clear then that they never were representatives of highly important
families. A statement of the antecedents of such esquires as I have been
able to trace, the names arranged in alphabetical order, follows.

John Beauchamp was almost certainly either that John Beauchamp of Holt
who was executed in 1386, or his son. In either case he was descended
from a younger branch of the Beauchamps of Warwick. [Footnote: Issues,
p. 232, mem. 26, Peerage of England, Scotland, etc., by G. E. C., vol.
1, p. 278.]

Patrick Byker, who was King's "artillier" in the tower of
London, [Footnote: 1362 Cal. C. R., p. 373.] was the son of John de Byker
who had held the same office before him. [Footnote: 35 Edw. III, p. 174
Cal. Rot. Pat. in Turr. Lon.] William Byker, probably a relative, is
mentioned from about 1370 on as holding that office [Footnote: Devon's
Issues, 1370, p. 33, Issues, p. 303, mem. 14.]. I have been able to
learn nothing further about the family.

Nicholas Careu: in the records one finds reference to Nicholas Careu the
elder and Nicholas Careu the younger [Footnote: Ancient Deeds 10681.].
Since the elder was guardian of the privy seal from 1372 to 1377
[Footnote: Rymer, p. 951, 1069.] and in 1377 was one of the executors of
the will of Edward III, it seems likely that the esquire was Nicholas
Careu the younger. At any rate the younger was the son of the older
[Footnote: C. R. 229, mem. 33 dorso, 12 Rich. II.] and they were
certainly members of the family of Careu in Surrey [Footnote: 1378 Cal.
Pat. Roll, p. 143, 1381-5 Cal. Pat. Roll, passim, Cal. Inq. P. M. III,
125.]. The pedigrees of this family do not show Nicholas the younger (so
far as I have found). But a Nicholas, Baron Carew, who may have been the
keeper of the privy seal, does occur [Footnote: Visitation of Surrey