Add MS 74756 A

THOMAS BECKWITH (1731-1786), F.S.A., HERALD PAINTER, OF YORK: ‘A Genealogical and Historical Account of the Families of Malebysse and Beckwith’; 1786, with later additions by other hands. Partly copies and printed. Partly Latin and Norman French.

Paper: ff. ii+188. 480 mm x 340 mm. Binding of light brown buckram over boards. Watermark of fleur-de-lys in crowned shield with pendent ‘G R’, and countermark ‘J Whatman’. Pasted inside the front cover are (f. i) a printed copy of a confirmation (cf. p. 118) of the arms of Malebisse to Hamond Beckwith of Beckwith, co. W. R. York., 14 Oct. 1339, along with (f. ii) an engraved plate, 1776, of the monument of circa 1340-1350 to Sir William de Bruce in Pickering Church, co. N. R. York, of which another exemplar is found in Stowe MS 884, f. 151. Titlepage (f. 1), describing Beckwith as ‘F.A.S.’ and painter, carries illuminated border. Pages ruled in red. Contemporary pagination (ff. 2-186v), mostly in ink, from 1-370. Index of contents (f. 188v). Included passim are later additions, 1840 and 20^th cent., partly by Col., afterwards Major-Gen., John Charles Beckwith. The main contents are as follows:-

1. ff. 2-66, 176v-177, 181v-183, 185v, 186. Pedigrees of the family of Beckwith of co. W. R. York., etc., temp. William I-1786, in its various branches. One section (ff. 52v-58) is taken from letters, 1697-1699, of Robert Dale, Suffolk, later Somerset, Herald. The pedigrees are illuminated throughout with coloured drawings of the arms of the family (argent a chevron between three hinds’ heads erased gules), with the various differences and quarterings, and prefaced (ff. 2, 2v) by a brief introduction. See also ff. 163-164 for further drawings of ‘Different Arms used by the Family’.

2. ff. 66v-75. ‘Appendix’ comprising copies of and extracts, mostly taken from printed sources, from charters of and rel. to the family of Malebisse, circa 12^th-15^th centt., keyed to the preceeding pedigrees by a system of letters. Partly Latin. Incorporated (f. 75) are a few drawings of seals.

3. ff. 79v-80v. Copy of a vellum pedigree of Beckwith by Charles Fairfax (d. 1673) of Menston, as lent to Thomas Beckwith, F.S.A., circa 1783 by Major-Gen. John Beckwith (cf. below, 74756 B, ff. 5-6v).

4. ff. 82-87v. ‘Appendix to the Geneologies [sic] of the Beckwiths’, temp. Edward III-1773. Partly Latin and Norman French.

5. ff. 98v-124 passim,164v, 165, 183v, 186v. Beckwith family evidences, comprising copies (ff. 98v-101) of wills, 1596-1728, and (ff. 109v-110v) of inquisitions post mortem, in Latin, 1557-1618, along with extracts (ff. 114-121, 164v, 165, 183v, 186v) from parish registers in cos. W.R., E. R. and N. R. Yorks, 1538-1773, and lists (ff. 122-124) of ‘Wills, Administrations, Licences, &c. from the Register Offices in York’, 1424-1734. At ff. 164v, 165 occur further extracts, 1562-1725, from parish registers.

6. ff. 127-128v, 183v, 186v. Funerary inscriptions of the Beckwiths, partly in English verse, with drawings of monuments, temp. Henry III-1773. Partly copies and printed. Partly Latin.

7. ff. 150-154. Series of pen and wash copies of portraits, 17^th-18^th centt., of nineteen unidentified members of the Beckwith family, circa 1786. Several incorporate shields of arms and one the motto, ‘Jouir en bien’, of Beckwith of Thurcroft. Cf. with the portrait at the left-hand foot of f. 154 the pencil sketch in 75456 B, f. 2, below.

Seals: Malebisse family: Charters, with drawings of seals, rel. to Malebisse, family of: 1786: Partly Latin: Copies and extracts.

Beckwith family; of Yorkshire: Pedigree of Beckwith, family: 1786: Copy.

Beckwith family; of Yorkshire: Thomas Beckwith, FSA; herald painter, of York: Malebisse family: Major-General John Charles Beckwith, CB: 'A Genealogical account of the families of Malebysse and Beckwith' by Thomas Beckwith, with additions, 1840, by Maj.-Gen. John Charles Beckwith: 1786: Partly Latin and Norman French: Partly copies and printed: Autograph.

includes:

• f. i Hamond Beckwith, of Beckwith and Clint, county West Riding York: Authentication of arms of Hamond Beckwith: circa 1786: Printed copy.
• f. ii Sir William de Bruce: Pickering, N. R. York: Tomb of Sir William de Bruce, at R: 1776: Engraved.
• ff. 52v-58 Robert Dale, Richmond Herald; d.1722: Beckwith family; of Yorkshire: Pedigrees and evidences from letters by Robert Dale of Beckwith, family: 1697-1699: Copies.
• ff. 79v-80v Charles Fairfax, of Menston; antiquary: Beckwith family; of Yorkshire: Pedigree by Charles Fairfax of Beckwith, family: 1786: Copy.
• ff. 98v-124 passim, 164v, 165, 183v, 186v Beckwith family; of Yorkshire: Evidences taken from wills, inquisitions and parish registers in co. York, etc.,: 1786: Partly Latin: Copies and extracts.
• ff. 127-128v, 183v, 186v Beckwith family; of Yorkshire: Funerary inscriptions, with drawings of monuments, temp. Hen. III-1773, of Beckwith, family: 1786: Partly Latin and Hebrew: Copies.
• ff. 150-154 Beckwith family; of Yorkshire: Thomas Beckwith, FSA; herald painter, of York: Portraits in pen and wash of members of Beckwith, family: 1786: Copies.
• f. 154 Beckwith family; of Yorkshire: Thomas Beckwith, FSA; herald painter, of York: Martin Ferdinand Quadale, German painter and portraitist: Portrait of a young lady, probably a member by Martin Ferdinand Quadale, of the Beckwith, family: 1786: Copy, by T. Beckwith.