The Ligon Family and Connections

p 37 Sir Richard Lygon

18.  Sir Richard Lygon, eldest son of Richard Lygon and Anne his wife, was 21 years old when his father died, and was probably born in 1490.  On September 15, 1512 he granted his mother for her dower in Gloucestershire the Manor of Bradwell together with rents out of the Manor of Mattysdon.  He had married, not later than 1511, Margaret, daughter of Sir William Greville, a justice of the Court of oommon Pleas in 1510, who had been one of the feoffees of Richard Beauchamp  With her he acquired Arle Court near Cheltenham, where he appears to have lived during his mother’s life.  After his mother’s death there was some difference between his and his younger brothers, which was settled by a friendly arbitration.
In 1523, Sir Richard was on a commission to collect the subsidy in Worcester … He was Knighted at the Coronation of Queen Anne Boleyn on May 30, 1535.  In 1534, he was on the commission to make inquisition … on the lands and heir of John Lytilton of Frankley Weston.  He was sheriff of Gloucestershire 

p 38 Sir Richard Lygon

1534-35 and of Worchestershire 1548-49.  In 1535 he was a Justice at a session held at Great Malvern and bouund over James Asche parson of Staunton to the council for calling the king antichrist.  In 1536, Sir Richard Lygon was called upon to furnish 100 men to be sent against Northern Rebels and to attend the king in person.  He served in the French War, 1544.  In 1545, the expenses of the Hundred Courts of the town of Slaughter were held by Sir RIchard Lygon, Chief Steward, and also he was Chief Steward of the King Court at Cheltenham.  Margaret Lygon died in 1542, and RIchard married as his 2nd wife Joan, daughter of ——— who survived him.  Sir Richard died March 20, 1556.  Issue by his 1st wife:

1. William Lygon
2. Henry Lygon
3. Ursula Lygon
4. Elizabeth Lygon
5. Mary Lygon m. John Mintridge
6. Susanna Lygon
7. Barbara Lygon, of Hanley Castle, Worcester, admn. and inv. filed 1692 … In 1584, the then RIchard Lygon of Madresfield gave an annuity of 40s. to his great-aunt Barbara; she was therefore probably unmarried.
8. John Lygon, 3rd son, had a grant of an annuity of 9£ out of Cromhale from his father Sir Richard Lygon on May 20, 1534.  He was living in London in 1568.
9. Ferdinand Lygon. d. in Spain

   Children of Ursula and Elizabeth 

p 39 John Stanley, Thomas Stanley

John Stanley and grandson Sir John Savage; Thomas Stanley

p 40-41 Thomas, Richard, William Lygon

Thomas Lygon m. Joan de Braci, who inherited the lands and titles of De Braci Family, including Madresfield Court, Malvern Hills,” 100 miles west of London, home Sir. William Lygon, 8th Earl Beauchamp.

Thomas Lygon m. Anne Gifford, on death of his brother William he inherited “Madresfield Court,”

Richard Lygon, m. Anne Beauchamp, co-heir of 2nd Lord Beauchamp, and thru her the lands and titles of Beauchamp came into the Lygon Line. Anne Beauchamp Lygon’s Line goes back to Hugh de Beauchamp, who was a companion in arms of William the Conqueror, and the vaious Earls of Warwick

Sir Richard Lygon b. abt 1490 d. March 20, 1556, m #1 Margaret, dau. Sir WIlliam Greville. M. #2 Joan. He was Knighted at Coronation Queen Ann Boleyn, May 31, 1535.

Sir William Lygon b. 1512, d. 1567 m. Alenora, dau. Sir WIlliam Dennis (Denys)

Thomas Lygon d. 1615 m. Francis Dennis, dau. Hugh Dennis, being the COusin of Thomas Lygon’s Mother (Aleanor Dennis Lygon), the Dennis and Berkeleys were, therefore, cousins.

Thomas Lygon b. 1586 of Warwick, m. Dennis Pratt of Warwickshire, England.

Thomas Lygon, b. 1625, Madresfield, England, accepted his portions of his Father’s estate, and came to Virginia in 1641, with his Cousin, Sir William, Lord Berkeley, Royal Governor of Virginia.

Thomas Lygon of “Madresfield Court, England”, became Thomas Ligon of VIrginia. His Cousin, Lord Berkeley, appointed him Surveyor of Henrico, a very lucrative office in that day and time. He married Mary Harris, dau. of Captain Thomas Harris, who came to Virginia 1609 as a Financial Subscriber to “Second Va. Company.”

p 45 William Lygon and Eleanor Dennis, Richard Lygon, William Dennis

p 46 William Lygon,

of the Manor of Redgrove, late of Llanthony Abbey.  In 1544, William Lygon was in the army against France and is shown in the Vanguard with 10 foot (pp. 154 and 158).  This was the time when Henry VIII invaded France and captured Boulogne but soon afterwards made peace with Francis and returned home (Hume, Vol. III. p. 60) His father Sir Richard Lygon furnished 60 foot (L & P, F & M. Vol. XIX)  He was sheriff of Worcestershire in 1550-51 and in 1560-61; his agreement on the second occasion with Walter Hooke, keeper of the gaol at Worcester, is preserved.  He is described as William Lygon the elder when acquiring land of Gilbert Staple at Madresfield in 1557, and William Lygon the younger, who received seisin, was presumably his eldest son.  William Lygon died on September 29, 1567; his wife survived him and in June, 1568 was living in Arle; she was still alive in 1579.  Issue:

1. William Lygon
2. Richard Lygon
3. Farnando (or Ferdinando) Lygon
4. Thomas Lygon
5. Ralph Lygon
6. Hugh Lygon
7. Francis Lygon
8. Margaret Lygon
9. Cicely Lygon
10. Katherine Lygon
11. Elizabeth Lygon

William Lygon‘s will reads as follows:
“I bequeath 40s. to Austin Friars in London where the bodies of my father and other ancestors be buried.  I have bought of the King the ward and marriage of the body and lands of John Berkeley, son and heir of Richard Berkeley, late of Stoke, Gifford.  The said John when 21, to marry my niece Isabel Denys, and if she refuses then her sister, Elynor, then sister Margaret.  Or Maurice, brother of John, to marry one of the nieces.  Dame Katharine, my wife: Thomas, son of Heir of Sir THomas Berkeley, my brother to be my heir, Maurice, his brother to be next heir in succession.  My brother, William Denys and John FItzJames to be Executors.”

p 47 Ferdinand, Ralph, Richard

information on Ferdinand, Ralph, Richard

p 48 Issue of Richard Ligon and wife Mary

Issue of Richard Ligon and his 1st wife, Mary

p 49 Francis Lygon, Margaret Ligon

Francis Lygon born 1567, Margaret Ligon born 1565

p 50 Henry Lygon 1577

p 51 Katherine Lygon, William Lygon 1567

p 52 William Ligon 1567

p 53 children of William Lygon 1567

54 Bromley

p 55 William Ligon 1567 son

Tab Content

p 56

p 57

Tab Content

Chapter VII p 98-101 William, Simon hancock

The Hancock Family of Virginia

p98 

1. William Hancock, in Virginia 1620, massacred on march 22, 1622 by savages at Thorpe’s House, Berkeley Hundred, fifty miles from Charles City, Virginia. The name of his wife is not known. Issue:
   1) Augustin Hancock came to Virginia in 1630, to claim the estate left by his father. The name of his wife is not known. (Issue listed on document)
   2) Simon Hancock, ancestor of the Hancock Family in Virginia, was a planter and appears to have settled on the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River, in Lynhaven Parish, in what is now Princess Anne County, Va., as early as 1637. It is not definitely known that he was a son (page 99) of William Hancock. The earliest record of SImon Hancock occurs under date of April 12, 1641, from an entry in Lower Norfolk County. On June 1, 1652, certificate was granted to Simon Hancock for 200 acres for the transportation into the Colony of Randall Hewett, John Cooper, SImon Robinson, and George Gay (See New England HIstorical Magazine, Vol. 47, page 193) Simon Hancock died between June 1, 1652 and June 22, 1654. The sureties for his widow Elizabeth ( – ) Hancock were William Moseley, and John Carraway. She married 2nd WIlliam Pigott (Pigot), and her will, dated 1 April 1689 was proved May 15, 1689. Issue: 1) Simon Hancock 2)William Hancock 3) Robert Hancock m. Johan Ligon p. 326, Vol. 1 Robert born ca 1650 died 1709; married ca. 1672 Johan Ligon, daughter of Col. Thomas Ligon of Henrico County, who married Mary Harris, daughter of Capt. Thomas Harris, born 1586, in Virginia 1611 and his wife, Adria Gurganey. The first mention of Robert Hancock in the Henrico County records occurs in 1679; his wife survived him seventeen years and her will dated Feb 22, 1726 was proved Nov. 7, 1728 in Henrico County. Issue: 1) Sarah Hancock m. Arthur Moseley 2) Mary Hancock b. ca 1675 m John Hatcher, 3) William Hancock b. ca. 1678 D. before 1719, 4) Johan Hancock m. Samuel Hancock II, 5) Elizabeth Hancock b. ca. 1682 d. before 1731 (page 100) 6) Robert Hancock b. ca 1684 m. Margaret — d. before 1745 7) Phoebe Hancock b. ca. 1686/ m Mr. Bailey

page 98-99

page 100-101

p 103 Thomas, William Ligon

46. Thomas Lygon, second son of William Lygon and his wife, Eleanor Dennis, is said by Smith in his “Lives of the Berkeleys” (Vol. )

p 104 Thomas, Frances Lygon

II, p184) to live in Elliston in Gloucester”, but freom the will of his wife, his residence seems to have been Elstone farm in Wiltshire.  Elstone is a hamlet in the Parish of Orcheston, St. Goerge, Wiltshire, six and one-helf miles northwest of Amesbury.  The parish registers begin in 1647.  He had a grant of an annuity of 8£ out of Cromhale and Bradwell from his father  Thomas Lygon, married his cousin, Frances, daughter of Hugh Dennis of Pucklechurch in Glouchester.
William Dutton, Esq and John Smyth levied a fine to Thomas Spencer and Thomas Lygon for the use of Lord Henry Berkeley and his heirs of the Manor of Wotton, als Wotton Underedge Gloster (Smith’s Lives of the Berkeleys, Vol. II, p. 376).  Lord Henry Berkeley died 1614  (Teh Peerage by G.E.C., Vol. II, p. 144-145)
Frances Lygon made her will October 17, 1622, and same was probated by her son, Thomas, June 1, 1625, as follows: (P.C.C.70).
“Frances Lygon, now being at Merson Co. Wilts. WIdow. Lame is my feet. Almost all I have to dispose of is an annual reant payable by Mr. Don Colton to whom by consent of my friends and children I have assigned my right in Elstone farm, during my years, for a yearly rent of £75, all of which rent that shall be unpaid at my death, viz. of every year’s rent during time then to come to my two sons, Thomas and Richard Ligon, the whole £60 equally, excepting one-half year’s rent and the other £15 amongst my son Garratts children at their father’s pleasure except one-half year’s rent  To my servant Elizabeth Coxe 40/-, etc. for her great pains in the time of my lameness.  To poor of this town or where I die 40/_. To poor prsh. of Elston what my son thinks necessary.  To my son 

p 105 Richard Ligon

I do not know, nor do the eulogies of prefaratory letters give any explanation.  But the book is even now curious to read, and it is interesting to me to know that his name is still known and honoured in the Barbados.  There is a reference to the book in Evelyn’s Diary for August 16, 1668.”

Richard Ligon, English traveler of the XVII century.  His business having been ruined in the political troubles of 1647, he decided to go to the Antilles to begin life over again.  Disembarking at Barbadoes, with five companions all determined as he was to risk their lives and being kept in that island for three years, he was reduced to accepting the management of an estate, and three times just escaped succumbing to the attacks of yellow fever.  As soon as he became convalescent he embarked for England and had hardly set foot on land when he was put in gaol at the demand of his creditors.  Being released, thanks to the generosity of some of his friends, he published an account of his voyage under the title: Exact and Veritable HIstory of Barbadoes (London, 1950, fol), with map and illustrations.  This book, curious and truthful, filled with excellent observtaions, has often been placed under contribution by other explorers subsequent to Ligon. ..
This Richard Lygon, whom Smith shows as unmarried in 1630, died a bachelor in 1662.  He made his will July 10, 1659.  Same was probated August 22, 1662.  He made his will July 10, 1659.  Same was probated August 22, 1662 (P.C.C. 105 Laud) as follows:

(more on Richard Lygon)

p 174-181 George, William, Richard, Thomas Lygon

16. GEORGE LYGON, a descendant of the deBracy family, owners of the Manor of Madresfield, in Worchestershire, which manor still remains in the possession of the Lygon family, and is now the seat of Sir William Lygon, 8th Earl Beauchamp, of Powyck. This worthy family came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066 and, having fought under the standard of Normandy, received two lions passant for their Arms.

15. William Lygon, born at Madresfield Court, Malvern, Worcestershire, living in 1342 married Margaret

14. Richard Lygon, born at Madresfield Court, the first Lygon mentioned in the Madresfield Muniments, married and had

13. Thomas Lygon, born at Madresfield Court, married 1419 (13) Joan Braci (deBracy) who was descended from William de Bracy, lord of Madresfield