[Illustration: F]<g>OUNDER.</g>--Hugh de Laci was an adventurer in the suite of William the Conqueror; and, like most of his Norman followers and compatriots, received in compensation of services, or in testimony of the royal favour, certain grants of land from which the ancient Saxon nobility had been expelled. All that we learn of his subsequent career is, that he founded the Priory of <g>Llanthony</g> in the manner already described, spent his days in strict religious seclusion, and departed this life in the odour of sanctity--but without issue. His possessions, therefore, were divided between his two surviving sisters, Ermeline and Emma--the former of whom died without heirs; and the latter, married to a gentleman, whose name has not descended to posterity, had by her husband a son named <g>Gilbert</g> de Laci. The latter, by his marriage with a lady unknown to the chronicler, had two sons, <g>Hugh</g> and <g>Walter</g> de Laci. Hugh died without issue, and Walter espoused Margery, daughter of Matilda de <g>S. Walerick</g>, wife of William <g>de Brewes</g>. To this family were born several sons and daughters; all of whom died without heirs, except <g>Gilbert</g> de Laci, who took to wife the Lady Isabella, one of the five daughters of the great warrior William, Earl <g>Marshall</g>, of whose family history and exploits some account has been given in our notice of Tinterne Abbey. <g>Margery</g>, daughter of the above-named Gilbert and Isabella de Laci, was married to John <g>de Verdon</g>; and at the death of her father, who left no male issue, she became joint heiress with her sister Matilda, the wife of Galfrid <g>de Genevile</g>. From <g>Walter</g> de Laci, the right of all his inheritance descended to a certain <g>Gilbert</g> de Laci, as his son and heir; and from the said Gilbert, in default of male issue, it descended to his two sisters Margery and Matilda aforesaid, co-heiresses; between whom the family property left by their father was equally divided. The above-named Margery, as we have said, married John _de Verdon_; and to <g>Nicholas</g>, her son by this marriage, descended all the property she inherited from her father. From Nicholas, who died without legitimate issue, the family estates passed to his adopted brother <g>Theobald</g>, as his brother and heir. From Theobald, in like manner, they descended to <g>John</g>; from whom, having no heirs, they descended to <g>William</g>, who also dying childless, they descended to Johanna, Elizabeth, Margery, Isabella, and Catherine, daughters and coheiresses of the above-named Theobald de Verdon. Of these, Catherine dying unmarried, her share of the property fell in equal proportions to her sisters; the eldest of whom wedded Thomas <g>de Furnivall</g>: Elizabeth, the second daughter, married Bartholomew <g>de Burghersh</g>; Margery, the third daughter, William <g>Blount</g>; and Isabella took to husband Henry <g>de Ferrers</g>--names well known in history.