{26} Edward III Descents for Alicia (née Mitford) Murray-Aynsley (1768-1813)

Aynsley of Little Harle coat of arms
[Gules on a bend ermine, between two
quatrefoils, or, three mullets of six
points azure]

Alicia Mitford was born in 1768, the elder daughter and second child of surgeon and apothecary George Mitford of Morpeth, and his wife Mary née Threlkeld. While Alicia was growing up, there would have been no indication that she would become an heiress. She had an elder brother, Gawen Aynsley Mitford (b. 1767), who attended Oxford University and Lincoln's Inn. But it was Alicia, and not her brother, who was designated heir of her childless and aged great-uncle Gawen Aynsley of Little Harle Tower (1710-1792), the younger half-brother of her maternal grandmother. Gawen's wife Alicia (née Ibbetson) Aynsley (1714-1769), given the same first name, most likely stood as godmother to the infant Alicia in 1768, and died the following year. It is likely for this reason that Alicia was chosen by her uncle as his heir over her younger sister Mary Mitford (1770-1861), but why her brother Gawen Aynsley Mitford, their uncle's namesake and probable godson, was passed over remains a mystery. A younger brother George Mitford had died in 1781 at age 11, as shown by the 'Mitford of Hexham' pedigree in A History of Northumberland Volume 3 (1896).

Little Harle Tower, Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland

At any rate by early 1792, when her uncle Gawen Aynsley had written out his will (he died on 9 June 1792), Alicia had been designated his heir and executrix, and had assumed his surname Aynsley, and his coat of arms. She inherited the Aynsley family seat of Little Harle Tower, in the parish of Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland. At age 24, Alicia was a landholder in her own right, and so a very attractive marriage prospect. She came to the attention of Lord Charles Murray, a divinity student at New College, Oxford University. He was three years her junior, the youngest brother of the 4th Duke of Atholl, and was authorized by the King on 15 June 1793 to assume the surname of Aynsley in

St Mary Church, Bocking, Essex

addition to and after that of Murray, and to bear the arms of Aynsley quarterly with those of Murray. Three days later he and Alicia were married at Reading, Berkshire. The couple made Little Harle Tower their home, and all seven of their children were born there (four of them - a son and three daughters - survived childhood). In 1803, Lord Charles Murray-Aynsley received the appointment of Dean of St Mary Church, in Bocking, Essex, and it was there that he died in 1808, aged only 36. Alicia did not long survive him, dying at Bocking in 1813. She was only 45. Though her 19-year-old eldest daughter Charlotte had married the previous year, her two sons were unmarried minors, aged 18 and 7, and her younger daughters only aged 11 and 10. Her youngest child, Charles Murray-Aynsley, would follow her to the grave a year later, while staying at Castle Mona in Douglas, residence of his uncle the Duke of Atholl on the Isle of Man.

ALICIA MITFORD, b. 16 May 1768 Morpeth, Northumberland, bap. 12 Aug. 1768 St James Church, Morpeth; d. 13 June 1813 Bocking, Essex, bur. 18 June 1813 St Mary Church, Bocking, er dau. of George Mitford of Morpeth, surgeon (1726-1815) and Mary Threlkeld (1741-1810, descended from Edward III - see Generation A15 below); m. 18 June 1793 Reading, Berkshire, Ven. Lord CHARLES MURRAY-AYNSLEY of Little Harle Tower, Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland, Dean of Bocking 1803-08, b. 21 Apr. 1771 Westminster, London, bap. 6 May 1771 St George Hanover Square, London; d. 5 May 1808 The Deanery, Bocking, bur. 9 May 1808 St Mary Church, Bocking, yst son of John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl (1729-1774, descended from Henry VII) and Charlotte Murray, 8th Baroness Strange (1731-1805, descended from Henry VII), and had issue, four sons and three daughters.

Gen. Sir John Oswald, GCB, 
GCMG (1771-1840)

Issue of Alicia (Mitford) and Ven. Lord Charles Murray-Aynsley:

1) CHARLOTTE MURRAY-AYNSLEY, b. 8 Apr. 1794 Little Harle Tower, bap. 12 May 1794 St Bartholomew Church, Kirkwhelpington; d. 22 Feb. 1827 Dunniker House, Kirkcaldy, Fifeshire, Scotland, bur. 27 Feb. 1827 Old Kirk, Kirkcaldy; m. 28 Jan. 1812 Dunkeld House, Perthshire, Scotland, as his 1st wife, Gen. Sir JOHN OSWALD of Dunniker House, GCB, GCMG, b. 24 Oct. 1771 Dunniker House, bap. 2 Nov. 1771 Old Kirk, Kirkcaldy; d. 8 June 1840 Dunniker House, bur. 13 June 1840 Old Kirk, Kirkcaldy, son of James Townsend Oswald of Dunniker House (1748-1814) and Janet Gray (d. 1842), and had issue, three sons and six daughters.

2) JOHN MURRAY-AYNSLEY of Underdown House, Ledbury, Herefordshire, b. 2 June 1795 Little Harle Tower, bap. 7 Aug. 1795 St Bartholomew Church, Kirkwhelpington; d. 25 Mar. 1870 Underdown House, bur. 30 Mar. 1870 St Helen Church, Olveston, Gloucestershire; m. 24 June 1820 St Mary Church, Olveston, EMMA SARAH PEACH, b. 2 July 1792 Tockington House, Olveston, bap. 12 Aug. 1792 St Mary Church, Olveston; d. 27 Feb. 1877 Kensington, London, bur. 3 Mar. 1877 St Mary Church, Olveston, dau. of Samuel Peach Cruger [later Peach] of Tockington House (1767-1845) and Clarissa Partridge (1769-1836), and had issue, five sons and one daughter.

St Bartholomew Church, Kirkwhelpington,
Northumberland

3) GEORGE EDWARD COLLINGWOOD MURRAY-AYNSLEY, b. 17 Sept. 1798 Little Harle Tower, bap. 10 Oct. 1798 St Bartholomew Church, Kirkwhelpington; d. in infancy there 21 Jan. 1799, bur. there 23 Jan. 1799.

4) GEORGE EDWARD COLLINGWOOD MURRAY-AYNSLEY, b. 17 Nov. 1799 Little Harle Tower, bap. 28 Nov. 1799 St Bartholomew Church, Kirkwhelpington; d. in infancy there 5 Dec. 1799, bur. there 7 Dec. 1799.

5) ATHOLL KETURAH MURRAY-AYNSLEY, b. 22 July 1801 Little Harle Tower, bap. 15 Aug. 1801 St Bartholomew Church, Kirkwhelpington; d. 26 Jan. 1844 Bocking, Essex, bur. 3 Feb. 1844 St Mary Church, Bocking; m. 5 June 1826 St Margaret Church, Westminster, Very Rev. Sir HERBERT OAKELEY, 3rd Baronet of Shrewsbury, Dean of Barking 1834-45, b. 10 Feb. 1791 Fort St George, Madras, India, bap. there 23 Mar. 1791; d. 27 Mar. 1845 London, bur. 4 Apr. 1845 St Mary Church, Bocking, 4th son of Sir Charles Oakeley, 1st Baronet of Shrewsbury (1751-1826, descended from Edward III) and Helena Beatson (1762-1839), and had issue, four sons and three daughters.

6) ELIZABETH ANNE MURRAY-AYNSLEY, b. 30 Oct. 1802 Little Harle Tower, bap. 27 Nov. 1802 St Bartholomew Church, Kirkwhelpington; d. unm. 7 June 1880 Leamington Priors, Warwickshire, bur. 11 June 1880 All Saints Church, Leamington Priors.

7) (EDWARD) CHARLES MURRAY-AYNSLEY, b. 7 Dec. 1805 Little Harle Tower, bap. 27 Dec. 1805 St Bartholomew Church, Kirkwhelpington; d. in childhood 31 July 1814 Douglas, Braddan, Isle of Man, bur. 4 Aug. 1814 Old Kirk, Braddan.

Alicia (née Mitford) Murray-Aynsley has nine definite lines of descent from Edward III, and one possible one (Line A below).

Edward III had 3 sons A1, D1 & J1 (see below)

A1) Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence (1338-1368) m. 1) Lady Elizabeth de Burgh (1332-1363, descended from Edward I), and had

Philippa (née Plantagenet), Countess
of March - see Generation A2

A2) Lady Philippa Plantagenet of Clarence (1355-1377) m. Edmund Mortmer, 3rd Earl of March (1352-1381), and had

A3) Lady Elizabeth Mortimer (1371-1417) m. 1) Sir Henry 'Hotspur' Percy (1364-1403), and had a dau A4 & a son B4 (see below)

A4) Lady Elizabeth Percy (c.1395-1437) m. 1) John, 7th Lord Clifford (1388-1422, descended from Edward I), and had

A5) Thomas, 8th Lord Clifford (1414-1455) m. Joan Dacre (c.1417-c.1452, descended from Edward I), and had

A6) John, 9th Lord Clifford (1435-1461) m. Margaret Bromflete (c.1436-1493), and had

A7) Henry, 10th Lord Clifford (1454-1523) = unknown mistress, and had

A8) Elizabeth Clifford, illegit. m. 2) William Tonge of Eccleshall, and had

A9) Isabel Tonge (living 1572) m. Robert Threlkeld of Denton (living 1572), and had

Lords Clifford coat of arms

A10) William Threlkeld of Evenwood (d. 1613) m. Margaret Downes, and had

A11) Henry Threlkeld of Tudhoe (d. 1621) m. Margaret ---, and had

A12) Rev. William Threlkeld of Brancepeth (d. 1675)[*1] m. Thomasine --- (c.1620-1707), and had

A13) Deodatus Threlkeld of Tritlington House (1657-1733) m. 3) Margaret Moor (d. 1758), and had

A14) JOHN THRELKELD of Morpeth, Northumberland, postmaster, b. The Close, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Northumberland, bap. 8 Sept. 1701 St Nicholas Church, Newcastle; d. 14 Feb. 1769 Morpeth, bur. 16 Feb. 1769 St James Church, Morpeth; m. 1st 30 Nov. 1731 St Mary Church, Gateshead, Durham, JANE AYNSLEY (see B14 below), and had

A15) MARY THRELKELD, b. 24 June 1741 Morpeth, bap. 23 July 1741 St James Church, Morpeth; d. there 7 Jan. 1810, bur. there 15 Jan. 1810; m. 18 Dec. 1764 St Mary Church, Morpeth, GEORGE MITFORD of Morpeth, surgeon, bap. 16 June 1726 St Mary Church, Hexham, Northumberland; d. 1815 Morpeth, son of George Mitford of Hexham (1694-1750) and Elizabeth Paxton (d. 1768), and had

A16) Alicia Mitford [later Aynsley] (1768-1813 - see details above) m. Lord Charles Murray [later Murray-Aynsley]

[*1] W. Hylton Dyer Longstaffe, the Victorian-era antiquarian and genealogist, in his article 'Stainton in the Street' for Archaeologia Aeliana New Series Volume 3 (1859), states, on p. 99, "William Threlkeld, clerk, was, I take it, son or grandson of Henry, because his family settled in Brancepeth, and the name of Henry occurs in his issue." This is hardly definitive evidence, and much further research is needed to validate Longstaffe's hypothesis. So Line A above is only a possible Edward III descent for Alicia Mitford. Generations A1 thru A11 are valid, and Generations A12 thru A16 are valid. But A12 as the son of A11 is only Longstaffe's conjecture, at this point.

B4) Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (1394-1455) m. Lady Eleanor Neville (see D3 below), and had 2 sons B5 & C5 (see below)

B5) Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland (1421-1461) m. Eleanor Poynings (1428-1484, descended from Edward I), and had

B6) Lady Margaret Percy (b. c.1447) m. Sir William Gascoigne of Gawthorpe Hall (see E6 below), and had

Ogle coat of arms

B7) Margaret Gascoigne (b. c.1470) m. Ralph, 3rd Lord Ogle (1468-1513, descended from Edward I), and had

B8) Sir William Ogle of Causey Park (c.1492-1542) m. Margery Delaval (see F7 below), and had

B9) James Ogle of Causey Park (c.1525-1598) m. Isabel Clavering, and had

B10) John Ogle of Causey Park (c.1565-1636) m. 2) Alice Palmer, and had

B11) James Ogle of Causey Park (c.1616-1664) m. Jane Ogle (see C12 below), and had

B12) William Ogle of Causey Park (1653-1718) m. Elizabeth Strother (see H13 below), and had

B13) Jane Ogle (1680-c.1699) m. Gawen Aynsley of Little Harle Tower (1669-1750), and had

B14) JANE AYNSLEY, b. 1699; d. 5 Aug. 1743 Morpeth, bur. 7 Aug. 1743 St James Church, Morpeth; m. 30 Nov. 1731 St Mary Church, Gateshead, Durham, JOHN THRELKELD of Morpeth (see A14 above)

Percy of Northumberland coat of arms

C5) Sir Ralph Percy (1425-1464) m. Eleanor Acton (d. aft.1498), and had

C6) Sir Henry Percy of Dunstanburgh Castle (d. 1486) m. Constance ---, and had

C7) Margery Percy (c.1480-aft.1537) m. Sir Henry Widdrington of Widdrington Castle (c.1478-1517, descended from Edward I), and had

C8) Mary Widdrington (c.1510-by 1546) m. John Mitford of Seghill (c.1500-1566), and had

C9) John Mitford of Seghill (c.1530-1571) m. Barbara Lawson (see G9 below), and had

C10) Magdalen Mitford (d. aft.1626) m. Oliver Ogle of Burradon Tower (c.1545-1616, descended from Edward I), and had

C11) Lancelot Ogle of Burradon Tower (1582-1641) m. Mary Ogle (d. 1625), and had

C12) Jane Ogle (1622-1655) m. James Ogle of Causey Park (see B11 above)

Joan (née Beaufort), Countess of
Westmorland - see Generation D2

D1) John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340-1399) m. 3) Katherine Roet (c.1350-1403), and had

D2) Lady Joan Beaufort (c.1377-1440) m. twice, and had 3 daus D3, E3 & F3, and a son I3 (see below)

D3) Lady Eleanor Neville, by 2nd husband (1403-1472) m. 2) Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (see B4 above)

E3) Mary Ferrers, by 1st husband (1394-1458) m. Sir Ralph Neville of Oversley (1395-1458, descended from Edward I), and had

E4) John Neville of Oversley (c.1415-1482) m. Elizabeth Newmarch (b. 1415), and had

E5) Joan Neville (c.1434-bef.1482) m. 1) Sir William Gascoigne of Gawthorpe Hall (c.1428-1463), and had

E6) Sir William Gascoigne of Gawthorpe Hall (c.1450-1487) m. Lady Margaret Percy (see B6 above)

F3) Elizabeth Ferrers, by 1st husband (1393-1434) m. John, 4th Lord Greystoke (c.1390-1436), and had a son F4 and 2 daus G4 & H4 (see below)

F4) Ralph, 5th Lord Greystoke (1414-1487) m. 1) Elizabeth Fitzhugh (c.1420-1469), and had

F5) Margery Greystoke m. Sir Thomas Gray of Chillingham Castle (c.1455-1498, descended from Edward I), and had

F6) Anne Gray (c.1477-aft.1519) m. 1) John Delaval of Seaton Delaval (d. 1498), and had

F7) Margery Delaval (b. c.1495) m. Sir William Ogle of Causey Park (see B8 above)

G4) Joan Greystoke (c.1409-by 1487) m. 1) John Darcy of Temple Hurst (1404-1458, descended from Edward I), and had

G5) Richard Darcy, Heir of Temple Hurst (b. 1424) m. Eleanor le Scrope (d. 1471), and had

G6) Sir William Darcy of Temple Hurst (1443-1488) m. Euphemia Langton (d. 1494), and had

G7) Isabel Darcy m. Sir Roger Grey of Horton (d. 1543), and had

G8) Edith Grey (c.1500-1575) m. 2) Thomas Lawson of Cramlington (d. 1547), and had

G9) Barbara Lawson m. John Mitford of Seghill (see C9 above)

Conyers of Sockburn coat of arms

H4) Anne Greystoke (c.1417-1477) m. Sir Ralph Bigod of Settrington (1410-1461), and had

H5) Anne Bigod (c.1450-1531) m. William Conyers of Sockburn Hall (c.1445-1490), and had

H6) Christopher Conyers of Sockburn Hall (c.1469-1497) m. Anne Markenfield (c.1470-1532, descended from Edward I), and had

H7) Sir Thomas Conyers of Sockburn Hall (1491-1520) m. 1) Margaret Radcliffe (d. by 1519), and had

H8) Sir George Conyers of Sockburn Hall (1509-1567) m. Anne Dawnay (see I7 below), and had

H9) Sir John Conyers of Sockburn Hall (1547-1610) m. Agnes Bowes (d. 1598), and had

H10) Eleanor Conyers (b. 1572) m. 1) Lancelot Strother of Fowberry Tower (d. 1611), and had

H11) John Strother of Fowberry Tower (1595-1631) m. Elizabeth Selby (d. aft.1661), and had

H12) Col. William Strother of Kirknewton (1625-1699) m. Jane Shafto (1633-aft.1705), and had

H13) Elizabeth Strother (1658-1699) m. William Ogle of Causey Park (see B12 above)

I3) George Neville, 1st Lord Latimer, by 2nd husband (c.1411-1469) m. Lady Elizabeth Beauchamp (c.1411-1480, descended from Edward I), and had

I4) Sir Henry Neville of Latimer (c.1435-1469) m. Joan Bourchier (see J4 below), and had

1st Duke of Gloucester - see
Generation J1

I5) Richard Neville, 2nd Lord Latimer (1468-1530) m. 1) Anne Stafford (d. by 1521), and had

I6) Dorothy Neville (1496-1532) m. Sir John Dawnay of Sessay (d. 1553), and had

I7) Anne Dawnay (b. c.1525) m. Sir George Conyers of Sockburn Hall (see H8 above)

J1) Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester (1355-1397) m. Lady Eleanor de Bohun (1366-1399, descended from Edward I), and had

J2) Anne Plantagenet, Countess of Buckingham (1383-1438) m. 3) William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu (c.1374-1420), and had

J3) John Bourchier, 1st Lord Berners (c.1411-1474) m. Margery Berners (1409-1475), and had

J4) Joan Bourchier (c.1448-1470) m. Sir Henry Neville, Heir of Latimer (see I4 above)

Cheers,                                                 ------Brad