Lucasta [10]
of May, 1577, Henry Binneman paid "vi and a copie" to the Stationers' Company for the right to print "the Briefe Course of the Accidents of the Deathe of Mr. Serjeant Lovelace;" and on the 30th of August following, Richard Jones obtained a licence to print "A Short Epitaphe of Serjeant Lovelace." This was the same person who is described in the pedigree as dying in 1576. His death happened, no doubt, like that of Sir Robert Bell and others, at the Oxford Summer assizes for 1576. See Stow's ANNALES, fol. 1154.
In 1563, Barnaby Googe the poet dedicated his EGLOGS, EPITAPHES, AND SONNETTES, NEWLY WRITTEN, to "the Ryght Worshypfull M. Richard Lovelace, Esquier, Reader of Grayes Inne."
The following is a list of the members of the Lovelace family who belonged to the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn from 1541 to 1646:--
Thomas Lovelace, admitted 1541. William Lovelace, " 1548. Called to the bar in 1551. Richard Lovelace, " 1557. Reader in 1563. Barnaby Googe's friend. Lancelot Lovelace, " 1571. William Lovelace, " 1580. Laneelot Lovelace, " 1581. Recorder of Canterbury, ob. 1640, aet. 78. Francis Lovelace, " 1609. Perhaps the same who was Recorder of Canterbury in 1638. Francis Lovelace " 1640. Probably the poet's younger (of Canterbury), brother. William Lovelace, " 1646.
For these names and dates I am indebted to the courtesy of the Steward of Gray's Inn.
Sir William Lovelace, the poet's grandfather who, according to Berry, died in 1629, was a correspondent of Sir Dudley Carleton (see CALENDARS OF STATE PAPERS, DOMESTIC SERIES, 1611-18, pp. 443, 521, 533; Ibid. 1618-23, p. 17). It appears from some Latin lines before the first portion of LUCASTA, that the poet's father served with distinction in Holland, and probably it was this circumstance which led to Lovelace himself turning his attention in a similar direction: for the latter was on service in the Low Countries, perhaps under his father (of whose death we do not know the date, though Hasted intimates that he fell at the Gryll), when his friend Tatham, afterwards the city poet, addressed to him some verses printed in a volume entitled OSTELLA (printed in 1650).
<2.2> Mr. A. Keightley, Registrar of the Charterhouse, with his usual kindness, examined for me the books of the institution, in the hope of finding the date of Lovelace's admission, &c., but without success. Mr. Keightley has suggested to me that perhaps Lovelace was not on the foundation, which is of course highly probable, and which, as Mr. Keightley seems to think, may account for the omission of his name from the registers.
<2.3> "He was matriculated at Gloucester Hall, June 27, 1634, as "filius Gul. Lovelace de Woolwich in Com. Kant. arm. au. nat. 16.'" --Dr. Bliss, in a note on this passage in his edition of the ATHENAE.
<2.4> Bethersden is a parish in the Weald of Kent, eastward of Smarden, near Surrenden. "The manor of Lovelace," says Hasted (HISTORY OF KENT, iii. 239), "is situated at a very small distance SOUTH-WESTWARD from the church [of Bethersden]. It was in early times the property of a family named Grunsted, or Greenstreet, as they were sometimes called; the last of whom, HENRY DE GRUNSTED, a man of eminent repute, as all the records of this county testify, in the reigns of both King Edward II. and III., passed away this manor to KINET, in which name it did not remain long; for WILLIAM KINET, in the 41st year of King Edward III., conveyed it by sale to JOHN LOVELACE, who erected that mansion here, which from hence bore his name in addition, being afterwards styled BETHERSDEN- LOVELACE, from which sprang a race of gentlemen, who, in the military line, acquired great reputation and honour, and by their knowledge in the municipal laws, deserved well of the Commonwealth; from whom descended those of this name seated at BAYFORD in SITTINGBORNE, and at KINGSDOWN in this county,
In 1563, Barnaby Googe the poet dedicated his EGLOGS, EPITAPHES, AND SONNETTES, NEWLY WRITTEN, to "the Ryght Worshypfull M. Richard Lovelace, Esquier, Reader of Grayes Inne."
The following is a list of the members of the Lovelace family who belonged to the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn from 1541 to 1646:--
Thomas Lovelace, admitted 1541. William Lovelace, " 1548. Called to the bar in 1551. Richard Lovelace, " 1557. Reader in 1563. Barnaby Googe's friend. Lancelot Lovelace, " 1571. William Lovelace, " 1580. Laneelot Lovelace, " 1581. Recorder of Canterbury, ob. 1640, aet. 78. Francis Lovelace, " 1609. Perhaps the same who was Recorder of Canterbury in 1638. Francis Lovelace " 1640. Probably the poet's younger (of Canterbury), brother. William Lovelace, " 1646.
For these names and dates I am indebted to the courtesy of the Steward of Gray's Inn.
Sir William Lovelace, the poet's grandfather who, according to Berry, died in 1629, was a correspondent of Sir Dudley Carleton (see CALENDARS OF STATE PAPERS, DOMESTIC SERIES, 1611-18, pp. 443, 521, 533; Ibid. 1618-23, p. 17). It appears from some Latin lines before the first portion of LUCASTA, that the poet's father served with distinction in Holland, and probably it was this circumstance which led to Lovelace himself turning his attention in a similar direction: for the latter was on service in the Low Countries, perhaps under his father (of whose death we do not know the date, though Hasted intimates that he fell at the Gryll), when his friend Tatham, afterwards the city poet, addressed to him some verses printed in a volume entitled OSTELLA (printed in 1650).
<2.2> Mr. A. Keightley, Registrar of the Charterhouse, with his usual kindness, examined for me the books of the institution, in the hope of finding the date of Lovelace's admission, &c., but without success. Mr. Keightley has suggested to me that perhaps Lovelace was not on the foundation, which is of course highly probable, and which, as Mr. Keightley seems to think, may account for the omission of his name from the registers.
<2.3> "He was matriculated at Gloucester Hall, June 27, 1634, as "filius Gul. Lovelace de Woolwich in Com. Kant. arm. au. nat. 16.'" --Dr. Bliss, in a note on this passage in his edition of the ATHENAE.
<2.4> Bethersden is a parish in the Weald of Kent, eastward of Smarden, near Surrenden. "The manor of Lovelace," says Hasted (HISTORY OF KENT, iii. 239), "is situated at a very small distance SOUTH-WESTWARD from the church [of Bethersden]. It was in early times the property of a family named Grunsted, or Greenstreet, as they were sometimes called; the last of whom, HENRY DE GRUNSTED, a man of eminent repute, as all the records of this county testify, in the reigns of both King Edward II. and III., passed away this manor to KINET, in which name it did not remain long; for WILLIAM KINET, in the 41st year of King Edward III., conveyed it by sale to JOHN LOVELACE, who erected that mansion here, which from hence bore his name in addition, being afterwards styled BETHERSDEN- LOVELACE, from which sprang a race of gentlemen, who, in the military line, acquired great reputation and honour, and by their knowledge in the municipal laws, deserved well of the Commonwealth; from whom descended those of this name seated at BAYFORD in SITTINGBORNE, and at KINGSDOWN in this county,