the kingdom have been vifited by the author to infpect authentic memorials; yet it is an unhappiness that accompanies researches of this kind, that they cannot be complete; nor is it poffible, fcarce, to prevent mistakes occurring; thofe, who know the fatigue of collecting materials, and claffing them for books of this fort, can only form a proper judgment of fuch a laborious undertaking.

It would be unpardonable not to mention, with the greatest gratitude and respect, the obligations due to thofe who have contributed to the improvement of thefe memoirs, by permitting an infpection of records and other curious papers, as the right honorable lord viscount Hampden, fir Thomas Heathcote, bart. commodore fir Richard Bickerton, bart. Lucy Knightley, of Faufley, efq. late member of parlement for Northamptonshire; col. John Neale, of Allesley; mr. Smith, alderman, and mr. Hunt, chamberlain of Huntingdon; to the following reverend gentlemen, for fending or giving per

miffion to the author to take extracts from the registers of their parishes, copying funeral monuments, &c. John Moffe, L. L. D. rector of Great-Hampden; mr. Hodfon, rector of the confolidated parishes of Huntingdon; the late mr. Wefton, of Ramsey; mr. Turner, rector of Burwell, near Newmarket; mr. Smith, vicar of St. Ives; mr. Tookey, vicar of Chippenham; mr. Carter, rector of Little-Wittenham, near Wallingford; meff. Benthams, and other clergymen, in Ely (whofe names it is a fhame to have forgotten); mr. Bree, rector of Allesley; S. Gauntlet. of Hurley; mr. Copeland, of Marston, in Northamptonshire; mr. Panchen, of Godmanchefter; obligations, and great ones, are owing to lady Bickerton, mifs Cromwell, mrs. and mifs Waller, of Beaconsfield; of mrs. Cunningham, of Checkers; mrs. Woodhoufe, of Lichfield; mifs Trollop, of Huntingdon; fir John Talbot Dillon, baron of the facred roman empire; John-Ruffell Greenhill, D. D. rector of Cotisford; Richard-Sutton Yates, D. D.

rector

rector of Solihull;

Raite, M. D. of
Huntingdon; Richard Moland, of Solihull,
efq. the curious mr. Green, of Lichfield,
mr. Henry Carter, of Little-Wittenham ;
rev. R. Davies, and mr. Couchman, of
Temple-Balfall, for communicating infor-
mation or materials; the libraries of mr.
Knightley, mr. Moland, dr. Parrott, of Bir-
mingham, mr. Barker, of the fame place,
the rev. Samuel Pearfon, of Barkefwell, and
fome others, have been thrown open to the
author; fincere thanks are alfo due to Wil-
liam Hutchinfon, of Barnard-castle, in the
bishopric of Durham, efq. the rev. R. Lo-
vett, rector of Barkeswell; the late rev.
John Blair, of Whitchurch; the former
for contributing engravings, and the latter
for introductory letters; befides several
friends for fome trifling information ; nor
muft the kind intentions of the rev. E. Brad-
ford, rector of Baberham, be forgotten.

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

O F

VOLUME I.

PART I.

SECTION I.

CONTAINS the origin of the Williams, alias

Cromwells, and their biftory from Glothian lord of

Powis, to Morgan Williams, efq. inclufive

page I

The biftory of fir Richard Williams, alias Cromwell,

knt. great grandfather to Oliver lord protector,

and that of his younger children

6

The hiftory of fir Henry Williams, alias Cromwell,

knt. grandfather to Oliver lord protector, with

that of bis younger fons, and their defcendants, ex-

cept Robert, bis fecond fon, the father of the pro-

tector Oliver

26

SECTION

The history of fir Oliver Cromwell, knight of the bath, eldeft uncle of Oliver lord protector, with that of his wives and younger children, and their pofterity

40

The history of Henry Cromwell, efq. eldest fon of fir Oliver Cromwell, knight of the bath, and that of bis defcendants

67

The history of Henry Cromwell, efq. eldest son of the laft Henry (who again took the name of Williams) and was to have been created a knight of the royal oak, bad that title been established; with feveral of the name of Cromwell, who are supposed to be defcended from mr. Morgan Williams, father of fir Richard Williams, alias Cromwell, knight.

PART II.

SECTION I.

73

The history of Robert Cromwell, efq. and Elizabeth, his wife, the parents of the protector Oliver, with that of their children, except the protector

94

SECTION