{31} Edward III/Thomas More/Thomas Cromwell Descents for Maria Teresa (née Metcalfe) Eyston (1791-1848)

Sir Thomas More

The recent television mini-series Wolf Hall, based on the best-selling novel by Hilary Mantel, had me deceived by it's title. Not having read the book, I assumed it would be a look at Henry VIII's reign through the view of the Seymours, since Wolf Hall was their family seat. Instead, it was a contemplative (and at times painfully slow-moving) account of the reign through Thomas Cromwell's point of view. Mark Rylance gave a brilliant, multi-dimensional performance as Cromwell, and Sir Thomas More (played by Anton Lesser) was portrayed as a shrill, arrogant fanatic. This is the complete opposite of the Oscar-winning film adaptation of Robert Bolt's 1960s play A Man For All Seasons, where Paul Scofield plays More as a dignified figure, the most principled man in the room, with Leo McKern's Cromwell a materialistic, hypocritical villain. The television series The Tudors, which I'm very fond of, has what I feel is the most accurate portrayal of the two, with neither More nor Cromwell an all-out hero or an all-out villain.

Thomas Cromwell

The two men have come to symbolize the different religious factions, Catholic and Protestant, that arose when Henry VIII split the Anglican Church off from Rome. Whether or not this is how they were perceived in their own time is for historians to research, but it's certainly how they are being portrayed onscreen today. It's therefore interesting from a genealogical perspective to come across an individual who can claim descent from both men. Agnes Mary (née Eyston) Western is one, with her paternal grandmother Maria Teresa (née Metcalfe) Eyston the gateway link to these two divergent lines.

In 1838, Maria Teresa Eyston succeeded her childless brother as the senior representative (the one amongst an individual's living descendants who would theoretically be entitled to an estate, or any other claim, from that individual based on primogeniture - i.e. the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son, or, if there are no sons, the eldest daughter, etc), of Sir Thomas More. This came to her through her paternal grandmother Bridget More of Barnburgh Hall, the Yorkshire seat of the More family since the 16th century.

Barnburgh Hall, Yorkshire. It was demolished in 1969.

Through her mother Maria Teresa is a 12-generation descendant of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, and appears on p. 383 of Ruvigny's Clarence volume (1905). As the ancestry of Maria Teresa's maternal grandfather Sir George Throckmorton, Heir of Coughton Court, is well-covered in Ruvigny and other sources, I won't repeat his Edward III lines here, and only the Edward III lines for Maria Teresa's maternal grandmother Dame Anna Maria (née Paston) Throckmorton appear below, one of which (Line D) is through Thomas, Lord Cromwell's granddaughter Frances Strode.

Metcalfe of Brigg coat of arms
[Argent, three calves passant sable]

THOMAS PETER METCALFE of Bath, Somersetshire, b. 4 July 1756 Brigg, Lincolnshire; d. 21 Oct. 1793 Bath, only son of Peter Metcalfe of Brigg (d. 1757) and Bridget More (c.1735-1797, descended from Edward III & Sir Thomas More - see Generation A14 below); m. 28 Aug. 1789 St George Catholic Church, Buckland, Berkshire, TERESA THROCKMORTON, b. Weston House, Weston Underwood, Buckinghamshire, bap. 28 Feb. 1789 St Laurence Church, Weston Underwood; d. 24 Sept. 1824 Hendred House, East Hendred, Berkshire, bur. 2 Oct. 1824 St George Catholic Church, Buckland, dau. of Sir George Throckmorton of Weston House (1721-1767, descended from Edward III) and Anna Maria Paston (1728-1791, descended from Edward III & Thomas Cromwell - see Generation B15 below), and had issue, one son and one daughter.

Issue of Thomas Peter and Teresa (Throckmorton) Metcalfe:

More of Barnburgh coat of arms
[Argent, a chevron engrailed between
three moorcocks sable, crested gules]

1) MARIA TERESA METCALFE, suc. her brother as senior representative of St/Sir Thomas More 1838, b. 6 Feb. 1791 Bath, bap. same day St Mary Catholic Chapel, Queen's Square, Bath; d. 19 Mar. 1848 Leamington Priors, Warwickshire, bur. St Benet Catholic Churchyard, Kemerton, Gloucestershire; m. 13 Oct. 1814 St Mary Catholic Chapel, Queen's Square, Bath, CHARLES EYSTON of Hendred House, b. 17 May 1790 Milton House, Berkshire, bap. 18 May 1790 St Mary Catholic Chapel, Milton House; d. 24 Feb. 1857 London, bur. St Benet Catholic Churchyard, Kemerton, Gloucestershire, est son of Basil Eyston of Hendred House (1749-1817, descended from Edward III) and Mary Jane Huddleston (1765-1847, descended from Edward III), and had issue, three sons and five daughters.

2) THOMAS PETER METCALFE [later MORE] of Barnburgh Hall, Yorkshire, assumed surname and arms of More after death of paternal grandmother Bridget (More) (Metcalfe) Dalton (royal lic. 24 June) 1797, suc. as senior representative of St/Sir Thomas More on death of paternal great-aunt, Dame Mary Augustina (née More), Prioress of the Augustinian Canonesses at Bruges March 1807, b. Bath, bap. 25 Apr. 1794 St Mary Catholic Chapel, Queen's Street, Bath; d. unm. 20 July 1838 Birmingham, Warwickshire, bur. 4 Aug. 1838 St Peter Church, Coughton, Warwickshire.

Following are ten of the many lines of descent from Edward III for Maria Teresa Metcalfe through her two grandmothers.

Lady Elizabeth (née Mortimer)
Percy - see Generation A3

Edward III had 2 sons A1 & E1 (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
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 son A4 & a dau B4 (see below)
A4) Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (1394-1455) m. Lady Eleanor Neville (see E3 below), and had
A5) Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland (1421-1461) m. Eleanor Poynings (1428-1484, descended from Edward I), and had
A6) Lady Elizabeth Percy (b. c.1460) m. Henry, 6th Lord Scrope of Bolton (c.1460-1506, descended from Edward I), and had
A7) John Scrope of Spennithorne (c.1496-1547) m. Phyllis Rokeby (d. 1576), and had

Mary (née Scrope) More -
see Generation A8

A8) Mary Scrope (1534-1607) m. Thomas More of Barnburgh Hall (1531-1606, descended from Edward I & grandson of Sir Thomas More, the saint), and had
A9) Cresacre More of Chilston (1572-1649) m. Elizabeth Gage (1585-1610, descended from Edward I), and had
A10) Thomas More of Gobions (1607-1660) m. Mary Brooke (d. 1683), and had
A11) Basil More of Barnburgh Hall (1639-1702) m. Anne Humble (1641-1694), and had
A12) Christopher Cresacre More of Barnburgh Hall (1666-1729) m. Katherine Wharton (d. 1744), and had
A13) Thomas More of Barnburgh Hall (1691-1739) m. Catherine Giffard (see G13 below), and had
A14) Bridget More (c.1735-1797) m. 1) Peter Metcalfe of Glandford Brigg (d. 1757), and had
A15) Thomas Peter Metcalfe of Bath (1756-1793) m. Teresa Throckmorton (see B16 below), and had
A16) Maria Teresa Metcalfe (1791-1848) m. Charles Eyston of Hendred House (1790-1857, descended from Edward III), grandparents of Agnes Mary Eyston

Wentworth of Nettlestead
coat of arms

B4) Lady Elizabeth Percy (c.1395-1437) m. 1) John, 7th Lord Clifford (1388-1422, descended from Edward I), and had
B5) Mary Clifford (c.1420-by1458) m. Sir Philip Wentworth of Nettlestead (1424-1464), and had
B6) Sir Henry Wentworth of Nettlestead (1448-1499) m. 1) Anne Say (c.1448-aft.1489), and had two daus B7 & D7 (see below)
B7) Elizabeth Wentworth (c.1482-aft.1545) m. 1) Roger Darcy of Maldon (1478-1508, descended from Edward I), and had two daus B8 & C8 (see below)[*1]
B8) Elizabeth Darcy (d. aft.1563) m. (div.) Sir John Leigh of Stockwell (1502-1564, descended from Edward I), and had
B9) Agnes Leigh m. 1) Sir Thomas Paston of Binham Priory (by1517-1550, descended from Edward I), and had
B10) Edward Paston of Appleton Hall (1550-1630) m. 2) Margery Berney (c.1565-1640, descended from Edward I), and had
B11) William Paston of Appleton Hall (d. 1652) m. Agnes Everard (see I9 below), and had
B12) William Paston of Horton Court (d. 1673) m. Mary Lawson (d. 1679, descended from Edward III)[*2], and had

William Paston of Horton Court
- see Generation B14

B13) John Paston of Horton Court (1669-1737) m. 1) Frances Tichborne (see F12 below), and had
B14) William Paston of Horton Court (1700-1769) m. 1) Mary Courtenay (see C14 below), and had
B15) Anna Maria Paston (1728-1799) m. Sir George Throckmorton, Heir of Coughton Court (1721-1767, descended from Edward III), and had
B16) Teresa Throckmorton (1759-1824) m. Thomas Peter Metcalfe of Bath (see A15 above)

[*1] Kathy Lynn Emerson on her website A Who's Who of Tudor Women makes it clear that the Elizabeth Darcy who married and divorced Sir John Leigh of Stockwell was not the same woman as the Elizabeth Darcy who married Humphrey Colles of Barton Grange (see C8 below). However, if Elizabeth Darcy divorced Humphrey Colles by 1544 when he married his second wife, rather than died, the chronology could work for her to have been the same woman. I've made two different Elizabeth Darcys in my database, but further research is needed.

Lawson coat of arms

[*2] Mary Lawson, who died 23 September 1679 at Bath, is a granddaughter of Roger Lawson of Heton Hall (1571-1614) & Dorothy Constable (1580-1632), both descendants of Edward III. Mary Lawson appears on p. 299 of Ruvigny's 1911 Mortimer-Percy volume, married to "(---) Paston of co. Norfolk". Ruvigny was unaware of any issue of the couple, so generations B13 & B14 above are additions to Ruvigny. The best account of this branch of the Paston family is the article 'The Pastons of Horton' by J.N. Langston, in Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Volume 77 (1958). Neither Ruvigny, in his Table XVIII, nor Rev. John William Clay in his Lawson of Brough pedigree in Dugdale's Visitation of Yorkshire, with Additions Volume 2 (1907), have any details on Mary's father James Lawson beyond the fact that he "resided at Scremerston, co. Durham" [sic - Scremerston is in Northumberland, not county Durham], and his wife (Mary's mother) is unidentified.  The Northumberland County History Committee's History of Northumberland series has a pedigree on pp. 392-395 of Volume 13 (1930), which is cited as a source in the ODNB bio of James's mother Dorothy Constable Lawson. It may provide more information on James Lawson of Scremerston, but I'm unable to access that volume here in Vancouver.

C8) Elizabeth Darcy (d. by 1544, but see note [*1] above) m. Humphrey Colles of Barton Grange (by 1510-1571), and had

Courtenay of Molland coat of arms

C9) John Colles of Barton Grange (c.1541-1608) m. 1) Anne Thynne (d. by 1595), and had
C10) Anne Colles (d. 1627) m. Charles Courtenay (c.1570-1612, descended from Edward I), and had
C11) John Courtenay of Molland (d. 1661) m. Margaret Wyndham (d. 1684, descended from Edward I), and had
C12) John Courtenay of Molland (1630-1684) m. Mary Stucley (see H10 below), and had
C13) John Courtenay of Molland (1659-1724) m. Hon. Amy Clifford (see D14 below), and had
C14) Mary Courtenay (1687-1747) m. William Paston of Horton Court (see B14 above)

D7) Margery Wentworth (c.1478-1550) m. Sir John Seymour of Wolf Hall (c.1474-1536), and had
D8) Elizabeth Seymour (c.1514-by 1563) m. 2) Gregory, 1st Baron Cromwell (c.1514-1551, son of Thomas, Lord Cromwell), and had
D9) Frances Cromwell (c.1544-1562) m. Richard Strode of Newnham (1528-1581, descended from Edward I), and had

D10) Sir William Strode of Newnham (1562-1637) m. 1) Mary Southcote (d. 1618, descended from Edward I), and had
D11) Mary Strode (1586-1645) m. Sir George Chudleigh, 1st Baronet of Ashton (1582-1658), and had
D12) Mary Chudleigh m. Hugh Clifford of Ugbrooke Park (1603-1640, descended from Edward I), and had

1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh
- see Generation D13

D13) Thomas, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (1630-1673) m. Elizabeth Martin (d. 1709), and had
D14) Hon. Amy Clifford (1661-1693) m. John Courtenay of Molland (see C13 above)

E1) John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340-1399) m. three times, and had two daus E2 & J2 (see below)
E2) Lady Joan Beaufort, by 3rd wife (c.1377-1440) m. 2) Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland (1364-1425), and had a dau E3 & two sons F3 & H3 (see below)
E3) Lady Eleanor Neville, by 2nd husband (1403-1472) m. 2) Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland (see A4 above)

F3) Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury (c.1398-1460) m. Lady Alice Montagu (1406-1462, descended from Edward I), and had two daus F4 & G4 (see below)
F4) Lady Katherine Neville (c.1442-1504) m. 1) William Bonville, 6th Lord Harington (1442-1460, descended from Edward I), and had
F5) Cecily Bonville (1460-1529) m. 1) Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset (c.1456-1501, descended from Edward I), and had
F6) Lady Eleanor Grey (c.1479-by1503) m. Sir John Arundell of Lanherne (c.1474-1545), and had
F7) Sir Thomas Arundell of Wardour Castle (by1502-1552) m. Margaret Howard (c.1518-1571, descended from Edward I), and had

1st Baron Arundell of Wardour
- see Generation F9

F8) Sir Matthew Arundell of Wardour Castle (by1534-1598) m. Margaret Willoughby (1538-1585, descended from Edward III), and had
F9) Thomas, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour (c.1560-1639) m. 1) Lady Mary Wriothesley (c.1567-1607, descended from Edward III), and had
F10) Hon. William Arundell of Horningsham (c.1590-1653) m. Hon. Mary Browne (c.1600-1692, descended from Edward III), and had
F11) Mary Arundell (c.1630-1698) m. Sir Henry Tichborne, 3rd Baronet of Tichborne (c.1619-1689, descended from Edward I), and had
F12) Frances Tichborne (c.1675-1712) m. John Paston of Horton Court (see B13 above)

G4) Lady Alice Neville (c.1434-aft.1503) m. Henry, 5th Lord Fitzhugh (1429-1472), and had
G5) Elizabeth Fitzhugh (1462-bef.1507) m. 2) Nicholas, 1st Baron Vaux of Harrowden (c.1460-1523, descended from Edward I), and had
G6) Katherine Vaux (c.1490-c.1571) m. Sir George Throckmorton of Coughton Court (by 1489-1552), and had
G7) Sir Robert Throckmorton of Coughton Court (by1513-1581) m. 1) Muriel Berkeley (c.1511-by 1542, descended from Edward I), and had

Sir Robert Throckmorton -
see Generation G7

G8) Anne Throckmorton (c.1540-1603) m. Ralph Sheldon of Beoley (c.1537-1613), and had
G9) Mary Sheldon (b. 1560) m. Walter Fowler of St Thomas Priory (1552-1621), and had
G10) Frances Fowler m. Peter Giffard of Chillington Hall (1581-1663), and had
G11) John Giffard of Black Ladies (b. 1620) m. Katherine Hawkins, and had
G12) John Giffard of Black Ladies (c.1655-1710) m. Katherine Taylor (1667-aft.1715), and had
G13) Catherine Giffard (d. 1767) m. Thomas More of Barnburgh Hall (see A13 above)

H3) Edward Neville, 3rd Lord Abergavenny (c.1417-1476) m. 1) Lady Elizabeth Beauchamp (1415-1448, descended from Edward III), and had
H4) George Neville, 4th Lord Abergavenny (1440-1492) m. 1) Margaret Fenne (c.1444-1485), and had 2 sons H5 & I5 (see below)
H5) George Neville, 5th Lord Abergavenny (1469-1535) m. 3) Lady Mary Stafford (c.1503-by 1529, descended from Edward III), and had
H6) Katherine Neville (b. c.1521) m. Sir John St Leger of Annery (c.1516-1596, descended from Edward I), and had

Stucley of Affeton coat of arms

H7) Frances St Leger m. John Stucley of Affeton Castle (by 1551-1611), and had
H8) Sir Lewis Stucley of Affeton Castle (by 1581-1620) m. Frances Monck (descended from Edward IV), and had
H9) John Stucley of Affeton Castle (d. 1638) m. 2) Elizabeth Coode (see J10 below), and had
H10) Mary Stucley[*3] m. John Courtenay of Molland (see C12 above)

[*3] Generations H5 to H10 above appear in Table XXVI of Ruvigny's Mortimer-Percy volume.

I5) Sir Edward Neville of Addington Park (by1482-1538) m. Eleanor Windsor (d. 1531, descended from Edward I), and had
I6) Frances Neville (c.1525-1599) m. 1) Sir Edward Waldegrave of Sudbury (c.1517-1561), and had
I7) Charles Waldegrave of Stanninghall (1550-1632) m. Jeronyma Jerningham (c.1550-1626, descended from Edward I), and had
I8) Dorothy Waldegrave m. William Everard of Linstead (d. 1632), and had
I9) Agnes Everard (c.1603-1676) m. William Paston of Appleton Hall (see B11 above)

J2) Lady Elizabeth of Lancaster, by 1st wife (1364-1425) m. 2) John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter (c.1358-1400, descended from Edward I), and had

2nd Duke of Exeter -
see Generation J3

J3) John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter (1395-1447) = unknown mistress, and had
J4) Robert Holland, Bastard of Exeter (d. 1461) m. Margaret ---, and had
J5) Jane Holland m. 1) John Kendall of Treworgey, and had
J6) Walter Kendall of Pelyn House (d. 1547) m. Jane Rous, and had
J7) Nicholas Kendall of Pelyn House (1511-1583) m. Loveday Killiow, and had
J8) Walter Kendall of Pelyn House (by 1543-1598) m. Agnes Bevill, and had
J9) Loveday Kendall (d. 1613) m. William Coode of Morval (1573-1655), and had
J10) Elizabeth Coode m. John Stucley of Affeton Castle (see H9 above)


My next post will examine the Edward III descents of Maria Teresa Metcalfe's husband, Charles Eyston of Hendred House.

Cheers,                                    -------Brad