My Ancestors Being the History of the Digby & Strutt Families
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MY ANCESTORS BEING THE HISTORY OF THE DIGBY & STRUTT FAMILIES BY LETTICE DIGBY PRIVATELY PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE, BALLANTYNE & CO. LTD. LONDON PREFACE So ME months of enforced idleness have given me great opportunities of thinking over the years that are passed. These memories are so radiantly happy that I felt con strained to try to chronicle them. In so doing I had occasion to refer to some of my ancestors, and this inspired me to collect all the information regarding them that I had at hand, in order that my nephews and nieces might have a simple chronicle of their lives. Some Digby papers and letters are in my possession, and I have been greatly helped by notes that my mother had made. The early Digby and early Strutt ancestors form a striking contrast-Digbys : courtiers, noblemen and states men ; Strutts : small yeoman farmers and artisans who, by their skill and integrity, became pioneers in industry and eminent citizens of Derby. Both families can claim at least one Fellow of the Royal Society. The Digby genealogical table has been compiled from an old printed pedigree entitled " A Genealogical Table of the Noble Family of Digby," which ends at Henry, 7th Baron and 1st Earl Digby, and from the Tree at Minterne, in the possession of the present Lord Digby, which was copied by the Honourable Theresa Mary Digby as a wedding present to my father. With few exceptions, the names on V both the Digby and Strutt tables are confined to those persons mentioned in the text. Many of the families were very large, and a full table, especially of the Digbys, would be too voluminous. In conclusion I must acknowledge all the great help given me by my family, and especially by my sister Emily. My nephew, Kenelm Hubert Digby, has written the his torical parts in the accounts of the ill-fated Sir Everard Digby and of Sir John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol, and the intro ductions to the letters from John, Robert and Edward, sons of William, 5th Baron Digby. I must also express my gratitude to my friends, Miss Margaret I. Robertson and Miss A. Dorothy Harrison, for their invaluable criticism; and to the printers for their careful reading of the proofs. L. D . Vl CONTENTS PAGE PART I. THE DIGBY ANCESTORS • • • I PART II. THE STRUTT ANCESTORS • • • 119 PART III. MY PARENTS • • • • • 139 . Vll PART I THE DIGBY ANCESTORS B GENEALOGY* OF THE DIGBY FAMILY I. l.Elmar (temp. William the Conqueror). EXPLANATION OF THE NUMBERS IN THE TABLE. I II. 1. Sir Everard Digby of Tilton, m. Amicia, dau. of --Bretton. The first and Roman figure indicates the generation. I The second figure, or letter, indicates the branch of the family and whether the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 6th son. III. I. William. Roman figure followed by ordinary numeral figures 1, 2, 3, 4 = Sir Kenelm Digby's (1836-1916) direct line. I ,, ,, ,, ,, figures i., ii. = Sir Kenelm Digby's (1603-r665) Branch. IV. 2~ Robert, m. dau. of-- Herle (temp. Henry II). ,, ,, ,, ,, numeral :figure in brackets (r) = The Earl of Bristol's Branch. I ,, ,, ,, ,, numeral with integer r1 = Simon, Bishop of Elphin's Branch. V. 1. Robert de Diggeby, m. Anne Fitzherbert. ,, ,, ,, ,, small letter "a" = Earl Digby's Branch. I ,, ,, ,, ,, capital letter "A" = The present Baron Digby's Branch. VI. 1. Sir John de Tilton or Sir John Digby, d. 12.69, m.Arabella, dau. I of Sir William Harcourt (temp. Henry III). VII. 1. John de Tilton. * In this Table, with a few exceptions, the names only of persons mentioned in these Memoirs are I recorded. VIII. 1. John de Tilton, m. Elizabeth Oseuil or de Oleville (temp. Edw. I). It is compiled from a copy of the Genealogical Tree now at Minterne, and from one published entitled I " A Genealogical Table of the Noble Family of Digby," which ends with Henry, 7th Baron and 1st Earl IX. 2. Henry,t m. Katharine Pakenham. Digby, d. 1793. I t According to the Genealogical Tree at Minterne, this should be Robert, but according to the older X. 1. Simon of Tilton and Stokedry. printed Genealogical Table, Robert died before hewas fourteen. I XI. 1. Sir Everard of Tilton and Stokedry and three brothers were all killed at Battle of Towton, r461; m. Jaqueta, dau. of Sir John Ellys. I I XII. 1. Sir Everard, d. 1509, of Tilton and Stokedry. XII. 2. Sir Simon, d. 1519,and five brothers who, with Everard and Simon,all fought at Batt)e of Bosworth, 1485. I I XIII. i. Sir Everard, d. 1540, ofTilton and Stokedry. XIII. 1. Reginald, d. 1549. I I XIV. i. Kenelm, d. I 590, of Tilton and Stokedry. XIV. r. John, d. 1558. I I XV. i. Everard, d. 1592, of Tilton and Stokedry, m. Mary, dau. of Francis Nele. xv. 1. Sir George, d. 1586. I I I I I I XVI. i. Sir Everard, 1578-1606 (executed), m. Mary, XVI. ii. George, d. 1675, m. Mary, XVI. 2. Sir Robert, d. 1614, m. Lettice, d. r658, dau. of Baron Offaly. XVI. 4. Sir John, created Baron Digby and Earl of Bristol, 1580-1653, dau. of William Mulsho. dau. of Sir George Chetwynd. I m. Beatrix, dau. of Charles W alcot and widow of Sir John Dyve. I I I I XVII. i. Sir Kenelm, r603-r665, m. Venecia, dau. of XVII. i. Jane, m. Charles, 4th XVII. 1. Robert, rst Baron Digby, XVII. 6. Essex, Bishop of Dromore, d. 1683. XVII. (1). George, 2nd Earl of Bristol, K.G., 1612-1676, m. Anne Sir Edward Stanley. Lord Gerard. d. 1642, m. Sarah Boyle, dau. of I Russell, dau. of Francis, 4th Earl of Bedford. Roger, 1st Earl of Cork,and widow XVIII. 11• Simon, Bishop of Elphin, d. 1720. I I I I of Sir Thomas Moore. I I XVIII. i. Kenelm, killed at the XVIII. ii. John. I I XVIII. (1). John, 3rd Earl of Bristol, d. 1698, XVIII. Anne, m. Battle of St. Neots, r648. XVIll. i. Digby, b. r662. XVIII. r. Kildare, 2nd Baron Digby, d. r661, m. Mary, d. 1692, dau. of Robert Gardiner. m. 1st, Alice, dau.of Robert Bourne ;.2nd, the Earl of I Rachel, dau. of Sir Hubert Windham. Sunderland. I I I XIX. 1. Robert, 3rd Baron Digby, r654-1677. XIX. 2. Simon, 4th Baron Digby, 1657-1685. XIX. 3. William,5th BaronDigby, 1660-1752,m.Jane Noel, dau. of Edward, 1st EarlofGainsborough. I I I I I XX. 1. John, d. 1747. XX. 2. Robert, d. 1726. XX. 4. Edward, d. 1746, m. Charlotte, dau. of Sir Stephen Fox. XX. Mary, d. 1729. I I I I I I XXI. 1. Edward, 6th Baron Digby, XXI. 2. Henry, 7th Baron and 1st Earl XXI. 3. Robert (Admiral), 1732-1815, m. Eleanor, d. XXI. 4. William (Dean of Durham), XXI. 5. Stephen, 1742-1800, m. 1st, Lucy Fox-Strangways, dau. of Stephen, 1730-1 757. Digby, 1731-1793, m. 2nd, Mary, 1830, dau. of Andrew Elliot, GovernorofNewYork, 1733-1788, m. Charlotte, dau. of m. 2nd, Charlotte Margaret, rst Earl of Ilchester. dau. of John Knowler. and widow of James Jauncey. Joseph Cox. dau. of Sir Robert Gunning. I I i I I I I I XXII. (a). Edward, 8th Baron and 2nd XXII. Charlotte Maria, d. 1807, m. XXII. I. Sir Henry, G.C.B. (Admiral), 1770-r842, m. Jane XXII. 2. William (Prebendary of Worcester), 1774-1848, m. rst, XXII. Charlotte Elizabeth, d. r820, Earl Digby, 1773-18 56. William Wingfield-Baker. Elizabeth, d. 1863, widow of Viscount Andover and Almeria Augusta, dau. of Hon. Lucius Ferdinand Cary; m. William Digby (Prebendary of dau. of Thomas William Coke, rst Earl of Leicester. 2nd, Charlotte Elizabeth, d. 1820, dau. of Hon. Stephen Digby. Worcester). I I I I XXIII. 1. Edward St. Vincent, 9th Baron Digby, 1809-1889,m. Theresa Fox-Strangways,dau.of Henry Stephen, 3rd Earl of Ilchester. XXIII. 2. Kenelm Henry (Hon. Canon of Norwich), 18II-1891, XXIII. Jane Elizabeth, 1807-1881, m. 1st, I m. Caroline, 1810-1866, 5th dau. of Edward Sheppard. Edward, 1stEarlofEllenborough, 1790- XXIV. (A). Edward Henry Trafalgar, roth Baron Digby, 1846-1920, m. Emily Beryl, dau. of Hon. Albert Hood. I 18 7 I ; 2nd, Charles, Baron Venningen XXIV. 1. Sir Kenelm Edward, G.C.B., 1836-1916, m. Caroline of Bavaria; 3rd, Cheikh Medjuel el Strutt, 1848-192.6, dau. of Edward, 1st Baron Belper. Mazrab. [To/act p. 3. I. 1.Elmar (i IN THE TABLE. I II. r. Sir Evera I ivhether the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 6th son. III. r. William.ir Kenelm Digby's (1836-r9r6) direct line. I ir Kenelm Digby's (1603-r665) Branch. IV. 2. Robert, fhe Earl of Bristol's Branch. I imon, Bishop of Elphin's Branch. V. r. Robert d:arl Digby's Branch. I ~he present Baron Digby's Branch. VI. r. Sir John-- VII. r. John1 deoff , persons mentlone. d 1n. t h ese M emoirs. are VIII. r. John de: Minteme, and from one publishedentitled I 1 ends with Henry, 7th Baron and 1st Earl IX. 2. Henry,t I iuld be Robert, but according to the older X. r. Simon oi I XI. 1. Sir Even at:E I XII. r. Sir Everard, d. 1509, of Tilton and Stokedry. I XIII. i. Sir Everard, d. r 540, ofTilton and Stokedry. I XIV. i. Kenelm, d. r590, of Tilton and Stokedry. I XV. i. Everard, d. 1592, of Tilton and Stokedry, m. Mary, dau. of Franc I I I XVI.