Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 11.djvu/45

 9<s.xi.jAx.io,i903.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

of Andrew Aubrey, Mayor of London ; (2) to Sir Alan Boxhull, K.G., Constable of the Tower of London ; and (3) (about April, 1383) to Sir John de Montacute, afterwards third Earl of Salisbury, by whom she was mother of the fourth earl ; she died in 1424. Adam Fraunceys, like his father, was a mer- chant of London. He was one of the five aldermen who, with Lord Mayor William Walworth, were knighted by Richard II. in 1381 for services rendered in quelling Wat Tyler's insurrection. He appears to have had a residence at Rokholt Hall, Ley ton, Essex, as well as at Edmonton. At his death, in 1417, he left a widow, Margaret (d. 1444), and two daughters : Agnes (d.s.p. 1461),[the wife of Sir William Porter, and Elizabeth (d. 1450), the wife of the before-mentioned Sir Thomas Charleton, of Edmonton, who, according to Weever, was "a man of great command in this county."

In Cussans's 'History of Hertfordshire,' vol. iii. p. 273, there is an illustration given of Sir Thomas Charleton's seal, on which is a shield charged with his arms a chevron between three swans. This seal was appended to a deed dated 1420, relating to the manor of Burstpn, co. Herts, which manor had been granted in 1407 by his father Thomas Charle- ton and John Shordiche the elder to Gerard Braybroke. Thomas Charltone and John Shordych also appear as parties to a deed dated 1386, relating to the manor of Edmon- ton (Proc. S. A. L., second series, iv. 384). Sir Thomas Charleton died in 1447, and was succeeded by his son and heir, Sir Thomas Charleton the younger.

It may be that he was the Sir Thomas " Charlton," or " Chalton," who was Sheriff of London in 1433 and Lord Mayor in 1449. This Lord Mayor was the founder of a chantry in St. Alban's Church, Wood Street, City, where he is said to have been buried. It is known that the Charletons of Edmonton were the owners of property in the neigh- bourhood of this church ; and Alderman Henry Frowick, stepbrother of Sir Thomas Charleton the elder, was, until his death in 1459, a prominent man in the City, having served as Sheriff in 1427, and Lord Mayor in 1435 and 1444. Both Alderman Frowick and Lord Mayor Charlton were "Mercers." The arms, however, assigned by Heylin to Lord Mayor Charlton were those borne by the Calton family of Huntingdon. It would be interesting to know if any arms remain on the chancel or tomb at St. Alban's Church.

Sir Thomas Charleton the younger died in 1465, leaving a son Richard, then aged fifteen years, and two daughters, Agnes and Mary.

Richard Charleton was knighted in 1475 ; some years later he became one of the adherents of King Richard III., and probably took part in the decisive encounter at Bos- worth, for his death occurred on 23 August, 1485, the day after the battle. He left a widow, Elizabeth, and a son John, then aged ten years. In the following November he was, by Act of Parliament, attainted of high treason, and the whole of his estates were forfeited to the Crown. King Henry, how- ever, taking compassion on the widow, restored to her the manor of Swalcliffe for the term of her life, the reversion being granted to Sir Thomas Bourchier the younger and his wife Agnes, along with a grant of the manor of Edmonton.

One of the forfeited estates was Rokholt manor, in the parish of Ley ton, co. Essex, which had been purchased in 1360 by Adam Fraunceys and Agnes his wife, and had descended through the Porter family to Sir Richard Charleton (Morant's ' Essex,' sub 'Ley ton'). John Charleton, son of Sir Richard, appears to have been living in 1510 ("Index Library," vol. xv. p. 75), but nothing further is known of him.

According to a pedigree entered in the Visitation of Essex, 1558, Robert Brown, of Langynhow, co. Essex (father of Sir Hum- phrey Brown, Judge of the Common Pleas), married Mary, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Charleton, and their descendants quartered the arms of Charleton (Azure, a chevron or between three swans argent) and Fraunceys (Per bend sinister azure and or, a lion rampant gules).

Tristram Risdon, in his 'Note-Book,' p. 98, gives "Azure, a chevron or between three swans argent," as the arms borne by Sir Alan Charleton, of North Molton, who was the founder of the Apley Castle branch of the family, and married Ellen, daughter and coheiress of Alan le Zouch, of Ashby, and widow of Nicholas St. Maur, of North Molton. This indicates a relationship between the Charleton families of Shropshire and Middle- sex. It may be only a coincidence that the last of the Charletons of Powis viz., Joyce, Lady Tiptoft, daughter and coheiress of Edward Charleton, Lord Powis was buried in ^ 1446, in the parish church of Enfield, adjoining Edmonton.

A point in connexion with the marriage of Thomas Knightley, alias Charleton, should be mentioned. He succeeded to the Charle- ton estates on the death of his aunt Elena Charleton in the year 1400, when he was only four years of age. During his minority the custody of a moiety of these estates was