Lord William MONSON Viscount Castlemaine Ireland. [3173]

  General Notes:

VISCOUNT MONSON.
Sir William Monson Viscount Monson of Castlemaine (d. 1672) regicide, second son of Sir Thomas Monson (Master of the Armoury at the Tower and himself a man of note) and Margaret daughter of Sir Edmund Anderson Lord Chief Justice of Common Pleas was raised to Peerage of Ireland as Vis. Monson of Castlemaine. co. Kerry 23 Aug. 1628 and was knighted 13 Aug. 1633.
Became a member of Grays Inn same day, got estate at Reigate by first marriage, lost it by dissolute habits.
Refused to pay ship-money elected M.P. for Reigate 21 Oct. 1640 he opposed the court, and subsequently acted as a committeeman for Surrey. Nominated one of Kings judges, attended Jan 20 22 & 23 1649 but refused to take part in ultimate proceedings.
Placed on Committee appointed to receive and take note of the dissent of any member from the vote of 5 Dec. 1648. On 19 July 1649 he tried to persuade the house into the belief that the sum of L 4500, was owing him as arrears of the pension due to his late wife the Countess of Nottingham, but he lost his motion by two votes. The Long Parliment when restored in May 1659, was obliged, in order to form a quorum, to send for Monson and Henry Marten from the Fleet prison where both were for debt.
At Restoration he was excepted from bill of pardon, as to pains and penalties and on surrendering himself on the 21 June 1660 was recommitted to Fleet. On 1 July 1660 brought up to bar of House of Commons made to confess his crime, was degraded from all titles and honours and deprived of all property. Sentenced to be drawn from Tower through City of London to Tyburn and so back again with halter about his neck and to be imprisoned for life.
In petitioning the House of Lords 25 July 1661 to remit what was most ignominious in his sentence, Monson declared that his design in sitting at the Kings trial was if possible to prevent that "horrid murder".
The ignominious part of the sentence was duly carried out each year on the anniversary of King's sentence 27 Jan, Monson appears to have died in the Fleet prison about 1672.
His estate at Reigate was granted to Duke of York.
1st wife Margaret d 1639 daughter of James Stewart earl. of Murray and widow of Charles Howard earl of Nottingham.
2nd wife was Frances Alston. Daughter of Thomas Alston of Polstead Suffolk by whom he left a sum Alston, d 1674 without issue.
3rd wife. (d. 1695). Elizabeth 2 d. of Sir George Reresby Kt. of Thryberg, Yorkshire widow of Sir Francis Foljambe Bart. of Aldwick.
Wikipedia.

Chelsea Manor
All the Hamilton estates were confiscated under the Act for the sale of estates forfeited for treason. (fn. 9) The duke's property in Chelsea, said to be worth £500 a year, was sequestered in 1649 on the grounds of his delinquency, (fn. 10) and in 1651 Chelsea Place was leased for seven years by the Commissioners for Compounding to William Heveningham and John Goodwin. (fn. 11) Meanwhile Monson, whose first wife Margaret had died in 1639, had married Frances Alston in 1646, (fn. 12) and as part of the marriage settlement his trustee conveyed the 40-year term to Frances's brothers, Sir Thomas, John, and Edward Alston in trust for Monson and his wife. (fn. 13) Monson had difficulty is getting the rents paid to him by 1646, and this was still a problem in 1651, (fn. 14) when he was in possession of the manor for payment of his mortgage debt and was said to be receiving c. £400 a year from the manor. (fn. 15) In 1652, when Monson and the Alstons were negotiating with the commissioners for the purchase of Chelsea manor (excluding Chelsea Place), they found that at least five undertenants had purchased their farms, which prevented the commissioners making a contract with Monson. (fn. 16) Monson succeeded in getting at least some of the sales reversed on the grounds of his rights in the manor, (fn. 17) but his efforts to buy the manor were eventually defeated because of the prior grant in 1638 to Sir John Hamilton, Lord Belhaven from 1647, (fn. 18) to pay Hamilton's debts. Belhaven assigned all his interest in the manor to Andrew Cole, the duke's agent, in trust to sell to pay off the creditors, beginning with Monson's mortgage. (fn. 19) Cole and Robert Austin, one of the principal creditors, contracted to purchase the forfeited manor, with the exception of Chelsea Place and some farmland, (fn. 20) supported in 1654 by a petition from the other creditors to the parliamentary trustees. (fn. 21) The trustees had simultaneously been negotiating to sell to Monson, but he was unable to raise the sum required until 1655. (fn. 1) In April 1654 all claims on Chelsea manor were examined and the parliamentary trustees conveyed the manor and Chelsea Place to a group of Hamilton's creditors. (fn. 2) William Heveningham and John Goodwin, lessees since 1651 of Chelsea Place, protested at being ejected from the house, having spent more than £1,000 making it habitable after the depredations by billeted soldiers; the creditors agreed to pay them £800 but their ejection was confirmed. (fn. 3) Monson's final attempt to purchase the manor in 1655 came too late, (fn. 4) but the mortgage debt owed to him was eventually repaid.
From 1655 rents were paid to Andrew Cole for the creditors and Chelsea Place itself was leased in two separate parts, to Charles Cheyne and Sir Henry Herbert. (fn. 5) Negotiations began in 1657 for the sale of both the manor and Chelsea Place to Charles Cheyne, (fn. 6) a Buckinghamshire gentleman who had acquired considerable wealth through his marriage in 1654 to Jane daughter of William Cavendish, duke of Newcastle. (fn. 7) Cheyne seems to have begun paying for the house in 1657 (£1,900), paying in instalments until the final payment for whole estate in 1661; the total cost was £13,626. (fn. 8) By that time Monson's mortgage (in the name of the Alston brothers) was finally paid off, (fn. 9) and a conveyance of the manor and Chelsea Place was made to Cheyne by Hamilton's heirs. (fn. 10)
Ref: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=28701&strquery=John%20Alston

MONSON v. ALSTON.
Bill, 12 June 1651, by Viscount Monson of Castlemaine v. Sir Thomas Alston, bart., Sir Edward Alston kt,, John Alston, esq., George Franklin and . . . . . his wife, and Anne Alston.
In 1646 orator assigned his interest in the manor of Chelsey, co. Middlesex, (of which he held a lease for about 30 years), to the three first named defendants, in trust for Mrs. Frances Alston, since his wife and now deceased, for her life, with remainder to his daughters by the said Frances, with power of revocation. Some time after Orator and his wife had great need for money, and endeavoured to sell the said lease, and whilst the business was perfecting the said Lady Frances, (having acquaintance with divers special friends) did borrow of them great sums of money, with
promise to repay, but by the procurement of the said trustees (as orator hopes to prove) these persons stood not to their agreement Not long after the said Frances was delivered of a daughter Frances, and within 14 days after her delivery, being the 29th June 1650, she died ; and at her death declared, in the presence of Sir Thomas Alston, Mrs. Anne Franklin, Mrs. Anne Alston and others, that instead of the said manor of Chelsey, her daughter should have
a portion of L3000 on her marriage. The said Mrs. Franklin and Anne Alston have fraudulently conveyed away from orator's house the deed of assignment aforesaid, into the custody of the said trustees, who have broken the key of the trunk in which it was kept, and taken out not only deeds. but jewels and other rich goods ; though they previously denied having any writings of the said Frances in their custody ; the said Lady was accustomed to leave
her monev &c. in the keening of the said Mrs. Franklin when she went out of town and had intended about a month before her death to have gone and lain in at Wymboldon in the country.
Collins. 572/196. 1651.
Alstoniana Page 200

MONSON v. ALLSTON.
Bill,. . . . . June 1651, by Viscount Monson v. Sir Thomas and Sir Edward Alston and others.
In 1646 orator assigned to Sir Thomas his lease of the manor of Grafton Underwood, co. Northants, in trust for Dame Frances his wife, and afterwards mortgaged woods therein to Sir Thomas for L1500 ; but he has received only L700 in hand ; in strictness of law the property is forfeit for non-payment, but orator has been, and is, a Parliament man, and never had any notice given him of their intentions against him.
Collins, 574/30. 1651.
Viscount Monson's self description as a "Parliament man" was a neat Roundhead touch to prejudice the Court against his Royalist brother-in-law.
Alstoniana Page 200

LORD MOUNSON v. ALSTON.
Being the answer of Sir Thomas Alston, Bart ; Sir Edward Alston, Kt,, John Alston and others, to the complaint of Viscount Monson ; sworn 25 June 1651.
One of the defendants, whose name is torn away at the head of the answer, is Anne Alston.
The bill apparently relates to charges made by the complainant as to breach of trust &c. in the custody of a small trunk containing papers and jewels belonging to complainant's late wife, and delivered into the keeping of one of her brothers, the said Sir Thomas or Sir Edward.
Bridges. 333. 1651.
Alstoniana Page 200

EARL OF PETERBOROUGH (sic) v. ALSTON.
Whittington. 2.
Answers, 1649 and 1650, of Sir Thomas Alston, bart., and of Edward Alston, Doctor in Physic, William Blomefeild and Joseph Alston, esquires, to the complaint of Elizabeth, countess dowager of Peterborough.
All the defendants believe their names are used as trustees of the manor of Grafton for Lady Temple and the Viscountess Monson. In 1639 or 1640 Sir Thomas received a certain sum of money on behalf of Lady Temple, but knows not what other money she has received or ought to receive from the Earl of Peterborough, &c. &c.
Alstoniana Page 199

VISCOUNT STRANGFORD v. SIR THOMAS ALSTON, Kt,
Answer, 26 June 1651, of Sir Thomas Alston, Kt. and bart., Sir Edward Alston, Kt., and John Alston esq., 3 of the defendants to the bill of Viscount Strangford, an infant by his guardian the Earl of Leicester.
The suit relates to property settled by Dame Frances Temple on Frances Alston, spinster, afterwards Viscountess Mounson. Shortly after his marriage with the said Frances Alston, Viscount Mounson granted to his said wife the disposal of the lease of the manor of Grafton, co. Northants, part of the property in question They deny they were parties to a mortgage alleged to be raised in July 1649, but believe that such a mortgage was raised,
Collins. 43. 1651.
Alstoniana Pg 200

COLE (sic) v. ALSTON.
Bill, 25 November 1656, by James Gold of London, merchant, and other creditors of James, late Duke of Hamilton, v. Lord Monson, Richard Wallop, Sir Thomas Alston, Sir Edward Alston and others.
The suit relates simply to transactions connected with the raising of money out of the manor of Chelsea ; the Alston defendants are made parties, as confederating with Lord Monson etc. "having some interest in the premises by conveyance or otherwise"
Another bill is attached to this by Andrew Cole of Westminster, Esq. v. the same defendants in a similar matter.
In their answer the Alston defendants acknowledge that the manor of Chelsea formed part of the jointure settled on their sister Frances on her marriage with Lord Monson.
Hamilton. 443, 1656. & Collins 583/76 1660
Alstoniana Pg 202

COLE v. ALSTON.
Collins. 588/76
Bill, 20 July 1660 by Andrew Cole of Westminster, co. Middlesex, esq. and other creditors of James, late Duke of Hamilton, v. Sir Thomas Alston.
Re financial transactions only between Viscount Mounson, and Sir Thomas, Sir Edward and John Alston gives no personal information at all.
Alstoniana Pg 203

William married Frances ALSTON [3171] [MRIN: 1070], daughter of Thomas ALSTON of Gedding Hall Polsted [3017] and Frances BLOMFIELD (BLOMEVIL) [3018], in 1646. (Frances ALSTON [3171] was baptised on 18 May 1618.)

William next married Margaret HOWARD [8848] [MRIN: 3085].

William next married Elizabeth FOLJAMBE [8849] [MRIN: 3086]. (Elizabeth FOLJAMBE [8849] died in 1695.)