Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 4.djvu/99

 GREY. 101 afterwards into a churn of tlio peerage. By an inn. post mortem, 155-1, on George Vernon/' 1 ) uf Hodnet, Salop, ho WHS found to be one of the cousins and coheirs of Lord Grey of Powis and, as such, entitled to a moiety of the manor of Build was, &c, which was withheld from him, &c. This was followed by a bill in Chancery in the same year by Edward Kynaston,(") of Hordley, Salop (who was, by [the illtgit.JEdwardGreyot'Powis, acknowledged as the heir of the Lords Grey do Powis) charging the Vernons with ' 'setting up a pretended title." The Vernons, however, procured other evidence and another inquisition (manifestly false) in their favour, which, however, were finally vacated and condemned in the Court of Wards iu 1585, leaving their position considerably damaged. The peerage claim began (1) in 1584 when " Henry Vernon/ 3 ) Esq., of Stokesay, Salop," claimed the name and style of Lord Powis in right of Anne, his grandmother, cousin and coheir of Edward, the last Lord Powis." The Barony he claimed was that under the writ of 26 July (1313), 7 Ed. II., to John Cherleton as (presumably) Loud Cheui-ETon whom he (erroneously) represents to have been sum. as " Cherleton of Powis." In this elaim( b ) he assumes the right of the elder coheir as paramount, making the Barony descend as of right to Henry Grey, s. and h. of Joan, the eldest da. and coheir of Edward, the last Lord, and claiming the same for himself as heir to his grandmother, cMcst da. and coheir of Dame Elizabeth Ludlow. ( a ) He states also that he perceives "he hath no means to attain unto the same dignity of Lord Powis but by using and taking the same name and Stifle, &c." This he seems to have done. There is the draft of a remarkable patent (undated and unsigned) setting out his pedigree as, also, that of his cousin, John Vernon, of Hodnet [156U — 1592] as cousins and coheirs of " Edward Grey, Knt., late Lord Powys," and creating the said Uemy Vernon " Lord Powys, one of the Parous of our Kingdom of England " with rem. to the heirs [general] of his body, failing which with Tein. to the said John Vernon and the heirs mtilc of his body( c )." This Henry d, s.p. in 1606 and is doubtless the " Sir William [sic] Varnam, called the Lord of Powys," who " d. at Mrs. More's " and was bur 27 July 1606, at Stoke Xewington, Midx.( d ) After the lapse of a century and a half (2) in March, 1731, "John Kynaston, of Hordley, Salop, Esq.," fifth in descent and " lineal heir of Edward K., of H., afsd., Esq., next Cousin in. blood aud heir of Edward, the last Lord Grey of Powis," claimed the Barony cr. by the writ of 1313 to John Cherleton. Assuming, as therein asserted, that the Vernon descent from Grey was a forgery, he was the undoubted heir, thro' Dame Elizabeth Kyuaston,( a ) nee Grey, of Joan, eldest da. and coheir of Edward (Cherleton), Lord Cherleton de Powis, and according to his statement (tho' such is not now the law) the attainder of John (Tip- toft), Earl of Worcestei, s. and h. of Joyce, the other coheir, had extinguished all right of the issue of the said Joyce and thus left him sole heir to theBaronyof 1313. This case was opposed (3) by Sir Nathaniel Curzon, Bart., fourth in descent, and representative of Francis Curzon, by Eleanor, aunt of llenry Vernon, the claimant of 158-1, da. and only- child whose issue was extant of Thomas Vernon, of Stokesay, by Anne, 1st da. and coheir of Sir John Ludlow and Elizabeth, his wife, said to have been formerly Elizabeth Grey.( n ) He indeed appears to have been "suing for a writ [to himself J as Lord Grey of Powis " as early as Dec. 1729. In this opposition to Kynaston's claim he joined with himself his two cousins, Diana Veruon and Harriott Vernon, both of Hodnet, spinsters, sixth in descent andrepresentativesof Alice,wifeof Hum prey Vernon, of Hodnet, second da. andcoheir of Sir John Ludlow and Elizabeth, his wife, abovenamed. — Proceed- ings were taken in tho House of Lords in 1731 aud 1732, but on the death of Mr. Kynaston, iu 1733, were suffered to drop. Finally (4) in 1S00, after a lapse of 70 years the Barony was again claimed by " John Kynaston -Powell, of Hardwick, co. Salop, Esq.," grandson in the male line and heir of Johu Kynaston the last claimant. To avoid the previous mistake as to the extinction (by the attainder of the Earl of Worcester) of all right of the issue of Joyce Tiptoft, the second da. aud coheir of the Baron who d. iu 1421, he stated that his lineal ancestor, Hem-y Grey, Earl of Tankerville, the s. and h. of Joan, the 1st da. and coheir, had enjoyed the ancient Barony of Powys, the ('■") The relationship of these parties is best shewn in the tabular pedigree annexed. ( b ) Printed at length in Collins' " Baronies by writ." (°) Seo " Genealogist," U.S., vol. iv, pp. 47-49, where also is a letter from George Horde, 27 March 1598, asking for £5 from "his very good Lord Heurie, Baron Powis." ( d ) lady Mary, icife of Lord Henry Varncm," is buried 30 Dec. 1605, at Holy Trinity, Minoriea.