Pages 9-13

Correspondence with Hon. Henry White, who is charge d’ affaires at the U. S. Legation in London, resulted in arrangements with Mr. A. B. Stevens of Trafalgar Square, London, to search English records for the early history of the Wheatley family.

Mr. Stevens seems to have done the work faithfully, and traces the connection between the English and American branches of the family.

During the last century this once populous Wheatley family of yeomen, seafaring and professional men have nearly disappeared from England, either having moved to America or died out. It is a matter of pride to the name, that the family has retained its identity so long.

In Mr. Stevens’ report of his investigation is much that does not directly interest this branch of the Wheatley family, but it may serve to fix the ancestry of many Wheatleys, who came to America at earlier or later dates than Captain John, father of our branch. Mr. Stevens worked hack from John Wheatleigh, a Boston merchant who settled there in 1745 but returned to England in the spring of 1774.

In volume I of the English "Genealogist" and ‘‘Somerset, Berkshire and other visitations," is to be found the pedigree of the Wheatleys springing from John and Thomas who appear to have been brothers. Many of the early records here given were taken from a book in the possession of Sir Harold Wheatley, who lived in County Bedford and died in 1677 about 86 years of age.

Later dates have been found in church records and probate registry of the different counties and in files of wills at Somerset House and Doctors Commons.

The search of admiralty records gives names and some dates of those who served in the navy, but the English admiralty records are very indefinite and incomplete. Therefore the identity of individuals who thus served is only proved by parish records and the coincidence of names and periods.

Where there was room for a doubt about the identity of two or more records of the same individual, the doubtful items have been omitted.

The first trace of Wheatleys we have been able to find was in 1856, when Sir John Wheatley lived at Castle-Bromwich, Leicestershire, England. But at present we have been able to trace the genealogical chain unbroken only back to the brothers John and Thomas who came to the front after the campaigns of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset in Scotland and France in 1544-45. John served as captain and Thomas as a lieutenant. They obtained estates in 1547 at Frome and near Wells, not far from the Mendip Hills in Somersetshire.

In the probate registry at Wells are filed the wills of John Wheatleigh (March 24, 1594) and his widow, Mary Wheatleigh, (April 20, 1595) which are as follows, viz:

To Mary, my wife, to the use of six rooms of the East wing of my manor-house, with wheat, barley, etc., and the keeping of six kine. To John Wheatleigh, my son and heir, a chayne of gold, value £20 which I will to remain to my godson Nathaniel, so to remain to the heirs of the name and family. To son John also, my black gelding and trappings. To son Nathaniel and his wife Dorothy, each one cow. Daughter Hossington, one cow and one young beast. To daughter Annie Barker, one cow to remain to John Barker my godson. To daughter Olive Wheatleigh, one cow. To son Frank, one cow, 20 ewe sheep and a ram. To my son Richard Whately, 4 sheep. To my son Samuel Wheatleigh, one cow and 10 pounds a year to be paid out of Balwoodestone until said Samuel shall have the benefice of the parsonage of Tingsboro. To daughter Martha, 120 pounds and one cow. To my servant John Roberts, 4 sheep. To John Hall and John Sideham, servants, each an ewe sheep and lamb. To Henry, son of my brother Thomas Wheatly, two yearling beasts, and to my cousin, Richard Wheatly the remission of a cottage in Tingsboro. My wife Mary and Roger Wingate, my son-in-law, executors, son John to be overseer.

THE WILL OF MARY WHEATLEIGH 

Body to be buried by the side of my late husband John Wheatleigh, Esq. 

To son Frank, one cow. To his wife another and to his daughter Dorothy, one cow. 

To my daughter Martha and Olive, each one cow. Residue of my effects to son Richard, sole executor.

Witnesses: Jane Hossington (alias Wheatleigh) and William Panes.

In the visitations of Somerset at Somerset House in London are recorded the following children of John Wheatley.

1. John b May 31, 1547,

2. Nathaniel, b June 1, 1549,

3. Annie, b October 20, 1553, in Rev. William Barker of Berkshire and raised a large family.

5. Jane b October 10, 1560, m Mr. Hossington of Andover and there was one daughter Susan Hossington

6. Frank, b March 1562, lived at Maiden Newton.

7. Richard, b May 3, 1565.

8. Samuel, b April 28, 1568.

9. Martha, born January, 1571 m in 1592 to Roger Wingate

10. Olive, b 1573, m Mr. Barker. The Barkers were one of the most prominent families of Sonning for 300 years. They owning the fine estate of Holmes Park.

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John Wheatleigh, Esq. of Tingsboro, Somerset, b May 31, 1547, m Dorothy Willoughby of Derbyshire, youngest daughter of Arctic explorer, Hugh Willoughby. She probably died before 1609, for no mention is made of her in his will. He was one of the 164 gentlemen and sailors who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his free booting expedition to Spanish America and around the world, home via Cape of Good Hope, arriving at Plymouth November 1580.

Will of John Wheatleigh, Esq. of Tingsboro, filed at Carew, P. C. C. and dated May 7, 1609, is as follows:

The chain of gold disposed of by my father, John Wheatleigh's will, shall succeed to our heirs. To my four younger

To my daughters Elizabeth, Mary and Margery £800, to be raised out of the rents of my manors, Sidglen and Maiden Newton. To my daughter Mary, her mother’s wedding ring.

To my brother, Frank Wheatleigh, the remission of a tenement in Maiden Newton. To my brother, Samuel Wheatleigh,the continuation for life of the living at Tingsboro. To my cousin, Edmund Wingate, my books on law and mathematics.

Nathaniel my son and heir executor. John Skinner, clerk.

11. Nathaniel, b. 1571, Knighted 1610, Sheriff 1616.

12. Israel, bapt. August 6, 1572.

13. Elizabeth, bapt. December 18, 1574.

14. Samuel, bapt. November 3, 1576, d at Bath, 1614.

15. Mary, bapt. August 24, 1578.

16. Philip, bapt. September 24, 1581.

17. Magaret, bapt. September 9, 1583.

18. Andrew, bapt. November 19, 1586. Signed "Round Robin" at Dieppe 1626.

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Rev. Nathaniel Whately, b June 1, 1549, m Dorothy Gattonby. Matriculated at Magdalen College, Oxford 1568, was Rector of Thraxton Hants, 1590.

CHILDREN of NATHANIEL AND DOROTHY WHATELY

19. William, Bapt. April 3, 1583, d 1639. Puritan divine, arising to some distinction as a writer and preacher.

20. James, b 1586, followed the sea several years and like Defoes, Col. Jack, wound up his checked career as a Virginia planter, being one of the expedition under Sir Thomas Gates which arrived at Jamestown, September 1611.

Frank Wheatleigh, b March 1562, m Mary Fienes granddaughter of Lord Dacre, who was executed in 1541. Lived at Maiden Newton, Dorset.

22. Dorothy, bapt. August 22, 1591.

23. Richard, bapt. January 4, 1595. in and lived in Caen, Nonnandy, where were born the following six children:

Annie, Elizabeth, Michael, Nathaniel (father of Rachel and Margaret), James and Rachel. Richard was a merchant of Caen, Normandy, in company with his brother ,John.

24. Edward, b about 1598, m Elizabeth Piper, having four sons, John (b 1620), Edward, William and Michael.

25. John, merchant of Caen, France.

26. Precilla, m Alden Mervyn of East Knoyle, Wilts.

27. Magdalen, m Charles Polden of Hastings, Sussex.

 

Richard Whately, b. May 3, 1565, and there is record of four children, Richard, (Trace, Molly and Alexander Whately. We know no reason why Nathaniel and Richard spelled their names as recorded.

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Rev. Samuel Wheatleigh, b April 28, 1568, was a B. A. of Magdalen College, Oxford, 1590, and M. A. 1593, m Martha Drake of Dorset. He was provided with the living of Tingsboro in his father’s will, and was occupying the parsonage in 1609. His will filed at Wells is as follows: To son James my great chest and its contents; to my wife Martha the furnishings of our living rooms; to be equally divided to the poor of Tingsboro; to sons Charles, Ira, Joseph and Orin; to daughter Mary Evans and her children, Rebecca, John and Charles; to daughter Patience Hall and her children, Sarah and Phoebe, and Nathaniel and Martha, children of John Evans.

32. Apollos bapt. at Tingsboro, March 9, 1596, buried May 9, 1596.

33. James, bapt. at Tingsboro Decemher 25, 1599. In 1638 went to New England, settled in Wethersfield, Conn., and was a member of the Hartford Convention (Janu-