o ^ c ^^ A o '■^ .^^ ■>^ '^. V ^^ V A. - ' A "^ "^f- v^^ • V \- .0 . 0" o "o •/- » , 1 ^^. ^y / ■ \\ V-^- •, ^' '.V .v x> <> *'•. ^c' •>- c'^ ,\ ^i/. x 0. v. v.. G-^^' o •^-- o ^J' f5- '•^ ^. .0 ^ V^ ■■ O V >^ ' \ V V 'C-'' c- o '^.'t %. ^0 A' ..V -^., ^ •^^^ ^ •-r> b C i .\^ V. 4>\ ^ : -<. ^>:^^' ^^k^'^^A- c _ V- .^;- O .-r ■^;-/':^%^C ,0 ./- -^x •t. ..<; ,^ ,A- x. ,.A b<^ N"^ ^V.>?- -^ -'''■ ^^ .^•r. -- i>. ''"^-vXv^ Jo c %- *.«o'^ ^^ o ^,..' ^0 % "o^- \^, ^- ..." A <-. 'o. ." ,0^ fe %/ ;^^^ Vo^^ .:«: ^-^^ :«^ ^/ :^ - -> < ' ' 'T'-TTtTiaBigiTiii-rTTt '/IRCWIV. rP-.cl».r^, a^- A Royal Lineage: ALFRED THE GREAT . r 9OI-I9OI BY ANNAH ROBINSON WATSON. RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: WhITTET & S HEP PER SUN, PRINTERS. NINETEEN HUNDRED AND ONE. C 2 ',. / ,K2?t IX. \ i THf LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Two Copies Reonvio SEP. 13 1901 CLAsVft XXft, N». COPY A. Zo (Wi^ Cbilbren. Commendation from Prof. Lyon Gardiner Tyler, of William and Mary College. I have read this vakiable book, and cordially commend it for its general interest and accuracy, for the scope which it pre- sents, its literary merit, and the skill with which the subject is handled. It is the work of a careful and conscientious writer, who has won recognition in other departments of literary en- deavor, and who in this volume has succeeded in presenting in condensed form the result of much painstaking study. The royal line herein traced is undoubtedly historic, and it ought to be an inspiration to many people in our country to learn that some of the blood of the illustrious King Alfred courses through their veins. This book wull draw many persons closer to the great king, and his noble example, being made more realistic by the tie of relationship, cannot but be invigorating and purifying to them. Lyon G. Tyleel ILLUSTRATIONS. Cover Design — The Golden Dragon, Reade "Arms," Percy "Arms," Mortimer "Arms, Warner "Arms," Howell "Arms," Dymoke "Arms," Lewis "Arms," Robinson "Arms,' Westminster Hall. Westminster Hall. Tamworth Castle. The King's Champion. Marmion. Charter of Tamworth Castle. Alexander Robinson, Augustine Warner Dymoke "Arms," with quarterings from "Scrivelsby." Rose "Arms." The Lion Gateway from "Scrivelsby." Brass in Chapel from "Scrivelsby." Neville "Arms." W. C. West. Jane C. Slaughter. Bessie C. Grinnan. Old Portrait. Old Portrait. AUTHORITIES. Green's History of the English People. Alfred the Great. By Sir Walter Besant and others. Annals of the House of Percy. By Edward Barrington De Fon- blanque. Scrivelsby. By Reverend Samuel Lodge. M. A. Americans of Royal Descent. Browning. William and Mary College Quarterly. Virginia Historical Magazine. Weir's History of Horncastle. W. Jones' Crowns and Coronations. Banks' History of the Marniyuns. Palmer's History of the House of Marmion. London Encyclopaedia. Sharon Turner's History of the Anglo-Saxons. National Dictionary of Biography. Gentleman's Magazine, 1790, 18.21. 1802. Burke's History of the Commoners. Burke's Peerage. Curiosities of Popular Customs. Walsh. Benjamin Rush. Court of St. James. Burke's Landed Gentry. Strickland's Queens of England, Hume's History of England. Cabells and Their Kin. Alexander Brown. Lancelot's Queens of England. Hughes' Alfred the Great. Le Neve's Pedigrees of Knights. County Records. Land Grants. Hotten's List of Emigrants. History of the Ancient Ryedales. By Rev. G. T. Ridlon. poem. The divine command, " Honor thy father and thy mother," may not be Hmited in its application to one genera- tion. Its influence should lead to the honoring of our most remote ancestors — to the emulation of their virtues and the avoidance of their vices ; to a recognition of the efforts made by them for the betterment of mankind, and a loyal pride in all the good by them accomplished. Thou art no aimless drift from wreck of ocean, Upon a shore unconscious, idlj' cast. Thou art inheritor of primal forces ! To-dav holds in solution all the Past! Annaii Robinson Watson. Memphis, Tenn. A ROYAL LINEAGE: ALFRED THE GREAT. 901— 1901 T is claimed l)y many ancient writers that about the time of the Christian era a war- like prince of Asia left his kingdom near the Black Sea and came, with a mighty band of followers, to the Northwestern peninsula of Europe. According to these early historians, he established rule over a vast extent of country, which was inherited by his posterity, and nine generations later his descendant Cerdic founded the Kingdom of Wessex, 519. Of this kingdom, Winton Ceaster \vas the capital, and here was established the "Sanctuary of the house of Cerdic and Minster of the West Saxons." The present Cathedral of Winchester, begun in 1079, consecrated 1093, is supposed to stand upon the same spot as the edifice of Cerdic, and a still earlier temple built by the Romans. Christianity in Britain was already several centuries old, for three British bishops were present at the Council of yVrles, in Gaul. A. D. 314. The ruined xA.bbey of Glastonbury, in Somerset, is called "the lo A ROYAL LINEAGE: cradle of British Christianity," but just at what date it was established may not be positively stated. About the time of Cerdic or his imme- diate descendants the place was known as Ynys Avallon, or the Isle of Avallon. Here w^as the home of King Arthur, and here gathered his knights of the "Table Round," here was Arthur laid to rest, and hither came King Henry the Second to visit his sacred tomb. Here assembled in 1897 bishops of the Anglican communion from all parts of the world, and in this year of our Lord, 1901, have some of the sacred stones from the ruins of Glastonbury been brought to America to be used as a memorial in the Cathedral of Washington. It is a solemn and significant thought that the Church of God bears testi- mony through these historic stones to an existence which dates back to a period only a few centuries later than the life of the Saviour; bears testimony to the continuity of the church and to the hereditary religious legacy of her children. Descending from Cerdic came Cynric, Ceawlin, Cuthwin, Cutha, Ceolwald, Cenred, Ingild, Eoppa, Eafa, Ealhmund, King of Wessex, and Egbert, 800-836. ALFRED THE GREAT. 1 1 Egbert, King of Wessex, married Raedburh. 800-836. This Egbert, King of Wessex and grand- father of Alfred the Great, spent many years during his youth at the court of Charle- magne. Here he found the best opportuni- ties for culture and training offered by the age in which he lived, and, making good use of them, developed into a wise and broad- minded ruler of his peoi)le. Ethelwolt, son of Egbert and his wife, Raedburh, married Osburga, daughter of Oslac, cup-bearer to Egbert, King of Wessex. 836-858. Ethelwolf, son of Egbert, King of Wes- sex, succeeded his father. He was of a pious and studious habit ; made many journeys to Rome, and donated to the Roman See large sums from his royal income. After the death of his first wife, Osljurga, he married Judith, daughter of Charles le Bald. The rare books of this monarch were among the wonders of the age. His illuminated Gospels bound in ivory were marvels of beauty, and some of the riches of his library are 3^et preserved in the collections of Paris. Judith doubtless exercised a distinct ami formative influence upon the character of her young stepson, for she carried with her to 12 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Ethelwolf. the court of Ethelwolf the impress of an environment unusual for its culture and learning. Alfred **the Great," son of Ethelwolf and his wife, Osburga, married the Lady Ealhswyth, daughter of Ethelred Mucil, Earl of Gaini, in Mercia. 849-901. Alfred the Great was born at the Palace of Wantage, and buried at Winton Ceaster, or Winchester. He died in 901, and the world has now, in 1901, reached the one thousandth anniversary of that event. Looking back over this period, it is fitting that all students, and more especially those who trace their lineage to this monarch, should pause to do him reverence; in the words of the English Laureate — "Some lights there be within the heavenly spheres, Yet unrevealed, the interspace so vast; So through the distance of a thousand years, Alfred's full radiance shines on us at last." At an early age Alfred accompanied his father, Ethelwolf, to Rome. Here he resided during a period of some length, and was doubtless instructed in the languages, in poesy and music. It is said that later he traveled much in his own country, and so probably it chanced that he met the fair Lady ALFRED THE GREAT. 13 Alfred the Great. Ealhswyth, daughter of an Earl of Mercia, and descended through her mother from the early Alercian kings. It is said that the wooing and wedding were somewhere in the Lincohishire of to-day ; that the devoted pair tarried in Ealhswyth's home for a time, and that when duty summoned the future king of Wessex elsewhere, the young wife re- mained in her father's halls until Alfred was ready to have her join him. This she did during his winter in lonely Athelnaye, 'Isle of Princess," and in these darkest hours of his Hfe she was doubtless his greatest solace. From this desolate habitation, surrounded by forest and morass, Alfred came forth when the winter had passed, with a scant follow- ing, and unfurled his banner, on which blazed the "Golden Dragon/' "a hero as bold as Launcelot and as spotless as Gala- had." The Golden Dragon had long been the standard of his people, some authorities claiming that it was brought to Britain by the Romans ; some that it was the standard of Arthur Pendragon, of the Table Round, the Welsh king, whose followers were van- quished by the warriors of Wessex. 14 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Alfred the Great. It seems to have been sometimes a great metal figure fastened to a staff, and borne before the conquering hosts, but upon the standard of Alfred is thought to have been embroidered in gold by the fair Ealhs- wyth. The Golden Dragon is said to have led the Saxons in the battle of Hastings; the army of Henry the Seventh on the field of Bosworth, and also to have been used by Henry the Eighth and Queen Elizabeth. The period of isolation upon the "Isle of Princess" had been as well a period of medi- tation and preparation, and Alfred now en- tered upon a time of intense physical and intellectual activity. His soul was fired by the high resolve which never, through all his after life, wavered, nor lost its dominant power — to serve his subjects to the utmost, to uplift, enlighten, ennoble and Christianize them. "King by the grace of God"' was the thouo-ht ever in his mind, and armored in the 't>' grace of God did he go forth to do battle with the enemies of his people. Probably his greatest gift was a rare administrative ability, a capacity to bring order out of chaos, to make a wise adjust- ALFRED THE GREAT. 15 Alfred the Great. ment, and use of materials at hand. He occupied a lofty pinnacle of observation, from which he commanded the forces under him, and though the victim of a serious physical ailment, devoted himself unremit- tingly to the labors undertaken. Through a many-sided character richly dowered with a variety of gifts, he reached out to all the interests and needs of his peo- ple. He was a wise master-builder of a nation, and withal a warrior, a law-giver, a Christian, and a man "who reverenced his conscience as his king." He was also a forceful writer; in truth, he was the father of English prose. Had he done nothing for posterity be- yond his contributions to literature, he would even then deserve to be called "great," for the literary movement, in a sense reforma- tion, which he inaugurated, swept in ever- widening circles from his day to that of the Conquest. He prefaced his code of laws with the words, "Thus saith the Lord, I am the Lord thy God." It was followed by the divine injunction, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them." i6 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Alfred the Great. He left many wise sayings, some of which are colored by the sadness so often found in the meditations of philosophers. "Desirest thou power," he said, ''but thou shalt never obtain it without sorrows — sorrows from strange folk, and yet keener sorrows from thine own kindred." Again, "He who will investigate fame wisely and earnestly will perceive how little it is, how precarious, how frail, how bereft it is of all that is good." Somewhat the same spirit is discovered in portions of his verse. The following is taken from the jubilee edition of his works : " Worldliness brought me here Foolishly blind, Riches have wrought me here Sadness of mind; When I rely on them, Lo they depart — Bitterly, fie on them ! Rend they my heart." He was "every inch a king," and gifted far above his fellows with graces of mind and body. Throughout all his years he wore "the white flower of a blameless life," and coming upon the hour in which was to be relinquished his earthly tabernacle, laid him ALFRED THE GREAT. 17 Alfred the Great. down calmly, saying, "I have sought to live worthily the while I lived, and after my life to leave to the men that come after me a re- membering of me in good works." American institutions were builded, at least in some degree, by men who shared the blood of Alfred the Great; they will be up- held and protected by men who re\-ere and hold sacred this noble heritage. It is the record of such lives that "feeds the high tradition of the world," the emula- tion of such virtues as he made manifest that will nourish and stimulate to highest devel- opment the manhood of the race. Through one thousand years has throbbed his death- less influence — the realms of letters, of edu- cation, of science, of religion have widened and deepened, and reached upward in re- sponse to the impulse imparted by his trans- cendent personality. If the race aspires to the possession of heroes in the future, it must honor its heroes of the past, and highest on the roll of heroes must be placed the name of the "hero king of Wessex, the hero founder of England." i8 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Edward " the Elder," son of Alfred the Great and his wife, Ealhswyth, married Edgiva. 901-925. During the continuous and successful action against the Danes which characterized the reign of Edward, he proved himself a wise as well as war-like prince. He was notably assisted by the intelligence and pru- dence of his noble sister, the Lady Ethelfleda, widow of Ethelbert, Earl of Mercia. Ed- ward "the Elder" v.as the first of his line to claim the title " Rex Anglorum." His daughter. Princess Edgiva, married Charles the Third, King of France. From them descended, in the sixth generation, Elizabeth or Isobel de Vermandois. Edmund "the First," son of Edward *'the Elder" and his wife, Edgiva, married Elgiva. 940-946. Edmund "the First" reigned less than six years, but during this period, among other notable deeds, he conquered Cumberland, and conferred it upon the King of Scotland. In exchange, the Scots were to protect Eng- land on the nctrth from the Danes, and their king to do homage to Edmund. Edmund was assassinated in his own hall by Leofu, a notorious roljber, whom he had banished. ALFRED THE GREAT. 19 Edgar, son of Edmund '*the First" and his wife, Elgiva, mar- ried Aelfthryth. 958-975. The reign of Edgar was nndistiirbed by- domestic tumult or foreign invasion, which was probal)]y due to the fact that he kept a large armament, both military and naval. This period is notable for the supremacy- acquired by the Benedictine monks. Ethelred ''the Unready," son of Edgar and his wife, Aelfthryth, married Emma of Normandy. 979-1016. Ethelred "the Unready" was one of the most cruel monarchs the English throne has known. He married in looi Emma, daugh- ter of Richard (third Duke of Normandy, and grandson of Rollo the Ganger), and his second wife, Gunnor. After the death of Ethelred, Emma married Canute. Edmond *' Iron- sides," son of Ethelred "the Unready" and his wife, Emma of Normandy, married Sigeferth. 1016. Edmond was noted for his hardy valor, but during so short a reign had but scant time to prove his noble parts. Me held the crown only from April to November, 1016, when he was murdered through the machina- tions of Edric, Duke of IMercia. 20 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Edward, called "the Outlaw," son of Edmond " Ironsides" and his wife, Sigeferth, married Agatha, a German Princess. He died 1057. Edward had lived many years in Hun- gary when recalled by his uncle, Edward "the Confessor." Only a few days after returning to England with his three children, the Atheling Edgar, Margaret, and Christina, he died. In Edgar the male Saxon line be- came extinct. Christina entered a convent. Margaret Atheling, daughter of Edward and his wdfe, Agatha, married Malcolm Canmore, King of Scots. 1055-1093. Malcolm Canmore was son of Duncan, king of Scots, who was murdered by Mac- beth. His mother was the daughter of Siward, Earl of Northumberland, spoken of by Shakespeare as "Warlike Siward." He was descended from a long line of royal ancestors, extending back to Heremon, King of Ireland, 580 B. C, who is said to have married the Princess Tea-Tephi, a direct descendant of King David of Israel. Margaret, called the "Saint," and her husband Malcolm, originated many notable enterprises in Scotland. They founded the famous Dunfermline Abbey, and there established Culdee monks, followers of St. Columba. Later these were succeeded by the canons regular of St. Augustine. It is ALFRED THE GREAT. 21 Margaret Athelincr. claimed that with the Princess Tea-Tephi were brought to Ireland many priceless relics showing the Hebrew identity and royal descent of her people, among them the Jodham Morani, or priest's breast-plate, the harp of King David, Sweet Singer of Israel, and the famous coronation stone of the Kings of Ireland, Scotland and England. This stone, tradition states, is the identical pillow upon which the head of Jacob rested at Bethel; that it was carried to Egypt by his sons, and became sacred in the eyes of their descendants. It is called "The Stone of Fate," or fortune, and spoken of in old records as "the ancientcst respected monu- ment in the world." It was carried from Ireland to Scotland before the reign of Ken- neth, A. D. 854. This Kenneth, ancestor of Malcolm Canmore, found it enclosed in a wooden chair at Dunstaffnage, a royal castle, and removed it to the Abbey of Scone. Here for four hundred and fifty years "all kingis of Scotland was crownit ui)on it, or ([uliil ye time of Robert Bruse. In quhais tyme. be- sides mony otiier crueltis done by kyng Edward, Lang Scliankis, tlie said chair of Merbyll wes talk in be Inglismen and brocht 22 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Margaret Atheling. out of Scone to London, and put into West- monister quhaer it renianis to our dayes." An ancient Irish prophecy declared, "The race of Scots of the true blood, if this prophecy be not false, unless they possess the Stone of Fate, shall fail to obtain regal power." King- Kenneth had these words carven on the stone, and there they remain to this day — "Or Fate is blind, Or Scots shall find, Where'er this stone A royal throne." Edward the First brought the magic stone to England, and built for it the chair, in which it may still be seen. Since the time of Edward, England's sovereigns have re- ceived tlieir crowns seated here, a robe of cloth of gold being throw^n over the wood which encases the stone. It was used at the coronation of Queen Victoria, and again in her jubilee festivities. ALFRED THE GREAT. 23 Matilda of Scot- land, daughter of Margaret Atheling and her husband, Malcolm Canmore, King of Scots, married Henry First of England, who died i i 35. Henry the First was the son of WilHam the Conqueror and his wife, Matilda, daugh- ter of Baldwin, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Adelaide, daughter of Robert, King of France. She was also a descendant of the mighty Charlemagne, who was not only one of the greatest rulers the world has known, but a Christian and an apostle of culture in the highest sense. His court was a centre of refinement and education, and its fame was disseminated to such distant parts that the great Caliph, Haroun-al-Rashid, sent in 801 an embassy to bear him gifts and greeting. His aims and aspirations were lofty, and the world has not yet ceased to pay homage to his genius. William the Conqueror, Duke of Nor- mandy, was sixth in descent from Rollo the Ganger and his wife, Giselle. This marriage took place soon after the appearance of Rollo in France, about the same time he received baptism, and became a Christian ruler of a Christian people. That was a notable race which found its fullest expression and most complete type in the person of Willirun the Conqueror. His ancestor, Rollo the Northman, with his 24 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Matilda of Scot- land. followers set foot upon the shores of a foreign land, which soon received its name from him, and declared to the listening world, "We shall remain its masters and its lords!" And on the spot where he is sup- posed to have stood July 885, stands to-day a noble statue erected in his honor. Matilda, daughter of Matilda of Scotland and her husband, King Henry First of England, married Geoffrey Plan- tagenet. Count of Anjou, who died 1151. To Matilda was left by will all the posses- sions of her father, Henry the First, of England, but the throne was usurped by her cousin Stephen. Upon his death it reverted to Henry the Second, the son of Matilda and her husband, Geoffrey Plantagenet. Geoffrey was the most accomplished knight of his time. The surname, "Plantagenet," which he, as well as so many English sov- ereigns, bore, was derived from "planta genista," the Spanish broom plant. A sprig of this plant was worn in the cap of an ancestor of the house of Anjou on his pil- grimage to the Holy Land. TrrrrrTTrr^STr MR. DYMOKE, THE KING S CHAMPION. [From An Authentic History of the Coronation of His Majesty King George the Fourth.^ by Robert Huish, Esq., 1821.] ALFRED THE GREAT. 25 King Henry Second, son of Matilda and her husband, King Henry First of England, married Eleanor, Countess of Poitou and Aquitaine. 1133-1189. Eleanor, Countess of Poitou and Aqui- taine, was daughter of Count Guileme. Besides being sovereign of her native dominions, she was, by hereditary right, chief reviewer and critic of the poets of Provence. At certain festivals held by her, called "Courts of Love," were recited all new "chansons" by the troubadours. She, with the ladies of her court, sat in judgment, and pronounced sentence regarding their literary merit. She was herself a popular lyric poet, and is counted among the authors of France. King John, " Lackland," son of Henry Second and his wife, Eleanor of Poitou and Aquitaine, married Countess Isabella of Angou- leme. I 167-1 216. Isabella of Angouleme was the daughter of Aymer de Taillifer, Count of Angouleme, and his wife, the Lady Alice de Courtenaye. Through her mother, who was a daughter of Peter de Courtenay, son of Louis the Sixth of France, she shared the blood of the Cape- tian line. The marriage of this princess with King John occurred in August, 1200, and was the precursor, for the royal pair, of a stormy life, both domestic and political. King John was cruel, selfish and indolent. 26 A ROYAL LINEAGE: King John. Isabella was beautiful and correspondingly vain. The barons of the realm, driven to desperation by the outrages perpetrated by the king, came together at Runnymede, June 19, 12 1 5, and wrested from him Magna Charta, the declaration "by which has ever since been protected the personal liberty and the property of all free men." King Henry Third, son of John "Lackland" and his wife Isabella of Angouleme, married Princess Eleanor of Prov- ence. 1207-1272. Eleanor of Provence was the daughter of Raymond, Count of Berenger, and his wife, the Lady Beatrix (daughter of Thomas, Count of Savoy). Eleanor of Provence was noted for her intellectual gifts, and was a writer of graceful verse. She was also cele- brated for her beauty, but was extravagant and despotic, and by no means popular with her subjects. She survived her husband many years, and was very tenderly cared for by her son, Edward the First. Late in life she took the veil at the Monastery of Am- bresbury. ALFRED THE GREAT. 27 King Edward First, son of Henry Third and his wife, Princess Eleanor of Prov- ence, married Princess Eleanor of Castile. 1239-1307. Princess Eleanor, snrnamed 'The Faith- ful." was the daughter of Ferdinand Third, surnamed the "Saint," King of Castile and Leon. Ferdinand was a wise and generously endowed monarch, and his children, Eleanor and Alphonso Tenth, inherited to a marked degree his intellectual qualities. Eleanor accompanied her royal husband, Edward First, on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and w^hen her ladies would have dissuaded her, she replied, "Nothing should part those whom God hath joined. The way to heaven is as near, if not nearer, from Syria as from England or my native Spain." King Edward Second, son of Edward First and his wife. Princess Eleanor of Castile, married Princess Isabella of France. 1284-1 327. Isabella of France was daughter of Philip le Bel, King of France, and his wife, Jane, Queen of Navarre. She was second cousin to the notorious King Charles the Bad, of Navarre, and much resembled him in charac- ter, being vain, selfish, cruel and insincere. The latter years of her life were spent in well-deserved imprisonment, and she died at Castle Rising, 1358. Edward the Second was weak and vacillating. He died early, and left no mark for good upon his age. 28 A ROYAL LINEAGE: King Edward Third, son of Edward Second and his wife, Princess Isabella of France, married the Lady Philippa of Hainault. 1312-1377. Philippa of Hainault was daughter of William, Count of Hainault and Holland, and his wife, Joanna, granddaughter of Philip the Third of France. She is described by Froissart as "the most courteous, liberal, and noble lady that ever reigned in her time." When dying she made several requests of her royal husband, who sat by her side clasping her hand and weeping. At the last she said, 'T beg that when it shall please God to call you hence, you will choose no other sepulchre than mine, and that you will lie by my side in the Cloisters of Westminster Abbey." Edward the Third was a most royal per- sonage, and left notable works behind him. He conferred lasting benefits upon his people, was the father of English commerce, and the author of one of the most popular laws enacted by any prince of earlier or later days. This was the statute which defined the crime and limited the cases of high treason. Windsor Castle was built by his order. The sons of Edward the Third and his wife, Philippa of Hainault, were Edward, the Black Prince ; William, who died in infancy ; Lionel, Duke of Clarence; John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster ; Edmund, Duke of York, and Thomas, Duke of Gloucester. ALFRED THE GREAT. 29 Lionel, Duke of Clarence, son of Edward Third and his wife, Philippa of Hainault, married the Lady Elizabeth de Burgh. He died 1368. Elizabeth de Burgh was daughter of WilHam dc Burgh, Earl of Ulster, and his wife, the Lady Maud Plantagenet, grand- daughter of Sir Patrick Chaworth. She was descended from Charlemagne, Henry the Third, and Cavbill Croodverg, the "red-hand King of Connaught." It would seem to be the latter to whom reference is made in the legend which relates that three vikings of early days went in their individual ships toward the island now known as Ireland. When approaching the shore, they agreed that he who first touched the land should own it; seeing himself outstripped in the race, one of the warlike contestants struck off his left hand and hurled it, red and bleeding, far ashore. Thus he first touched the land, and to him it belonged. Warlike clans descend- ing from him used the "red-hand" on their shields and standards. The crest of the Lewis family of Virginia is a "red-hand," and since they are lineally descended from this King of Connaught, this legend possibly explains the crest. Lionel, Duke of Clarence, was third son of Edward Third, and is said, of all the children of this monarch, most to have 30 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Lionel, Duke of resembled him and the noble "Black Prince," Clarence. who died in 1370. The second son, William, also died, and thus Lionel, Duke of Clarence, became the elder son; but John of Gaunt, "Time-honored Lancaster," secured the suc- cession for his son, Henry the Fourth, thus defrauding Mortimer, the descendant of Lionel, Duke of Clarence. Generations later, Elizabeth of York, descendant of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, married Henry Seventh, descendant of John of Gaunt. So in Henry the Eighth the line of Edward the Third was doubly represented. Through this marriage Queen Victoria was descended from Lionel, Duke of Clarence, as well as from John of Gaunt. Lady Philippa Edmund Mortimer was son of Roger de Plantagenet, Mortimer, Earl of March, who died in 1360, daughter of Lionel, and his wife, Lady Joan, daughter of Sir Duke of Clarence, Peter Greenville, Lord of Trim Castle. He and his wife, \vas descended from Llewelyn ap Lowerth, Elizabeth de Burgh, a great prince of North Wales, who married married Edmund Lady Joan of England. Their daughter, the Mortimer, Earl of Princess Gladuse, married Ralph Mortimer, March. i^f^h Baron of Wigmore. Roger Mortimer, ALFRED THE GREAT. 31 Lady Philippa Plantagenet. son of Lady Philippa, and her liusband, Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March, was heir- apparent, and named by his counsin Richard as his successor, but the throne was usurped by Henry Fourth. Lady Elizabeth Mortimer, daughter of Lady PhiUppa Plantag- enet and her husband, Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March, married Sir Henry Percy (** Hotspur"), who was killed in the battle of Shrewsbury. 1366-1403. Sir Henry Percy, born i\Iay 20, 1366, was knighted when only twelve years of age. He was the son of Henry Percy, fourth Lord Alnwick, first Earl of Northumberland (born 1334; killed in battle of Branham Moor, 1408) and his first wife. Lady Margaret Neville, daughter of Lord Neville, of Raby Castle, and sister of the first Earl of Westmoreland. The Percies held large estates in Normandy, prior to the entrance of Rollo the Dane. It is said that the head of the house was baptized wdth Rollo at Rouen by the Bishop of Rheims, 912. They came to England the year after the conquest, and William Algernourne de Percy, the first of the name in England, is said to have founded Whitby Abbey. They were a warlike race, and ever in the forefront of the contests of 3^ A ROYAL LINEAGE: Lady Elizabeth Mortimer. their time. While hot of temper, they were loyal and brave of heart, and left a record of which their posterity may well be prond. When Henry the Fourth sent an unjust demand to "Hotspur" for certain prisoners, Shakespeare thus voices his characteristic reply : "An' if the devil come and roar for them, I will not send them ; I will after straight And tell him so; for I will ease my heart. Albeit I make a hazard of my head." "Hotspur" was slain in the battle of Shrewsbury, and as evidence of the victory achieved by the undoing of so powerful a foe, Henry the Fourth ordered that he be decapitated on the field, and that his body be bound upright between two mill-stones, "so as all men might see that he was dead." His head was placed on the wall of Shrewsbury, and his quarters distributed among different northern cities, but subsequently the muti- lated remains of the brave warrior were collected and delivered to his widow. .^€ . -:i ^^ '^l\L of W.i/tw/C;- •? ALFRED THE GREAT. 33 Henry Percy, Second Earl of Northumberland, son of Sir Henry Percy, " Hotspur," and his wife. Lady Elizabeth Morti- mer, married Lady Eleanor Neville. 1394-1455- Lady Eleanor Neville was daughter of Ralph Neville, first Lord of Westmoreland, and his wife, Joan de Beaufort, daughter of John of Gaunt and his wife, Catherine Swyn- ford (the latter was widow of Sir Otis Swynford, and daughter of Sir Roger Roet of Hainault). Eleanor and her husband had twelve children. He was killed in the battle of St. Albans, 1455. Henry Percy, Third Earl of Northumberland, son of Henry Percy, second Earl of Northumber- land, and his wife. Lady Eleanor Neville, married Lady Eleanor Poynings. 1421-1461. Lady Eleanor Poynings was daughter of Sir Richard Poynings, who fell at the siege of Orleans, 1429. She was the sole heiress of her grandfather, Lord Robert Poynings. 34 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Lady Margaret Percy, daughter of Henry Percy, third Earl of Northum- berland, and his wife. Lady Eleanor Poynings, married Sir William Gascoigne. Sir William Gascoigne was son of Sir William Gascoigne and his wife. Lady Joan de Neville; she was daughter of John de Neville and liis wife, Mary de Ferras, and granddaughter of Earl Robert de Ferras. She was also a descendant of John of Gaunt. Lady Elizabeth Gascoigne, daughter of Lady Margaret Percy and her husband. Sir William Gascoigne, married Sir George Talbois, of Kyme, in Lincolnshire. Sir George Talbois, Knight, is said to have descended from Ivo de Taillebois, a Norman follower of William the Conqueror, from whom he received large grants of land. He was also descended from Gilbert de Umfraville, Malcolm, Earl of x'\ngus, the Earl of Buchan and Gilbert Barraden. He was the son of Sir Robert Talbois and grand- son of Sir William Talbois, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Bonville, 1438, and was knighted by Henry the Sixth in 1460 for distinguished services in the battle of St. Albans. Sir George Talbois was also the father of Baron Gilbert Talbois, who died during the reign of Queen Elizabeth without issue, when the barony became extinct. His sister, Lady Anne Dymoke, was one of his heirs. DYMOKE. ALFRED THE GREAT. 35 Lady Anne Talbois, daughter of Eliza- beth Gascoigne and her husband, Sir George Talbois, married Sir Edward Dymoke, Hereditary Cham- pion of England. He died i 566. Lady Aunt was fifth daughter of Sir George Talbois and his wife, Ehzabeth Gas- coigne. The arms borne l)y her house were (juartered with those of Barraden, Fitzwith and Umfraville. Sir Edward Dymoke was son and heir of Robert Dymoke of Scrivelsby Court, Lin- cohishire, and his wife, Lady Anne Sparrow. He was a direct descendant of King Edward the First and his second wife. Princess Mar- garet, daughter of Phihp le Hardi of France, through their son, Thomas Plantagenet of Brotherton, Earl of Norfolk, wdio w^edded Lady x^lice Halys ; also through the Princess Joan de Acres, who wedded Gilbert, called the "Red Earl," of Clare. He was also related to the noble lines of de Mowbray, de Audley, Segrave and Stafford. His wife, Lady Anne Talbois, was descended from two sons of Edward the Third — Lionel, Duke of Clarence, and John, Duke of Lancaster. Sir Edward Dymoke numbered amongst his ancestors Robert Marmyum, Lord of Castle Fontenaye in Normandy, and of Tam- worth and Scrivelsby Court in England. Lord Robert Marmyum was descended from Rollo the Dane, and w^as Hereditary Cham- 26 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Lady Anne Talbois. pion to his kinsman, William, Duke of Normandy, by whose side he fought upon the field of Hastings. When the battle was over, William, now "The Conqueror," gathered his retainers about him upon the eminence, which had been marked by the most desperate fighting, and doubtless Robert de Marmyum, his Champion, held the nearest place to the royal person. It was on this night, with the dead and dying piled in great heaps about the Standard, that William declared his intention cf building upon the bloody field a great Battle Abbey. Lord Marmyum appeared as Champion of England at the double corona- tion of William and Matilda, April, 1068, at Winchester. The challenge upon this occa- sion was delivered in the following words : *Tf any person deny that our most gracious sovereigns. Lord William and his spouse Matilda, are King and Queen of England he is a false-hearted traitor and a liar, and here I, as Champion, do challenge him to single combat." Thus it appears that the august ofiice of Royal or Hereditary Champion to the King was in England a continuation of the office ^S^ TAM WORTH Hie per Willielmum Conquestoreni Ri>bertus Marmion Domiiius Castelli Efficitur. ALFRED THE GREAT. 37 Lady Anne Talbois. as already existing in the Dukedom of Nor- mandy. When King- William rewarded his Norman followers, a number of estates were given to this Robert de Marmyum. Among them was Tamworth. a parliamentary and municipal borough, partly in Stafford, partly in Warwickshire. Of this estate Sir William Dugdale wrote : "This Castle, being in the hands of King William, after his Conquest, was by him given unto Robert Marmion, as is verified by an ancient window of this church, where the same King, being depicted in his Robes of State and Crowned, stretcheth forth his hand to him, holding a Charter therein, near the Gate of a Faire Castle, an exact representa- tion whereof I have in Page 822 exhibited." Scrivelsby Court, a baronial fief, was conferred upon Robert Alarmyon according to the then existing legal forms, with a special condition annexed to the tenure, that it should be held by the particular service of himself, and the heirs of the fee, performing the office of Champion to every sovereign of England. The Dymokes inlierited Scriv- elsby Court, or Manor, from this Sir Robert 38 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Lady Anne Talbois. IMarmynn, and it has been owned by them tlirough all the succeeding centuries. It is situated in the most picturesque portion of Mid-Lincolnshire, and is one of the most unique establishments in England. The buildings are fronted by a park, the entrance to which is marked by a high arch of grey stone, overgrown with ivy. Stand- ing upon the arch, in bold relief, is the figure of a lion, life-size. The lion is one of the crests of the Dymokes, and their "arms" show two "lions passant" upon a black field, with the motto "Pro Rege Dimico." The lion was used from early times as the royal symbol of England, Normandy and Scotland, and doubtless became the property of the Dymokes as Champions of the Crown. Scrivelsby Chapel is a small quaint build- ing, some portions of which are at least five hundred years old. Some one describing it a number of years ago, said, "Among the tombs is that of Sir Robert Dymoke, Cham- pion of Richard Third, Henry Seventh and Eighth. On the top of the tomb is a plate of brass on which his figure is sculptured in full armour in recumbent posture, with his hel- met under his head, and a lion at his feet. ALFRED THE GREAT. 39 Lady Anne Talbois. Above the figure is a shield containing the family arms, and beneath, the following inscription : 'Here liethe the Body of Sir Robert Dymoke of Scrivelsby, Knight and Baronet, who departed out of this present lyfe the XX day of Apryle in ye yere of our Lord God MDLXV upon whose sowle Almighte god have m ci. Amen.' " By prescriptive right the perquisites of the Champion were "one of the King's best coursiers, the second best in the royal stables, with saddle, harness and trappings of cloth of gold : one of the King's best suits of armour, with cases of cloth of gold; and all other things belonging to the King's body when he goes into mortal combat." The golden cup and its cover, from which the King and the Champion drank each other's health, many yards of crimson satin, and other smaller articles were also his. The "arms" provided for Sir Charles Dymoke, royal Champion at the coronation of James the Second, 1685, are carefully enumerated by historians. They were "a complete suit of white armour, a pair of gauntlets, a sword and a hanger, a case of rich pistols, an oval shield with the Champion's arms painted on 40 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Lady Anne Talbois. it, and a gilded lance fringed about the handles, also a field saddle of crimson velv^et with breast-plate and other caparisons for the horse, richly laden with gold and silver, a plume of red, white and blue feathers con- sisting of eighteen falls and a heron's top. Another plume for the horse's head and trumpet banners, with the Champion's own arms depicted on them." The last official appearance of the Cham- pion was at the coronation of George the Fourth ; for the grand banquet, with this picturesque feature, was dispensed with at the coronation of King William, and also at that of Oueen Victoria, though several later Dymokes have borne the title of "The Hon- orable the Queen's Champion." Francis Seaman Dymoke, the present owner of Scrivelsby, the ancestral estate, is nineteenth in the line of Royal Champions. His youthful son, Frank Dymoke, was born in the same year as Prince Edward of York, grandson of the present King, Edward the Seventh. Dating, as this office does, from a period prior to the Conquest, and descending, through all succeeding centuries, hereditary ''''};m ■0 ',^^,r^.^4.v^i ■ "I 0- I CORONATU^N OF GI-:OKGE IV. IN WESTMINSTKK HALL. THE champion's CH AI.LKNGE. [From a Coiiteinv>oniry Engravmi; in tlic Ootticmait's Ma_i;-.. i, l! 1' j X a4li(iiiajrfodffltai!)ra;'taniIkfr8^.'fit[p.iiH ^ } Lraai6?)iiiflofemkr"[iij&[iiftolifniff\(B(iailia^ ^l L^:^: i' BRASS TO LIONEL DVMOKE IN HORNCASTLE CHURCH ALFRED THE GREAT. 45 Lady Anne Talbois. In connection with the interesting htera- ture bearing upon this subject should be mentioned autograph letters from sovereigns of England to the various Champions. Among these is one from Henry the Eighth to Sir Robert Dymoke, dated 1513, and one from Queen Mary to Sir Edward. There are also many curious old ballads, such as the one subjoined — "The Norman Barons Marmyon At Norman Court held high degree ; Brave Knights and Champions, every one, To him who vvone brave Scrivelsby. "The Lincohi lands the Conqueror gave, That England's glove they should convey, To knight renowned among the brave, The Baron bold of Fontenaye. "The royal grant from sire to son, Devolved direct in capite, Until deceased Phil. Marmyon, When rose fair Joan of Scrivelsby. "And ever since when England's kings Are diademed — no matter where — The Champion Dymoke boldly flings His glove, should treason venture there. "Then bravely cry with Dymoke bold. Long may the king triumphant reign, And when fair hands the sceptre hold. More bravely still — long live the Queen." 46 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Lady Anne Talbois. Among the most illustrious Champions were Philip Marmion, who served in the third Crusade, Sir Thomas Dymoke,who was beheaded, and Sir Robert Dymoke, who died in defence of his religion. This Sir Robert was one of the ten children of Sir Edward Dymoke, Champion for Edward the Sixth and Queens Mary and Elizabeth. He suc- ceeded to the estates and titles, married the daughter of Edward Clinton, Earl of Lin- coln, and was a conspicuous figure in the social life of his day. He was a brother of the Frances Dymoke (who married Thomas Windebank) whose descendant, George Reade, settled in Virginia. The Dymokes had lieen staunch adher- ents of the Church of Rome, and during the religious disturbances which characterized the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Robert stood firm and unflinching in defense of the faith in which he was born. Queen Elizabeth, following the policy which led her to maintain in one county a bishop who adhered to Rome, in another one of pronounced Puritanical tendencies, had appointed for Lincoln one of the latter, and Sir Robert was ordered to appear before him lli;un JHarDiion u-rrc uiminji ll)f ^ftrons 0)1)0 pfrufi) ^rnsair ; tl|ri) > of tbf boroni) mi of lb' manor 1 fincoinM)iTt: tit) bi) (i^rani pfrform ll)f iii{iton at tt)t on. ^n rffigi) of onr of tl)( lit'a ill tl)t Dflttl'I). £l)f mole SfocfnianlB of tl)r ^ormiona orf SSir l^tnri) Jlijmohr, tl)t tUo. ^3at)tl Pquiohr, an!) tjis son ^rnrt). £l)' prrsrni jBaronrl is ll)( ervrntrrntl) of tf)c frtinili) u>l)0 l)ns inl)frilfb t!)f mnnor of ^'criuclebi) mill) H)c office of Ct)am))ion. }!)|)ili)i ^larmion t)a» a iiffertnt bciirinfl assignfJ) to h"" 'n tl)r Irnnscripl of lt)f Boll of tt)f <£rusaSfrs, bi) llolpli 'Brooke, 1503, llo. 1,120 ^8l)inolf fibrori), ©rfori , u'l)crt tt)f arms arc IrichcS arflrnt ; a suiorlij in paU sabU. •.--ii! ALFRED THE GREAT. 47 Lady Anne Talbois. and answer charges that he maintained a Romish priest at Scrivelsby, and had mass celebrated in the chapel. Sir Robert was too ill to obey the summons, so the prelate came to him. Threats, promises, persuasions were of no avail. The old knight was not called to serve as Champion for an earthly sovereign, but he filled that office nobly in discharging his duty to a heavenly; and though ill and helpless, would not retract nor recant. As a result, he was forcil)ly taken from his bed and his manor house, carried to Lincoln prison and incarcerated. Here, from expo- sure and privation, he died the death of a hero, a champion for his faith to the last, wherefore he is called the "Martyr Cham- pion." "The greatest gift the hero leaves his race Is to have been a hero." To Sir Edward Dymoke and his wife, the Lady y\nne Talbois. were Ijorn eleven chil- dren : Robert, Charles, Edwaid; Elizabeth, married to Henry Ayscough; ALargarct, to Lord Eure; Erances, to Sir Thomas W'indc- bank; Susan, to Sir Thomas Lambert; Donjthy, Sarah, Ihadget and Arthur. 48 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Lady Anne Talbois. The last four names are not found in all the records, but Arthur is supposed to have been the father of Edward, who migrated to America, and was the father of Thomas Dymoke, who died at Barnstaple, Massachu- setts, 1658. This Thomas Dymoke married Ann Hammond. They had several children, whose descendants are now living in different parts of America. Frances, daughter of Sir Edward Dymoke and his wife, Lady Anne Talbois, married Sir Thomas Windebank, August 20, I 566. Mildred Winde- bank, daughter of Frances Dymoke and her husband. Sir Thomas Windebank, mar- ried Robert Reade. Sir Thomas Windebank, who died 1607, was son of Sir Richard Windebank of Haines Hall, Berkshire, and his wife, Marga- ret (daughter of Griffith ap Henry). He was clerk of the signet to Queen Elizabeth and her successor. King James. Robert Reade was son of Andrew Reade, who died 1623, and his wife, Cooke, of Kent. Their home was the Manor of Linkenholt, Hampshire, England. ALFRED THE GREAT. 49 George Reade, son of Mildred Windebank and her husband, Robert Reade, married Elizabeth Martian. 1600-1671. Elizabeth Martian was daugliter of Captain Nicholas Martian, of York County, \ n-ginia, whose home occupied the present site of Yorktown. He was of French l)irth, but a naturalized citizen of England, from whence he came to Virginia about 162 1, with a wife and two children. Pie married a second time, some time after 1625, Jane, widow of Lieutenant Berkely, and a third time, about 1645, Isabella Beech. He was Justice of York, Burgess for York and Kiskyache, and held other ofifices (see Some Notable Families of America, by Annah Robinson Watson). His will, dated March I, 1656, recorded in York County April 24, 1657, divided his estate between his dauo-h- ters, Elizabeth, wife of Colonel Georo-e Reade; Mary, wife of Lieutenant-Colonel John Scasbrook, and Sarah, wife of Captain William Fuller, Governor of Maryland. Colonel George Reade came to America in 1637. He was Secretary to the Colony of Virginia in 1640, Burgess, member of Ilis Majesty's Council. Colonel of Militia, (whence his title), and held other important oflices. (For information, see Some Notable Families of America.) so A ROYAL LINEAGE: Col. George Reade. To Colonel George Reade and his wife, Elizabeth Martian, were born twelve chil- dren : 1. Mildred Reade, who married Colonel Augustine Warner. 2. George Reade, died without issue. 3. Robert Reade, married Mary Lilly, daughter of John Lilly, and granddaughter of John Lilly and his wife, Dorothy Wade (daughter of Armiger Wade and his wife, the heiress of Edward Malson, or Moulson, of York County). Margaret Reade, daugh- ter of Robert Reade and his wife, Mary Lilly, married Thomas Nelson. They were grand- parents of General Thomas Nelson. Samuel Reade, son of Robert and his wife, Mary Lilly, had a daughter, Frances, who married Anthony Robinson, High Sheriff for York County. 4. Francis Reade, married, first, Jane Chisman, and had Mary Reade (who mar- ried Edward Davis, of King and Queen County), and Elizabeth Reade, who married Paul Watlington. Francis Reade married, second, Anne , and had George, Anne and Benjamin. 5. Benjamin Reade, married Lucy , ■y-uTt ' -y UYMOKK. ALFRED THE GREAT. 51 Col. George Reade. and had Gwynn Reade, who married Dorothy . 6. Thomas Reade, married Lucy Gwynn, daughter of Edmund Gwynn, of Gloucester County. They had eleven children : ( i ) Thomas, who died without issue. (2) Rev. John Reade, whose only daughter, Sarah, married John Rootes. (3) Lucy, wdio mar- ried John Dixon, of Bristol. (4) Mildred, who married Major Philip Rootes. (5) Mary, who married Mordecai Throckmor- ton. (6) Believed to be Colonel Clement Read, of Charlotte. Among the descendants of Colonel George Reade it is probable that none other was more largely dowered with the characteristics which for a thousand years had given his race preeminence than Col. Clement Read, who was born January t, 1707. He was educated at William and Mary College; later was qualified as attorney in Goochland, Albemarle, and Brunswick Counties; was a vestryman in the churches of Brunswick and Lunenburg, trustee of William and 51 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Col. George Reade. Mary College, 1729; first clerk of Lunen- burg, 1746; was president of the Council, and upon the departure of Governor Gooch for England, 1749. acted as governor of the colony. In 1730, he married Mary Hill, only daughter of William Hill, believed to have been an officer of the British navy, and de- scendant of the Marquis of Downshire and his wife, Priscilla, daughter of Edmund Jenings, Governor of Virginia. The home of Colonel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill, was "Bushy Forest," near Charlotte Court-house, now Smithville. It was doubtless counted among the notable homesteads in those days, and a centre for both social and political activities, for Col- onel Clement Read was one of the most influential men of his section, and his wife, a stately dame, who, like himself, was of noble lineage. Hundreds of slaves waited to do their bidding on this and other handsome estates, and the coach and four in which the mistress of the mansion took her pleasure drives or made her journeys was an object to be gazed upon with envy by less for- tunate folk. The children of this marriage were : ALFRED THE GREAT. S3 Col. George Reade. i. Colonel Clement Read, Jr., who mar- ried Mary Nash, 2. Colonel Isaac Read, who married Sarah Embry. 3. Colonel Thomas Read, who married Elizabeth Nash. 4. Major Edmund Read, who married, first, Miss Lewis; second, Paulina Cabell, daughter of Colonel William Cabell. 5. Capt Jonathan Read, who married Jane Lewis. 6. Mary Read, who married Thomas Nash. Their daughter, Ann Owen Nash, married Rev. John Cameron, of Petersburg, Virginia. 7. Margaret Read, who married Judge Paul Carrington ; their eldest daughter, Mary, married Colonel S. W. Venable. Another daughter, Anne, married Colonel William Cabell, Jr. 8. Anne Read, who married, first, Wil- liam Jameson ; second, Richard Elliott. Colonel Clement Read, Jr., was born 1736, and educated at William and Mary College; he read law under his father, and was appointed first clerk of Charlotte County. He married, in 1757, Mary Nash, daughter 54 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Col. George Reade. of Judge John Nash, of Templeton Manor (who was appointed colonel and chairman of the Committee of Safety from Prince Edward County). Their children were Clement, who served as lieutenant in the Revolution ; John Nash, Thomas, Harrison and Mary. The second son of this marriage. Captain John Nash Read, joined the Continental Army, under General Greene, at the age of eighteen, and served at Guilford Court- house, Cowpens, and in other notable en- gagements. He was married three times : first to Elizabeth Julia Spencer, a first cousin of Thomas Jefferson. Their children were Dr. Clement, Dr. John Harris, Major Sion Spencer, Martin, Dr. Thomas Hill, and seven daughters. The second wife was Elizabeth Fisher Nash. The children of this union were James Allen and Francis Nash. The third wife was Mary Barksdale. The children of this union were William Harrison, Nathaniel Barksdale, Edmund Randolph, Peter, and six daughters. Captain John Nash Read moved, in 1806, ALFRED THE GREAT. S5 Col. George Reade. froni Charlotte County, Virginia, to Ruther- ford County, Tennessee; here he died in January, 1826. Major Sion Spencer Read, a son of the first marriage of Captain John Nash Read, served in the war of 181 2 — first with Coffee's Regiment of Cavalry, and afterwards witli Williamson's Regiment of mounted gunmen. In 1819 he married Hardenia Jefferson Spencer, of Charlotte County, Virginia. Their children were Lycurgus, Dr. John Thomas, George Granville, Edwin Cole, Dr. Corin, Charles William, and two daughters. In October. 1839, Major Sion Spencer Read moved to McMinnville, Tennessee. Dr. John Thomas Read, son of Sion Spencer Read and his wife, Hardenia Jeffer- son Spencer, graduated from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in March, 1853. Prior to his studies here he had served in the Mexican ^\•ar. ami in the civil war he served with the Sixteenth Tennessee Regi- ment as surgeon, having the rank of major. He married Laurena Caroline Rankin, daughter of David Rankin, of Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee. Their children were ( r) Laura B., who married Samuel McCall, and 56 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Col. Georo-e Reade. l^^*^^ three sons. One of these, Wright Mc- Call, is now living; the other two died in infancy. (2) Mary H.. who married William W. Frater, and liad four daughters. (3) Harriet S., who married Rev. H. H. Sneed, and had eight children. (4) Carrie R., who married Letcher Pickens, and had two sons, Henry Berlin and John Read. (5) Samuel Roberson Read, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, who married Lizzie Hamilton, daughter of Dr. P. D. Sims, also of Chattanooga. They had four children — Alary Hill, Elizabeth Nash, Margaret and jMartin Sims. Thomas Reade and his wife, Lucy Gwynne, had five other children, whose names are not known. Lucy Gwynne was granddaughter of Colonel William Bernard, a great-great-great-grandson of Lady Mar- garet le Scrope, who was great-great-great- great-great-granddaughter of Princess Joan de Acres and her husband, Gilbert de Clare. Among the great-grandchildren of Thomas Reade and Lucy Gwynne was Frances Throckmorton, who married General Wil- liam Madison. They were great-great- grandparents of Susie Ashton Chapman Perkins. ALFRED THE GREAT. 57 Col. George Reade. 7. Elizabeth Reade, seventh child of Colonel George Reade and Elizabeth .Mar- tian, married Captain Thomas Chisman, of York County, Virginia. Their son, John Chisman, married Eleanor Howard. A daughter of this marriage, Diana, married James Goodwin, The names of the other five children of Colonel George Reade, and his wife, Eliza- beth Martian, are not known. Mildred Reade, daughter of Col. George Reade and his wife, Elizabeth Martian, married Col. Augustine Warner, of "Warner Hall," Gloucester County, Virginia. He was born October 20, 1643 ; died June 10, 168 I. Colonel Augustine Warner was son of Captain Augustine Warner (who came to America prior to 1630) and his wife, Mary . He was educated at the "Merchant Tailors" School, London, and was later Bur- gess, Speaker of the House of Burgesses, Member of the Council, and Colonel of Militia. (For dates, see Sonic Notable faiiiilics of America.) To Colonel Augustine Warner and liis wife, Mildred Reade, were born Mildred, who married Laurence Washington (they were grandparents of George Washington). (2) Robert, who died witlmnt issue. (3) 58 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Mildred Reade. George, who died without issue. (4) Mary, who married John Smith, of Purton, and had Augustine Smith, who married Sarah Carver. Their daughter, Sarah Smith, mar- ried Robert Throckmorton, and had a son, Warner Throckmorton, who married JuHa Langborne. Their daughter, Mary Throck- morton, married Dr. Wihiam Tahaferro; they were grandparents of Wilham B. TaHa- ferro. (5) EUzabeth, who married Cokjnel John Lewis. Elizabeth Warner, daughter of Mildred Reade and her husband, Col. Augustine Warner, married Col. John Lewis. She was born November 24, 1672; died 1719 or 1720. Colonel John Lewis was the son of Major John Lewis and his wife. Isabella . (Major John Lewis owned estates in New Kent and Gloucester Counties, and in 1680 was Captain of Horse in the Militia of the former; he was also one of its justices. In 1685 he was a major in the foot service.) Colonel John Lewis was born November 30, 1669; died November 14, 1725. He was a Member of the Council, 171 5. To him and his wife, Elizabeth Warner, were born fourteen children; the names of only eight of these have been preserved : ALFRED THE GREAT. 59 Elizabeth Warner. Catharine, bom ; baptized Novem- ber, 1702. Elizabeth, born ; baptized Novem- ber, 1702. John, born ; baptized November, 1702 ; married Frances Fielding, daughter of Henry Fielding, of King and Queen County. Charles (called Colonel Charles of "The Byrd"), born October 13, 1690; died 1779; married, 17 17, Mary, daughter of John Howell, gentleman. Robert (called Colonel Robert of "Bel- voir"), born ; baptized May 4, 1702; married Jane, daughter of Nicholas Meri- wether and his wife, Elizabeth Crafford. Elizabeth, born ; baptized March 7, 1706. Isabella, born ; baptized December 18, 1707; married Dr. Thomas Clayton. July 14, 1720; had one child, who died young. Anne, born ; baptized February 14, 1712. 6o A ROYAL LINEAGE: Colonel Charles Lewis, Of ''The Byrd." Colonel Charles Lewis, son of Colonel John Lewis and his wife, Elizabeth Warner, was born October, 1696, and died in 1779. He married, in 17 17, Mary Howell, daughter of John Howell, gentleman. The home of Colonel Charles Lewis was the "Byrd Plantation," in Goochland County, which took its name from the limpid stream, "The Byrd," which flowed through its pro- ductive acres ; but besides this, he had other and very valuable estates with many slaves and large herds of cattle. He was an officer in the French and Indian wars, a member of the Council, and a man of position and influence in his community. The children of Charles Lewis and his wife, Mary Howell, were: ALFRED THE GREAT. 6i 1. John, who married Jane Meriwether, daughter of Colonel Robert Lewis and his wife, Jane Meriwether. 2. Charles, who married Mary, daughter of Isham Randolph. 3. Elizabeth, who married William Ken- non, of Chesterfield County. 4. James, who married Isabella, or Eliza- beth, surname thought to have been Taylor. 5. Howell, born September 13, 1731, died about 18 14, married Isabella Willis, daughter of Colonel Henry Willis, the founder of Fredericksburg. 6. Ann, who married Edmund Taylor. 7. Robert, who married Jane Woodson, daughter of Tucker Woodson. 8. Frances, who married Robert Lewis, of Louisa County, son of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and his wife, Jane Meriwether. "The Byrd Plantation" became one of the notable colonial estates, and the life led by its family-circle was generous, hospitable, and far-reaching in its social influence. The children and grandchildren were allied by marriage to the leading families of the State, and wielded a strong power in both political 62 A ROYAL LINEAGE: and social circles. The will of Colonel Charles Lewis was probated in 1779, and is a most interesting document on account of the side-lights which it throws upon the life of that day, as well as upon his family rela- tions. He bequeaths to his "beloved wife, Mary Lewis," his whole estate, both real and personal, for her natural life. She is also named as executrix without bond. The will alludes to several different estates, to slaves and cattle, and mentions eight children by name. Many interesting heir-looms have come down to his descendants, the rarest of china and glass, and the quaintest of silver, all of which was doubtless brought in those early days from the mother country. Howell Lewis, son of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell, married Isabella Willis. They moved to Granville County, North Carolina, and established the home "Elmwood," which became a centre for one of the most cultured and patrician circles of the State. He served as major in the Revolution, and later was a member of the State Senate. His will was proved at the February court of Granville ALFRED THE GREAT. e^ County, 1814. His wife survived him, and died in her eightieth year. Their children were : 1. Charles. 2. Willis. 3. Isabella, married Jeffries. 4. Anne, married Morton. 5. Frances, married Bugg. 6. Jane, married David Hinton, of "The Oaks," Wake County, North Carolina, where still resides their great-granddaughter, Mary Milliard Hinton. 7. Mildred, married John Cobb, first of Goochland County, Virginia, and then of Georgia. Their children were Howell Cobb (who was Secretary of the Treasury under Buchanan), Mary Willis Cobb, Susannah Cobb, John Addison Cobb and Mildred Cobb. 8. Mary, married Kennon. 9. Elizabeth, married William Ridley, of Granville County, North Carolina. 10. Howell, born April 2, 1759; married, in 1780, Betsy Coleman, of Goochland County, Virginia, daughter of Robert Cole- man. 64 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Elizabeth Lewis married William Ridley. Their daughter, Mary Ridley, married Col- onel Nathaniel Robards, of Granville County, North Carolina. He was descended from John Robards, who came from Wales in 1 710, and settled in Goochland County, Va. His son, William, served on the Committee of Safety in 1776, and had at least six sons and two sons-in-law in the Colonial Army; one of the six sons, James, married Mary, daughter of Major Nathaniel Massie, and was father of Colonel Nathaniel Robards. who married Mary Ridley. The Robards came of a race richly endowed with both mental and physical gifts. They were tall, graceful in bearing, courtly in demeanor, and while largely engaged in planting, were also devoted to intellectual pursuits. Colonel Nathaniel Robards lost by fire a rare collection of books and curios, among which were family records of great value inscribed upon vellum. To him and his wife, Mary Ridley, were born eleven children — I. William H. Robards, born October i, 1806; died March 6, 1862. He was a man whose many gifts, hereditary and acquired, ALFRED THE GREAT. 65 won a broad recognition, and at his home, "Bendemeer," assembled many who were distinguished in the highest circles. He served in the Confederate army as brigadier- general. His wife was Anne Eliza Toole, a woman of wealth, and conspicuous for her great beauty and social graces. Their daughter, Mrs. Lucius H. Terry, nee Mary E. Robards. resides at New Orleans, Louis- iana. She is a member of the Colonial Dames of America. 2. Eliza Robards, married Colonel James Wilkes ; left three children. One of these is Dr. James Howell Wilkes, of Columbia, Tennessee. 3. Mary Ann Robards, married David Kerns ; left three children. One of these is C. W. Kerns, of Gilmer, Texas. 4. Howell Ridley Robards was a man of unusual mental ability, a physician of highest reputation, and assistant surgeon in the Mexican war. He married Margaret E. Camp ; left three children ; one of these is W. C. Robards, of San Antonio, Texas. 5. Willis Lewis Robards (colonel in the Confederate Army), married Miss • Rude; left three children. 66 A ROYAL LINEAGE: 6. James Ridley Robards, assistant sur- geon in Mexican war; died of wounds received in battle. 7. Caroline Virginia Robards, died young. 8. Francis Hawkes Robards, went to California during the gold fever; supposed to have died young. 9. Charles Lewis Robards, bom April II, 1827; died November 22, 1870. He served in the civil war as aide-de-camp on the staff of General Henry E. McCulloch, and married Julia Tabitha White, of Shreveport, Louisiana, who is descended from the fami- lies of Donelson, Owen, and Lowe, of Vir- ginia, and Purnell, of Maryland. This Lowe family is said to be descended from John Lowe, the renowned Bishop of Rochester. Julia White is also descended from Abraham Sublette and his wife, Susannah Dupuy, French Huguenots. Susannah was sister to Bartholomev^ Dupuy, of the Body Guard of Louis XIV., who came to America in 1700. Charles Lewis Robards and his wife, Julia T. White, had one child, Mattie Robards, who married August Mayer, civil engineer and planter, now living in Shreveport, ALFRED THE GREAT. 67 Louisiana. Mrs. Mayer is a member of the Colonial Dames of America. 10. Julia Constance Robards, died young. 11. John Ridley Robards, died young. Among the families mentioned in this sketch none is more worthy of attention than that of Ridley. The name, variously spelled, is found in the earliest records, and always as belonging to those of high estate and position. An English authority claims that in Scandinavia it was derived in primitive times from a place called "Rugdal," that is, "Rye- dale," the Valley of Rye. From Scandinavia it would seem that some bearing the name went to France, for here Walgrinus Ridel was Earl of Angouleme and Piragord prob- ably as early as 885. He was kinsman to Charles le Bald, King of France, and mar- ried Rosalind, daughter of the Duke of Aqui- taine. Their descendant in the eighth gene- ration is said to have been Galfridus Ridel, who followed William the Conqueror to 68 A ROYAL LINEAGE: England. His oldest son, Galfridus Ridel, second, became Lord Justiciary of all Eng- land during the reign of Henry the First. He married Geva, daughter of the Earl of Chester, the nephew of William the Con- queror. From the time of the Norman Conquest the family held landed estates in England, and the name may be found on the Battle Abbey Roll and Dooms-day Book. Ridley Hall, Cheshire, as belonging to Bryon Ridley, was known in 1157. It is claimed that the most ancient charter in existence issued by a king to a layman bears date 1125, and was bestowed by King David of Scotland upon a member of this family, Geoffery Ridale. Grey, writing in 1649, speaks of the antiquity of the family, and quaintly remarks, "They have been so independent that some have said they kept a boat of their own in the time of the flood, and so were under no obligations to Noah." Sir Nicholas Ridley, who married IVIary, daugh- ter of Corwin of Workington, is thought to have been the direct ancestor of Robert Rid- ley, who married Elizabeth Abridgton in England, and came in the ship Dorset to America in 1635. ALFRED THE GREAT. 69 His son was William Ridley, of South- ampton, Virginia ; his grandson was William Ridley, of Granville, North Carolina, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Howell Lewis and his wife, Isabella Willis. 70 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Col. Robert Lewis^ Of -Belvoir." Among the most notable homes of Vir- ginia about the close of the seventeenth century was "Warner Hall," in Gloucester County. The estate was a part of land which had belonged to the Chiskiack Indians, but which was later included in a grant issued to Colonel Augustine Warner. It was probably given as a dowry to Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Augustine Warner, who married Colonel John Lewis. The home is supposed to have been built by him, and though at first it may have been a modest structure, later was a very imposing manor-house containing forty rooms. This home was a centre from which went out to the world men and women who exer- cised a strong and formative influence upon the communities in which they lived. EWfS. ALFRED THE GREAT. 71 One of these children was Colonel Charles Lewis, to whose family the preceding sketch relates. Another was Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," Albemarle County, Virginia, baptized May 4, 1702, who married Jane Meriwether, daughter of Nicholas Meriw^ether and his wife, Elizabeth Crafford. Elizabeth Crafford was daughter of David Crafford or Crawford, who was born in Scotland. This Nicholas Meriw'ether, who died in Goochland County, Virginia, in 1744, was a vestryman of St. Peter's Church, New Kent County, justice of the peace of New Kent, sheriff of the same county, and member of the House of Burgesses. He was a son of Nicholas Meriwether, who came to America from Wales, and died in Surry County, Virginia, December 19, 1678. To Colonel Robert LewMS and his wife, Jane Meriwether, were born cle\'cn chib dren : T, Nicholas, wlio married Mary Walker, daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker, of Castle Hill, and his wife Mildred Thornton. 2. John, who married Anne . 72 A ROYAL LINEAGE: 3. William, who married Lucy Meri- wether, and had Meriwether Lewis. 4. Jane Meriwether, who married her cousin, John Lewis, son of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd." 5. Mary, who married Samuel Cobb, of Louisa County. 6. Mildred, who married Major John Lewis, of Spotsylvania County, son of Zach- ary Lewis. 7. Isabella, died young. 8. Elizabeth, who married Rev. Robert Barret. 9. Charles, who married Mary ; they had Howell and Charles Warner. 10. Sarah . 11. Robert, who married his cousin, Frances Lewis, daughter of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd." Colonel Robert Lewis died 1757, and his will is recorded in that year. Nicholas Lewis, son of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and his wife, Jane Meriwether, was deputy from Albemarle County, September, 1775, for the District of Buckingham, which met to provide for the defence of the district. September 9th he ALFRED THE GREAT. 73 was made captain of the Albemarle Minute- men. He commandetl a regiment in the successful expedition in 1776 against the Cherokee Indians, and aside from the quali- ties which made him a spirited leader of troops, he is said by Jefferson to have been "endeared to all who knew him by his inflexible probity, courteous disposition, benevolent heart, and engaging modesty of manner." He married ]\Iary Walker, daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker, of "Castle Hill," Albemarle County, and his wife Mildred Thornton. To them were born twelve chil- dren, among them — 1. Thomas Walker Lewis, born 1763; died June, 1807; married, 1788, Elizabeth Meriwether. 2. Elizabeth Lewis, born 1769; married. February 28, 1788, William Douglas. 3. Margaret Lewis, born 1785; married Charles Lewis Thomas. 4. ]\[ary Lewis, who married Isaac Miller, of Kentucky. 5. Nicholas Meriw-ether Lewis, born August 13. 1767; died September 22, 1818. He married his cousin. ^SliUlrcd Hornsby, 74 A ROYAL LINEAGE: daughter of Joseph Hornsby, of Wilhams- burg, Virginia, and his wife, Mildred Walker (daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker and his wife, Alildred Thornton). Nicholas Meri- wether Lewis and his wife, Mildred Hornsby, moved from Virginia to Kentucky, and made their home near Louisville, at this time only a small settlement. To them were born two children, Joseph, who died young, and Annah Hornsby. Annah Hornsby Lewis married Hancock Taylor, son of Colonel Richard Taylor, an officer who won distinction in the Revolu- tion, and who was a great-grandson of James Taylor (who came from Carlisle, England, to Virginia about 1635) and his first wife, Frances . On the maternal side. Hancock Taylor was descended from William Brewster and Isaac Allerton, of the Mayflozver, and from the Lees and Willoughbys of Virginia. He was also a brother of Zachary Taylor, general in the Mexican war, and later President of the United States. The home of Annah Hornsby Lewis and her husband, Hancock Taylor, was "Spring- fields," a handsome estate five miles from Hlfiweeilg. ALEXANDER KUBIXSUN. ALFRED THE GREAT. 75 Louisville, Kentucky. It was a conspicuous social centre for the gentry of the county, and famed far and wide for its gracious and lavish hospitality. A large retinue of slaves cultivated the fertile acres, served in the house, and attended the masters and mis- tresses at home and in their travels. In this home grew to maturity ten children ; two only are now living, Robert Hornsby Taylor, of Florida, and Mary Louise Taylor, born May 20, 1824, who married Archibald Magill Robinson, of Louisville (born in Winchester, Virginia, August 23, 1 821). Archibald Magill Robinson is a great- grandson of Alexander Robinson, who set- tled in Baltimore, Maryland, about 1780. This Alexander Robinson was descended from the Robinsons of England, barons of Rokeby. This estate, which has been made famous by Sir Walter Scott, still belongs to a member of the family. On the maternal side, Archibald Magill Robinson is descended from the Goldsbor- oughs, who were Saxon Thanes, holding their estate, "Goldesborough Chase," near Knaresborough, Yorkshire, prior to the Norman Conquest. 76 A ROYAL LINEAGE: To Mary Louise Taylor and her husband, Archibald Magill Robinson, were born eleven children — 1. Richard Goldsborough, married Laura Pickett Thomas. 2. Lewis Magill. 3. John Hancock, married Frances Lynn Scruggs. 4. Annah Walker, married James Henry Watson. 5. Elizabeth Lee. 6. Robert Lyles. 7. William Brice, married Elizabeth Boyd Rainey. 8. Arthur Edwards. 9. Zachary Taylor, married Susan Luckett. 10. Alexander Meade, married Lillian Hammond. 11. Henry Wood. Annah Walker Robinson married, Octo- ber 5, 1870, James Henry Watson, of Mississippi, son of Hon. J. W. C. Watson and his wife, Catharine Davis. Hon. J. W. ALFRED THE GREAT. 77 C. Watson was member of the Confederate Senate, and a leading jurist of his State. Catharine Davis was the daughter of Staige Davis and his wife, EHzabeth Gardner. (EHzabeth Gardner was the daughter of John and EHza Gardner, of King and Queen County, Virginia.) The children of Annah Walker Robinson and her husband, James Henry Watson, are : Archibald Robinson Watson. James Henry Watson, Jr., who married June 12, 1900, Katharine Julia Black, a lineal descendant of John Alden, of Plymouth Colony, and his wife, Priscilla Mullens, or Molines. Katharine Davis Watson. Elizabeth Lee Watson. 78 A ROYAL LINEAGE: The record contained in this volume closes with the immediate descendants of Colonel George Reade, then follows briefly the lines of Colonel Clement Read, Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir." It covers a thousand years, and presents a record in which appears some of the most distin- guished names of history. Beginning with the Saxons, it comes down through Norman, English and Amer- ican families, and, in closing, it would seem not inappropriate to quote the eloquent words of the two latest laureates of the English people — "Of one-self same stock at first; Make them again one people — Norman, English, And English Norman : we should have a Hand to grasp the world with, And a foot to stamp it flat." "We severed have been too long; But now we have done with a worn-out tale, The tale of an ancient wrong, And our friendship shall last long As love doth last, And be stronger than death is strong." ^ -i*'- •rm-i. 't •vV V. ^ :^ ROSE. ALFRED THE GREAT. 79 The Cabells. Turning to the earlier pages of this vokime, where is recorded the marriage of Margaret Athehng to Malcohn Canmore, King of Scots, the Hne of ascent to Alfred the Great is clearly set forth. From that point the descent given in this sketch follows the line of David, King of Scotland, son of Malcolm and Margaret. From this King David (A. D. 1153), who married Maud of Northumberland, to King Robert Bruce First, inclusive, are seven generations. From Robert Bruce the line comes unbroken through twenty-two generations to Rev. Robert Rose, who was born at Wester Alves. Scotland, February 12, 1704. and came to Virginia. 1725. Not only through this line, but four others, was he of royal descent, and in the annals of his house are found the names of the Stewarts, the Cam[)bells. the Earls of Angus, and many others, who were 8o A ROYAL LINEAGE: closely associated with the ruling dynasties of Europe. On the paternal side he was in the fif- teenth generation from Hugh Rose of Easter Geddes, who died 1333, and eighth from Hugh Rose, Baron of Kilravock, and his wife, Lady Margaret Seaton. Lady Margaret was a daughter of Alex- ander, first Earl of Huntley, and sister of George, the second Earl, who married Princess Joanna, daughter of James the First of Scotland. Rev. Robert Rose was ordained by the Bishop of London, and after coming to Vir- ginia had charge of St. Annes in Essex, 1 726- 1 747, and of St. Annes in Albemarle, 1 747- 1 75 1. His strong and forceful per- sonality fitted him well for life in this transi- tion period, and he was not only a leader, a shaper of destinies, but a teacher of the gospel. In 1735 he discovered the Tye River, a branch of the James, and by order of the Council was granted an immense tract of land on its banks. He married (second wife) Ann, daugh- ter of Colonel Henry Fitzhugh, of Virginia. ALFRED THE GREAT. 81 He died in Richmond, 1751, and was buried in old St. John's churchyard, where a monu- ment, erected to his memory by a loving people, is inscribed, "May his posterity emu- late his virtues." Colonel Plugh Rose, son of Rev. Robert Rose and his wife, Ann Fitzhugh, was born September 18, 1743. He was justice of the peace for Amherst County from 1765 to his death, member of the County Committee of i775-'76, a vestryman of Amherst, and after 1779 of Lexington Parish; was sheriff of his county 1776, colonel of militia, county lieutenant 1780, and member of the House of Delegates i785-'86. He married Caroline Matilda Jordan, daughter of Colonel Samuel Jordan. Judith Scott Rose, a daughter of this union, married Landon Cabell, who was born February 21, 1765, at "Union Hill," Nelson County, Virginia. He was the son of Col- onel William Cabell, grandson of Dr. Wil- liam Cabell, the emigrant, and was a man of rare natural qualities and scholarly attain- 82 A ROYAL LINEAGE: ments. His gracious bearing, brilliant con- versational gifts, and charming hospitality made him the centre of a wide circle of admiring friends, and, though he declined the most flattering offers of high political distinction, he served his generation in many positions of trust. June I, 1804, he was one of the three commissioners appointed by Governor John Page to supervise the election of presidential electors in Amherst County; was long justice of the peace in Amherst prior to 1808, and from this date for many years a justice in Nelson; of this county he was sheriff, 181 5- 18 16. In 1834 he died at Rose Hall, and here was buried. Dr. Robert Henry Cabell, son of Landon Cabell and his wife, Judith Scott Rose, was born February 19, 1799, at Montezuma, Nelson County, Virginia. He was educated at William and Mary College, studied medi- cine at the University of Pennsylvania, and after graduating, 1821, settled in Richmond. Here, in 1823, he married Julia Mayo, ALFRED THE GREAT. 83 daughter of Colonel John Mayo and his wife, Ahigale DeHart. The children of this marriage died in childhood; the death of Mrs. Cabell fol- lowed, and in i860 Dr. Cabell married Mrs. Catherine Eyre Bailey Pelham. She was widow of Charles Pelham, of Pelham Manor, England, a member of the Eyre family of Clifton Castle, County of Galway, Ireland, and descended from a line of ancestors noted for the brilliance of their intellectual gifts. After the civil war. Dr. Cabell moved from Virginia to Baltimore, where he died I'Vbru- ary, 1876. Virginia Catherine Cabell, daughter of Dr. Robert Plenry Cabell and his second wdfe, Catherine Eyre Bailey Pelham. mar- ried, first, B. Howard Tyson. 1"he children of this marriage were Virginia Cabell Tyson and Juliet Catherine Tyson. She married, second, Charles Herman Ruggles, son <->f Adjutant-General George D. Ruggles, of the United States Army, retired. The children 84 A ROYAL LINEAGE: of this marriage are Anna Christie and Alma Hammond L'Hommedieu Ruggles. Mrs. Virginia Cabell Ruggles, whose home is in Milwaukee, is a member of the Acorn Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of the Virginia Colonial Dames, of the Old Dominion Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the New York Chap- ter of the Daughters of the Confederacy, is recording secretary of the Wisconsin Chap- ter of National Daughters of 1812, and Councilor for Wisconsin of the Order of the Crown. ALFRED THE GREAT. 85 Farnsworth. Alfred the Great was succeeded by his son Edward "The Elder," whose third wife was Lady Edgiva, daughter of the Saxon Earl Sigelline. Their daughter, Edgiva, married Charles the Third, King of France, who was a descendant of Charlemagne. Louis the Fourth of France, son of Edgiva and Charles the Third, married Lady Ger- berga de Saxe, daughter of Henry the First, Emperor of Germany. From this marriage, through many noble houses, the Counts d'Auvergne and Anjou, Dukes of Bretagne and Normandy, Earls of Richmond and others, the line of descent comes to the Earls of Harcourt. and to Lady Arabella Harcourt, who married Sir John de Digby. He died in 1267, and both were buried at Tilton. Sir Everard de Digby. M. P., c^f Dry- stoke, a great-great-great-grandson of this 86 A ROYAL LINEAGE: couple, was High Sheriff of Rutlandshire in 1459. He and his three brothers were slain at Towton, 1461, fighting under the banner of Henry the Sixth. His wife was Anne, daughter of Sir Francis Clarke of Whyssen- dom, Rutland County. Their great-great-great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Digby, heiress, born 1584, died 1669, married October 25, 16 14, Enoch Lynde of London. He died April 23, 1636. The ancestral home of the Digby family, Sherborne Castle, is said to be occupied at the present time by Lieutenant-Colonel Ed- ward Henry Trafalgar, tenth Baron Digby. The genealogy of this distinguished family is preserved at Sherborne Castle in a folio volume of five hundred and eighty-nine vellum leaves, the first one hundred and sixty-five ornamented with the coats-of-arms of the family and its allies, and illuminated in the richest manner. Simon Lynde, a son of Elizabeth Digby and Enoch Lynde, was born in London June 24, 1624, died November 22, 1687. Like other members of his distinguished family, he was the recipient of many honors, which attested a broad recognition of his worth and ALFRED THE GREAT. 87 station. His presentation to King Charles the First, by his near relative, Baron Digby, of Sherborne, 1618, and First Earl of Bristol 1622, took place not many years before the king's death. After coming to America, he was made Judge of the Superior Court of Judicature at Boston, Massachusetts. He married, in February, 1652, Hannah, daugh- ter of John Newdigate, Benjamin Lynde, a son of Judge Simon Lynde and Hannah Newdigate, was a Chief Justice of Massachusetts, and his son, Benja- min Lynde, Jr., succeeded to the same office. Judge Samuel Lynde, a son of the latter, married j\Lary, daughter of Jarvis Ballard. Mary Lynde, their daughter, married Hon. John Valentine, of Boston, ''His Majesty's Crown Advocate-General" of the provinces of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Thomas Valentine (a son of this mar- riage) married Elizabeth, granddaughter of Sir Charles Hobby, who was knighted by Queen Anne at Windsor Castle July 9, 1 705, "for services done the Crown in New Eng- land." He was an officer in "The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Bos- ton." 88 A ROYAL LINEAGE. A son of this marriage, Samuel Valen- tine, married Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel John Jones and his wife, Hannah Simpson. Their son, Samuel Valentine, Jr., mar- ried Mary Fiske, daughter of Captain Rich- ard Fiske, of Framingham, Massachusetts (whose family was descended from Symond Fiske, Lord of the Manor of Stadhaugh, 1 399- 1 422. Many distinguished men of let- ters have descended from this house). Their daughter, Eliza Fiske Valentine, married Benjamin Stow Farnsworth, of Boston, and had Harriet Eliza Prescott Farnsworth, Henrietta Lynde Farnsworth, founder of "The Order of the Crown," and Mary Susan Valentine Farnsworth, who married William Wirt Smith, of Chicago, and had Edna Val- entine Smith. Some American Descendants of Alfred the Great and Other Sovereigns. -^ . Goode, ncc Panthea r.urwrll Goode. great-great- great-granddaughter of Colonel Clement Read and his wife. Mary Hill. 94 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Rev. Horatio Gates, great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Richard Lyman, who came to New England in 1631 ; a Hneal descendant of Alfred the Great and Charlemagne. Mrs. John A. Halderman, ncc Annie Barbour Doriss, great-grand- daughter of Elizabeth Lewis and her husband, Bennett Henderson, great- granddaughter of Mary Randolph (who was granddaughter of William Randolph, of Turkey Island) and her husband, Charles Lewis. This Charles Lewis was son of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Miss Annie Halderman, great-great-grcat-great-granddaughter of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Miss Mary Hilliard Hinton, great-great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Mrs. William Hull, nee Mary Lewis, great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and his wife, Jane Meriwether. Mrs. Jane Lewis Jackson, great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and his wife, Jane Meriwether. Mr. C. W. Kerns, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Mrs. William King, ncc Augusta Clayton, great-great-great-great- granddaughter of Colonel George Reade and his wife, Elizabeth Martian. Mr. John Calvin Lewis, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel John Lewis and his wife, Frances Fielding. Mrs. Sumpter de Leon Lowry, ncc William Robards Miller, great- great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Mrs. Lemuel Long, ncc Martha Pillow, great-great-great-grand- daughter of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Mrs. August Mayer, ncc Mattie Robards, great-great-great-grand- daughter of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. ALFRED THE GREAT. 95 Mrs. John D. Martin, nee Walker Hull, great-great-great-grand- daughtcr of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and his wife, Jane Meri- wether. Mrs. John Marshall, ncc Rebecca Smith, great-great-great-grand- daughter of Mary Warner and her husband. Colonel John Smith, of "Purton." Dr. Daniel Henry Morgan, great-great-great-great-grandson of Mary Warner and her husband. Colonel John Smith, of "rurton." Mrs. William Moncure, ncc Belle Chapman, great-great-great-great- great-great-granddaughter of Sir Dudley Digges and his wife, Lady Mary Kempe. Mrs. Thomas L. Moore, ncc Ethel Bland Dean, daughter of Carolyn Simpson and Leonard Yancey Dean, granddaughter of Mary Ann Daniel and William Thomas Simpson ; great-granddaughter of James Lewis Daniel and Matilda Gauntt ; great-great-granddaughter of Elizabeth Lewis and Zadoc Daniel ; great-great-great-granddaughter of James Lewis and Susanna Anderson ; great-great-great-great-granddaughtcr of Robert Lewis and Francis Lewis, first cousins, and children of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd." Mr. Richard Micou, great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Mil- dred Reade and her husband, Colonel Philip Rootcs. of "Rosewall." Mrs. William Arthur McNeill, nee Rebecca (or Reebie) Park Metcalf, granddaughter of Rebecca Cocke and William Park ; eighth in descent from Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Cocke; also eighth in descent from Colonel Moore Fauntleroy and Mary Hill (their marriage contract dated 1648). Colonel Moore Fauntleroy was nineteenth in descent from Lady Isobel (or Elizabeth) de Vermandois. who was granddaughter of Henry the First of France (and his wife, Anne of Russia), and ele\'enth in de- scent from Charlemagne. Elizabeth de Vermandois was eighth in descent from Alfred tiie Great. Mrs. Peter Randolpli Neff, nee Josephine Clark I'.in-nett, great-grcat- great-great-granddaughter of James Claypoole and bis wife, I Iclcn Merces. James Claypoole was son of Sir John Claypoole, of Latham, Lincolnshire, England, who was twenty-tbinl in descent from Alfred the Great. 96 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Mrs. Calvin Perkins, iicc Susie Ashton Chapman, granddaughter of William Cole and his wife, Alary T. Alexander ; great-great-great-great- great-great-granddaughter of Sir Dudley Digges and his wife, Lady Mary Kempe. Sir Dudley Digges was a lineal descendant of Alfred the Great. Mr. Blakeney Perkins, great-great-great-great-great-great-great- grandson of Sir Dudley Digges and his wife. Lady Mary Kempe. Mr. Ashton Chapman Perkins, great-great-grcat-grcat-great-great- great-grandson of Sir Dudley Digges and his wife, Lady Mary Kempe. Miss Belle Moncure Perkins, great-great-great-great-great-great- great-granddaughter of Sir Dudley Digges and his wife. Lady Mary Kempe. Mr. Louis Allen Perkins, great-great-great-great-great-great-great- grandson of Sir Dudley Digges and his wife, Lady Mary Kempe. Mr. William Alexander Perkins, great-great-great-great-great-great- great-grandson of Sir Dudley Digges and his wife. Lady Mary Kempe. Mrs. Carrie Reade Pickens, great-great-great-granddaughter of Col- onel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill. Mr. John Read Pickens, Mr. Henry Berlin Pickens, great-great-great- great-grandsons of Colonel Clement Reade and his wife, Mary Hill. Mr. Jerome Bonaparte Pillow, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Mrs. James F. Read, iicc Lena Garvin Park, daughter of Rebecca Cocke and William Park ; eighth in descent from Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Cocke ; also eighth in descent from Colonel Moore Fauntleroy and Mary Hill (their marriage contract dated 1648). Colonel Moore Fauntleroy was nineteenth in descent from Lady Isobel (or Elizabeth) de Vermandois, who was granddaughter of Henry the First of France (and his wife, Anne of Russia), and eleventh in descent from Charle- magne. Elizabeth de Vermandois was eighth in descent from Alfred the Great. Mr. Samuel Roberson Read, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill; great-great-great-great-great- grandson of Colonel George Reade and his wife Elizabeth Martian. ALFRED THE GREAT. 97 Mary Hill Read, great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Clement Read and his wiie, Mary Hill. Elizabeth Nash Read, great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Col- onel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill. Margaret Read, great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill. Mr. Martin Sims Read, great-great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill. Mr. Melancthon C. Read, through Colonel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill, great-great-great-great-grandson of Colonel George Reade and his wife, Elizabeth Martian. Mr. Edward Randolph Read, great-great-grandson of Colonel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill. Mr. Alston Read, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Hill. Mr. William Robards, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Mrs. Charles H. Ruggles, nee Virginia Cabell, great-great-grand- daughter of Rev. Robert Rose, of Scotland, later of Virginia, who was a lineal descendant of King David of Scotland and Alfred the Great. Mrs. Archibald Alagill Robinson, iice Alary Louise Taylor, great- great-granddaug"hter of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and his wife, Jane Aleriwether. Mr. Richard Goldsborough Robinson, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether, Mr. John Hancock Robinson, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. Mr. William Bryce RoImusou, great-great-grcat-grandson of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. Mr. Zachary Taylor Robinson, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. Mr. Alexander Meade Robinson, great-great-great-grandson of Col- onel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. 98 A ROYAL LINEAGE: Mr. Henry Wood Robinson, great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. Miss Elizabeth Lee Robinson, great-great-great-granddanghter of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. INIiss Clarissa Roberts Skinner, daughter of Clarissa R. Bancroft and Ebenezer Roberts, through her father a lineal descendant of Rev. Ger- shom Buckley and his wife, Sarah Chauncey. Through the Chaimcey line a direct descendant of King Henry the First of France and his third wife. Anne of Russia. Mrs. Edgar P. Sawyer, ncc Alary Eleanor Jewell, great-great-great- great-great-great-granddaughter of Charles Chauncey (who landed at Plymouth in 1638) and his wife, Catharine Eyre. Through these ances- tors she is thirty-second in descent from Alfred the Great. (See SoiCyer Jezvell Lineage, by Horatio Gates.) Mrs. Francis Lee Smith, iice Sarah Gosnell A^owell. great-great-great- great-granddaughter of Mildred Reade and her husband, Colonel Augus- tine Warner. Dr. Charles M. Smith, great-great-great-grandson of Mary Warner and her husband, Colonel John Smith, of "Purton." Mrs. William Wirt Smith, nee Mary Susan Valentine Farnsworth, lienal descendant of Alfred the Great through Judge Simond Lynde and his wife, Hannah Newdigate. Miss Edna \'alentine Smith, great-great-great-great-great-great- great-great-granddaughter of Judge Simond L3mde and his wife, Hannah Newdigate. Miss Margaret \'o\vell Smith, great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Mary Warner and her husband. Colonel John Smith, of "Purton," Mrs. William Howard Stovall, nee Roberta Lewis Franks, grand- daughter of Dr. Robert Flenry Lewis and his wife, Sarah Ann Minter; great-great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and his wife, Jane Meriwether. Mrs. Benjamin S. Story, nee Jeanie Washington Campbell, daughter of Jane Wray Washington and her husband, Charles Campbell ; grand- daughter of Needham Langhorne Washington and his wife Sarah Ashton Alexander, claiming royal descent through the first Earl of Stirling. ALFRED THE GREAT. 99 Mr. Robert Hornsby Taylor, great-great-grandson of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Ijelvoir," and his wife Jane Meriwether. Mrs. Lucius IL Terry, nee Mary E. Robards, great-great-great- granddaughter of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Hyrd," and his wife, Mary Howell. Mr. William Wirt Clayton Torrence, great-great-great-grcat-great- great-grandson of Colonel George Reade and his wife, Elizabeth Martian. Miss Patty Thunini, great-great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir," and his wife, Jane Meriwether. Mrs. James Henry Watson, nee Annah Walker Robinson, daughter of Mary Louise Taylor and her husband. Archibald Magill Robinson ; great- great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Robert Lewis, of "Belvoir,'' and his wife, Jane Meriwether. Mr. Archibald Robinson Watson, great-great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. Mr. James Henry Watson, great-great-great-great-grandson of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. Miss Katharine Davis Watson, great-great-great-great-granddaugh- ter of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. Miss Elizabeth Lee Watson, great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Colonel Robert Lewis and Jane Meriwether. Mr. William Ward Wight, great-great-grandson of Rev. Th(5mas Potwine and his wife, Abigal Mosely, of Windsor, Connecticut. Through these ancestors, also Frances Chister, Jane Fortescue and Sir Richard Champernownc, of Devonshire, England, he is a lineal descendant of Alfred the Great. Mr. John Nash Wilson, great-great-grandson of Colonel Clement Read and his wife, Mary Plill. Mrs. W. Blackburn Wilson, ncc Lsabella Hinton Miller, great-great- great-granddaughter of Colonel Charles Lewis, of "The Byrd," aiul his wife, Mary Howell. Mr. John B. White, great-great-great-great-great-grandson of John Prescott and his wife, Mary Platts. John Prescott was son of Ralfe and Ellen Prescott, Shevington, Parish of Standish. Lancaster. Englan o o ,^V 'i- , " o \^' vO ^/. ^i^.^ ^ .0' i.' ,, * .^ H^^ <^_ V V ^ ^' o. > ^>^^NF^^ .^^^^ -,>, A ■r^, C .V , <5>^ - o « . "' '3 \ o ^^ t. .\.>a^:t^^.' o « O ,0 ■■^^li^" / ^i \ ^^ >' ^^'i/j^s.v^"^ ^ -^ '/^ k\ \ '^^. A . 7^ ■* Vi- o S H « -> "^ .0" " " ° * "t* c, ^ tr. ^-0^' 'fM- ^-o/ .-..n.y.. .., . .y ^^ M'^iS^^ A i^^ fv V ^M!M>^. >n « c 0' '^z.^^i ^* :S^: %,.** .-^C^;-, -^-^ ,sN* /i o o t^-^is Mi^: mw.^ A o ■^' 5^^ ^%i ^. 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