Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 2.djvu/406

 CKAVJSN. 405 3! Aug. 1G36. Ho had previously, 4 March 1020/7, been Knighted at Newmarket and 8 days afterwards, railed to the Peerage as before stated, having before that date pined some military distinction Wider the Prince o£ Orange, as, also, in 1032, as Commander of the English forces in Germany, at the taking of C'reuzcach on behalf of the Elector Palatine, where he was wounded, Again, in 1037, "little Lord Craven, (a) whose bounty makes him the subject of every man's discourse " [be was willing to contribute .£30,000] was with the force sent to assist the young Elector and his widowed mother, the Ex-Queen of Bohemia, which was defeated by the Imperialists, near Wesol, he himself being wounded and (together with Priucc Rupert) taken prisoner, tho' released in Aug. 1039 for a ransom of i'20,000. His munificence however, remained unimpaired ; he is said to have, soon afterwards, contributed to the unfortunate Ex-Queen of Bohemia her English pension of £10,000 a year, which was unpaid. In her court at the Haguc( b ) he continued till the restoration of Charles II, who, himself, had received at least £50,000 from him during his exile, in addition to large sums advanced to the late King. No wonder then that in 1664 he was rewarded with an Earldom and Viscountcy and in 1605 with a Barony in rem. to his (somewhat distant) cousins,( c ) as before mentioned. Col. of a Keg. of Foot, 1002 ; P.O., 1000; High Steward of Cambridge Univ., 1007; Col. of tho Coldstream Guards, 1070-S9 ; Master of the Trinity House, 1070 ; Lord-Lieut, of Midx. and Southwark, 1070-89; a commissioner for the government of Tangier, 1073 ; Lieut. -Gen. of the Forces, 1681-89. He placed his house in London (in Drury lane) at the disposal of the Ex-Queen of Bohemia, where she resided 20 May 1001 till within a fortnight of her death, which occurred 23 Feb. 10G2( d ). Duriug tho great plague in 100"> lie (with Archbishop Sheldon and the Duke of Albemarle) devoted himself to the relief of Bnffererg( c ). When the Dutch troops came to take possession of the guard at St. James ami Whitehall, 27 Dec. 10S7, he refused to lead oft' his troops till authorised by King James so to do. Under the new reign he was deprived of his regiment and his other appointments. Bravo and ever ready to devote himself to the welfare of others, tmmihceui in his gifts and pre-eminently loyal, he (I. at tho great age of 88 yean and 10 months at his house in Drury lane 9 April 1097, num., when ail his honours, save the Barony conferred in 1005, became (Mind. He was bur. at Binley. near Coventry. His will, dat. 4 July 10S9 to 7 July 1091, pr. 11 April 1097. II. 1G97. 2. William (Ckaven), Baron Craven of Hampsted Marshall, cousin and (apparently) h. male, who under the tpec hm. in the creation of that dignity, in 1005, sue, thereto, taking his seat in the House of Bonis in Dec. 1097( f ). Ho was b. 21 Get. 10GS, being s. and h. of Sir Wifi. Craven( b ) (named in the remainder of 1005) by Margaret, da. of Sir Christopher CLAriiAM of Beainsley, co. York. He sue. his Father 28 Oct. 1095 ; Lord-Lieut, of Berks, 1702 ; (") Seo " Vcrncy papers." ( b ) Hois sometimes said to have been her "Master of the Horse," a post he had nominally held at her husband Frederick's court ; but query if this is not a confusion with Sir Kobert Craven, who d. 0 Oct. 1072 aged 40 and who is stated on liis mon. at Bath Abbey to have been " sometime Master of the Horse to the Queen of Bohemia." i') See, Tabular Pedigree, an(c, p. 404, note " b." (<•) As to the popular belief that they were married, there appears to be no founda- tion for it, and the rumour was not even a contemporary one, the idea then current being that he wished to marry the Queen's 1st da., Elizabeth, who was but 7 years his junior. The matter is well discussed in Stephen's " Nat Biography," It may also be mentioned that there being no executor named in the Ex-Queen's will, the proving it W!» granted 4 March 1001/2 to her son Priucc Kupert, which, there being no renuncia- tion thereof on behalf of (the next of kin) her husband, certainly implies that she did not then possess one. (°) He gave a piece of land " wherein some thousand of corpses " of those that died of tho plague, were buried. It was near Caruaby Street, Golden Square. It was exchanged for a held in Paddington, called Craven Hill, to be used for a like purpose if a like plague should occur, which, again, in 1845 Was exchanged for lands further ofK ( f ). He was placed therein immediately below Lord Comwallis [a Parony er. in USUI] and above Lord Dartmouth.