Sir John Cheke (Vol. v., p. 200.).
—C. B. T. will find an account of Sir John Cheke in Harwood's Alumni Etonenses, under the head of "Provosts of King's College." I send also from an old MS. the following account; not being responsible for its accuracy, nor for the correctness of the references:
"Sir John Cheke put into the Provostship by Edward VI., April 1, 1548, though not qualified, as not of the Society, nor in orders. See his Life by Strype; Fuller, Hist. Camb., 119.; Burnet, ii. 115., who says that in consequence of the controversy with Gardiner about the Gr. Pronuntiation he was either put from the chair, or willingly left it. This was not the case. He did not quit it till sent for by the King, as appears from the Life of his successor, Nic. Carr, p. 59.; see, too, Wood Hist. and Antiq., lib. i. p. 26. His mother stood godmother to the child of a poor woman in Cambridge Gaol on suspicion of murder. (See Latimer's First Serm. p. 125., edit. 1635; Burnet, ii. 213.; Wood, Hist. and Antiq., I. ii. 251.; Burnet, ii. 51., and App. 150.; Fuller, 29. 127.; and Fox, Mart.; Burnet, ii. 155.; Burnet, ii. 8. 203.; Benefices conferred on Laymen, Walker's Attempt, ii. 68.; Wood, Athen., i. 111.) Burnet and Fuller's account of his retiring on the King's death do not agree. For his works see Bale, and his Life, by Dr. Gerard Langbaine, before a work of Cheke's, The True Subject to the Rebel, or the Hurt of Sedition: Oxon, 1641, 4to. Haddon wrote his epitaph. See Ascham's Letters: Oxon, 1703, p. 436., about his recantation. See Leland's Cygnea Cantio, 1558, p. 21.; and Preface to Hickes's Thesaurus, 1. 2."
J. H. L.
Richard Earl of Chepstow (Vol. v., p. 204.).
—H. C. K. will find in the Conquest of Ireland, by Giraldus Cambrensis, my authority for styling Richard Strongbow Earl of Chepstow: e.g. Dermod MacMurrough addresses a letter to him as follows: "Dermon MacMorogh, prince of Leinster, to Richard earle of Chepstoue, and son of Gilbert the Earle, greeting," &c. I quote from Hooker's translation, ed. 1587, p. 11. Hooker, in a note, p. 4., says that Chepstow in times past was named Strigulia, "whereof Richard Strangbow being earle, he took his name, being called Comes Strigulensis."
H. C. K.'s second conjecture, as to the parentage given to Earl Richard in the Ormonde charter, seems to be the correct one. I cannot call to mind an instance of a second Christian name used at so early a date.
The first coat given to the De Clares, in Berry's Encycl., viz. ar. on a chief az. three crosses pattée fichée of the field, occurs on the shield of the effigy in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, popularly said to be that of Richard Earl of Pembroke. Query, does Berry's statement rest on the authority of that tradition? if so, it has a very sandy foundation. I have very little doubt that the bearing visible on the shield, as represented on the earl's seal attached to the charter in possession of the Earl of Ormonde, is intended to represent three chevrons.
H. C. K. has my best thanks for his communication. I shall be still more obliged by an extract from the pedigree in his possession.
JAMES GRAVES.