The English Historical Review/Volume 37/The Birth of Thomas North
The Birth of Thomas North
The records printed below were found in January 1920 in the library at Wroxton; Lord North kindly permits them to be published. They are on a single sheet of paper, which was lying between the leaves of a copy of Erasmus' edition of Seneca, printed by Froben at Basle in 1515. The handwriting is that of Edward, first Lord North (†31 December 1564), who was the father of the first family (nos. 1–4). The records of his grandchildren he added later. The whole paper is clearly authentic; its special interest lies in fixing the date of the birth of the translator of the Diall of Princes and of Amyot's Plutarch, which has hitherto only been conjectured approximately.
No. 5 was the son of Crystyan North (no. 3): in view of her age the year-date should probably be interpreted as 15501. No. 6 (obliterated in the original) is no doubt a boy who died as an infant; for only three children of Roger, second Lord North, are known, nos. 7–9. In no. 4 there is a small discrepancy; for 7 September 1537 was a Friday. The numbers assigned and the dates in brackets are not in the original.
Details of the North family history may be read in Lady Frances Bushby's Three Men of the Tudor Time, London, 1911.
1. Roger North was borne in the paryshe of St. Thomas Thorppestyll in London, aom. d. xxx on the sondaye betwene the howers of tenne and xj, beyng the xxvijth of february ⟨27 February 15301⟩.
2. Thomas North was borne in London the frydaye next after Corpus Crysti daye betwene the howers of ix and tenne in the night in the paryshe of St. Alban's in Woodstreate aodñi m. d. xxxv ⟨28 May 1535⟩.
3. Crystyan North was borne at Mardyche in Essex the vjth of Julye betwene the howers of iij and iiijor in the mornyng a dni aodñi m. d. xxxiij ⟨6 July 1533⟩.
4. Marye North was borne the thursdaye beynge the vijth of September betwene the howers of xij and one of the same daye aom.d. xxxvij ⟨7 September 1537⟩.
5. Edward lord Harbert, sonne of Wyllm̄. Erle of Wursytor, was borne the xxth of marche betwene the howers of tenne and xj of the forenoone in the howse of Sr Edward North [neare Smythfyld] knyght, callyd the late Chartehowse neare London, aom.d. l (22 March 15501).
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6. Northe, sonne to Roger North, was borne on the xjth of february aovjto R.E. vjti at Seynt Bartylme⟨w⟩ in Smythfyld in the howse of betweene the howers of tenne and xj of the forenoone, and was crystynyd by ⟨11 February 1552⟩.
7. John North, sonne of Roger North esquyer, was borne at Lyes in Essex.
8. Marye North, doughter of the sayed Roger, was in lyke wyse borne there the
9. Henrye North, sonne of the sayed Roger, was borne at the howse of the [sayed] lord North neare London, sometyme callyd the Charterhowse, the xxviiith daye of december, beynge Chyldermasse daye aodñi m. d. lvj, & was cryseyned ⟨by⟩ therle of Arrundell, the lord Lumley beyng hys deputye, and by the L. Darcye of Essex, the Cowntesse of Wursytor beynge hys godmother ⟨28 December 1556⟩.