I happen to have at hand a copy of the Grant
of Arms to Sir John of East Harptree, Somerset, in 1567 in which, on the authority of the heralds of the day, arg. on a chevron az. 3 garbs or, are granted to him in the first quarter as the arms of Robert Cradock alias Newton. The Judge seems to have been the first of the family who dropped the name of Cradock. His forefathers, for several generations (from Howel ap Grononye, who was Lord of Newton, in Rouse or Trenewith, in Poursland), went by the name of Cradog Dom. de Newton.
Robert Cradock, mentioned in the Grant I have quoted, married Margaret Sherborne. He was the Judge's great-great-grandfather. Sir John Newton, to whom the grant was made, lies buried at East Harptree; and on his tomb may be seen (besides his effigies as large as life) the twelve quarterings in their original (?) blazoning, impaled with those of his wife, one of the Pointz family. The same arms (of Newton) are still discernible on a beautifully wrought, though now much mutilated shield, over one of the doors of Barres Court, at East Hanham, in Bitton, Gloucestershire, where Newton also had a residence, where John Leland on his itinerary visited him, and says (Itin. vol. vii. p. 87.) "his very propre name is Caradoc," &c. This property Newton inherited as a descendant from the De Bittons or Button (through Hampton), a family of great note in their day, and residents on the site of Barres Court, a "fayr manner place of stone," which evidently took its name from Sir John Barre, who married Joan, the relict of Robert Greyndon, and daughter of Thomas Roug by Catherine, who was the last heiress of that branch of De Bittons—(she died 1485, and is buried with her first husband at Newlond). Of the same family were the three bishops of that name, in the reigns of the early Edwards; one of which, Thomas, Bishop of Exeter in 1299, was the pious founder of a chantry chapel adjoining Bitton Church, over the bodies of his father and another, who were buried there; the building itself is quite an architectural gem. The said bishop must also have resided there, for in 1287, when Dean of Wells, the Lord of the Manor of that part of Bitton where his estate lay, impounded some of his cattle, and had a trial thereon at Gloucester, as appears by a Placite Roll of that date.
I send you a copy of the Grant of Arms, as it may be interesting, to publish—besides, it is a reply to the latter part of S.A.Y.'s Query. It is copied from the Ashmol. MSS. No. 834. p. 34.
Of the Newtons of Yorkshire I know nothing; but if S.A.Y. wishes to question me further, I shall be happy to receive his communication under his own proper sign-manual.
In Nichols' Leicestershire, vol. iv. pt. 2. p. 807., is a pedigree of Cradock bearing the same arms, and it is there laid down that Howel ap Gronow was slain by the French in 1096, and buried at Llandilo Vawr; also that the Judge was called Newton from his birth-place. (It is in Montgomeryshire, I believe.) Matthew Cradock, who lies in Swansea Church, bore different arms.
"To all and singular as well nobles and gentills as others to whom these presents shall come, we, Sir Gilbert Dethicke, knight, alias Garter, principall kinge of armes for the Order of the Garter, Robte. Cooke, alias Clarenciault, kinge of armes of the south, William Flower alias Norroy, kinge of armes of the northe, and all others the hereauldes of armes send humble commendacion and gretinge: that whereas we being required by Sir John Newton, of Richmond Castill, in the countie of Somersett, knight, to make serche for the ancient armes descendinge to him from his ancetors [sic], at whose requeste we, the said kinges and hereauldes of armes have not only made diligent serche in our regesters, but also therewithall perused diverse of his ancient evidence and other monumentes, whereuppon we doe fynd that the said Sir John Newton, knight, maye beare twelve severall cotes, that is to say, the armes of Robte. Cradocke alias Newton, the armes of Robte. Sherborne, the arms of Steven Angle, the armes of Steven Pirot, the armes of John Harvie, the armes of Sir John Sheder, knight, the armes of Richard Hampton, the armes of Sir John Bitton, knight, the armes of Sir Matthewe Ffurneault, knight, the armes of Walter Cawdecot, the armes of Sir Aunsell Corney, knight, and the armes of Sir Henry Harterie, knight. All which armes doth plainlie appere depicted in the Margent; and for that the said Sir John Newton is yncertaine of any creaste which he ought to beare by his owne proper name, he therefore hath also required vs, the said kings and hereauldes of armes, to assigne and confirme vnto him and his posteritie for ever, the creaste of Sir Auncell Corney, knight, which Sir Auncell Corney, as it doth appere by divers ancient evidence and other monuments of the said Sir John Newton, was at the winnynge of Acom with Kinge Richard the First, where he toke prisoner a kinge of the Mores: and farther, the said Sir John Newton, knight, hath made goode proofe for the bearinge of the same creaste, that the heires male of the said Sir Auncell Corney is extingueshed, and the heires generall do only remaine in him. In consideracion whereof wee, the said kinges and herehauldes of arms, do give, confirme, and grant vnto the said Sir John Newton and his posteritie for ever, the said creaste of Sir Auncell Corney, knight, that is to say, vppon his helme on a torce silver and asure, a kinge of the Mores armed in male, crowned gold, knelinge vpon his left knee rendring vppe his sworde, as more plainly aperith depicted in this Margent, to have and to horold the said creast to him and his posteretie, with there due difference to vse, beare, and show in shelde, cote armour, or otherwise, for ever, at his or their libertie and pleasure, without impediment, let, or interruption of any parson or parsons. In witnesse whereof we, the said hinges and hereauldes of arms, have caused these letters to be made patentes, and set herevnto our common seale of corporation, given at the office of arms in London, the twelvethe of December, and in the tenthe yeare of the reigne of our sovereign ladie Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queene of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faithe," &c.
H.T. ELLACOMBE.
Clyst St George, Nov. 4. 1850.
Cradock—I should like to know whether the MSS. of Randle Holme, of Chester, 1670, which afterwards were penes Dr. Latham, are still accessible? Nichols refers to them as his authority for Cradock's pedigree, as laid down in his Leicestershire (vol. iv. part ii. p. 807.).