in the French wars of the time of Henry VI; where he held high mand under the Duke of Bedford; whose executor he subsequently became。 Moreover; he did not neglect his spiritual welfare; since; together with his father…inlaw; Sir John Clifton; he erected one of the towers of Wymondham Church; in which he is buried on the north side of the high altar; and bequeathed to the said church “a piece of the True Cross and a piece of the Thorns of the Crown。”
2 See Carthew’s History of West and East Bradenham; pp。 87…89。
I regret to have to add that there is at present no actual proof of the descent of my family from this Sir Andrew。 Among the other manors that he possessed; however; was that of Rye in Hertfordshire; where our arms are still to be seen over the gateway of Rye House; which he appears to have built; that afterwards became famous in connection with the celebrated Rye House Plot。
The Haggard family reappears at Ware within a few miles of the Rye House in the year 1561; in the person of a churchwarden and freeholder of the town; which suggests that he was a citizen of some importance。 At Ware they remained for about 150 years。 To this I can testify; for once finding myself in that town with an hour to spare I went through the registers; in which the name of Haggard occurs frequently。 One member of the family; I recollect; had caused a number of his children to be baptised on the same day; Oct。 28; 1688; though whether this was because he suddenly became reconciled to the Church after a period of alienation; or is to be accounted for by a quarrel with the clergyman; I cannot tell。 Or had the civil wars anything to do with the matter?
Subsequently the family moved to Old Ford House; St。 Mary Stratford…le…Bow; where; I believe; they owned