I. WILLIAM SMYTH, esq. of Redcliffe, in the county of Bucks, governor of Hillersdon, in that county, and a stanch royalist, was created a BARONET by King CHARLES II. soon after the Restoration, 10th May, 1661. Sir William m. first, Margaret, daughter of Sir Alexander Denton, knt. by whom he left no male issue. He wedded, secondly, a daughter of Sir Nathaniel Hobart, one of the masters in Chancery, and by her had two sons, WILLIAM, who died unmarried in his father's lifetime, and THOMAS. He was a member of the Long Parliament, and dying at a very advanced age in 1696, was succeeded by his only surviving

son,

11. SIR THOMAS SMYTH, who d. unm. 20th June, 1732, when the BARONETCY EXPIRED.

Arms-Sa. on a chevron, between six crosses pattée fitchée arg. three fleurs-de-lis az.

SIR ROBERT SMYTH, bart. of Upton, in the county of Essex, had by his first wife, Judith, daughter of Nicholas Walmesley, esq. of Dunkenhalgh, with other issue, ROBERT, his successor, from whom the present baronet of Upton.

SIR JAMES SMYTH (the second son), who was knighted by King CHARLES II. and was lord mayor of London in the first year of King JAMES II. He m. first, Mary, daughter of Sir William Peak, knt. lord mayor of London, but by that lady had no issue. His second wife was Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Arthur Shirley, esq. of Isfield, by whom he had an only son, JAMES. He m. thirdly, Philadelphia, daughter of Sir William Wilson, bart. of Eastborne, in Sussex, without issue. He d. aged seventy-three, 9th December, 1706, and was s. by his son,

1. JAMES SMYTH, esq. of Isfield, in Sussex, who was created a BARONET 2nd December, 1714. Sir James married Mirabella, daughter and co-heir of Sir Robert Legard, knt. one of the masters in Chancery, and

THOMAS SOAME, of Botley, or Betley, in Norfolk, gent. was father of

THOMAS SOAME, gent. of Betley, who married first, Anne, daughter and heir of Francis Knighton, esq. of Little Bradley, in Suffolk, and widow of Richard Le Hunt, of Hunts Hall, in Bradley, Suffolk, and had by her,

THOMAS, of Bradley, in Suffolk, and Bentley, in Norfolk, m. Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Allington, esq. of Horseheath, in the county of

Cambridge, son and heir of Sir Giles Allington, knt, by whom he had RICHARD, who d. s. p. and other issue.

STEPHEN (Sir).

Robert, D.D. d. s. p.

Mary, married to Richard Farington, sheriff of
London.

He m. secondly, a daughter of Carew, and by that lady had a daughter, Margaret, m. to William Brooke, esq. of Mendlesham, in Suffolk. He d. 16th April, 11th ELIZABETH. The inquisition, dated 2nd Angust, in the same year, says, he died seized of lands in Little Bradley, Little Thurlow, (called by several names,) and two tenements, 100 acres of land and pasture, 12 of wood, in Betley, in North Elmham, Bylney, Great Bittering, and Gressinghall, in Norfolk, held of the Lord Cromwell's manor of Elmham. He died at Betley, 16th April, then last past, and Thomas, of Little Bradley, was found his son and heir, twenty-six years old." His second son,

SIR STEPHEN SOAME, was of Betley, in Norfolk, and of London, of which city he was sheriff in 1589, and lord mayor in 1598. He purchased the manor of Brickendon, in the county of Hertford, and several other estates, and married Anne, daughter of William Stone, esq. of Segenhoe, in the county of Bedford, by whom he had six sons and five daughters, viz.

In that year he was elected to parliament by the city where he manifested his loyalty to the crown, and was in consequence one of the members secluded from the house. Sir Thomas m. Joane, daughter of William Freman, esq. of Aspeden, in Hertfordshire, and had three sons, who all died young, and three daughters, viz.

1. ANNE, m. to Sir Thomas Abdy, bart. of Felix Hall.

2. ELIZABETH, m. to John Garneys, esq. of Boyland Hall, Norfolk.

3. MARY, m. to Abraham Clerk, esq. of Lon-
don.

Sir Thomas repaired the tower of Throcking
Church, and raised it with brick. He d. 1st
January, 1670, aged eighty-eight, and was bu
ried in the chancel of that church.
Nicholas, d. young.

v. John, of Burnham, in Norfolk, m. Mary, eldest daughter of Thomas Perient, esq. of Birch, in Essex, and had issue, but his children all died s. p. his widow m. Sir Thomas Glemham, knt. of Suffolk.

VI. Matthew, d. unm.

1. Mercy, m. to Sir Calthorpe Parker, knt. of Erwarton, in Suffolk.

11. Mary, d. an infant.

11. Anne, m. to Sir John Wentworth, knt. of Somerly, in Suffolk.

IV. Judith, m. to Sir Francis Anderson, knt, of Eyworth, in Bedfordshire.

v. Jane, m. to Sir Nathaniel Barnardiston, knt. of Keddington, in Suffolk.

Sir Stephen d. 23rd May, 1619, aged seventy-five, was buried in Little Thurlow, and succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR WILLIAM SOAME, knt, who was sheriff of Suffolk in the 8th of CHARLES I. This gentleman #. first, Bridget, fourth daughter and co-heir of Benedict Barnham, esq. an alderman of London, and by that

1. STEPHEN, of Little Thurlowe, who m. first, Mary, eldest daughter and co-heir of Sir John Dyeham, knt. of Borstall, Bucks, and widow of Lawrence Banaster, esq. by whom he had Stephen, d. s. p.

WILLIAM (Sir), successor to his grandfather.

Penelope, m. to Thomas Stone, esq. of Ris

den, in Hertfordshire.

Mary, m. to Miles Sandys, esq. of Missenden, Bucks.

He m. secondly, Anne, daughter and co-heir of Ambrose Coppinger, D.D. relict of Isaac Crane, esq. of Lavenham, in Suffolk, but by that lady (who wedded secondly, Sir Thomas Reeve, bart. of Thwait, in the same county) had no issue. He died before his father.

11. William (Sir), of Haughley, in Suffolk, knt. m. Catherine, daughter and co-heir of William Wilson, of London, merchant, by whom he had

VIII. Edmund, m. Mary, daughter of Simon Myddleton, of London, and sister of Sir Hugh Myddleton.

Sir William's second wife was named Smith, but he does not appear to have had any other issue. He d. in 1655, and was s. by his grandson,

1. SIR WILLIAM SOAME, knt. of Little Thurlow, in the county of Suffolk, who was sheriff of Suffolk in the time of CHARLES II. and advanced to a BARONETCY by that monarch, 5th February, 1684-5, with remainder, default of male heirs of his own body, to Peter Soame, esq. of Heydon, in Essex, eldest son and heir of Sir Stephen Soame, knt. and the heirs male of his body. Sir William m. first, Lady Beata Pope, daughter of Thomas, Earl of Down, in Ireland, and secondly, Mary, daughter of Sir Gabriel Howe, of Gloucestershire, but died without issue at Malta, in his embassy to Turkey. Sir William bequeathed Little Thurlow to his uncle, Bartholomew, and was succeeded under the especial limitation in the patent, by his kins

man,

II. SIR PETER SOAME, of Heydon, in Essex. This gentleman preferred a claim at the coronation of JAMES II. to hold the bason and ewer for a moiety of the manor of Heydon, and the towel for the other moiety, and that he might be admitted in person, or by a proper deputy, to perform the office, and to have all the profits belonging to that service. He m. Susanna, youngest daughter of Ralph Freman, esq. of Aspeden Hall, in Hertfordshire, and had issue,

Sir Peter d. of the small-pox in 1709, and was s. by his son,

IV. SIR PETER SOAME, one of the gentlemen of his majesty's privy chamber. He m. Miss Philipps, daughter of Governor Philipps, of Stanwell, in Middlesex, by whom he had a son, Peter, who d. 20th April, 1757. Sir Peter d. 7th September, 1798, when the BARONETCY became EXTINCT. He bequeathed his estate to

SIR BUCKWORTH BUCKWORTH-HERNE, bart. who assumed, in accordance with his testamentary injunction, the additional surname and arms of SOAME, by sign manual, 12th December, 1806. (Refer to BURKE's Peerage and Baronetage.) Arms-Gules, a chevron between three mallets, or.

1. HUGH SPEKE, esq. of Hasilbury, in Wiltshire (a descendant of the ancient family of Speke of Somersetshire, now represented by WILLIAM SPEKE, esq. of Jordans, see BURKE's Commoners, vol. iv.), was created a BARONET 12th June, 1660. He m. Anne, daughter and heir of John Mayne, esq. of Staplehurst, and relict of Mr. Croke, from whom she had been divorced. By her he left at his decease, 15th July, 1661, a son and successor,

II. SIR GEORGE SPEKE, of Hasilbury, who wedded Rachel, daughter of Sir William Wyndham, of Orchard Wyndham, in Somersetshire, but died without issue 14th January, 1682, when the BARONETCY became EX

This was a branch issuing from the stock of the noble houses of Marlborough and Spencer.

From an illustrious line of progenitors arose, WILLIAM SPENCER, esq. of Redburn, in the county of Warwick, anno, 1 HENRY VII. (an estate forfeited to the crown, by the attainder of William Catesby, eq.) who married Elizabeth, sister of Sir Richard Empson, knt. and had, with a daughter Jane, two sons, JoHN and Thomas. The elder,

SIR JOHN SPENCER, knt. denominated of Snitterfield, In Warwickshire, which estate he acquired with his wife, Isabel, daughter and co-heir of Walter Graunt, esq. purchased in the 22nd of HENRY VII, the great Judahip of Wormleighton, in the same county, and soon after began the structure of a fair manor house there, in which, when inquisitions were taken conPerning wastes and inclosures of lands, in the 9th and 10th of HENRY VIII. he was certified to have his resi deuce, with sixty persons of his family; being a good busfuctor to the church. He was knighted by King My VIII, and by his last will and testament, it appears that he was possessed of a very great estate, was a noble housekeeper, had a great reverence for

the clergy, was very liberal to his poor neighbours, as also bountiful to his tenants and servants. He d. 14th April, 1522, and was s. by his son,

SIR WILLIAM SPENCER, who received the honour of knighthood from HENRY VIII. at York Place, (now called Whitehall,) in 1529, the parliament then sitting: in two years after, he was sheriff of Northamptonshire, and died during his shrievalty. Sir William married Susan, daughter of Sir Richard Knightly, knt. of Fawsley, in the county of Northampton, and had issue,

JOHN (Sir), his heir.

Isabel, m. to Sir John Cotton, knt. of Landwade, in Cambridgeshire.

Jane, m. to Sir Richard Bruges, knt. of Shefford, Berks.

Dorothy, m. to Thomas Spencer, esq. of Everton,

in Northamptonshire.

Anne, m. to Sir John Goodwin, knt. of Winching-
ton, Bucks, and d. s. p.

Maria, m. to Thomas Boles, esq. of Walington, in
Hertfordshire.

Sir William d. 22nd June, 1532, and was s. by his son, SIR JOHN SPENCER, knt. sheriff of Northamptonshire in the 5th of EDWARD VI, and was knight of the same shire in parliament, in the 4th and 5th of WILLIAM and MARY. He was again sheriff in the 13th of ELIZABETH, and in two years after, was appointed by writ, (with other justices of the county," of prime quality,") a commissioner to enquire after such persons as transgressed the law made in the 1st of Eliza BETH, entitled, "an Act for the uniformity of the Common Prayer, and Service in the Church, and Administration of the Sacraments." Sir John was a great economist, yet kept a plentiful establishment, and enjoins by his last will and testament, hospitality to be kept in his houses at Althorp and Wormleighton, by his heir after his decease, as he had done. He was fond of a country life, an encourager of industry, and a prac tical husbandman. At his decease he had numerous flocks of sheep and other cattle in the grounds and parks of Althorp and Wormleighton. He married Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Kitson, knt. of Hengrave, in Suffolk, and left great estates to his four sons, who were heads of so many families. Those sons and their sisters were,

JOHN (Sir), from whom the Dukes of Marlborough and Earls of Spencer.

Thomas, who built a fine house at Claverdon, in the county of Warwick, and for his hospitality. is called, by Sir William Dugdale, the Mirror of that county. He m. Mary, eldest daughter of Henry Cheeke, esq. and had an only child,

ALICE, M. to Sir Thomas Lucy, knt. of Charle

cote.

He d. in 1580, and having thus no male issue, settled the manor of Claverdon and other lands upon his great-nephew, Sir William Spencer, bart. of Yarnton.

WILLIAM (Sir), of whom presently.

Richard (Sir), of Offley, in the county of Hertford, from whom the Spencers of that county descended.

Margaret, m. first to Giles Allington, esq. of Horseheath, in the county of Cambridge, and secondly to Edward Eldrington, esq.

Elizabeth, m. to George, second Lord Hunsdon, K.G.

Catherine, m. to Sir Thomas Leigh, knt. of Stoneleigh.

Mary, m. to Sir Edward Aston, knt. of Tixall. Anne, m. first to William Stanley, third Lord Monteagle, (his lordship's second wife,) secondly

498

to Henry, Lord Compton, and thirdly to Robert Sackville, son and heir of Thomas, Lord Buckhurst.

Alice, m. first to Fernando, Earl of Derby, and secondly to the Lord Keeper, Sir Thomas Eger

ton.

Sir John Spencer d. 8th November, 1586, and was s. by his eldest son. His third son,

SIR WILLIAM SPENCER, who possessed a fine estate at Yarnton, in the county of Oxford, received the honour of knighthood from Queen ELIZABETH, in 1592, and marrying Margaret, daughter of Francis Bowyer, esq. of the county of Middlesex, had issue,

THOMAS, his heir.

George.

Elizabeth, m. to Sir Thomas Russell, knt. of Strens

ham.

Catherine, m. to Sir Henry Montagu, ancestor of
the Dukes of Manchester.

Mary, m. to Sir Maximilian Dalyson, knt. of
Haling, in Kent.

Alice, m. to Sir Thomas Colvile) knt. of Newton,
in Cambridgeshire.

Margaret, m. to Sir John Woodward, knt. of
Evesham.

He d. 18th December, 1609, and lies buried with his
lady under a curious altar-monument, raised against
the north wall, near the east window of the south
chancel of the church of Yarnton, in Oxfordshire: it
is composed of different sorts of marble, and adorned
with arms of war, battle-axes, swords, carbines, stand-
ards, sheafs of arrows, &c. On the tomb, under an
arch, lies the figure of a knight on his back, completely
armed, (excepting his head-piece,) and his lady on the
left in the habit of the times. His head rests on a
griffin's head, (his crest,) hers on a pillow, with their
hands in a devout posture. The arch is supported by
four pillars of the Corinthian order, and at the top,
between two pyramids, is a shield of the quarterings
of arms belonging to the family, viz. seven coats.
the side of the tomb is a tablet, and two men kneeling
on cushions on the right side thereof, as also four
women on the left. Another tablet under the arch,
exhibits the inscription in gilt letters. Sir William
was s. by his son,

On

Margaret.

Catherine.

Sir Thomas, who was famous in his time for his great hospitality, rebuilt the tower at the west end of Yarnton Church, as also a noble mansion house near the old one. He d. 16th August, 1622, and was s. by his eldest son, II. SIR WILLIAM SPENCER, who, as his father had been, was knighted after he had become a baronet, by King CHARLES I. at Oxford, 27th August, 1629. He succeeded to the estate of his great-uncle, Thomas Spencer, esq. of Claverdon, in the county of Warwick, and thereby possessed a very great inheritance. Sir William married Constance, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Lucy, knt. of Charlecote, and by that lady (who m. secondly, Sir Edward Smith, knt.) had THOMAS, his successor.

Constance, m. to Sir Edward Smith, bart. of Edmonthorpe.

Alice, m. to Francis Keyt, esq. of Mickleton, in the county of Gloucester.

He was s. at his decease by his son,

III. SIR THOMAS SPENCER, who married Jane, daughter of Sir John Gerrard, bart. of Lamer, Herts, and had nine children, of whom survived to maturity,

William, who predeceased his father, dying at the
age of twenty-six, unm.

JANE, m. to Robert Spencer, Viscount Teiviot, in
Scotland.

CONSTANCE, m. to George Marwood, esq. only son
of Sir Henry Marwood, bart. of Little Busby,
in Yorkshire.

ELIZABETH, m. first to Sir Samuel Gerard, knt. of Brafferton, in the county of York, and secondly to Francis Basset, esq. of Tehidy, Cornwall. CATHERINE, m. first to John Dormer, esq. of Ascot, in Oxfordshire, and secondly to Lieut.-Gen. the Hon. Harry Mordaunt, brother of Charles, third Earl of Peterborough.

Sir Thomas died 6th March, 1684-5, and was buried with his ancestors at Yarnton, under a noble and curious monument of white mable, erected to his memory, against the north wall of the south chancel. It represents the statues of seven persons, in full proportion and dresses of the time. His own figure stands on a pedestal, with his lady's on his right hand; the figure of his son is placed on his left. On her right hand sits a daughter lamenting, and under her another daughter. On the son's left hand is also a daughter, and under her another, all weeping. Under Sir Thomas Spencer is a tablet bearing the inscription. On the right side of the tablet, under the statue of the first daughter, is another, kneeling, her hand reposed on a skull; and beneath her is another, praying, laying her hand on an hour glass; lower there is another daughter. Over all is a shield of the arms and quarterings of the family. Sir Thomas leaving no more issue, his daughters became his co-heirs, and the BARONETCY devolved upon his cousin, (refer to Richard, fourth son of the first baronet,)

IV. SIR THOMAS SPENCER, of Eardington, in the county of Salop, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Ancor Palmer, esq. of Bricklehampton, in Worcestershire, and by that lady had seven sons and six daughters, of whom all died unm. except HENRY, his successor. WILLIAM, heir to his brother.

Ursula, m. to Mr. Hugh Philips, of London.

He d. about the year 1722, and was s. by his eldest surviving son,

V. SIR HENRY SPENCER, who d. s. p. at Stratfordupon-Avon, in 1726, and was s. by his youngest brother,