Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/196

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. VIL MAR. s, 1913.

JOHANNA WILLIAMSCOTE (11 S. vii. 49, 92, 115). I am indebted to MB. ST. CLAIR BADDELEY for distinctly showing that the Williamscotes and Winkotes were two different families. On p. 706 of Dugdale's ' Antiquities of Warwickshire,' edition of 1656, occurs the following :

" He [Sir John Greville II.] bore the same cote as his father did excepting the annulets upon the Cross, as by his picture, together with his wife, both kneeling in their surcotes of Arms, in the East Window of the Parish Church at Binton in this county appeareth, but departed this life 6 Aug. 20 E. 4, and was buried in the Church of Weston super Avon."

Then follows an etching of the two figures, he in his surcote emblazoned with the arms of Greville, Sable, a cross and bordure, both engrailed or, a mullet of five points or in the dexter quarter. His wife is represented in a kirtle emblazoned with the same i.e., Greville arms, but those on her mantle, though not very distinct, appear to be Azure, an eagle displayed argent, bordure fleury argent. Beside the two figures are very distinct indeed the two names " 1 Grivell. 2 Williamscote."

The curious question is, How came a Greville who was lord of the manor of Milcote in Gloucestershire, and a Williams- cote of Kiddington in Oxfordshire, to be in the east window of the parish church of Binton in Warwickshire ? Unless, indeed, it is explained by MR. ST. CLAIB BADDELEY'S closing remark :

" Her [i.e., Johanna Williamscote's] son Robert certainly married Isabel Wynkote of Bynton."

But then, according to Maclean and Heane's edition of ' The Visitation of Gloucester, 1623,' was not the " Robert Grevile " who married " Isabell, dau. of Christopher Wyncott of Bynton," the second son of " John Grivill of Dray ton," who married " Jane, dau. of Humphrey Forster of Harpen- den nere Henley." ?

The heraldic stained - glass shield of Sir John Greville, coinciding exactly with the description given by Dugdale, adorned the east window of the ancient parish church of Binton for more than two centuries ; the writer remembers it there so late as the year 1873. In 1875 this ancient church was pulled down, and a new one erected on the same site. The stained-glass shield of Sir John Greville II., after an oblivion of thirty -seven years, has quite accidentally been recovered. There is a wish to replace it in the present church, together with copies of the picture of Sir John and Lady Greville; hence the anxiety of those pro- moting this scheme to obtain corroborative

evidence of Dugdale's statement, in his account of the window, that Sir John's wife was Johanna Williamscote. According to the Rev. J. H. Bloom, she was Anne, daughter of Sir William Vampage.

Any light on the subject of either Sir John Greville or his wife, particularly the wife's armorial bearings, will be most thankfully appreciated by those responsible for the restoration (as far as possible) of a window to the memory of Sir John Greville II. and his wife.

With regard to Lady Greville's armorial bearings as displayed on her mantle in Dug- dale's etching, since my query appeared on p. 49 I have noted the following in Burke's
 * General Armory ' :

" Vampage Buyhall in Hippie, Pershore and Wollashull, co. Worcester. John Vampage was Deputy Sheriff, co. Worcester, 1428 and 1443. Sir John Vampage, Knight, of Pershore married the dau. and heir of William Wollashull, Esq r, of Wollashull, Visitation of Worcester 1553. Az., an eagle displayed ar., beaked and membered or, within a single tressure fleury of the second."

These coincide exactly with those in Dug- dale's etching.

I could not find any arms to the name of Williamscote, but the three following are noteworthy :

" Wilcots Azure, an eagle displayed argent, armed and gorged with a ducal coronet or." " Wilcotts Sa., an eagle displayed argent." " Wilcotts Azure, an eagle displayed argent."

Can the name of Williamscote have been contracted to " Wilcots " or "Wilcotts* s ? It is curious that there should be a similarity between the arms of the Vampage and Wilcots families. If it is allowed that Williamscote has contracted to " Wilcots," might this possibly account for the confusion which has arisen as to whether Sir John Greville's wife was a Vampage or a Williams- cote ? A. M.

The information given by your corre- spondent at the last reference, which introduces the name of a fourth place Willamescote in Cropredy is new to me. I may perhaps be permitted to point out that for this reason I have not suggested that the spelling of Williamscote, near Banbury, has ever been confused with that of Wincote. At p. 92 ante I referred to three places all comparatively close to Stratford-on-Avon Willicote, Wincote, and Wilmcote and although the origin of Win- cote (in Clifford Chambers) and that of Wilm- cote (in Aston Cantlow) are no doubt quite different, I am disposed to agree with Mr. Bloom that they have sometimes been