Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 4.djvu/301

DESPENSER 283 VI. 1604. 1- Dame Mary Fane became, by patent 25 May (1604)2 Jac. I, j«o>r^ BARONESS LE DESPENSER, the abeyance of this Barony, to which she was a coh., being at that date terminated in her favour and confirmed to her with such pre-eminence as Hugh le Despenser, Justiciar of England, sum. to Pari. 24 Dec. (1264) 49 Hen. Ill, had enjoyed; such confirmation being made at the same time as that on which the Barony of Abergavenny, which she claimed as heir general, was confirmed to the heir male. See fuller particulars under Aber- gavenny. This lady was da. and sole h. of Henry (Neville), Lord Aber- gavenny, by Frances, da. of Thomas (Manners), Earl of Rltland, and was b. 25 Mar. 1554. She m., as 2nd wife, 12 Dec. 1574, at Birling, Kent, Sir Thomas Fane, of Badsell in that co., s. and h. of George F. of the same, by Joan, da. of William Waller. He, who had been involved inWyatt's rebellion, was knighted 20 Aug. 1573 at Dover, d. 13 Mar. 1588/9, and was bur. at Tudeley (his body being removed to Mereworth), Kent. M.l. Will dat. 12 Mar. 1588/9, pr. 10 Feb. 1590/1. Inq. p. m. 15 Apr. 1589. She inherited Mereworth and other estates at the death of her father, 10 Mar. 1586/7, shortly after which she began her claim to the Barony of Abergavenny, and was rewarded (in lieu thereof) with the Barony of le Despenser, to which (as well as to the Barony of Burghersh) she was coh., being da. and h. of Henry, s. and h. of George, s. and h. of George, Lords Abergavenny, which last George was s. and h. of Edward (Neville), Lord Abergavenny, as mentioned above. (") She d. 28, and was bur. 29 June 1626, at Mereworth, aged 72. Will dat. 18 May 1625, pr. 11 May 1629. Vn. 1626. 4. Francis (Fane), Earl of Westmorland and Baron Burghersh, s. and h., sue. on the death of his mother as Lord le Despenser, having previously, 29 Dec. 1624, been cr. BARON BURGHERSH and EARL OF WESTMORLAND-^) He d. 23 Mar. 1628/9, aged 45. For fuller particulars see Westmor- land, Earldom of, cr. 1624. husband, Richard, Earl of Worcester; but, had it not been for the operation of the attainder of Thomas, 5th Baron Despenser, it would, according to modern doctrine, have devolved, on Isabel's death in 1440, upon her s. and h., Henry, Duke of Warwick. When the attainder was reversed, Anne, wife of Richard, Earl of Salis- bury, was the other coh. [i.e. Lord Abergavenny, from whom Lady Fane derived, was one, while the said Anne was the other coh.], and in all the circumstances it must probably be considered that the Barony of Despenser was forfeited in 1400; that it was revived and fell into abeyance in 1461; and that that abeyance was terminated in favour of the eldest coh., Mary, Lady Fane, in 1603" _recte 1604]. {Court hope). See, as to this case, Appendix H in this volume. (*) See tabular pedigree in vol. i, p. 41, suh Abergavenny. C') He was, after his mother's death, coh. (in her right) to the Barony of Burghersh {cr. by writ of 1330), and was, through his said mother, the representative of Edward (Neville), Lord Abergavenny, one of the numerous younger sons of Ralph (Neville), 1st Earl of Westmorland. These dignities were, of course, conferred in 1624 with the usual limitation to heirs ma/e of his body.