The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. II.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.

Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Logeuile : for Longueville, a branch of the house of Giffard, Barons of Longueville and Bolbec, near Dieppe. Henry de Longavilla, in 1165, held of Lovetot Overton (now called Orton) Longueville in Huntingdonshire.—Liber Niger. Roger de Longueville is mentioned in the same county about 1200. Rot. Curiae Regis; William, in Herts, and Richard, in Bucks, 1190-98.—Ibid. In the early part of the fourteenth century, the existing church of Overton-Longueville was built by one of this family, supposed to be commemorated by the mutilated effigy of a knight placed between the chancel and the North chantry. Some have, however, assigned to it a much earlier date. The knight lies cross legged, with a heater shield on his right arm, and a couchant lion at his feet. In any case it is clear that he was a soldier of the Cross, and the ghastly legend attached to him, and preserved by Bishop Kennet, must be based on some desperate encounter with a Paynim in the Holy Land. "According to local tradition, the figure represents a Lord Longueville, who in fighting with the Danes near this place, received a wound in his belly, so that his entrails fell out, but wrapping them round the wrist of his left hand, continued the combat with his right hand till he had killed the Danish King, and soon after fell himself." In early times Dane and Saracen were convertible terms, being classed together under the common name of Infidels. As an instance in point, I may quote the monkish genealogy of the Husseys, where the Danish invaders are called Saracens.

We next find the family in Northamptonshire, where Henry de Longueville, "deduced from Walter Lord of Overton, co. Hunts, &c., in Domesday," sat in parliament for Northampton in 1310 and 1311. His son Sir John was knight of the shire in 1314, 1315, and 1319; and one of the Justices, Conservators of the peace, and Commissioners of array for the county. He founded a house for Augustine Friars at Northampton, which became the burial place of the family, and "was seated at Little Billing, as were his successors for eight generations." He also held Weston-Turville in Buckinghamshire. Another John Longueville, who was Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in 1394, and died in 1430, acquired through his wife Wolverton, in the latter county, which had been the seat of the Domesday barony of Maigno Brito, and was held by his descendants for three hundred years. "This marriage with the heiress of Wolverton not only furnished the family with a residence in Buckinghamshire, but greatly augmented their wealth and influence in this county. Sir George Longueville, son and heir of John, gained a still further accession of honour with his first wife Elizabeth Roche, whose grandson and heir, Richard Longueville, enjoyed the barony of Roche, and jointly with Ferrers of Chartley, that of Birmingham, of her inheritance."—Baker's Northamptonshire. Richard's son, Sir John, whose years far exceeded the term allotted by modern theorists to human life, left no legitimate children, and was the last of the line. Leland, whose contemporary he was, speaks of him in his Itinerary: "Langeville an 103 Yeyres old made his Landes from his Heires general to his Bastard Sunne Arture." This Arthur bore the name and arms of Longueville; and "Sir Edward, his great grandson, in reward for pecuniary assistance rendered to King Charles at Edinburgh, was created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1638. He lived to see the Restoration, and dying in 1661, was succeeded by his son and heir Sir Thomas, who was killed by a fall from his horse near Wolverton in 1685, and left an only son Sir Edward, third baronet, who was a zealous Catholic, and sold Billing to support the cause of James II., the very day the army declared for the Prince of Orange at Blackheath. Within a few months, his necessities compelled him also to dispose of Wolverton. He met with a similar fate to his father, being thrown from his horse and killed at Bicester races in 1718; and leaving no issue, the title devolved on his cousin and brother in law Sir Thomas, the fourth and last baronet; and he, too, dying without issue, the baronetcy became extinct."—Ibid. Wolverton was sold to "the celebrated physician Dr. Radcliffe, who bequeathed it, with other large estates in trust for the University of Oxford."—Lysons. The seat of the Longuevilles, rebuilt in 1586, and described by Browne Willis as "a magnificent mansion," has been pulled down; but the keep of Maigno Brito's castle still remains near the vicarage.

Sir Michael Longueville, the fourth son of Sir Henry, married Lady Susan Grey, daughter of Charles, seventh Earl of Kent, and sister and heiress of Henry, eighth Earl. Their only son, Charles, "claimed, and was allowed, the barony of Grey de Ruthyn, in 1640, and was introduced into the House of Lords the 10th of February, 1640: but he did not enjoy the peerage long, deceasing in 1643, in the King's garrison at Oxford. He married Frances, one of the daughters and co-heirs of Edward Neville, and left an only daughter, Susan, who married Sir Henry Yelverton, Bt."—Banks. Her grandson Henry was created Viscount Longueville in 1690, but this title became extinct in 1799, at the death of his descendant Henry, third Earl of Sussex.

It was revived no later than the following year in favour of an Irishman, Richard Longfield of Longueville, Governor of the county of Cork, who had been created Baron Longueville in 1795. He left no posterity, but the family is still represented at Longueville. Though its pedigree, as given by Burke, claims for it nothing beyond "ancient descent," it may possibly be derived from the same stock as the house of Wolverton. The arms, Gules a chevron Ermine between seven cross-crosslets fitchee, favour this supposition, for they are very nearly the same as these used by the English Longuevilles, viz.: Gules a fesse dancettee Ermine between six cross-crosslets Argent.