Theophila (Chamberlain) Hughes (bef. 1563 - aft. 1626)

Born before 7 Mar 1563 in Prestbury, Gloucestershire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died after 1626 after age 62 in Kemerton, Gloucestershire, England

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Biography

Theophila (Chamberlain) Hughes was born in Middlesex, England.

Birth and Parentage

Theophila Chamberlayne was the only daughter and second child of Thomas Chamberlayne and Joan Elizabeth Ludington.

She was christened on 7 March 1563. Queen Elizabeth I was her godmother, giving her infant god-daughter a gilt bowl with a cover.^[1]

She had two elder brothers, John, b. 1558, and Edmund, b, 1560. After their mother died on 28 April 1565, their father married again, for the third time, on 28 October 1567 a widow, Anne Pyerson/Pierson née Kirkeet, of the City of London, half sister to Anthony Monk of Devonshire, granddaughter to the Duke of Albemarle. Ann Chamberlayne was probably the only mother Theophila knew, but she probably had a nurse, and how much attention she would have had from her step-mother is hard to guess. Sir Thomas, at any rate, was abroad on foreign affairs duties for months at a time. The Chamberlaynes had a house in Cripplegate in London, ^[2] but their country house was in Prestbury, Gloucestershire. With two elder brothers as examples, Theophila may have grown up somewhat wild, and by the time she was 17, she was obviously causing the family great concern.

Marriage

Sir Thomas died in 1580. According to his will, Theophila had got involved with Richard Webb, "a lewd fellow of base condicion"' (sic) who had 'stolen her away', but would 'receive an inheritance if she leaves him and marries suitably.' ^[3]

Theophila listened to reason, took her father's advice and ended her liaison with Webb.

Her affair was probably hushed up, and she eventually married Thomas Hughes of Kemerton, co. Glouc, gent., the son of the physician in ordinary to Queen Mary Tudor, Thomas Hughes FRCP. Kemerton is 10.3 miles from Prestbury, and Thomas owned the manor of Upper Court. :In 1557 the Crown granted the manor to Thomas Hughes for his service as one of the royal physicians. In 1605, Thomas's son, also Thomas, obtained a grant of the reversion of the manor, which he leased in the same year to John Pace, William Pace, and Nicholas Dance. Hughes was recorded as joint lord of Kemerton in 1608, but by 1614 he had granted his half of the manor to George Horniold of Bredon. ^[4] Upper Court now a Grade II listed Georgian house, was completely rebuilt by John Parsons between 1757 and 1773. ^[5]The Hughes family also had a house in Cripplegate, in Wood Street, which is probably how they knew the Chamberlaynes.

When Anne Chamberlayne died in 1588, she left to her

'daughter Theophila Hughes a ring of gold of 30 shillings’,^[1](purchasing power in 2017, = £179.76).^[6]

Death

Thomas Hewes/Hughes died before 1626. In that year, Theophila Hewes, widow, sued one John Hones and another over some money matters.^[7]

She herself died after 1626, but so far a death or burial record has not been found.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Colthorpe, MA, Marion, E., (2017). The Elizabethan Court Day by Day, Years of the Reign, (1563). Retrieved from Folgerpedia (Here;) Accessed 7 July 2021
2. ↑ The House of Commons, 1558-1603. Vol.1. (1981)., London: Published for the History of Parliament Trust by H.M.S.O. Retrieved from the Internet Archive 8https://archive.org/details/houseofcommons150001unse/page/590/mode/2up?q=Theophila (here;)] Accessed 11 Jul 2023.
3. ↑ The National Archives. Will of Sir Thomas Chamberlaine of Prestbury, Gloucestershire., Ref: PROB 11/62/474., Retrieved from tna (Here;) Accessed 11 Jul 2023.
4. ↑ ed. C R Elrington., (1968)., Parishes: Kemerton, in A History of the County of Gloucester: Vol. 8, London: Victoria County History, (pp.209-220). Retrieved from BHO (Here;) Accessed 11 Jul 2023.
5. ↑ Thirsk, Joan., (1984)., The rural economy of England: collected essays., London: Hambledon Press. Retrieved from the Internet Archive (Here;) Accessed 11 Jul 2023.
6. ↑ The National Archives Currency Convertor. Retrieved from tna (Here;) Accessed 11 Jul 2023.
7. ↑ The National Archives. Short title: Hewes v Fones. Reference: C 5/611/107., Plaintiffs: Theophila Hewes, widow. Defendants: John Fones... Retrieved from tna (Here;) Accessed 11 Jul 2023.

• https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/chamberlain-sir-thomas-1504-80#family-relations