398
NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. i. MAY is, me.
Sir Robert Hansel, Kt. (12 S. i. 308).—The following is an extract from the 'History of Maunsell, or Mansel, and of Some Related Families,' compiled by Robert George Maunsell, published at Cork, 1903, p. 23:—
"Robert (Mansel), Sir, Knt., of Norfolk, entered the royal navy under the immediate patronage of his relative, the Lord High Admiral, Lord Howard of Effingham, Earl of Nottingham. He was captain of the ' Mer Honour,' and was knighted by the Earl of Essex for conspicuous bravery at the battle of Cadiz, when the Spanish fleet was destroyed in that harbour by the intrepid attack of the English, A.D. 1596. He was most successful in defence of the English coast, and was in high favour with Queen Elizabeth. King James, in 1604, appointed him Treasurer of the Navy for life, and in 1618 Vice - Admiral of England. In November, 1599, he fought a duel with Sir John Hayden, both being described as Knights of Norfolk. In course of a long and desperate struggle Sir John's left hand was cut off. It is still preserved in the museum at Canterbury. In early life Sir Robert spelt his name Mansfeeld, but later reverted to Mansell. See his letters to his wife's nephew, Sir Bassingbourne Gawdy ; see also account in The Gentleman's Magazine, 1853, vol. 39 ; and also Campbell's * Lives of British Admirals. 5 He married, first, Elizabeth, dau. of Sir Nicholas Bacon ; and secondly, Ann, maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth, and dau. of Sir John Roper, Knt., but had no issue by either wife."
Robert George Maunsell is wrong about Queen Elizabeth ; it should read " maid of honour to Anne of Denmark." The marriage took place at Denmark House, and was one of the great events of the season.
A new and revised history of the Maunsell or Mansel family is being written and will, it is hoped, be published at the end of this year by Messrs. Kentledge & Sons in which the portrait of Sir Robert Mansel will appear.
At the sale of the Huth Library at Christie's, about two years ago, a ' Life of Sir Robert Mansel ' was sold, and I am anxious to trace who bought it, as I should like to see it.
The Sir Nicholas Bacon mentioned in the above is of Stifkey, Norfolk.
ALFRED SYDNEY LEWIS.
Library, Constitutional Club, W.C.
Some of the Bacon pedigrees state that the half-sister of Francis Bacon whom Sir Robert Mansel (or, as frequently styled, Mansfield) married was Jane, the second or third daughter of the Lord Keeper Sir Nicholas. She was widow of Sir Francis Wyndham, Justice of the C.P., who died in 1592. This does not seem improbable. The exact date of Sir Robert Mansel' s birth does not appear, but I have seen it placed as early as 1565. He was third son of Sir
Edward Mansel of Margam ; his eldest
brother, Sir Thomas, who was created a
baronet in 1611, was married at Chelsea,
May 30, 1582, so could hardly have been
born later than 1560. All we know for
certain as to the date of Sir Robert's"
marriage is that it took place before 1604.
He took a second wife in 1617 in the person
of Anne, daughter of Sir John Roper. On
March 15, 1617, Chamberlain wrote to'
Carleton :
" On Tuesday Sir Robert Mansell married his old' Mistress, Roper, one of the Queen's ancient maids of honour. The wedding was kept at Denmark House at the Queen's charge, who gave them a fair cupboard of Plate besides many good and rich presents from other friends." ' S. P. Dom. 3
The old sailor seems to have had a liking for elderly wives. His exact age at death is not on record, but he certainly lived to a very advanced age. Administration wa& granted to his widow, June 20, 1656. He left no issue. I have not discovered his place of burial. W. D. PINK.
Winslade, Lowton, Newton-le- Willows.
It is noteworthy that in his corre- spondence in 1600 with Sir Bassingbourne Gawdy (a magistrate for Norfolk and many years his senior), who had married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Nicholas Bacon of Redgrave,, son of the Lord Keeper, Sir Robert signs himself " your most assured loving frend and affectionat unckle."
A. R. BAYLEY.
THE " FLY " : THE " HACKNEY " (12 S.. i. 150, 254). The word " fly," as applied to a conveyance of some sort, must go back to an earlier date than 1816 or 1809. I have in my possession a note in the handwriting of the famous Lord Eldon (preserved in an, album which formerty belonged to his niece) in which he refers to a " coach called a Fly " in 1766. I give the story (for the sake of the word), though it may have appeared io- print :
" When I came up from School to London in my way to Oxford, I travelled in a Coach called a Fly, which occupied in our Journey about three days and two Nights On the Outside were painted the Words 'Sat Cito, si sat bene.' I had a felhny Traveller, a Quaker, who desired his Friends in the Coach to stop a few Minutes- at Tuxford He said he had slept there about two Years before, and had forgot to give the Chambermaid any Thing. We stopped, and he said to the Chambermaid, ' My dear, I forgot to pay thee two years ago what I ought to have given thee here is Six Pence for thee.' I said to my fellow Traveller, the Quaker, ' Friend, thou hast neither attended to the "Sat cito," nor, "sat bene." ' These Latin Words made a strong Im- pression on my young Mind, and when, in after
