orfeited by the attainder of his father Lyon or Leo, Lord Welles, slain at the battle of Towton, where he fought on the Lancastrian side, were restored to him in 1464–5, and in 1468 he obtained full restitution in blood and honours. But in 1469 he, his son-in-law Sir Thomas Dymock, and his son and heir, Sir Robert de Welles, were all beheaded near Stamford, in consequence of the latter's participation in the Lincolnshire rebellion. (fn. 42) The heir of Sir Robert de Welles (whose execution followed that of his father) was his sister Joan, who, being then the childless widow of Richard Piggott of London, married as her second husband Richard Hastings, brother to William, Lord Hastings, Chamberlain of the Household to Edward IV. (fn. 43) A faithful Yorkist, he obtained a grant in 1470 of the lands his wife would have inherited but for the attainder of her father and brother. Lilford and its member, as conveyed to himself and his wife Joan by grant of Thomas Fitzwilliam, senior, and Thomas Fitzwilliam, junior, (fn. 44) were expressly excepted from the act of attainder and forfeiture against Richard Lord Welles, his son Lord Robert, and his sons-in-law Thomas de la Laund and Sir Thomas Dymock and others, and from the petition for its repeal presented in 1485 (fn. 45) by the heirs of Lord Welles. In 1473 Lilford was conveyed by Sir Richard Hastings, kt., and Joan his wife, daughter and heir of Sir Richard Welles, kt., sometime Lord de Welles and Willoughby, to William Brown of Stamford, John Brown of Stamford, Sir William Stoke, kt., Thomas Stoke, clerk, John Elmes of Henley-on-Thames, and William Est. (fn. 46) In 1475 an exemplification was obtained at the request of William Brown of Stamford, merchant, of the article in the act of attainder exempting Lilford from its operation, as being at the date of the passing of the act in the hands of the Fitzwilliams, by whom it had been conveyed as above to Sir Richard Hastings and his wife, who afterwards sold it to the said William. (fn. 47)
William Brown settled the manors of Lilford and Papley on himself and his wife Margaret, with remainder to John Elmes and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of William and Margaret, for the life of Elizabeth, to William Elmes, the son and heir of John Elmes and Elizabeth, to John brother of the said William, and to the heirs of Elizabeth, and the heirs of each successively. Both William and Margaret died in 1489. (fn. 48) From this date the manor of Lilford follows the descent of Warmington and Papley (q.v.) to the death of Arthur Elmes in 1663. Jane, widow of Arthur Elmes, seems to have married Sir Francis Compton, kt. and had a life interest in the manor which she and her husband conveyed to Sir John Langham, kt. and bart. in 1666. (fn. 49) Arthur Elmes evidently died without issue and was succeeded by his cousin Thomas Elmes, the youngest son of Anthony Elmes of Greens Norton. He was knighted as Thomas Elmes of Lilford in 1688 (fn. 50) and died in 1690. He was succeeded by his brother William Elmes, who made various settlements of the manor of Lilford cum Wigsthorpe and the advowson. (fn. 51) He died in 1699, 'the last male branch of that ancient and honourable family of the Elmes.' (fn. 52) John Adams and other trustees under the abovementioned settlements conveyed the manors of Lilford and Wigsthorpe, the rectory and advowson, to Sir Thomas Powys in 1711, who took a fine of them in 1713. (fn. 53)
Sir Thomas Powys, the second son of Thomas Powys of Henley (co. Salop) and of Anne daughter of Sir Adam Littleton, was the judge who conducted the trial of the Seven Bishops in 1688. He died in 1719, and was buried at Lilford. (fn. 54) Thomas, his eldest son by his first wife Sarah, daughter of Ambrose Holbech (co. Warwick), who succeeded him, married Catherine, daughter and heir of Thomas Ravenscroft of Broadlane (co. Flint), and died in 1720. His son and heir, also named Thomas, married Henrietta daughter of Thomas Spence, Serjeant of the House of Commons. (fn. 55) He was succeeded by his son Thomas, who was M.P. for the county from 1774–97. A man of 