guese goods on board;[1] and complaints on the subject were made to Henry VIII.[2]
To Lords Thomas and Edward Howard, the two sons of Thomas, Earl of Surrey, and subsequently second Duke of Norfolk, was apparently entrusted the duty of dealing with this piratical adventurer, According to the generally received account, they were assigned by the king two ships for the purpose; but Colliber,[3] though he does not say on what authority, states that these young noblemen fitted out two vessels at their own charges.[4] Lord Edward Howard, the younger of the two brothers, had been knighted for his bravery in the expedition against Kleve-Ravenstein, and, perhaps on account of the experience thus gained, was appointed senior officer.
The brothers fell in with Barton off the Goodwin, brought him to action, and, after a determined struggle, killed him, and captured his vessels.[5] The ballad has it that they sunk the pinnace with all on board, and took only the Lion; but the fact is that both vessels were added to the English navy.
The ballad mentions Barton's use of a whistle, probably to direct his men; and adds that Lord Edward Howard, or Sir Edward, as he is commonly called, received as part of his reward Sir Andrew's jewel and chain. Soon afterwards, on August 15th, 1512, Lord Edward[6] was made Lord High Admiral.[7] The account of his death, presently to be given, shows that as badge of his rank he wore a gold whistle, besides a chain of gold nobles about his neck; and it may well be that this whistle was the one which had been taken from Barton, and that the practice, long continued by Lord High Admirals, of wearing a whistle as their ensign of office, commemorated the defeat and death of the noted Scots seaman.
- ↑ Hall, f. 15; Buchanan, xiii. 424, 425; Leslie, 'De Reb. Gest. Scot.' viii. 355.
- ↑ Surrey, on hearing the complaints, remarked that "The Narrow Seas should not be so infested while he had estate enough to furnish a ship, or a son capable of commanding it." Lloyd's 'State Worthies,' 143.
- ↑ 'Columna Rostrata,' 49.
- ↑ Surrey's words quoted in the note above seem to indicate that he fitted out the vessels.
- ↑ Stowe, 489, says that the Lion struck to Lord Thomas. Herbert's 'Life of Henry VIII.' 7, says that both ships were brought into the Thames on August 2nd, 1511.
- ↑ Lord Edward Howard, second son of the Duke of Norfolk. He had served with Sir Edward Poynings in the expedition against Sluis in 1492. Henry VIII. made him his standard-bearer (Pat. 1 Hen. VIII. p. 1, m. 24). He fell in action, as will be seen. He had married Alice, daughter of William Lovel, Lord Morley.
- ↑ Pat. 4 Hen. VIII. p. 2.
