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Robert Bertie, Earl of Lindsey, who fell a martyr to loyalty at the battle of Edgehill, in the time of Charles the First; the sixteenth year of his age, A. D. 1642. The other tablet records the virtues and exploits of his son H. S. E. Montacute, who in the royal cause accompanied his father; but survived the tempestuous period, dying the 25th of July, A. D. 1656, in the fifty-ninth year of his age. A mural tablet of white marble is sacred to the memory of Richard Bertie Earl of Lindsey, Lord Great Chamberlain of England, who attended James Duke of York, afterwards King James the Second, and Mareschall de Turenne, at the siege of Mouzan in 1653, and that of Landrecy, 1655. He commanded a troop of horse in Ireland, and served against the rebel Duke of Monmouth: he died a bachelor the 19th of January, A. D. 1686. On the south side of the chancel is a monument of white and varigated marble, with an inscription commemorative of Robert Lord Willoughby, who died May 9th, A. D. 1701. Opposite to this is a rich marble monument with a handsome entablature, supported by Corinthian columns, with an inscription, stating, that in a vault beneath lie the remains of Robert Bertie, created Duke of Ancaster and Ketseven by King George the First, and who by death quitted all earthly honours, July 26th, in the year 1728. This monument was executed by L. J. Scheemakers and H. Cheere. Against the same wall is a monument consisting of a pedestal of white marble, on which is the effigy of Peregrine the second Duke of Ancaster, in a Roman dress, reclining on an urn. On the front is an inscription purporting, that he died January 1, 1741, leaving four sons and three daughters. On the south side of the chancel is a very elegant white veined marble monument, executed by Harris of London, to the memory of Peregrine, third Duke of Ancaster and Ketseven, who died in the sixty-fifth year of his age, August 12th, 1778. It also records the memory of his son Robert, fourth Duke of Ancaster, who died the 8th of July 1779; only eleven months after he had succeeded to the titles and estate.

In the village of EDENHAM, is GRIMSTHORPE Castle, the seat of the Duke of Ancaster. The house is a large irregular structure, and appears to have been erected at different periods. The south-east tower is the frustrum of a pyramid, embattled at top, containing a winding stone stair case, which leads to a room having windows similar to those of many ancient castles; and was probably built as early as the time of Henry the Third. The principal part of the house was erected in the time of Henry the Eighth." The place of Grimesthorpe was no great thing afore the new building of the second court. Yet was all the old work of stone, and the gate-house was fair and strong, and the walls on each side of it embattled, there is also a great ditch about the bouse*." Grimsthorpe, Fuller calls an extempore structure, raised suddenly by Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk, to entertain King Henry the Eighth, in his progress through this part of the kingdom. The great hall was fitted up to receive a suit of hangings made of gobelin tapestry, which the duke came into possession of by his wife Mary, Queen of France. About that time the east, west, and south fronts were erected, which have embattled turrets at the angles. In the north-east tower is the kitchen, and the north-west tower contains a beautiful chapel. The ground-floor of the east front consists of offices, over which is the principal dining-room, ornamented with a collection of pictures, and fine portraits. The south and west fronts have numerous smaller The handsomest part of the building is the north frout, which was erected between the years 1722 and 1723, from a design, and under the direction of that celebrated architect, Sir John Vanbrugh, who, according to Sir Joshua Reynolds, displayed more imagination in his buildings than any other architect. This front consists of two lofty wings, balustraded at top, and a pinnacle at each corner.

rooms.

Elevations of the part of Grimsthorpe Castle, as designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, are published in "The Vitruvius Britannicus.”

This

Leland's Itin. Vol. I. fol. 26.

This magnificent structure stands in a fine park sixteen miles in circumference. On the north side of the castle is an avenue, which extends three quarters of a mile. To the south are the gardens and pleasure grounds. On the east side the view embraces the hamlet of Grimsthorpe, with the Lordship of Edenham; and on the west, a beautiful sloping lawn descends to two lakes, comprising about an hundred acres: beyond which a rising ground is terminated by a grove of forest trees.

In the park, about a mile from the present mansion, formerly stood a Cistertian abbey, founded by William Earl of Albemarle, about the year 1451. It was called, VALLIS DEI, and vulgarly Vaudy. Gilbert de Gamb was a great benefactor, and Ganfred de Brachecurt gave the whole of his estate at Brachcurt to it, upon condition that the monks should maintain him and his wife with two servants in all necessaries so long as they both should live; with the additional proviso, that they should have double allow

ance.

NESS WAPENTAKE contains the parishes of Barholm, Baston, Braceborough, Carlby, Deeping St. James, Deeping Market, Deeping West, Greatford, Langtoft, Stowe, Tallington, Thurlby, Uffington, Wilsthorpe, and the Town of Stamford. At the eastern end of this wapentake is

MARKET DEEPING,

A small market town, which derives its name from the situation. The land to the east of it is said to be relatively the lowest in the whole county. Ingulphus observes, that Deeping signifies a low meadow. He also states, that Richard de Rulos, Chamberlain to William the Conqueror, raised a lofty artificial bank to confine the waters of the river Welland, which before used frequently to over

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flow; and on this bank were erected a number of houses, which formed a large village. Of this place, however, an earlier notice appears on record; for Morcar de Bruen, a valiant soldier in the time of the Saxons, gave to the abbey of Croyland the manor of Deeping, cum 200 mansionibus et cotagiis 400,' et 2 ecclesiis *." This grant was confirmed by Beorred, King of Mercia, in a charter dated the eighth of the Kalends of August, A. D. 860. About ten years afterwards, Beorred seized the manor, with its appurtenances, and bestowed them on a person named Langfar, who was denominated, from the office he held, "Panetarius Regis."

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The town has a weekly market on Thursdays, and five annual fairs. The number of inhabitants returned under the late act was 803, occupying 172 houses.

At this place was born Dr. ROBERT TIGHE, who was edueated in the university of Oxford, was preferred to the living of All-Hallows, Barking, in London, and afterwards appointed Archdeacon of Middlesex. Being deemed an excellent linguist and divine, he was one of the persons employed to revise and correct the translation of the Bible. His name, however, is not in Fuller's Catalogue of Translators.

At DEEPING ST. JAMES was a small chapel, erected by the monks of Croyland Abbey, for disseminating the gospel: Richard de Rulos converted it into a parish church. Here was founded a priory of Benedictine monks by Baldwin Wac, or Wake, in the year 1139, and given to the church and abbey of Thorney by his grandson, Baldwin, to be held free from all secular service, with the reservation of only two marks per annum, payable to the church of St. Guthlac, out of the lands belonging to the prior of St. James, in Deeping.

To the east of this village extends a large tract of marsh land, called Deeping Fen, which is described in the following terms by Mr. Ward, who was clerk to the trustees for inclosing this district.

* Ingulph. Hist. p. 4.91.

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