Henry Williams (alias Cromwell)
Encyclopedia
Sir Henry Williams, alias Cromwell (died 1604) was a Knight of the Shire for Huntingdonshire
and a grandfather of Oliver Cromwell
.
, who knighted him in 1563, and did him the honor of sleeping at his seat of Hinchinbrook, on 18 August 1564, upon her return from visiting the University of Cambridge
.
He was in the House of Commons
in 1563, as one of the Knights of the Shire
for Huntingdonshire, and was four times appointed Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, by Elizabeth, viz. in the 7, 13, 22, and 34 years of her reign; and in the 20, she nominated him a commissioner with others, to inquire concerning the draining of the fens through Cloughs Cross and so to the sea.
He made Huntingdonshire the entire place of his country residence, living at Ramsey in the summer, and Hinchinbrook in the winter; he repaired, if not built the manor-house at Ramsey, and made it one of his seats. Mark Noble comments that he had heard that the house of Ramsey was only the lodge of that magnificent pile, and converted by Sir Henry into a dwelling-house. Sir Henry also built Hinchingbrooke House
adjoining to the nunnery at Hinchinbrook, and upon the bow windows there he put the arms of his family, with those of several others to whom he was allied.
Sir Henry lived to a good old age, dying in the beginning of the year 1604. He was buried in All Saints Church, in Huntingdon, on 7 January. An indication of the funeral pomp used at his interment can be found by the charges of the heralds, which were the same as those incurred at the burial of some of the greatest knights of his day.
Mark Noble stated that Sir William was called, from his liberality, the "golden knight"; and reported that in Ramsey it was said, that whenever Sir Henry came from Hinchinbrook to that place, he threw considerable sums of money to the poor townsmen. This excellent character is given of him, "he was a worthy gentleman, both in court and country, and universally esteemed"; and which his merit justly deserved. By the record of inquisitio post mortem, taken at Ramsey, 2 June, following his death, it appears that he died possessed of these manors in Huntingdonshire, Saltry, Saltry-Moynes, Saltry-Judith, Sawtry-Monastery, all valued at £60 per annum; Warboys and Whistow, with their rectories, and the New-red-deer Park, valued together at £40 per annum; Hinchinbrook, valued at £10 per annum; Broughton or Broweton, with the rectory, valued at £20 per annum; Berry and Hepmangrove
, and rectory of Berry, valued at £20 per annum; the forefts of Waybridge, and Sapley, valued at £6 13s 4d; the farm or grange of Higney, and the messuage called the George, with the land belonging belonging to it, valued at £10 per annum; and the manor of Ramsey, with the farm of Biggin, valued at £100 per annum. all of which were held of king by military service. except the forests of Waybridge and Sapley, together with the farm, or grange of Higney, the tenures of which were unknown.
, twice Lord Mayor of London
; she died at Hinchinbrook,and was buried in All Saints church, oft. 72, 1584.
Some time after the death of Joan, Sir Henry married a lady of the name of Weeks, who bore for her arms azure a lion rampant cheeky argent and gules. she was buried at All Saints church, in Huntingdon, 11 July 1592 but no monument remains of either Sir Henry or of his wives, or indeed any of the name of Cromwell in that place as Huntingdon was devastated during the Civil War and all the monuments and brass plates to the dead were either destroyed or looted. Lady Weeks died of a lingering illness, which in that superstitious age was blamed on witchcraft. On 4 April 1593, in the court presided over by justice Fenner, John Samwell, his wife and daughter were found guilty of causing the death of Joan through witchcraft and executed a few days later.
By the first marriage, Sir Henry had numerous progeny; by the latter, none. Sir Oliver, the eldest son, gained the bulk of his fortune, to each of the other sons were given estates of about an annual value of £300.
Some of the children of Sir Henry and Joan his first wife were:
Huntingdonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Huntingdonshire was a Parliamentary constituency covering the county of Huntingdonshire in England. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then in the House of Commons the Parliament of the United...
and a grandfather of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
.
Biography
Sir Henry Williams, of Welsh descent, the eldest son and heir of Sir Richard Williams, was highly esteemed by Queen Elizabeth IElizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, who knighted him in 1563, and did him the honor of sleeping at his seat of Hinchinbrook, on 18 August 1564, upon her return from visiting the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
He was in the House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1563, as one of the Knights of the Shire
Knights of the Shire
From the creation of the Parliament of England in mediaeval times until 1826 each county of England and Wales sent two Knights of the Shire as members of Parliament to represent the interests of the county, when the number of knights from Yorkshire was increased to four...
for Huntingdonshire, and was four times appointed Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, by Elizabeth, viz. in the 7, 13, 22, and 34 years of her reign; and in the 20, she nominated him a commissioner with others, to inquire concerning the draining of the fens through Cloughs Cross and so to the sea.
He made Huntingdonshire the entire place of his country residence, living at Ramsey in the summer, and Hinchinbrook in the winter; he repaired, if not built the manor-house at Ramsey, and made it one of his seats. Mark Noble comments that he had heard that the house of Ramsey was only the lodge of that magnificent pile, and converted by Sir Henry into a dwelling-house. Sir Henry also built Hinchingbrooke House
Hinchingbrooke House
Hinchingbrooke House in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was built around an 11th century nunnery. After the Reformation it passed into the hands of the Cromwell family, and subsequently, became the home of the Earls of Sandwich, including John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, reputedly the "inventor" of...
adjoining to the nunnery at Hinchinbrook, and upon the bow windows there he put the arms of his family, with those of several others to whom he was allied.
Sir Henry lived to a good old age, dying in the beginning of the year 1604. He was buried in All Saints Church, in Huntingdon, on 7 January. An indication of the funeral pomp used at his interment can be found by the charges of the heralds, which were the same as those incurred at the burial of some of the greatest knights of his day.
Mark Noble stated that Sir William was called, from his liberality, the "golden knight"; and reported that in Ramsey it was said, that whenever Sir Henry came from Hinchinbrook to that place, he threw considerable sums of money to the poor townsmen. This excellent character is given of him, "he was a worthy gentleman, both in court and country, and universally esteemed"; and which his merit justly deserved. By the record of inquisitio post mortem, taken at Ramsey, 2 June, following his death, it appears that he died possessed of these manors in Huntingdonshire, Saltry, Saltry-Moynes, Saltry-Judith, Sawtry-Monastery, all valued at £60 per annum; Warboys and Whistow, with their rectories, and the New-red-deer Park, valued together at £40 per annum; Hinchinbrook, valued at £10 per annum; Broughton or Broweton, with the rectory, valued at £20 per annum; Berry and Hepmangrove
Bury, Cambridgeshire
Bury is a village in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is located near Ramsey north from Huntingdon and St Ives.-History:...
, and rectory of Berry, valued at £20 per annum; the forefts of Waybridge, and Sapley, valued at £6 13s 4d; the farm or grange of Higney, and the messuage called the George, with the land belonging belonging to it, valued at £10 per annum; and the manor of Ramsey, with the farm of Biggin, valued at £100 per annum. all of which were held of king by military service. except the forests of Waybridge and Sapley, together with the farm, or grange of Higney, the tenures of which were unknown.
Family
Sir Henry Williams married twice; first to Joan (grandmother to Oliver Cromwell) and daughter of Sir Ralph WarrenRalph Warren (Lord Mayor)
Sir Ralph Warren was twice Lord Mayor of London, for the first time in 1536 and the second in 1543.Sir Ralph was son of Sir Thomas Warren of Fering, Essex and grandson of William Warren....
, twice Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
; she died at Hinchinbrook,and was buried in All Saints church, oft. 72, 1584.
Some time after the death of Joan, Sir Henry married a lady of the name of Weeks, who bore for her arms azure a lion rampant cheeky argent and gules. she was buried at All Saints church, in Huntingdon, 11 July 1592 but no monument remains of either Sir Henry or of his wives, or indeed any of the name of Cromwell in that place as Huntingdon was devastated during the Civil War and all the monuments and brass plates to the dead were either destroyed or looted. Lady Weeks died of a lingering illness, which in that superstitious age was blamed on witchcraft. On 4 April 1593, in the court presided over by justice Fenner, John Samwell, his wife and daughter were found guilty of causing the death of Joan through witchcraft and executed a few days later.
By the first marriage, Sir Henry had numerous progeny; by the latter, none. Sir Oliver, the eldest son, gained the bulk of his fortune, to each of the other sons were given estates of about an annual value of £300.
Some of the children of Sir Henry and Joan his first wife were:
- Sir Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell (died 1655)Sir Oliver Cromwell was an English landowner, lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1589 and 1625.-Biography:...
. - Robert Cromwell (c. 1567 - 1617), married Elizabeth Steward (c. 1560 - LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1654), and had two children:- Anne Cromwell, married John Sewster, and had Robina Sewster, wife of Sir William Lockhart, of LeeLee- Names :* Lee , a unisex given name* Lee , in English-speaking countries, a common family name with several diverse origins* Li , also transliterated as Lee, a Chinese family name...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, who held the office of AmbassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and had Robina Lockhart (ca. 1662 - Bothwell CastleBothwell CastleBothwell Castle is a large medieval castle sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located between Uddingston and Bothwell, about south-east of Glasgow. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan...
, LanarkshireLanarkshireLanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, 20 March 1740/41), married on 19 August 1679 at Lincoln's Inn Chapel, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of ForfarArchibald Douglas, 1st Earl of ForfarArchibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Forfar, 2nd Earl of Ormonde was a Scottish peer.He was the second son and youngest child of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus and 1st Earl of Ormond, by his second wife, Jean Wemyss, the daughter of David Wemyss, 2nd Earl of Wemyss and the Hon. Anna Balfour of Burleigh...
(3 May 1653 - 11 December 1712, bur. Bothwell Church) - Oliver CromwellOliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
(25 April 1599 - 3 September 1658), Lord ProtectorLord ProtectorLord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
of England, Scots and Ireland
- Anne Cromwell, married John Sewster, and had Robina Sewster, wife of Sir William Lockhart, of Lee
- Joan Cromwell (d. c. 1641, her willWill (law)A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
was probateProbateProbate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
d on 14 December 1641), married Sir Francis Barrington, 1st BaronetSir Francis Barrington, 1st BaronetSir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet was an English politician, barrister and baronet.-Life:Francis Barrington was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Barrington of Barrington Hall, Hatfield Broadoak, Essex and as her second husband Winifred Pole , youngest daughter of the 1st Baron Montagu...
(c. 1570 - 3 July 1628) - Mary Cromwell, married Sir William Dunch, of Little WittenhamLittle WittenhamLittle Wittenham is a village and civil parish on the south bank of the River Thames, northeast of Didcot in South Oxfordshire. It has one of only 220 habitats across Europe which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation under the European Union's Habitats Directive , on the Conservation of...
, BerkshireBerkshireBerkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
(d. 22 January 1610/11), and had Edmund Dunch. - Elizabeth Cromwell (c. 1562 – 1664), married William Hampden (b. Great HampdenGreat HampdenGreat and Little Hampden is a civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, about three miles south-east of Princes Risborough. It incorporates the villages of Great Hampden and Little Hampden, and the hamlets of Green Hailey and Hampden Row...
, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, 5 November 1570), son of Griffith Hampden and Anne Cave, and had John HampdenJohn HampdenJohn Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...