More Notables: The Brits & Scots

This post concludes a series I've been writing for my children, highlighting notable ancestors in their family tree. It turns out that my kids aren't actually more intrigued by these accomplished ancestors than they are by the more humble relatives, at least at this moment in their young lives. They appear largely disinterested in all aspects of family history, to be honest, but I hope they'll develop a curiosity about it as they grow.

Here, I will provide brief summaries of some of our noteworthy ancestors of English and Scottish descent. My family is largely English, Scottish, and Irish. My husband's family is largely English and German, so there are a wide variety of early English and Scottish notables to choose from in our trees. Once again, a lot of these connections are very far back in history, and I'm never entirely comfortable with records that old, so let's consider all of this for entertainment purposes only.

King James IV of Scotland

King James IV of Scotland, my 12th great-grandfather

Yes, children, you are directly descended from kings... on an adoptive line with some questionable sources and illegitimate descendants. My great-grandfather George Rutherfurd's adoptive father, Malcolm Oliver Rutherfurd, definitely descended from a multitude of Scottish nobles, most likely including King James IV. I am always leery of such early records, so I put a big asterisk by all of them, but this connection is actually pretty plausible. Of all the kings to be related to, James IV is a pretty good one. 

"James IV is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs. He was responsible for a major expansion of the Scottish royal navy, which included the founding of two royal dockyards and the acquisition or construction of 38 ships, including the Michael, the largest warship of its time. James was a patron of the arts and took an active interest in the law, literature and science, even personally experimenting in dentistry and bloodletting. With his patronage the printing press came to Scotland, and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the University of Aberdeen were founded. He commissioned the building of Holyrood Palace and Falkland Palace, and extensive building work at Linlithgow Palace, Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle. The education act passed by the Parliament of Scotland in 1496 introduced compulsory schooling. During James's 25 year reign, royal income doubled, the crown exercised firm control over the Scottish church, royal administration was extended to the Highlands and the Hebrides, and by 1493 James had overcome the last independent Lord of the Isles. Relations with England were improved with the Treaty of Perpetual Peace in 1502 and James's marriage to Margaret Tudor in 1503 (the marriage led to the Union of the Crowns in 1603)." (Wikipedia)

King James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden, after an ill-fated alliance with the French and invasion of England. His son, King James V, was crowned king after his father's death. James V was the father of the famous Mary, Queen of Scots. We descend from King James IV's illegitimate daughter Margaret Stewart, his child with Margaret Drummond. 

Thomas Rutherfurd "The Black Laird," my 11th great-grandfather

There are many, many fascinating Rutherfurds in our tree. They include John Rutherfurd, my 6th great-grandfather, who was twice elected member of Parliament for the shire of Roxburgh in Scotland. He was also the son of a knight and Parliamentarian. After trading his seat for an Army company, he moved to New York and was killed in action at the battle of Fort Ticonderoga. However, my favorite Rutherfurd has always been Thomas (1550-1615), because being known as "The Black Laird" is just awesome. 

"Thomas Rutherfurd, commonly styled the “black laird” of Edgerston, was the terror of the borders, his exploits against the English being numerous and daring. At the battle of the Red Swire, 7th July 1575, -- the last skirmish of any consequence fought on the borders, -- at the head of his followers and the men of Jedburgh, he was mainly the cause of the victory being secured to the Scots." (The Scottish Nation, Vol. 3)

The Rutherfurd family seat was at Edgerston, south of Jedburgh, just across the border from England. The Rutherfurds, like other border clans, were in the unique position of having to constantly deal with the English, whether that be in defense of Scottish lands from the English, the brokering of fragile peace deals with the English, or just in outright looting of English persons and estates due to a myriad of offenses. Those engaged in these back-and-forth skirmishes were called Border Reivers.

"The story of the Reivers dates from the 14th century and continued through into the late 17th century. It concerns the border between the two sovereign countries of England and Scotland. In those days, this Border displayed all of the characteristics of a frontier, lacking law and order. Cattle rustling, feuding, murder, arson and pillaging were all common occurrences. It was a time when people owed their tribal or clan loyalty to their blood relatives or families. And it was common for these families to straddle the Border. The Reivers were the product of the constant English-Scottish wars that would often reduce the Border area to a wasteland. The continuing threat of renewed conflict offered little incentive to arable farming. Why bother planting crops if they may be burned before they could be harvested? The reiving (raiding or plundering) of livestock was however a totally different matter, and so it became the principal business of the Border families." (historic-uk.com)

Thomas Rutherfurd was notorious enough in his day to earn a very cool nickname, which is something to which we all should aspire.

George Cubbitt, 1st Baron Ashcombe, husband of my 1st cousin, 5x removed

George Cubitt (1828-1917) was the son of Thomas Cubitt, a British master builder, notable for developing many of the historic streets and squares of London, especially in Belgravia, Pimlico and Bloomsbury. George was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He later became a Conservative Member of Parliament for West Surrey. In 1892, he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Ashcombe, of Dorking, in the County of Surrey and of Bodiam Castle, in the County of Sussex. He also served as Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment, and Deputy Lieutenant of the counties of both Surrey and Middlesex. He was a founder and lifelong benefactor of St. Catherine's School in Bramley, Surrey. 

George married Laura Joyce of Hitcham, Buckinghamshire, my 1st cousin, 5x removed. Laura was the granddaughter of Robert Brakspear, the founder of the Brakspear Brewery in Henley-on-Thames. Robert is my 5th great-grandfather, and I've been to Henley and toured the brewery, which remained a family business until just a few years ago.

George Cubitt and Laura Joyce had nine children, from whom descend another very famous British relative, Camilla Shand, now known as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir to the English throne. Per the current queen's wishes, Camilla is likely to be known as the Queen of England in the near future. Camilla is my 5th cousin 1x removed. Despite this, we are unlikely to be invited to the coronation.

Sir Edward Neville, my 13th great-grandfather

Edward Neville (1471-1538) was the son of George Neville, 4th Baron Bergavenny, and was descended from a long line of barons. "The story of the Neville family is a fascinating one. From their inconspicuous beginnings in Lincolnshire after the Norman Conquest, by the fourteenth century the Nevilles of Raby were among the most influential groups in the north of England, virtually ruling the area by means of the royal offices they held, and their political power reached its zenith in the fifteenth century with Richard de Neville, earl of Warwick, the so-called Kingmaker." (Boydell and Brewer)

Edward was a courtier and good friend of King Henry VIII. The Nevilles and their cousins the Courtenays supported Catherine of Aragon's marriage to King Henry VIII and the Pope's authority in England, which threatened to alienate them from King Henry VIII when the king sought a divorce from Catherine and started the Church of England in defiance of the Pope. 

Edward managed to stay on Henry's good side despite their differences, but he couldn't survive Thomas Cromwell. Early in 1538, Henry VIII's chief minister Thomas Cromwell was warned that Edward Neville was secretly trying to obtain the estates of Moatenden Priory, which had been recently dissolved. Cromwell wanted the property for his own. He had Neville arrested for conspiracy and charged him with high treason. Neville was sent to the Tower, tried at Westminster, and beheaded at Tower Hill in 1538.

Walter Devereux, 8th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, my husband's 15th great grandfather

Walter Devereux (1432-1485) was a member of the English peerage and a loyal supporter of the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses. He was the son of Sir Walter Devereux (1411-1459), who was Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1449-1451, represented Hereford in Parliament over many years, and served as sheriff of Herefordshire in 1447. His mother was Elizabeth Merbury, the daughter of Sir John Merbury, Chief Justice of South Wales.

Walter was appointed knight of the shire for Herefordshire in 1450. As a Yorkist, he held many offices under Edward IV, with whom he was close. Among other posts, Walter was made commissioner of array for Herefordshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire.

"In December 1460 Walter Devereux accompanied Edward, Earl of March, to Wales to raise an army to counter a Lancastrian rebellion led by the Tudors. On 30 December, Richard, 3rd Duke of York, was killed at the Battle of Wakefield, and a Lancastrian army moved south towards London. Devereux fought on behalf of Edward, now the 4th Duke of York, at his victory in the Battle of Mortimer's Cross on 2 February 1461, and commanded his left wing. He remained at the side of the future Edward IV on his advance from Gloucester to London. The Lancastrian army marching south was again victorious at the Second Battle of St Albans on 17 February, and recovered Henry VI here. On 3 March 1461, Walter Devereux was present at the council held at Baynard's Castle where it was resolved that Edward would be made King, and rode at his side to Westminster where Henry VI was deposed in absentia and Edward IV proclaimed King of England." (Wikiland) Walter Devereux fought at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 and was at the king's side when he entered London in triumph afterward. He was one of the Lords who swore in the Parliament Chamber at Westminster on 3 July 1471 to accept Edward, Prince of Wales, as heir to the crown. Walter later became a supporter of King Richard III, and was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, fighting for his king. 

Lord Howe on the Deck of the 'Queen Charlotte', 1 June 1794, by Mather Brown

General William Howe, 1777

Admiral Lord Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe, and General William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, my husband's 3rd cousins, 9x removed

In the musical Hamilton, the characters gather on stage to mark the beginning of the Revolutionary War with the song Right Hand Man, in which they sing, "British Admiral Howe’s got troops on the water. Thirty-two thousand troops in New York Harbor." Admiral Howe was Richard Howe, my husband's 3rd cousin, 9x removed. He was a great naval commander who led fleets in multiple wars, including the American Revolution, the Seven Years War, and the French Revolutionary Wars. 

Richard's brother, General William Howe (5th Viscount Howe), was Richard's equal in military prowess, and while Richard commanded the seas for the British forces, William was on land leading the Redcoats against the American Colonists as the Commander in Chief of the British forces. While he had many great victories, including the Battle of Long Island and the capture of Philadelphia, William did not succeed in subduing the Americans and was eventually forced to resign his post. 

Richard Howe did indeed have about 32,000 troops in New York Harbor. Captaining the largest assembly of British Naval might in history, Admiral Howe was able to overpower New York and temporarily take control of the city. "In 1778, France had entered the war on the colonists’ side and a French fleet, commanded by the Comte d’Estaing, sailed to New York where it came to blows with the British. Outnumbered, Howe achieved a stunning victory over the French. When reinforcements arrived in the form of Admiral John Byron, Howe headed back to England." (Battlefields) 

Richard and William were two of the sons of Emanuel Scrope Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe, a prominent public official who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire, and later the Governor of Barbados. Their mother was German-born Mary Sophie Charlotte von Kielmansegg, Countess of Darlington and Countess of Leinster, who was a half-sister of King George I.

A 16th century portrait of Edward North, 1st Baron North of Kirtling, Cambridgeshire

Edward North, first baron of Kirtling, my husband's 13th great grandfather

Edward North, 1st Baron North (1504-1564) was an English peer and politician who served as Clerk of the Parliaments and Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire. He was the stepson of Sir Ralph Warren, Lord Mayor of London. He was also a lawyer of much renown, and after being made 1st Baron North, he took a seat in the House of Lords.

"In 1546 he was made a member of the Privy Council of England, received some extensive grants of former abbey lands, and managed by prudence to retain the favour of his sovereign, although on one occasion towards the end of his reign Henry VIII was induced to distrust him, and even to accuse him of peculation, a charge of which he cleared himself. North was named as one of the executors of King Henry's will, and a legacy of £300 was bequeathed to him. On the accession of King Edward VI, North was induced, under pressure, to resign his office as chancellor of augmentations. He continued as a Privy Councillor during the young king's reign, and was one of those who attested his will, but his name does not appear among the signatories of the deed of settlement disinheriting the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth. North was among the supporters of Lady Jane Gray." (Wikipedia)

Edward's sister, Joan North Wilkinson, was the silkwoman to Anne Boleyn, importing silk and fine threads and turning them into garments fit for the future queen.

Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales, my 11th cousin, my husband's 14th cousin

Born Diana Frances Spencer at Althorp in Northamptonshire, Princess Diana (1961-1997) captured the world's imagination upon her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales, becoming one of the most famous women in modern history. In addition to being the ex-wife of the future king, Charles, she was also the mother of the future king, William. 

While I have long known of my relation to Diana's nemesis, Camilla Shand, now the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, I did not realize I was also related to Diana until recently. Our common ancestor is Sir George Neville, 4th Baron Bergavenny, the father of Sir Edward Neville mentioned earlier in this post. My husband is also connected to Diana via his Goodwin line. The Goodwins married into the Spencer family in the 1500s.

Winston Churchill in 1946, by Douglas Granville Chandor

Winston Churchill, my husband's 8th cousin, 1x removed

"Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965) was a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, during the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. Best known for his wartime leadership as Prime Minister, Churchill was also a Sandhurst-educated soldier, a Boer War hero, a Nobel Prize-winning writer and historian, a prolific painter, and one of the longest-serving politicians in British history. Apart from two years between 1922 and 1924, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1900 to 1964 and represented a total of five constituencies. Ideologically an economic liberal and imperialist, he was for most of his career a member of the Conservative Party, which he led from 1940 to 1955. He was a member of the Liberal Party from 1904 to 1924.

Widely considered one of the 20th century's most significant figures, Churchill remains popular in the UK and Western world, where he is seen as a victorious wartime leader who played an important role in defending Europe's liberal democracy against the spread of fascism. He is also praised as a social reformer." (Wikipedia)

My husband is connected to Winston Churchill via his Wheeler/ Sherman line.