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 had a seat in the House of Commons as M.P. for Southampton in seven parliaments, from 1701 to 1710. When the fortunes of the Duke, his master, failed at the English court, and when a semi-Jacobite and semi-Bourbon government set themselves to annoy and to discredit the illustrious Captain-General, it was not likely that his secretary would escape. In those days the sale of offices, and the pocketing of perquisites, and similar money-making tricks, were habitually indulged in and winked at, always with the risk that a change of government might bring with it an affected horror and actual punishment. This risk overtook Mr Cardonnel. Attention was called to the fact that he had been receiving a perquisite from army contractors in the shape of an annuity of £500, and of course he was expelled from the House of Commons. It is to be regretted that the English atmosphere had lowered the moral standard of a descendant of Huguenots. Still the penalty was understood to be in reality the mere vengeance of Harley and Bolingbroke. And in the next reign, according to Collins’ peerage, he might have been a Secretary of State, if he had so desired.

Mr. Cardonnel was twice married, first, to Mrs. Elizabeth Teale, a widow lady, and secondly, to another widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Frankland, daughter of a French refugee, Rene Baudouin, of London, merchant. Mrs. Frankland had been a relation of the baronet of that name at Chiswick, with which place Mr. Cardonnel either had become connected or became connected after his second marriage. In his will he left £10 to Mr. Wood, minister of Chiswick; £10 to the poor of the parish, and £10 to its charity school, while he styles himself “Adam Cardonnel, of the parish of St. Margaret’s, Westminster, Esquire.” The Historical Register announces: “1719, Feb. 22. Dy’d, Adam Cardonnel, Esq., secretary to the Duke of Marlborough.” His life, though active and eventful, had not been long, for he was only in his fifty-sixth year. He left a son, Adam, and a daughter, Mary, both by his second wife. She survived him as his widow, residuary legatee, and executrix; there were other three executors, Charles Le Bas, Esq.; René Baudouin, and Frederick Frankland, Esq., barrister-at-law, a son of Sir Thomas Frankland, Bart. He left £35,000 to purchase an estate for his son, and £10,000 to his daughter; £100 a-year to be doled out to his brother Peter; a legacy of £500 to his brother Daniel; as to James, he forgave him a debt of £2000 and upwards, and gave him a legacy of £1000. To his stepsons, Isaac and Thomas Teale, he left £500 each; to his stepdaughter, Elizabeth Frankland, £5000. Omitting legacies to some friends and servants, I note that he left sums “to buy him a ring” to Henry Lumley, Esq., 100 guineas; to Rev. Richard Hill, 100 guineas; to Sir Thomas Frankland, Bart., £20; to Thomas Frankland, Esq., his son, £20; to Rev. Dr. Hare, Dean of Worcester, £20; to Robert Pescoe, of the city of Winchester, Esq., £20. The will was proved by the widow only, 5th March 1719 (n.s.). Her father died in 1728, aged seventy-eight; this accounts for one trustee. Charles Le Bas, of Cecil Street in the Strand, Esq., died suddenly, 22d September 1724. Young Adam Cardonnel, Esq., died 22d September 1725, and administration of his affairs was granted to his widowed mother on October 26. It was probably in consequence of this sad event, and of the complications it occasioned, that the widow accepted an offer of marriage from the surviving trustee; and thus, although married for the third time, she became the first wife of Frederick Frankland, Esq. (See the Peerages.) According to his original powers, Mr. Frankland proved the late Secretary Cardonnel’s will on 16th May 1738. The representation of the first line of De Cardonnel thus devolved upon the only daughter, Mary. She had been married in February 1734 (n.s.) to the Hon. William Talbot. Collins says that she was only fifteen years of age, but the fact was that the marriage took place fifteen years after her father’s death. Mr. Talbot succeeded to the peerage in 1737 on the death of his father, and became the second Baron Talbot, and was created Earl Talbot in 1761 (the first and last earl). Mary, Countess Talbot, had an only child, Lady Cecil Talbot, who was married on 16th August 1756 to George Rice, Esq., M.P. for Carmarthen. On 17th October 1780, Earl Talbot received the title of Baron Dynevor, which was to descend to his daughter, Lady Cecil Rice, who had become a widow on 3d August 1779. On the death of the earl, 27th April 1782, she thus became Baroness Dynevor, and is the ancestress of a line of barons still subsisting. In 1787 she assumed the surname and arms of De Cardonnel only, and for a long period of years this was the surname of the Lords Dynevor. Ultimately the surname Rice was resorted to, De Cardonnel being sometimes inserted as a Christian name. The first De Cardonnel Baroness died on 14th March 1763, aged fifty-nine. The present baron is Arthur De Cardonnel Rice, sixth Lord Dynevor, born 1836, succeeded 1878.

The secretary’s brother, James de Cardonnel, was one of the twins, baptized in the French Church of Southampton, 2d June 1667. He entered upon public life as secretary to Mainhardt, Duke of Schomberg and Leinster. In the Burgess-book of Southampton there is this entry: “1698-9, January 31. James de Cardonnel, Esq.,