[1] It will be observed that nothing is here said of the manor of Studley, which will hereafter be found in the possesion of Thomas Middlemore 's descendants. Nor is there any mention of the lands in Solihull, which were undoubtedtly held hy his ancestors and descendants, but may have been at the time in the hands of a senior line of the family, heirship to which may have ultimately vested in the descendants of Thomas.
[2] This name may indicate the origin of Thomas Middlemore's connection with the City of London, for Sir John Poulteney, draper, had been Lord Mayor in the reign of Edward III. He died in 1349, and his name is still perpetuated in Lawrence Pountney Lane.
[3] Possibly, but not probably, ancestors of the Porters of Edgbaston, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. See "Survey of Birmingham," P. 84.
[4] This had reference to the disturbed state of the country consequent upon the financial difficulties which resulted from the prolonged warfare with France. The Parliament which met in July of that year found an exchequer deficit of L164,000, of which not less than L12,000 had been caused by the French wars, while the annual expenditure exceeded the revenue by L20,000 The Parliament adjourned, and on meeting again in November reverted to a subject already discussed, the prevalence of crimes of violence and the support given to wrongdoers by men of position. The Peers and Commons agreed to re-swear observance of certain articles made during the Parliament of 1429-30 for the suppression of such offences. Commissioners for administering the oath were sent down into the country, and thus it was that John Middlemore appears recorded on the Patent Rolls amongst the principal gentry of Warwickshire who gave this assurance.
[5] Throckmorton. Margaret Throckmorton's sister Elianor married Richard Middlemore's cousin, Thomas Middlemore (44) of Hawkesley, and it will therefore be convenient to reserve notes upon the Throckmorton family till we deal with that line.
[6] It is worth while recording that when Edgbaston church was last restored there was found upon each of the terminal stones of the north door a hieroglyphic, evidently carved by an eighteenth-century mason, consisting of three upright strokes ending in flourishes. It has been suggested that the mason found the remains of a black-letter Mand made a bad copy upon the new stone he inscribed. If so, it is fair to assume that the letter was the initial of Margaret Middlemore. Ex inf. J. A. Chatwin, architect, by whom the restoration was carried out.
[7] The title "Dame" at this period was given as a courtesy appellation to ladies who had taken vows. Thus the foundress, in 1513, of Nottingham High School, who, after the death of her husband, Richard Mellors, the great Nottingham bell-founder, became, like Margery Middlemore, a vowess, has always been known as Dame Agnes Mellors.
[8] The name Humphrey was also used at a later period by the Stepney line, but in that case the adoption of this Christian name is otherwise to be explained.
[9] Mytton.-The Myttons were a very ancient knightly family who are said to have derived their name from the village of Mitton, some four miles from Shrewsbury, and have ever taken a leading position in the counties of Stafford and Salop. Richard Mitton, the grandfather of that John Mytton who married Joan Middlemore, married Margaret, one of the two daughters of Sir Adam Peshall, knight, and his third wife Joyce Bote- tort. His first wife was daughter of Sir John de Weston, whose ancestor=. were the lords of that village. The church of Weston-under-Lizard contains many Mytton monuments. Many pedigrees of this family exist in print and MSS. Their arms are: Party per pale azure and gules a doubleheaded eagle or within a bordure engrailed of the last.
[10] Dugdale relates the following curious story of this Thomas Brome John Brome, his father, having foreclosed the mortgage of Wodlow, the mortgagor, John Herthill, called him out of Whitefriars Church, London whilst engaged in his devotion, and stabbed him in the church porch. Bu he survived long enough to make his will, in which he declared that " "heforgave his son Thomas, who smiled when he saw him run through by Herthill in the Whitefriars Church porch." Dugdale adds that the murder was avenged by Nicholas Brome, the son and heir, who, three years after, waylaid and killed Herthill.
[11] Since writing the above, we find in Erdeswick's "Staffordshire" that John Mytton married, 11 Henry VII, Joan, daughter of Richard Middlemore, esquire, of Edgbaston. This confirms the theory which is put forth above. It is certain that she was not the mother, as stated in Burke's "Commoners," of John Mytton's son and heir, John Mytton. It may be well to note that Burke states that John Mytton who married Anne Swinnerton was father of John Mytton who married Joan Middlemore, but it is clear that the two Johns were one and the same person.
[12] Birdingbury, a village about half way between Rugby and Leamington, at this time was a Throckmorton manor. It was sold by Sir George Throckmorton, probably first cousin to the rector, in 1552.
[13] The following extracts from the official translation of the decree of Beatification, which is dated 29 December, 1886, the day of St. Thomas a Becket, will be read with interest. After referring specially to Lord Chancellor More and to Cardinal Fisher the decree proceeds: "The most authoritative ecclesiastical historians, therefore, are unanimously of opinion that they all shed their blood for the defence, restoration, and preservation of the Catholic faith. Gregory XIII even granted in their honour several privileges appertaining to public and ecclesiastical worship, and chiefly that of using their relics in the consecration of altars . . . he permitted also the martyrs of the church in England to be represented in the English church of the Most Holy Trinity in Rome . . . about the end of the last century they were destroyed by wicked men. But copies of them still remained, for in the year 1584, by privilege of the said Gregory XIII, they had been engraved at Rome on copper-plate with the title, I Sanctorum Martyrum, qui pro Christo Catholicaeque Fidei veritate asserenda antiquo recentiorique persecutionum tempore mortem in Anglia subierunt, Passioncs.' From this record, either by inscriptions placed under them, or by other sure indications, many of these martyrs are known by name; that is to say 54. They are; ... Those who suffered death under King Henry VIII." These include, besides Sir Thomas More, Cardinal Fisher, and the Countess of Salisbury, no less than eighteen Carthusians, amongst whom are included Humphrey Middlemore and Sebastian Newdigate, doubtless a member of the Warwickshire family of that name.
[14] The Register of the Guild of Knowle was printed a few years ago by Mr. W. B. Bickley. Amongst the brethren and sisters admitted we find the following:
1456. Domina Jocosa Mydillmore, Priorissa de Henwode.
1506. Thomas Myddylmor, armiger, et uzor ejus, de Egebaston. Thomas Myddulmore, armiger, et Elienora, de Frogem'ton.
1514. Thomas Middilmore et Jone, de Coventre, uzor ejus.
The only members of the family living at this time having the Christian name of Thomas appear to have been:
(a.) Thomas Middlemore (6), of Edgbaston, who married Anne Littleton: he would appear to be the Thomas first-named above.
(b.) Thomas Middlemore, son of John Middlemore (16), of Haselwell, mentioned as a legatee in the will of his mother, Alice Middlemore, in 1523. Perhaps he maybe the Thomas admitted in 1 S 14.
(c.) Thomas Middlemore (46), of Hawkesley, who married Eleanor Throgmorton. He was second cousin to the two others of his name, and may be the second Thomas admitted in 1506. If so, he and his wife would seem to have lived at Throckmorton for a time, for it must be noted that de Egebaston, de Frogem'ton, and de Coventre refer to the residences, and not to the wives' names.
All the three would be great nephews of Dame Joyce Middlemore, the Prioress of Henwood.
[15] Lyttelton.-This ancient family derives its name from the Worcestershire village of Littleton, near Evesham. Thomas de Luttleton, in 1 g Henry III (1234-5), married Emma, daughter and sole heiress of Sir Simon de Frankley, knight ; their issue apparently became extinct, and about 1410, Thomas Luttelton, descended from the former Thomas by another wife, became lord of Frankley after prolonged litigation. He married Maud Quatremain, and their grandson and heir, Thomas Westcote, took the name of Littleton, became serjeant-at-law, and wrote the famous text-book, Littleton on Tenures. He married Joan, widow of Sir Thomas Chetwynd of Ingestre, a daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Burley,knight, of Broomscross Castle, Shropshire, and had three sons, William, his heir, from whom the Lords Lyttelton derive descent, Richard and Thomas. Richard, the second son, married Alice, daughter and heiress of William Winesbury of Pillaton Hall, Staffordshire, and had issue two sons and four daughters, of whom the youngest, Anne, married Thomas Middlemore of Edgbaston. The Lytteltons bore these arms : Argent, a chevron between three escallop shells sable.
[16] As his father was born about 1479, it seems improbable that he can be identified with that Richard Myddelmore who was admitted B.A. at Oxford on 8 January, 1508-9, whose position in the pedigree cannot be ascertained.
[17] Barnes.-This was a Visitation family. Their pedigree was entered at the Visitation of Worcester in 1569, tracing their descent from a Robert Barnes living in the time of Henry VI. Their arms were, Quarterly and 4, quarterly or and vert, over all a cinquefoil, for Barnet; 2 and 3 quarterly azure and gules, a cross engrailed ermine, for Barney; crest, s barnacle with wings expanded proper. How Barnes and Barney were connected is not stated.
[18] Agard.-The Derbyshire Visitation, 1662-3, gives a pedigree of Agard of Foston, commencing with Thomas Agard, 1310, and ending with Sir Henry Agard and Walter Agard who died 1657. From 1570 the Agards held the manor of King's Bromley in Staffordshire. Their arms were, Argent a chevron gules between three boars' heads sable.
[19] There was living at this date William Middlemore (49), of Hawkesley, esquire, a remote kinsman of Robert Middlemore. Doubtless Power was making a fraudulent use of his name.
[20] Perhaps of Weltord, Northants; see will of Humphrey Middlemore
[21] The register of Allbrighton is unfortunately imperfect for the year 1656. Her father was probably John Harrington, of Bishton in Allbrighton, gentleman. The family had been then settled in Allbrighton over a hundred years, for the sixth entry in the register is the baptism of Dorythye the daughter of Rychard Harringeton on 3 October, 1555.
[22] It will be noticed that the tombstone records his death as occurring a month previously. Probably the earlier date is correct. K