astle," dated London, 29 March, 1586-7. Sir
Valentine Brown was of Croft and East Kirkby, and Treasurer of Ireland;
he married the daughter of Sir John Monson, ancestor of the present Lord
Oxenbridge.

Among the Domestic State Papers of Charles I. (Vol. 376, No. 123), is a
petition from the inhabitants of Horncastle to Sir Anthony Irbie, Knt.,
sheriff of the county, complaining that the town was over-rated for the
payment of "ship-money," and praying for a reduction of the same. The
county was charged 8,000 pounds. This rate, levied to maintain the navy,
created widespread dissatisfaction and eventually led to the revolution.
It was included among the grievances against which public protests were
made in 1641. The five judges who pronounced in its favour were
imprisoned, and Hampden received a wound in a skirmish with Prince
Rupert, from which he died, June 24, 1643. Petitions were also presented
to Sir Edward Hussey, sheriff, 1636-7, as given in Domestic State Papers,
Charles I., Vol. 345, No. 42.

[Picture: Horncastle map]

It has been already stated that in the reign of Stephen this manor was
held by Adelias, or Adelidis, de Cundi. How this came about is not quite
clear, whether it was inherited from her father, William de Cheney, who
was probably among the Normans invited to immigrate by Edward the
Confessor, since it would seem that at the time of the conquest he was
already a large owner in the county, or from her husband, Robert de
Cundi, a Fleming, probably named from the town and fortress of Conde on
the frontier of France, situated on the Scheldt, in the department du
Nord. There is, however, evidence to show that she had other possessions
of considerable value apparently in her own right in Nottinghamshire and
Kent, as well as Lincolnshire. {16a} She is described by the old
chronicler, Geoffrey Gairmar, {16b} as a great patroness of learning and
literature.

The Cheneys, or Chesneys, were apparently of foreign extraction, as
implied by their appellation "de Casineto." They had considerable
influence at various periods, one of them being knighted, another made a
baron by Queen Elizabeth. {16c} One, Robert de Cheney, was a powerful
Bishop of Lincoln (A.D. 1147-67) and built one of the finest castles in
England, the ruins of which still remain in the Palace grounds at
Lincoln. {16d} The Cheney pedigree is given in _The Genealogist_ of
July, 1901. They seem to have settled