Jane (Brereton) Leigh (1549 - 1621)

Born Jul 1549 in Brereton, Cheshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of John Leigh — married 19 Oct 1570 in St Chad's Church, Wybunbury, Cheshire, England

Descendants

Died Jan 1621 at age 71 in Over Knotsford, Cheshire, England

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Biography

Jane Brereton of Brereton was baptised on either 16 July^[1] or on 26 July, 1549, at Brereton-cum-Smethwick, Cheshire, England.^[2]

Jane was the daughter of Sir William Brereton of Brereton, knight and Jane Warburton,^[3] aged 18 and 12 respectively at their marriage settlement on 20 January 1538/9, made by Jane's grandparents, Sir Peter Warburton and his wife Elizabeth, and Jane's great-grandfather, Sir William Brereton.^[4] Her paternal grandparents were William Brereton, esq, and Anne, the daughter of Sir William Bouth of Dunham, Cheshire.^[3] Her mother was the eldest daughter of Sir Peter Warburton and Elizabeth Wynynton.^[3]

Jane had one brother and four sisters:^[1]

1. Sir William Brereton, I Lord Brereton of Leighlin, baptised at Brereton on 6 February, 1550. married Margaret, the daughter of Sir John Savage, knight and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of the earl of Rutland;
2. Mary, baptised 4 December 1552 at Brereton;
3. Elizabeth, died June 1591, buried at Middlewich, was married to Thomas Venables, of Kinderton. esq;
4. Anne, wife of Sir Thomas Smith, mayor of Chester 1596; and
5. Susanna.

Jane's father was one of the two knights of the shire elected to represent the county of Cheshire in Parliament in 1547 and 1559.^[5] He died on 26 June, 1559,^{[3] [5]} before he was 40 years old and Jane was just 10. On 20 January 1561/2, her mother, Lady Jane Brereton, was married to Sir Lawrence Smythe at Wybunbury St Chad's, Cheshire.^[6] Sir Lawrence Smythe of Hough, knight, had previously been married to Anne Fulleshurst of Crue.^[3] Through her mother's second marriage, Anne gained two step-sisters, Eleanor and Mary, and three step-brothers, Lawrence Smith, Sir Thomas Smith of Hatherton and Edward.^[7] Her mother had no children with Sir Lawrence.^[7]

Marriages and Children

On 18 January, 1552,^[8] at the age of two and a half years, Jane, and John Somerford/Sondford, aged three years, were held in their parents' arms in Brereton-cum-Smethwick church while they were married.^[9] On 15 April, 1564, at the age of 12, Jane repudiated her marriage to John Somerford/Sondford, and was granted a divorce.^[9]

Jane Brereton was married to John Leigh,^[10] esq, on 19 October, 1570, at Wybunbury St Chad's, Cheshire.^{[11] [12]} John Liegh of Bouthes was the son of Sir John Legh/Ligh of Booths/Bouthes (died 1558) and Jane the daughter of Richard and the sister of Sir William Sneyd/Snead of Bradwell, co Stafford.^{[13] [14]} Jane and John had children:^[14]

1. William Legh of Booths, esq, heir, aged 5 in 1580,^[13] 37 years in 1613, died 1641, sheriff of Cheshire, 1636, married 1) the daughter of Edwards of Chester, and 2) Dorothy, the daughter of Geoffry Shakerley of Holme, esq;
2. Thomas,^[13] son of John Leighe, esq, resident of The Boothe, was baptised on 18 March, 1580, at Wilmslow St Bartholomew's, Cheshire;^[15]
3. John^[14] Leighe, son of John Leighe, esq, baptised on 18 August, 1583, at Knutsford St John the Baptist, Cheshire;^[16]
4. Peter, died childless,^[13] Petter Leighe, son of John Leighe, esq, baptised on 9 September, 1584, at Knutsford St John the Baptist, Cheshire;^[17]
5. Elizabeth Leghe, daughter of John Leghe, esq, baptised on 15 March, 1586, at Knutsford St John the Baptist, Cheshire;^[18]
6. Francis Leghe, child of John Leghe, esq, baptised on 13 January, 1588, at Knutsford St John the Baptist, Cheshire,^[19] who married Catherine Holland of Knotsford Booths;
7. Isabell^[13] Leghe, baptised on 21 March, 1589, at Knutsford St John the Baptist, Cheshire;^[20] who was married to Captain John Mansfield of Ireland;
8. Richard who died without children;
9. Margaret, who was living in 1580,^[13] and was married to Thomas Cotes, of Ireland; and
10. Anne, who was living in 1580^[13] and was married to Thomas Fairfax of Ireland.

Jane and John had six children by 1580 when John had his right to a coat of arms authenticated and his pedigree recorded during the heraldic visitation of Cheshire by Robert Glover, Somerset Herald.^[13]

Note: "The pedigree in Harl. MS. 1535 states that Jane was a daughter of Sir Urian Brereton of Handford, Knight, which is incorrect. (See Earwaker's East Cheshire, vol. i., p. 260, and Ormerod's Hist. of Cheshire, vol. i., p. 499)"^[21]

Jane's Mother's Will

Her mother, Dame Jane, widow of Sir Lawrence Smith of Hough, Knight, made her will on 6 August, 1590.^[10] Dame Jane says she was, deceaased somewhat disseased in bodye but whole in mynde. Members of her family's in her will:^[10]

• bequests to Sir William Brereton's children;
  1. her son William, created Lord Brereton of Leigfalin in Ireland, gets beddings and napery and linens from Brereton, and her plain velvet gown, etc, and first choice of one of her rings with stones in them with exceptions, and her prayer book covered with massye gold to be an heirelowme unto his howse and to be worne by the ladye or Mistress of the hall of Brereton ... and first to be enjoyed and possessed by that shall happen to be the wief of him that my saide sonne shall make; and in 1590, her son William had no sons and two daughters:
     1. Elenor; and
     2. Mary;
  2. her daughter, Elizabeth Venables, married to Thomas Venables, esq, and their daughters:
     1. Elizabeth Edgerton; and
     2. Mary Venables;
  3. her daughter Anne Smyth, married to Thomas Smith, esq;
     1. Laurence Smithe, Ann's son, is to inherit a chain as heirlooms;
        1. Anne Smythe's daughter, Jane Smyth;
  4. her daughter, Jane Leigh, married to John Leighe esq, a ring with a stone in it, and a silk gown;
     1. Jane and John Leigh's unnamed children, a gift to every of them one;
• bequests to the children of her husband Sir Laurence Smithe knight:
  1. Thomas Smithe married to her daughter Anne; and
  2. Edwarde Smithe, younger son.

Other people

• cosin Bridget Davemport of Davemporte the elder, and her three daughters, Elenor, Jane and Bridget,
• cosin Mary Bressye of the Cliff
• Ellen Perpoynte the wief of Henrye Perpoint of Breerton
• Elizabeth Edge the curate his wief of Brereton
• Anne ffradsham my sonnes nurse;
• Margret Leighe, waytinge woman at this present;
• Johan Heiward my fryze peticoate and desire that my sonne Brereton be good unto her at her mariage for an offeringe amongeste his tennants;
• William Perren, Richard Ellison, Henrye Ellison witnessed the will.

Jane's sisters, Mary and Susanna, and her step-sisters, Mary and Eleanor, aren't mentioned.^[10] Her mother, Lady Jane Smyth, widow of Sir Lawrence Smyth, was buried on 6 September, 1590, at Wybunbury St Chad,^[22] and her will proved 27 September, 1597.^[10]

Widowhood and Death

Jane was widowed in 1617.^[14]

Jane died at Booths in Over Knotsford alias Knotsford Booths. Mrs Jane Leigh, resident of Booths, wife of Mr John Leigh, esq, was buried at Knutsford St John the Baptist's, Cheshire, on 29 January, 1621.^{[23] [24]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} George Ormerod, ed., "Containing the hundreds of Northwich, Nantwich, and Macclesfield; Appendix and General Index", The history of the county palatine and city of Chester compiled from original evidences in public offices, the Harleian and Cottonian mss., parochial registers, private muniments, unpublished ms. collections of successive Cheshire antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county; incorporated with a republication of King's Vale royal, and Leycester's Cheshire antiquities, Vol. III, (London: Lackington, Hughs, Harding, Mavor, and Jones, 1819), accessed 30 May 2014, https://archive.org/stream/historyofcountyp03orme#page/52/mode/2up pp.52.
2. ↑ "England, Cheshire Parish Registers, 1538-2000," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7C1-BMX : accessed 29 May, 2014), Jane Brereton, 26 Jul 1549, Christening; citing p 4, Brereton-cum-Smethwick, Cheshire, England, Record Office, Chester; FHL microfilm 2103922.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} George Ormerod, ed., "Containing the hundreds of Northwich, Nantwich, and Macclesfield; Appendix and General Index", The history of the county palatine and city of Chester compiled from original evidences in public offices, the Harleian and Cottonian mss., parochial registers, private muniments, unpublished ms. collections of successive Cheshire antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county; incorporated with a republication of King's Vale royal, and Leycester's Cheshire antiquities, Vol. III, (London: Lackington, Hughs, Harding, Mavor, and Jones, 1819), accessed 30 May 2014, https://archive.org/stream/historyofcountyp03orme#page/n69/mode/2up pp.51.
4. ↑ Description of 'Settlement, 20 Jan 1538/9. Warburton of Arley Charters. University of Manchester Library. GB 133 ARL/12/29', Archives Hub website, (https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb133-arl/arl/12/29 : accessed 28 August, 2022).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} N M Fudge, BRERETON, Sir William I (c.1520-59), of Brereton, Cheshire The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P W Hasler, (1981) The History of Parliament: British Political, Social & Local History (http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/brereton-sir-william-i-1520-59 : accessed 2 December, 2022).
6. ↑ "Cheshire Parish Register Database" (CPRDB), Cheshire Parish Register Project, (2011), (https://cprdb.csc.liv.ac.uk/ : accessed 2 December, 2022. [Search: Marriage, Surname=Bre. Report page 1. KEYCODE=WYBUM00100853.00034].
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} George Ormerod, The history of Chester etc, Vol. III, (London: Lackington, Hughes. Harding, Mavor, and Jones, 1819), accessed 30 May 2014, https://archive.org/stream/historyofcountyp03orme#page/260/mode/2up pp.260.
8. ↑ "England, Cheshire Parish Registers, 1538-2000," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7C1-13P : accessed 29 May, 2014), John Sondford and Jane Brereton, 18 Jan 1552, Marriage; citing p 5, Brereton-cum-Smethwick, Cheshire, England, Record Office, Chester; FHL microfilm 2103922.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} John Brereton, Brereton a Family History, (San Francisco: Taylor & Taylor, 1919), accessed 30 May 2014, https://archive.org/stream/breretonfamilyhi00brerrich#page/22/mode/2up pp.22.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4} Chester, Eng. (Diocese), George John Piccope, Lancashire and Cheshire Wills and Inventories from the Ecclesiastical Court, Chester, Chetham Society, 1860, Vol. LI, p.21-3, 15 April 2014.
11. ↑ CPRDB, Database Search: Marriage, Surname=Bre. Report page 1. KEYCODE=WYBUM00200845.30058.
12. ↑ "England, Cheshire Parish Registers, 1538-2000," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQL4-MLD : accessed 29 May, 2014), John Esquire Lecgh and Jane Brereton, 19 Oct 1570, Marriage; citing item 4 p 12, Wybunbury, Cheshire, England, Record Office, Chester; FHL microfilm 2068758.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7} John Paul Rylands, ed., The Visitation of Cheshire in the Year 1580 Made by Robert Glover, Somerset Herald, for William Flower, Norroy King of Arms, with Numerous Additions and Continuations, Including Those from the Visitation of Cheshire Made in the Year 1566, by the Same Herald. With an Appendix, Containing the Visitation of a Part of Cheshire in the Year 1533, made by William Fellows, Lancaster Herald, for Thomas Benolte, Clarenceux King of Arms. And a Fragment of the Visitation of the City of Chester in the Year 1591, Made by Thomas Chaloner, Deputy to the Office of Arms, (London: Harleian Society, XVIII, 1882), 148, e-book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/visitationofches00glov/page/148/mode/1up : accessed 2 December, 2022). Pedigree: Leigh of Bouthes.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3} George Ormerod, ed., "Containing the Introduction and Prolegomena, the county of the city of Chester and Bucklow Hundred", The history of the county palatine and city of Chester compiled from original evidences in public offices, the Harleian and Cottonian mss., parochial registers, private muniments, unpublished ms. collections of successive Cheshire antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county; incorporated with a republication of King's Vale royal, and Leycester's Cheshire antiquities, Vol. I, (London: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, and Jones, 1819), accessed 30 May 2014, https://archive.org/stream/historyofcountyp00orme#page/382/mode/2up pp.383.
15. ↑ Cheshire Parish Register Database (CPRDB), Cheshire Parish Register Project, (2011), (https://cprdb.csc.liv.ac.uk/ : accessed 2 December, 2022). [Database search: Baptism and Surname=Leigh. Report page 2. KEYCODE=WILMC00201571.20304].
16. ↑ CPRDB, Database Search: Baptism, Surname=Leigh. Report page 3. KEYCODE=KNUTC00100459.00072.
17. ↑ CPRDB, Database Search: Baptism, Surname=Leigh. Report page 4. KEYCODE=KNUTC00100459.00123.
18. ↑ CPRDB, Database Search: Baptism, Surname=Legh. Report page 1. KEYCODE=KNUTC00100459.00221.
19. ↑ CPRDB, Database Search: Baptism, Surname=Legh. Report page 1. KEYCODE=KNUTC00100459.00271.
20. ↑ CPRDB, Database Search: Baptism, Surname=Legh. Report page 1. KEYCODE=KNUTC00100459.00315.
21. ↑ Sir George J Armytage, Bart, and J Paul Rylands Rylands, Esq, ed., "Pedigrees made at the Visitation of Cheshire, 1613, taken by Richard St George, esq, Norroy King of Arms, and Henry St George, Gen, Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms, and some other contemporary pedigrees", The Record Society for the publication of Original Documents relating to Lancashire and Cheshire, LVIII, (London: The Record Society, 1909), accessed 30 May, 2014, https://archive.org/stream/recordsociety58recouoft#page/152/mode/2up pp.152.
22. ↑ CPRDB, Database Search: Burial, Surname=Smyth. Report page 5. KEYCODE=WYBUB00501281.30028.
23. ↑ CPRDB, Database Search: Burial, Surname=Leigh. Report page 12. KEYCODE=KNUTB00400236.50241.
24. ↑ "England, Cheshire Parish Registers, 1538-2000," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7BH-MMZ : accessed 30 May, 2014), Jane Leigh, 29 Jan 1620, Burial; citing 63, St John the Baptist, Knutsford, Cheshire, England, Record Office, Chester; FHL microfilm 2045882.