Historical and genealogical memoirs of the House of Hamilton

26 MEMOIRS OF THE DE BELLOMONTS,
introductory Burton, in his History of Leicestershire, states, that in his time* the
NOTICES OF J
the family, arms of these Hamiltons were emblazoned on the principal window of
""the church of St Mary de Castro in the city of Leicester, being placed
next to the coat of arms of the Earls of Leicester, and having the name of
Hamilton below the shield, to denote to whom it belonged.
This very strong fact, that their coat of arms, so very similar, was
placed in immediate conjunction with that of the Earls of Leicester, in a
church founded! by those Earls, is almost decisive of the connexion be-
tween the two families, t
quam per petitionem et indortiamentum ejusdem, una cum brevibus missis ad ban-
cum commune et bancum regis : Ideo preceptum est vicecomiti, quod venire faciat
predictum Rad'um : Qui venit, et dicit quod breve, per quod venit hie, non concordat
cum indortiamento petitionis, neque declaratio sua concordat cum placito priori, per
quod recuperavit versus prsedictos Alexandrum et Joh'em : Et inde petit judicium.*
The Abbey held ten acres of land in Hamilton, for which they paid scutage at the
rate of 3|d.
From certain lands in Thorpe and Hamilton, part of which abutted on the garden
of Richard, the son of Gerard Hamilton, and other parts super Blye and super Bro-
dale, the said Gerard paid a free rent to the Abbot of lOd. They had from him a
farther free rent of 3s. the gift of Wallis, the son of William Herbert of Barkby, and
of 4s. the proper gift of Gerard.
They had also a free rent of 7s. 6d. from Richard Wylloby, who held under the
Abbot in capite, with homage and service, escheats, &c.
In 1346, Roger de Willoughby held the fourth part of a knight's fee in Barkby
and Hamilton, of the fees of Ros and Huntingdon.
" This manor came afterwards to Thomas Keble, serjeant-at-law in the reign of
King Henry VII; and is now (1641,) the inheritance of Henry, son of Ferdinando
Sacheverell, of the Old Hays, f
" The site of the old manor-house of Hamilton is now entirely green grass field ; not
a stone seen peeping out of the sward ; but, from the inequality of the ground, and the
vestiges of the different indentations or intrenchments, there are evident indications
of its having been a family residence in ancient times.
" There is at present only a single house in the Lordship, which is inhabited by a
shepherd."
* Burton's work is printed in 1623. His MS. History of the same, of date 1642,
is preserved in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh.
+ The church was endowed by Robert de Bellomonte, the first Earl, in 1107. —
Vide Nicholls, vol. i. fol. 303.
% Burton, fol. 166, describes thus : — " In St Mary's church, these arms : —
* Placita de termino Hillarii, 17 Edw. III. Rot. 74, coram Domino Rege, In receptu Scaccarii, anno 134-1.
t Burton MS.