MORDAUNT and FITZLEWIS - CP error?

[John Higgins]

CP 9:195 says the first wife of John, 2nd Lord Mordaunt was "Ela, dau. of
John, s. and h. ap. of Sir Richard FitzLewis of West Horndon, Essex, by
Alice, dau. and coh. of John Harleston". Although the wording is ambiguous,
CP seems to say that Alice Harleston was the mother of Ela and wife of John.

However, Morant's Essex and Wright's Essex (the latter probably based on the
former) give a different version of the FitzLewis pedigree. Ela is said to
be sister, not dau., of John, who m. Anne Lovell and died with his bride in
a fire on their wedding night. Alice Harleston is shown as the mother of
both John and Ela and wife of Sir Richard. Can anyone confirm either
version?

A further FitzLewis question: Morant and Wright say that Sir Richard was
son of Sir Lewis and Margaret Stonor, and grandson of Sir John FitzLewis,
who m. 3 times and is covered in PA2 169. What is unclear is which of the 3
wives is the mother of Sir Lewis. Although the histories says pretty
specifically that Sir Lewis was son by Anne Montacute (or Montagu), they
also say that Sir John had a son Sir Lewis by another wife Alice de Vere.
Were there perhaps two sons named Lewis?

I am somewhat dubious about the credibility of the Morant/Wright version
because they also say that Sir John had a first wife (before Anne de Vere
and Anne Montagu), Elizabeth Neville dau. of Robert, by whom he had a dau.
Elizabeth who m. Sir John Wingfield. PA2 doesn't mention this other
marriage and makes this latter Elizabeth a dau. of the Montagu marriage.

Can anyone help to clear up this confusion?

John Higgins
jthi...@surfree.com

"Who begot whom is a most amusing kind of hunting" - Horace Walpole

[Chris Phillips]

John Higgins wrote:
> CP 9:195 says the first wife of John, 2nd Lord Mordaunt was "Ela, dau. of
> John, s. and h. ap. of Sir Richard FitzLewis of West Horndon, Essex, by
> Alice, dau. and coh. of John Harleston". Although the wording is
ambiguous,
> CP seems to say that Alice Harleston was the mother of Ela and wife of
John.
>
> However, Morant's Essex and Wright's Essex (the latter probably based on
the
> former) give a different version of the FitzLewis pedigree. Ela is said
to
> be sister, not dau., of John, who m. Anne Lovell and died with his bride
in
> a fire on their wedding night. Alice Harleston is shown as the mother of
> both John and Ela and wife of Sir Richard. Can anyone confirm either
> version?

I can't say which is right, but it's worth noting that CP does cite, for the
marriage, the will of Sir Richard Lewis (PCC 13 Jankyn), and two
inquisitions post mortem (Ch. inq. p.m. series II, vol. 50, nos 122, 153),
which both relate to Sir Richard, according to the PRO catalogue. The will
doesn't yet appear to be available online but probably will be fairly soon,
and would probably clarify this.

Chris Phillips

[Reedpcgen]

I don't know if you have access to The Genealogist, but in v. 9, p. 170, is an
account of this Harleston/Lewis connection.

John and Margery (Berdewell) Harleston were parents of one son who died at
about age 4, and two daughters, Alice and Margaret.

Alice Harleston, b. c. 1457, m. as 1st wife Sir RIchard Fitz Lewis, b. c. 1446,
d. 12 July 1529 (son of Lewis Fitz Lewis by Alice de Vere).

Ela Fitz Lewis was granddaughter (daughter of Thomas Fitz Lewis, who d.v.p.)
and heiress of Sir Richard and Alice (Harleston), b. 1510, d. 2 June 1543, m.
as 1st wife John, 2nd Lord Mordaunt, who sold the manor of Harleston, Cambs.,
in 1534. The Princess of Wales (and thus her sons) descends from this line.

Paul

[Chris Phillips]

Paul Reed wrote:
> Alice Harleston, b. c. 1457, m. as 1st wife Sir RIchard Fitz Lewis, b. c.
1446,
> d. 12 July 1529 (son of Lewis Fitz Lewis by Alice de Vere).
>
> Ela Fitz Lewis was granddaughter (daughter of Thomas Fitz Lewis, who
d.v.p.)
> and heiress of Sir Richard and Alice (Harleston), b. 1510, d. 2 June 1543,
m.
> as 1st wife John, 2nd Lord Mordaunt, who sold the manor of Harleston,
Cambs.,
> in 1534. The Princess of Wales (and thus her sons) descends from this
line.

Thanks for those details. From the second paragraph quoted above, it would
appear that CP is wrong in calling Ela's father John (not Thomas), although
correct in making her a granddaughter of Sir Richard and Alice (Harleston).

Chris Phillips

[John Higgins]

Thanks for reminding me of your article on the Harlestons, which indicates
the FitzLewis connection. It raises another question or two, however.

You indicate that Sir Richard FitzLewis was son of Sir Lewis FitzLewis by
Alice de Vere. Is this Sir Lewis the same person as Sir Lewis ap John who
is indicated in PA2 169 as being married first to Alice de Vere and then to
Alice Montagu? If so, it's curious that Sir Richard is not among the
children listed in the will of Sir Lewis.

Does your FitzLewis source confirm that the Elizabeth FitzLewis who m. Sir
John Wingfield is a half-sister of Sir Richard?

Thanks for your help on this.....