Johnny Brananas
2010-03-16 23:52:12 UTC
The Molesworth-Palmes generations in the late Princess' ancestry are
rather poorly documented. Following is what is given in Richard K.
Evans, _The Ancestry of Diana, Princess of Wales for Twelve
Generations_ (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society,
2007), pp. 122, 179, 267, 377, 399, 435:
5090. SIR FRANCES PALMES, M.P. 1586, Sheriff of Hampshire 1601, born
ca. 1534 and died 30 March 1613. He married,
5091. MARY HADNALL, died 21 March 1594/95.
[Refs.: _The History of Parliament 1558-1603_, 3:169-70, 2:474;
_Pedigrees of the County Families of Yorkshire_, pedigree of Palmes of
Naburne; _Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford,
1500-1714_, 3-4:1111; _The Knights of England_, 2:99.]
2544. WILLIAM MOLESWORTH of Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire, married,
2545. MARY PALMES of Ashwell, Rutland.
[Refs.: _Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and
Baronetage_ (1953), 1469; _The Peerage of Ireland_, 5:134.]
1272. ROBERT MOLESWORTH, merchant of Dublin, died 3 Sept. 1656. He
married,
1273. JUDITH BYSSE of Brackentown, Swords, Dublin. She married, 2nd,
Sir William Tichborne of Beaulieu, Louth.
[Refs.: _The History of Parliament 1690-1715_, 4:826; Leslie G. Pine,
_Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and
Baronetage_ (1953), 1469; _The Complete Peerage_, 5:304.]
Notice that in the last two generations show above, the single known
date is Robert Molesworth's death in 1656. The fact that Evans relies
mainly on Burke's type publications is rather worrisome.
Recently as I was scanning through the 1569 Herefordshire Visitation,
in the additional pedigrees in the back (obviously from a later date
than 1569), I noticed that Mary, daughter of this Sir Francis Palmes,
was assigned as wife to James Clarke of Hereford, Herefordshire,
rather than to William Molesworth (p. 86):
http://ia341031.us.archive.org/1/items/visitationofhere00cookrich/visitationofhere00cookrich.pdf
This is also stated in the 1634 Hereford Visitation, where we find ...
"James Clarke eldest sonne Counselor at Law now liveinge 1634 = Mary
daur. of Sr ffrauncis Palmes com Rutland kt. They have issue ...
Clement Clarke only sonne about 10 yeeres of age 1634"
http://books.google.com/books?lr=&cd=1&id=gFZmAAAAMAAJ&dq=clement+clarke+%22only+sonne+about+10%22&q=%22sonne+about+10%22
See also:
http://books.google.com/books?id=oLYurkOvR-sC&pg=PA195&dq=%22recorder+of+hereford%22+clarke&lr=&cd=3#v=onepage&q=%22recorder%20of%20hereford%22%20clarke&f=false
Notice that these last two sources don't mention a Molesworth first
husband for Mary.
I've downloaded the 1641 PCC will of James Clarke "of Hereford,
Herefordshire," which is very pious, giving to lots of churchs,
ministers, etc. It mentions no wife, and names only his son Clement
Clarke, whom he makes executor, desiring "sir Guy Palmes knight and
Bryan Palmes Esquire to be Overseers of my sayd will and to be ayding
and assisting unto my sayd sonne." No family connection is mentioned
for these Palmses. However, Sir Francis Palmes of Ashwell was known
to have had a son Guy, who was also a knight, and was the father of a
son called Bryan. So I assume Guy and Bryan Palmes would be a brother
and a nephew of Mary (Palmes) (? Molesworth) Clarke.
Page 281 of _Miscellanea_ may be the ultimate source for the Burke's-
type publications which proclaim this Molesworth-Palmes marriage.
Notice that in this pedigree Mary (Palmes) Molesworth is shown with 4
children -- Guy, Elizabeth, Robert, and Edward -- by William
Molesworth. Once again, the only date given for any member of the
family is 1656, when the third child Robert is stated to have died,
aged about 36 (therefore born circa 1620).
http://books.google.com/books?id=hCQFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA632&dq=%22wm+moulesworth%22&lr=&cd=42#v=snippet&q=molesworth&f=false
Does it seem safe to assume that Mary Palmes had a brief first
marriage to Molesworth, and then was the wife of James Clarke of
Hereford, counselor at law, from about 1623 onwards?
rather poorly documented. Following is what is given in Richard K.
Evans, _The Ancestry of Diana, Princess of Wales for Twelve
Generations_ (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society,
2007), pp. 122, 179, 267, 377, 399, 435:
5090. SIR FRANCES PALMES, M.P. 1586, Sheriff of Hampshire 1601, born
ca. 1534 and died 30 March 1613. He married,
5091. MARY HADNALL, died 21 March 1594/95.
[Refs.: _The History of Parliament 1558-1603_, 3:169-70, 2:474;
_Pedigrees of the County Families of Yorkshire_, pedigree of Palmes of
Naburne; _Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford,
1500-1714_, 3-4:1111; _The Knights of England_, 2:99.]
2544. WILLIAM MOLESWORTH of Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire, married,
2545. MARY PALMES of Ashwell, Rutland.
[Refs.: _Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and
Baronetage_ (1953), 1469; _The Peerage of Ireland_, 5:134.]
1272. ROBERT MOLESWORTH, merchant of Dublin, died 3 Sept. 1656. He
married,
1273. JUDITH BYSSE of Brackentown, Swords, Dublin. She married, 2nd,
Sir William Tichborne of Beaulieu, Louth.
[Refs.: _The History of Parliament 1690-1715_, 4:826; Leslie G. Pine,
_Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and
Baronetage_ (1953), 1469; _The Complete Peerage_, 5:304.]
Notice that in the last two generations show above, the single known
date is Robert Molesworth's death in 1656. The fact that Evans relies
mainly on Burke's type publications is rather worrisome.
Recently as I was scanning through the 1569 Herefordshire Visitation,
in the additional pedigrees in the back (obviously from a later date
than 1569), I noticed that Mary, daughter of this Sir Francis Palmes,
was assigned as wife to James Clarke of Hereford, Herefordshire,
rather than to William Molesworth (p. 86):
http://ia341031.us.archive.org/1/items/visitationofhere00cookrich/visitationofhere00cookrich.pdf
This is also stated in the 1634 Hereford Visitation, where we find ...
"James Clarke eldest sonne Counselor at Law now liveinge 1634 = Mary
daur. of Sr ffrauncis Palmes com Rutland kt. They have issue ...
Clement Clarke only sonne about 10 yeeres of age 1634"
http://books.google.com/books?lr=&cd=1&id=gFZmAAAAMAAJ&dq=clement+clarke+%22only+sonne+about+10%22&q=%22sonne+about+10%22
See also:
http://books.google.com/books?id=oLYurkOvR-sC&pg=PA195&dq=%22recorder+of+hereford%22+clarke&lr=&cd=3#v=onepage&q=%22recorder%20of%20hereford%22%20clarke&f=false
Notice that these last two sources don't mention a Molesworth first
husband for Mary.
I've downloaded the 1641 PCC will of James Clarke "of Hereford,
Herefordshire," which is very pious, giving to lots of churchs,
ministers, etc. It mentions no wife, and names only his son Clement
Clarke, whom he makes executor, desiring "sir Guy Palmes knight and
Bryan Palmes Esquire to be Overseers of my sayd will and to be ayding
and assisting unto my sayd sonne." No family connection is mentioned
for these Palmses. However, Sir Francis Palmes of Ashwell was known
to have had a son Guy, who was also a knight, and was the father of a
son called Bryan. So I assume Guy and Bryan Palmes would be a brother
and a nephew of Mary (Palmes) (? Molesworth) Clarke.
Page 281 of _Miscellanea_ may be the ultimate source for the Burke's-
type publications which proclaim this Molesworth-Palmes marriage.
Notice that in this pedigree Mary (Palmes) Molesworth is shown with 4
children -- Guy, Elizabeth, Robert, and Edward -- by William
Molesworth. Once again, the only date given for any member of the
family is 1656, when the third child Robert is stated to have died,
aged about 36 (therefore born circa 1620).
http://books.google.com/books?id=hCQFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA632&dq=%22wm+moulesworth%22&lr=&cd=42#v=snippet&q=molesworth&f=false
Does it seem safe to assume that Mary Palmes had a brief first
marriage to Molesworth, and then was the wife of James Clarke of
Hereford, counselor at law, from about 1623 onwards?