N.B.--This Ralph Randolph, Or Ralph Peverell (Call Him As You
Please), Had, It Seems, A Most Beautiful Lady To His Wife, Who Was
Daughter Of Ingelrick, One Of Edward The Confessor's Noblemen.
He
had two sons by her--William Peverell, a famed soldier, and lord or
governor of Dover Castle, which he surrendered to William the
Conqueror, after the battle in Sussex, and Pain Peverell, his
youngest, who was lord of Cambridge.
When the eldest son delivered
up the castle, the lady, his mother, above named, who was the
celebrated beauty of the age, was it seems there, and the Conqueror
fell in love with her, and whether by force or by consent, took her
away, and she became his mistress, or what else you please to call
it. By her he had a son, who was called William, after the
Conqueror's Christian name, but retained the name of Peverell, and
was afterwards created by the Conqueror lord of Nottingham.
This lady afterwards, as is supposed, by way of penance for her
yielding to the Conqueror, founded a nunnery at the village of
Hatfield Peverell, mentioned above, and there she lies buried in
the chapel of it, which is now the parish church, where her memory
is preserved by a tombstone under one of the windows.
Thus we have several towns, where any ancient parks have been
placed, called by the name of Hatfield on that very account. As
Hatfield Broad Oak in this county, Bishop's Hatfield in
Hertfordshire, and several others.
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