Richard Worsley Baronet (abt. 1588 - abt. 1621)

Born about 1588 in Appuldercombe, Isle of Wight, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 27 Jun 1621 at about age 33 in Appuldercombe, Isle of Wight, England

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Sir Richard Worsley was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

Richard Worseley, of Appledercombe, county Southampton, Knt.", son and heir of Thomas Worsley, of Apuldercombe in the Isle of Wight, by Barbara daughter of William St. John, of Farley, Hants. born about 1589; succeeded his father, 1604; matriculated at Oxford (Magdelene College), 10 May 1605, aged 16. He married about 1610, Frances, second daughter of Sir Henry Neville, of Billingbeare, Berks, by Anne, daughter of Sir Henry Killigrew. Sir Richard Worsley, 1st Bart. of Appuldercombe was knighted 8 February 1611 and created 1st Baronet on 29 June 1611.

Sir Richard was MP for Newport, Isle of Wight (1614-1621) and Sheriff of Hants: 1615-1616.

Virginia

Richard Worsley Baronet was a Jamestown colonist.

Prior to his knighthood, Richard Worsley was a Gentleman Adventurer and stockholder of the Virginia Company. He is the same Richard listed by Captain John Smith as having travelled there aboard the ship Phoenix in 1608. Their names that were landed in this Supply Gentlemen...Richard Worley^[1]

Richard stayed in Virginia some months. He accompanied Captain Smith aboard the barge Discovery on one of his expeditions to the Pamaunkkee beginning 29 December 1608. ^[2] They traveled further to Werawocomoco, where Smith met with King Powhatan.^[3] Soon after this expedition Richard returned to England. He very much maintained an interest in the Company and the colony. His marriage and knighthood and becoming titled in the years immediately following his adventure in Virginia kept Richard occupied at home, and there is no evidence he returned to Virginia. He did obtain a patent of land there, and maintained his position and interest in the activities of the colony.

In late 1618 or early 1619, Sir Richard Worsley, and his associates were granted a patent for a particular plantation by the Virginia Company. His associates were Capt. Christopher Lawne, Nathaniel Basse, John Hobson, Anthony Olevan, Richard Wiseman, Robert Newland, Robert Gyner and William Willis.

Most of these subscribers had no intention of going over to Virginia in person to suffer the hardships of establishing a plantation, but they were interested in investing their money in such a venture. Whether this partnership was based on a personal friendship between the members is not known. All were stockholders in the Virginia Company. Perhaps they were brought together on a purely professional level, if all were looking for other stockholders with whom to join in a venture. Presumably, Worsley and Newland knew each other reasonably well, coming as they both did from the Isle of Wight.

It is clear that the main adventurer of this group - both in wealth and in status - was Worsley himself. In "A Note of the Shipping, Men, and Provisions, sent and prouided for Virginia...this yeare, 1620", six names ( one Earl, three Sirs and two Captains) are mentioned as receiving patents. Among the six names was Sir Richard Worsley "Who together with their Associates haue undertaken to transport great multitudes of People and Cattell".^[4]

With the demise of Lawne's plantation, Worsley and his associates were informed they would be required to send out further settlers to make up the shortfall or risk losing their patent. And it is from the confirmation and redefinition of this patent that Isle of Wight Plantation, and consequently Isle of Wight County, originates. In the Company's Court Book, a marginal sub-title proclaims: "Sr Rich: Worsleep knight & Barronet & theire olde Patent confirmed". Whether a spelling mistake or play on words by the clerk or the clerk is having a little joke on the fact that Worsley may have slept in a meeting is not known. Given what was written about his personality by his contemporaries, Worsley would have been amused. Whatever the reason, Worsley and his associates submitted a petition to the Council on 4 November1620:

"Uppon the humble Peticon of Sr Richard Worsleep knight Baronett Nathaniel Basse gent, John Hobson gentleman, Antho: Oleuan, Richard Wiseman, Robert Newland, Robert Gyuer and William Wellis Associates and fellow Adventurers wth Capt: Christopher Lawne deceased the Courte was pleased to graunt unto them and their heirs a confirmacon of their Old Pattent with all manner of pryveledges therin conteyned, and that the said Plantacon shall henceforth be called the Ile of Wights Plantacon, Provided that the heirs of the said Christopher Lawne be no way preiudiced therby; And in regard of the late mortalitie of the personns transported heretofore by the said Captain Lawne the Courte hath likewise given them till Midsomer 1625 to make up the nomber of their said psonns menconed in their former Pattents."

On 30 April 1621, Worsley's Patent, as well as two others, were "reade and recomended as afore said". And finally, several days later, on 2 May, "three patents for pticular Plantacons in Virginia one to Sr: Rich: Bulkly the second to Sr Richard Worsley and his associats and a third to Captain Willm Newce being all three formerly read and approved of by the Preparatiue Court, and nowe put to the question were confirmed and ordered to be sealed."

Worsley did not last much longer to experience the fruits of his investment, for on 27 June 1621, he died.

The rights to the patent may have been sold by the heirs to his cousin Sir Bowyer Worsley. Bowyer received a patent for a private plantation from the Virginia Company dated June 10, 1622.^[5] This transfer to Bowyer by some means is supported by two facts. First, that none of Sir Richard's sons are documented in Virginia, with two of the younger ones dying unmarried,(unless some purely speculative natural son by one of them who would account for the Worsleys appearing in the colony.) Secondly, Sir Bowyer sold all his lands on the Isle of Wight and left under a cloud a few years later. Going to Virginia would have put him out of reach of his adversaries.

According to the History of Parliament Online, Richard and Frances had 7 children (4 sons, 3 daughters). He died of smallpox and is buried at the church of Godshill in the Isle of Wight. Henry, his successor; Richard, John, and Dorothy died unmarried. Ann married Sir John Leigh, of Bury, and Elizabeth, Sir John Meux, of Kingston. The descendants of Thomas succeeded to the Baronetcy on the failure of the elder branch by the death of Sir Richard Worsley in 1805.

His longtime friend Sir John Oglander kept a journal and wrote several passages regarding Sir Richard:

The Life of Sir Richard Woorseley, Knight and Barronet.

When he wase younge he wase taught and educated by his fathor, Mr. Thomas Woorseley, a man learned and of very good partes; when he accomplishched ye adge of 12 yeres his fathor putt him to Winchester Colledge where he profited very well in his learninge. Abote 15 yeres of adge his fathor dyed, then he wase putt to Oxforde, to Magdeline Colledge, where with the helpe and laboure of his tutor, one Castilion, he grewe to be a very pregnant scholler, and verie expert in ye Greeke tounge; well seene in all learninge. When he wase scholler in Winton Colledge, ata a huntinge daye with a stripe of a hassell twigge he lost one of his eyes, it so ordered as hardlie to be discerned. About 20 yeres of adge, his tutor carringe of him into Berkeshyre to his brother's, Sir Francis Castilion, he owt of his respect to them both, Sir Rychard Woorseley and Sir Henry Neville, for Sir Francis had maryed Mr. St. John's dawghtor, sistor to Sir Rycharde's mother, so he carried him to Billingbeare to Sir Henry Neville's howse, where he fell in loue with Mstrs. Francis Neville, one of ye handsomest little women that wase in this kingdome, or that ever at least I sawe; I think fancie prevailed over portion. Then Sir Henry gott him to be Knyghted, and aftorwardes to be a Barronet; then he came into ye Island to be a howsekeeper and to be putt into ye Commission of ye Peace, whose oathe I gaue him; he kept a verie bountifull howse, and gaue greate entertaynement; lived in greate repute in his counterye and verie hapilie. He had singular good gwyftes both of art and nature, a verie honest man where he did affect, butt wothall verie nice and scrupulous in doinge of coortises, as to lend moneyes, or be bound for anye; for he desired to be bound with Sir John Dinglie to ye Ordinarye on his maryadge, that there wase no precontract betweene him and anie other. Verie collerick, butt his judgment woold well moderate itt, wonderful studious, insomutch as he affected no counterye spoortes, eythor hawkinge or huntinge, but wholly spent his tyme when he wase alone att his booke; verie merry, and a notable good fellowe in companie that he knewe. He delyghted much in flinginge of cuschions at one another's heddes only in sporte, and for exersise; until that with a cuschion at Gatcombe I wase lyke to putt foorth his other eye. He loued to keep a good table, otherwise he woold haue nothinge more than necessarie nor hardly that, not respectinge good clothes. Beinge in a parliament, ye last of Kinge James, soom of his howsehold gott ye small poxe, and comminge home soom of his children had it, and afterwards himselve, who beinge not so careful as he showld, and remouinge into his wyfe's chawmber aftor they weare owt on him, certaynely tooke cold and dyed in ye flower of his adge, to ye greate gryfe of his fryndes and generoll loss to ye whole counterye; he is buryed in ye sowth chawncellin Godshill Church.

Sir Rychard Woorseley, my good frynd, who both for naturoll and artificiall gwyftes had not his fellowe in owre cowntrie, and his fayre ladye, who for bewtie and virtue is woorthie of ye lyke commendations, often laye att my howse with mee 3 or 4 dayes togeathor; he dyed unfortunately of ye small poxe, and his ladye wase lyke to runn ye same fortune.

Mtrs. Ann Worseley, dawghtor to Sir Rychard Woorseley, ....she was buryed by her fathor in ye chawncellin Godshill Church, where sutch a fathor, sutch a dawghtor lyeth; both sutch as I must confess I nevor knewe any that exceeded them. They 2 beinge gone, the glory of that howse is passed away, and although there be more branches of ye sayde stocke yt left, yet they will proove Crabbs in respect of that fayre fruit....

To wryght an epitaph on ye fathor and ye dawghtor I showld extenuate rathor than demonstrate theyre woorth. Only frame an idea of a most perfect man and woman, and then beleve yt sutch they weare.

Sir Rychard Woorseley, ye mann of learning, patron of virtue, frynd of good fellowes, and credite both of his howse and ye Islande, lyeth buryed in ye upper ende of ye sowthe chawncell in Godshill Church.^[6][7]

Epitaph For Sir Richard Worsley

Rychard aftor Thomas's death entored, maryed Sir Henry Neville's dawghtor, dyed of ye smale pox, left sonnes, Henry, Rychard, Thomas (my godson), John, Ann, Elizabeth, and Dorothee.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Complete Works of John Smith
2. ↑ The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England & the Summer Isles, Together with The True Travels, Adventures and Observations, and A Sea Grammar – John Smith Book III Page 74
3. ↑ "Captaine Smiths Journey to Pamaunke", Smith, John, 1580-1631, A. G. (Arthur Granville) Bradley, and Edward Arber. Travels And Works of Captain John Smith .... A new ed. / New York: Burt Franklin, 1910., p. 131.
4. ↑ Worsley Genealogy
5. ↑ Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary page 765
6. ↑ The Commonplace and Account Books of Sir John Oglander, held at the Isle of Wight County Record Office.
7. ↑ Worsley Genealogy
8. ↑ The Oglander Memoirs, Extracts from the Mss. of Sir J. Oglander, Kt page 156

• A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England, John Burke and John Bernard Burke. Published 1838.

• History of Parliament Online: WORSLEY, Sir Richard, 1st Bt. (1588-1621), of Appuldurcombe, I.o.W

• Visitation of Hampshire Page 23: Worsley

• Worsley of Appuldurcombe, National Archive [1]

• Wikipedia: Sir Richard Worsley

• The peerage.com: Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes. Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999

• Powys.org