The arms of the Duke of Rutland are—or, two bars, azure; augmented by a chief, quarterly, first and fourth azure, two fleurs-de-lis, or (France), second and third gules, a lion passant guardant, or (England). Crest, on a chapeau, gules, turned up, ermine, a peacock in pride, proper. Supporters, two unicorns, argent, horns, manes, tufts, and hoofs, or. Motto, “Pour y parvenir.” The ancient arms of Manners, before the augmentation, were, or, two bars, azure, and a chief, gules.
Belvoir Castle, as it now stands, is an erection of the present century, built upon Norman foundations. As we have already stated, the first castle was built by Robert de Todeni, standard-bearer to William the Conqueror, and considerably extended by his successors. In 1461, or thereabouts, it was despoiled (on the attainder of its noble owner) by the Lord Hastings, to whom it had been granted by the King. “The timber of the roof, being” by him “despoiled of the lead with which it was covered, rotted away; and the soil between the walls at the last grew full of elders, in which state the castle remained till it was partially rebuilt by the first Earl of Rutland, and completed by the second.” On the dissolution of the monasteries, many of the monuments of the Albini and Ros families were, by order of the first Earl, and later, by his successor, removed from Belvoir Priory to Bottesford Church, and others were also brought to the same place from Croxton Abbey. He commenced the rebuilding of the castle, which was completed by his son in 1555, “making it a nobler structure than it was before.”
Belvoir Castle from the North-west.
In 1619 the singular trial of an old woman, named Joan Flower, of Belvoir, and her two daughters, Margaret and Philippa, for sorcery, and causing the deaths of the two sons of the Earl of Rutland, took place, and resulted in the execution of the two younger “witches,” the old “monstrous malicious woman,” or “devil incarnate,” as she was styled, having died as she was being taken to gaol; and the destruction of her cat, “Rutterkin.” The two sons, whose deaths were laid to the charge of these miserable victims of superstition, were Henry, Lord Ros, and Francis Manners, his brother, sons of Francis, sixth Earl of Rutland, by his second wife, Cecilia, daughter of Sir John Tufton, and widow of Sir Henry Hungerford. That Joan Flower, aided by her profligate daughters, did cause the deaths of the two children, and attempt the lives of the Earl and Countess, probably by poison, seems most probable, and they were justly punished. The following account of this singular transaction, printed in 1619, describes—
“Joan Flower as a monstrous woman, full of oaths, curses, and imprecations; and for any thing they saw by her, a plain atheist. Besides, of late days, her very countenance was estranged, her eyes very fiery and hollow, her speech fell and envious, her demeanour strange and exotic, and her conversation sequestered; so that the whole course of her life gave great suspicion that she was a notorious witch; yea, some of her neighbours dared to affirm that she dealt with familiar spirits, and terrified them all with curses and threatening of revenge, if there were never so little cause of displeasure and unkindness. Concerning Margaret, the daughter, that she often resorted from the castle to her mother, bringing such provision as they thought was unbefitting for a servant to purloin; and coming at such unseasonable hours that they could not but conjecture some mischief between them, and that their extraordinary riot and expenses tended both to rob the lady and to maintain certain deboist and base company, which frequented this Joan Flower’s house, the mother, and especially the youngest daughter. Concerning Philippa, that she was leudly transported with the love of one Thomas Simpson, who presumed to say that she had bewitched him, for he had no power to leave her, and was, as he supposed, marvellously altered both in mind and body, since her acquainted company. These complaints began many years before either their conviction or public apprehension. Notwithstanding, such was the honour of this earl and his lady; such was the cunning of this monstrous woman, in observation towards them; such was the subtlety of the devil, to bring his purposes to pass; such was the pleasure of God, to make trial of his servants; and such was the effect of a damnable woman’s wit and malicious envy, that all things were carried away in the smooth channel of liking and good entertainment, on every side, until the earl refused to give that credence to her, on some complaint preferred, which he had been accustomed to give; and the countess discovering in the daughter Margaret some indecencies of her life, and neglect of her business, discharged her from lying any more in the castle; dismissing her with handsome presents, but commanding her to go home. This inflamed the mother with hatred and rancour towards the earl, and his family.
“When the devil perceived the inficious disposition of this wretch, and that she, and her daughters, might easily be made instruments to enlarge his kingdom; and be, as it were, the executioners of his vengeance, not caring whether it lighted upon innocents, or no; he came more near unto them, and in plain terms, to come quickly to the purpose, offered them his service, and that in such a manner, as they might easily command what they pleased; for he would attend you in such pretty forms of dog, cat, or rat, that they should neither be terrified, nor any body else suspicious of the matter. Upon this, they agree, and (as it should seem) give away their souls to the service of such spirits, as he had promised them; which filthy conditions were ratified with abominable kisses, and an odious sacrifice of blood, not leaving out certain charms and conjurations, with which the devil deceived them, as though nothing could be done without ceremony, and a solemnity of orderly ratification. By this time doth sathan triumph, and goeth away satisfied to have caught such fish in the net of his illusions: by this time, are these women devils incarnate, and grow proud again in their cunning and artificial power, to do what mischief they listed. By this time, they have learnt the manner of incantations, spells, and charms. By this time, they kill what cattle they list; and under the cover of flattery and familiar entertainment, keep hidden the stinging serpent of malice, and a venomous inclination to mischief. By this time, is the earl and his family threatened, and must feel the burthen of a terrible tempest, which, by these women’s devilish devices, fell upon him; he neither suspecting nor understanding the same. By this time, both himself and his honourable countess, are many times subject to sickness and extraordinary convulsions; which they, taking as gentle corrections from the hand of God, submit with quietness to his mercy, and study nothing more than to glorify their Creator in heaven, and bear his crosses on earth.
“At last, as malice increased in these damnable women, so his family felt the smart of their revenge and inficious disposition; for his eldest son, Henry, Lord Rosse, sickened very strangely, and after awhile, died. His next, named Francis, Lord Rosse accordingly, was severely tormented by them, and most barbarously, and inhumanly tortured by a strange sickness. Not long after, the Lady Catherine was set upon by their dangerous and devilish practices; and many times in great danger of life, through extreme maladies and unusual fits, nay, (as it should seem, and they afterwards confessed) both the earl and his countess were brought into their snares, as they imagined, and indeed determined to keep them from having any more children. Oh unheard of wickedness and mischievous damnation! Notwithstanding all this, did the noble earl attend his majesty, both at Newmarket, before Christmas; and at Christmas, at Whitehall; bearing the loss of his children most nobly; and little suspecting that they had miscarried by witchcraft, or such like inventions of the devil; until it pleased God to discover the villanous practices of these women, and to command the devil from executing any further vengeance on innocents, but leave them to their shames, and the hands of justice, that they might not only be confounded for their villanous practices, but remain as a notorious example to all ages, of his judgment and fury. Thus were they apprehended, about Christmas, and carried to Lincoln gaol; after due examination, before sufficient justices of the peace, and discreet magistrates, who wondered at their audacious wickedness. But Joan Flower, the mother, before her conviction, (as they say,) called for bread and butter, and wished it might never go through her, if she were guilty of that whereupon she was examined; so, mumbling it in her mouth, never spake more words after; but fell down and died, as she was carried to Lincoln gaol, with a horrible excruciation of soul and body, and was buried at Ancaster.
“When the earl heard of their apprehension, he hasted down with his brother, Sir George, and sometimes examined them himself, and sometimes sending them to others; at last, left them to the trial of law, before the judges of assize at Lincoln; and so they were convicted of murder, and executed accordingly, about the eleventh of March, to the terror of all beholders as example of such dissolute and abominable creatures.”