Unknown Harcourt

Unknown married Edward Chamberlain about 1555. Edward (son of Edward Chamberlain) was born about 1534; died after 1619. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Of: Astley Castle, Warwickshire, England
• Occupation: Abt 1615; Lawyer
• Office: Abt 1615, Astley, Warwickshire, England; Lord of the Manor of Astley

Richard married Unknown UNKNOWN about 1579. Unknown was born about 1560. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married Gerard Gifford about 1595. Gerard was born in Jun 1562 in Chillington, Staffordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Lawyer and J.P.

Family/Spouse: Unknown Grevill. Unknown was born about 1585. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Richard Chamberlain. Richard was born about 1586. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Parentage: Dau Richard Chamberlaine of Astley Castle

Notes:

Astley Castle had been formerly owned by Lady Jane Grey's father, the Duke of Suffolk, whose estates were forfeited to the Crown on his execution in 1554. In 1557, the manor was granted to Richard Chamberlain's grandfather, Edward, second son of Sir Edward Chamberlain of Shirburn Castle in Oxfordshire. Richard Chamberlain, Edward Bulstrode's father-in-law, was responsible for extensive reconstruction of Astley parish church in 1607.
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Margaret married Edward Bulstrode about 1616. Edward (son of Edward Bulstrode and Cecilia Croke) was born on 10 Jul 1586 in Horton, Buckinghamshire, England; died in Apr 1659 in London, England; was buried on 4 Apr 1659 in Inner Temple Church, Westminster, London, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Of: Bulstrode Park, Buckinghamshire, England
• Occupation: Lawyer Soldier and Diplomat

Notes:

Sir Richard Bulstrode
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A soldier, diplomatist, and author, born 1610; died 1711, was the second son of Edward Bulstrode by Margaret, daughter of Richard Ashley, chamberlain of the queen's household and member of the Inner Temple. He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and while at the university was the author of a poem on the birth of the Duke of York. At twenty-three years of age he entered the Inner Temple and in 1649, at his father's request and through his interest, was made a bencher. During the Civil War he was loyal to the king, serving in the Prince of Wales's regiment and holding at times the post of adjutant. He was later promoted to the rank of Adjutant-General of Horse, and still later to be Quartermaster-General. He was appointed to take charge of the funeral of Lord Strafford and became responsible for the expenses attending it; on being pressed by his creditors he fled to Bruges. He subsequently underwent a short term of imprisonment, which was terminated by the payment of the debt by Charles II. On his return he was appointed auditor of a Scotch regiment then serving in the Netherlands and in 1673 was appointed agent at the court of Bruges. He was temporarily recalled two years later, and on 1675 was knighted and again sent to Brussels, this time as resident, where he remained until the accession of James II when he was made envoy. When the revolution of 1688 compelled James to leave England, Bulstrode accompanied him to the court of Saint-Germain, where he remained until his death. Among his writings are: " Original Letters written to Earl of Arlinton, with an account of the Author's Life and Family " , " Life of James II " , " Memoirs and Reflections on the Reign and Government of Charles I and Charles II " and a large number of elegies and epigrams.
THOMAS GAFFNEY TAAFFEE
Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright ? 1913 by the Encyclopedia Press, Inc
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The Dictionary of National Biography wrongly records Sir Richard's mother, Margaret, as the daughter of Richard Astley, chamberlain of the Queen's household and that Sir Richard was born in 1610. He himself wrote that he was born in the year 1617 - 7 years before James the first dyed. James I died on 27th March 1624. Add. MSS 3885 f129 1689
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Unlike his father and most other members of his family (several of whom were also lawyers and some members of Parliament) Richard sympathised with King Charles, joining the Royalist forces at the outbreak of the Civil War, but, in later life wrote:

" I was then very young and in a labyrinth, not knowing well which way to go, but at last I resolved to go to Whitehall [Palace] with some gentlemen of the Inner Temple, being then newly come thither from Cambridge, where I had been bred in Pembroke Hall. I was brought up to London by my father from Coventry, where we then dwelt. "

Richard was later to achieve distinction as a soldier, lawyer, diplomat and historian and to be knighted by Charles II for his services.
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Further reading:-
Richard Bulstrode: Memoirs and Reflections upon the Reign and Government of King Charles I and King Charles II, containing an account of several remarkable facts not mentioned by other historians of those times wherein the character of the Royal Martyr and of Charles II are vindicated from 'fanatical aspersions.1721
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Richard took part in the siege of Warwick Castle from 7th to 23rd August 1642, on which he recorded: Our endeavours for taking it were to little purpose for we only had two small pieces of cannon which were brought from Compton House, belonging to the Earl of Northampton, and those were drawn to the top of the church steeple and were discharged at the castle, to which they could do no hurt, but only frightened them within the castle, who shot into the street, and killed several of our men. This was the first Action I was ever in and, being upon an unruly Horse, he ran away with me amongst the Enemy, while we pursued them to the Bridge, in which Hurly I lost my Hat.

Richard, who served in the Prince of Wales Regiment of Horse, wrote: I was engaged in all the wars with King Charles the first and received a terrible wound from a pole axe in my head at Edge Hill which was the first great battle between the King and his rebellious subjects which was fought on 23rd October 1642.
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Richard married Marie Stamford about 1642. Marie was born about 1620; died before 1648. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Richard married Joyce Dyneley on 21 Feb 1648 in Saint Martin's In The Fields, Westminster, London, England. Joyce (daughter of Edward Dyneley) was born in 1627 in Charlton, Worcestershire, England; died on 29 Apr 1677. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Lawyer
• Office: 1660, Westminster, London, England; Serjeant at Arms

Notes:

His brother, Richard, records that, in 1672,:

I went to find my brother Henry who was very private in London, after having had the misfortune to kill a Sussex gentleman, his neighbour, in a duel and tho' wounded himself yet was so severely prosecuted that he must leave England. I moved my Lord Arlington [the Principal Secretary of State] privately, to get His Majesty's leave, that my brother might go over with me into Holland and I would undertake to place him where he should give his Lordship constant accounts of what passed in those parts worthy of his knowledge, that by his great diligence and industry should merit his Master's Pardon, if not his grace and favour Which being granted to me, I carried my brother, where I placed him very well for His Majesty's service, where he so factually performed that he did not only get His Majesty's Pardon under the Great Seal but did His Majesty such further service that he was rewarded for it.
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Henry married Mary Hall on 5 Nov 1654 in Saint Clement Danes, Westminster, London, England. Mary (daughter of John Hall) was born about 1625 in Petworth, Sussex, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Of: Dorchester, Dorset, England
• Occupation: Lawyer of the Inner Temple
• Office: 1650, Dorset, England; Commisioner for Dorset

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Thomas Bolstridge

Notes:

The children of Thomas and Rebecca Bulstrode have been entered un various spellings and this is the first instance of the use of Boulstridge and Bolstridge.
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At Present no link has been found to connect Thomas (and Rebecka) and Francis (and Jane Ashmore) to Edward and Margaret Bulstrode the evidence of a connection is purely circumstantial.
The Bedworth Registers clearly show a link between the Bulstrode and Bolstridge surnames. There are no other compulsory records that list a Bulstrode in the area except Sir William Bulstrode who died at Coventry, without issue, in 1646 and in his Will he made bequests to friends and to Edward Bulstrode (of Sole End) son of his kinsman Edward Bulstrode.
In 1774 a freeholder is listed at Bedworth Woodlands in the Warwickshire poll book called Francis Bolstridge.
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Examining the Bedworth registers we find the following :
William Bulstrode born 12 May, bapt. 5 June 1655
Thomas Bulstrode bapt. 14 July 1657 (this was written in at a later stage )
1659-1661 no register entries
Francis Bolstrod bapt. 1 July 1661(squeezed in at top of page out of order and in different hand)
1662 - April 1663 few entries at all register quite disorganized.
1663 Register in new hand and back no normal.
James Bolstridge Bapt. 2 May 1669
Samuel Bulstrodg Bapt. 5 May 1672
Jone Bulstrog Bapt. 21 Jan 1676
From 1678 - 1681 there are 4 entries of Bulstrod until Thomas son of Thomas junior reverts to Bolstridge on March 19th
All further entries at Bedworth then are either Bulstrodg(e) Bolstrig(e) or Boulstridg(e)
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Thomas married Rebecca UNKNOWN about 1653. Rebecca was born about 1632; died in Jul 1708 in Bedworth, Warwickshire, England; was buried on 6 Jul 1708 in All Saints Churchyard, Bedworth, Warwickshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Francis Bolstrig

Francis married Jane Ashmore on 29 Jan 1658 in All Saints, Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire, England. Jane was born about 1637; died in Jun 1685 in Bedworth, Warwickshire, England; was buried on 2 Jul 1685 in All Saints Churchyard, Bedworth, Warwickshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]