heraldryofyorkmi01custuoft

1 68 THE HERALDRY OF YORK MINSTER.
The Constables of Wassand are a younger branch of this family, being
descended from Sir William Constable, who purchased the estate of
Wassand in 1531. He was the fifth son of Sir Robert Constable, who died
in 1488, by Agnes, daughter of Sir Roger Wentworth. Amongst the
"funeral monuments" effaced at the repavement of the Minster, Drake
mentions, on the middle choir, east end, "a blue stone," having an
inscription to Marmaduke Constable, of Wassand, in Holderness, husband
of Elizabeth Shirley, who deceased i2th October, 1607.
In the fourth light of the great window of the north choir transept
there are several figures of the family of De Roos, the donors of this
window, amongst them there is a figure of a lady kneeling, probably
Margaret, daughter of Sir John Constable, who married Sir John Roos, and
on her gown appears barry of six or and azure. The same device may be
found on the second window east on the south side of the nave, where
there is a shield bearing barry of eight or and azure, impaling gules a cross
patonce"e or,* probably Sir Robert Constable, who married Avice, daughter of
Sir Roger de Lascelles. These are the arms of the other race bearing the
name of Constable, descended from Ulbert, son of the Constable who fought
on the side of the Conqueror at Hastings, and who married Evenburga de
Burton, an heiress, from whence they have been ever styled the Constables
of Burton Constable. In the time of Edward I. Sir Simon Constable
assumed these arms of his grandmother, Ela d'Oyri, in lieu of his paternal
bearing, viz., Or a fesse compony argent and azure, in chief a lion passant
gules. He seems to have had the confidence of the King, as he was
deputed by him, with Walter de Fauconberg, to hold an inquisition " ad quod
"damnum" at Marton, in Holderness. His son, Sir Robert, who died loth
year of King Edward III., 1336, married Avice, daughter of Sir Roger
de Lascelles, and coheiress with her three sisters, viz. :
Johanna, wife of
Thomas de Culwenne, of Workington, Cumberland ; Matilda, wife of
Sir William Hilton, of Swine ; Theofania, wife of Ralph FitzRanulph.
In
1620 Sir Henry Constable was made Viscount Dunbar by James I.,
but the title became extinct on the death of his grandson, William, fifth
Viscount Dunbar. He married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Hugh, second
Lord Clifford, of Chudleigh (who
after his
death became the wife of Charles
Fairfax, of Gilling), and bequeathed his estates to his nephew, Cuthbert
Tunstall, son of his sister Cecily, who had married Francis Tunstall, of
Skargill. Cuthbert Tunstall appears to have married his aunt's sister, viz.,
Amy, fifth daughter of Hugh, Lord Clifford, but on his line becoming
extinct the property passed to his great nephew, Sir Thomas Clifford, who
had been created a baronet in 1803, at the special request of Louis XVIII.
He assumed the name of Constable, and is
represented therein by his
grandson now.
* See coloured illustration.