iv. Philip, baptized at St Paul's, Antigua, and mentioned in
his father's will, 27 Sept. 1695, as "my youngest son Philip."
Among the numerous children of the Hon. Ashton Warner, Speaker of the house of assembly, his youngest sons were, i. Samuel-Henry, born 11 Dec. 1733, and appointed deputy provost-marshal of Antigua, who, marrying in 1762, was father of the Hon. Samuel Warner, late president of Antigua, and brigadier-general of the militia in that island, and who died in 1838. ii. Daniel, treasurer of Antigua, born in 1724, m. 2 Feb. 1746, Rebecca, dau. of Thomas Freeman, Esq.[75] He was killed on board H.M. sloop of war, "Virgin," 25 March, 1760, while defending that vessel from the attack of three French privateers, leaving, among other issue, a son, Thomas, born 12 Feb. 1753, and m. in 1790, Dorothy, dau. of the Hon. Francis Ffrye, dying in 1825, at Sevenoaks, co. Kent, left, among other issue, three sons, 1. Daniel-Francis, rector of Hoo, co. of Kent, born 9 June, 1795, m. in 1818, Sylviana-Maria, dau. of Robert-Walter Vaughan, of the city of Bristol, by whom he has issue nine children. 2. Thomas-Shirley, stipendiary magistrate of Monserrat, born 24 May, 1797, and m. 9 May, 1825, Rebecca, dau. of the Hon. Henry Hamilton, of the island of Monserrat, by whom he has issue six children. 3. Samuel-Ashton, rector of St George's, Antigua, in 1826, born 30 May, 1790, and m. 10 June, 1824, Mary, dau. of Stephen-Ross Willock, of Antigua, Esq., by whom he has six children.
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I cannot conclude this detail of the Warner family without relating an anecdote of the celebrated ring, mentioned in Hume's History of England, as given by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Essex, and which jewel is now in possession of a descendant of Sir Thomas Warner.
When Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, the far-famed favourite of Queen Elizabeth, was in the hey-day of his power and her majesty's regard, the queen presented him with a diamond ring, which she ordered him to keep with the strictest care, so that should he at any time want to beg a boon, or be so unfortunate as to fall under her majesty's displeasure, and thus incur imminent danger from the malevolence of his enemies, he might return it to her as a talisman, when she pledged her word to accede to his request, or forgive him, and grant him her protection.[76] It is unnecessary to enter into the various circumstances which led to the downfall of this accomplished young nobleman; suffice it to say, that, led astray by self-interested flatterers, and his own headstrong passions, which scorned reproof, the Earl of Essex engaged in a conspiracy against her majesty, and which being detected, he was tried by his compeers, and condemned to pay forfeit of his crimes, by suffering decollation. Queen Elizabeth, although deeply grieved at this defalcation of her kinsman from his loyalty, as well as from his gratitude towards her, still remembered with pity the unfortunate earl, then in the full bloom of manhood, and celebrated for every grace which can adorn a nobleman, and anxiously looked for the appearance of the ring she had given to him, in order that some excuse might be afforded her for granting him a pardon. Days, however, rolled by, and Essex made no appeal to her majesty's clemency; until, at length, deeming him too haughty to return the talismanic jewel which might have saved his life, Elizabeth became incensed against him --the high blood of her father, "bluff old Hal," rose in her veins, and, signing his death-warrant, he was beheaded on Tower Hill, 25th Feb. 1601. About two years after this tragic event, Catharine, the first Duchess of Nottingham, (daughter of Henry Lord Hunsdon, and a relative of the unfortunate earl,) was seized with a mortal illness, and finding her life drawing to a close, she despatched a messenger to the queen, beseeching her majesty to visit her immediately, as she had tidings to communicate to her, which, without doing, she could not die in peace. Elizabeth, anxious to soothe her last moments, complied with her request, and, little deeming what those tidings were, presented herself at the bed-side of the dying countess, who, summoning up all her failing energies, related, in the hollow tones of death, the following circumstances:--
That during the period the Earl of Essex was confined in the Tower, under sentence of death, he was desirous of obtaining a faithful messenger who would convey to her majesty a ring, which he had, at a happier hour, received from her hand, on the sight of which he hoped the queen's mercy would be extended to him. Distrusting, however, those placed about him, he waited in vain for an opportunity; until, one morning, as he was gazing from his prison window, he perceived a boy, with whose open countenance he became so impressed, that he determined to trust him with his secret, and, making signals to him, (which were observed and answered by the lad,) the earl "engaged him by money and promises," to convey the ring, which he took from his finger, to Lady Scroop,[77] (a friend of his lordship's,) and beg her to present it to her majesty. The youth readily undertook the commission; but, from some mistake, instead of conveying it to Lady Scroop, he carried it to her sister, the Countess of Nottingham. This lady shewed it to her husband, the admiral, the implacable foe to Essex, who commanded her, under pain of his heaviest displeasure, to conceal the jewel, and not to breathe a word of the event to mortal ears. The countess complying with her lord's command, the queen was kept in ignorance, and the Earl of Essex fell a victim to his supposed stubbornness, for, according to Camden, the chief reason that prevented Queen Elizabeth from granting him a pardon was his obstinacy in not supplicating for mercy.
As soon as the countess had concluded her relation, she earnestly begged her majesty's forgiveness; but the queen, losing all command of herself at this harrowing statement, violently shook the dying woman, and exclaiming, " " left the apartment in an agony of grief. As soon as she gained her dressing-closet, she threw herself upon the floor, tearing her grey hair, and calling upon the name of Essex. She refused to sleep upon a bed, and, according to some authors, would never after receive any sustenance. This, however, must be a mistake, for the Countess of Nottingham died on the 25th February, 1603, and her majesty did not depart this life until the 24th of March following--a period of about twenty-seven days.
After the demise of Queen Elizabeth, this ring passed, with the other jewels to her successor, James I., from whom it was handed down to his unfortunate son, Charles I., and who, at the instigation of his queen, Henrietta Maria, presented it to Sir Thomas Warner. From Sir Thomas Warner, it passed (in a direct line) to his great grandson. Col. Edward Warner, who bequeathed it by will (dated 27th Dec, 1732, proved in the P. C. of Canterbury, 21st Feb. following) to his brother, Ashton Warner, as "_a diamond ring_, in shape of a heart, given by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Essex."
From the Hon. Ashton Warner it descended, as an heirloom, to his son, Joseph Warner, and it is now in possession of Charles Warner, Esq., solicitor-general of Trinidad.
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[74] This marriage accounts for the Savannah and Folly estates, having passed into another family.
[75] For further information of this gentleman, the reader is referred to Appendix No. 19.
[76] The queen's attachment to Essex might perhaps, in great measure, arise from the fact of his being her relative--as shewn in the following table, viz.,
Anne Boleyne, united to Henry VIII., king of England, had issue a daughter, Elizabeth, afterwards queen of England. Mary Boleyne, (sister to Anne Boleyne,) married to William Cary, had issue a daughter, Catharine Cary, married to Francis Knolleys, K.G., had (among other issue) a daughter, Lettice Knolleys, married to Walter Devereaux, Earl of Essex, K.G., who had issue a son, Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, the favourite.
[77] Philadelphia Cary, second daughter to Henry Lord Hunsdon, married to Thos. Scroop, of Bolton, in Yorkshire, who succeeded his father in his title, in 1592, made governor of Carlisle Castle, and warden of the West Marches, in 1593, and K. G. in 1599.
No. 3.
MEMORIAL OF THE WINTHORPE FAMILY.
This gentleman (Samuel Winthorpe, Esq. of Antigua) was the son of John Winthorpe, of Groton Hall, co. Suffolk, Esq., by his wife, Margaret, dau. of Sir John Tindall, Knt., master in Chancery, and ancestor of the present Chief Justice Tindall. Mr. Winthorpe's family had early embraced the Protestant religion, and were among the most stanch supporters of that creed; and in those dark days, when Popery once again reared its head in England, the grandfather of this John Winthorpe attended the martyr Philpots to the stake, as one of his latest friends. In after years, Mr. J. Winthorpe, fearing religious persecution, sold off all his property, (bringing him in 500l. or 600l. per annum, a great sum in those days,) and emigrated to New England, then a forest waste, where, in process of time, he became its first governor, and from whence he kept up a private correspondence with Oliver Cromwell, then Protector of the Commonwealth. Besides Samuel Winthorpe, the ancestor of the Antiguan branch of the family, he had two sons,