as one of the principal persons in the county of Northumberland, and
was entitled to bear arms by descent. In the first year of Edward’s
reign, being governor of Norham Castle, he distinguished himself by
his successful defence of that stronghold against the Scots, who
“despising King Edward’s youth, on the very night of that day on
which King Edward was crowned, intended to take Norham Castle by
surprise; and so well managed their design, that about sixteen of them
had already mounted the walls. But the captain, Sir Robert Manners,
being warned of the matter beforehand, by one of his garrison, who
was a Scotsman, had so well prepared to receive them, that of those
who had mounted he took five or six, and put the rest to the sword,
their companions below, upon this disappointment, retiring.” In the
next year he was constituted one of the “conservators of the truce
made with the Scots for all hostilities to cease.” Soon afterwards he
was made Sheriff of the county of Selkirk, and appointed to keep and
defend the forts of Selkirk, and Ettrick, &c. In the fourteenth of
the same reign he represented Northumberland in Parliament, and again
subdued Scotch incursions. Soon afterwards he obtained a licence from
the king “to strengthen and embattle his dwelling-house at Ethale,
in Northumberland, with a wall made of stone and lime, and to hold
the same to himself and his heirs for ever.” The next year he was
constituted one of the Commissioners to treat with David Bruce and his
adherents for a peace, and subsequently was made Lord of the Marches.
At the battle of Neville’s Cross, in 1346, under Queen Philippa, in
which the Scottish king was taken prisoner, Sir Robert displayed
great valour, and was entrusted to keep charge of the prisoners, and
deliver them to the Constable at the Tower of London. He died in 1355,
leaving his son and heir, John de Manners (by his wife Aliva, or Alice,
daughter of Henry Strather), only one year and three weeks old.
This John Manners received the honour of knighthood, and married Alice,
widow of William de Whitchester; and, dying in 1402, was succeeded by
his son, Sir John Manners, who was Sheriff of Northumberland, and, with
his son John, was accused of the murder of William Heron and Robert
Atkinson or Akyman; they were prosecuted by Sir Robert de Umphreville,
and Isabel, widow of William Heron, and were ordered to “cause 500
masses to be sung for the health of the soul of the same William
Heron within one year then next ensuing, and pay unto Sir Robert de
Umphreville, and Isabel, to the use of the said Isabel and her children
by Heron, 200 marks.” He was succeeded by his son Robert, who married
Joan, daughter of Sir Robert Ogle, and had issue by her, with others, a
son, Robert, by whom he was succeeded. This Sir Robert Manners married
Eleanor, daughter of Thomas, Lord Roos (by Philippa his wife, daughter
of John, Lord Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester), and sister and co-heiress of
Edmund Lord Roos, “whereby he greatly increased his estate, and among
other possessions, had the ancient seat of Belvoir Castle, built by
Robert de Todenei, a noble Norman, on a stately ascent, overlooking the
beautiful valley adjacent (thence by him called _Belvoir_, from the
fair view of the country thereabouts), and it became the chief seat of
that great barony, bestowed on him by William the Conqueror; which seat
and barony, in the reign of Henry III., devolved upon Robert de Roos,
a great baron, by marriage with Isabel, daughter and heir of William
de Albini, the fourth of that name, descended from the said Robert de
Todenei; and from the Lord Roos it came to Sir Robert Manners by his
marriage,” as did also many other estates in other counties. The issue
of this marriage was three daughters, who each married into the family
of Fairfax, and two sons. The eldest of these sons was Sir George
Manners, who, on the death of his mother, became Lord Roos, and was
also lineal heir to the baronies of Riveaulx, Trusbut, and Belvoir. He
married Anne, only daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas St. Leger, by his
wife Anne, daughter of Richard, Duke of York, and sister to King Edward
IV., and widow of John Holland, Duke of Exeter. By this lady, who
brought royal blood into the family, Sir George had a numerous family,
the eldest of whom succeeded him.
That was Sir Thomas Manners, who, on the death of his father, became
thirteenth Lord Roos of Hamlake, and Baron Trusbut, Riveaulx, and
Belvoir. He was with Henry VIII. and his Queen at the celebrated
interview between that monarch and the King of France at Guisnes, and
in the same reign was made Warden of the East Marches, and had many
other honours granted him. In the seventeenth year of the same monarch
he was created Earl of Rutland—“a title which none but the royal
family had ever borne, and, by reason of his descent from the sister
of King Edward IV., had an augmentation to his ancient arms,” _or_,
two bars _azure_, and a chief, _gules_: which chief was augmented
thus:—quarterly _azure_ and _gules_:—in the first and fourth two
_fleurs-de-lis_, and in the second and third a lion _passant guardant_,
all _or_. He was also installed a Knight of the Garter. A few years
later this nobleman was present at the second interview between Henry
VIII. and Francis I.: he was also present at the marriage of his
sovereign with the ill-fated Anne Boleyn; and, later on, attended Anne
of Cleves to England, and was made her chamberlain. His lordship, who,
besides the honours we have briefly indicated, took part in most of
the events of this stirring reign and held numerous important offices,
married twice, first, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Lovel; and
second, Eleanor, daughter of Sir William Paston, by the latter of whom
only he had issue. To the eldest and second of that issue we now refer.
The eldest son, Henry Manners, succeeded his father, in 1543, as second
Earl of Rutland. He was married twice: first to Margaret, daughter of
the fourth Earl of Westmoreland, by whom he had issue; and, second, to
Bridget, daughter of Lord Hussey, by whom he had no children. He was
succeeded by his eldest son, Edward Manners, as third Earl of Rutland,
who, dying without male issue, was succeeded by his brother, John
Manners (the second son of the second Earl), as fourth Earl of Rutland.
This nobleman married Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Charlton of
Apsley, by whom he had issue, with others, three sons—Roger Manners,
Sir Francis Manners, and Sir George Manners—who successively became
fifth, six, and seventh Earls of Rutland. All these dying without
surviving male issue, the title passed to the descendants of the second
son of the first Earl.
Sir John Manners, second son of the first Earl of Rutland, and who was
consequently great grandson of the sister of King Edward IV., is the
one member of this illustrious family with whom Haddon is especially
connected. This John Manners, before he was knighted, became attached
to Dorothy Vernon, the youngest daughter and co-heiress of Sir George
Vernon of Haddon Hall, known far and wide as “the King of the Peak.”
Disguised, as we have already related, as a forester or woodman, John
Manners for some time lived in the woods about Haddon, in the hope of
obtaining occasional glimpses of, and stolen interviews with, Dorothy
Vernon; and at length so wooed that he won her, and carried her off on
horseback into his own county of Leicester, and there married her. The
story of this romantic elopement is one of the pleasantest episodes
in the history of Haddon, and will have again to be alluded to later
on. By that marriage the grand old mansion of Haddon Hall, and the
Derbyshire property of the “King of the Peak,” passed into the family
of Manners, and helped to swell its already large rent-roll of estates.
This John Manners, who was knighted in 1603, had issue by his wife,
Dorothy Vernon, three sons: Sir George Manners who succeeded him; John
Manners, who died at the age of fourteen years; Sir Roger Manners, of
Whitwell; and Grace Manners, who married Sir Francis Fortescue, of
Salden. He died June 4th, 1611; his wife died in 1584.
Sir George Manners, their son, married Grace, daughter of Sir Henry
Pierrepoint, and sister to the Earl of Kingston, by whom he had issue,
with others, John Manners, his eldest son, who not only succeeded him,
but also succeeded his own cousin George, seventh Earl of Rutland,
in his title and estates, and thus became eighth Earl of Rutland. He
married Frances, daughter of Edward, Lord Montague of Boughton, by whom
he had issue four sons and seven daughters.
He was Sheriff of Derbyshire in the ninth and eleventh years of Charles
I., and also represented that county in Parliament. His lordship was
attached to the Parliamentary interest during the Civil Wars, and was
one of the twenty-two peers who remained at Westminster when the king
summoned both houses to attend him at Oxford. As a consequence, his
castle of Belvoir was seized by the Royalists, and was held by them
and Sir Gervase Lucas, and here the king frequently resided; it was
finally surrendered to the Parliamentarians in January, 1645-6. In 1649
the castle was demolished, by consent of the earl, who soon afterwards
set about rebuilding it, which he completed in 1668. During this time
the earl lived principally at Haddon Hall, where he died in 1679. Here
he lived in a style of almost princely magnificence, maintaining a
large number of servants and retainers, and dispensing, especially at
Christmas time, his hospitality with a lavish hand.
About this time, from 1660 to 1670, although the family only
occasionally resided here, there were generally killed and consumed
every year at Haddon between thirty and forty beeves, from four to five
hundred sheep, and a number of swine, so that there was no lack of the
good things of this world for visitors to this hospitable place.
This nobleman was succeeded by his third and only surviving son, John
Manners, as ninth Earl of Rutland. This nobleman was born in 1638, and,
in 1679, was created a peer in his own right by the title of Baron
Manners of Haddon; and in September of the same year, his father dying,
he became Earl of Rutland. When twenty years of age he had married the
Lady Anne Pierrepoint, daughter of the Marquis of Dorchester, from whom
he was afterwards divorced; and married, secondly, Lady Diana Bruce,
widow of Sir Seymour Shirley, and daughter of the Earl of Aylesbury,
who died in child-bed. His lordship married, thirdly, Catherine,
daughter of Baptist Noel, Viscount Campden, by whom only he had
surviving issue. He lived a country life, and “kept up his old mansion
at a bountiful old rate,” and in a style of even greater magnificence
and open-handedness than his father. It is said that at Haddon alone
he kept seven score of servants, and that every day saw his grand old
banqueting-hall filled to overflowing with retainers and guests. In
1703 the Earl was raised to the highest dignity in the realm, by the
titles of Marquis of Granby and Duke of Rutland. He died in January,
1710-11, aged seventy-three, and was succeeded by his only surviving
son, John Manners.
John, second Duke of Rutland, when scarcely seventeen years of age,
was married to Katherine, second daughter of Lord William Russell,
who was beheaded in 1683. He then bore the title of Lord Roos; and
the wedding festivities seem, judging from some curious letters still
extant concerning them, to have been of the most lavishly extravagant
character. This lady who was sister to the Duchess of Devonshire and to
the Duke of Bedford, gave birth to five sons and four daughters, and
died in child-bed, in 1711. The Duke married, secondly, Lucy, daughter
of Lord Sherard, and sister of the Earl of Harborough, by whom also he
had issue, six sons and two daughters: his grace died in 1721, and was
succeeded, as third Duke of Rutland, by his eldest son, John Manners.
This nobleman, who was born in 1696, married, in 1717, Bridget, only
daughter and heiress of Lord Lexington (an alliance that gave him a
large accession of estates), by whom he had issue thirteen children,
nearly all of whom died young.
He was the last of the family who made Haddon Hall a residence.
The estates of Lord Lexington having been settled upon the younger
branch of the family, the second and surviving sons, successively,
took, by Act of Parliament, the additional surname of Sutton, and thus
founded the family of Manners-Sutton.
The Duke, who was familiarly known as “the old man of the hill,” dying
in 1779, was succeeded by his grandson, Charles Manners, son of the
celebrated Marquis of Granby, Commander-in-chief of the British forces
in Germany, and Master of the Ordnance, who died during his father’s
lifetime. Charles, fourth Duke of Rutland, married Mary Isabella,
daughter of Charles Noel, Duke of Beaufort, by whom he had issue four
sons—viz., John Henry, who succeeded him, Charles Henry Somerset,
Robert William, and William Robert Albini; and two daughters—viz.,
the Lady Elizabeth Isabella, married to Richard Norman, Esq., and
Lady Catherine Mary, married to Lord Forester. His grace died while
holding office as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and was succeeded by his
eldest son—John Henry Manners, as fifth Duke of Rutland, who married
Elizabeth, daughter of the Earl of Carlisle, and by her had issue,
among others, his grace the present Duke of Rutland (third son, the two
elder ones having died before their father), and Lord John Manners,
M.P. His grace died in 1857, aged seventy-nine.
The present peer, Charles Cecil Manners, sixth Duke of Rutland, Marquis
of Granby, Earl of Rutland, and Baron Manners of Haddon, &c., &c., was
born in 1815, and has held many important appointments. His grace is
not married: the heir to the title and estates being his brother, Lord
John Robert Manners (Marquis of Granby, by courtesy), M.P. for North
Leicestershire, who is also known for the official posts he has held in
the government of this country.
[Illustration]
The arms of the Duke of Rutland are, _or_, two bars, _azure_; augmented
by a chief, quarterly, first and fourth _azure_, two _fleurs-de-lis_,
_or_ (France), second and third _gules_, a lion _passant-guardant_,
_or_ (England). Crest, on a _chapeau_, _gules_, turned up, _ermine_, a
peacock in pride, proper. Supporters, two unicorns, _argent_, horns,
manes, tufts, and hoofs, _or_. Motto, “Pour y parvenir.”
The meadows around Haddon—with the river Wye twisting and turning
about in all imaginable forms—are very delightful, and some of the
pleasantest strolls conceivable may be taken along them, both up and
down the stream, which is full of fine trout, and is, therefore, a
source of endless delight to the angler.
Having thus given our readers as full an account as would appear
necessary both of the noble families to whom Haddon has belonged,
and of the Hall itself, and told them as much of its history as is
requisite for our purpose, we take leave of this interesting pile, and
proceed to speak of one or two matters connected with its immediate
neighbourhood, before passing on to the fine old church at Bakewell,
where lie interred so many of the families of Vernon and Manners.
Haddon has been a prolific theme for writers, and an endless source of
inspiration for poets and artists, and long will it continue to be so,
for no “olden” place can be more picturesque or more romantic. It is
said that Mrs. Radcliffe was so struck with it, that she laid the scene
of her “Mysteries of Udolpho” here; and Allan Cunningham, the Countess
de Carabrella, and numberless other writers, have made it a theme for
some of their pleasantest productions; William Bennett took it and
its hospitable owner, Sir George Vernon, as the subject of one of his
most successful novels, “The King of the Peak;” while D. Cox, Nash,
Cattermole, Harding, Rayner, Morrison, and a host of other artists,
have added to their reputations by painting some of its more attractive
features.
[Illustration: _The Foot-Bridge._]
As may naturally be expected, in a neighbourhood so rich in interest
as that of Haddon, some singular discoveries have at one time or other
been made. Among these the Roman altar, described on a preceding page,
is perhaps the most important.
The opening of barrows in the neighbourhood has brought to light
many interesting remains of the ancient British period, and also of
Romano-British times. These consist of interments in which have been
found cinerary urns, drinking-cups, bone mesh-rules, flint implements,
bronze celts, and other articles.
Some fine antlers, and parts of antlers, of the red deer, one of which,
with four points at the top, measured more than three feet along its
outer curve, and was six-and-a-half inches in medium circumference,
have also been found. But these are not the only remains of extinct
animals found in the neighbourhood, for those of the wild dog, the wild
hog, the horse, the deer, the roebuck, and the ox—both the _Bos urus_
and the _Bos longifrons_—all of which once ran wild in Derbyshire,
have been found, in the course of deep draining near the Hall, and
preserved under the careful direction of Mr. Nesfield.
[Illustration: _Ring found at Haddon Hall._]
Perhaps the most elegant relic yet discovered is the ring shown
in our engraving, which is in possession of his Grace the Duke of
Rutland. It was found a few years ago, not far from the “Bowling
Green,” and is evidently of the fifteenth century, and is of extremely
fine workmanship and elegant design. The hoop is wreathed, and
has originally been enamelled, and bears between the foliage the
inscription, in old English letters, “de boen cuer,” which is one
of frequent occurrence as a posy upon mediæval rings, probably in
this case, meaning _de bon cœur_, and showing the hearty affection
of the giver to the receiver. The little figure engraved on the
besel is St. John the Baptist, with the Lamb enfolded in his mantle,
and has most likely also been enamelled. It is probably a kind of
charm-ring—_i.e._, a ring possessing physical or phylacteric qualities
against epilepsy, the _mal de St. Jean_. It is of the purest gold, and
weighs ninety-seven grains.
[Illustration: _Washing-Tally found at Haddon Hall._]
Another interesting “find” was the Washing-Tally already referred
to, which is of the time of Charles I, and of extreme rarity. Of
this tally, as intimately connected with the inner and home life of
Haddon, at the period of the height of its hospitality and glory,
we give the accompanying accurate engraving, which is drawn of a
somewhat reduced size, and for which, as for the ring, and other
engravings, our readers are indebted to the _Reliquary Archæological
Journal_, edited by Llewellynn Jewitt, F.S.A. This very interesting
relic is five-and-a-half inches in length and four-and-a-half inches
in depth. It is formed of a piece of beech-wood, a quarter of an
inch in thickness, covered with linen on the back and sides. Its
construction is precisely that of a “horn-book.” In front, the names
of the different articles of clothing are printed from a copper plate
and protected by a sheet of horn. Around the edge, a narrow slip of
thin brass, fastened down with highly ornamented nails, attaches the
horn, the paper, and the linen, to the wood. The “tally” is divided
into fifteen squares, in each of which is a dial numbered from 0 to 12,
and above each square is the name of the article of clothing intended
to be taken into account. These are “Ruffes,” “Bandes,” “Cuffes,”
“Handkercher,” “Capps,” “Shirtes,” “Half-Shirtes,” “Boote-hose,”
“Topps,” “Sockes,” “Sheetes,” “Pillowberes,” “Tableclothes,”
“Napkins,” and “Towells.” On each of the dials is a circular brass
indicator, fastened by a little pin in its centre, so as to be turned
round at pleasure. Each indicator is pierced on one side, close to the
edge, with a round hole through which one number only on the dial is
visible at a time, and opposite to this hole is a raised point by which
the indicator can be turned as required.
It may here be well to note, that although Haddon Hall is no longer
used as a residence by the Duke of Rutland, he has within three or four
miles of it a delightful shooting-box, Stanton Woodhouse, pleasantly
situated and charming in every respect, where he and others of his
family occasionally sojourn. This and his other shooting-lodge,
Longshawe, some distance across the moors of the same county, are two
charming retreats for the sportsman. It may be mentioned, too, that at
Rowsley, close at hand, is the admirably executed effigy of Lady John
Manners and her infant, by W. C. Marshall, R.A.
Passing on from Haddon to Bakewell, the tourist will not fail to notice
the Dove-cote on a mound near the road-side, and from this road-side he
will obtain one of the best and most charming views of the Hall to be
gained from any point.
BAKEWELL CHURCH, the burial-place of some of the members of the Vernon
and Manners families, to whom Haddon Hall successively belonged, is
nearly two miles distant from Haddon, and may be seen on looking up
the valley of the Wye. Bakewell itself is a pleasant and remarkably
clean little market-town, built on the banks of the Wye; there are
several good public buildings in the town itself, and many substantial
residences in its neighbourhood. It is, however, to the church only
that we now desire to call attention in a short description.
[Illustration: _Bakewell Church._]
It is a cruciform building, of about 150 feet in length from west to
east, and about 105 feet in width across from wall to wall of the north
and south transepts, with a central tower and spire. It contains some
extremely fine Norman and Early-English features, and is lofty and
remarkably well proportioned. In the centre rises a noble tower, the
lower part of which is square, and the upper octagonal, with the angles
boldly chamfered, and this is surmounted by a lofty spire. There can
be no doubt, from remains which have been found, that a church had
existed on this spot from very early pre-Norman times. In Domesday
survey, it is stated there were two priests for the church of Bakewell.
It was afterwards made a collegiate church. It was granted by William
the Conqueror to William Peverel, his natural son, but was, with the
other immense possessions of that family, forfeited by attainder by
one of his descendants in 1154; it remained in the possession of the
crown till it was given by Richard I., on his accession to the throne
in 1189, to his brother John, Earl of Morteigne, afterwards King John.
To him is traditionally ascribed the rebuilding of the nave (with the
exception of the west end, which he is said to have left standing),
and its endowment; but it is more probable that it was built and
endowed by a Peverel, who gave part of the Bakewell tithes to Lenton
Priory. In 1192, Earl John gave the church, with all its prebends and
other appurtenances, to the present cathedral of Lichfield. In 1365, a
chantry was founded in the church by Sir Godfrey Foljambe and Avena
his wife, whose beautiful little monument will be seen on one of the
piers of the nave. The nave, which was erected probably about 1110,
is separated from the side-aisles by semicircular arches, rising
from piers of solid masonry instead of pillars. At the west end is
a fine Norman doorway ornamented with beak-head mouldings and other
characteristic features.
The church was extensively repaired and restored in 1841, when numerous
very interesting remains were brought to light. These included an
extensive series of incised sepulchral slabs, of very early date,
bearing crosses of various forms, and many interesting devices; several
ancient crosses used as headstones; a considerable and extremely
beautiful assemblage of fragments of encaustic paving tiles; and
several fragments of coped tombs, and of crosses with the interlaced
ornament so characteristic of the Saxon period, as well as many
stone coffins, and sculptured fragments of mouldings, capitals, &c.,
belonging to the more ancient edifice.
Of these curious remains the greater part were preserved in the porch
of the church, and consist of considerably more than fifty incised
slabs—some of which are perfect, and others in fragments—and perhaps
a score or two of other stones. It is also stated, and is much to be
regretted, that at least four times the number of sculptured stones
preserved were rebuilt into the walls during the alterations, so that,
including a number taken away and now preserved at Lomberdale, there
must have been from three to four hundred found. In the same porch, a
selection of the ornamented paving tiles is also preserved; among the
patterns are many of extreme beauty and elegance.
The font is also deserving of especial notice. It is octagonal, each of
its sides bearing a figure beneath a crocketed canopy. A fragment of
another ancient font will be seen in the porch.