The Pelham Family

Laughton, it was the home of the Pelhams and their last resting-place. Their famous Buckle is on the doorway, their helmets are over the chancel arch, forty of them lie in its vault - earl, duke, and bishop; lords, knights, and baronets.

But the chief of all the Pelhams, the famous Sir John of the 14th century, lies under a farm in an unknown grave, with the builder of Bodiam Castle somewhere near him in another grave.

A church of great simplicity it is, with little that looks old except fragments of screen tracery in the new panelling of the chancel; but the outside of the chancel is charming, built of rounded flints, adorned with crocketed pinnacles, and with a lovely priest's doorway.

There is a chancel window to the Earl of Chichester put there by thirty tenants. There are two small alabaster tablets, one in Oxford and one in Cambridge blue, and are to a father and a son, the sixth and seventh Earls of Chichester, latest representatives of the Pelhams at that time. On them are those beautiful words of David and Jonathan:

 

They were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in death they were not divided.

For the father died on November 14, 1926 and his boy eight days later at 21, earl for a week. The ivy was creeping up the 16th-century tower, and well above it all was the Pelham buckle, still on every wall of this old place. A mass of tiled roofs rise one above the other, with corniced and battlemented walls, and with terracotta work rare in England.

Here lived the Pelhams in their famous days. Thomas and Grace Pelham with their five beautiful daughters and their two sons. One of the sons became a duke, and both became Prime Ministers. It was at Henry Pelham's death that David Garrick wrote a poem calling on Englishmen to unite for their country's sake:

 

For this great end let all combine, Let virtue link each fair design, And Pelham live in you.

For five hundred years the Pelhams have lived in Sussex and its members have held high rank in Parliament, in the Army, and in the Church. The founder of the family is said to have been William of Bec Crespin, who came over with the Conqueror and held land at Brent Pelham in Hertfordshire.

The first of the family who stands out in history is John de Pelham who shared with another Sussex warrior, Sir Roger de la Warr, the honour of the capture of King John of France at Poitiers, the buckle of whose surrendered sword is the Pelham badge to this day. He was knighted, served under John of Gaunt in his wars, and was probably buried in Canterbury Cathedral.

His son John was even more famous as an adherent of the House of Lancaster. He landed with Henry of Bolingbroke at Ravenspur when he came to dethrone Richard the Second and attended on him till he obtained the crown, while his wife bravely held his castle at Pevensey against the followers of Richard.

The new king made him Treasurer of England, granted him the honour of bearing the royal sword before him, and gave him many lands in Sussex. Henry the Fifth also held Sir John in high esteem, making him guardian of his prisoner, the youthful James the First of Scotland, and appointing him one of the ambassadors to arrange for his marriage with Catharine.

In his native county he strengthened the coast against the encroachments of the sea. He died in 1429 and was buried in Robertsbridge Abbey.

The next famous Pelham was Sir Nicholas, who distinguished himself in 1545 by defeating an attempted landing by the French. His brother, Sir William, conducted a ruthless campaign in Ireland, and it is said that it was because Sir Philip Sidney laid aside his defensive armour in emulation of him that he received his mortal wound.

The heads of the family continued in high positions, serving in Parliament and becoming baronets, Sir Thomas being made Lord Pelham in 1706. His two sons were famous Ministers of the Georges, Thomas being leader of the Whig party and holding offices of State for 46 years, twice as Prime Minister. His younger brother Henry was inseparably associated with him in public life.

He became Secretary for War in Walpole's administration in 1724 and in 1743 was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister. Three years later he gave William Pitt his first office in spite of the King's great dislike of that brilliant young man. Pelham, like Walpole, is chiefly distinguished for his measures to advance the material prosperity of this country.

When be died in 1754 the king declared, feelingly,

Now I shall have no more peace!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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