of the conquest, I have remarked of the Hyltons, one as I said before was slain at Feversham, one in Normandy, one at Metz in France, three in the Holy wars under Richard I, one in the same under Edward I., three at the battle of Bourdeaux under the Black Prince, one at Agincourt, two at Berwick against the Scots, two at the battle of St. Albany, five at Market Bosworth, four at Flodden field, besides more, that my papers do not extend to.

I am, &c., &c.

Chelsea, January 14th, 1740.

The Family of Wilton.

ARMS.-Argent, two bars azure. CREST, Moses's head, horned or radiated. Supporters, two lions rampant azure. Motto, Tant que je puis.

VERY ancient house has its fabulous age, and the Hiltons are not without their Williams and Adams who are said to have flourished under Saxon Athelstanes and Edwys: their Lancelots, who died at Hastings or Feversham in 1066, and their Henry, whom the Conqueror gifted with broad lands on the Wear, which were by a much clearer title, viz. possession, in the tenure of Romanus, the Knight of Hilton, the genuine Homo propositus of the family. This Romanus made an agreement with the prior and convent of St. Cuthbert that he should have his own officiating chaplain in his chapel of Hilton in 1157. He held three knight's fees in 1166, and he was probably by no means the first settler, as his lands were held of "antient feofment."

He was succeeded by Alexander de Hilton, expressly named as a baron of the bishopric in the charters of bishop Hugh Pudsey-he made a convention with the prior of Durham confirming the conditions of Romanus relative to the chapel of Hilton, in 1172, and was living in 1180.

His successor was William de Hilton, baron of the bishopric, who married Benet daughter and heir of Germanus Tyson. (From this William the succession is regularly deduced from father to son, down to the last baron Hilton.) William died before 1208.

His son Alexander was under age in 1208. He was lord of Swine

and Swinstead in the county of York, and gave nine oxgangs of land to the prioress of Swine in 1242.

His son Robert de Hilton, lord of Hilton, of Hazand, Newton on the Moore, Shiplyngbotel, &c. in Northumberland, and of Swine in Yorkshire, which he settled on his youngest son William, 16th Edw. I. He presented to Hilton chapel in 1254 and was living in 1266. He married Joane daughter of William Britton, of the county of Essex, and left three sons, Robert, Alexander and William. Robert de Hilton, presumed to have been his eldest son, was frequently summoned to parliament in the reign of Edward I. He married Margaret daughter and co-heir of Marmaduke Thwenge, and left two daughters and co-heirs, Isabel, who married Walter de Pedwarden, and Maude, who married John Hotham, of Scarboro. Alexander son of Robert de Hilton (first named) continued the line of the Hiltons of the bishoprick. His wife Elizabeth had dower in 1303. William de Hilton his brother, to whom his father gave Swyne and Swynestead on his marriage in 1288, with Maude daughter of Roger Lascelles, continued the line of the Hiltons of Swyne, whose descendant, Galfrid de Hilton, was living in 1475, then aged 15.

Robert de Hilton, baron of Hilton, son of Alexander, was living in 1322, when he granted his chaplain the passage of Bovisferry, &c., in exchange for a "chalder" of wheat and an annual rent-the chaplain being bound to provide a good boat, and to pray for the good estate of his patron.

His son Alexander de Hilton, Chivaler, lord of Hilton; served in the wars against Scotland with Ralph lord Neville (7th Ed. III.), and was summoned to parliament in 1332 and 1335 (and in his descendants the barony must still be vested). He died in 1361: by his first wife he had Robert de Hilton, his son and successor; his second wife was Maude daughter and co-heir of Richard de Emildon, who remarried Richard Acton, mayor of Newcastle.

Robert de Hilton, Chivaler, (son of Alexander) was 21 years of age in 1360, and died in 1376. He married Eleanor daughter and co-heir of sir William Felton, Chivaler, sister and co-heir of the whole blood to sir William Felton.

His son William Hilton, was heir to his mother and co-heir of sir William Felton; he was of full age in 1377. By his first wife Joan (Bidik) he left three sons and one daughter, his second wife was Dionysia daughter of sir Robert Hilton of Swyne, who had dower 13 Sep. 1436, and died in 1437. In 1417, William had remaining in pledge with the prior of Durham, for 58 shillings, a basin and ewer of silver, with the arms of the lord of Hilton. He died 25 May,

His son and heir sir Robert Hilton, lord of Hilton, was 50 years of age in 1435; by his first wife Maude daughter of Roger lord Clifford, he had no issue, by his second, Isabel, who was living in 1441, he had a son William, and a daughter Matilda, who died unmarried,* and by his third wife, Elizabeth, successively widow of Bartram Monboucher, and of Thomas Holden, he had no issue. He had a brother William, and a brother Alexander who was executor to his father, and a sister Margaret, who married sir Ralph Bulmer of Witton castle. Sir William, only son of sir Robert, married Mary daughter and co-heir of sir William Stapylton of Westmoreland, by Margaret daughter and heir of ... Vipont... He died 13 Oct. 1457, leaving

two sons, William his successor, and Ralph, said to have been captain of Dunbar, and three daughters, Eleanor, who married Owen lord Ogle and afterwards George Percy; Elizabeth, who married sir Robert Claxton of Horden; and Anne who married.. Whitfield of Whitfield.

Sir William, son of sir William, was about 6 years of age in 1457, he married Margery daughter of sir William Bowes of Streatlam, by Maude, daughter of William lord Fitzhugh, by whom he had a son sir William, who, on the 16th July in the year 1515, borrowed of the prior of Durham a banner, a standard with the coat armour of the full and whole arms of the Hiltons, which was his father's (and possibly in pledge), which banner he promised to restore to the mon

* To whom, Maud, Lady Bowes, leaves one romance boke in 1420.

This match brought into the family a considerable accession of property as well as a very honourable descent in blood, and the Hiltons constantly bore in their shield ever after, the arms of Vipont, or, six annulets gules.

astery when his "besynes" should be "conveniently doon," evidently intending to go to the battle of Flodden, in a condition worthy of a descendant of the house of Hilton, with his father's banner waving over his head. He entailed his estates in 1526 and died before 1537, having married Sybill daughter of Thomas, son and heir of George lord Lumley, and left two sons, Thomas and William, and one daughter, Anne, who was the first wife of sir Ralph Hedworth.

IR Thomas, the eldest son, took part in the rising of the "Pilgrimage of Grace" in 1536, and joined the men of the bishoprick in resisting the king's encroachments on the "antient faith." The banner of St. Cuthbert was unfurled and carried to Pomfret castle, which surrendered to Robert Aske, the "great Captain" and leader of the pilgrimage. Sir Thomas was also appointed one of the delegates to meet the duke of Norfolk at Doncaster, (on his return from court,) to hear the king's answer to the remonstrance of the commons assembled in Yorkshire. He was afterwards directed by the king to make a return of all those within the bishoprick, whose lands or profits exceeded £40 per annum, so that they should "dispose themselves to take the order of knighthood" to which honour it appears they felt very little inclination. He was governor of Tinmouth castle under Philip and Mary, and in a letter from the privy council (27 Sep. 1558,) it is stated that he had detained a ship from Flanders, laden with salt, and that he takes "such wares out of the shippes as passeth by him towards Newcastle as he thinketh mete," and he is directed to forbear to "meddle with ship's from Countries in amity with the Queen." He married four wives,, but died without issue, of a malignant fever;* his will is dated 8 Nov. 1558, and proved in 1561 he desires burial in the chapel of Hilton.

He was succeeded by his brother William, who was upwards of 50 years of age in 1561, he lived sometime at Biddick, and married Margaret, daughter of Sir James Metcalfe, by whom he had a numerous issue of sons and daughters, of whom Anne married John Baxter of Newcastle, Margery married Richard Vavasour, Elizabeth married Marmaduke Thirkeld, Dorothy married Robert Dalton, and afterwards Michael Constable of North Biddick, Eleanor married John Horsley, and Sibilla died unmarried. Of his sons, Ralph was

• William Bulleyn in 1562, declares in his "bulwarke of defence against all sickness" (1579) that William Hilton caused him to be arraigned before the duke of Norfolk, on a charge of murdering his brother sir Thomas, (most probably from want of skill,) and that though he was acquitted of the crime so laid to his charge, he was afterwards imprisoned for debt at the suit of the said William Hilton.

living in 1581, Roger and Edward were living in 1566, and Robert, of Butterwicke, who made his will 19th Sept, 1581.

His son, sir William, succeeded his father: during the rebellion of the earls, he adhered heartily to the queen, and was knighted by the earl of Sussex at Carlisle, 28th of August 1570, and lent the queen £50 on her privy seal. He died in 1600, leaving by Anne, daughter of sir John Yorke of Gowlthwayte, co. York, four sons and two daughters, viz., Thomas, his successor, Sirack, who was baptised, 25 Nov. 1576, at St. Nicholas, Newcastle; he was of Oriel College, Oxford. Richard, baptised 13 April 1578, Richard Barnes, bishop of Durham being his sponsor, Henry of South Shields, (of whom hereafter) his daughter Anne married Wilfred Lee of Isell, and Catherine married Reginald Whitfield, and afterwards...... Hallywell.

Thomas, his eldest son, married Anne daughter of sir George Bowes of Streatlam, (the gallant defender of Barnard Castle).

He

died in his father's lifetime; his will is dated 14th Feb. 1597, then "weake in bodye by long sicknes," he leaves his lease of Farneton hall, which he took of the queen, to his sons Francis, Matthew, and John, and the rectory of Bishop-Wearmouth to his eldest son Henry. He died shortly afterwards leaving eight sons, Henry, George, Robert, Matthew, Francis, William, John and Thomas, and two daughters. Jane, who married sir Ralph Delaval, and Mary who married Robert Brandling of the Felling.