1520. Specially chosen to represent Middlesex-his brother, Sir Robert Lovell, being chosen for Norfolk; at the meeting between Henry VIII. and Francis I. Also elected to attend the "Field of the Cloth of Gold."

He was elected K.G. evidently before May, 1503; he is registered as No. 253, but I can find no actual record of this particular "scrutiny." After his election he was a very regular attendant at all the Chapters of the Order. Ralph Nevil, Earl of Westmorland, was elected in his place when he died.

Sir Thomas purchased the Harling manors and advowson of Sir Edmund Bedingfield, Knight, and built East Harling Hall, which stood till the beginning of the 19th century. Mr. C. B. Goldson of Blo' Norton possesses a water-colour painting of the old house, which by his kind permission has been reproduced. The building is Tudor. The tower is massive, and is the chief feature in the picture. On it Sir Thomas placed his arms and a bronze relief of himself surrounded with the Garter, by the celebrated Pietro Torrigiano. Fortunately this fine medallion has come to light again in recent years, and is now safely housed in Henry VII.'s Chapel in Westminster Abbey. After the Hall was pulled down, when such relics were not much accounted of, it passed into the hands of Mr. Angerstein of Weeting, and was sold at the sale there. Sir Charles Robinson obtained it, and after remaining a little time in the National Portrait Gallery, it was presented by him to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster.

Sir Thomas felt the burden of his age and pressure of business, we are told, the year before he died. He was an old man, and there is one point of which we must not lose sight: it is, that he achieved the

almost unique record of having not only advised the two Kings in all matters of State and Court diplomacy, but of actually having sat on most of the Inquisitions held upon the illustrious offenders of his time, who, one and all, lost their lives in the Tower, while he, himself, died full of years, still trusted, blessed with great worldly wealth, and, strange to say, "with his head on his shoulders." 1

His will is a very lengthy document; but I will cite that he directs that "two prestes be established in his chapel where he is buried to praye for the souls of King Kenry VII., 'the soules of me, my wyfe, my father, my mother, etc.'

"To every of the four orders of freres as wel within

the Citie of London as Norwich, Lynne, Cambrige,
Oxforth, the blak and gray freres of Thetforde, to
everithe of them, I give and bequethe 40.

"To the Crossed freres in London, 40.

"To the freres Observants' of Grenewich and Richmonde, 4.

"To the Nonnes of the Myneres without Algate of

London, 20.

"To the Nonnes of Cheshunt, fyve pounds.

of Marham, Co. Norfolk, tenne poundes.
of Shuldham, do., tenne poundes.

of Blakeborne, do., tenne poundes.

"To the Churche of Endefelde, tenne poundes.

of Shordiche, 40°.

of Estharlyng, tenne poundes.

of Alhalowes in Bychamwell, fyve pounds.

"And to the three other Churches there, that is to say Saint John's, our Lady Churche, and St Botulphes in Shyngham, to every of them, five poundes.

1 For a description of his funeral see Appendix I.

1

"To either of the Universities of Oxforth and Cambrige, twenty poundes.

"To Gonwill Hall in Cambrige, tenne poundes.

"Item: for suche pour people as shalbe at my Enterement as men and women to whom I have willed to be geven to eche of them 4d I doo esteme them to the nombre of eight thousande: and I doo in likewise esteme the childern to like nombre of eighte thousande-to whom I have willed to eche childe 24 which by my estymacion wull amount to that nombre whiche is in money two hundred poundes." He leaves to his "cosyn ffrauncis Lovell" a very good slice of his large estate; and he mentions "John Lovell" and "Edward Lovell" as brothers to his "said cosyn ffrauncis Lovell."

After his death, Inquisitions were taken in the following Counties:-Southampton, Sussex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Lincoln, York, Cambridge, Rutland, and Kent. They are mostly very long, but I have made a full translation of each. The one taken in Middlesex speaks, inter alia, of the "Manors of Worceters and Elsynge in Endefeld," and the "Manor-place of Elsynges in which the said Thomas used to dwell."

The Inquisition taken in Norfolk, 31st October, 16 Hen. VIII. [1524], before Christopher Harman, Esquire, Escheator, tells us, among other things, that "the Manor of Estharlyng is held of Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, as of his Manor of Lopham, by service and rent of 12d per ann., and is worth per ann. 201i. "The Manor of Bricham' is held of Nicholas, Bishop of Ely, in right of his bishopric, at a rent of 13s 4d per ann., and it is worth per ann. 4 marks. "The Manor of Knettyshale is held of John, Abbot of

1 C. Ing. P.M., 16 Hen. VIII., ser. ii., vol. xli., No. 62.