Westcomb Baronets

[dpth...@gmail.com]

I wonder whether anyone can help shed any light on the genealogy of the family of Westcombe Baronets. Here is the confusion, which has come to my attention while reading the memoirs of Mrs Delany (Mary Granville):

 

All normal sources say that Mrs Delany's mother was Mary, daughter of Sir Martin Westcombe, Bt. Most of the same sources say that Sir Martin married in or shortly before 1708. However, Mrs Delany was born in 1700, so it seems unlikely that her grandfather did not marry until 1708. Furthermore, Sir Anthony Westcomb, whom Burke's makes to be Mrs Delany's uncle, is always referred to as her cousin in her memoirs.

 

I found one book (see below) which implies that there may have been two Sir Martin Westcombs, father and son. If this is true, then likely Mary Westcomb Granville was daughter of the elder Sir Martin and sister of the other, but in that case it's unclear whether both Sir Martins were baronets, or whether the first was merely a knight. This is made more likely by a reference I found to a Lewis Westcomb, son of a Sir Martin Westcomb, having married already in 1702 (which is unlikely if his father married in 1708).

 

The editor of the Delany memoirs, who descended from Mrs Delany's sister, says that the Extinct Baronetage article on the Westcombs was in error, but does not say what the errors were.

 

If anyone can shed any light in this from other sources, I would be grateful.

 

 

Here is some relevant information from sources I found:

 

Burke's Extinct Peerage, sub Granville, Baron Lansdowne, says that Bernard Granville married Mary, daughter of Sir Martin Westcombe, Bt.

 

Burke's Extinct Baronetage has the following information:

Martin Westcombe, consul at Cadiz, created Baronet 29 March 1699 [1700?]. No spouse mentioned, but gives as his only children:

1.Sir Anthony, 2^nd Bt., who died in 1752.

2.Mary; m.Bernard Granville; parents of Mary Granville, Mrs Delany

 

 

The Complete Baronetage has this information:

Martin Westcombe, consul at Cadiz, created Baronet 23 March 1699/1700; married in or before 1708 an unnamed lady.

Sir Martin was succeeded by his son:  Sir Anthony Westcombe, 2^nd Bt. (born ca 1708, died 1752). Sir Anthony had no issue by the one wife he is known to have had. (A footnote explains that there is some evidence that he might have been married previously and had a son; and also evidence that Sir Anthony may have had a younger brother who eventually succeeded to the title; however the editors apparently consider both these possibilities as unproved.)

The Complete Baronetage does not mention Mary Westcomb Granville.

 

 

In the Diaries/Letters of Mrs Delany is the following information:

a) she says that her mother was "...a daughter of Sir Martin Westcomb..."

b) Later, she calls Sir Anthony Westcomb "...my friend and cousin-german"

c) in a letter written by Sir Anthony to Mrs Delany's sister, he addressed her as "My Dear Cousin"

d) an editor's note gives the inscription on the grave of Mrs Delany's mother, who is there called "Mary Granville, daughter of Sir Martin Westcomb, Baronet"

e) an editor's note about the death of Sir Anthony Westcombe calls Mrs Delany's brother Sir Anthony's "first cousin and godson". The editor goes on to say that "The Editor has taken great pains to clear up the confusion arising from the incompleteness of the extinct Baronetage as regards the Westcomb family, but without success"

 

 

I found the following information online:

a) in a book called "Hallamshire" a Lewis Westcomb is mentioned marrying in 1702, being called second son of Sir Martin Westcomb

b) in a mention of a book called "Cookery and medicinal recipes of the Granville family" it is said that there were two Sir Martin Westcombs, both consuls at Cadiz, who may have been father and son.