Open Writing

Next day Muriel told May that she had looked up the name Paulet in a copy of Webster's Biographical Dictionary which she had found among her father's old books.

She proceeded to read out the following list of names.

Sir Annas Paulet - 1536 -1588 Lt. Governor of Jersey - commissioner at trial of Mary Queen of Scots and famous as her Puritan guardian - refused to take suggestions to murder her privately.

Sir William Paulet - 1485-1572 First Marquis of Winchester - honoured by Henry VIII. Lord President of Council and one of Council of Regency. Lord Treasurer 1547. Joined Lords at Baynard Castle who proclaimed Queen Mary in place of Lady Jane Gray. Also gained favour of Queen Elizabeth and was treasurer (1550-72).

Grandson William Paulet (1535-1598) Third Marquis of Winchester commissioner at trial of Mary Queen of Scots - Lord Steward at her funeral.

John Paulet (1598-1675) The great loyalist after fortifying and garrisoning Basing House in Hampshire against Cromwell (1643-45) suffered by imprisonment and loss of property.

"Isn't that interesting," interjected May. "All along I thought he was against the King and for Cromwell when we were reading it yesterday. It must have meant that those who tried and condemned him were Cromwell's men even though they were in the House of Lords. Do you remember how we commented on the words, pretend Parliament? Well now we know what they meant."

Charles Paulet (1625-1699) - against Stuart cause - supported Whigs and William of Orange on his landing. Precipitated Marlborough's disgrace by disclosing to the King.

Charles Paulet (1661-1722) - 7th Marquis of Winchester - Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Charles Paulet (1685-1754) 8th Marquis of Winchester - deprived of offices because of opposition to William Walpole Married an actress, Laurissa Fenton, in 1751.

Harry Paulet (1715-1794) 11th Marquis of Winchester.

"And not a Peter Paulet amongst them. How disappointing for you," said May.

"Well, my informant might have had the first name wrong, but there must have been some evidence for her claims. Anyway, back to our research. One reference I wanted to find again was the one relating to Anne Boleyn. Here it is and this is about William Paulet, the 1st Marquis of Winchester:
When the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out in the Autumn, Paulet took joint charge of the musters of the Royal Forces and himself raised two hundred men. As the rebels complained of the exclusion of noblemen from the King's Council, Henry reminded them of the presence of Paulet and others. In carrying out his Royal Master's commands, he was not, it would appear, unnecessarily harsh. Anne Boleyn excepted him from her complaints against the council. "The controller was a very gentleman" she admitted.

"Amyas Paulet, a nephew I presume, who was in the king's service at the same time, is also an interesting character. He was Mary Queen of Scot's last jailer. His first action was to take down Mary's cloth of state with her famous motto 'In my End is my Beginning' which she had hanging over her chair in all her prisons since the days of Shrewsbury. Paulet was a Puritan who found Mary irritating and tiresome and offending to his high principles. He repeatedly ignored her complaints regarding her health and stopped her outings to Buxton Baths on the pretext that by her alms to the poor she might gain popular support. She was not even allowed to take the air nor to receive correspondence except from the French Ambassador. He refused to baptise the child of one of Mary's servants, and was scandalised when Mary herself baptised the baby as a Catholic.

By the time the Babington Plot was taking shape. Mary had to be moved to Chartley due to her ill health. It was during that time that Paulet broke into her apartments while she was lying ill in bed and unceremoniously seized her money according to Elizabeth's instructions. Paulet was entrusted with several letters from Mary to Elizabeth and others.

He delayed dispatching these for fear that Elizabeth might be touched by them and revoke the Death Warrant. It took almost a year for the other letters to be received by the addressees. Paulet also attended Mary's execution and was knighted after it.''

"I don't think he sounds like a relative that I would want to boast about," said May. "Your other relation, William, was much kinder and more honest, from what we have read. What if one of your ancestors had carried a royal title? Could you now call yourself a marchioness?''

Muriel smiled. "I could only have that title if I was married to a marquis. Daughter of a marquis and marchioness were called lady. My ancestors were earls and marquis.''

"But after all this research we are no nearer to finding out anything about the ring,'' said May. "That was the purpose of our investigations. I think we have been going in the wrong direction. Why don't you write to that relative of your grandfather's and find out the addresses of the other grandchildren of the Marchioness, if that is what she was. Even if you find out that the ring has been sold, and no-one knows where it is you would feel that your researches had achieved something.''

"The eldest son of a Marquis is by courtesy given his father's second title, which should be the next rank down, which is Earl, but if his father doesn't hold an earldom, he goes by whatever lesser title is available,'' Muriel said, continuing to reveal the results of her investigations. "Other children are Lords or Ladies with both the forename or surname. So if our line had continued, and my father had been the oldest son he would have been the Marquis of Winchester. And if I had a brother, he would be the Earl of Wiltshire, and I would be Lady Muriel Paulet.

"Marquis are normally adressed as 'My Lord'. In writing they were addressed as 'The Most Honourable the Marquis of Winchester' or wherever. These days forms of address are no longer as formal as that. 'Dear Lord Winchester' suffices.''

"Is that the form of address you used when you wrote to the Earl of Beauchamp?"

"I wrote 'Dear Earl and Countess'. It was pleasing that Lettice asked us to address her by her first name and we did not have to curtsy, but in subtle ways she conveyed her quality and title.''

"Yes,'' said May. "These nobles almost behaved like royalty, yet they only came by their titles because they had done something which pleased a king.''

"My noble family also left their mark on America,'' said Muriel, refusing to take offense. "There's a town called Winchester in New Hampshire, named in 1733 in honour of
Sir Charles Paulet. A church built in 1736 still stands there.''

"That isn't very old for a church,'' said May, with the faintest hint of subversion.

"It's old for America,'' said Muriel tartly.

With that May said it was dinner time and took her departure. As she was leaving, with a huge grin on her face, she curtsied to Muriel.