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 itchée 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 ssue, 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, withat issue. He d. aged seventy-three, 9th December, 706, 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. Elizabetb, 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 t the crown, and was in consequence one of the members secluded from the house. Sir Tho mas 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, . to Abraham Clerk, esq. of London.

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 Glembam, int of Suffolk.

1. STEPHEN, of Little Thurlowe, who , irs, 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 Risden, 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.

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

JOHN, b. in 1656. Thomas.

Catherine.

Bridget.
Anne.

11. Thomas, m. Anne-Cecil, daughter of Sir Edward Chester, knt. of Cockenhatch, Herts.

IV. John, m. Margaret, daughter of Ozias Churchman, of London.

v. Matthew, d. young.

vi. Barnham, m. Anne Newport, of London. VII. Bartholomew, of London, woollen draper, and of Little Thurlow, by gift of his nephew, Sir William Soame, bart. m. Susan, daughter of Richard Hutchinson, of London, merchant, and had issue,

William.

Bartholomew.

Thomas, d. young. Edmund.

Richard, m. Mary, daughter of Benjamin Brownsmith, of London.

Catherine, m. to Isaac Stackhouse, of London.

Susan. Mary.

Vill. 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,

1. 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,

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, esq.) 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 lordship of Wormleighton, in the same county, and soon after began the structure of a fair manor house there, in which, when inquisitions were taken concerning wastes and inclosures of lands, in the 9th and 10th of HENRY VIII. he was certified to have his residence, with sixty persons of his family; being a good benefactor to the church. He was knighted by King HENRY 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, (D) called Whitehall,) in 1529, the parliament then sitting in two years after, he was sheriff of Northampto shire, and died during his shrievalty. Sir William married Susan, daughter of Sir Richard Knight knt. of Fawsley, in the county of Northampton, and had issue,

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 W LIAM 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 pra quality,") a commissioner to enquire after such per sons 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 Ad ministration 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 has 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 marred Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Kitson, kat. of Hengrave, in Suffolk, and left great estates to his four sons, who were heads of so many families. Tane 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 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 Hert ford, from whom the Spencers of that county descended.

Margaret, m. first to Giles Allington, esq. f Horseheath, in the county of Cambridge, and secondly to Edward Eldrington, esq. Elizabeth, m. to George, second Lord Hunston,

K.G.

Catherine, m. to Sir Thomas Leigh, knt. of Stone leigh.

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

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 bis 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 Strensham.

Catherine, m. to Sir Henry Montagut, 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, standards, 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. On 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 8. by his son,

1. SIR THOMAS SPENCER, knt. of Yarnton, who was created a BARONET by King JAMES I. 29th June, 1611, and afterwards knighted at Whitehall by the same monarch. He married Margaret, daughter of Richard Brainthwait, esq. serjeant-at-law, by whom (who wedded, secondly, Richard Butler, Viscount Montgarret,) he had issue,

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,

499