Researching this branch of the family tree was nothing short of some amazing finds.
Who were the Herricks?
To follow their story and to have a glimpse of life as it was in the 1500 - 1600's was rather special, and thanks to the efforts of one of the ancestors in arranging a collection of the papers of the family, compiled in 1858, and held at the Oxford Library Special Collections.
But who transcribed it? As ancestors we really should appreciate the digitising of the records.
One rainy day I started to read the papers, online, then printed them, all 125 pages of them.
The papers chronicled events over a couple of centuries, and delving into them painted a picture of just who the Herricks were.
The Herricks were a Leicestershire family of considerable antiquity and standing. The family is found at Great Stretton in the thirteenth century and at Houghton on the Hill in the fifteenth century; Thomas Herrick, son of Robert Herrick of Houghton on the Hill, established the family in Leicester, becoming Borough Chamberlain in 1511 - 12.
Both his sons became Mayor of Leicester; Nicholas in 1552 and John in 1557 and again in 1572. John had five sons and seven daughters and it was his youngest son, William, who purchased Beaumanor in 1595.
William was a goldsmith in London, having been apprenticed to his brother, Nicholas, father of the poet, Robert; he undertook a diplomatic mission to the Grand Turk in 1580 - 81 on behalf of Elizabeth I; he was appointed royal jeweller to James I in 1603; knighted in 1605 and made a Teller of the Exchequer in 1616.
In 1832 on the death of William Herrick (1745 - 1832) the family estates passed to his nephew, William Herrick, son of Thomas Bainbrigge Herrick and his wife Mary, who was the daughter and heiress of James Perry of Wolverhampton.
William assumed the name of Perry in addition to Herrick in 1853. It was through the Perry connections that the Herricks acquired their estates in Staffordshire, Herefordshire and Wales. William Perry Herrick died, without issue, in 1876 as a result of a hunting accident; his widow, Mrs. Sophia Herrick, remained at Beaumanor until her death in 1915 when the estates passed by will to William Curzon, son of the Hon. Montagu Curzon, a younger son of Earl Howe of Gopsall, Leicestershire. William Curzon assumed the name of Herrick in 1915.
There is a wealth of information to be found on an internet search.
Herrick comes from the Old Norse
name Eirikr, comprising the elements eir meeaning
"mercy" and rik meaning "power." The
"H" got added later as the name was more and more used in
England.
The name was first found in Leicestershire, which had been an
area of intense Danish settlement, and with one family there. DNA analysis points to
a single family origin.
Family lore relates
the Herricks to Erick the
Forester at the
time of William the Conqueror. Herrick first surfaced as a name in
Leicestershire in the 13th century when Henry Eyrick witnessed charters at
Wigston Magna. The Herricks remained in Wigston until the 20th
century. Other members of the family were recorded nearby, at Great
Stretton in the 13th century and at Houghton–on-the-Hill two hundred years
later.
Thomas Herrick, son of Robert Herrick of Houghton, moved to Leicester where he was borough chamberlain in 1511. His sons Nicholas and John both became mayors of Leicester, while Sir William Herrick - the youngest of the five sons - became a goldsmith in London and such a prominent figure that he was knighted in 1605 and granted estates at Beaumanor.
Thomas Herrick, son of Robert Herrick of Houghton, moved to Leicester where he was borough chamberlain in 1511. His sons Nicholas and John both became mayors of Leicester, while Sir William Herrick - the youngest of the five sons - became a goldsmith in London and such a prominent figure that he was knighted in 1605 and granted estates at Beaumanor.
His
cousin Robert Herrick, born in London, was the
well-known poet.
Nicholas Herrick was the son of Robert and brother to our John Herrick
Nicholas Herrick was the son of Robert and brother to our John Herrick
1552 NICHOLAS HEYRICK,
Eldest son of Thomas Heyrick of Leic. 1517 and
descended from the ancient family of Eyrick or Heyrick of Stretton Magna and
Houghton,on,the,Hill, co. Leic., one of whose members was bishop of Lichfield
in the fourteenth century. He was born about 1512, enrolled a freeman of the
borough 1534-5, was one of the joint chamberlains 1539-40, died leaving issue
in 1562, buried at St. Martin's 8 April.
There is no M.l. to him, and his will,
if he made one, has not been found.
Ancient arms of Eyrick or Heyrick :-Argent, a
fess vair or and gules. The crest was added later in 1598.
(King Edward VI died 6 July 1553. Lady Jane Grey
proclaimed Queen 10 July, who, after wearing the vain pageantry of a crown for
ten days, returned to private life, and was shortly afterwards consigned to the
block by the order of Queen Mary. Queen Mary, proclaimed 20 July 1553). Interesting times in the lives of this branch!
John Herrick was the son of Thomas Herrick who was the borough chamberlain of Leicester in 1511. 
Ursula b 1536 m James Hawes Lord Mayor of London
Mary b 1540 m Sir John Benet Lord Mayor of London
Robert b 1540 m Elizabeth Manby This g.grandfather is our lineage
Nicholas b 1545 m Julia Stone
Helen b 1549 m A merchant Stone
William b 1557 m Joan May
John b 1559 m Susanna
Alice b 1559 m
 |
| Mayors chair |
The Council operated out of the Leicester Guildhall, which adjoins the Leicester Cathedral
 |
| Mayors Fireplace |
Lost Garden of Robert Herrick Found
Archaeologists
from the University of Leicester who are leading the search for the
lost grave of King Richard III announced today that they have made a new
advance in their quest.They have uncovered evidence of the lost garden of Robert Herrick – where, historically, it is recorded there was a memorial to Richard III.
Now the ‘time tomb team’ as they have become to be known has discovered paving stones which they believe belong to the garden.
The University of Leicester is leading the archaeological search for the burial place of King Richard III with Leicester City Council, in association with the Richard III Society.
In 1485 King Richard III was defeated at the battle of Bosworth. His body, stripped and despoiled, was brought to Leicester where he was buried in the church of the Franciscan Friary, known as the Grey Friars. Over time the exact whereabouts of the Grey Friars became lost.
The project which began two weeks ago has involved digging of two trenches at a council park- and this week a third trench was excavated. Earlier this week, the archaeologists confirmed they had found the church of the Grey Friars and now they have found the garden outside the church.
Philippa Langley, of the Richard III Society, said: “This is an astonishing discovery and a huge step forward in the search for King Richard’s grave. Herrick is incredibly important in the story of Richard’s grave, and in potentially helping us get that little bit closer to locating it.”
In the early 1600s, Alderman Robert Herrick, a mayor of Leicester, bought the land of the Grey Friars and built a large mansion house with a garden on the site. In 1612, Christopher Wren, father of the famous architect, was visiting Herrick and recorded seeing a handsome three foot stone pillar in Herrick’s garden. Inscribed on the pillar was: ‘Here lies the body of Richard III sometime King of England’.
This
is the last known record of the site of King Richard’s grave. Richard
is historically recorded as being buried in the choir of the Church of
Grey Friars.Thereafter, in 1711, Herrick’s descendants sold the mansion house and garden. After passing through various owners the mansion house was eventually pulled down sometime in the 1870s and the municipal buildings were built. However, Herrick’s garden seems to have remained a garden, or wasteland, up until the 1930s – 40s when it was tarmacked over to become a car park.
Mrs Langley added: “The discovery of Herrick’s garden is a major step forward and I’m incredibly excited. In locating what looks like one of the garden’s pathways and, potentially, its central area which could have once held the three foot stone pillar marking the location of King Richard’s grave, we could be that bit closer to finding the resting place of Britain’s last warrior king.”
Mr Buckley, Co-Director of University of Leicester Archaeological Services, said the area of paving was found at its southern end, composed of re-used medieval tiles laid in a haphazard pattern.
“The tiles were also extremely worn and of many different sizes. Although the date at which the paving was laid has yet to be confirmed, we suspect that it relates to the period of Herrick’s mansion. Interestingly, the 18th century map of Leicester shows a formal garden with a series of paths leading to a central point.
“The paving we have found may relate to this garden, but it lies outside the church to the south. Inside the church in this third trench, further investigation has revealed some large fragments of window tracery which could well relate to the east window, behind the high altar. If so, this may show that we are in the extreme east end of the building –near the choir where Richard III is said to have been buried.
“Having overcome the major hurdle of finding the church, I am now confident that we are within touching distance of finding the choir – a real turning point in the project and a stage which, at the outset, I never really thought we might reach.”
Work at the site will stop for a public open day between 11- 2 on Saturday September 8 and will resume next week. More details of the public open day here: http://news.leicester.gov.uk/newsArchiveDetail.aspx?Id=1671
The dig is being filmed by Darlow Smithson Productions for a forthcoming Channel 4 documentary to be aired later this year.
____
Photo 1: This is a stone frieze which may be from the Choir stall. Credit: University of Leicester
Photo 2: Philippa Langley, from the Richard III Society, is shown in Herrick’s garden. Credit: University of Leicester
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