74 HISTORY OF BISHOP AUCKLAND. He was pardoned in March, 1572, at the suit of the Earl of Leicester, and died at Old Park in 1587. He seems to have had a large family, as there are other five christenings in the Registers of St. Andrew's, in addition to the one just quoted. 1579.— May 17tli.— Old Mrs. Claxtonn, of the Old Parke, buried. Surtees says — " The Claxtons, in all their branches, were zealously attached to the Nevilles ; and a portion, at least, of the possessions of the Old Park line seems to have been derived fix)m a direct gift of the Nevilles. The above-named Kobert is said to have lost all his possessions ; and even a lease of a fourth-part of Kicknell Grange, from the Bishop of Durham, for thirty-two years yet to come, at a yearly rent of £7 10a, was seized by the Sheriff; so that his son, Sir John Claxton, of Nettlesworth, inherited nothing but a name proverbial for affection to a noble and unfortunate family." The Claxtons of Old Park intermarried, and were descendants of the Menvills and Conyers, Lords of Horden. Surtees, in his " History of the County of Durham," voL L, page 27, gives a most curious letter^^ (" Litterae confraternitatis et Participationis Bonorum Spiritualium") from William, the Guardian of the Friary of Hartlepool, to Sir Eobert Claxton, of Horden, and his Lady, dated July 5th, 1479, of which the following is a translation : — To THE Yknerable Sik Eobebt Claxton, Knight, and to thb Lady Anne, his Consort. Brother William, the guardian and servant of the friars minors, of Hartlepool, greeting, and wishing that after the meritorious acts of this life, they may obtain a celestial kingdom. Forasmuch as the most holy father in Christ, Sijctus the fourth, by Divine Providence Pope, hath generously granted, in his apostolical benevolence to our brother and sisters, having sufDragan letters, that each of them may select for themselves a suitable confessor, who may absolve them, and each of them, from all and every crime, excess, and sin, in all cases reserved to the apostolical see, once only in this year, to wit from the fourth day of the month of April ; but in other years as often as it shall be necessary ; and enjoin salutary penance. And forasmuch as he hath, also, indulgently granted, by his apostolical letters, that the same, or any other confessor whom they have thought proper to choose, may be able to grant a plenary remission of all their sins when at the point of death. I, therefore, considering the devotion which, through reverence of Christ, ye have towards our order, Hincere, and accepting your good intentions, receive you as brother and sister, with the full su£&ag6s of my brethren through the tenour of these presents, in life as well as in death, that you may fully enjoy the abovo-mentioned apostolical privileges and favours, and the benefit of all spiritual blessings according to the form and effect of the same, to the salvation of your souls. Adding, nevertheless, out of especial favour, that after your death the exhibition of these present letters may be made in our chapter, that the same recommendation may be made for you which is there usually made for our deceased brethren. Farewell in Christ Jesus. Given in our chapter on the 5th day of the month of July, in the year of our Lord 1479. On the seal is inscribed — '-s. gabdiani fbatrum minorum de hebt." On the back is written — " May our Lord J". H. S. Christ, who gave to his disciples the power of binding and loosing, himself absolve thee. And by the authority of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and by the virtue of this bull and papal indulgence, and by the whole power of the Church, I absolve thee from all thy sins, confessed and uhconfessed, and those which thou wouldest wish to confess if they should occur to thy memory. And I grant thee a plenary absolution and remission as far as the keys of the Church extend in this part, so that thou mayest be absolved before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ, and mayest have eternal life, and mayest live for ever." A member of the Claxton family (William Claxton, of Wynyard, Esq.), about the year 1573, made considerable progress in collecting materials for a history of the County of Durham. He was, also, the friend of Stowe, and correspondent of Camden, and supplied them both with valuable materials for their several national works. He, also, in the year 1575, assisted the heralds (Flower and Glover), during their visitation, and nearly a third of the pedigrees then entered were registered during Glover's stay at Wynyard. In 1582, Mr Claxton, in a letter to Stowe, requests the return " of that symple peace of worke whych you have of myne concerning the Busshoprick," and adds that he has " so delt in his behalfe" that he has procured such " worthy and auncient records and monuments as are much fitter for his purpose." About the same time, we find him promising to send speedily "a trew and perfect note of Busshop
- A word of explanation may be neoessary to the gcmeral reader respecting the above letter, or, rather, "Plenary Indulgence^"
An indnlgence, according to the teaching of the Catholic Chorch, is not a paraon of actual sin. It teaches that there is a temporal panishment still due to sm even when a sinner has been absolved from tiie eternal panishment due to it ; and that this can be atoned for in this world by works of prayer, alms-deeds, or mortification. The above inaolgence was, no doabt, granted for some favour conferred by the Claxtons upon the Friars of Hartlepool. Digitized by Google
