Biography of Peter Le Neve 1661-1729
Before 21 Jan 1661 [his father] Francis Le Neve and [his mother] Avice Wright were married.
On 21 Jan 1661 Peter Le Neve was born to Francis Le Neve and Avice Wright.
In 1681 [his father] Francis Le Neve died.
On 07 Sep 1683 Hopton Williams 3rd Baronet (age 20) and Frances Williams were married. According to Peter Le Neve (age 22) Williams (age 20) proved not only a faithless but a violent husband, 'often reviling, abusing, beating and kicking her, and threatening to murder her'. A prolonged liaison in the early 1690s with a butcher's wife in Llangibby, while he was living nearby at Lau Cays in Usk, culminated in his separating from his wife, whom he placed in lodgings with their two children. After she had rejected an offer of £5 p.a. to make the separation permanent, he cut off all maintenance and abandoned her and the children to the 'charity' of her family and friends. He eventually removed to Westminster, where he lived as man and wife with one Anne Warner, another victim of his propensity for physical violence. By this time he had become, in his wife's words, 'one of the Queen's Life Guards'. A further improvement in his circumstances, namely succession to the Llangibby estate valued as being worth over £1,400 p.a. in about 1709, encouraged his wife to institute proceedings for divorce in the ecclesiastical courts. She, meanwhile, had returned to Usk and established herself in a house there, only for Williams to discover the fact and sell off all her furniture and household goods, leaving her once again destitute. Her process in the court of arches was inhibited when on 10 Nov. 1705 the newly elected Williams claimed a breach of parliamentary privilege, and although the committee of privileges never reported its adjudication, the divorce action lapsed, possibly in consequence of an out-of-court agreement.
On 17 Jan 1690 Peter Le Neve (age 28) was appointed Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary.
On 25 May 1704 Peter Le Neve (age 43) was appointed Norrey King of Arms.
From 1707 until 1721 Peter Le Neve (age 45) was Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary.
In 1718 Peter Le Neve (age 56) was elected President of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 05 Feb 1718. It ws proposed for the first time by Mr President Norroy (age 57) to engrave a drawing of Richard II's picture in Westminster Abbey taken by Mr Talmans (age 40) direction agreed to.
Mr George Holmes (age 56) is to do [?] to keep the books belonging to the Society till further order.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 26 Feb 1718. A petition was offered by Mr President (age 57) of Mr John Spoll[?], [?] seeking to be employed by the Society as a Messenger or transcriber of any English and Latin Papers, which was agreed to when there shall be occasion for any thing of that kind.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 07 May 1718. Bought by the Society the Portrait of Edwrd the Third for a Guinea which Mr Treasurer (age 35) is ordered to pay.
Mr Bostue had the Drawing of Richard II delivered to him by Mr Director (age 40) in order for engraving, for which he is to be paid Twenty Guineas. Mr Director [?] gives the use of the Drawing to the Society.
In order to defray the expenses, it is found necessary to raise a voluntary Subscription of Seven Shillings and Six Pence aa [?] of as many [?], for which they [?] the equivalent in prints of the same when finished.
Mr Vertue (age 34) gives the Copper Plate, he is to be paid five Guineas down, five guineas when half finished, and the rest uponm delivery.
In the margin: Pictures of Henry VII and Eliza: his wife
Bought by the Society of Dr Stukeley (age 30), Secretary, an old picture of Elizabeth wife of Harry VII for £12 0s 6d which Mr Tresurer is order to pay.
Bought by the Society an old picture of Henry VII for £1 0s 4d which Mr Treasurer (age 35) is ordered to pay to Mr Norroy (age 57).
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 14 May 1718. Mr Borkol [?] informed us his trees in Dean's Yard, Westminster were planted by Dr Feckenham last Abbot of Westminster.
Mr Gosling presented each Member with a print from his two Plates of Lord Bacon, for which thanks of the Society are returned to him, and Mr Director (age 40) is ordered to present him with a couple of prints of St James' Font in their names.
Mr President (age 57) exhibited a curious ancient deed, dated MCLXXVI [1426] 22:H:II being a Pacification between the Abbot of Canterbury and the men of the Isle of Thanet whereto are 124 witnesses cum pluribus alus[?] [with more]. Tis printed in the Dorom Scriptures into Chronica [?] p 1827. Edit 1652 but without the Witnesses.
The Secretary (age 30) read a letter which gives an Account of a fine font in Ely Cathedral [Map], vast numbers of beautiful and with other monuments there, some pretty ancient. Opposite the door of the North Cross Isle, the pictures of the Archbishop of York, the Earl of Northumberland, and [?] other Bps [Bishops] who held out the Town against William the Conq. They are very ancient and pretty entire.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 21 May 1718. Mr Alexander gave an account of an Ancient Gold Ring found at Bridewell [Map] in digging under a foundation tis a quarter of an inch broad enamelled.
Mr President (age 57) produced an old Parliament deed dated about MCCXX [1220] sealed with the seal of the Abby of Tame, whose Abbot is an Arbitrator in a Cause between the Abbot of St Nicholas of Biddlesden [Map] and the Abbot of Oseney where he observes tis the only instance of Cistercian Order (Great Admirers of the Virgin Mary) of which the Abbot of Biddlesden was being dedicate to any other Saints.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 12 Jun 1718. Mr Samuel Gale (age 35) presented to the Society a print of the Ground Plot and Prospect of Hull by Holler, for which their thanks and ordered to be returned to him.
He likewise brought a letter from the Reverend Dr Knight a Member of the Society containing an account of a large skeleton found near Chippenham, Cambs, with massey [?] chains and fetters, dug up near him and some penates dug up at Devizes.
Mr President (age 57) being obliged to be in the country for the summer season was pleased to propose for Vice-President during his absence, Mr George Holmes (age 56) which was unamimously approved of by the Society.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 11 Nov 1718. Mr Le Neve President (age 57) exhibited to the Society a drawing of of the West View of the Abbey Gates of St Bennetts in the Holme [Map] in Norfolk, another view of the East side of the same, a view of the Gatehouse of the Lord Scales Palace at Middleton.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 13 Nov 1718. Mr Norroy (age 57) brought us an old roll in Parchment of the Blazon of the Coats of Aarms of all the County of Norfolk in the time of Henry VII said to be done by the Botton[?] herald to Sir John Falstaff. An old deed upon parchment of Edward the Confessor, a piece of great antiquity. Its a donation of a Mannor [Manor] in Great Swell [Map] in Gloucestershire to the Abby of Evesham [Map]. Likewise two curious old books of seals of the nobility, with many ancient deeds, &c.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 26 Nov 1718. Mr Norroy (age 57) amongst many other curious old deeds with seals to them, brought us the original decree of the University of Bonomia [Note. This reference to 'Bonomia' is obscure. Possibly an earl name for Trinity College, Cambridge University [Map] which was founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII of England and Ireland] against the Popes Authority for dispensing with the Marriage of Henry VIII and Queen Catherine, with the seal to it, and likewise a transcript of the Doomsday Book for Surrey, in the original hand and method.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 10 Dec 1718. Mr Norroy (age 57) brought us an old deed of Isabella de Fortibus with a Seal, where her Arms are impaled with those of her husband very remarkably thus.
And Roger Gale (age 45) Esq brought an Inscription to be put upon the plate of Richard II with a very judicious disertation upon the date and painting of the same being in oil colours, for which he had the thanks of the Society.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 07 Jan 1719. The Society Balloted for the Officers for this Year ensuing and the present President (age 57), Secretary (age 31), Director (age 41), and Treasurer (age 36) were unanimously Elected and declared.
The Question being proposed wheather or no, any member should have liberty to subscribe for prints in a larger than common proportion, it by way of ballot carryed in the Negative.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 14 Jan 1719. It was proposed by Mr President (age 57) wheather every subscriber to the Plate of Richard II have each five prints, and by Ballot carried in the Affirmation, for their 7s:6d.
It was ordered that the Right Reverend Father in God the Bishop of Rochester & Dean of Westminster (age 55), for giving leave to take the Drawing be presented with two of the said prints, and that Mr Director (age 41) and Mr Treasurer (age 36) be desired to wait upon him on that Amount.
Mr Director (age 41) brought in a proof of an Etched Plate of a Roman Lamp, to be used as a Symbol or Ticket of the Society which he was pleased to make a present of to the Society for which their unanimous thanks were ordered to be given to him.
On 24 Sep 1729 Peter Le Neve (age 68) died.