Henry-Thomas de Newburg-John de Plessetis-William Mauduit.

Earl, was attached to the part of KING JOHN in all his contests with the Barons. He died 1229.

THOMAS DE NEWBURG, sixth Earl, died without issue, 1242, leaving MARGERY, his sister, heir to the Earldom, who was married to JOHN DE PLESSETIS, a Norman, and the distinguished favorite of HENRY III.

JOHN DE PLESSETIS took upon himself the title of Earl of Warwick, in right of his wife; and afterwards received from the King, the title of Comes Warwici. He died 1262, without issue. His Countess was beneficent; and other acts of charity, bestowed among the upon poor of Warwick, a Common Pasture, called Clay Pits, on the west side of the Town.

WILLIAM MAUDUIT, grandson of WALERAN, by his daughter ALICE, succeeded as the next heir to the Earldom. He was one of the adherents of HENRY III. in his wars with the Barons; and was surprized in his Castle at Warwick, by JOHN GIFFARD, Governor of Kenilworth Castle. The walls of his Castle were destroyed from tower to tower; himself and his Countess were carried prisoners to Kenilworth; and he was obliged to pay for his ransom 1900 marks. He died without issue 1267; leaving as heiress, ISABEL, his sister, who was married to WILLIAM DE BEAUCHAMP, Baron of Elmley, in Worcestershire.

III. Family of the Beauchamps.

Ar the time of the conquest, the Beauchamps were considered as one of the principal Norman Families. They received from their royal master, on his advancement to the

William-Guy-Thomas de Beauchamp.

English Throne, great addition of power and possession ; and still greater accrued to them from the marriage of WILLIAM, one of the family, to ISABEL, in her own right Countess of Warwick. It appears, however, that ISABEL had previously taken the monastic vow; and that neither she, nor her husband, according to the custom of the times, assumed the dignity to which they were entitled.

WILLIAM DE BEAUCHAMP, their eldest son, therefore, even in the lifetime of his parents, received the title of Earl of Warwick. He was greatly distinguished by the eminent services, which he rendered to his country, in various civil and military employments, for 26 years, in the reign of EDWARD I. He died 1298, and was buried in the Chapel of Worcester Cathedral, where his tomb still

remains.

GUY DE BEAUCHAMP, his eldest son, succeeded to the Earldom. At the battle of Falkirk he obtained high distinction, and received, for his reward, by royal grant, large possessions in Scotland. It was this Earl who seized the person of GAVESTON, the royal favourite, and caused him to be beheaded on Blacklow Hill. Though he afterwards obtained the King's pardon, he was never again received into favor. He died, as some say, by poison, 1315.

THOMAS DE BEAUCHAMP, his eldest son, besides other high and important offices, was created Sheriff of Warwickshire & Leicestershire for life, and Earl Marshal of England. He attended the king in his Scottish and French wars; and was one of the commanders under the BLACK PRINCE, who led the van of the English army in the

The second Thomas de Beauchamp.

celebrated battle of Cressy; and greatly distinguished himself, also, in the equally celebrated battle of Poictiers. He afterwards attended PRINCE EDWARD, in an expedition against the Infidels to the Holy Land. His ardor, however, for military achievements abroad, did not prevent his attention to the welfare of his own country, and particularly to the improvement of his paternal abode and his native town. He rebuilt the walls of the Castle, which in Earl Mauduit's time had been demolished; added strong gates; and fortified the entrance, with embattled towers. He founded, also, the choir of the Collegiate Church; built a Booth Hall, in the Market-place; and made the town toll-free. His last exploit was an expedition for the relief of the English army, reduced to the greatest difficulties before Calais; in which, he completely succeeded. But here his career of glory was suddenly arrested; and, by a fever, he was brought to the grave, 1370. His body was conveyed to his native town, and buried in the middle of the choir of St. Mary's, where his tomb still remains, with his effigy and that of his countess, who died before him, admirably executed in white marble. He had seven sons, and ten daughters, whose portraits were formerly to be seen in the windows on the south side of the chancel of the same church; but they have long since disappeared.

THOMAS DE BEAUCHAMP, the second son, in consequence of the previous death of his elder brother, GUY, succeeded as heir to the earldom. He was appointed by the Parliament, governor to RICHARD II. during his minority: and was ever after highly and honorably distinguished by a firm opposition to the unjust and impolitic measures of his unworthy favorites. Dismissed, with the rest of his great

The second Thomas—Richard de Beauchamp.

officers, from the court, when the young king assumed the government, the Earl of Warwick retired to his Castle; where he spent some years, occupied in building and other improvements, suited to the extent of his fortune and the liberality of his spirit. By him, the noble tower at the north-east corner was built, and called, in honor of the Saxon hero, Guy's Tower. By him, also, the body of St. Mary's Church, in 1314, was completed. But though peaceful and retired, occupied only in works of public utility; he was still an object of resentment to the king. The misguided monarch had already effected the death of his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester; and he now formed designs against the life of his late Governor. Invited to a royal feast, his person was seized; and, by a servile parliament, sentence of death was pronounced upon him. At the solicitation of the Earl of Salisbury, the sentence was afterwards changed, to that of forfeiture of title and estate, and banishment to the Isle of Man. Thence, however, he was soon brought to London, and committed a close prisoner to the Tower; where he remained till the Revolution, which placed HENRY IV. upon the throne, happily restored him to his liberty, and to all his lost rights. He died 1401, and was buried with his countess, in the south part of St. Mary's Church. Their monument was destroyed by the great fire; but their portraits, engraven on a brass plate, were recovered, and placed against the wall near the same spot.

RICHARD DE BEAUCHAMP, the only son and suecessor of the late Earl, was one of the most considerable personages of the age, in which he lived. He was made Knight of the Bath, at the coronation of HENRY IV; and was engaged in almost all the principal transactions

Henry de Beauchamp, Duke of Warwick, King of the Isle of Wight.

of his reign. In 1408, he visited the Holy Sepulchre, followed by a splendid retinue. Besides other honours, he was created Earl of Albemarle, expressly as a recompence for his bravery at the sieges of Caen, Rouen, and other places. In 1418, he successfully negociated a treaty of marriage, between HENRY V. and CATHERINE daughter of CHARLES VI. By the will of that prince, he was appointed governor to his infant son, HENRY VI.; and, on the death of the Duke of Bedford, was called to succeed him as Regent of France. He died at the Castle of Rouen, 1439; and, according to his directions, his body was brought over to England in a stone coffin, and placed before the altar in St. Mary's Chancel; till the chapel, begun by himself, should be completed, to which his remains were then to be removed, and where a stately monument was to be erected to his memory. All this was done by his executors; and the monument, finely executed, is still in good preservation. Amongst other acts of liberality, this nobleman rebuilt the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene at Guy's Cliff; established a Chantry there; and erected the statue of the famous Guy, which still remains.

HENRY DE BEAUCHAMP, the eldest son of RICHARD, at the age of 14, became Earl of Warwick; and soon obtained the highest place in the favor of the reigning monarch; who heaped upon him, with lavish hand, all the honors which royalty had to bestow. He was first created premier Earl of England; then DUKE of Warwick; and, finally, with unheard-of extravagance, was declared and crowned KING of the Isle of Wight. But all his honours could not secure him from an early grave. He died 1445, at the age of 22, in his Castle of Hanley,

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