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LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE,

FOR JANUARY, 1828.

ILLUSTRATIVE MEMOIR OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LADY JEMIMA ISABELLA MANN.

THE Seventh Volume of LA BELLE AsSEMBLEE (New Series) opens with an engraving from a portrait of Pickersgill's, which, in our review of last year's exhibition at the Royal Academy,* was characterized as "eminently classical in taste, arrangement, and effect." The portrait of Lady Jemima Isabella Mann, daughter of Earl Cornwallis, will be deemed an elegant and valuable addition to our PICTURE GALLERY OF BRITAIN'S FEMALE NOBILITY.

1506. For the gratification of those who love to glance occasionally at the manners and customs of ancient times, we shall here insert a transcript from his last will and testament.

"In the name of God, Amen. I John Cornwaleys, of Broome, in the county of Suff. Squyer, being of whole mynde and good memory, the XVI day of August, the yere of onr Lord God MVc. VI. make my testament in this wise. First, I bequeth my soul to Almighty God, our Lady Seint Mary, and to all the holy company of hevyn; my body to be buried in the chauncell of the churche of our Lady of Broome, nygh to the walle of my chapell there, if that I die in the said parish of Brome, or nygh to it. And if I die elliswhere, as it shall please God, to be buried where myn

executor or assign shall think most convenient. I bequeth to the parson of the saide churche of Brome, for breking of the grounde in the highe chauncell, VIS. VIIId. I bequeth to the highe alltar in the saide churche VIS. VIIId. for my tiths forgotten, and other

The family of Cornwallis, anciently Cornwalleys, appears to be of Irish origin; but it has been honourably settled, in the county of Suffolk, more than four hundred years. Its name ranks high in the political, military, and naval annals of the dutyes neglected. Item, I bequeth to the belles of the country.

Thomas Cornwalleys, a younger brother, born in Ireland, was Sheriff of London, in the year 1378. His son and heir, John Cornwallis, added to his patrimony the lordships of Brome and Ocley, with other lands in the county of Suffolk, by marriage with Philippe, daughter, and one of the heirs, of Robert Bucton. He was one of the Knights of the Shire, for Suffolk, in two Parliaments, in the reign of Richard II. His grandson, Thomas Cornwalleys, Esq., was also one of the Knights of the Shire, for Suffolk, in 1449.

John, the eldest son of the last-mentioned Thomas Cornwalleys, Esq. (by Philippe, daughter and heir of Edward Tyrrel, of Downham, in the county of Essex, Esq.) succeeded to the lordships of Brome, &c., but died without issue, in

• Vide LA BELLE Assemblee, Vol. v. page 278. No. 37.-Vol. VII.

saide churche of Broome XXs. Item, I bequeth to the reparacions of the saide churches of Okely XXs, Struston, XXs. and Thranston XXs., to the churche of Bartyllesdon XXs. in Essex. Item, I bequeth to Ellyn Barker, my servant, V1s. VIIId. Item, 1 bequeth to my nece, Elizabeth Froxmore, Xlb. and to hyr sustenaunce

LXVIS. VIIId.; and to my nece Elizabeth Cornwalleys

LXVIs. VIIId.; and to Agnes Fastolfe Xlb. to hir mar

riage. Item, I will and bequeth that myn executors shall leve at Lyng Hall, their as now I dwell, to hym that shall be myn heyre these pressis following; first, in the chapell my greate masse booke, a vestiment of silke, one challice, one corporas case with a corps therein. In the hall, the table, formys, and all the

brewying vessel and standards in the brewhouse and bakehouse, one hole plow, a cart and V horse to go withall. A gilt goblet with a cover, that was my faders, and a gilt cuppe with a cover standing. A grete potte of brasse, and a secunde potte of brasse ; II. spits, a grete and a lesse ; II. coberdy, and a garnish of vessell in the chambyr ovyr the parlour; the bedde of bokkys tester seder, corteyns, counterpoynt, fetherbedde, bolster, and II pelowes, and one payre of blankets. Item, I bequeth to the priour and monkys of Ey abbey XXs, Item, I bequeth to the churche of Ey

four combe whete; to the church of Oxon, IIII combe whete; to the churche of Dysse, IIH combe whete; to the churche of Palgrave, one combe whete; to the churche of Shotle, one combe whete; to the churche of

A

Billingford, one combe whete; to the churche of Yaxley, a combe wheat: the residue of my goodes and corn at Bartillisdon, at London, or elliswhere in the realme of England, not bequethide, my dettis and my bequests payde, I give freely unto Elisabeth, now my wife. Item, I bequeth to a preest to syng and pray for my soule, my faders soule, my moders soule, all my frendys soules, and all cristeyn soules for III years,

XXIIII mare sterling. Item, I ordeyn and make to the execution of mys testament, and other my last wille, Elisabeth now my wife, my broder William Cornewalleys, and Robart Melton, to whome I give for their labour eche of them LXVIS. VIIId.; and my broder Robart Cornewaleys. Theise bearing witnesse, John Whitte, Doctour, William Singulton, John Constable, Clerk, person of Brome, John Clerk. Also, 1 bequeth to the abbote of Bury myn ambuliing nagge, that I

bought of John Revet. Also, I bequeth to John Reve, my godson, XXs."

Edward, and Robert, the two next brothers of John, also died without issue, and were succeeded by their youngest brother, William. Previously, however, to his becoming possessed of the family estates, William Cornwallis was amongst those gentlemen of the county of Suffolk, who were certified, in the 18th of Henry VII. to have an estate sufficient to support the degree of a Knight of the Bath; several gentlemen being to receive that Order on the creation of Henry, Prince of Wales, in 1502-3. In 1513, "he was among the principal persons in the county of Suffolk, nominated by act of parliament, as most discreet persons, justices of the peace, for assessing a subsidy of one hundred and sixty-three thousand pounds, by a polltax, &c., for defraying the expense of taking Terouenne and Tourney." In his will (A.D. 1519) "he orders his body to be buried in the church of St. Nicholas of Ockley, and bequeaths III IV to the high altar of that church, and VI VIIId to the high altar of the parish church of Broome. He also wills, that an honest priest be provided to sing for his soul, and all his friends souls, in the church of Ockley, for the space of one year, and that VIII mark VI VIIId be given him for his wages."

John Cornwallis, the eldest son and heir of William, was in the expedition of 1521, under the Earl of Surrey, Lord High Admiral; who, after scouring the seas, landed at Morlaix, in Bretagne. Mr. Cornwallis, for his gallant conduct, in the storming of the town, had the honour of knighthood conferred upon him by the

Earl.-Sir John Cornwallis filled the office of Steward of the Household to Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII. six years.

The character of this gentleman stood high, for talent and integrity, for honour, and for general goodness. "A noble tomb is erected to his memory in the chancel of the church of Broome, the figures of him and his lady lying thereon, under an arch; he in complete armour, with a white staff in his hand, and a spotted greyhound, dun and white, couched at his feet; and at her feet, a hound, spotted red and white, with four escutcheons on either side, and three on the west end."

Thomas Cornwallis, the eldest son of Sir John,* received the honour of knighthood, at Westminster, in 1548. On the commotion in Norfolk, under Kett, the assistance of the Marquess of Northamptanner, in 1549, he took forces to the ton, who had been sent to suppress the rebels. He displayed great bravery in entering the city of Norwich, with the Thomas himself was overpowered, taken Lord Sheffield, who was killed. Sir prisoner, and detained till the King's forces relieved him. He was Sheriff of

Norfolk and Suffolk in 1553; and, coming

with the force of those counties to the aid decease of Edward VI., was at Framof Queen Mary, who, at the time of the lingham Castle, in Suffolk, was the principal means of advancing that Princess to the throne. He was also instrumental in suppressing Wyat's insurrection; and, with the Earl of Sussex, and Sir Edward

Hastings, he was commissioned for the trial of Sir Thomas Wyat, who was beheaded in 1554. He was then sworn of the Privy Council, and constituted Treasurer of Calais. Being in great favour with the Queen, he, in 1557, was made Comptroller of the Household. He was sent to the Princess Elizabeth, at Ashbridge, to acquaint her with the Queen's pleasure that she should immediately repair to London; and, when it was proposed, in council, to send that Princess out of England, with a design to exclude her from the succession, he, "by his arguments, dissuaded the Queen from it, alledging, that the people of England would take it very ill, nay, would not at all endure that the next heir to the crown should be conveyed out of the land."

• Henry, the second son, was ancestor of the Corn» wallises of Buxton, in Norfolk; Richard, the third son was father of Sir Thomas Cornwallis, groom-porter Queen Elizabeth and James 1.

Sir Thomas Cornwallis married Anne, || Baronet; and, in 1630, he received the daughter of Sir John Jerningham, of Somerleyton, in the county of Suffolk, Knt. On the accession of Queen Elizabeth, he, not being of the reformed religion, was left out of the Privy Council, and removed from his office of Comptroller of the Household. This induced him to retire into the country, where he rebuilt his mansion of Brome Hall. Dying there, in 1604, in the 86th year of his age, he "had sepulture with his ancestors in the hurch of Brome. A fine marble tom is erected to his memory, against the north wall of the chancel, whereon are the statues of him and his lady carved in stone; he in armour, and at his feet a white buck couched, with a wreath about || his neck of green acorns proper, wounded|| in his left shoulder: and at her feet is a falcon issuant, sejant, out of a crown, Or."

honour of knighthood. In 1639, and 1640, he sat as M.P. for the borough of Eye, supported the crown, and was consequently named in the list of those who were maligned as Straffordians. He retired with the King, and sat amongst those members who assembled at Oxford, in January, 1643-4. He distinguished himself in most of the principal actions in || the civil wars, particularly in the fight at Cropredy Bridge, where he rescued the Lord Wilmot from the rebels. His estate was sequestrated—he followed Charles II. in his exile—he was with the King in his triumphal entrance of the metropolis, May 29, 1660—and, the next day, he was declared Treasurer of his Majesty's Household, and sworn of his Privy Council. In 1661, three days before the coronation, he was created a peer of the realm, by the title of Baron Cornwallis, of Eye, in the county of Suffolk. In 1662, his Lordship died suddenly of an apoplectic fit. He was "a man of so chearful a spirit, that no sorrow came next his heart; and of so resolved a mind, that no fear came into his thoughts; so perfect a master of courtly and becoming raillery, that he could do more with one word in jest, than others could do with whole harangues in earnest; a well-spoken man, competently seen in modern languages, and of a comely and goodly personage.”—By his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Ashburnham (ancestor of the Earls of Ashburnham) he had two sons; of whom, the eldest, Charles, succeeded him, as second Lord Cornwallis, His eldest surviving son and successor was

William Cornwallis, his eldest son,* embarking with Robert Devereux, Earl of|| Essex, in his expedition against the rebels, in Ireland, in 1599, was, for his services in that kingdom, knighted at Dublin, in|| the same year. His first wife was Lucy, eldest daughter and co-heir of John Nevill, Lord Latimer, and of Lucy, his wife, daughter of Henry, Earl of Worcester. His second son, Thomas, by this marriage, succeeded him. Sir William married, secondly, a daughter of Hercules Mewtas, Esq., by whom he had a son, Frederick, who, for his eminent services, was created Lord Cornwallis.

His Lordship, on the death of his brother, unmarried, succeeded to the family estates. In his youth, he had been introduced, by his uncle, Sir Charles Cornwallis, into the service of Prince Henry, eldest son of James I.; and, having been also in the service of Charles I., when Prince of Wales, he waited on him in his journey to Spain, in 1623. In 1627, after succeeding his brother, he was created a

Charles, the second son of Sir Thomas Cornwallis, was greatly esteemed for his eminent abilities. He was knighted by James I. in 1603, and sent ambassador to the court of Madrid, where he resided till 1609 with high reputation. His negociations in the embassy form a prominent feature in this reign. Vide WINwood's Memorials; in which may be found much that will interest the curious reader respecting the families of Cornwallis. In 1610, when the household of Henry, Prince of Wales, was established, Sir Charles was constituted treasurer to His Royal Highness, an account of whose life and death he wrote.

Charles, the third Lord. He was distinguished as one of the most accomplished gentlemen of the age, and was in especial favour with William III. He was Lord Lieutenant of the county of Suffolk, and High Steward of the Corporation of Ipswich. By his first lady,* Elizabeth, daughter of Stephen Fox, Knt. (ancestor of the Earls of Ilchester, and the Barons Holland) he had four sons; of whom the eldest, and only surviving, was

Charles, the fourth Lord. This nobleman made several campaigns in Flanders, under King William. He married the

His Lordship's second wife was Anne Scot, Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleugh, widow of James, Duke of Monmouth.

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