Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 6.djvu/228

 184

NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vi. MAY s, im

-amongst which this Ralph being one, was carried prisoner to Paris."

Evidence is supplied in a Close Roll that Sir Ralph had already started in September -on his unfortunate expedition to France (Cal. CL R., 1288-96, p. 369). He died during his captivity abroad; the writ to the escheator bears date Portsmouth, May 23. 'The text is found on the Fine Rolls (25 Edw. I., m. 13). A closing word " vacat " 'leads to an inference that the customary writ was issued in ignorance of the grant made to 'Sir Ralph in 1294, and was quashed later -when it was found, in consequence thereof, -that the king had no interest in Ralph's Elands. The year is given as 1296, but if the regnal year began on Nov. 16, the date is really May 24, 1297, and since the death took place in France it follows that Sir Ralph had been dead some little time on May 24.

Evidence of Sir Ralph's marriage is supplied in the following assignment of dower to his widow :

" 1297, June 27. These lands [in Essex] are assigned to Maud, late the wife of Ralph de Gorges, as her dower, for a third part of the lands that belonged to Ralph by the assent of the exors. of the will, &c." Cal. Cl. R., 1296-1302, p. 114.

'The text of the foregoing deed is of more than ordinary importance, since it shows that a Ralph de Gorges had died in the year 1297, leaving a widow, surviving-dower being assigned from the de Gorges estates. Now this Ralph must be "the Marshal," Lord of Knighton Gorges, with wide estates over on the mainland, father of not identical with ""Ralph, Baron Gorges," who died in 1325.

From the following excerpta it will be seen that Dugdale, with other writers, has con- fused two different personages, the dates given being also at variance with the true facts, since Ralph " the Marshal " died after March, 1295-96, and before May, 1297.

Collinson, ' Hist, of Somerset,' art. ' Wraxall,' pp. 156-8, writes :

" Ralph de Gorges, son and heir of Ralph by Elena his wife, was a knight, and 21 Edward I. was Marshal of the King's army in Gascony."

He goes on to say :

" 2 Edward II., he was summoned to Parlia- ment among the Barons and died Nov. 29> 17 Edward II., leaving issue by his wife Eleanor* <fcc."

G. E. C.'s 'Complete Peerage,' vol. iv., p. 54, art. ' Gorges,' has :

" Ralph de Gorges, s. and h. of Ralph de Gorges, Gov. of the castles of Shirburn and Exeter and sometime -Sheriff of Devon, by Eleanor, dr. and h. of John Moreville of Wraxall, co. Som., succ. his father 1272. . . .and was summoned to Parl. as a Baron [Lord Gorges] by writ. He m. Eleanor, &c."

'The Victoria County History,' art. ' Knighton,' v. 182, says :

" John or Ivo de Morville died in 1256, leaving a daughter and heir married to Ralph de Gorges. She died in 1291-92, leaving a son Ralph, who in 1305 leased the manor," &c. " The manor see ms to have reverted to Ralph before 1316. Ra'ph (afterwards Sir Ralph) and his wife Eleanor had one son Ralph, who died without issue, evidently before 1330-31."

JOHN L. WHITEHEAD.

Ventnor.

( To be concluded }

AN ENGLISH ARMY LIST OF 1740. (See 12 S. ii. passim; iii. 46, 103, 267, 354, 408, 438.)

'THE third Marine Regiment (p. 51), raised on Nov. 19, 1739 (46th Foot), had light yellow facings to its uniform dress. It was " broke " on Nov. 7, 1748, the officers being then placed on half-pay.

The officers whose names appear in the Army List of 1755 (p. 89) as having belonged to this Regiment are seven in number Burton, Browne, Foulks, Bertles, Spetigue, Mompesson, and Medlicott here spelled Milliquet.

In 1745, Colonel Lowther was succeeded in the command by Colonel R. Sowle.

Colonel Lowther's Regiment of Marines.

Dates of their present commissions. . . 19 Nov. 1739 .. 28 ditto

5 Dec. 1739

Dates of their first

commissions. Ensign, 18 Oct. 1704. Ensign, 24 April 1708. Ensign, 1711.

Colonel .. .. Anthony Lowther (1)..

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Frazer

.Major '. . . . Pat. Edmonstone (2). .

(1) Ensign in the Earl of Barrymore's Regiment of Foot, Jan. 27. 1706. Captain in the Scots Fusiliers, Jan. 1, 1708. Major, Rich's Regiment of Dragoons, July 22, 1715. Captain-Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Colonel, Coldstream Guards, Dec. 20, 1717. Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel, Ju !y 8 1721. Major-General, May, 1745.

(2) Ensign, 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards, May 2, 1711. Lieutenant. Sept. 9, 1717. Appointed " Lieutenant-Colonel in Wynyard's (4th) Marine Regiment, Mar. 24, 1741. Name spelled " Emonstoun "

n MS. entry.