Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 12.djvu/354

 Courthope is of course not by himself, and the point of the joke is impossible now to discover, but the appearance of his name in this connection proves that he was more or less a well-known character. He died early in June 1772, as on the 10th of the month he was buried, and his place was declared vacant at the vestry meeting of that date. His assistant, ‘Mr. Richardson,’ was appointed, with the necessary proviso ‘that he perform his duty personally.’

 COURTHOPE, WILLIAM (1808–1866), Somerset herald, son of Thomas Courthope and his wife Mary, daughter of Thomas Buxton, born 6 May 1808, was engaged as private clerk by Francis Townsend, Rouge Dragon, in 1824, entered the office of the College of Arms as clerk in 1833, was appointed Rouge Croix in 1839, Somerset herald in 1854, and registrar of the college in 1859. He was called to the bar as a member of the Inner Temple in 1851, but did not practise. He accompanied several missions sent with the insignia of the Garter to foreign sovereigns. In 1838 he married Frances Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Frederic Gardiner, rector of Llanvetherine, Monmouthshire. He died without issue at Hastings, on 13 May 1866, at the age of fifty-seven. He was a learned and laborious genealogist, and his works are critical and generally trustworthy. He published: 1. An edition of Debrett's ‘Complete Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland,’ 1834, 1836. 2. An edition of Debrett's ‘Baronetage,’ 1835. 3. ‘Synopsis of Extinct Baronetage,’ 1835. 4. ‘Memoir of Daniel Chamier, minister of the Reformed Church, with notices of the Descendants,’ 1852, privately printed. Courthope was a descendant of Chamier. 5. A revised and corrected edition of Sir H. N. Nicolas's ‘Historic Peerage of England,’ 1857. 6. ‘A Pictorial History of the Earls of Warwick in the Rows Role,’ 1859; the date 1845 borne on the work refers to the plates and title-page, which were prepared in that year. He also contributed to ‘Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica’ and to the ‘Gentleman's Magazine.’

 COURTHOPP, NATHANIEL (d. 1620), sea-captain in the service of the East India Company, enlisted in the company's service in November 1609, and left England in the Darling, one of Sir H. Middleton's fleet. With his commander and others he was taken prisoner by the Turks and kept in captivity at Aden and Mocha. On regaining his freedom he was appointed agent to the company's factory at Succedana (Borneo). In 1616 he was placed in command of two ships which were sent from Bantam to the islands of Banda. After two months' sail he arrived at Pulo Roon, where the natives readily agreed to surrender themselves as subjects of the king. Courthopp, however, was unable to Carry on his expedition further, being compelled to fortify the island on account of the hostility of the Dutch, who seized one of his ships, and rendered his position one of great difficulty. With the exception of one or two flying visits to neighbouring islands, he remained at Pulo Roon for four years, undergoing great privations, till at last, in October 1620, he sailed to Lantore in pursuit of two Dutch ships which, as he was informed, had entered the harbour of that place. In an engagement which followed Courthopp received a shot in the breast, and leaping overboard was never seen again. The same year the Dutch expelled the English from both Pulo Roon and Lantore. In the preceding January the directors of the company had agreed that in recognition of his distinguished services Courthopp should receive 100l. per annum, and be recommended for preferment. In addition to Courthopp's journal, which has been preserved by Purchas, and some papers of his now in the Record Office, there are two letters written by him among the ‘Egerton MSS.’ at the British Museum (Eg. 2086, ff. 26, 44). One, dated from Neylacky, 29 June 1618, was addressed to Cassarian David, who occupied much the same uncomfortable position at Pulo Way as did Courthopp at Pulo Roon; and the other is a despatch to the president of the East India Company detailing the adventures of the expedition up to the date of writing, 15 April 1617.

 COURTNEY. [See also .]

COURTNEY, EDWARD (1599?–1677), a jesuit, whose real name was, was the son of Sir Thomas Leedes, K.B., by Mary, daughter and heiress of Thomas Leedes of Northamilford, Yorkshire. He was born at Wappingthorne, the family seat in Sussex, in or about 1599. His father, having embraced the catholic religion, voluntarily left this country and settled at Louvain. Edward, 