Cambridgeshire, Linton - Lone v Millicent
Memorial to John 1704 and Elizabeth Lone 1705 and their eldest son John were the reason for the bitterest dispute in local church history.
Squire John Millicent of Barham Hall inherited the family estates in 1686 at the age of 29 and was the dominant figure in local politics. He led the life of a bachelor country squire with hunting , hard drinking and gambling providing the central focus for his life. He was a die-hard Tory and loyal to the Stuart cause even after the deposition of James ll in 1688. As a Jacobite wanting the restoration of James and his son, the Old Pretender, Millicent presented a local threat to William of Orange and the Whig government.
. But John Millicent’s Tory world collapsed in 1694 when a Gray’s Inn lawyer called John Lone purchased the Pembroke College Rectory lease which gave him control of repairs to the Chancel. By 1698 Lone had replaced Millicent as the County J.P and arranged for him to be stripped of all his County offices and Lone himself had been appointed as Deputy Lieutenant for the County. Lone took over control of the Guildhall in 1697, a bitter blow since the lease had been held by the Millicents for c140 years.
To display his huge wealth and to humiliate Millicent Lone built the Great House, in 1698 and purchased strategic properties including the Coffee House and the Red Lion coaching inn. Lone built his own family pew located to the left of the Chancel arch, as close as possible to the Chancel itself and the Millicent family pew. Lone’s pew could seat his wife Elizabeth and their 8 children whereas Millicents pew only had room for 6.
John Lone unexpectedly died aged 44 years in1700. He was buried under the family seat and a large monument, was erected nearby. Elizabeth was forced to witness the complete rehabilitation of John Millicent who was restored to all his former offices
In his private letters Millicent reveals his true enmity towards John Lone. The day after Lone’s burial he wrote to his friend Oliver le Neve, “ John Lone Esq. is dead; he lay in state for some days and was buried in his own seat as near to mine as possible. I did not know whether he did this to be neighbourly.”
Further misfortune overtook the Lones when Elizabeth died 1702 aged 37 The Lone heir John junior aged 19 , the hostility to the Millicents continued via uncle William Lone. William was determined to restore the Lone family fortunes and wreak his revenge. He was a wealthy London merchant who had a ruthless and vindictive personality. He now secured a 21 year lease of the strategically important Rectory and Guildhall leases. He waited for John Millicent to set off for London in June 1702. William immediately assembled a gang of workmen to “ repair the Chancel” as he was entitled to do under the terms of the Rectory lease.
Instead of making repairs William supervised the construction of a new large family pew inside the Chancel itself, immediately up against the arch of the Millicent Chapel! The ancient wainscoting was removed and a high brick wall built rising to half the height of the Chapel arch. John Lone’s body was “dug up and indecently exposed” before being re-interred under the new pew in the Chancel. Elizabeth was also re-buried next to him. John Millicent returned from London to discover that his view of the altar and pulpit was blocked by this new Chancel wall which, since it lay in the Rectory Chancel, was supposedly beyond the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Ely and the Linton Vicar. To add insult to injury William had placed a large monument on the disputed wall in memory of John and Elizabeth Lone. The inscription read:
"In sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection hereunder Interred lyeth the body of John Lone Esquire who in his Life time for his great abilities in the law his undeniable
Loyalty and good affection to his King and country was first put into the commission of the peace and afterwards made one of the deputy lieutenants of the county in both which places his equal and impartial distribution of justice gained him the universal good esteem of all who were not enemies to the rightful and lawful King William the third and noe friends to virtue valueing themselves only for that which in itself is not valuable—antiquity Who therefore denied Servius to be worthy of the Roman Crown
tho’ borne of a captive handmaid, unless it were the envious Or who upbraided Marius as an upstart who was called from the Plow to be governor of the Roman City, unless he were the Scirrolous. He departed his life the 10th day of May in the 44th year of his age leaving behind him a sorrowful widow and 8 children and not less lamented by his neighbours and acquaintances".
The venom in this epitaph can easily be seen in the references to his loyalty to William the Third and to those like John Millicent who only valued themselves for the antiquity of their families.
John Millicent went to the Church Courts in 1702 . William and the Lone family still resided at the Great House and William was still so determined to thwart the Squire that he inserted a clause in his Will to provide John’s children with £100 a year to continue the fight through the courts. However, it seems that Squire Millicent won his case because the Lone estate was wound up by Act of Parliament in December 1702 and William was fined £100 for his breach of Church law.
It should come as no surprise that Squire John Millicent rubbed in his victory by building the beautiful Millicent Memorial in his Chapel. His friend, Thomas Sclater of Catley Park , Lord of Great and Little Linton ensured that there would be no further disputes by purchasing the Rectory lease together with the Great House from the Lone Trustees in 1706 for £1500.
Linton historical society
Cambridgeshire, Linton - Lone v Millicent
Memorial to John 1704 and Elizabeth Lone 1705 and their eldest son John were the reason for the bitterest dispute in local church history.
Squire John Millicent of Barham Hall inherited the family estates in 1686 at the age of 29 and was the dominant figure in local politics. He led the life of a bachelor country squire with hunting , hard drinking and gambling providing the central focus for his life. He was a die-hard Tory and loyal to the Stuart cause even after the deposition of James ll in 1688. As a Jacobite wanting the restoration of James and his son, the Old Pretender, Millicent presented a local threat to William of Orange and the Whig government.
. But John Millicent’s Tory world collapsed in 1694 when a Gray’s Inn lawyer called John Lone purchased the Pembroke College Rectory lease which gave him control of repairs to the Chancel. By 1698 Lone had replaced Millicent as the County J.P and arranged for him to be stripped of all his County offices and Lone himself had been appointed as Deputy Lieutenant for the County. Lone took over control of the Guildhall in 1697, a bitter blow since the lease had been held by the Millicents for c140 years.
To display his huge wealth and to humiliate Millicent Lone built the Great House, in 1698 and purchased strategic properties including the Coffee House and the Red Lion coaching inn. Lone built his own family pew located to the left of the Chancel arch, as close as possible to the Chancel itself and the Millicent family pew. Lone’s pew could seat his wife Elizabeth and their 8 children whereas Millicents pew only had room for 6.
John Lone unexpectedly died aged 44 years in1700. He was buried under the family seat and a large monument, was erected nearby. Elizabeth was forced to witness the complete rehabilitation of John Millicent who was restored to all his former offices
In his private letters Millicent reveals his true enmity towards John Lone. The day after Lone’s burial he wrote to his friend Oliver le Neve, “ John Lone Esq. is dead; he lay in state for some days and was buried in his own seat as near to mine as possible. I did not know whether he did this to be neighbourly.”
Further misfortune overtook the Lones when Elizabeth died 1702 aged 37 The Lone heir John junior aged 19 , the hostility to the Millicents continued via uncle William Lone. William was determined to restore the Lone family fortunes and wreak his revenge. He was a wealthy London merchant who had a ruthless and vindictive personality. He now secured a 21 year lease of the strategically important Rectory and Guildhall leases. He waited for John Millicent to set off for London in June 1702. William immediately assembled a gang of workmen to “ repair the Chancel” as he was entitled to do under the terms of the Rectory lease.
Instead of making repairs William supervised the construction of a new large family pew inside the Chancel itself, immediately up against the arch of the Millicent Chapel! The ancient wainscoting was removed and a high brick wall built rising to half the height of the Chapel arch. John Lone’s body was “dug up and indecently exposed” before being re-interred under the new pew in the Chancel. Elizabeth was also re-buried next to him. John Millicent returned from London to discover that his view of the altar and pulpit was blocked by this new Chancel wall which, since it lay in the Rectory Chancel, was supposedly beyond the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Ely and the Linton Vicar. To add insult to injury William had placed a large monument on the disputed wall in memory of John and Elizabeth Lone. The inscription read:
"In sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection hereunder Interred lyeth the body of John Lone Esquire who in his Life time for his great abilities in the law his undeniable
Loyalty and good affection to his King and country was first put into the commission of the peace and afterwards made one of the deputy lieutenants of the county in both which places his equal and impartial distribution of justice gained him the universal good esteem of all who were not enemies to the rightful and lawful King William the third and noe friends to virtue valueing themselves only for that which in itself is not valuable—antiquity Who therefore denied Servius to be worthy of the Roman Crown
tho’ borne of a captive handmaid, unless it were the envious Or who upbraided Marius as an upstart who was called from the Plow to be governor of the Roman City, unless he were the Scirrolous. He departed his life the 10th day of May in the 44th year of his age leaving behind him a sorrowful widow and 8 children and not less lamented by his neighbours and acquaintances".
The venom in this epitaph can easily be seen in the references to his loyalty to William the Third and to those like John Millicent who only valued themselves for the antiquity of their families.
John Millicent went to the Church Courts in 1702 . William and the Lone family still resided at the Great House and William was still so determined to thwart the Squire that he inserted a clause in his Will to provide John’s children with £100 a year to continue the fight through the courts. However, it seems that Squire Millicent won his case because the Lone estate was wound up by Act of Parliament in December 1702 and William was fined £100 for his breach of Church law.
It should come as no surprise that Squire John Millicent rubbed in his victory by building the beautiful Millicent Memorial in his Chapel. His friend, Thomas Sclater of Catley Park , Lord of Great and Little Linton ensured that there would be no further disputes by purchasing the Rectory lease together with the Great House from the Lone Trustees in 1706 for £1500.
Linton historical society