Page:Sussex Archaeological Collections, volume 6.djvu/191

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MICHELHAM PRIORY.
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for the maintenance of himself and family; the residue to be applied in discharge of his debts, and the surplus (if any) paid over to him or his heirs. This he did, it is said, "because by reason of his great debts he was not able to travel about the sale of his lands for the satisfaction of his said debts, yet intended they should be paid as soon as they conveniently might."

In fulfilment of this trust, the above parties, on the 6th April, 1601 (43º Eliz.), sold the property to the Lord Treasurer Buckhurst, Cecilie his wife, and heirs, for the sum of £4700, and it has ever since continued with the Sackvilles.

For the long space of fifty-one years this manor formed part of the jointure of the Lady Anne Clifford, only child of George, third Earl of Cumberland, who "at the age of eleven years and five months [as his daughter records with affectionate particularity] was then lying in the house called Battell Abbey, in Sussex," when by the death of his father he succeeded to his title and estate. Devoting himself to a seafaring life he terminated a most adventurous career at the early age of forty-seven, and left Anne his sole heir. When very young she was married to Thomas Richard, third Earl of Dorset; and on the 1st July, 1623 (20º Jac. I), an indenture was made between them and certain other parties, to enable the earl and countess to levy a fine of the manor of Michelham Park Gate and advowsons, in order to secure the site of Lewes Priory and buildings "enclosed within the walls thereof," to the use of the said earl and his heirs; the rest (including Michelham) to the use of the earl, and (after his death) to the use of the countess for life as her jointure.

The earl died next year, leaving his widow in possession of Michelham. Anne entered a second time into wedlock, being united 3d June, 1630, to Philip Herbert, Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, who appears in the Court-rolls as Lord of this manor from that date till his death, in January, 1649-50. After this event, the countess, who lived in great state at her six hereditary castles of Brough, Brougham, Pendragon, Appleby, Barden, and Skipton, enjoyed, during her second widowhood, the manor of Michelham and its appendages, until she died at the advanced age of eighty-five, on the

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