of any positive claim to the Earldom of Northumberland being put forward in his behalf. At length he wrote to the Garter King urging him to take immediate steps in this direction, and (sly stonecutter !) sending at the same time a present of some plump fowl from the famous Stourbridge Fair (where he had just set up a trading booth) 1—his first step in "merchandizing."

The reply of Sir William Dugdale is thus quoted by Banks: 2

"SIR, This is to let you know that this day I receaved your kinde present of fowle, for wch I return you my hearty thanks, but am not pleased that you have put yourself to the charge and trouble thereof, assuring you of my willingness to do you any service I can wthout expectance of any such thing from you; it being both just and reasonable that all generous minds should readily serve you in this business to their utmost.

"But as affairs stand at present in that noble family, I must tell you it will not be seasonable to move for you, the distractions and perplexities wherein all of them are, being so exceeding great. When I finde a proper opportunity, be confident I will not forget you. Should I move in it now, it would be the near way to spoyle it utterly. You must therefore expect wth patience, and be confident that you have not any acquaintance that will more cordially endeavour to serve you than

"Your very affectionate friend,

"LONDON, Nov. 28th, 1681.

"For Mr Francis Percy, stone-cutter,

at his house in Cambridge."

"WM DUGDALE.

In this letter Dugdale, however, enclosed a written opinion upon the various certificates submitted, as well 1 See his Will, p. 364.

2 Dormant and Extinct Baronage; Appendix to vol. ii. (printed in the Supplement), p. 29.

Elizabeth, Baroness Percy, had just been married, against her will, and through the evil influence of her grandmother, to Thomas Thynn. Rumours

as a pedigree which he had drafted of the stonecutter's supposed line. The opinion (also given by Banks) is as follows:

"Upon the sight of the certificates, whence I have made these brief abstracts, I am of opinion that Mr. Francis Percy, now living and residing in Cambridge, is lineally descended from Thomas Percy who was one of the Conspirators in the Gunpowder treason in the third year of King James. (Signed) "WILLIAM DUGDALE, "Garter Principall King of Arms.

"Nov. 9, 1681."

Banks adds a note excusing himself from printing copies of the certificates alluded to, on the ground that the registers from which they are mainly taken are of "a pervertible nature," and that such evidence might be "suppressed or removed by interested parties." Later antiquaries, however, have shown themselves more trustful of the honour of those who succeeded to the ancient Percy heritage; and in Collectanea Genealogica et Heraldica, vol. ii.,1 may be found the full abstract made by Sir William Dugdale from the evidence gathered by Francis Percy. The abstract shows the hand of a practised genealogist, and the facts are marshalled with an order and a plausibility in striking contrast to the ill-arranged and rambling statements of the less fortunate "Trunkmaker." The three distinguished authorities who are responsible for the authenticity of the published version 2 explain that the original abstract passed from the descendants of Francis Percy to the Rev. William

were afloat that Thynn had committed bigamy, and his wife had fled from him almost at the altar steps, and taken refuge in Holland. She was supported by her mother, and by her aunt and uncle the Earl and Countess of Essex; while the old Dowager Countess still continued to receive and encourage Thynn, who was presently to meet a bloody death at the instigation of one of his wife's admirers. The persistency of the "Trunkmaker" also added to the "noble family's" perplexities.

1 Pages 57-63.

2 These are

"Robert Surtees, F.S.A., the historian of Durham; Charles George Young, F.S.A., York Herald; and the Rev. Joseph Hunter, F.S.A., the historian of South Yorkshire."-Collect. Gen. et Her.

Cole, the Cambridge archæologist, in whose MSS. Collections 2 it was found. It runs as follows:

"Abstract drawn up by Sir Wm Dugdale, proving Mr.

Francis Percy, now of Cambridge, to be of the line and family of the Percys, Earls of Northumberland.

"Sept. 6, 1680.-Roger England of Taunton in Somersetshire, aged 80 years, certifieth that he married Anne daughter of Robert, son of Thomas the Powder Traytor, and has heard the said Robert, his wife's father, say that he was son to Thomas Percy, who was employed in the Powder Plot.

"Oct. 11, 1680.- John Swinton, clerk of ye parish Church of Anwick in Northumberland, aged above 80 years, affirmeth that he heard his father say that Mr Thomas Percy and his wife lived in the Castle at Anwick and had children, and yt after the Powder Plot for whch ye said Thomas lost his life, his wife went to London and lived privately there.3

"Oct. 14, 1680.-Matthew Scott of Gateshead in the Bishoprick of Durham, aged 99 years, certifieth that he knew Thomas Percy, who was afterwards in the Powder Plot, Constable of Anwick Castle, and that he had a son called Robert and two daughters, and that the said Robert was a schoolboy at Anwick.

"Feb. 12, 1680.-Richard (sic) widow of Francis Percy, son of Robert aforesaid, aged 76 years, sayeth that she knew the said Robert Percy, her late husband's father, and has often heard him say that he was the son of Thomas Percy who was in the Powder Plot: and that, above 16 years since, ye said Francis, her late husband, purposing

1 Cole observes that he had the MS. from "Mr. Percy, a clergyman near Peterborough." This was the Rev. Josceline Percy, grandson of Francis Percy the "stone-cutter." With the MS. Mr. Percy gave Cole an old account of the Earls of Northumberland from York's Mirror of Honour, bearing the autograph of the "stone-cutter."

2 Vol. iv. p. 79.

• It is a known fact that she kept a dame's school in High Holborn for many years.

to make himself known to Algernon, Earl of Northumberland, went from Bickley in Devonshire, where he then lived, towards London for that end, but, on his way falling sick at Oxford, returned home, where he shortly after died.

"From the Register Book of Anwick, it appeareth that Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Percy of Anwick Castle, was buried February 2nd, 1602, which was the year preceding the Powder Plot.

"By a certificate of the 17 September 1680, taken out of the Church Register of Wiveliscomb, Somerset, it appeareth that Robert Percy did marry Emma Meade 22 Oct. 1615.

"By a certificate of ye 10 May 1680, taken out of ye Church Register of Taunton in Somerset, it appeareth that Francis ye son of Robert Percy was there baptized 15 April 1616.

"Out of ye register of the parish church of Bickley in Devonshire it appeareth that Francis son of Francis Percy was baptized 15 May 1649.

"It is apparently known in Taunton that Thomas and James, two brothers of Francis Percy, and sons of Robert Percy, being in arms for King Charles I. in ye time of ye late Rebellion, were slain in those wars.

"Divers aged persons living in Anwick declare that Thomas Percy, who was in the Powder Plot, was son of Guiscard Percy, and that Guiscard Percy was brother to Henry, eighth Earl of Northumberland.

"Guiscard Percy, a younger brother of Henry, 8 Earl of Northumberland;

"Thomas Percy, one of ye conspirators in the Powder

Plot, his son;

"Robert Percy, of Taunton in Somerset, his son; "Francis Percy, of Bickley in Devon, his son;

"Francis Percy, of Cambridge, his son, 1681.

"Upon sight of these certificates whence I have made these brief abstracts, I am of opinion that Mr. Francis

Percy, now living in Cambridge, is lineally descended from Thomas Percy who was one of ye Conspirators in ye Gunpowder Treason in ye third year of King James. (Signed) "WILLIAM Dugdale,

"Nov. 9, 1681."

"Garter Principal King of Arms.

The veracity of the Alnwick witnesses seems to be decidedly impugned by the fact that they claimed Thomas Percy, the conspirator, to have been a son of Guiscard Percy. This he certainly was not, for;

1. Guiscard Percy died in childhood.

2. Thomas Percy is admitted to have been uncle of Josceline Percy, son of Alan Percy of Beverley, which Alan was found by Inquisition to have been son and heir of Edward Percy, esquire, of Beverley, who died in 1590. The proof that Thomas was uncle of Josceline is found in the latter's own evidence, given before the Council in 1603, when it was to his own interest to disavow the relationship.1

The reader's attention is also directed to the fact that if Robert Percy of Taunton were indeed the son of the conspirator, and a schoolboy at Alnwick just before the Gunpowder Plot, he must have married and had children at an unusually early age-his eldest son, Robert, having been baptized in April 1616. It is also strange that he retained his own name, his alleged mother (Thomas Percy's widow) having changed hers after her husband's death," when she brought her young family to London.

In the face of Francis Percy's claim of descent from the conspirator, it must be remembered that the other claimant, the "Trunkmaker," had first brought Francis into notice some years before, by describing him as his cousin. Soon after it became known that the "Stonecutter" intended to

1 Josceline Percy admitted that he was playing at primero with other pages of the Earl at Essex House on the night preceding the momentous 5th of November 1603, when his uncle Thomas the conspirator called upon him (Singer; Treatise on Cards; quoting an Orig. State Paper in the Record Office).

2 Dict. of Nat. Biography.