Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/553



Thomas Earl of Sussex, his son and heir, by the Lady Howard, inherited; he was sent (during his father's lifetime) into Germany by Queen Mary, to the Emperor Charles V. to treat of a marriage between that Queen and Prince Philip, the Emperor's eldest son; and afterwards into Spain, to Philip himself, for ratifying thereof; and the next year, was by them made Lord Deputy of Ireland, and at his father's death, Chief Justice of all the forests south of Trent, afterwards Knight of the Garter, and Captain of the Band of Gentlemen Pensioners; and on that Queen's death, was made Deputy of Ireland by Queen Elizabeth; after that, was sent to Vienna to the Emperor Maximilian, with the Order of the Garter, and after that, to the said Emperor, to treat of a marriage between Queen Elizabeth and Charles Duke of Austria; after that, employed against the Scots, which service he performed with much bravery and success; and at his return was sworn one of the privy-council: he died in 1583,  and ordered his executors to build a chapel of brick, on the south side of Boreham chancel, in Essex, and to erect a tomb of white alabaster, and other stones, and to remove the bodies of his grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother, and lay them by his own corpse: he gave to the Lady Frances, his widow, all his jewels, habiliments, chains, buttons, ornaments, with, or without precious stones, except the five stones, two great table diamonds, one great table rubie, one great pointed diamond, and a great bullose, which were given him on a sword, by Philip King of Spain, all which Sir Henry Ratcliff, Knt. his brother and heir, was to have for life, and afterwards were to go from heir to heir, as the heir comes. He gave 4000 oz. gilt plate, and 2000 oz. white plate, to his widow, and all the coaches, horses, and furniture which she and her women used to ride in, besides their riding-horses, and six geldings. It appears that he used to live sometimes at his mansion-house of Bermondesey in Southwark, sometimes at his noble seat of Newhall, in Boreham parish in Essex, and sometimes at Wodeham-Walter; he divided his linen into three parts, one to his lady, another to his heir, a third to his executors, and ordered them that, according to his feoffment, his lady should enjoy the manors of Newhall and Oldhall in Boreham, and many more manors in Essex, with Atleburgh, Hempnal, and Diss in Norfolk, during her life; and afterwards by a codicil dated 21st May following, he confirmed several bargains made during his sickness, of divers underwoods, wood, timber trees, &c sold in his manor of Atleburgh in Norfolk, and commanded they should keep house at Bermondesey twenty days after his burial, about which they should not expend above 1500l.; but yet I find that they exceeded that sum, as the following acount informs me.

"A brief declaration of the charges, as well of opening and embalming the body of Thomas Earl of Sussex, and the whole funeral charges of the said late Earl, as of expenses of house keeping at Bermundsey, the 9th of June 1583, in which day the said Earl died, and ending the 29th of July following, in which day the said house-keeping was dissolved.