and sacrist of Wolverhampton aforesaid, at the time of making the said Act of Parliament, or at any other time, to them or to any of them belonging or accepted, reputed or taken as part, parcel, or member thereof. And that the dean of Windsor for the time being, should have the collation and donation, of all the prebends of Wolverhampton aforesaid; and should enjoy all manors, lands, tenements, hereditaments and privileges thereto belonging, and which did belong to the deanery, and first prebend of Wolverhampton, before the making of the said Act of Parliament, in the first year of the late king Edw. VI. And that the said prebendaries and their successors, and every of them, should separately or otherwise hold and enjoy all those lands, tenements, tithes, oblations, pensions, and heriditaments, which did belong to them, before the making of the said Act of Parliament; as their predecessors separately or otherwise, held and enjoyed the same. And she did therein, and thereby also, remit and release unto the said dean, prebendaries and sacrist, and to their successor for ever, the first fruits of the said deanery, prebend, and offices of Wolverhampton, and of their manors, lands, and tenements then due, and then after to be due; and also all tenths granted by any Act of Parliament, as by the said several letters patent will appear.

L.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE ESCAPE OF KING CHARLES II.

AFTER THE BATTLE OF WORCESTER.

THE particulars of this event are thus noticed in a little work, published in the year of the Restoration, under the name of Boscobel. "As soon as it was day, Mr. Whitgreave sent William Walker with Lord Wilmot's horses to his neighbour, Col. John Lane of Bentley near Walsal, south east from Moseley, about four miles, (whom Mr. Whitgreave knew to be a right honest gentleman, and ready to contribute any assistance to so charitable a work,) and wished Walker to acquaint the Colonel that they belonged to some eminent person about the king, whom he could better secure than the horses. The Colonel willingly receives them, and sends word to Mr. Whitgreave, to meet him that night in a close not far from Moseley, in order to the tender of farther service, to the owner of the horses, whose name neither the Colonel nor Mr. Whitgreave then knew.

Col. Lane, having secured my Lord's horses, and being come to Moseley according to appointment of Friday night, was brought up to my Lord, by Mr. Whitgreave, and, after mutual salutation, acquainted him that his sister Mrs. Jane Lane had by accident, procured a pass from some commander of the rebels, for herself and a man to go to Bristol, to see her sister, then near her time of lying in; and freely offered, if his Lordship thought fit, he might make use of it, which my Lord seemed inclinable to accept; and on Saturday night was conducted by Col. Lane's man (himself not being well) to the Colonel's house at Bentley. His Lordship then, and not before, discovered his name to Mr. Whitgreave, and giving him many thanks for so great a kindness in so imminent a danger.

After many narrow escapes, his Majesty was safely conveyed to Bentley, by Col. Lane. He stayed there but a short time, but took the opportunity of Mrs. Jane's pass, and rode before her to Bristow, the Lord Wilmot attending, for the most part at a distance. In all which journey Mrs. Lane performed the part of a most faithful, and prudent servant to his Majesty, shewing her observance, when any opportunity would allow it; and at other times acting her part in the disguise with much discretion."

After the Restoration his Majesty, conferred several high honours and emoluments on the family of Lane, as appears by the following documents; and in the warmth of gratitude for the preservation of his life, offered him

the privilege of interment in the royal cemetery at Westminster; which the Colonel modestly declined, and was buried in Wolverhampton church.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, WEDNESDAY, 19 DECEMBER, 1660,

Resolved, That as a mark of respect to Mrs. Lane, and in testimony of the high value of her services, in being instrumental to the preservation and security of the person of his royal Majesty, there be conferred on the said Mrs, Lane, the sum of £1000, to buy her a jewel; and that the same be, and hereby stands charged on the arrears of the grand excise, and paid to her, or her assigns, in course, after the other sums are satisfied which are charged on the grand excise, by former orders of this Parliament. And the commissioners of the excise, for the time being, are hereby impowered and required to satisfy and pay the same accordingly. And this order, together with the acquitance of the said Mrs. Lane, or her assigns, testifying the receipt thereof, shall be to the commissioners of excise, a sufficient warrant and discharge."

CHARLES R. To our right trusty and right well-beloved cousin and counsellor, Henry Earl of Peterborow, deputy to our right trusty and to our right well-beloved cousin, Henry, Earl of Norwich, Earl Marshall of England, greeting:-We, calling to mind the great and signal service performed to us by John Lane, of Bentley, in the county of Stafford, deceased, in his ready concurring to the preservation of our royal person after the battle of Worcester; at which time contemning the threatnings published by the murtherers of our royal father, against any one who should conceal or assist us, and disdaining the rewards proposed to such as should be instrumental in the discovery and destruction of our person; and not valuing any hazard his family might run; with the duty of an unspotted allegiance, did by his great prudence and fidelity so conduct us, that we were able at length to retire to places of safety beyond the seas; have therefore, of our free will, and proper motion, given and granted unto the descendants lawfully issued from the body of the said John Lane, this honourable remuneration, as a notable mark or badge of his constant fidelity; that is to say, henceforth, they shall bear in augmentation to their paternal arms, three lyons passant guardant or in a canton Gu. And our will and pleasure is, that you do require and command our servants, the kings and officers of arms, to marshall and set up in all proper places and upon all occasions, the paternal arms of the said John Lane with the augmentation aforesaid. And that you also direct and require the register of our college of arms to cause this our concession to be duly entered upon record in our said college. Given under our royal signet and sign manual, this 12th day of July, anno 1677, and in the 29th year of our reign.

It should appear also that certain pensions were granted, which were probably not very regularly paid; and produced a petition which is thus noticed in the journals of the House of Commons:

Sabbati 20 Julii, 1689. A petition of the Lady Jane Lane, now Fisher, and of Thomas Lane, Esq. was read, setting forth, that his late Majesty King Charles II. for the services done by them and their families to the crown, was pleased to grant to the petitioner, the lady, a pension of £1000 per annum, for life; and to the petitioner, Thomas, a pension of £500 per annum, for life also; and praying, that in the bill which is now passing, concerning their Majesty's revenue, the said yearly payment may be preserved to them.

Ordered, that the said petition be referred to the consideration of the committee of the whole house, to whom the bill for settling the revenue is referred."

M.

THE FOLLOWING AGREEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTING ADMIRAL LEVESON'S MONUMENT, drawn up by the artist himself, has been copied by Shaw from the original at Trentham.

"ACCORD et March. fait entre Mons. le Chevalier Leveson, et Hubert le Sueur, Sculteur du Roy, selon ce qui s'ensuit.

Sçavoir est une figure de bronze d'environ six pieds et trois pouces de haut arme jusques au jenovil, sur un pedestal de marbre noir de sixe pieds et demy de long et cinq pieds et demy de haut, et de spesseur deux pieds et demy, avec deux planches de cuiure, dore pour les inscriptions selon le modelle, et sur la dite planches ou inscription deux petits enfans de bronze de deux pieds de long, tenant ou suportant les armes du feu Sir Rich. Leveson, et de leur autre main tiendront l'un une bussolle de mer, et une anchre de l'autre, moyennant le pris et somme de trois cens lievres sterlin monnoye d'Angleterre en trois paymens, sçavoir est cent livers aussi tost le present accorde signè et un autre cent livers le premier jour de May prochain, et les derniers cent livers apres que le dit tombeau sera portè et place dans l'Eglise principalle de Wolverhampton, en Staffordshire. Le tout fait et accorde entre les deux dites parties ce premier jour de Juillet, 1633. En tesmoin des dits subsignes, et le tout doit estre fait et achevè le 18 jour de Jnillet; 1634.

INDEX