VAVASOUR, JOHN. JUST. C. P. 1490. THE family of Vavasour, of which two members have already been noticed in the reigns of Richard I. and Edward I., was divided into so many branches, that it is difficult to decide to which of them this John Vavasour belongs, as the genealogists, though they have mentioned several of that Christian name about the period, have not designated any one of them as the judge. It seems probable that he was a younger son of Vavasour of Haselwood. That he was a member of the Inner Temple is proved by his being so described when he was called serjeant 1; and it is clear that the John Vavasour who was reader of the Middle Temple in 17 Henry VII., 15022 (though noted by Dugdale as afterwards made a judge), was a different person, since the judge had been raised to the bench twelve years before. His first employment in court that is recorded in the Year Books is in Trinity Term, 1467. His summons to assume the degree of the coif is dated in October, 1477; and his investment took place in Trinity Term, 1478, 18 Edward IV. In the last fortnight of the reign of Edward V., he was appointed one of the king's serjeants, his patent for which was renewed both by Richard III. and Henry VII. In the first year of Henry's reign, it happened that Miles Metcalfe, the recorder of York, died, when, in opposition to the king's recommendation of Thomas Middelton, and to the Earl of Northumberland's in favour of Richard Greene, the corporation thought fit to exercise their privilege of naming their own officer; and accordingly their election fell on Mr. Serjeant Vavasour. This disregard to the king's wishes did not prevent him from visiting that city in April, 1486, when he was welcomed in a speech by the newly-made Dugdale's Orig. 215. 1 Y. B. 18 Edw. IV., fo. 10. recorder, who in the following year had a further opportunity of ingratiating himself with the monarch, by being the bearer of important despatches from the corporation, with regard to the junction of the Earl of Lincoln in Lambert Symnell's rebellion. He soon after received the honour of knighthood, which appears by a letter from the corporation of York, dated June 23, 1488, addressed to "Sir John Vavasour, one of the kinge's serjeantes at the lawe, and recorder of the city of York."1 It was not long before his loyalty, or his talent, was rewarded with a seat on the bench. On August 14, 1490, he succeeded John Haugh as a justice of the Common Pleas. From a memorial dated in 20 Henry VII., it is much to be feared that he was one of those who were influenced by the infamous Sir Richard Empson to pervert the course of justice, in a lawsuit which the latter had instigated against Sir Robert Plumpton.2 The last fine levied before the judge was in Michaelmas, 1506, soon after which the date of his death may be fixed.3 WARHAM, WILLIAM, ARCHDEACON OF HUNTINGDON, BISHOP OF LONDON, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. M. R. 1494. KEEPER, 1502. LORD CHANC. 1504. See under the Reign of Henry VIII. WESTBY, BARTHOLOMEW. B. E. 1501. See under the Reign of Henry VIII. 'Gent's Mag. May, 1851, pp. 479-483., Nov. 1851, p. 461.; Paper by Robert Davies, Esq., F.S A. in "Proceedings of Arch. Inst. at York, 1846.” Plumpton Corresp. cxvii. 3 Dugdale's Orig. 47.; Chron. Ser. WILLIAM, DAVID. M. R. 1487. DUGDALE introduces David William as master of the Rolls on November 26, 3 Henry VII., 1487. But among the accounts of the keepers of the House of Converts, now remaining in the records of the kingdom, those of David William commence in the second year of that reign, and refer to his appointment on February 22, 1487.1 As that office was then always held in conjunction with the mastership of the Rolls, it is thus evident that he immediately succeeded on Robert Morton's being consecrated Bishop of Worcester in that month, and that William Eliot, who had been shortly before made official partner with the bishop, was entirely set aside. David William held the first place among the receivers of petitions in the parliament that met on November 9, 1487, and again in the following year; but in that of of October 17, 1491, he was absent. It is not unlikely that this was occasioned by an illness which terminated in his death before May 5, 1492, the date of the patent of John Blyth, his successor. 2 His name seems to show that he was a native of Wales, which may perhaps account for his advancement by King Henry. WINCHESTER, ARCHDEACONS OF. See J. MORTON, WINDSOR, DEAN of. See C. BAINBRIDGE. WOOD, THOMAS. JUST. C. P. 1495. CH. C. P. 1500. HALL O' WOOD, in Balterley, Cheshire, which according to Lysons is said to have been built by Chief Justice Thomas See antè, p. 6. note. 2 Rot. Parl. xii. 385. 409. 1 Wood, was the seat of the family for many generations 1; but whether he was the purchaser or inheritor of the estate is not mentioned. His appearance in court as an advocate is first noticed in the Year Book of Trinity Term, 17 Edward IV. 1477; and he was included in the first call of serjeants by Henry VII. in 1485. He received a patent as king's serjeant on June 3, 1488, and was elevated to the bench as a judge of the Common Pleas on November 24, 1495. After sitting in that court for about five years, he was advanced to its head, as the successor of Sir Thomas Bryan, on October 28, 1500; and presided there till his death, which occurred within two years, in the vacation between Trinity and Michaelmas Terms, 1502.2 3 He married a daughter of Sir Thomas de la More, and had issue Elizabeth, who became the wife of Sir Thomas Stewkley of Aston in Devonshire. Sir Henry Wood of Lowdham Hall in Suffolk is stated by H. Phillipps to have been his descendant in 1684.4 Hall o' Wood, which according to other authorities was built by George Wood, Judge of Chester in 1557, about two centuries ago passed to a branch of the old Cheshire family of Kelsall, which became extinct in 1802.5 It is now occupied as a farm house.6 WORCESTER, BISHOPS OF. See J. ALCOCK, R. MORTON. YONGE, JOHN, DEAN OF YORK. M. R. 1508. See under the Reign of Henry VIII. YORK, ARCHBISHOP OF. See C. BAINBRIDGE. 1 1 Lysons's Cheshire, 501. * Berry, Hants Visit, 71. * Barthomley, 166. 2 Keilwey's Reports, 46.; Dugdale. * Ex. inf. T. W. Jones, Esq., of Nantwich. 82 HENRY VIII. Reigned 37 years, 9 months, and 6 days; from April 22, 1509, to SURVEY OF THE REIGN. THE reign of Henry VIII, may be divided into two periods, the partition between them being the announcement of the scruples which the king pretended to entertain as to the legality of his union with Catherine of Arragon. During the earlier portion, the country flourished in comparative happiness, and the customary progress of the law was unimpeded by any extraordinary event. But when the wishes of the self-willed monarch were resisted and delayed by lengthened impediments, when he found his motives discussed by the people, his arguments disputed by the learned, and his divorce ultimately refused by the pope, his temper became soured, and, no longer checking the natural vindictiveness of his disposition, he not only sacrificed all those whom he suspected of differing from him, but, in his determination to put an end to the papal power, and at the same time to preserve the Catholic religion, he caused laws to be enacted of so cruel and atrocious a character, that it might well be said that if any of his conscientious subjects could avoid being burned for heresy, they could not well escape suffering the penalties of treason. The natural result was, that the people were over-awed, and, from a fear of the consequences, concealed their feelings; while the great men in the court, instead of courageously interposing, encouraged the despot in |