480. The arms were Grey impaling Bay nard; Grey quartering Baynard im paling Bedingfield, quartering Tuden ham. The next stone, a little to the north, has also lost its brass and inscription. 1 Against the north wall, under the first window from the chancel, there is a monument for William de Grey, esq. and his two wives. The brasses are all remaining, except those which bore the inscriptions. His effigy in armour, with the arms of De Grey, is in a kneeling posture, having his helm lying by him, a scrow issuing from his mouth, and De Grey's arms quar tering Baynard over his head; behind him are his five sons in loose, gowns 1, with a disrobed scrowl over their heads: ✦ In consequence of the paternal arms of De Grey being borne by so many families, Sir Thomas de Grey, about 1300, totally omitted them, and assumed those of Cornherd, which he and his descendants for several generations bore as their paternal arms, vizi Az. a fess between two chevrons Or; which arms the Cornherd or Cornerth family took in imitation of the Baiuards, their superior lords, of whom they held great part of their estate, whose arms are the same exactly as Cornerd's, only the field and chevrons differ in colour. In all MSS. Visitations, &c. per Hawley Claren. temp. E. VI.; per Harvey Claren. temp Eliz.; per Bishe Claren. 1664; the De Greys have used the arms of Cornerd, and in Bishe's Visitation the quarterings are thus entered: 1. Grey alias Cornerd, Az. a fess between two chevrons Or; 2. Baynard, Arg. a fess between two chevrons Az.; 8. Barnston or Bernardeston, Az. a fess dancetté Erm. between six crosslets Arg.; 4. Manning, quartering Az. and Gu. over all a cross patonce between three trefoils slipped Or. Crest on a torce of his colours a dragon's head erased Or. 1. Edmund, see monument in chancel against the north wall.-2. William, see i mos Bument in south aisle, south wall.-3. Fulk, was buried in 1560 in the south aisle of Carbrooke Church near Watton, in the grave of Elizabeth Drury his wife, who was buried Nov. 8, 1555. Their gravestone, stripped of all its brasses, still remains. In Blomefield's time one shield remained, having the arms of Grey impaling Baynard.-4. .....-5....... Daughters: 1. "Gabriell Grey, the daughter of Mr. William Grey, was baptized the xxv of September 1551.”—Parish Register of Thompson, Norfolk. opposite 14 Preservation of a Family on Ship-board during the Great Plague. [July, opposite to him is Mary Bedingfield, his first wife, kneeling, with her three daughters behind her; over her head also has been a scrowl, and the arms of De Grey quartering Baynard impaling Bedingfield, Ermine, an eagle displayed Gu. quartering Tudenhain, lozenge, Arg. and Gu. Behind them is Grace Teye, his 2nd wife, and their two daughters with dishevelled hair; Over her has been a scrowl; the arms of De Grey quartering Baynard, im paling Teye of Essex, a fess, in chief three martlets, in base a chevron. (To be continued.) Mr. URBAN, THE London, July 14. HE following narrative is collected from the saine authority as that in page 311 of your Magazine for May, which your Correspondent W. L. C. calls "The Fabius-like caution and firmness exhibited by a London citizen during that dreadful visitation." This may possibly possess some portion of interest to readers of a similar taste with him, and, as well as my prior communication, is one among the many traits of former times collected during my limited researches into the antiquities of this great city; as such it is perfectly at your disposal. Yours, &c. W. HAMILTON REID. Account of a Family preserved on Shipboard in the Thames during the Great Plague in 1665. TWO brothers and a sister, the children of one pious mother, a widow, lived together in one house in the city; the sister, the youngest of the family, was about nineteen, one of the brothers near forty, and the other about twenty-six years of age. The sister, as well as the mother, was pious and well instructed; the brothers men of business, in which they were much taken up and engaged, but still sober and orderly people. Having been merchants and resided abroad, on their return to England, as partners, they had large concerns on their hands, kept two or three servants and book keepers daily in the counting-house, and doing business as well at the water side as at the Royal Exchange. As the eldest of these brothers was a widower, and the youngest a bachelor, the young lady their sister was their housekeeper, and in a familiar way they called her their governess. The old lady, with some of the younger children, lived a little way out of town, where her recollections of a visitation similar to what she again expected, often gave her much uneasiness on account of her sons in the city. This occasioned her visits to be much more frequent than before; and her repeated admonitions to prepare for the event expected, by repentance and a change of life, at length were thought officious, and in a great measure imputed to imbecility. But, as before observed, the old lady had lived in London in the time of the great plague, as it was then called, 29 years before, viz. in 1624, when there died of all distempers above 54,000 people, exclusive of those in the out-parishes. One of the last conferences these young men had with their mother upon this subject was in February 1665, and then but one person had died of the plague since December; so that the eldest brother once or twice jested with her and his sister on the subject, and, as the latter thought, a little prophanely. It was not above a fortnight after this discourse when the city had another alarm, and one of her brothers was the person that brought the news, viz. that the plague had broke out again in St. Giles's parish, and that a whole family was dead of it. The young lady was in her chamber, when her brother coming up to her door, “Oh, sister,” said he, "we are all undone !" “Undone," said she, "what's the matter?" He could not speak for some time, but at last continued-" We are all undone, sister! my mother and you were both in the right, the PLAGUE IS BEGUN!" He then proceeded to give her an account that two men had been buried in St. Giles's in the Fields; that it was true there were but two persons put in the weekly bill, but he was assured that two or three houses were infected; that five people were dead in one, and seven in another; that the burials in St. Giles's parish, usually 16 or 18 a week, had increased to 30. Though scarcely a day passed without some reasoning on the common calamity, many persons, and particularly one in this family, endeavoured to persuade themselves that the disorder had died away; but about the 3rd or 4th of May, the youngest brother, having been out in the morning, came into the counting-house, when, having sent a servant out of the way and shut the door, the elder immediately 1823.] Preservation of a Family on Ship-board during the Great Plague. 15. mediately asked him if he had heard any bad news-any thing more of the plague: Any thing more of it? why 'tis come into the city: here's one dead in the next street to us almost, 'tis but in Bearbinder-lane. Indeed, my Lord Mayor sent two surgeons to search the body, and they have both given it in that he died of the Plague: he was a Frenchman." This discourse having ended, the elder brother went out, and found all the other had said was true; the plague had infected five or six families in St. Giles's, near Long Acre, and had spread down Drury-lane into St. Clement's parish, and the other way into St. Andrew's, Holborn. Still it appeared that many persons, especially shop-keepers, concealed the distemper as much as they could to prevent their customers from leaving them. The dead they pretended died of the spotted fever, or any thing else they could get the searchers to report for them. This family, like the other that resided near Wood-street, Cripplegate, after some deliberation, proposed get ting a stock of bread and beer into the house, and to trust to their mother in the country, who sent them fresh provisions every week; but when it was considered that no messenger or servant would dare to bring them provisions much longer, this scheine was given up as being then too late. At this time it appears the ordinary carriers had ceased going; besides, there was no passing the roads; the towns were all guarded, the passages stopped; and though they had got certificates of health from the Lord Mayor, the city began now to be so infected that no one would receive them—no inn would lodge them on the way. They had for some time left off burying the dead in the usual form and manner, especially in the out-parts; but the dreadful cry of Bring out your dead," between twelve and three in the morning, was not heard in the city till the first week in August. In that week more than 4000 persons in the parishes near the city walls, about Bishopsgate and Cripplegate, had died. This family, having debated three, or four days respecting their means of providing for themselves, were happily relieved by the arrival of the captain of a ship that belonged to one of the brothers, which had been fitted out for a voyage to Genoa and Messina. Having something to communicate, he began to tell one of the owners that he wondered he had not removed his family all this while, &c. The captain was some time before he would undertake to explain his proposal; but being pressed to come to the point, he replied, Why, then, Sir, the short of the story is this-Have I not a ship here' in the river? and is she not your own, excepting a sixteenth which I have by your friendship? Here we have victuals for her for four months for twentytwo men, and have put her up on the Exchange for Genoa, Naples, and Messina. We have taken in no goods on your account but some hogsheads of sugar and about 50 fodder of lead for ballast; nor, as things are now, will any body ship off any thing; besides, 'tis to no purpose to go to sea; for no nation in Europe will give us product, or let us so much as come to an anchor in any of their ports." In a word, the captain's proposal being adopted, the ship fell down from Rotherhithe to Deptford, and beds and bedding-linen · of all sorts, with all kinds of kitchen furniture, and other family necessaries, were packed up in cases, boxes, and bales, as if for the use of passengers. All the plate and valuables of the faniily were fetched away by the ship's long-boat, and another they borrowed, for three days together, their own servants assisting to put it on-board. The captain was equally industrious, and in a few days they were as completely fitted out and provisioned as if a voyage to sea had really been intended. Their dwelling-house in the city, in the parish of St. Margaret Pattens, they left fastened up with no one in it, the care of it being consigned to the ordinary watch by night, and two poor men who took their turns in keeping the outer door by day, took in letters, and attended to such business as might casually occur. The letters were ordered to be sent to a house at Greenwich; thence they were brought to the ship's side, having been sprinkled with vinegar, and then scorched at the fire. The ship continued at anchor a little above Deptford about a fortnight; but finding by that time the dreadful increase of the plague that came on eastward from the other end of the town, by the north side of the city, into Aldgate, Whitechapel, and Stepney, and raged especially in Wap |