Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/437

EXAMPLES OF MEDLEVAL SEALS. 373 meaning Wethersfield) in 124G, and was buried at Waltliam near his father. His family appear to have regained in some degree the favour of tiie Sovereign, since we find in 40 Henry III. (1256) the King allowed his son and heir, Hugh de Neville, at the instance of Henry de Mara, to pay, by instalments of fifty marks per annum, certain debts of his father due to the Exchequer.^ This Uugh and also John his brother nevertheless joined the party of the barons in their war against the King. They were both pardoned in 12G6, but Hugh, who had been taken prisoner, lost a considerable portion of his estates in Devon.* He died in 1209 without issue, and was succeeded by his brother John, who was the first husband of the above-mentioned Margaret de Neville, and died, as has been stated, in 1282. As she survived till 1327, she must have been young at his death. If he married her while he was a younger son with a slender provision, or even after the decease of his elder brother, but while his estate was still impoverished by payment of his father's debts to the crown, and the consequeuces of the barons' war, that might account for her parentage being unknown, and the non-appearance of any arms on her seal that can be referred to her father, whose position in life probably had not led to his bearing any armorial insignia. The arms of Robert de la Warde, vairy arg. and sa., are given in the roll t. Edw. 11. Margaret may have been of the same family. He was summoned to Parliament from 28 to 34 of Edward I., and was Steward of the King's Household in 33 Edward I.'^ His earlier history is not known ; he may have acquired arms in consequence of his elevation. His daughter is said to have married Margaret's son, Hugh de Neville.* We had, by inference from some of the particulars above noticed, and others which it is unnecessary to detail, appropriated this seal of Margaret de Neville to the lady above-mentioned, when a paper by Mr. Planche in the sixth volume of the Journal of the British Archaeological Association, p. 139, referred us to direct evidence to the same effect, viz., a grant in the British Museum, Add. Charters L.F.C., xxiii, 16, with an imperfect impression of the seal appended. Mr. Planche has given a copy of the deed, and a woodcut of the seal ; but as the legend beyond s. makg is wanting, and the figure materially defective, a woodcut of an entire impression will, we doubt not, be acceptable. The deed, which has a topographical interest also, is in French. As a copy of it is published, it will sufiice to state the purport. It is dated the lOth May, 8 Edward II. (1315), which was in the lady's second widowhood, and is between Dame Margaret de Neville of the one part, and Hugh de Neville her son of the other part, and she thereby grants to the said Hugh her " Hostel e Maysouns " with the garden, rents, and all other things appertaining to the said " Hostel ' in the city {vile) of London, which is called Leaden Hall [Sale de Fliun) on Cornhill, to hold to the said Hugh for the term of his life, saving to the said ^Margaret for her life the advowsons of the churches in the said city, which were appertaining to the said " hostel ; " and if the said Hugh should die before her, then the said '• hostel," etc., should return to her for the term of her life, and after her decease the said " hostel," k,c., with the said advowsons should remain to the heirs of the said Hugh for ever. Among the witnesses 2 Excerpta e Rot. Finium, ii., p. 228. Coll. Topog. v. p. 11. ^ Stapleton's Pref. to Lib. de Autiq. ' Cal. Rot. Pat., 0'4 h. His seal is Leg. Ixii. et seq. attached to the Baron's letter. ' Excerpta e Rot. Finium ii., p. 498. "^ Moraut, i. ^iO!).