Identity of Bridget wife of Captain Thomas Wilford of Virginia
William Acton
This website gives some information about Thomas, including that his wife was called Bridget:
http://web.mac.com/billtx/SparrowHawk/D0057/I4414.html
I believe Bridget was born Bridget Acton. In the will of Walter Acton, of Dunval, Shropshire proved in 1655 he leaves £100 to "my sister Bridgett who is now the wife of Master Thomas Wilford".
The Actons were all royalists, as were the Wilfords, so this match makes good sense.
Bridget was baptised at Astley Abbotts, Shropshire 11 August 1616 (3rd of 8 children). Her father Richard was the second son of Robert Acton of Aldenham (1534-1597) and his wife Bridget Doddington (alias Detton). Robert was the eldest son of William Acton of Aldenham, MP (d 1567) and his wife Cecily Cresset. Cecily was the daughter of Richard Cresset and his wife Jane Wrottesley.
I believe Jane Wrottesley is descended from King Edward III via the following line:
King Edward
III of England
M: Philippe
of Hainaut
Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence
M:
Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th
Countess of Ulster
Philippa of Clarence, 5th Countess of Ulster
M: Edmund
Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March
Lady Elizabeth Mortimer
M: Sir Henry
Percy
Elizabeth Percy
M: John
Clifford, 7th Baron de Clifford
Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford
M: Joan
Dacre
Maud Clifford
M: Sir Edmund
Sutton
Dorothy Sutton
M: Richard
Wrottesley
Jane Wrottesley
M: Richard
Cressett
Many thanks,
William Acton
TJ Booth_aol
Visitation of Shropshire, page 10 sub Acton, @
http://books.google.com/books?id=ESoEAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA10&dq="Walter+Acton" :
Walter Acton age 8 in 1623, with a sister 'Bridgitt' b. bef 1623. The source
is clearly contemporary with a 1616 birth, the children's uncle being the
likely respondent.
Walter is shown as the oldest child and likely heir of Dunnal Shropshire
from his father.
Their parents are Richard Acton of Dunnal, Shropshire (living 1623), 2nd
son, by wife Margrett dau of Michael Lister of Rowton, Shropshire. Richard's
older brother, Walter of Aldenham, Shropshire was the likely respondent, he
then having 2 grandchildren (the editor added, in brackets, that Walter was
sheriff in 1630)
Grandparents are Robert Acton of Aldenham, Shropshire by Bridgit dau of
'Robert Detton of Ditton' in Shropshire (in the editor's italics is 'Dutton
of Dutton'). This compares with 'Doddington alias Detton' in the post below.
Gr-Grandparents are William Acton of Aldenham, 2nd son but heir of his
father, by Ciceley dau of Richard Cresset of Upton Cresset, Shropshire. This
same marriage is noted in the RPA entry for Richard Cresset m. Jane
Wrottesley p 515 [sub More], Wrottesley noted as a descendant of Edw III.
There are 2 extracted baptism records in the IGI database for Bridget Acton
dau of Richard.
Bridget Acton, 25 SEP 1608, Ludlow, Shropshire, England, dau of Richard
Bridgit Acton, 11 AUG 1616, Astley Abbotts, Shropshire, England, dau of
Richard
Batch C032181 holds the Astley Abbots records. Edward, Elizabeth, Sara and
Martha of the pedigree also have baptism records there, all aft 1616 but bef
1623. None for Walter (b. bef 1615 per the pedigree) or Mary Acton, perhaps
neither was baptized in Astley Abbots. There are no extracted baptism
records for any Walter Acton born in this time period in the database.
Terry Booth
Chicago IL
http://web.mac.com/billtx/SparrowHawk/D0057/I4414.html
M: Philippe
of Hainaut
Lady Elizabeth Mortimer
M: Sir Henry
Percy
Elizabeth Percy
M: Joan
Dacre
Maud Clifford
M: Sir Edmund
Sutton
Dorothy Sutton
M: Richard
Wrottesley
Jane Wrottesley
M: Richard
Cressett
Many thanks,
William Acton
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vew...@nycap.rr.com
Not sure if this helps or hurts.
07 Jan 1663 Sarah, d. of Thomas Wilford, gent., & Bridget bap.
Source: (Via Ancestry.com) Shropshire: Albrighton (Near Shifnal), Boningale, Donington, White Ladies - Parish Registers, Lichfield Diocese
If Bridget and Thomas stayed in Shropshire, this might be the baptism of their child, so they would not have been the
couple who came to VA.
Also, I did find the following marriage. Not sure if it's your couple or not.
Mr Thomas Wilsford and Bridget Turner, 26 Nov 1644.
Source: Survey of the Anitiquities of the City of Oxford by Anthony à Wood, Andrew Clark, pg. 237
And finally, you may know already but just in case - Thomas of VA had a second wife named Margaret, whom he
married by June 1656.
Vickie Elam White
WJho...@aol.com
Tiptoft and the daughter of Maud Clifford (second wife).
They are both #E6, the length of the descent doesn't change, just the
particulars.
I'm also not convinced that we know the year Robert Acton (who married
Bridget Detton or Dutton) was born, nor the year he died. Same thing for his
son Richard.
So what are your sources for this points.
Will
WJho...@aol.com
Acton, the son of William and Cecily, has six royal great-grandparents in my
database, so there are several other ascents as well.
Will
TJ Booth_aol
You mentioned the will of Walter Acton, proved 1655. When was it written,
and can you share its contents? Does it mention children of his sister, or
children of any other family members?
There seems to be no evidence beyond a similarity in wive's first names to
connect the 'Master Thomas Wilford' who m. Walter Acton's sister, with
Captain Thomas Wilsford Esq. of VA. As noted below, a different Bridget
(unless she were a widow) m. a Thomas Wilford. How does one know which
Bridget went to VA? Do we know a date when the couple got to VA (the website
bio states they were there in 1652)?
There appears to be very poor documentation tying Capt Thomas of VA to the
Wilsford family of Kent. There is a Wilsford pedigree in Visitation of Kent
for 1619 @ http://books.google.com/books?id=o79MAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA105. It shows
a Thomas 2nd son (b. aft 1608 but bef 1619) of Sir Thomas by Elizabeth
Sandys, and as gr-grandson of Thomas Wilsford by Rose Whetenhall. Since
RD600 already shows a royal ancestry for Thomas Wilsford and Rose Whetenhall
(from David I of Scotland) for the Sandys family of VA, and RPA page 59
shows a Plantagenet ancestry for them as well, it is puzzling why Capt
Thomas of VA has never been documented to be a descendant of the couple.
Ignoring the possible Acton relationship, he would already appear to have a
royal descent if he can be linked to the Kentshire family.
Terry Booth
Chicago IL
vew...@nycap.rr.com
a Northumberland Co. VA land patent to him was actually written. The first mention
of his wife Bridget was in a 1653 land patent to James Magregory and Hugh Fouch
which claimed as headrights "Tho. Wilsford, Bridget his wife", among others.
This could have been the initial trip to VA for the couple or it could have
been the trip Thomas took back to England to fetch his wife (although I think in
that case it may have said "Tho. Wilsford, twice" or something along those lines).
Vickie Elam White
vew...@nycap.rr.com
I found these two baptisms in the Astley Abbotts extracted IGI -
Walter Willford, s. of Thomas and Brigett bp. 2 Mar 1642
Thomas Willford, s. of Thomas bp. 26 Nov 1650
It sure doesn't seem as if this is the Thomas and Bridget who ended up in VA.
My notes say that the VA couple had sons named Charles and Thomas, but indicate
that it is not sourced.
TJ Booth_aol
same person as the rebel Capt. Thomas who d. 10 years later. It is most
unfortunate this fiction should have lasted until now. The earlier cited
website with Capt. Thomas' bio - the source shown as 'Virginia Magazine of
History and biography' Vol XXII page 366 - wrongly conflates 2 Thomas
Wilsfords, the second perhaps the son of the first.
William Armstrong Crozier; Virginia County Records; Vol I (Westmorland Co);
1913.
Westmorland Co Wills, page 5.
WILSFORD, THOMAS, 1 September 1666; 11 September 1667. To son Andrew
Wilsford my plantation lately bought of John Watts; son James Wilsford; son
Thomas Wilsford.
Likely the same Thomas who received a 50 acre land grant in Westmorland
in 1655, and another 50 acres in 1662. There were other grants in
Northumberland Co (another book) of roughly the same date.
That his 2nd wife Margaret is not mentioned in the will is consistent
with Thomas' 24 Feb 1663/64 petition that 'Major John Washington shalbe
guardian to Sarah Browne, dau of Mrs. Margaret Browne als Wilsford, late
wife of Thom. Wilsford during ye time she shall continue in ye Country. And
that she shall be sent to her [snippet runs out here - see
http://books.google.com/books?id=FSMTAQAAMAAJ&q=%22late+wife+of+Thom%22].
She might also be - by adoption - the previously noted Sarah Wilsford bap
[late] 7 Jan 1663 in Shropshire.
It was this same Thomas Wilsford of Westmorland Co. who entered into a 10
Jun 1656 trust agreement for the benefit of Margaret 'the relict widow of
Mr. John Browne'. Witnesses John Hallowes and Nathaniel Pope elsewhere
appear in the Vol I records for Westmorland Co. w Thomas. See Virginia
Fleet; Colonial Virginia Abstracts; page 671 @
http://books.google.com/books?id=0WmgfvygR78C&pg=PA671
The above work by Fleet has 67 entries for Thomas Wilsford (or variants),
including one page 393 with Bridget as a witness. "Pakes releases Paul
Simpson Gent late of the Province of Maryland in America' from all
obligations to him. Dated 3 Jan 1653/54. Signed Walter Pakes. Wit. Tho
Wilsford Notary Public, Bridgett Wilsford. Rec. 25 Jan 1653/54" (Simpson and
Wilsford had some lengthy tobacco dealings noted @
http://books.google.com/books?id=4EsOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA301) .
Other entries in this source (many as 'Th. Wilsford') indicate that Thomas
was an attorney who handled many wills and property transactions. In 1656 he
was Clerk of Westmorland Co (page 681). His appointment as clerk dates to
1650 - page 633 states "Wilsford, Tho. Appointment from Sir Wm Berkeley,
Governor, etc, as Clerk of the Court of Northumberland Co. 22 Oct 1650. Th.
Signs oath to Commonwealth of England. 13 Apr 1652". A related record notes
"Tho. Aged 39 years or th-abts. Swears he drew will dated 15 Aug 1650 for Wm
Presly Sr. 20 Jan 1656/7" - this places his birthdate about 1616/1617. There
is a page 692 entry for an 1801/02 transcript of a now lost record the
author suggests 'should not be relied on', stating that Thos was age 45 and
upwards 24 Jun 1663, also consistent with a 1616/17 birthdate.
A snippet notes "Sep 1 1666. Robert Mewes witnessed a deed from Thomas
Wilsford to his son, Andrew Wilsford (Westmorland Co. D & WBI, p. 316))".
The date is the same as the date Wilsford wrote his will.
All the above proves that Capt. Thomas Wilsford of the Bacon Rebellion was
not the the Thomas who m. Bridget. It is possible and even likely that Capt.
Thomas was their son. If it could be shown he was b. 1650 it would
strengthen a case he was the son of Bridget Acton.
The above evidence indicates that Thomas d. 1667 was born about the same
year as Bridget Acton (1616) - this is also consistent with the previously
noted Wilsford pedigree (1619 Visitation of Kent) that showed a Thomas son
of Thomas and Elizabeth Sandys b. between 1608 (eldest brother age 11 in
1619) and the 1619 date of the pedigree. A 1616/17 birthdate suggests a
marriage before 1640, consistent with the earliest baptism record in 1642.
That there are no baptism records for sons Andrew or James (but are for
'Walter' b. 1642 and Thomas b. 1650) does not seem a fatal flaw. Given that
Andrew was b. bef 1 Sep 1645 (he was adult on 1 Sep 1666), he might well be
the same person as 'Walter' with a poor transcription or using a middle
name.
Not previously noted is that Cecilia Wilsford (cousin of Thomas Wilsford of
Kentshire) is an ancestor of Edward Digges, Colonial Governor of VA (see RPA
page 273). Cecilia's sister, Elizabeth, m. George Clerke and is ancestor of
Jeremiah Clarke, governor of RI (RPA page 210). Both sisters and their
spouses are noted in the 1619 Visitation. Previously noted were that poet
George Sandys of VA and Margaret Sandys m. Francis Wyatt governor of VA were
also Wilsford descendants. That 4 other Wilsford family descendants ended up
in VA, and that Sir Thomas was a member of the Virginia Company (with Sir
Edw Sandys & Sir Dudley Diggs) certainly offers favorable prosopography.
Whether any of the descendants mentioned in Thomas' 1667 will can be
documented is a separate question I've not pursued. The 'Williford and
Allied Families' book apparently (only snippets online) traces to Andrew. It
would not be unusual for a family to change the spelling of their name if
there was local notoriety associated with it. Perhaps there were children by
Capt Thomas or James.
Terry Booth
Chicago IL
----- Original Message -----
From: <vew...@nycap.rr.com>
To: <GEN-MED...@rootsweb.com>; "William Acton"
<willac...@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2011 9:56 AM
Subject: Re: Identity of Bridget wife of Captain Thomas Wilford of Virginia