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Lineage.

The following abridged history of the fa- | cent of the family farther, as the represenmily of PRIDEAUX, is taken from the collec- tative of the branch of which we are speaktion of family papers of the late Dr. Hum-ing, is from the Luson house in the parish phrey Prideaux, Dean of Norwich, author of Comington, near Orcharton, which estate of "The Connection between the Old and it is believed was given to New Testament," and other works.

The founder of this ancient house was

PAGANUS DE PRIDEAUX, who, coming to England with WILLIAM the Conqueror, had a large estate in land given him in Cornwall, in which county he built Prideaux Castle, near Fowey. He left two sons, Richard, and Philip. The elder,

RICHARD PRIDEAUX, lord of Prideaux, 1122, temp. HENRY I., left a son,

BALDWIN PRIDEAUX, lord of Prideaux Castle, who d. 1165, and left issue,

NICHOLAS PRIDEAUX, who d. in 1169, leaving Richard* and Hickadon.

HICKADON PRIDEAUX, the second son, m. the daughter and heiress of Ralph Orcharton, of Ŏrcharton, in the parish of Modbury, county of Devon, and was ancestor of the PRIDEAUXES, of ORCHARTON, &c. who continued there seated for a considerable time, until one of the family was nearly ruined by having killed his neighbour, Sir William de Bigbury, in a duel on Sacas bridge, in consequence of a quarrel at hunting; the affair cost him great part of his estates to procure a pardon; it is unnecessary to trace the des

RICHARD PRIDEAUX, lord of Prideaux, d. in 1250, and was father of

BALDWIN PRIDEAUX, lord of Prideaux, whose sons were, Thomas and Reynolds. The elder,

Sir THOMAS PRIDEAUX, knight, lord of Prideaux, m. Jane, the daughter of Philip Bodrigan, and left issue, Robert and Godfrey. He was s. by the elder,

ROBERT PRIDEAUX, who was lord of Prideaux, and granted lands in free almoigne to the monastery of Trewardreath. He had a son,

JEFFRY PRIDEAUX, father of

ROGER PRIDEAUX, lord of Prideaux, who m. the daughter of Sir Richard Bodiford, knight, and left issue,

RICHARD PRIDEAUX, who was lord of Prideaux. He m. Cicilia, a daughter of Otto de Rupo, (otherwise Rocte), d. in the 3rd year of the reign of King Edward III., and left issue,

RICHARD PRIDEAUX, who m. Agnes, the aunt of Ralph Bevil, lord of Treverbian, and d. in the 19th year of Edward III. His son and successor,

Richard Prideaux, lord of Prideaux, m. Margery, the daughter of John Callan, lord of Callan, and d. in the reign of King RICHARD II., leaving issue, one daughter called Jane, who m. Philip Arras, and d. leaving one daughter Joan, who m. Thomas Herle, esq. carrying Prideaux castle into the family of the Herles, in whose descendants it remained till some time in the last or 18th century. Thus the descendants of Richard, eldest son of Nicolas, ended in a female.

THOMAS PRIDEAUX, the second son of Roger Prideaux, of Orcharton, by the daughter of Champernowne. His eldest son,

JOHN PRIDEAUX, of Luson, m. Mary, the daughter of Walter Jago, of Dartmouth, merchant, and had two sons, ARTHUR, and WALTER. The elder, Arthur, m. Elizabeth Woodleigh, and had two children, Elizabeth, Parnell, the daughter of Roger Parnell, of who m. Francis Holdsworth, of Modbury, and d. without issue, and Arthur-Parnell, who m. the daughter of Thomas Shillabur, esq. of Harborton Ford, county Devon, by whom he had five sons, all of whom died without issue, so that the elder branch betwo daughters, Elizabeth, and Susan, the came extinct in the male line, he also left former of whom, m. John Housleigh, of Yealmpton.

WALTER PRIDEAUX, the second son of John Prideaux, was b. at Luson, the 16th October, 1676, he m. Dorothy, youngest daughter of William Ball, of Dartmouth, merchant, by whom he had issue,

1. GEORGE, b. the 6th June, 1707, of whom presently.

II. Walter, d. s. p.

III. William, b. 1715, m. and left issue, three sons, and three daughters. IV. John, d. s. p.

v. Samuel, d. s. p.

vi. Roger, b. 1722, m. Bridget, daughter of William Ilbert, esq. of Bowringsleigh, in Devon, by Bridget, his wife, 6th daughter of Sir William Courtenay, of Powderham Castle, by the lady Anne Bertie, his wife, daughter of James, first Earl of Abingdon, (See BURKE'S Peerage), and left issue, several children.

VII. Humphrey, d. s. p.
VIII. Thomas, d. s. p.

1. Elizabeth, d. unm.

11. Sarah, m. John Savory, esq. of Thilstone, county of Devon, and left issue. 11. Dorothy, m. William Cole, esq. and left several children.

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Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Harrell, esq. and had issue,

WALTER, b. 1769, the present re

presentative of this branch of the ancient house of Prideaux. George Prideaux, m. secondly, Dorothy Wells, and by her had

George, b. 1744, married Anna Cook-
worthy, of Plymouth, and had issue,
George, of Plymouth.
Philip-Cookworthy, m. in 1799,
Esther Bowden, and has issue.
William, m. Mary Cowles Austin,
and has issue, Francis, and other
children.

Walter, m. Sarah Ball Hingston,
and had issue, Walter, and other
children.

Charles.

Sarah, m. Robert Philipp Fox, of
Wadebridge, and has issue,
George and Sarah.
Dorothy, m. Samuel Tregelles, and
has issue, Samuel Prideaux.

Rachel Cookworthy, m. RobertWere Fox, of Exeter, and has issue, Robert Were, and other children.

Dorothy, b. 1745, m. Henry B. Harris, esq. by whom she had seven children. Mary, b. 1767, m. Christopher Hellyer, esq. by whom she had one daughter. George Prideaux, m. thirdly, in 1753, Jane, daughter of Joseph Morris, esq. of Ringwood, county of Hants, and had issue,

John, b. 1758, m. Lydia, daughter of James Fox, of Plymouth, merchant, by whom he had six children.

Arms Arg. a chevron sa. in chief a label of three points, gu.

Crest A Saracen's head in profile, couped at the shoulder, on the head a chapeau, az. turned up, arg.

SPEKE, OF JORDANS.

SPEKE, WILLIAM, esq. of Jordans, in Somersetshire, b. in 1771, m. first in 1794, Mary, daughter of Benjamin Dickinson, esq. of Tiverton, and has had, by her, who d. 17th June, 1805, four

sons and two daughters, viz.

WILLIAM, who m. Georgiana-Elizabeth, daughter of William Hanning, esq. of Dillington, and has issue, WILLIAM.

John-Hanning.

Edward.
Benjamin.

Georgiana.

George, who m. Elizabeth Dickinson, of Tiverton, and has three sons,

William, George, and Benjamin.

Benjamin-Dickinson, d. aged twenty-three years.

Hugh, who m. Mary, daughter of J. B. Coles, esq. of
Porrocks Lodge, Somersetshire, and has issue,

Hugh.

Mary.
Julia.

Sarah.

Juliana, m. to S. Barnes, esq. son of Archdeacon Barnes,

of Exeter.

Mary, died unmarried 21st March, 1827.

He m. secondly, in 1809, Frances, daughter of archdeacon Andrew, D.D. of Exeter, by whom he had three daughters,

Frances. Isabella. Charlotte.

And thirdly, in 1823, Susan, daughter of J. Mico, esq. of Hortman, Somersetshire, by whom he had an only child who died in infancy.

Mr. Speke succeeded his father in 1792. He is a deputy-lieutenant for Somersetshire, and was high sheriff, in 1819.

Lineage. |

"The family of Speke (we quote Collinson's History of Somerset,) were very anciently possessed of the manors of Wemworthy, and Brampton, in the county of Devon, and chiefly resided in the former of those parishes, at a seat denominated Heywood. In the time of HENRY II., Richard Le Espek, (for so the name was formerly written) held three knights fees of Robert Fitzroy, lord of the manor of Okehampton. In the same reign, he held one fee of William Tracy, and two fees of Oliver Tracy. The said Richard Le Espek had issue, William, and he another, Richard, who was under age, 30 HENRY II., Richard was father of Sir William Le Espek, who married Alice, daughter and heiress of Sir Walter Gervois, of Exon, and by her had issue, William; which William, by Julian, daughter of Sir John de Valletort, of Clist St. Lawrence, was father of William, and John. This John who was of Bramford, wrote his name L'Espek, he m. Constance, the daughter of John de Esse, and had issue, John, Robert, and William; the two eldest died without issue. William Speke, (the name being by him thus first abbreviated,) was father of John Speke, who m. Joan, daughter and heiress of John Keynes, of Dowlish, in this county, and had issue by her John Speke, knight, which Sir John m. Alice, heiress of Sir Thomas Beauchamp, after whose death the family constantly resided at Whitelackington." Lysons in the Magna Brittannia," states that the Le Especs, or Spekes, "have, for many centuries, been men of note in this county, (Somerset,) and Devon, John Speke, being a commissioner for administering the oaths, in the 12 of King HENRY VI., and George Speke, sheriff in the 34 Queen ELIZABETH.

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KIRKHAM, a monastery of canons regular, of St. Augustine, dedicated to the holy Trinity, was founded by Walter Espec, and Adelina, his wife, with the consent of King HENRY I. who endowed the same with divers lands, and tithes, and among other things, with the tithes of venison which he and his posterity should take, and of all fowl caught in and about his rivers, likewise the said Walter granted them the tenth penny, or tithe of the rents of his lands in Northumberland, Ailred, abbot of Rievaulx, gives him this character, that he was prudent in council, discreet in war, and a loval subject. He had by Adelina, his wife, a son named Walter, who broke his neck hunting, to the great grief of his famous father, who having acquired a great estate by his several public employments, viz. General in War, &c., and being deprived of an heir, was at some loss how to dispose of it till by a consultation with his uncle, William de Espec, rector of the church at Garton, he was advised by him to make Christ his heir, at least to part of it, by building three priories, namely, this

Richard Espec, or Speke, descended from the famous WALTER LE ESPEC,* founder of three goodly abbies, Kirkham, and Rievlaux, in Yorkshire, and Wardon in Bedfordshire was the first that fixed his seat at Whitelackington, and from him twenty generations had descended in Camden's time, in 1607.

JOHN SPEKE, Son of Sir William Speke, knight, by Constance Totwell, his wife, m. as shewn above, Joan, daughter and heir of John Keymes, of Dowlish, (an estate acquired by the family of Keymes, temp. EDWARD III., in marriage with the daughter and heir of Thomas Wake) and acquired thereby the lands of Dowlish, Cudworth, and Compton Martin. His son and successor,

SIR JOHN SPEKE, knight, m. Alice, cousin and heiress of Sir Thomas Beauchamp, and with her came Whitelackington, Atherstone, and Ashill, in Somersetshire. He was s. by his son,

JOHN SPEKE, esq. of Whitelackington, who m. the daughter of William Somaster, and was father of,

SIR JOHN SPEKE, knight of Whitelackington, living temp. HENRY VII., who m. Alice, a Spanish lady who came to England as maid of honour with Queen Catherine, and had a son and successor,

SIR JOHN SPEKE, knight of Whitelackington, temp. HENRY VIII. He m. Joan, daughter and heir of John Wimworthy, esq. and was s. by his son,

SIR JOHN SPEKE, knight, of Whitelackington, who m. Alice daughter of Sir John Arundel, knight, of Lathern, in Cornwall, and with her acquired the estates of Sampford, and Rounton. Sir John's son and successor,

SIR THOMAS SPEKE, of Whitelackington,

of Kirkham, where was one of his chief mansions, which he turned into this monastery, Rievaulx, in this county, and Warden, in Bedfordshire. The rest of his estates were left to his three sisters, of whom to Adeline, the youngest (married to Peter de Ros), was given the patronage of the priories of Kirkham, and Rievaulx, where he had his sepulture, as he, (Walter the Founder,) for some time before his death became a monk in this abbey of Rievaulx, died 18th Stephen 1153, Peter de Ros, of Hamlake, who had married one of his co-heirs Adeline, was also buried there. His descendant William de Ros, lord of Hamlake, in 1261, among other things, granted to the prior and convent of Kirkham, and their successors in lieu of the tithes of his hunting, three good wild beasts, as also the rent of £5, per annum, for other tithes, for which consideration the said canons did quit their claim of free chase in Hamlake. At the dissolution of the monastery this priory was valued at £260. 9s. 9d. per annum, Dugdale, £300. 15s. 6d. per annum."-LELAND.

knighted by HENRY VIII., was of the Privy Chamber to EDWARD VI. He m. Anne, daughter of Sir Richard Berkeley, knight, and dying, was buried at London, leaving a son and successor,

SIR GEORGE SPEKE, knight, of Whitelackington, who m. first Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Andrew Luttrell, knight, and widow of Richard Mallett, esq. by whom he had one son, and two daughters, namely,

GEORGE, (Sir) his heir.

Barbara, m. to William Thornhill, esq. Anne, m. to Sir George Trenchard, knight.

Sir George wedded secondly, Dorothy, daughter of Edward Gilbert, esq. of London, and had by her, one son and two daughters, viz.

Hugh, who m. the heiress of Beke, of
Berkshire.

Elizabeth, m. to John Chudly, esq. of Charleton, in Somersetshire. Dorothy, m. to Sir Edward Gorges, knight, and d. at Ilminster. Their daughter, Dorothy, was second wife of William Cary, esq. of Clovelly. The elder son,

SIR GEORGE SPEKE, knight, of Whitelackington, m. Phillippa, daughter of William Russell, esq. and had issue,

GEORGE, his heir.

Anne, m. to Sir John Horner, knight. Dorothy, m. to Thomas Warr, esq. Margaret, m. to Henry Dennis, esq. Elizabeth, m. to Thomas Chester, esq. Phillippa, m. to Edward Bridger, esq. Sir George was s. by his son,

GEORGE SPEKE, esq. of Whitelackington, sheriff of Somersetshire, in 1592, who m. Joan, daughter of Sir John Portman, bart. of Orchard Portman, in that county, (see vol. i. p. 62,) and had issue,

1. GEORGE, of Whitelackington, eminent for his services and sufferings in the Royal cause, during the civil war. In 1686, he was brought to trial at Wells, for a pretended riot, in rescuing his son-in-law, Sir John Trenchard, from a messenger who came to Mr. Speke's house, and was fined two thousand marks. He m. Mary, daughter of Sir Robert Pye, knight, and had issue,

1. George, who died in 1668, aged 24.

2. HUGH, one of the chief transactors in the Revolution of 1688. 3. JOHN, who m. first Katherine, daughter of Edmund Prideaux, esq. by whom he had no issue; and secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Pelham, esq. by whom he had a son,

GEORGE, of Whitelackington, who m. first, Alice, daughter

of Nicholas Brooking, esq. by whom he had two daughters, who died young, secondly, Jane, daughter of

Heckmore, esq. and widow of William Pitts, esq. by whom there was no issue; and thirdly, Anne, daughter of William PeerWilliams, esq. by whom he had an only surviving daughter,

ANNE, m. 20th May, 1756, to Frederick Lord North, afterwards second Earl of Guildford, and had issue.

4. Charles, was made prisoner and hung at Ilminster by Jefferies. 5. Thomas, died in London aged twenty.

6. William, of Shipton Beauchamp,

in Somersetshire, who m. Margaret, third daughter and eventually co-heir of William Bond, esq. of Bestwall, in Dorsetshire, second son of Denis Bond, esq. of Lutton,in the Isle of Purbeck, and died in September, 1734, leaving issue,

George, of Curry Rivel, in Somersetshire, b. 13th April, 1699, m. Jennings, daughter of James Anderton, esq. and relict of Sir Charles Cornwallis-Lloyd, baronet, but died without surviving issue. By his will, dated 11th May, 1774, he devised his estates successively, to George, and William Speke, the sons of his cousin, the Reverend William Speke, of Jordans.

William, died at Oxford. John, b. 10th April, 1701. Anne, b. 10th December, 1696, m. to Sir Edmund Elwill, baronet.

Mary, m. first to

Hawker,

esq. and secondly, John Howe, esq.

Margaret.

1. Mary, m. to Thomas Jennings, esq. of Burton, in Somersetshire, and had issue,

Thomas Jennings, d. unmar-
ried, aged twenty-two.
Mary Jennings, m. first to
Edmund Star, esq. and se-
condly, to Sir William Pyn-
sent, baronet, of Erthfont,
Wilts.
Elizabeth Jennings, m. first to
James Anderton, esq. and

secondly, to John Trevellian, esq. By the former, she had three daughters, Mary Anderton.

Elizabeth Anderton. Jennings Anderton, m. first to Sir Charles Cornwallis Lloyd, bart. of Milfield, in Cardiganshire, by whom she had no issue, and secondly, to George Speke, esq. 2. Phillippa, m. first to Sir John Trenchard, and secondly, to Sadler, esq.

3. Elizabeth, d. aged twenty-four. 11. Henry, d. young.

III. William, of whom presently.
1. Ann, m. to Thomas Warr, esq.
II. Phillippa, m. to Edward Berkeley,
esq. of Pylle, and was grandmother
of,

WILLIAM BERKELEY, esq. of Pylle, who ultimately inherited the estates, and assumed the surname of PORTMAN. His descendant is the present LORD PORTMAN. III. Elizabeth, d. unmarried. The youngest son,

WILLIAM SPEKE, esq. of Jordans, in the county of Somerset, m. Anne, daughter of Roynon, esq. and had one son and three daughters, viz.

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FRENCH, OF FRENCH PARK.

FRENCH, ARTHUR, esq. of French Park, in the county of Roscommon, late knight of that shire in parliament; succeeded his father in 1820.

Lineage.

The family of FRENCH, whose name was originally De Freigne, or De Fraxinis, is of great antiquity, and claims descent from Rollo, first Duke of Normandy. It

was established in England by one of the companions in arms of the Conqueror, and in Ireland, by Sir Herbert, or Humphrey De Frayne, who accompanied Strongbow in his expedition against that country, and acquiring large possessions in the province of Leinster, settled at Ballymacuoge, in Wexford. He had two sons, Patrick and Nicholas, whose descendants early gained distinction and ranked amongst the most powerful of the Anglo-Norman barons. In 1332, Fulk de Fraxinis is mentioned as one of the good knights to whom the king looked for the maintenance of tranquillity in Ireland; in 1335, Fulk and Oliver De Freigne were summoned to attend EDWARD III. with arms and men in the war with Scotland; in 1342, Fulk de Freigne was rated at ten men at arms and twenty nobelars, to attend the king in the war with France; in 1344, Fulke de

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