1685, is believed to have become entirely extinct in
the early part of the last century.
I must now ask you to concentrate your attention upon the
elder branch, which was seated at Halden; that of Sir Edward Guldeford
whose monument (we trust an imperishable one) is the south chapel of the
present Church of Rolvenden, which he founded on April 14th, 1444. He
married Eleanor, the daughter of Thomas Lord Delawarr, and had issue an
only son, Sir Richard, who died in Spain childless; and here, as a
passing observation, we may note the early connection of the family with
Spain, which was begun by the half-brother of Sir Edward Guldeford, Sir
Henry, who was created a Knight of the Garter, and distinguished himself
in the wars of King Ferdinand of Spain against the Moors, being present
at the taking of Grenada. For this service, he received from that
monarch a picturesque addition |
|
to the arms of the family, in
the form of a canton charged with the pomegranate (the apple of
Grenada), which, as it was borne by his collateral descendants, was
apparently given to his family as well as to himself. He died without
issue in the 23rd year of Henry VIII. This intimate connection with the
Spanish Court was, as we shall see hereafter, not unfruitful in its
results to the family in the day of trial and misfortune. We revert,
from this passing digression, to the family of Sir Edward, the elder
half-brother of the Spanish crusader (if we may so term him), and our
eye falls first upon that member of the family which forms the central
point of interest and attraction, in its long and chequered history. The
Lady Jane Guldeford, who became the heiress of her brother Sir Richard,
was early married to one whose political intrigues and |