Arms-Quarterly: first and fourth, az. a cross moline or, in the dexter and sinister points in chief, a key and an anchor respectively, for WARD. Second and third party per chevron fleury, counter-fleury, gules and arg. three martlets, countercharged, for PLUMER. Crests-For WARD, a wolf's head erased and langued ppr. holding a large key in the mouth. For PLUMER, a demi-lion, gules, his paw holding a garb, or. Estates-Estate and manor of CheshamWoburn, in the county of Bucks; manors of Gilston Overhall, Netherhall, Eastwick, and Standon lordship, Standon friary, and Standon street, in the county of Herts; Blakesware, in the same shire, and seven manors appendant to Cheston Hall, Suffolk; advowsons of Stanton and Eastwick, Herts; Halesworth, Suffolk, and North Weald, Essex. Town Residence-Cavendish-square. Seats-Gilston Park, and Standon Lordship, Herts; Chesham-Woburn Hall, Bucks, and Cheston Hall, Suffolk. LEYCESTER, OF TOFT. LEYCESTER, RALPH, esq. of Toft Hall, in the county of Chester, b. 1764, m. Susanna, eldest daughter of the Rev. Egerton Leigh, of the family of High-Leigh, and has issue, RALPH-GERARD, b. 11th October, 1817. Charlotte. Emma-Theodosia. Laura-Susanna. Mr. Leycester formerly represented Shaftesbury in parliament. Lineage. RALPH LEYCESTER, younger brother of John Leycester, of Tabley, espoused Joan, daughter and heiress of Robert Toft, of Toft, and dying temp. RICHARD II. was s. by his son, ROBERT LEYCESTER, who had issue, ROBERT, his successor. LEYCESTERS of POOLE, which continued to reside there until RICHARD LEYCESTER, mayor of Chester, having no issue, gave all his lands in Poole to Sir Henry Delves, bart. of Dodington, in marriage with Mary Leycester, his niece. John, living in the reign of HENRY IV. Robert Leycester was s. at his decease by his son, ROBERT LEYCESTER, of Toft, the first of this family apparently in possession of that estate. He m. Jane, daughter and co-heir of Ralph Booth, younger son of Sir Robert Booth, of Dunham Massy, and had, with other issue, a son and heir, RALPH, who m. Agnes, daughter of Ro- JOHN, successor to his grandfather. Robert Leycester was s. at his decease by his grandson, JOHN LEYCESTER, of Toft, who m. Elinour, one of the ten daughters and co-heirs of Sir James Harrington, of Wolfage, in the county of Northampton, and was s. by his eldest son, RALPH LEYCESTER, of Toft, who m. in 1489, Ellen, daughter of Ralph Egerton, of Ridley, in Cheshire, by whom (who espoused after his decease Robert Honford, of Chorley) he had a son and successor, SIR RALPH LEYCESTER, of Toft, who received the honour of knighthood at Leith, in Scotland, 11th May, 1544, at which time the Earl of Hertford, being then general, knighted several Cheshire gentlemen. Sir Ralph m. first, Ellen, daughter of Philip Legh, of Boothes, and had issue, Ralph, who d. young. Laurence, who m. Jane, daughter of Elizabeth, m. first, to Sir Randle Man- Anne, m. to Philip Manwaring, brother and heir to Sir Randle. Ellen, d. young. SIR GEORGE LEYCESTER, of Toft, his eldest surviving son and successor, m. Alice, eldest daughter of Peter Leycester, esq. of Tabley, (and co-heir to the lands of Colwick, in Staffordshire, in right of her mother, daughter and heiress of Edward Colwick, esq. of Colwick), and had issue, William, both d. young. George, RALPH, his successor. Katharine, m. first, to William Tatton, Mary, m. in 1611, to James Massy, esq. Alice, m. to John Bradshaw, esq. of The following appointment appears, from Mary, m. to Hugh Calverley, of Lea, countries, for the good opinion we have of in Cheshire. Sir Ralph espoused, secondly, Jane, daughter of Sir John Calverley, of Lea, and relict of John Edwards, of Chirk, in Denbighshire, but had no further issue. He d. 23rd February, 1572, and was s. by his eldest surviving son, WILLIAM LEYCESTER, of Toft, who m. first, Katharine, daughter of John Edwards, esq. of Chirk, and had issue, RALPH, predeceased his father, s. p. Jane, m. to Henry Davenport, of Chor- the fidelity of this gentleman, George Leycester, our servant, we have appointed him captain of 150 foot-men, and Hugh Starkey his lieutenant." Sir George was knighted about the 44th of Elizabeth, and was made sheriff of Cheshire by patent, dated 29th December, 45th of Elizabeth, but the queen dying in March following, he had another patent for the same durante beneplacito. He departed this life, with the reputation of having been a person most serviceable to his country, in 1612, and was s. by his only surviving son, RALPH LEYCESTER, esq. of Toft, who m. Mary, daughter of Anthony Woodhull, esq. of Mollington, in the county of Oxford, and had issue, GEORGE, his successor. } d. s. p. Mary, m. first, to Culvert Chambers, Jane, m. first, to Captain Conney; and, Ralph Leycester disposed of his part of the lands of Colwick, and dying in 1640, was s. by his eldest son, GEORGE LEYCESTER, esq. of Toft, who m. Dorothy, daughter of John Clayton, esq. and sister and co-heir of Richard Clayton, esq. of Crooke, in Lancashire, and had several children, by the eldest of whom, RALPH LEYCESter, esq. of Toft, he was succeeded at his decease, in 1671. This gentleman espoused Eleanor, daughter of Sir Peter Leycester, bart. of Tabley, the well known historian of Cheshire, and had issue, GEORGE, his successor. Ralph, a military officer, who d. in Susannah-Norris, d. young. Theodosia, m. to the Rev. Egerton Leigh, archdeacon of Salop, and rector of Lymme. Susannah, m. to the Hon. John Grey, third son of the Earl of Stamford. Mr. Leycester d. in 1777, and was s. by his eldest son, GEORGE LEYCESTER, esq. of Toft, at whose decease unmarried, in 1809, the family estates devolved upon his brother, RALPH LEYCESTER, esq. of Toft, who m. in 1762, Charlotte, third daughter of the Eleanor, m. to Thomas Molesworth, Rev. Dr. Lushington, of Eastbourne, Sussex, esq. of Wincham. Elizabeth, Dorothy, died unmarried. Frances, m. to Thomas Rigby, esq. of the county of Lancaster. Anna-Byrom. Joan. He d. in March, 1685, and was s. by his elder son, GEORGE LEYCESTER, esq. of Toft, who m. Jane, daughter of Oswald Moseley, esq. of Ancoats, in the county of Lancaster, and of Rolleston, in the county of Stafford, by whom he had (with several daughters, who all died unmarried) three sons, RALPH, his successor. George, a merchant in London. The eldest son and successor, RALPH LEYCESTER, esq. of Toft, b. in 1699; espoused Katherine, daughter and co-heiress of Edward Norris, esq. of Speke, in the county of Lancaster, by Anne, daughter and heiress of Peter Gerard, esq. of Crewood, and by her (who d. in 1799, at the advanced age of ninety) he had issue, and had issue, RALPH, present proprietor. Henry, a captain in the navy, d. at Pisa. George, fellow of King's College, Cambridge. William, m. in the East Indies, daughter of - Friel, esq. and has issue. Charlotte, m. to Charles Dumbleton, esq. of Bath. Harriet, m. to the Rev. Robert Cox, vicar of Bridgenorth. Susanna. Mr. Leycester was s. at his decease by his eldest son, RALPH LEYCESTER, esq. present representative of the family. Arms-Az. between two fleurs-de-lis or, a fesse of the second fretty gu. Crest-A roebuck party per pale or and gu. attired of the second, holding in his mouth an acorn branch, ppr. Estates-Toft, Cheshire, possessed from time immemorial. In the female until the reign of RICHARD II. when a Leycester, of Tabley, married the heiress of Toft, from which period it has come down to the present proprietor in hereditary male descent. Seat-Toft Hall, Knutsford, Cheshire. This mansion stands about one mile south of Knutsford, at the end of a venerable and spacious avenue formed by triple rows of ancient elms. The ground slopes gradually behind the house to the Great Vale of Cheshire, over which there is a rich and extensive prospect. The principal front of the hall, which closes up the avenue, is brickbuilt, and of two stories, excepting the proWhite,jecting wings, which are of three, and terminate in gables, and a square tower of four stories, which rises from the centre. GEORGE, his successor. Lineage. This branch of the family of WARD has long borne the same ARMS as the noble house of WARD, Viscounts Bangor, as SETH WARD, Bishop of Salisbury, in the time of CHARLES II., as Chief-baron SIR EDWARD WARD, as the WARDS of Pomfret, and as JOHN WARD of Squirries, Kent; but nothing positive has, as yet, been ascertained regarding its foundation, prior to the year 1704, owing to the fact of JOHN WARD, esq. having died in the gar rison of Gibraltar, where he had previously served at the taking of that celebrated fortress, under Admiral Rook and the Prince of Hesse. He left an only son, an infant, under guardianship, JOHN WARD, esq. born in the garrison, and who resided almost all his life in Spain. He was a merchant there, and only settled in England in 1782, having previously espoused a Spanish lady, by whom he had issue, 1. GEORGE, of Northwood Park, in the Isle of Wight, a merchant of great eminence in the city of London, who m. Miss Mary Woolfell, and had the following children, viz. GEORGE, of Northwood Park, m. Mary, daughter of Dr. Saunders. William, a director of the bank, and late member of parliament for the city of London, m. Emily, dau. of Hervey Combe, esq. an alderman, and M.P. for the city of London. Henry, m. Harriet, daughter of R. Davies, esq. director of the East John, m. Miss Grace Lind, of Ire- Henry, in holy orders, m. Miss Harriet Seymour, niece of Horace, Lord Rivers. Richard, a lieutenant in the 7th hussars. Emma. Frances. Charlotte. Harriet, m. to J. Beckford, esq. a commander in the R.N. cousin of Lord Rivers. Honora. 2. ROBERT, of Gilston Park. 3. Elizabeth, d. unmarried. 4. Charity, m. to William Saunders, M.D. FAMILY OF PLUMER. Tra The PLUMERS came from Old Windsor, about the year 1660, upon acquiring Gilston and Blakesware in Hertfordshire. ditionally they derive from a Saxon knight, but the pedigree in the herald's college dates only from the time of ELIZABETH, at which period they were a family of great opulence. In 1680, Walter Plumer was created a baronet, but the title is now extinct. COLONEL JOHN PLUMER, of Blakesware, in the county of Hertford, M.P. for that shire, espoused, in 1680, Mary Hale, of the Hertfordshire family, of King's Walden, and his eldest daughter, Anne Plumer, m. James Hamilton, seventh Earl of Abercorn, by whom she had, with other children, JAMES HAMILTON, who succeeded as JOHN-JAMES HAMILTON, who inherited JAMES, present MARQUESS OF GEORGE HAMILTON, in holy orders, one JANE HAMILTON, who espoused first, William Plumer, esq. of Gilston Park, forty years member of parliament for the county of Hertford. This gentleman, no MALE PLUMER being then left, named his wife sole heiress to his estates, and she inherited accordingly at his decease. Mrs. Plumer m. secondly, ROBERT WARD, esq. who thereupon, as already stated, assumed the additional surname and arms of PLUMER, and is the present Mr. PLUMER-WARD. Arms-Quarterly: first and fourth, az. a cross moline or, in the dexter and sinister points in chief, a key and an anchor respectively, for WARD. Second and third party per chevron fleury, counter-fleury, gules and arg. three martlets, countercharged, for PLUMER. Crests-For WARD, a wolf's head erased and langued ppr. holding a large key in the mouth. For PLUMER, a demi-lion, gules, his paw holding a garb, or. of Gilston Overhall, Netherhall, Eastwick, and Standon lordship, Standon friary, and Standon street, in the county of Herts; Blakesware, in the same shire, and seven manors appendant to Cheston Hall, Suffolk; advowsons of Stanton and Eastwick, Herts; Halesworth, Suffolk, and North Weald, Essex. Town Residence-Cavendish-square. Seats-Gilston Park, and Standon LordEstates-Estate and manor of Chesham-ship, Herts; Chesham-Woburn Hall, Bucks, Woburn, in the county of Bucks; manors and Cheston Hall, Suffolk. LEYCESTER, OF TOFT. LEYCESTER, RALPH, esq. of Toft Hall, in the county of Chester, b. 1764, m. Susanna, eldest daughter of the Rev. Egerton Leigh, of the family of High-Leigh, and has issue, RALPH-GERARD, b. 11th October, 1817. Charlotte. Emma-Theodosia. Laura-Susanna. Mr. Leycester formerly represented Shaftesbury in parliament. Lineage. RALPH LEYCESTER, younger brother of John Leycester, of Tabley, espoused Joan, daughter and heiress of Robert Toft, of Toft, and dying temp. RICHARD II. was s. by his son, ROBERT LEYCESTER, who had issue, ROBERT, his successor. LEYCESTERS of POOLE, which continued to reside there until RICHARD LEYCESTER, mayor of Chester, having no issue, gave all his lands in Poole to Sir Henry Delves, bart. of Dodington, in marriage with Mary Leycester, his niece. John, living in the reign of HENRY IV. Robert Leycester was s. at his decease by his son, ROBERT LEYCESTER, of Toft, the first of this family apparently in possession of that estate. He m. Jane, daughter and co-heir of Ralph Booth, younger son of Sir Robert Booth, of Dunham Massy, and had, with other issue, a son and heir, RALPH, who m. Agnes, daughter of Robert Ratcliffe, and predeceasing his father, left two sons, JOHN, successor to his grandfather. James. Robert Leycester was s. at his decease by his grandson, JOHN LEYCESTER, of Toft, who m. Elinour, one of the ten daughters and co-heirs of Sir James Harrington, of Wolfage, in |