Some time ago I was given the transcription of an 1824 letter about my Chauncy family history. Nathaniel Snell Chauncy (1789 – 1856) was writing to his first cousin William Snell Brown Chauncy ne Brown (1781–1845) then living in Angoulême, France. The letter was passed down through the son of William, my 3rd great grandfather, Philip Lamothe Snell Chauncy (1816–1880), to his descendants in Western Australia, my relatives. Nathaniel Snell Chauncy was my 1st cousin six times removed.
1824
Dear Sir ,
In a very careful and laborious examination of many volumes
of the Harleian Mss . and other works in the library of the
British Museum and that of the London Institution , as well as
of the books at the Herald's office I have learned some facts
relative to our common ancestors which I think it may gratify
you to now . You may recollect that in the pedigree published
by Sir Henry Chauncy and Mr. Clutterbuck it is stated that
William Chauncy married Elizabeth the daughter of Sir Henry
Bigot and the great Earl of Norfolk of the same name who were
the most distinguished of the ancient nobility ; after a
considerable search I succeeded in making a near approximation
to the object in view . I found in the fourth Volume of
Bloomfield Parkin's Hist . of Norfolk page 257 , a pedigree from
Sir John , brother to the last Earl Sir John who died in 1389 .
I had little doubt that the last was the Sir John Bigot whose
daughter was said to have married our ancestor , but in so
important a point was unwilling to rest content with mere
probabilities . For a long time my efforts to obtain certainty
were unavailing . Mr. Lodge and myself searched for hours in
the College of Herald's in the Museum Institution . I turned
over many other volumes in vain . At last in the Harleian Mss .
No. 805 folio 60 et seq . I found a avolume of entries which
gave me all the information I needed . These entries are too
numerous to be recited , but they show conclusively that our
ancestor Wiliam Chauncy , son of Thomas Chauncy married Jane
the sister and not Elizabeth the daughter of Sir John Bigot
and that this Jane and Sir John were children of Sir Roger
Bigot who was son of Sir John Bigot nephew of Roger Earl of
Norfolk .
You may perhaps wonder at my attaching so much importance to
this connexion and in truty a long descent from distinguished
ancestors is not of much consequence to those who can
establish their claim to it . Yet when we reflect that very
many of our enjoyments here are merely imaginary it seems as
well to indulge in an innocent pleasure as to strip off the
illusions of fancy . I am certainly no better for being
descended from great ancestors , and in my own country
especially the circumstance if known would confer no dignity
or consequence . Still I have had very great pleasure in my
genealogical researches since they have enabled me to trace my
descent from some of the most distinguished men that the world
has ever seen . The De Rooses and Alberies with whom our family
was connected by the Giffards who were for a long time Lords
of Belvoir Castle , the Seat of the Duke of Rutland and their
and his common ancestor , Tadme , Standard bearer to William the
Conqueror , who possessed no less than 80 lordships . They were
besides descended from the ancient Earls of Northumberland ,
from the Clares , from Judith the Conqueror's niece , and her
daughter Maud , Queen of Scotland . The ancestors of the Bigots
were still more remarkable , they were descended from the Earls
of Pembroke , Warren , Buckinham , Leicester and Arundel - Kings
of Ireland , England , Denmark and Italy - the Czar of Russia
and the Emperor of Constantinople and Germany . If the best
genealogical works are to be depended upon , we have equal
right with the Duke of Northumberland to place the name of
Charlemagne at the head of our pedigree , and the Guelples were
common ancestors of his Magisty [ sic ] and ourselves .
To W.S. Chauncy Esq .
Anjoulium I am , etc. etc
Nat . S. Chauncy
[ LETTER FROM NATHANIEL CHAUNCY TO PHILIP'S FATHER , WILLIAM ]
William Chauncy (1343 – 1398) is currently shown on Wikitree as being married to Joan, daughter of Roger, younger son of Sir John Bigod, brother of the Earl of Norfolk. The sources cited as at the time of writing are not authorative. It would seem that other sources state Joan is the daughter of Sir Roger Bygot.
In 1907 William Blyth Gerish, Honorary Secretary of the East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society published a biography of ”Sir Henry Chauncy, kt., serjeant-at-law and recorder of Hertford, born 1632, died 1719, author of The historical antiquities of Hertfordshire, folio, 1700, reprinted in 2 volumes, octavo, 1826”. At page 4 Gerish states:
The first William died 17th Edward III. (1343-4). In the 31st of Edward III. (1357-8) Thomas Chauncy gave twenty marks for leave to enfeoff William, his first-born son (primogenitum), and Joan (Johannam), daughter of Sir Roger Bygot (Knight), with certain lands and tenements in Thoralby and Skirpenbeck ("Rot. Orig. Abb.," vol. ii., p. 246) ; and the next year it appears (" Cal. Inq. Post Mort.," vol. ii., p. 208) that the said Thomas did enfeoff William, his son, and " Joh'am," his wife, with six bovates of land, etc., part of the Manor of Skirpenbeck.
Gerish notes “Chauncy, Clutterbuck, and Burke call her Elizabeth and her father John.”
Footnote by Gerish:
The Surtees Society's volume, " Testamenta Eboracensia," 1836 (2), at p. 128, gives " Testamentum Domini Johannis Bygod Militis " (proved 6th May, 1389), which contains this legacy: "Item lego Johannse Chauncy sorori mese unum ciphum de argento."
The learned editor adds on the same page this note : " The Bigods of Settrington were descended from Ralph Bigod (a younger son of Hugh Bigod, brother to Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk), which Ralph married Bertha, daughter of Thomas Furnival, Lord of Hallamshire."
The Bigods of Settrington and the Chauncys of Skirpenbeck were almost neighbours in Yorkshire, and from an early date. At p. 31 of Glover's " Visitation of Yorkshire," edited by Joseph Foster (1875), we find in a return of tenants in capite of King John in Yorkshire in 1213 these two entries in juxtaposition :
" Walterus de Cancy, 5 Feoda de Skerpinbec : Hugo Bigod, 9 Feoda de Honore de Setrington."
The 12th volume ("Yorkshire Inquisitions"), dated 1892, of the Yorkshire Archaeological and Topographical Association (Record Series), contains interesting references to early members of the Chauncy family.
The consensus at present is Joan, wife of William Chauncy, was the daughter of Roger Bigod
… the grand daughter of John Bigod
… the great grand daughter of Ralph Bigod
… the great great grand daughter of Hugh Bigod “Earl of Norfolk” (c 1185–bef 1225) who was one of the council of 25 barons, known as the Surety Barons, appointed under clause 61 of the Magna Carta to monitor King John’s conduct.
Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons. Image by user Rs-nourse, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Harleian Collection comprises 7,660 manuscripts, including 2,200 illuminated manuscripts, more than 14,000 original legal documents; and more than 500 rolls. It was assembled by Robert Harley (1661–1724) and his son Edward (1689–1741). In 1753, it was purchased by the British government. The manuscripts, were transferred to the new British Library in 1973.
Harley MS 805 which was inspected by Nathaniel Snell Chauncy has not been digitised. The British Library catalogue states the title is “Notes on Yorkshire families, extracted by Mr Jennyngs.” Folios 60-63: concern Bosvile of Newhall (alias Boswell).
Related posts
- R is for Runnymede
- at the time I wrote the post on the Magna Carta in April 2019 my descent from Hugh & Roger le Bigod were as my 26th and 27th great grandfathers through my Dana > Kinnaird > Gordon forebears. Hugh is now my 20th great grandfather through my Chauncy line. As of today Wikitree has found 1,973 different paths between Hugh Bigod and me.
Wikitree:
- Nathaniel Snell Chauncy (1789 – 1856)
- William Snell (Brown) Chauncy (1781 – 1845)
- Philip Lamothe Snell Chauncy (1816 – 1880)
- Henry Chauncy Knt. (1632 – 1719)
- William Chauncy (1343 – 1398) my 16th great grandfather
- Joan (Bigod) Chauncy (1330) my 16th great grandmother
- Hugh le Bigod (abt. 1185 – bef. 1225) my 20th great grandfather
- Charlemagne: Charles Carolingian (abt. 0748 – 0814) is currently my 34th great grandfather according to Wikitree via my Dana > Kinnaird > Gray forebears but there are at least 100,000 different paths found between Charlemagne and me! Joan Bigod is the 15th great grand daughter of Charlemagne and there are 136 different paths found between Joan and Charlemagne.
This post was created as part of Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. This week’s theme is “Origins.”