next year succeeding his nephew William Verney, Esq. in his estate in Warwickshire, was, in the first year of James II. returned one of the knights for that county, to the parliament then called; and was knighted on April 1st, 1685, on his presenting an address to his Majesty from the said county. He was also chosen one of the knights for Warwickshire, in the first parliament called by King William and Queen Mary.

And being a descendant, through the heiress of Greville, from Robert Willoughby, BARON OF BROKE, as before is mentioned, he laid claim to that title, which was allowed him in parliament, February 13th, 1695, and accordingly, on the 25th of that month, having had SUMMONS TO THE HOUSE OF PEERS, took his place, February 27th, as the ancient Barons of Broke had it. k

He lived to a very great age, being born on January 28th, 1621, and died on July 18th, 1711; having seen many changes in government in his time: for, being born in the reign of James I. he survived not only the usurpation that ensued, but five Princes, his descendants and successors in the throne, dying in the reign of the late Queen Anne. He was buried in his own chapel at Compton-Verney in Warwickshire, in a vault there built for himself and family.

His Lordship married two wives; first, Mary, daughter to Sir John Prettyman, of Lodington in the county of Leicester, Knight and Bart. by whom he had issue three sons,

John, George, and Thomas.

And a daughter Mary, married to Samuel Davenport, of Calverley, in the county of Chester, Esq.

And by his second wife, Frances, daughter of Thomas Dove, of Upton, in the county of Northampton, Esq. had a son named Richard, who died a bachelor, June 23d, 1698, about the age of twenty-one.

And a daughter, Diana, wife of Sir Charles Shuckburgh, of Shuckburgh in the county of Warwick, Bart.

Of the sons by his first wife, Thomas, the youngest, born A. D. 1676, was bred a merchant, and died in Portugal, unmarried.

i Journal Dom. Procer.

The case is reported at length in Collins's Proceedings on Baronies by Writ, p. 321, and is very curious, as having settled much of the doctrine, by which cases of this class have been since regulated. See also a good epitome of it in Cruise on Dignities, p. 162.

JOHN, the eldest, 1 was seated at Alexton in Leicestershire; he was elected one of the knights for Leicestershire in four parliaments, viz. in the 10th and 12th of William, and 1st and 4th of Queen Anne; and having married Christian, daughter and heir of ....... Breton, of Norton near Daventry in the county of Northampton, Esq. had issue by her two sons, viz. John, who died at the age of fifteen years; and Greville, who died when he was sixteen; and departing this life, October 31st, was buried at Compton on November 7th, 1707, in his father's life-time, without surviving issue; George, his next brother, succeeding his father in the honour and estate, which

GEORGE, FOURTH LORD WILLOUGHBY DE BROKE, born A. D. 1674, was fellow of New College in Oxford, and doctor of divinity. On December 20th, 1701, he was installed canon of Windsor, and A. D. 1713, he was installed dean of Windsor, and was register of the most noble Order of the Garter, dean of Wolverhampton, and one of the society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts.

His Lordship departed this life on December 26th, 1728, and was buried at Compton Verney. He married Margaret, daughter and heir to Sir John Heath, of Brastede in Kent, Knight, and heir, by her mother, to Sir John Mennes, Knight, and by her grandmother, to the Earl of Carrick, in Scotland; and by her, who died on October 18th, 1729, had issue four sons;

First, George, born October 13th, 1689, and dying on March 16th, 1698, was buried at Brasted; second, Thomas; third, Richard; and, fourth, John; and a daughter, Margaret, wife of Anthony Duncomb, of Barford in com. Wilts, Esq.

Of which sons, JOHN, the youngest, was appointed, July 19th, 1727, one of the King's council; and on May 13th, 1729, was made ATTORNEY-GENERAL to her late Majesty, Queen Caroline. He was a member in the eighth parliament for Downton in com. Wilts; also vice president of the corporation of the sons of the clergy, and one of his Majesty's justices for South Wales; which, by reason of his ill state of health, he resigned A. D. 1732. In December, 1733, he was appointed CHIEF JUSTICE OF CHESTER, and on October 7th, 1738, MASTERP OF THE ROLLS, also was sworn of the privy-council, October 12th following; and died August 5th, 1741. He married Abigail, only daughter to Edward Harley, of Eyewood in com. Hereford, Esq. one of the auditors of the imprest, and by her, who died June 10th, 1760, be had a son, John Peyto, born in 1738, now Lord Willoughby de Broke; and a daughter, Margaret, born August 27th, 1726, died November 14th, 1733, and was buried at Brasted in Kent, where a monument is erected to her memory.

THOMAS, the eldest son, married Eleanor, youngest daughter to Thomas, Lord Leigh, of Stonleigh in com. Warw. and died of the small-pox in May, 1710, in his father's lifetime, without issue male; leaving his Lady big with child of a daughter, named Eleanor, married to George Bowes, Esq. but who died without issue.

Whereupon RICHARD, his brother, succeeded his father as FIFTH LORD WILLOUGHBY DE BROKE, and took to wife Margaret, daughter of Mr. Nehemiah Walker, of the county of Monmouth, by whom he had issue one son, GEORGE, who died an infant. And his Lordship deceasing on August 11th, 1752, was succeeded in the honour by his nephew,

JOHN PEYTO VERNEY, son of his brother John, before-mentioned, now LORD WILLOUGHBY DE BROKE, born August 4th, 1738.

On October 8th, 1761, his Lordship married Lady Louisa North, daughter of Francis, Earl of Guilford, and by her, who died February 2d, 1798, he has had six sons and four daughters. First, John Peyto Verney, born June 28th, 1762.

Second, George Peyto Verney, born June 25th, 1763, died an infant.

Third, Louisa Verney, born January 25th, 1765, died an infant.

Fourth, Sarah Verney, born May 31st, 1767, died December 22d following.

Fifth, Louisa, born June 20th, 1769, married, October 31st, 1793, the Rev. Robert Barnard, prebendary of Winchester. Sixth, Maria Verney, born July 24th, 1771, died young. Seventh, Francis Peyto Verney, born May 13th, 1772, died an infant.

Eighth, Henry Verney, born April 5th, 1773.

Ninth, William Verney, born September 16th, 1774, died November 4th, 1783; and,

Tenth, Francis Verney, born May 22d, 1777; died December, 1778.

Eleventh, Henrietta, born June 16th, 1778, died in February,

1784.

His Lordship is a lord of the bed-chamber to the King, and

LL. D.

Title. John Peyto Verney, Baron Willoughby de Broke. Creations. Baron Willoughby de Broke, com. Wilts, allowed in parliament by a resolution upon the question, February 13th, 1695, 8 Will. III. by descent; and thereupon summoned by writ, dated the 25th of the said month. Originally August 12th, 1492, 7 Henry VII.

Arms. Gules, three crosses recercele, or, a chief vaire, ermine and ermines.

Crest. On a wreath, the bust of a man couped and affronte, proper, ducally crowned, or.

Supporters. Two antelopes, argent, spotted gules, armed, crested, and unguled, or.

Motto. VERTUE VAUNCETH.

Chief Seats. At Compton-Murdac and Chesterton, both in the county of Warwick.

BARONY OF CHANDOS.

On the insertion of the following article, the Editor has had great hesitation. It would be idle to assert that his judgment on the matter is unbiassed. But as no one can with justice call upon him to admit that the title is extinct, though it be suspended, the Editor throws himself on the candour of every ingenuous and honourable mind to acquit him of any charge of disrespect or impertinent matter, for taking this opportunity of continuing the brief, though imperfect, memorials of a family connected in blood with so large a portion of the old nobility. He will not presume to give it in the same form as the text of his book : it shall stand rather in the shape of a note. Nor will he suffer himself in any part of it to be betrayed into the utterance of any opinion, or inference of his own. Not a word shall be hinted of the merits of the claim, which claim shall form a very short part of the present article: it being rather intended to elucidate and correct some of the numerous deficiencies and errors which the former editions of Collins contained on the subject of the elder branches of this family, lest these amendments, if not now preserved, should fade from the Editor's memory, or be lost among his scattered papers for ever.

As to either assertion, or argument on any disputed point of this nature, the Editor has suffered too much from the conduct of others to give a solemn sanction here by his own example for extrajudicial discussions on a sulject, which ought only to be agitated before a proper tribunal, where the sacred guard of oaths and the due application of those rules of legal evidence which have grown out of the experience of ages, can be opposed to the ignorance, the folly, or caprice of private conjecture, or the still more dangerous injustice of