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 THE ANCESTOR 171 himself.^ Holford adds that the first Robert, son of Gilbert, and Hugh Rowenchaump, his own ancestor, had grants respectively from Hugh Lupus of Over and Nether Lo stock, the lordship of a man ^ slain at the battle of Nantwich ; and that Over Lostock (Allostock, that is) had descended in a direct line to Sir Robert, the defendant. The evidence of the other witnesses, more than two hundred in number, must be very summarily treated.^ They agree that the Grosvenors had borne the same arms since the Con- quest, a few mentioning Gilbert by name ; they had heard so from great and ancient men to whom they gave credence ; it was matter of common talk and belief in the county of Chester, and so forth. Many testify that they have seen ancient charters and muniments sealed with these arms ; they have seen them in church windows, on tombstones and else- where. Among a vast mass of repetitions the following points really bear upon the pedigree. Sir Rauf de Vernon mentions a Grosvenor (not named) buried at Norton Priory, and a tombstone there. Adam Neusom, one of Scrope's witnesses, speaks vaguely of others buried at St. Werburgh's in Chester, where their arms were to be seen in the refectory, among other places, as Thomas le Vernoun, John de Camphurst and Rauf de Egerton say. The first definite fact we get is the burial of Robert, the delFendant's great-grandfather, a century earlier, in the church of the Friars Minors of Chester, commemorated by an altar-piece with his arms.^ Of Robert, his son, we learn more. He served in Scotland under Edward II. as the companion in arms of William de Modburlegh, whose daughter he married ; and his arms were put up in a window of Mobberley Church some sixty years before.^ He rebuilt the chapel at his own seat of Hulme, with armorial windows.^ Sir Lawrence de Dutton ^ ^ Exhibest vn muniment sicome il auoit de la relacion de William de Praes sire de Bradley _kg. Baddiley] son aiel & des aut's g'*ntz & aunciens gentz del teno' q' lensuyt.' 2 * un home J which gets transformed to one * Hame^ as if it were a proper name (Ormerod, iii. 163). 3 Ojf sixty the evidence is wanting ; only their names are preserved in Harl. MS. 293. ^ * un table desuz un auter ' (Depositions of Lawrence de Dutton, Geoffrey Boidell, William Danyell). ^ Dep. John and Rauf Leycestre. Dep. Massie of Podington, Lawrence de Dutton.