Thomas Ligon Gent (abt. 1545 - bef. 1603)

Born about 1545 in Gloucestershire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Frances (Dennis) Ligon — married 1576 in England

Descendants

Died before 14 Aug 1603 before about age 58 in Gloucestershire, England

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Biography

Thomas Ligon (aka Lygon), Gent., of Elkstone, Gloucestershire, was the fourth son of William Ligon, Esq., and his wife Eleanor Dennis.^[1][2] His date of birth is unknown, but is estimated at about 1545 based on the fact that his eldest brother, Richard, was born by 1537 (aged 30 and more in his father's IPM) and three of his sisters were married by 1567 (so they were likely born by 1547).^[3]

Thomas' father died at Madresfield, Gloucestershire, leaving a will dated 22 August 1567 and proved 12 August 1568. The will named his eldest son Richard as executor and "his second son Thomas was named in the remainder after Richard's heirs male". The will did not mention Thomas' three younger brothers, his three elder sisters or his mother. Administration of his mother Eleanor's intestate estate was granted 2 March 1585/6 to her three younger sons, Thomas, Hugh and Francis.^[3]

Marriage and Children

Thomas Ligon married Frances Dennis, daughter of Hugh Dennis, Esq., of Puckle-Church, Gloucestershire, and Katherine, daughter of Edward Trye, Esq.^[1] Thomas and Frances were cousins.^[3][4] They had five sons and three daughters:

• Thomas,^[5] born about 1577, died December 1626, married Elizabeth Pratt and had two children^[1]
• Francis,^[1] died without issue^[5]
• William,^[1] died without issue^[5]
• Richard, Gent.,^[1][5] traveled to Barbados for three years and was jailed on his return to England (creditors complaint), published a book about his travels in 1650 and died a bachelor in 1662, leaving a will dated 10 July 1659 and proved 22 August 1662^[6]
• John,^[1] attendant to George Berkeley, died without issue^[5]
• Katherine, married ____Gerrard, Esq.,^[1] of Stafford, Somerset, and had at least six daughters^[5]
• Joan,^[1] died without issue^[5]
• Alice, wife of ____ Brokesby and of ____ Berry^[1][5]

In 1581 an order was given to search Thomas Ligons house for harboring Catholic priests and, in 1592, his wife Frances was fined as a recusant.^[1]

Death

Thomas Ligon was buried at Elkstone, Gloucestershire 14 August 1603.^[1][3] His widow, Frances, survived him and was buried 30 January 1624/5 at Walsgrave-on-Sowe, Warwickshire. She left a will dated 17 October 1622, proved 1 June 1625,^[1] which named her children Thomas (executor) and Richard^[3] and "my son Garrat's children at their father's pleasure",^[6] who are possibly Katherine Gerrard's children.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12} Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2013), vol. III, page 580, LIGON 18.
2. ↑ Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition. (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011), vol. III, pages 26-27, LIGON 13.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Neil D. Thompson. "Further Observations on the Ancestry of Colonel Thomas Ligon of Henrico County" in The Virginia Genealogist (Washington, DC: J. F. Dorman, 1994). Online at AmericanAncestors.org, Vol. 38 (1994), pages 48-51.
4. ↑ Frederick Lewis Weis. The Magna Charta Sureties, 1215. (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1999). Online at Ancestry.com, Line 66, page 85.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7} John Smyth, et al. The Berkeley Manuscripts. (Gloucester: Printed by J. Bellows, 1883-85). Online at HathiTrust, vol. 2, pages 92-93: Dennis and page 184: Ligon.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} William D. Ligon. The Ligon Family and Connections. (Hartford, CT: Printed by the Bond Press, 1947). Online at Ancestry.com, page 104: excerpts from Frances' will.

See also:

• Smyth, John, et al. The Berkeley Manuscripts. (Gloucester: Printed by J. Bellows, 1883-85). Online at HathiTrust, vol. 2, page 376: 1612/3 fine to Thomas Spencer and Thomas Ligon.
• Lewis, Marlyn. Thomas Lygon, Gent. entry in Our Royal Titled Noble and Commoner Ancestors website, accessed 1 Dec 2020.
• Arthur Collins, Sir Egerton Brydges. "Lygon corrections" in Collins's Peerage of England, Volume 9. Online at Google Books, page 509: "Second, Thomas Lygon of Elliston, in the county of Gloucester, who, by Frances, daughter of Hugh Dennis of Pucklechurch, in that county, had issue, Thomas married the daughter of Dennis Pratt, Esq., Francis, William, Richard, Katherine, married Gerald of Stamford, Esq. and Joan"

Acknowledgments

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Magna Carta Project

This profile was developed for the Magna Carta Project by Thiessen-117 on 1 Dec 2020 and reviewed/approved for the Project by Michael Cayley on 7 December 2020.

Thomas Ligon Gent appears in Magna Carta Ancestry in a Richardson-documented trail from Gateway Ancestor Thomas Ligon to Magna Carta Surety Baron Henry de Bohun (vol. III, pages 22-27 LIGON) that was badged by the Magna Carta Project on 15 December 2020. The trail is set out in the Magna Carta Trails section of the Gateway's profile.

See Base Camp for more information about identified Magna Carta trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".