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Archaeologia Cantiana   Vol. 58  1945  page 46

Notes on the Family of Twysden and Twisden
By Ronald G. Hatton, C.B.E., D.Sc., F.R.S., and Rev. Christopher H. Hatton, O.S.B.

One branch, with which the title remains, migrated to the West and served their country with distinction in the army and navy. Sir Thomas, 4th Bart., and Sir William, 6th Bart., were both spendthrifts. Though Sir William, 5th Bart. (Plate VIII), who married his cousin Jane Twisden (Plate VIII), was a farmer at heart, and tried to redeem the family fortunes, his third son, Philip, Bishop of Raphoe, was made bankrupt and, so the story goes, took to a highwayman's career, and was ultimately shot on Wrotham Heath while holding up one of his brother's guests. The home of the Bishop's daughter Frances, Lady Jersey, a favourite of George IV, became a society gambling rendezvous, at which the reputations of her cousins were in no way enhanced. Sir William Jarvis, the 7th Bart., while being pursued by his creditors, engineered an elopement to Gretna Green, and subsequently got even more deeply into debt, while William, the 8th Bart., with an annuity of £200 a yearthe remnant of Roydonposed as a "Regency Buck," and made a bigamous alliance. His brother Francis preferred to earn an honest living as a railway porter at Ashford. There is little wonder then that the Roydon Estate and family portraits finally changed hands in 1834.
   Thomas Twisden (Plate X), who bought and imparked Bradbourne, was the second son of Sir William Twysden, 1st Bart. of Roydon and Lady Anne, and the brother of much persecuted Sir Roger. He was a lawyer and set out to form a second branch of the family not

only by his acquisition of Bradbourne and neighbouring properties but by his change of the letter y to i in his name. He took part in local affairs and was Recorder for Maidstone and, for a short time, its Member of Parliament. His legal practice in London, however, forced him to give up local affairs. Though a Royalist at heart, he acquiesced in Cromwell's regime and accepted office under him. He was elected one of the burgesses of Maidstone in the Convention Parliament which proclaimed the restoration of the King and it was after that, in July, 1660, that he was made a Judge of the High Court and knighted. He was one of the three Judges before whom the Regicides were tried after the Restoration, and also one of the assessors appointed after the Great Fire of London. Amongst his other interesting trials was that of John Bunyan. He was granted a baronetcy in 1666. He married Jane Thomlinson, whose brother, Colonel Mathew Thomlinson (Plate X), was captain of the guard which looked after Charles I at St. Jame's Palace and escorted him to Whitehall for his execution. As an appreciation of his courteous behaviour, King Charles presented him with his gold toothpick, which was long kept as a relic at Bradbourne. Colonel Thomlinson was buried in the chancel of East Malling Church.
   Thomas' son, Sir Roger Twisden, 2nd Bart. of Bradbourne, consolidated the estate. By marrying Margaret, daughter of Sir John Marsham, 1st Baronet of Whorne's Place, Cuxton, he allied with yet

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