Eleanor Radcliffe (abt. 1525 - abt. 1580)

Born about 1525 in England

Descendants

Died about 1580 at about age 55 in England

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Biography

Eleanor was born about 1520. She passed away about 1580.

This profile previously showed that Eleanor was the daughter of Sir Humphrey Radcliffe and Isabel Harvey. However, Humphrey had three known daughters, Mary, Elizabeth (m. Henry Owen), and Martha.^[1][2] He did not have a daughter Eleanor. That said, there are good reasons to believe Eleanor was related to this same Radcliffe family, but the connection is not known.^[3]

Sources:

http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/radcliffe-sir-humphrey-15089-66

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Radcliffe,_1st_Earl_of_Sussex

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Stafford,_Countess_of_Sussex

The American Genealogist, Vol 32, No 3, (July 1956, p 129-142).

THE WHITBREAD FAMILY OF GRAVENHURST, BEDFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND, by Clarence Almon Torrey.

"John (2) Whitbraad (Thomas (1)), born probably about 1548, was a resident of Upper Gravenhurts as early as 1571, and appears to have been the John Whitbread (as the name is written in the parish register) who was buried 28 Nov 1598. Diligent search has failed to bring to light a will or other probate record and no deeds to or from him have been found.

He married Eleanor (or Ellenor as her name appears in the probate record). She was of Elstow in her nuncupative will which was probated 18 Apr 1629, and was probably then living with her youngest son John, who had settled in Elstow. But she was the "widow Whitbread" who was buried at Upper Gravenhurst 20 Nov 1628, probably in the churchyard near her husband's grave.

There is reason to believe that Eleanor was related in some way to a prominent Radcliffe family. On 1 Aug 1611, Sir Edward Radcliffe of Elstow, Knt., for £32, conveyed to John Radwell of Kempston, ploughwright, a messuage or tenement in Elstowe, givng a convenant of assurance agains Dame Isabel Radcliffe, late of Elstowe, decease, his mother. And the same date, John Whitbread of Elstow, husbandman, for £20, gave to John Radwell assurance of quiet enjoyment of the same premises agains "Elner Whitbread of Eluestowe," his mother [Publications of the Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, 4:22-23].

Sir Edward Radciffe was son of Sir Humphrey Radcliffe, who died 13 Aug 1566, aged 57, by his wife Isabel Hervey, who died 8 May 1594. Eleanor, a generation younger than Isabel, does not appear on the Radcliffe pedigree in the Visitation of Bedfordshire, 1566. Sir Edward presumable was giving assurance against any incumbrance that might have been placed on the property by his mother Isabel, or perhaps against claims of her creditors or heirs, so the property may have an inheritancee from the Hervey family. It has not been learned how Eleanor was related to the Radcliffes or Herveys. "The last will and testmt, of Ellenor Whitebread late of Elstowe deceased uttered by her in her life time and since her death put into writings as followeth. The said Ellenor Whitebread being of pfect memorie did in the presence of William Whitebread and Henrye Whitebread utter her minde touchinge the disposing of here worldlie goods as followth vizt. Imprimis she gave unto Willia' Whitebread her eldest sonne her silver measure and after his decease to his eldest sonne Henery Whitebread and after his decease to his eldest sonne William for to be a standard for ever unto the heire of the Whitebreads. It' she gave unto Willia' Whitebread her godsonne a silver spoone. It' she gave unto Henery Whitebread her godsonne a silver spoone and unto Ellenor Witebread her goddaughter his siter a silver spoone and a porridgpot. It' she gave unto Willia' Specer a silve spoone beinge my godsonne. It' she gave unto Eleanor Whitebread her goddaughter daughter unto John Whitebread a silver spoone and a porridgpot. It' she gave unto Ellenor Chapman her godaughter [sic] a porrigpott if ever she do come for it. It' she gave unto John Whitebread her godsonne a silver spoone. It' she gave unto Thomas Spencer xlvj s. viij d. It's she willed her sonne John Whitebread to pay all her debts and to be her Executor." [No signatures or date.] Probate: 18th April to Executor named. [Copy of the will of Ellenor Whitbred of Elstow 1629, Bedford Arch deaconry Court, 1628/9, No. 122.]

The manner in which Eleanor left her silver measure to be a standard forever to the heir of the Whitbreads suggest that she was a woman of great family pride, even though not of great wealth, and accords with the belief that she may have belonged to a family of a somewhat higher socal status than ther husband's family was in her generation. Her eldest son William by 1639 styled himself a gentleman, and it is possible that some part of his landed property may have been inherited from his mother.

The recorded marriage of Alice Whitbread in 1600 to Gerard Spencer, the known baptism of her Spencer children, and the fact that two of them, William and Thomas, received legacies in Eleanor's will, one of them being her godson, make it certain that Alice belongs in the family of John and Eleanor Whitebread. Furthermore William Whitbread and Gerrard Spencer sold to John Whitbread 11 messuages, 1 pigeon house, 11 gardens, 11 orchards, 200 acres arable, 200 acres meadow, and 60 acres pasture, in Shillington, Over Gravenest, Nether Gravenest, Filtton, Silsoe, Elstoe, Kempston, and Stotfolde, Easter, 9 James I (1611). [Feet of Fines for Beds., P.R.O., CP. 25 (2), 270).

In listing the children, we have assumed that the Whitbreads baptized at Upper Gravenhurst between 1571 and 1571 belonged to John & Eleanor. However, the register at that period fails to state the parents of children christened, and the assumption may not be entirely correct, since it is possible that Henry Witbread (No. 4 of the First Line) may have lived in this parish during part of that period. Of the children listed below, William, Henry, Alice & John are considered positively proved as belonging to John. The others seem likely. Judith had not been long married when Eleanor made her will and probably had no children by then to be rememberd as godchildren; and the name Judith appears in the family in the next generation. In addtion to those listed, a Thomas buried 6 June 1585 and an Ellen buried 11 June 1585 may have been young children of John.

With the above caution, the children, probably all born at Upper Gravenhurst, were:

i. Elizabeth(3) bapt. 28 Sep 1571, no further record

ii. 3 - William b. (say ca. 1573); m. Elizabeth

iii. 4 - Henry, bapt, 9 Jan 1575/6; m. Elizabeth Leventhrope

iv. Alice, b. (say ca 1578); m. 10 Nov 1600, Gerard Spencer (supra, 27:84). Four of her sons came to New England and all left descendants.

v. Francis, bapt. 30 Apr 1581; no further record

vi. 5 - John, bapt 8 Nov 1584; m. Mary Newman

vii. Judith, bapt. 6 Jun 1591; m. 23 July 1626, Richard Poulter."

^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ History of Parliament Online. biography of RADCLIFFE, Sir Humphrey (1508/9-66), of Elstow, Beds..
2. ↑ Blaydes, Frederic A. ed. Visitations of Bedfordshire; Annis Domini 1566, 1582, and 1634, (London: Harleian Society Visitation Series, vol. 19, 1884): 48.
3. ↑ The American Genealogist, Vol 32, No 3, (July 1956, p 129-142)., "THE WHITBREAD FAMILY OF GRAVENHURST, BEDFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND", by Clarence Almon Torrey.
4. ↑ Unsourced family tree handed down to Rod Schultz.