The Gunpowder Plot and Lord Mounteagle's Letter Part 31

SUPPLEMENTUM III.

THOMAS WARD.

It is probable that diligent search among the Cecil and Walsingham papers will shed more light on Thomas Ward (or Warde) than I have been able hitherto to gain.

The probabilities are, as has been already indicated, that Thomas Ward was a younger son of Marmaduke Ward, of Newby, and Susannay, his wife. That Marmaduke Ward's elder son was Marmaduke Ward (who married Ursula Wright, and afterwards, in all likelihood, Elizabeth Sympson), the father of that extraordinary woman, Mary Ward.

I opine that Thomas Ward attached himself to the Court party of Queen Elizabeth, through the Council of the North, established by Henry VIII.

after the defeat of the first Pilgrimage of Grace (1536).

Thomas Ward was just the sort of man (_me judice_) that Queen Elizabeth would affect. Moreover, I find that a Captain John Ward was on the side of the Crown on the occasion of the second Pilgrimage of Grace, commonly called the Rising of the North, or the Earls' Rebellion (1569).

Therefore, through the influence of a man like Sir Ralph Sadler, who was a distinguished Privy Councillor of the Queen in the northern parts, a Yorks.h.i.+re gentleman, such as a Ward, of Mulwith, Newby, and Givendale, would have no difficulty in obtaining an _entree_ at Elizabeth's Court, who, as is well known, was, from a certain English conservative instinct probably, favourably inclined to those Catholics whose leaning was towards the easy side of things.[A]

[Footnote A: See "_Sir Ralph Sadler's Papers_," Ed. by Sir Walter Scott.

It is observable that although the Nortons and the Markenfields were for the Earls, yet members of the following Yorks.h.i.+re Catholic Families (many of them kinsmen of the Wards) were for the Queen, who was not then excommunicated:--The Eures, the Mallories, the Inglebies, the Constables, the Tempests, the Fairfaxes, the Cholmeleys, the Ellerkers, and the Wilstroppes.

For these Families and their alliances see the "_Visitations of Yorks.h.i.+re_," by Glover, Ed. by Foster; and by Flower, Ed. by Norcliffe.

Also "_Dugdale_" (Surtees).]

Now, if Thomas Ward became a member of Elizabeth's diplomatic service under Sir Francis Walsingham, the inevitable question arises: Can Thomas Ward (or Warde) have always maintained a conscience void of offence, or did he sometimes stoop to compliances which were unworthy of his principles and name?

At present I cannot say, yet I am constrained to allow that the following two pieces of evidence afford curious reading and suggest many possibilities:--

HATFIELD MSS.--Part VI., p. 96.

Thomas Morgan to Mary Queen of Scots.

1585, Mar. 30./Ap. 9. Informs her of his apprehension at the request of the Earl of Derby. Mr. Ward's negotiation to procure his being delivered up into England. Requires her support. Lord Paget's money taken in his (Morgan's) lodging. Efforts of Charles Paget and Thomas Throgmorton in his behalf.

[It is to be recollected that this said Thomas Morgan was a Catholic of a sort, who had been in the service of Archbishop Young, of York. Hence, a Ward, of Ripon and York, was the very man the subtle Walsingham would employ to negotiate a delicate matter requiring an accurate knowledge of Morgan's intellectual and moral characteristics; for Ward most likely had known Morgan at York.]

Thirteen years later we find the name "Ward" again in the "_Hatfield MSS._"

HATFIELD MSS.--Part VIII., p. 295.

1598 Aug. 4. Steven Rodwey to secretary Cecil for permission to go to Italy to go over to accompany M^{r} Paget into Italy.

"The disgrace with your Honour I suspect to proceed, either of Lord Cobham's disfavour at another man's suit, which I have not deserved; or by the suggestion of _Ward_ M^{r} Paget's, solicitor, because I refused to carry his[A] letters that was so lately "jested" with high treason, and might father all the faults I am charged with."

[Footnote A: Whose letters? Paget's or Ward's?]

[Who or what Mr. Steven Rodwey was, one can only surmise. Possibly he was a spy, who had been doing more business on his own account than on account of his master. Hence, his disgrace with "his Honour."

Charles Paget, a younger brother of Lord Paget, and his friend, Thomas Morgan, figure in all histories of Mary Queen of Scots; also in "_Cardinal Allen's Memorials_," Ed. by the late Dr. Knox (Nutt), there are some interesting particulars about these two men, Charles Paget and Thomas Morgan. They were hostile to Father Parsons and Parsons' Spanish faction among the English papists.]

But here, for the present, we must take our leave of Thomas Ward, excepting to say that it is possible that he may be the same as the Thomas Ward (or Warde) who is mentioned several times in the "_Household Books of Lord William Howard_," as his agent for the Howard-Dacre, Yorks.h.i.+re, Durham, and Westmoreland estates.[A]--See Note to p. 231 _ante_.

[Footnote A: The Rev. A. S. Brooke, M.A., the Rector of Slingsby, informs me that his parish registers begin only in 1687. The late Captain Ward, R.N., of Slingsby Hall, who lies in Slingsby Churchyard, perhaps may have had some family tradition bearing on the point. It is certainly remarkable that there should have been Wards, Rectors of Slingsby, from the time of James I., and long afterwards. It suggests that Thomas Ward, the agent of Lord William Howard, may have either married again after 1590, and had a family; or else that some of the Wards, of Durham, or others that had conformed to the Established Church received this ecclesiastical preferment at the instance of Thomas Ward. Valentine Kitchingman, Esquire, the grandson of Captain Ward, and owner of Slingsby Hall, has, however, no such tradition. (I am told through the Rector of Slingsby, September, 1901.)]

The Right Honourable Charles James Howard ninth Earl of Carlisle, in the course of two most gracious replies to letters of mine, informs me that, although he has caused search to be made at Naworth and Castle Howard, he has not been able to find any particulars concerning Thomas Ward (or Warde) beyond what are mentioned in the "_Household Books of Lord William Howard_" (Surtees Soc.); and that probably, owing to the fire at Hinderskelfe Castle, after the time of Thomas Ward, letters or papers containing possible reference to him may have been destroyed.

Lastly; I beg to bring before my readers the following doc.u.ment from the Record Office, which makes mention of the name Ward; but whether or not that of Thomas Ward, of Mulwith, in the Parish of Ripon, I cannot say:--

STATE PAPERS DOMESTIC--ELIZ., Vol. ccx.x.xviii., 126 I.

A. D. 1591.

Obiections against one Fletcher vicar of Clarkenwell for the permission of these maters followinge

Fyrst at conveniente tymes of receivinge the holye communion at which time he is to give warninge to all his paris.h.i.+oners for his privat comoditye he excepteth sume particuler persones whose names are under written and of them taketh money.

M^{r} Wardes[A] Two daughters.

M^{r} Gerrat his wiffe a watinge mayde called M^{ris} Marye and a man called Anthenie recevinge of him for theire absence divers somes of money and in my knowledge at Easter was Twoo yeares the some of xx^{s} in goulde.

M^{r} Saunders and his Two Sonnes certen unknowne money.

Besides M^{ris} Gerrat being delivered of a doughter aboute Twoe yeares since he did forbeare to cristen yt beinge bribed with a peece of money ye Chillde being Cristned in the house, by a priest and she churched by th'

afforsaide preist being knowne to this Fletcher.

[Footnote A: What Mr. Warde can this have been? Not Thomas Ward (or Warde), of Mulwith, I think. For the presumption is that he had no children, for none are registered at Ripon Minster; and Thomas Ward was more likely to have his children christened by a Protestant minister than was his brother, Marmaduke; for the former evidently a.s.sociated with Protestants much more than the latter. Moreover, in 1591 any daughters that Thomas Warde had can have been only about nine or ten years of age.

His wife died the previous year, 1590. (Still it may have been.)]

Norris and Watson persevantes have been divers times latly in ye closse and Norris hath receved in ye way of borrowinge of sume V^{s} of others more. But Watson by vertue of a comission from my L. of Cant. hath latly serched Gerates house and M^{r} Wardes where he found nothinge at all they being partly privie before of his cominge. But in M^{r} Wardes house theire did latly remayne hidden under ye higest place of ye stares within a nayled boarde divers bookes [not specified] pictures and other folishe serimonyes.

Orders amungst ye papistes for ye releyse aswell of prisoners as of ye porer sorte at libertye.

Yt is an order amungst ye papistes for ye releyse of prisoners aswell Jesuytes as Laymen that there be a generall colleccion which beginneth at ye L. Mountegue and so by degree to ye meaner sorte for ye maytenance of three prisones in London, viz. the Klinke, the Marshallseas and Newgate which cesseth not tyll ye some of a hundred and ffyftye poundes be gathered quarterly which somme is sente by some trustye messinger to London where yt is comitted to dyvers mens handes apoynted by the cheyfe and from them to ye foresayde prysones.

Yt is further ordered for ye porer sorte of them beinge at libertie to have theire dyett at several houses kepinge certen dayes for theyre repayre to evereye house with certen money allowed to everye one at ye wekes end And yf any recusante dye a piece of money is bequeathed to ye porest sorte to saye dirge for theire sowles for a xii moneth to be payde weklye both to men and women tyll this money be spente And thus they lyve untyll ye lyke comoditye fall agayne.

per me Robartum Weston.

(Endorsed) 20 April. Robert Weston.

[On p. 76 of Text, in Note 1 at foot of page, it is stated that the first Lord Mounteagle's mother was Lady Eleanor Neville, sister to Richard Neville, the King-maker. But I find that, under "Stanley," in Flower's "_Visitation of Yorks.h.i.+re_," Ed. by Norcliffe (Harleian Soc.), _the great grandfather_ of Edward Stanley first Lord Mounteagle, namely, Thomas Lord Stanley, is said to have married Eleanor, daughter to Richard Nevell Earl of Salisbury. _Their_ son is given as George Lord Stanley; _his_ son as Thomas Stanley first Earl of Derby; and _his_ son as Edward Stanley first Lord Mounteagle, who married Elizabeth Lady Grey, daughter of Sir Thomas Vaughan, and whose son was Thomas second Lord Mounteagle.

But the "_National Dictionary of Biography_" (under "Stanley Earl of Derby") says that Eleanor Countess of Derby (_nee_ Neville) was the _daughter_ of Warwick, the King-maker. So the "learned" must be left to determine the truth upon the point.

Again; on p. 160 of Text, in Note at foot of page, I have stated that the young Lord Vaux of Harrowden was a descendant of Sir Thomas More.

But I find that that strong-minded lady his mother, Elizabeth Dowager Lady Vaux of Harrowden, was _only distantly connected_ with Sir Thomas More.

For she was descended from _Christopher_ Roper, a younger brother of William Roper, who married Margaret More.

Hence, Christopher Roper is the ancestor of the Lords Teynham, of Kent, who, I believe, conformed to the Established Church after "1715," as did many old English papist families.]