{35} Ruvigny Addition: Exeter Descent for Daisy Ashford (1881-1972)

Daisy Ashford in 1919

Reportedly the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald giving the first name 'Daisy' to the female lead of his novel The Great Gatsby, Daisy Ashford was a child prodigy at the tail end of the Victorian era, with a  bio in ODNB, Wikipedia, and a rather good online one, here. Born Margaret Mary Julia Ashford on 7 April 1881 at Elm Lodge, Petersham, Surrey, her family soon called her 'Daisy' after the string of daisies her elder half-brother placed on her at her christening. She wrote a novella The Young Visiters in 1890, when she was nine years old. After her mother's death in 1917, Daisy found the manuscript amongst her mother's papers, and it was published in 1919, with a preface by James M. Barrie.  Mixing sophistication with childlike innocence, rich descriptions with poor spelling and unintentional humour, the novella was an immediate success, reprinted eighteen times in the first year of publication, and made a mini-celebrity out of its author, now a middle-aged woman aged 38. Shy and unworldly, Daisy was overwhelmed by fame, and a few months later, on 9 January 1920, wedded a Norfolk farmer, James Patrick Devlin (1891-1956), ten years her junior, whom she had met while working at a Catholic soldiers' club in Bexhill, Sussex. Daisy never pursued writing as an adult, instead retreating into obscurity, a quiet marriage, and her family of two sons and two daughters. She spent her final years living with her daughter in the Norwich suburb of Hellesdon, where she died on 15 January 1972, at age 90.

Elm Lodge in Petersham, Surrey - Birthplace of Daisy Ashford

Through her ancestress Maria Howard of Corby Castle, Daisy Ashford has several lines of descent from Edward III, including a 15-generation one from Anne, Duchess of Exeter, sister of Edward IV and Richard III, as so.

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

3rd Duke of York -
see Generation 5

2) Lady Philippa Plantagenet of Clarence (1355-1377) m. Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March (1352-1381), and had
3) Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March (1374-1398) m. Lady Alianore Holland (1370-1405, descended from Edward I), and had
4) Lady Anne Mortimer (1388-1411) m. Richard of York, 3rd Earl of Cambridge (1385-1415, descended from Edward III), and had
5) Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (1411-1460) m. Lady Cecily Neville (1415-1495, descended from Edward III), and had
6) Anne Plantagenet, Duchess of Exeter (1439-1476) m. 2) Sir Thomas St Leger (by 1438-1483), and had
7) Anne St Leger (1475-1526) m. George Manners, 11th Lord Ros (1470-1513, descended from Edward I), and had
8) Katherine Manners m. Sir Robert Constable of Everingham (by 1495-1558), and had
9) Sir Marmaduke Constable of Everingham (d. 1574) m. Jane Conyers (d. 1558, descended from Edward III), and had
10) Katherine Constable (c.1556-1579) m. Sir Robert Stapleton of Wighill (1547-1606), and had
11) Jane Stapleton (c.1576-1656) m. Christopher Wyvill, Heir of Constable Burton (1562-1614, descended from Edward III), and had
12) Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, 2nd Baronet of Constable Burton (d. 1648) m. Isabel Gascoigne (b. 1595, descended from Edward III), and had
13) Grace Wyvill (d. aft.1678) m. George Witham of Cliffe Hall (c.1629-1703, descended from Edward III), and had
14) John Witham of Cliffe Hall (1652-aft.1707) m. 1) Elizabeth Standish (d. by 1688, descended from Edward III), and had
15) William Witham of Cliffe Hall (1678-1723) m. Anne Lawson (descended from Edward III), and had
16) Henry Witham of Cliffe Hall (1712-1771) m. Catherine Meaburne (1715-1803, descended from Edward III), and had

Maria (née Espinasse) Ashford
- see Generation 19

17) Anne Witham (1734-1794) m. Philip Howard of Corby Castle (1730-1810, descended from Edward III), and had
18) Maria Howard (1762-1837) m. 2) Henry William Espinasse of Heatham Lodge (1760-1845), and had
19) Maria Cordelia Espinasse (1802-1882) m. William Ker Ashford of Elm Lodge (1805-1863), and had
20) William Henry Roxburgh Ashford of Elm Lodge (1837-1912) m. Emma Georgiana Walker (1842-1917, descended from Edward I), and had
21) Margaret 'Daisy' Mary Julia Ashford (1881-1972), child prodigy novelist

Ruvigny has Maria Howard (Generation 18 above) on p. 559 of his Anne of Exeter volume:
"3e. Maria Howard, d. 11 June 1837; m. 1st, 6 Aug. 1786, the Hon. George William Petre, b. 10 Jan. 1766; d. 22 Oct. 1797; 2ndly (? as 2nd wife), 1802, Col. Henry Espinasse.
"See the Clarence Volume, pp. 376-377, Nos. 12944-12969."

But the Clarence Volume only covers Maria Howard's issue by her first husband. Through her second marriage, Maria had three children, and five grandchildren, only one of whom - William Henry Roxburgh Ashford (see Generation 20 above) - had issue of his own. All three of William's daughters ('Daisy' Ashford was the eldest of that talented trio) have descendants living today.

Following are genealogical details for the first three generations of descendants of Maria Howard's second marriage. All of these individuals are additions to Ruvigny.

MARIA HOWARD, b. 2 Jan. 1762 Bath, Somersetshire; d. 11 June 1837 Heatham Lodge, Twickenham, Middlesex, bur. same day St Mary Church, Twickenham, yr dau. of Philip Howard of Corby Castle (1730-1810, descended from Edward III) and Anne Witham (1734-1794, descended from Edward III); m. 1st, 16 Aug. 1785 Montzig Castle, Alsace, France, Hon. GEORGE WILLIAM PETRE of Bellhouse, Stanford Rivers, Essex, b. 10 Jan. 1766 Mayfair, London, bap. same day; d. 22 Oct. 1797, bur. 28 Oct. 1797 St Margaret Church, Stanford Rivers, Essex, son of Robert Edward, 9th Baron Petre (1742-1801, descended from Charles II) and his 1st wife Anne Howard (1742-1787, descended from James II of Scotland), and had issue, five sons and one daughter; m. 2nd 10 Dec. 1801 St Mary Church, Twickenham, Col. HENRY WILLIAM ESPINASSE of Heatham Lodge, b. 1760; d. 27 Oct. 1845 Heatham Lodge, bur. 1 Nov. 1845 St Mary Church, Twickenham, yr son of Isaac Espinasse of Mansfield, co Dublin, Ireland (d. 1815) and Mary Magennis, and had further issue, one son and two daughters.

Issue of Maria (Howard) and Col. Henry William Espinasse:

1) MARIA CORDELIA ESPINASSE, b. 13 Sept. 1802; d. 20 Mar. 1882 Elm Lodge, Petersham, Surrey, bur. 25 Mar. 1882 St Peter Church, Petersham; m. 20 Sept. 1832 St Mary Church, Twickenham, WILLIAM KER ASHFORD of Elm Lodge, b. 14 May 1805 Castle Cary, Somersetshire; d. 28 Dec. 1863 Elm Lodge, bur. 4 Jan. 1864 St Peter Church, Petersham, son of William Ashford of Castle Cary and Arabella Bechinoe, and had issue, three sons and one daughter.

Issue of Maria Cordelia (Espinasse) and William Ker Ashford:

1A) JULIA ARABELLA CORDELIA ASHFORD, b. 1833 Heatham Lodge; d. unm. 13 Mar. 1905 Byam Cottage, Petersham, bur. 17 Mar. 1905 St Peter Church, Petersham.

1B) WILLIAM HENRY ROXBURGH ASHFORD of Elm Lodge, an official at the War Office, b. 31 May 1837 Heatham Lodge, bap. 24 June 1837 St Mary Church, Twickenham; d. 1 July 1912 Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex; m. 1 July 1880 St Elizabeth Roman Catholic Church, Richmond, Surrey, EMMA GEORGIANA (WALKER) LANGLEY, b. 13 Aug. 1842 Eastwood Hall, Nottinghamshire; d. 29 Apr. 1917 Bexhill-on-Sea, widow of Henry William Langley of Torquay (d. 1878), and dau of George Walker of Eastwood Hall (1805-1851) and Emma Crawfurd (1818-1865, descended from Edward I), and had issue, three daughters.

Issue of William and Emma (Walker) (Langley) Ashford:

William H.R. Ashford, his wife Emma,
and their three daughters c.1885

1B1) MARGARET 'Daisy' MARY JULIA ASHFORD, her novella The Young Visiters written in 1890 when age 9, published in 1919, b. 7 Apr. 1881 Elm Lodge; d. 15 Jan. 1972 Hellesdon, Norwich, Norfolk; m. 9 Jan. 1920, JAMES PATRICK DEVLIN of Hellesdon, b. 1891 Norwich; d. 1956 Hellesdon, son of James Patrick Devlin of Norwich (c.1860-1938) and Hannah Blazey (b. 1860), and had issue, two sons and two daughters.

1B2) MARIA VERONICA 'Vara' ASHFORD, studied art, b. 1882 Petersham, Surrey; d. 29 Jan. 1957 Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Mallorca, Spain; m. 20 June 1920, WILLIAM HUGH GERARD LOWTHER of Canterbury, Kent, b. 4 Jan. 1886 Bristol, Gloucestershire, bap. 29 Mar. 1886 St James Church, Bristol; d. 6 Nov. 1947 Canterbury, son of Launcelot Gerard Lowther of Folkestone, Kent (1856-1932, descended from Edward III) and Martha Ann Florence Parsons (1861-1943), and had issue.

1B3) ANGELA MARY ASHFORD, b. 1884 Elm Lodge; d. 19 Mar. 1968 Kew Gardens, Surrey; m. 1913, TERENCE GEORGE O'CONNOR of Hastings, Sussex, bap. 9 Sept. 1881 St John Church, Balham, Surrey; d. 9 July 1930 Hastings, son of John Peter O'Connor of Bexhill-on-Sea (1856-1910) and Alice Beatrice Joan Greene (1857-1936), and had issue.

1C) FRANCIS ASHFORD, b. 1840; d. young 1846.

1D) Lt. HENRY WILLIAM ASHFORD, b. 21 Jan. 1842; d. unm. 2 July 1864 Malta, bur. there.

St Mary Church, Twickenham

2) JAMES GEORGE ESPINASSE, b. Heatham Lodge, bap. 22 Nov. 1803 St Mary Church, Twickenham; d. in infancy Heatham Lodge, bur. 21 June 1804 St Mary Church, Twickenham.

3) JULIA MARY ESPINASSE, b. 1805; d. as a result of childbirth, bur. 22 Dec. 1837 St Mary Church, Twickenham; m. 10 Oct. 1833 St Mary Church, Twickenham, as his 1st wife, GEORGE BEAUCHAMP COLE of Twickenham, b. 6 Jan. 1807, bap. 7 Feb. 1807 St Mary Church, Twickenham; d. 8 Dec. 1881 Brighton, Sussex, son of Stephen Thomas Cole of Twickenham (1765-1835) and Lady Elizabeth Henriette Stanley (1777-1857, descended from Henry VII), and had issue, one daughter.

Issue of Julia Mary (Espinasse) and George Beauchamp Cole:

3A) JULIA MARY HENRIETTA COLE, b. Dec. 1837 Twickenham, bap. 7 May 1838 St Mary Church, Twickenham; d. unm. 16 Apr. 1924 Langley Vale, Epsom, Surrey.

The next post will cover some Edward III descents for Henry William Petre of Dunkenhalgh Hall, Maria Howard's son by her first husband, which are not currently in Leo's Genealogics or the Roglo databases.

Cheers,                                             -------Brad