My transplantation from Gloucester to Devonshire, and the consequent
unapproachable state of my books, prevents my referring to authorities at
the moment in support of what I have said about the arms of Judge Cradock
_alias_ Newton: still I wish to notice the subject at once that I may not
appear to shrink from the Query of S.A.Y. (Vol. ii., p. 371.)
I happen to have at hand a copy of the Grant {428} of Arms to Sir John of
East Harptree, Somerset, in 1567 in which, on the authority of the heralds
of the day, arg. on a chevron az. 3 garbs or, are granted to him in the
first quarter as the arms of Robert Cradock _alias_ Newton. The Judge seems
to have been the first of the family who dropped the name of Cradock. His
forefathers, for several generations (from Howel ap Grononye, who was Lord
of Newton, in Rouse or Trenewith, in Poursland), went by the name of Cradog
Dom. de Newton.
Robert Cradock, mentioned in the Grant I have quoted, married Margaret
Sherborne. He was the Judge's great-great-grandfather. Sir John Newton, to
whom the grant was made, lies buried at East Harptree; and on his tomb may
be seen (besides his effigies as large as life) the twelve quarterings in
their original (?) blazoning, impaled with those of his wife, one of the
Pointz family. The same arms (of Newton) are still discernible on a
beautifully wrought, though now much mutilated shield, over one of the
doors of Barres Court, at East Hanham, in Bitton, Gloucestershire, where
Newton also had a residence, where John Leland on his itinerary visited
him, and says (_Itin._ vol. vii. p. 87.) "his very propre name is Caradoc,"
&c. This property Newton inherited as a descendant from the De Bittons or
Button (through Hampton), a family of great note in their day, and
residents on the site of Barres Court, a "fayr manner place of stone,"
which evidently took its name from Sir John Barre, who married Joan, the
relict of Robert Greyndon, and daughter of Thomas Roug by Catherine, who
was the last heiress of that branch of De Bittons--(she died 1485, and is
buried with her first husband at Newlond). Of the same family were the
three bishops of that name, in the reigns of the early Edwards; one of
which, _Thomas_, Bishop of Exeter in 1299, was the pious founder of a
chantry chapel adjoining Bitton Church, over the bodies of his father and
another, who were buried there; the building itself is quite an
architectural gem. The said bishop must also have resided there, for in
1287, when Dean of Wells, the Lord of the Manor of that part of Bitton
where his estate lay, impounded some of his cattle, and had a trial thereon
at Gloucester, as appears by a Placite Roll of that date.
I send you a copy of the Grant of Arms, as it may be interesting, to
publish--besides, it is a reply to the latter part of S.A.Y.'s Query. It is
copied from the Ashmol. MSS. No. 834. p. 34.
Of the Newtons of Yorkshire I know nothing; but if S.A.Y. wishes to
question me further, I shall be happy to receive his communication under
his own proper sign-manual.
In Nichols' _Leicestershire_, vol. iv. pt. 2. p. 807., is a pedigree of
Cradock bearing the same arms, and it is there laid down that Howel ap
Gronow was slain by the French in 1096, and buried at Llandilo Vawr; also
that the Judge was called Newton from his birth-place. (It is in
Montgomeryshire, I believe.) Matthew Cradock, who lies in Swansea Church,
bore different arms.
"To all and singular as well nobles and gentills as others to whom
these presents shall come, we, Sir Gilbert Dethicke, knight, alias
Garter, principall kinge of armes for the Order of the Garter, Robte.
Cooke, alias Clarenciault, kinge of armes of the south, William Flower
alias Norroy, kinge of armes of the northe, and all others the
hereauldes of armes send humble commendacion and gretinge: that whereas
we being required by Sir John Newton, of Richmond Castill, in the
countie of Somersett, knight, to make serche for the ancient armes
descendinge to him from his ancetors [sic], at whose requeste we, the
said kinges and hereauldes of armes have not only made diligent serche
in our regesters, but also therewithall perused diverse of his ancient
evidence and other monumentes, whereuppon we doe fynd that the said Sir
John Newton, knight, maye beare twelve severall cotes, that is to say,
the armes of Robte. Cradocke alias Newton, the armes of Robte.
Sherborne, the arms of Steven Angle, the armes of Steven Pirot, the
armes of John Harvie, the armes of Sir John Sheder, knight, the armes
of Richard Hampton, the armes of Sir John Bitton, knight, the armes of
Sir Matthewe Ffurneault, knight, the armes of Walter Cawdecot, the
armes of Sir Aunsell Corney, knight, and the armes of Sir Henry
Harterie, knight. All which armes doth plainlie appere depicted in the
Margent; and for that the said Sir John Newton is yncertaine of any
creaste which he ought to beare by his owne proper name, he therefore
hath also required vs, the said kings and hereauldes of armes, to
assigne and confirme vnto him and his posteritie for ever, the creaste
of Sir Auncell Corney, knight, which Sir Auncell Corney, as it doth
appere by divers ancient evidence and other monuments of the said Sir
John Newton, was at the winnynge of Acom with Kinge Richard the First,
where he toke prisoner a kinge of the Mores: and farther, the said Sir
John Newton, knight, hath made goode proofe for the bearinge of the
same creaste, that the heires male of the said Sir Auncell Corney is
extingueshed, and the heires generall do only remaine in him. In
consideracion whereof wee, the said kinges and herehauldes of arms, do
give, confirme, and grant vnto the said Sir John Newton and his
posteritie for ever, the said creaste of Sir Auncell Corney, knight,
that is to say, vppon his helme on a torce silver and asure, a kinge of
the Mores armed in male, crowned gold, knelinge vpon his left knee
rendring vppe his sworde, as more plainly aperith depicted in this
Margent, to have and to horold the said creast to him and his
posteretie, with there due difference to vse, beare, and show in
shelde, cote armour, or otherwise, for ever, at his or their libertie
and pleasure, without impediment, let, or interruption of any parson or
parsons. In witnesse whereof we, the said hinges and hereauldes of
arms, have caused these letters to be made patentes, and set herevnto
our common seale of corporation, given at the office of arms in London,
the twelvethe of December, and in the tenthe yeare of the reigne of our
sovereign {429} ladie Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queene of England,
France and Ireland, defender of the faithe," &c.