Biography of Henry Ellis 1777-1869
On 29 Nov 1777 Henry Ellis was born.
In May 1811 Henry Ellis (age 33) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
In 1814 Henry Ellis (age 36) was appointed Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of London. During his forty year tenure he only missed two meetings.
Archaeologia Volume 25 Section VI. Proclamation of Henry the Eighth on his Marriage with Queen Anne Boleyn; in the possession of the Corporation of Norwich: Communicated by Hudson Gurney, Esg. V.P., in a Letter to Henry Ellis (age 54), Esq., F.R.S., Secretary.
Read 29th March, 1832.
Keswick, January 21, 1832.
Archaeologia Volume 29 Section X. THE last few years have been productive of much new research in the history of the reign of Edward the Fourth. Sir Henry Ellis (age 62), in his "Original Letters illustrative of English History," laid the foundation of a series of documents, which was followed by some articles in the "Excerpta Historica," by Mr. W. H. Black, and more recently has been considerably augmented by the publication of an anonymous history under the able editorship of Mr. Bruce, and another contemporary chronicle published by the Camden Society. To furnish a few additional facts on a period of history, the obscurity of which has been admitted by every writera, has been my object in the present paper; and I place the results of my researches before the notice of the Society of Antiquaries, under the conviction that its members form the only body in Europe able to judge whether the materials here brought together are valuable additions to this portion of our country's history.
Note a. See also a letter from Thomas Hearne to Mr. West, in MS. Lansd. 778, fol. 42, r°, on this subject.
Archaeologia Volume 32 Section X. Letter from the Viscount Mahon (age 41), President, FRS. &c. &c., to Sir Henry Ellis (age 68) K.H. Secretary upon the wish expressed to his Lordship by Prince Alexander Labanoff to obtain the opinion of the best English Antiquaries respecting the alleged Residence of Mary Queen of Scots at Hardwick Hall [Map].
Read 14 May 1846.
My dear Sir Henry
Grosvenor Place, May 11. 1846.
In a letter dated St Petersburg the 15th of March last, which I have received fron Prine Alexander Labanoff, the accomplished editor of the "Correspondence of Queen Mary of Scots," he expresses anxiety to ascertain the opinion of the best English antiquaries respecting the alleged residence of that princess at Hardwick Hall [Map], as is well known, the property of the Duke of Devonshire. He states, that in 1839 some doubts were expressed to him by le savant Dr. Hunter (age 63), meaning I conclude, our esteemed brother-member of the Society of Antiquaries the Rev. Joseph Hunter (age 63), whether in reality Queen Mary had ever been at Hardwick [Map]. At the time when those doubts were expressed to him Prince Labanoff did not concur in them; but, on a further comparison of dates and consideration of circumstances, he has become convinced that those doubts are perfectly well founded. "After long research," says he, "I am bound to acknowledge that no trace exists of any visit of Mary Stuart to Hardwick Hall [Map]: on the contrary, her correspondence appears to prove that she never was at that place."
Considering the interest which is raised by every particular in the life of Queen Mary of Scots, and the minuteness of the local traditions which assert her residence at Hardwick [Map] and point to traces of her stay, I think that the question thus brought before us by Prince Labanoff is by no means undeserving the attention and research of any British antiquary conversant in the history of that period.
Believe me,
Ms dear Sir Henry,
Yours very sincerely,
MAHON, P. (age 41)
On 15 Jan 1869 Henry Ellis (age 91) died.
Tudor Letters. Ryght trusty and ryght welbeloved cousen. We grete you well. Adutising ye same that where yt hathe pleasyd (allmighty) God to call to his mercy out of this lyffe o[u]r deereste cousyne the Kinge yo[u]r late sou[vr]ayne L. By reason wherof And suche ordena[n]ce[s] as the sayd late Kinge dydd establishe in his lyffe tyme for the securyte and wellthe of this Realme, we are enteryd into o[u]r rightfull possesyo[n] of this kingdo[m] as by the (laste wyll1 of o[u]r sayd derest cosen o[u]r late p[ro]genytor and other) se[vr]uall instrume[n]te[s] to that affect, signed w[ith] his owne hande, and sealyd w[ith] the greate seale of England (this Realme2) in his owne p[re]sence. And the same beinge allso subscribyd w[ith] the handes of the mooste p[ar]te of the nobles of o[u]r Realme. (Where unto the nobles of this Realme for the most p[ar]te, And all o[u]r Councell & Judges w[i]t[h] the mayor and alldermen of o[u]r cytty of London, and dy[vr]us other greate officeres of this o[u]r Realme of England, have allso subscribed theyr names,) as by the same wyll & instrume[n]t yt may more evydently (& playnly) apere. We therfor do you to understand that by thordynaunce and sufferaunce of god, the the hevenly Lorde3. And by th'assent and consent of o[u]r sayde nobles. and councellors and others before specyfyed, We do this daye mak o[u]r entry into o[u]r tower of Londo[n] as Rightfull quene. of this Realme and have accordingly. sett forthe. o[u]r p[ro]clamat[i]o[n]s. to all o[u]r lovinge subiect[s] of the same. a (gyveinge theym therby to understand) theyr dutys of aledgeaunce w[hi]c[h] they now of Right owe unto us (as more amply by the same you shall brefly p[er]ceyve & understand) nothinge doubtinge Right trusty & Right welbelovid Cousen in yo[u]r aprovide fydelite and trust but yt you wyll indevour yo[u]r syiffe in all thing[s]. to the uttmoste of yo[u]r powre (nat only) to deffend and (o[u]r just title and possesyon but allso to) assyst us in o[u]r right full posessyon of this kingdome and t'extyrppe to disturbe, repell and resyste the fayned and (untrue) clayme of the lady Mary. basterd dought[er] to o[u]r sayde derest Cousen and progenitor great unckle Henry the eight of famous memory. Wherin as you shall do that w[hi]c[h] to yor honor truthe and duty apertayneth. so shall we rem[ember] [the] same. unto you and yo[u]rs. accordingly. Willing and requir' all. At o[u]r manor &c.
Indorsed by lord Burghley,
12 Julij 1553. first copy of a l're to be wrytte[n] fro[m] [th]ye lady Jane, wha she ca[me] to [th]ye Tower, writte[n] by [th]ye Duk of Northu[mber]la[nd].
Note 1. By inserting this passage the duke assumed the existence of a Last Will. So far as we know, there was no such document, other than the Letters Patent, to which we find several writers concurring in applying the term "Will". Northumberland probably thought it convenient to adopt that term, because the country was already familiar with the fact that the Last Will of Henry VIII had been legalised as limiting the succession. No doubt the Letters Patent were, almost from the first, spoken of as king Edward's Will, as Cranmer so wrote of them in his Apology to queen Mary.
Note 2. Here will be observed an attempt of the duke to give the great seal of "this Realme" an authority of its own, rather than merely its legitimate authority as testifying the will of the sovereign. This reliance upon the great seal was the very error which was fatal to him.
Note 3. This alteration of the name of "God" to "the heavenly Lorde," is not wholly undeserving of observation, because the latter expression was considered most acceptable to the Protestants. Bishop Gardiner, when examining a prisoner, is represented by Foxe as speaking contemptuously of such as had "the Lord" always in their mouths. In the letter as finally sent out, the expression was "the heavenly Lord and King."
Two copies of this letter, having the sign-manual of "Jane the quene" prefixed, are in existence:
Letter 1. In the Lansdowne MS. 1236. It is the Copy preserved by secretary Cecill, who has indorsed it subsequently with these fatal words, "Jana no[n] Regina." It is thus dated:
"Yeven under our signet at our Toure of London the xth of July the first year of our reign."
And thus directed, "To our right trustie and right welbeloved cousyn and counsellor the lorde marques of Northampton, lieutenante of our counties of Surrye, Northampton, Bedford, and Berkshire."
The only alteration from Northumberland's draft, excepting the slight variation of expression in allusion to the Deity already mentioned in a note, is the following addition, continuing the authority of the persons to whom it was addressed:
"And our further pleasure is that you shall continue, doo, and execute every thing and thinges as our lieutenant within all places, according to the tenor of the commission addressed unto you from our late cousyn king Edwarde the sixte, in such and lyke sort as if the same had been, as we mynde shortely it shall be, renueedd and by us confirmed under our great sesl to you."
This copy was edited by Sir Henry Ellis in the Archaeologia, vol. xviii. p. 269.
Letter 2. The other copy was certainly sent into the county of Surrey, and is preserved among the archives at Loseley House. The date is written by a different hand to the body of the document, and is the 11th not the 10th of July. The direction is thus, "To our right trusty and right welbeloved cousyn and counsellour the marques of Northampton, our lieutenant of our county of Surrey, and our trusty and welbeloved the deputies of that lieutenancye, and the sheriff and chief justices of peas and the worshypfull of that shire." From this copy the letter was printed in Ellis's Original Letters, First Series, ii. 183; in Nicolas's Memoir of Lady Jane Grey; and (somewhat less correctly) in Kempe's Loseley Manuscripts.
