Archaeologia Volume 32 Section VI
Archaeologia Volume 32 Section VI is in Archaeologia Volume 32.
Observations on the Monumental Inscription to Richard Grey, Lord Grey de Wilton, in the Chapel of Eton College, Bucks. By Thomas William King, Rouge Dragon, F.S.A., in a Letter to William Bromet, M.D., F.S.A. Read 19th March, 1846.
College of Arms, 17th March, 1846.
My Dear Sir,
I Send you, according to promise, a few remarks on the interesting brass and inscription which you exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries at their last meeting, and am,
Yours very truly,
Thos. Wm. King, Rouge Dragon.
Here lyeth buried Richard Grey, Lord Grey Cotenore, Wylton, Ruthyn, and on of the heyrs apparant to Richard Erll of Kent, sone of Edmond Lord Grey, broder and heyre to George Lord Grey and Thomas Lord Grey, and hencheman to or Sov’aine Lord Kyng Henry the VIII. the whiche Richard decessed the xxviii. daye of October, in the yere of our lord, mccxxi.
Richard Lord Grey of Wilton, to whose memory the above memorial was placed in Eton College Chapel, died under age and without issue; but why he is called "one of the heyrs apparant to Richard Erll of Kent" can scarcely be accounted for, unless from their both having descended from John Lord Grey de Wilton, who died in the 17th year of King Edward the Second; the Earl of Kent having had, at the death of this Richard Lord Grey de Wilton, a half brother living, who succeeded him in the Earldom.
John Lord Grey de Wilton, above-mentioned, was the ancestor, by his first wife, Anne daughter of William Lord Ferrers of Groby, of the Lords Grey de Wilton; and by his second wife, Maud daughter of Ralph Basset, of the Lords Grey de Ruthyn, Earls of Kent.
It is equally inexplicable why Richard Lord Grey de Wilton is styled on this brass "Lord Grey Cotenore, Wylton, Ruthyn," as the Baronies of Grey of Codnor, Grey of Wilton, and Grey of Ruthyn, never merged in one individual. The Barony of Grey de Codnor fell into abeyance in 1496, among the aunts ( or their issue ) of Henry the last Lord Grey de Codnor. Had the barony of Grey de Codnor been a barony limited to the heirs male of the first baron, the Greys of Barton would have had a better claim than the Wilton line to the barony of Grey de Codnor, as the Greys of Barton were existing at the time of Richard's death. Again, the Greys of Codnor were more remotely connected with Richard, the subject of these remarks, than the Greys of Ruthyn, the Greys of Codnor being a much older branch, and descended from Richard Grey of Codnor, temp. Hen. III., who was the elder brother of Sir John Grey, Lord of the Manor of Eton, co. Bucks, and Justice of Chester, 31 Hen. III.; which John was a common ancestor of the Wilton and Ruthyn lines.
As the style of "Ruthyn " appears on the monument in question, it may be stated that John Lord Grey de Wilton, who died 17 Hen. VII. the grandfather of Richard, married Anne the daughter of Edmund Lord Grey de Ruthyn; but Richard's descent thus deduced from the Greys de Ruthyn could in no wise have entitled him to the designation of that barony.
As Richard Earl of Kent died about three years after the death of Richard Lord Grey de Wilton, from the expression of Richard's being "one of the heirs apparent" of the Earl, it is probable that this memorial was placed in Eton College Chapel soon afterwards; but whether by the insertion of the style "Lord Grey Cotenore, Wylton, Ruthyn," anything more was intended than simply to indicate his connec tions with the other ennobled branches of his ancient family, must be left to conjecture.
