The authoritative Complete Peerage, 5 (1926): note on pp. 518-520 (sub Fitzwilliam), quotes W. Paley Baildon, F.S.A., who expressed doubt as to the accuracy of the commonly accepted pedigree of the Fitzwilliam family of Milton. Specifically, Baildon doubted that John Fitzwilliam, Esq., of Green's Norton, Northamptonshire, husband of Helen Villiers, was the 6th son of Sir John Fitzwilliam (died 1417), of Emley, Yorkshire, by his wife, Eleanor Greene.
Baildon rejected the connection in very specific terms:
"Reverting to John F. of Green's Norton, the alleged 6th son of Sir John of Emley, I have never found any reference to him in any document, and neither he nor his family are mentioned in any of the numerous fifteenth-century wills of members of the Yorkshire branches of the family [for which see Surtees Soc., Test. Ebor., passim]. This, of course, does not prove his non-existence, but I doubt if he could have been the father of Sir William who bought Milton. John cannot have been born, at the latest, more than a few months after his father's death on 5 July 1417, and it may have been some years earlier (his eldest brother, the first John, was born on 15 Aug. 1397. I do not know when Sir William I of Milton was born - his age is not given on his brass at Marham - but his son, Sir William II of Milton, was born in 1503 or 1504 (Inq. p.m., C., ser. II, vol. 57, no. 3). Thus we have a period of 86 years to cover two generations; it is not physically impossible, but demands strict proof."
END OF QUOTE
Conclusive evidence regarding the correct ancestry of the Fitzwilliam family of Milton is found in several sources. The earliest visitation of the Fitzwilliam family is one dated 1480-1490, which record appeared in print after the account in Complete Peerage was published. This ancient pedigree shows that Sir John Fitzwilliam (died 1417), husband of Eleanor Greene, had a large family of children, including six sons, John, Nicholas, Ralph, Robert, William, and John styled "junior", and two daughters, Maud (wife of John Bossewell) and Joan (died as a child) [Reference: Harvey et al., Vis. of the North 3 (Surtees Soc. 144) (1930): 76-78].
It is clear from this pedigree that Sir John Fitzwilliam (died 1417) in fact had two sons named John, the younger one being his 6th son.
This statement is vouched by two subsequent visitations of the Fitzwilliam family, albeit a bit later in date. First, the 1566 Visitation of Bedfordshire shows that Sir John Fitzwilliam (died 1417) married Eleanor Greene, and states that their son, John Fitzwilliam, married Helen Villiers:
"Sir John ffitzwill'm of Sprotborough Knight sonne and heire = Eleanor daughter of Sir Henry Grene Knight." / "John ffitzwill'm of Gaynspark hall in com. Essex and of Melton in com. Northampt. ar. = Helene daughter of Will'm Villers of Brokisby ar.") [Reference: Vis. of Bedfordshire 1566, 1582, 1634 & 1669 (H.S.P. 19) (1884): 27-29 (1566 Vis.) (Fitzwilliam pedigree)].
The above visitation errs in saying that John Fitzwilliam, husband of Helen Villiers, was of Gaynes Park, Essex and Milton, Northamptonshire, as these properties are known to have been later acquisitions of John and Helen's son, Sir William FitzWilliam, merchant of London. Instead, it appears that John Fitzwilliam was actually of Green's Norton, Northamptonshire, as indicated by Harl. MS. 5867.
The 1592 Visitation of Lincolnshire correctly identifies John Fitzwilliam, husband of Helen Villiers, as the 6th son of Sir John Fitzwilliam (died 1417). It likewise states that John, husband of Helen, was of Green's Norton, Northamptonshire:
"John Fitz Williams of Grenes Norton in Northon, 6 son of Sir John by Elenor his wife, da. to Scene [Grene] of Drayton = Helen, da. to William Villers of Brookesbie" [Reference: Genealogist, 6 (1882): 150].
The historian, Mary E. Finch, in her book, Five Northamptonshire Families, published in 1956, cites the problem of the long generations between John Fitzwilliam (died 1417) and his alleged grandson, Sir William Fitzwilliam (died 1534), ancestor of the Milton Fitzwilliams. Finch, however, documented that about 1565 members of Sir William Fitzwilliam's family aided their kinsman, Hugh Fitzwilliam, in his attempt to recover Fitzwilliam family lands. Hugh Fitzwilliam was then heir male of Sir John Fitzwilliam (died 1417), he being descended from John's 3rd son, Ralph, whereas Sir William and his line descended from John, 6th son of the same John (died 1417)]. Finch says the following:
"For waging this war, he [Hugh] collected many evidences; and in 1565 he compiled a detailed genealogy, the basis of all subsequent pedigrees. To attest the authority of this record, Hugh procured the signature of eleven members of the house of Fitzwilliam, including the Milton family." [Reference: Finch, Five Northamptonshire Fams. (Northamptonshire Rec. Soc. 19) (1956): 188-189].
In this statement, Finch is somewhat in error. As stated above, there was in fact a prior visitation pedigree taken c. 1480-1490, which pedigree predates Hugh Fitzwilliam's genealogy by some 75-85 years. The information in the earlier pedigree appears to corroborate Hugh Fitzwilliam's genealogy. Further, the helpful online A2A Catalogue (see item below) indicates that the genealogy prepared by Hugh Fitzwilliam in 1565 was signed by a total of thirteen male members of the Fitzwilliam family, and no less than six Heralds of the College of Arms. To say that the 1565 genealogy was well attested is an understatement.
Finch further reveals that Hugh Fitzwilliam subsequently left his Milton cousins all of his evidences and much of his personal property, making them his executors. Finch provides no date or probate information for the will of Hugh Fitzwilliam, but this will serves as excellent evidence that Hugh Fitzwilliam, the heir male of Sir John Fitzwilliam (died 1417), believed that he was near related to the Fitzwilliam family of Milton.
Neither Complete Peerage nor Finch, however, was aware of the connection between the London merchant, Sir William Fitzwilliam (died 1534), and his cousin, Lady Maud (Greene) Parr. The two parties were evidently related through Sir William's grandmother, Eleanor Greene, wife of John Fitzwilliam (died 1417). In the will of Lady Parr dated 20 May 1529, proved 14 Dec. 1531, she specifically states:
"....and if it that chaunce happen that all my said childerne dye, then my cousin Sir William FitzWilliam knight to have oon hundrith poundes...")
[Reference: Nichols, Wills from Doctors' Commons (Camden Soc. 83) (1863): 9-20].
Lady Parr is perhaps better known to most British genealogists as the mother of Queen Katherine Parr, wife of King Henry VIII of England.
Summarizing the above, it appears that the placement of the Fitzwilliam family of Milton in the Fitzwilliam family pedigree is attested by a series of visitations and by a private family genealogy collected c. 1565 by Hugh Fitzwilliam, which genealogy was approved by six Heralds of the College of Arms.
The placement of the Fitzwilliam family of Milton is also confirmed by the wills of Hugh Fitzwilliam and Lady Maud Parr cited above, both of which individuals indicated that they were near related to the Milton family.
In fact, the only way Sir William Fitzwilliam, of London and Milton, could be related to both Hugh Fitzwilliam and to Lady Parr was if he was descended from Sir John Fitzwilliam (died 1417) and his wife, Eleanor Greene.
Further particulars on the Fitzwilliam family can be found in Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry (2004) and in Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry (2005).
Best always,
Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
www. royalancestry. net
6/21/2006, 5:12:18 PM
Source: A2A Catalogue (http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/index.asp) Northamptonshire Record Office: Fitzwilliam (Milton) Rolls, Estate and Family FITZWILLIAM (MILTON) ROLLS, ESTATE AND FAMILY ROLLS: PEDIGREES, ARMS, ETC. - ref. F(M) roll/434 - date: 1564
[from Scope and Content]
At the foot are declarations signed by
- Hugh Fitzwilliame of Sprotbrogh,
- W Fitzwilliam de Lincolne,
- Gearvis Fitzwilliam, of Bentley
- John Fytzwyllyam, of Milton,
- Bryan Fytzwylliam, of Gaines Park in Essex
- William Fitzwilliam the eldest son to John Fitzwilliam of Kingesley in Hamshier
- William Fytzwilliam, of Plomtre
- John Fitzwilliam son and heyre to Richard Fytzwilliam, of Kingshed
- Thomas Fitzwilliam eldest son to Frauncis lord of Fenton
- George Fitzwilliam of Haddelsaye
- Charles Fytzwylliam de Sawndbie in Com.Nott.
- John Fitzwilliam, of Bentley
- and William Fitzwilliam, son and heir of Sir William Fitzwilliam of Mylton;
and by the following Heralds, etc. "Will. Hervy, Clarencieulx, G. Dethicke als. Garter, Principall King of Armes, Ro. Cooke Alias Chester Herald of Armes, Wylliam Flower alias Norroy Roy d'armes, Nicholas Dethick als.Blumantell, Rugecrosse als.Cotgrave and Edmond Knyght als.Rouge Dragon".