When her education was completed, and she had grown to womanhood, he
took her to his home as his mistress, and she bore him a son, who was
christened Richard Cromwell. She was, however, looked upon askance by
the Quaker circles of Boston, not on account of her lowly birth, but
because of her disreputable connection with her "protector." Sir
Thomas Frankland, third baronet, died without male issue, in 1747, and
Charles Henry, his nephew, succeeded as fourth baronet. Seven years
after, he returned to England, with Agnes and his son, to dispute the
will of the late baronet as to the disposition of the family estates
at Thirkleby, near Easingwold. Sir Thomas made three wills; the first
in 1741, wherein he left a slender provision for his widow, leaving
the estates to his heir-male. In the second, made in 1744, he left
Thirkleby to his widow for life, to pass at her death to the then
holder of the baronetcy; and by the third will, dated 1746, he left
her the estates, producing £2,500 per annum, and the whole of his
personalty absolutely, and to dispose of as she chose. It was
contended that the last will was made when he was in an unsound state
of mind and under undue influence, and a lawsuit ensued, resulting in
the setting aside of the third and the confirmation of the second
will. The lawsuit gained, Sir Charles and Agnes went for a tour on the
Continent, and in the month of November, 1755, were sojourning in the
city of Lisbon. On the 1st of that month, the sun rose, shining with
almost unusual brightness, and the streets were filled with people
going hither and thither on matters of religion, business, and
pleasure, little dreaming of, and with nothing to indicate, the
catastrophe which was to befall their city. The Franklands had
breakfasted at their hotel, and Sir Charles, donning a Court suit,
started off in a carriage with a lady to witness the celebration of
High Mass in the Cathedral, leaving Agnes at the hotel. They had not
proceeded far, and were passing in front of a lofty building, when,
without warning, the terrible earthquake occurred, which in eight
minutes laid the city in ruins, and swallowed up 50,000 of its
inhabitants. The lofty building came crashing down, and buried the
carriage and its occupants. What became of the lady is not known, but
the horses were killed, and Sir Charles lay bruised and wounded
beneath the ruins for an hour. In full expectation of death, he
reflected on his past life, and, concluding that he was undergoing a
judgment of God for his misdeeds, and especially for having lived in a
state of concubinage, made a vow that if he should be rescued, he
would show his repentance by marrying the partner of his guilt. Agnes
had escaped unhurt, and when the first shock had passed, fearful that
some mischance had befallen him, rushed out in the direction of the
cathedral, regardless of the still falling houses, in search of him.
As she was clambering over a heap of ruins, she heard moans issuing
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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