print home E site search back new search modify search Latest descriptions list Latest index list print home E site search back top MAN§JSCRiPTS CATALGGUE Aboutf Search tips 3 index Search i Descriptions scare’ 0 <3)’ Search for: Add. 44846 The following MSS., Add. MSS. 44846-44848, were presented by Lady Muriel Elizabeth Anna Louisa Capel Cure, daughter of Sir Percy Dixwell Oxenden, 10th Bart. 44846. LE‘i‘i'ER—BOOK OF SIR THOMAS PEYTON, 2nd Bart., of Knowiton, co. Kent; 26 Mar. 1640-17 July 1656. The letters are generally (but not always) in chronological order. Some pages (ff. 1, 9, 15, 35, 42) have been cut out. The letters relate to both personal and public matters, and include some referring to the writer's imprisonment in the Tower and elsewhere after taking part in the abortive Royalist rising in Kent in 1648. A number of the letters have been published by Dorothy Gardiner, The Oxinden Letters, 1607- 1642, 1933, and The Oxinden and Peyton Letters, 1642-1670, 1937. For other letters, etc., of Sir Thomas Peyton see the Oxenden Papers, Add. MSS. 27999-28005, 40696-40713. Names of the correspondents are not given in the Index to the present Catalogue. Paper; ff. i + 71. Folio. xvii cent. Memorandum by Edward Henry Capel Cure, (knt. 1919), 11 Sept. 1892, f. i. Ab<>_ut Sear_c._h tins Index Search Descnptions Search Main ggpyright © The British Library I Christopher Oxenden Born 1625/6 Dene Died 1659 Elizabeth Oxenden Married William Dalison Sir George Oxenden Born 1620 Dene. President East India Company Died 1669 Surat, India Pedigree of the Oxenden family showing the ancestors of Rev'd Ashton Oxenden Monument erected at Surat Jane Oxenden Bn 1654. d .1697 William Penrice Married Sir St Bn 1690, d 1720 = Anne Halloway Henry Oxenden Married 1712 Pauls Cathedral Page 1 Adjoins page 2 right ————-——:—> Mary Graham Sir Henry Chudleigh Oxenden John George Rev‘d Montagu Rev Charles Graham Oxenden Born 1795 Broome Park Oxenden Chichester Oxenden Oxenden Oxenden Born 1794 Died 1889 Broome Park Bn 1796 Oxenden 1799—1880 1800-74 Bn 1302 Broome Married Broome Bn 1797 Broome Rector of Barham Vicar of Broome Died 1870 1830 Charlotte Brown Died 1875 m. Elizabeth Wilson Eastwell d 1325 Married 1815 1848 Elizabeth Phoebe King Broome Bearsted William Osmund Hammond Flora Elizabeth Agnes Graham Oxenden Sir Percy Nowell Dixwell-Oxenden Oxenden Born 1830 Eastwell Park Born 1838 Broome Park D 1915 Died 1916 Married 1868 5 children: William, Married 1879 Eastwell Married 1852 Isabella Finch—Hatton Egerton, Maximillian, George Hall McGregor William Robert Finch-Hatton Henry & Mary Muriel Elizabeth A L Oxenden Born 1869. Died 1927 Married 1868 Edward Henry Capelcure Sir James Oxenden of Deane, Wingham, & Mary (nee Nevinson), of Eastry l I I I I Sir Henry Oxenden of Deane, Kent Born 1614 died 1686 Married 3 times: 1640 Elizabeth Meredith William Oxenden Born 1625, died C. 1639 France Sybilla Oxenden James Bn 1612 Dene, Oxenden Died 1632 Born 1615 Dene Dene Died 1637 1661 Elizabeth Read ‘ (Later) Mary Baker in a duel with Jerome Manwood Margaret Oxenden Born 1617 Wingham Married c. 1635 Thomas Broomfield Joan (Jana) Oxenden Married 1637 Sir Thomas Piers Bart George Oxenden of Deane, Kent Born 1651 Dene. Died 1702/3 MP & Master of Trinity Hall Married Elizabeth Dixwell died 1704 (maid of honour to Queen Mary) Sir George Oxenden (Baronet) of Deane, Kent Born 1694 died 1775 MP for Sandwich Married 1729 Elizabeth Dunch, d 1779 4 James Oxenden Born 1692 Wingham Died infant I Sir Henry Oxenden (Baronet) of Deane, Kent Born 1721 died 1804 at Broome Married 1755 Westminster Abbey Margaret Chudleigh = Born 1733. Died 1803 r .9, ofBroome Park_ Sir Henry Oxenden (7th Baronet) H4 11 ‘J ‘I35 Borfii1756 Died 1838 Broome Married 1793 left, . ' Mary Graham 4‘ d C1814/15 l 5 children : Margaret, Thomas, Henry, Elizabeth & Dorothy I Frances Oxenden Born c. 1804. Died 1885 Married 1825 Thomas Papillon Anne Charlotte Oxenden Bn 1806 d. 1841 Yorks Robert Oxenden Bn 1807 Married George Alston from Suffolk 5 children: George, Alfred, Edward. Waldon & William Page 2 Adjoins page I left <———-—-A Rt. Rev‘d Ashton Oxenden Vicar of Pluckley Bishop of Montreal l\/lei:repollt.an of Canada Vicar of St Stephens Born October 1808 Broome Died February 1892 Biarritz lvlarried 1864 Flampsliire Sarah Bradshaw {died 1903) Only one child: Mary Ashton Oxenden Bn c 1865 Pluckley Married Eliza Oxenden Bn 1810 d 1898 William Dixwell Oxenden Bn 1813 d. 1859 Married 1847 Hampshire Anna Maria Edwardes Emily Mary Oxenden Born 1814 Sir David Wood < MEDALLION OF HENRY OXINDEN OF BARHAM Frontispiece to his Latin poem Religionis funus ct Hypocritae finis, after the original in C k the possessxon of Dr. F. W. ‘/71: Orimlcu and Pa}/Ian Latter: OC Fromispicce THE OXINDEN AND PEYTON LETTERS I642-I670 BEING THE CORRESPONDENCE OF HENRY OXINDEN OF BARHAM, SIR THOMAS PEYTON OF KNOWLTON AND THEIR CIRCLE Edited «wit/1 Note: and an Irztradurtiqn by DOROTHY GARDINER LONDON THE SHELDON PRESS NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, we. 2 NEW YORK:'1'HE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1937 INDEX Barrow, Thomas, linen-draper, xvi, xxxiii, I, 40, I23, 235, 266'89 2737 279) 28°) 295: 318, 342; letters from, to Henry Oxinden, X, XXVI; wife of, Katherine (Oxinden), letter to her from Henry Oxinden, 16; son of, Thomas, 236. Beavan Mr., schoolmaster, xxvii, xxx, 108, 128, I29, 156 . Berkhamsted, 164, 195. Bifrons, seat of Robert Bargrave, 23, 46, 47, 258. Birkhead, Henry, scholar, xxxii, 231, 237;account of, 240; 241, 258; letters from, to Henry Oxinden, CLIV, CLVIII; his works, Poemata, Poematia, Otium Literatum, 240. Bishops, the, xiii, 35-7, 92; estates of, xxiii, xxiv, 69, 78, _92-4, I04- Bishopsbourne, Rector of, see Warner, John Boys, Sir Edward, of Fredville, xiv, 2, 28, 34, 35, 83; letter to}, from Sir Thomas Peyton, 2 . Boys, Edward, of Uffington, Seciuestrator, 57, 73, 79, 89, 90, 99, 103-5, 298. Boys, James, 317. Boys, Captain John, of Trapham, 2, 44. 46, 68, 79, I04, I96; letter to, from Sir T. Peyton, 22. Boys, Sir John, of Bonnington, 232. Bradshaw, Henry, Headmaster of Wye School, xxviii, 107, 126; letter of, to Henry Oxinden, LXXVIII. Braems, Walter, of Bridge Hill, 123, 125. Brett, Captain, 337. Brewer, Mr., solicitor, of Hytlie, 351» 352- 356 Bridge Hill, muster at, 86; I23, 258; Church, 123. Brook, Nathaniel, printer, 195, 215. Broome, seat of the Dixwell family, xii, xxv, 39, 61, 99, I03, I74, I75, 203, 206, 251, 256, 259, 261, 307. Brouncker, Henry, 336, 337, 347- Bucke, James, 152, 153. Burgess, Mr., of the Charter- house, 316, 317, 341. Butler, Samuel, author of Hudibras, 200, 207, 276, 332. Busby, Dr., of Westminster School, xxviii, 108, 131. C Calais, 51, 58-60, 65. Cambridge, 255, 268, 333; colleges in: Emmanuel, 87; Queens’ 263, 265; Clare Hall, 322. Canterbury, Cathedral of, 58, 203, 254, 259, 309; Prebends of, see Aldey, Edward; Bargrave, Dr. John; Casau- bon, Dr. Isaac; Du Moulin, Peter (father and son); Hardres, Peter; Paske, Dr. Thomas; Reading, John; King’s School of, 152, and see Ludd, William. Canterbury, city of, xii, xviii, xxviii, xxxviii, 11, 58, 133, I53, I80, I87, I89, 193,203, 240, 257, 265, 266; churches in: St. Margaret’s, 240, 254; St. Ge0rge’s, 254; St. Mary Breclman, 255; St. Alphege, 255; Mayor of, see Lade, John; Recorder of, see Denne, Thomas ; St. Nicholas, Thomas; Sheriff of, 189; Post of, 106, 180; Castle of, 188; Gaols of: Westgate Towers, Westgate Without, 296. INDEX Carpenter John, a city man, 231; (account of), 247; 248- 50, 267, 275, 287, 291, 292, 327, 339; letter from, to Henry Oxinclen, CLIX; letter to, from Henry Oxinden, 258- Carre, Mary (Danvers), Lady, 1, 7; husband of, Sir Robert Carre, 7; letters to, from Sir Thomas Peyton, 7, I2. Casaubon, Isaac, Prebend of Canterbury, 212, 213. _ Casson, Captain John, plratfi, 326, 339, 349- _ Cater, Thomas, Vicar of Os- pringe, 263, 264, 253, 28?» 292, 294, 301, 302, 333; hls wife, 263, 288, 3o2;_letter from, to Henry Oxinden, CXC. Charles 1, xiv: Xxxii) 40) 557 4 82-4, 97, 100, 108; prisoner at Newmarket, 113; I16, 119, 122,123, 137, 133, 1_4-'4; reference to his ‘execution, 150; 211, 214; relic of, 215; 311. _ Charles II (Prince Charles), 140; flight from Worcester Field, I69; I94; 229: 23I'32 241, 243, 260, 265,. 2673 sermon before, at Whitehall, 277; 278, 292, 327, 330, 336, 5 338, 340, 348, 349; queen Of, Catherine of Braganza, 278, Charlton, John, clockmaker, 74. , Charterhouse, Sutton’s Hospital of the, xxxiii, xxxix, 303, 310. - Chartham, 186. Chatham, 55. Childrey, Dr. Joshua, Head- master of Faversham Gram- ‘ mar School, 270, 308. Chilham, x1, 268, 331; Vicar of, ‘ see Cumberland, Robert. Cholmley, Mary, 212, 213- Clarendon, Earl of, Edward Hyde, Lord Chancellor, xxvi, xxvii, 260, 266, 267, 275, 277, 294, 335, 340; his flight, 336; 3 33 - , Clark, Lawrence (alias Mr. Charles Barnard), highway- man, 346. Clark, Thomas, Rector of Boughton Aluph, 45, 46. Cleveland, John, Cavalier poet, 143, 177, 194; verses quoted, 14-3: 177 3 2°72 209- Common Prayer, Book of, 45, 6. C04ppin, Edward, Vicar of Wootton, 290. Council of State, 171, I72, 184. Coventry, Sir William, 336, 347- Covert or Covett Woods, xxiii, xxiv, 69; account of, 78; 81-3, 94, 96, 98; survey Of» 99; 101-3; woodwardship of, xxiv, xxv, 78, 79, 81, 104. Cox, James, 67, 68. Cranbrook, living of, vacant, 273- . . Creeper, Crepentissimus, see Dixwell, John. Crew, Sir Clippesby, 52._ Crispe, Sir Nicholas, xxi, 153, 154., 188-90; seat of, Qllex, 153, 188; Quex Chapel in Birchington Church, 153; ; wife of, see Denne, Thoma- . sine. Cromwell, Oliver, Lord Pro-’ tector, 108, 138, I41, I61» I69 " 711 I97: I98) 202 (“ No1 ”), 207, 222, 303. '_ Culpeper, Alexander, deputy Admiral, 324, 325, 339- Culpeper, Thomas, Lord, Gov- , ernor of Isle of Wight, 325, i 1 Cu3iri;1(l))erland, Robert, Vicar of Chilham, xl, 331; marriage of, to Margaret (Oxinden), 331-3; son of, Thomas, 331; daughter of, 348. 357 THE OXINDEN LETTERS [1643 XV S”‘:m"1'HJ%1‘]1I—‘1‘\I3 B1;E;(YST31l:I to SIR JAMES OXINDEN « TRAPI-IAM IN WINGHAM [Capel Cure MSS., Peyton Letters] . [By a further Ordinance of August 24th, 1643, tenants were d 1' . E : d1eor(1;:)11]e to Pay the Sums assessed by Parliament on their To MY HON0 . . , URED FRIIINDS SIR JA: OXINDEN AND MR. Jo: BoYs or TRAPHAM.“ NOBLE GENT: h BY Vifflle Of a warrant signed under your severall d:;Ci1Srid1\dIc:" I-;:y’[el16cll3:1tEtl’. I U-nderstand’ t° my h°”S°’ "0 _ or maintenance of those forces now raysed in Kent for the peace of the County, with a pouer ' _ I and collaterally I take lyéave t1StIl‘)CSSC, Wl11Cl1 under favour nott find this power derived (t) 0 serve unto you that I doe Ordinance and Instructions 0 élny of us by virtue of that owner have goodes emu h ml? If upon it for Kent, if the Taxe; and I bdeeve t’W0§1;fld0b 1s owne to discharge the Tfyall with a Collector that 66 806 mterpret'ed' upon any Should, When he 13 in the way §’u:‘;‘i1g1;°l:;i§:0Id;Sa3: ‘:1: rifuser, check at another man's. farm take mee into our go o_:ay Is, That you would soe over_rated in this Taie Fornii eiation as to thmke I am heard, I find myselfe 3° doubl Y t at which have certenly of my neighbours co-e uall e proportlon hlgher theli any am very certen is nott iilnl every Way to mee: Whlch I fore I am in the more Stucfnotwnefio you too. And there. cause of it. I can aSSurey[ 0 co cc: what should bee the without further asseverationyili] all hthere 18 truth In It money enough to dischar . at ave nott yfttt found ge the sumptuary occasions have 1 Firth and Rait, loc. cit., . _ 2 Members of the Commitlfeezfclr Kent. 22 1643] NEIGHBOURS AT CIVIL WAR bin brought upon mee this yere, as well out of choice as chance, to adde to the troubles of the publique. And there- fore I must needes desire you to command Ralph Philpott and Jo: Paramour, who I heare were the Cessors, for I shall nott thinke any friend of mine had a hand in this inequ,ality to observe the proportions used elsewhere in the Lath, or else, which I had rather, to bee pleased to lett mee receive the courtesy from your hands immediately, which shall very much oblige Your true servant in all the Land. Io. faculties of this life 1643. THO: PEYTON. XVI SIR THOMAS PEYTON to THE EARL or ELGIN [Capel Cure MSS., Peyton Letters] [The first Earl of Elgin, Thomas, third Lord Bruce of Kinloss, and Christian’ Cavendish, “ My Lady Devonshire,” were children of Edward, second Lord Bruce of Kinloss. Christian married William Cavendish, second Earl of Devonshire, and after his death (1628) had the wardship of the young earl. She was a devoted Royalist. Her son, Charles, third earl, fell in the battle of Gainsborough, on July 28th, 1643, but a fortnight before this letter was written. No other record remains of the brother and sister’s sojourn at Knowlton, or the reason of it; they were doubtless under surveillance. “ A sister of mine,” Mrs. Bargrave of Bifrons, Patrixbourne; “ some little ones,” Sir Thomas’s three small daughters.] To THE RIGHT HoN"”‘ AND MY VERY GOOD LORD, THE EARLE or ELGIN AT KNOLTON HUMBLY PRESENT Sir, this leaves before another letter which should have come long after this. MY LoRD, I find by your Lordship’s letter what great honoure my poore house hath received in the two noble presences of your selfe and my La: of Devonshire; where I could have 23 THE OXINDEN LETTERS [1644 next Wy in mistris Moyle’s parish. Fearing the not delivery of my letter, I have sent this messenger. The place is vacant for an honest man. Mr. Clarke desires to resigne to such an one. I have refused it for Denton’s sake, from which I hope to be no more absent after next Lord’s Day (then I rely on my brother) if Mr. Swan and the parish accept of me and that I can be ordayned. I pray send Mr. Drayton if it may be: he shall have content for his paines howsoever and enterteinment at Mr. Clark’s house at Boughton hard by the church. I pray send your answer. Mr. Clark useth not the book of common prayer. My humble service to yourselfe and Mistris Oxenden and the vertuous Lady and Mr. Swanne presented. I heartily thanke you for the continued streame of your love, which I hope my ingratitude shall neither stop nor dry up. So commit both you and yours to the Lord and rest Your poore friend to command SURToN1—11E NICHOLS Wy April 14. I644 XXXII sm THOMAS PEYTON to HENRY OXINDEN [MS. 28,000, f. 327] [On January 25th, 1643 /4, Sir Thomas petitioned the Committee of Kent for permission to return to Knowlton to inspect the repairs he had made in the church before paying for them} His request, though vigorously opposed by John Boys, was granted, and he evidently stayed with his sister at Bifrons. On his return to prison he was moved from Billetter Lane to St. ]ames’s Palace. He brought with him from Kent his little daughters, “some few uncommitted children.” The “good Captain”: Thomas Southland of Lee in Ickham; he succeeded his father, Sir William Southland, who purchased the estate, in 1638. Cheapside Cross had been destroyed on May 2nd, 1643.] 1 Peyton Letters. 46 1644] NEIGHBOURS AT CIVIL WAR BRO: OXINDEN, Your letter of Apr. 26 I received May 6"‘, being the 4"‘ day after the demolition of Cheapside Crosse accord- ing to the Rubrick of my Almanack, by a very good Cousin of o11rs, who entertaines Communion and fellowship with us still, though some have broken it off and are become towards us Separatists. And since I have received another. Your kind visitt intended to mee at Bifrons with the good Capt. my very good friend, I have thought often to have acknowledged in writing; and am now ashamed to bee remembred of it by the succession of new and double engagements. Butt I hope you will pardon mee that very lately have brought hither to sweeten this exile I live in some few uncommitted children, who, with themselves, brought some present trouble and disorder upon me, from which I am newly recovered. ’Twas cheifly this, and nott indisposition or ill memorie I assure you caused the omission. The businesse which became of another’s transaction I had notice of by your letter and others interested in itt, which made mee leave that care; wherein your inclination was very valuable and obligatorie; for if intentions to doe evill without Act shall nott want their punishment, intentions to doe good may nott surely want, by the same proportion of Justice, their estimation and reward. And now give me leave to say I am gotten into a feild where I often use to walke; the contemplation of the diversity of men’s natures . . stained]. For it is nott possible that overture you make of extending friendship (in a time when we are all become the tired and hopelesse clients of overbusy men) should proceed from any other foun[dation] then pure virtue it selfe. For when all the world of men besides are everywhere busie to adv[enture] out of every little power they are invested with, some feare of that sting they carry about [with] them into all others,—— you have chosen a more Angelicall office of guarding and defending [MS. torn] from these evills of the times which our nationall sinnes, nott those of a few Malignants and 47 TI-IE OXINDEN LETTERS [1644 ill:SiIrlIf1I:l_:)I:3t1ZI(:lr:1£ lhavi: dbrought downe from heaven upon us, soe farre th: }l,)lg1;Slln€y0ufh§cl\SI)’e’ Ilaplne a hand In fimshing done in the Count S 0 . . .s discharge as could bee ry, for I assure myselfe you will find all your endeavours soe well bestow’d that your owne workes X1glreP1te(:‘S<:1ry;>(l3lrS\i‘EI;>I:1(§leti‘}f;ully when you shall come more and honour for them I elgufaities of that Gent: whom I doe You more ri ht Wold amffsay Somewhat‘, but I Shall who may bee big” ,h :1: myse E, to speake it to others, and evangelical] virg ofstu 37 your exarr1Ple’the true the neerenesse of ddles 0 gooh nelghboln-hood. T‘1S nott makes ‘-13 Nei hbou nor It e confining of Inheritances which exercisegthcir M" t ll Acts of love and ‘Change Should I Se“ downe lg 21 Nplaces and att all distances. which now of these th-L ll RM.’ Mr. 0', aild aske fen ectl ’tWere ea“ iee was neighbour unto him that esteeme- of our 331 answered. For myselfe, I must liberal and kllnd hear? lmdatle Ollfers as ‘enlargements of a for my Stud d , an ay tiem up.in my owne breast y an obseivation, when it shall please god my faults and fortunes shall cease to render mee soe con- temptible to the worlde. I have nott learnt to bowe at the command of meere irregular will. For this is positiycly true, though some pretend derivative 3ower—(as who will confesse his owne secrett passions ?)~ mlitr ihany things are done, and much power is exercised ie peisons and estates of many persons in that Countie (Where my poore lott is fallen, I know nott how fortunately) II:(r):tCe(;:ln0f ?et:1'€}-';l_1‘bl.tI‘a1‘y command (and it may bee, likewise) But}/i»n tllll t 1S is -dCI‘lV6d and granted to them make _ t- e meane time, when men have power to in ense or remiss their Jealousies and Feares of others (the ground of all other proceedings), and so to execute :;1::f V§l11::Sl}1:l r:lSlZl1€1‘dlI‘i rrliercy or judgment—it is impossible an Rules of Regs (:1: _]«:1a OllSll)€S are made to extend beyond I I . an pro able deduction, but that some '9‘, S” Anthony Percival], see Letter XXX. 48 I644] NEIGHBOURS AT CIVIL WAR mixture of private passions and other ingredients must have infused itselfe into the minds of those men, to make their rule ungratefull and odious to us. Some, may be, hate nott our persons but thinke it fitt enough wee should live in a lower forme in the world. What else meanes the burden of these they call the Malignant Cesses P But this is the policie of all states, private as well as publique. Noe nation would have another more rich or potent then itselfe. Among private men ’tis the same; and a great deale of grace and virtue must goe to the subduing of man’s proud and lofty nature which retaines this depravitie from the beginning of the worlde. Butt I that have nothing to doe butt write, runne on, as if you had nothing to doe butt read: and therefore desiring you to excuse this extravagance; for I like the progress of many actions soe ill that I could never leave complayning, though in the end to be attained the difference is not much betweene us. For I am and wille be bold to say it. He that saies he dares doe more for Religion then I is a lyer; and the same I aflirme of our Lawes and publique liberty. And hee is little better that saies he hath in him greater desires and inclinations to doe you all serviceable respects and oflices then Your most affectionate brother THOMAS PEYTON St. james. May 13th 1644 49 THE OXINDEN LETTERS [1661 WORTHY SIR, I have beene very ill ever since I came to London that I could not soe readily serve you as I desire. I had these little pages printed newely for you and the pictures I gave 6“ for. By the next Munday poste you shall receave I00. of your owne efligies and the Meddall shalbe safe. Mr. Maxwell sayes nowe he hath sold very fewe of your prose bookes, and that Mr. Birkhead left 95 3“ to pay for the print. mg. Whatever you order tobe donne shalbe endeavoured b . y Sir Your most obliged servant . THO: WILLIAMS I In : gbris London: —— 61 Your owne 100: will cost 1*‘: 3“ : CLXX HENRY OXINDEN to JOHN CARPENTER [MS. 28,004, f. 288] [Carpenter wrote, November 30th, 1661, to request that “ Pos- session shalbee delivered upp to mee (as you promised) att Christmas next, which is the uttermost tyme you desired and the longest I intend to graunt.”] SIR, I This 18 to entreate you by al the former friendship you have shewed me, by the love your honored Father bare to mee and by your last expression of love you had writ- ten, that I should see you would have a regard to mee now your Father was gon,--I say this is to entreat you to let things stand one halfe yeare longer as they do, without any noise, which will as yet spoile mee in regard of my sevei-all occasions.‘ Bifrons, a house that was my brother Bargrave’s, beside Bridge hill, was lately sold ;‘ and now I doubt not 1 This was effected througgh Sir Thomas Peyton. 25 1661] WHEN THE KING CAME AGAIN but mine will follow. I 1y at your Mercy: you have shewed a great deale of friendship to mee which I will always ack- nowledge, pray, pray continue it, For I really am Your faithfull as wel as obliged servant Dec: 9. 1661. H. O. Copie to Mr. Carpenter Pray whilst I am in misery let nothing happen may breake my heart which I wish may serve you. CLXXI HENRY OXINDEN OF DEANE to HENRY OF BARHAM [MS. 28,004, f. 292] [Dr. Peter du Moulin, Rector of Adisham, son of Peter du Moulin the Huguenot refugee, succeeded his father in the fourth Prebend of Canterbury Cathedral and died in 1684.1 Mrs. Westrow, a daughter of Mrs. Dixwell.] Dec: 16. I661. DEAR COSEN, I sent this Morning to Broome to enquire how M“ Westrow doth and our freindes at Mersham, and I could nott omitt saluting you and my Cosens, and complaining to you of the unhappines of D‘ Du Moulin’s interruption of our good Societie and to tell you that it was nott a little trouble to mee to hear my Mother’s freedom of discours with you, which shee might have forborne for my sake, shee well knowing how much alwaies I have affected your com- pany ; and in which discours I thinke shee was much mistaken. Her replie to my exceptions is, that itt’s out of a godly jealousie, and that shee would draw you to an exemplary holy Conversation preceding the pure and holy Calling you intend to enter into; that your excesse she understood you thatt you made att Broome that night put her upon that 1 Somner and Battely, p. 125 259 \J PREFACE IN compiling the first series of Oxinden Letters, two volumes only of the family correspondence, acquired by the British Museum in 1869, were drawn upon, namely Additional MSS. 27,999 and 28,000. The letters contained in the second series have been chosen from the remaining five volumes (28,000-28,005). Much additional information was supplied by the family papers—wills, accounts, legal documents—included in MSS. 28,006-28,012. Henry Oxin- den’s Diary (parts of which are printed in The Genealogist), Sir Thomas Peyton’s Letter-Book, and the correspondence of Charles Nichols and Henry Oxinden have recently been presented to the Museum by Lady Capel Cure, and are now numbered 44,846-44,848; many letters come from these sources. Dr. F. W. Cock of Appledore generously placed at my disposal not only his collection of Oxinden papers but his copies, annotated by the author, of Henry Oxinden’s very scarce volumes, jobus Triumphans and Eileen Basilike (no tribute to King Charles, but a play upon the name of Sir Basil Dixwell). , He has added to my debt by “ cracking several hard nuts,” including the meaning of “ sparadraste,” and by allowing the reproduction of Henry’s medallion portrait, the original plate of which is in his possession.- I very much regret that considerations of space have made it impossible to include here an account of Henry Oxinden’s authorship, to supplement the somewhat meagre notice in the Dictionary of National Biography. Henry’s Account Book, belonging to the Kent Archaeological Society’s collec- tion in the Maidstone Museum, and certain Oxinden MSS., chiefly wills and title-deeds, in the Dean and Chapter Library at Canterbury, I have also used, by the owners’ permission. The book owes much to the kindness of those who contributed to the notes, which enhance the interest of letters covering so long a period and dealing with such a variety of subjects. Mr. Arthur Hussey, the historian of Vll PREFACE Wingham, sent me valuable transcripts of Oxinden, Denne and Greenstreet wills. The Reverend E. A. Cook traced the entry of Thomas Oxinden’s burial in the registers of St. George the Martyr, Southwark; the Reverend M. M. Vischer gave me particulars of his_ predecessor in the Vicarage of St. Mary, Sandwich, John Lodwick; and the Reverend B. J. Corder, of Henry Oxinden’s tenure of Radnage Rectory, Bucks. The Rector of Chillenden; the Reverend W. Waite, Vicar of Graveney; the Librarian of Winchester Cathedral and ‘Dr. C. W. Foster, kindly made searches for me. The Reverend H. D. Dale supplied facts from the I-Iythe records. Mr. C. I. I-Iindle, of the Bodleian Library, skilfully solved the riddle of Ashmole’s Almanack. As regards the illustrations, the Reverend R. B. Pyper of Pluckley drew my attention to the portrait of Unton, Lady Dering, formerly at Surrenden Dering; Lady Capel Cure lent the photograph of Dorothy Peyton’s picture. In both cases the reproductions have been made with the kind permission of the present owners of the pictures. Lady Capel Cure possesses a portrait of Sir Thomas Peyton, but he is an earlier Sir Thomas, grandfather of our hero, of whom unfortunately no likeness appears to be extant. I must express my great indebtedness to the Sheldon Press for undertaking the publication of this volume, and my sincere hope that the interest it arouses in lovers of such intimate illustrations of English history in critical times may fully justify their enterprise. To have left the story of the Oxindens unfinished meant not only the loss to Kent annals of Henry of Barham’s finished portrait, so whimsical, so tragic. Sir Thomas Peyton and his fellow—prisoner in Billetter Lane, Charles Nichols too, the epitome of friends of all ages, and kind old Captain Swan of the Charterhouse, to name four only from a longish roll, are also characters it is good to know, a privilege to introduce to other Englishmen. These letters approach more nearly than their pre- Vlll PREFACE decessors to normal standards of orthography, except for the incorrigible Lady Zouch, who seems to have inherited, and passed on to her descendants, the perverse habit of spelling by ear and not by eye. Otherwise there are few stumbling—blocks for the reader who can remember and forgive the careless interchange of on and one, and the use of to as preposition, adverb and occasionally numeral. Throughout the book efforts have been made to render correctly the Latin tags, whether original or quotations from the best authors—not always an easy task. In this I have had the invaluable help of Dr. Lowther Clarke. DOROTHY, GARDINER. 14 PRECINCTS, CANTERBURY, October, 1936. ix