The Rye House Plot: Colonel John Rumsey

[marl...@att.net]

The Rye House Plot of 1683 which conspired the assassination of King Charles II and his brother the Duke of York upon their return from horse races at Newmarket contained some interesting characters. Among those was Col. John Rumsey of the Rumsey/Romsey family of Usk, Monmouthshire. Rumsey saved his life by turning King's evidence against other conspirators and 12 of those convicted were executed, with most hanged, drawn and quartered. Among those executed was only one woman, Elizabeth Gaunt who was probably innocent and was burned at the stake.

There has been discussion in the forum of late regarding MCD's & RD's for gateway Marylanders. Among the early arrivals was Charles Rumsey (d. 1717) of Cecil County, Maryland. Rumsey immigrated to America from Wales about 1670 (probably to Virginia and not Charleston, South Carolina as in some sources). He left many descendants and appears to be a man of wealth from the beginning. There is a lot of conflicting information concerning his travels in the colonies, but 570 acres of land were surveyed for him in Mill Creek Hundred (New Castle County, Delaware) in December 1675.

There is a paucity of factual information regarding Charles Rumsey's ancestry. Robert Ludlow Fowler's "Our Predecessor and Their Descendants" (privately printed. 1888) states without citation that Charles Rumsey was son of Col. Rumsey.

Although sources state that Col. Rumsey was born in 1601 and died in 1683, these are unquestionably wrong for on October 19, 1685 at the Old Bailey, Rumsey testified against Henry Cornish, Alderman of London who was one of those executed. There is also a famous painting of Col. Rumsey by Jacob Huysmans which may be dated as late as 1696 (Huysman's death) and portrays a man who looks to be 40-50. Rumsey was certainly still alive in 1686.

Internet and published sources which provide a wife called Anne Ashburnham for the Colonel are also incorrect. This information can be found in the Histories of Brecknockshire (Jones) and Monmouthshire (Bradney). He was in fact the second husband of Elizabeth Ashburnham, daughter of John Ashburnham MP and his first wife France Holland. Elizabeth's first husband was Sir Hugh Smith/Smyth MP who died in 1680. So if Charles Rumsey of Maryland was in fact son of Col. Rumsey, Elizabeth Ashburnham was his step-mother and not mother. Thus far I have been unable to locate any mention of a previous wife if there was in fact a previous wife. I would add that Sir Hugh Smith was married to Elizabeth in 1658 and was born in 1632 so sources which suggest that Col. Rumsey was near 80 when he married Elizabeth after 1680 are certainly must be wrong.

Jones' and Bradney's histories give many generations for the Rumsey family and it is possible that Charles Rumsey fits somewhere else. It is interesting that Col. Rumsey's mother is given as a sister "of Sir Thomas Morgan" and his grandmother, wife of Henry Rumsey of Usk, appears to be Mary Baskerville of Pontrilas, Herefordshire. The founder of the Pontrilas Baskerville line was Thomas Baskerville, third son of Sir Walter Baskerville of Eardisley and his wife Anne verch Morgan, daughter of Morgan ap Jenkin ap Philip. So it is probable of an RD or MCD for Col. Rumsey. It is interesting that Maria Johanna Somerset's mother was also a Baskerville of Herefordshire.

If anyone can shed further light on any of these placements, information or correction is much appreciated.

HS

[bur...@gmail.com]

I am descended from the Cecil county MD Charles Rumsey.

I have emailed you what I ordered from the UK Archives, Col. John Rumsey's Sentence for his role in the rebellion, as well as his will.

He names his wife, daughter and sons in the will. Mostly in Latin and Old English, hard to read/understand but it is all there.

[marl...@att.net]

Many thanks for your additions. I am trying to go through them line by line as it is indeed difficult to decipher the handwriting.

The first thing I did was to go back to the Rumsey of Usk pedigree to see if there was another John Rumsey of the same period so as to make certain that the will is for the right John Rumsey. So far I have been unable to locate another John of this period.

Clearly this John had a wife Dorothy who was apparently mother of his daughter Margaret. The will mentions a grandson Morgan Williams and a sister Sesley (Cecily?) Rumsey. I believe I can decipher the name of a son Henry. Col. John Rumsey's grandfather was a Henry Rumsey.

I must admit that I still have concern that we have the right John in the will as he makes no mention of his second wife Elizabeth Ashburnham who survived to 1697.

I will dig at this further as time permits. If Charles Rumsey had a daughter Catherine who was wife of Robert Wood (1668-1721) of Cecil County, MD as shown in many pedigrees, I may also have a Charles Rumsey descent. Robert Wood was grandson of Augustine Herman of Prague who founded Bohemia Manor and was an incredibly interesting man. He is supposedly buried with his horse and there is a painting of him with this same horse.

Many thanks for your contribution!

HS

[Jonathan Harlow]

There certainly was another John Romsey, the Town Clerk of Bristol, who was a cousin of Colonel Romsey
in fact Col Romsey wrote to Sir Robert Southwell, Clerk to the Privy Council, for help in getting his cousin the Bristol job Bristol archives 44785-1 (011, 012)
I don't see how the colonel could have been born before say 1630 - he was only an ensign in the Republican army and he is still fit for active service in the Rye House affair 1683
And yes he did marry Hugh Smythe's widow Ann and died in prison 1686

[Will Johnson]

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_baronetage_of_England_or_The_history/IGAOAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=hugh+smythe+ashburnham&pg=PA307&printsec=frontcover

Betham calls this wife Anne Ashburnham, while Collins calls her Elizabeth
That they married in 1658 is not correct as their daughter Elizabeth Smythe was bap 22 Mar 1655 Long Ashton, co Somerset (Batch C141593 wj)

[Will Johnson]

John Ramsey, Ramsay, also called "Rombsay", Anglican, residing at "Corn All"
was buried at Long Ashton 20 Oct 1689
per the parish records of Long Ashton

[Will Johnson]

This item
https://archives.bristol.gov.uk/records/AC/36074/163a-b
states that Hugh and Anne married in 1654
but it is not clear whether this is the editor's *opinion* or whether the document actually states that itself

[Jonathan Harlow]

The document does not give the date of the marriage. Ann's father John Ashburnham was writing as father in law from 1657 (BA AC/C/74_1-39).
The very unreliable Anton Bantock 'Earlier Smyths of Ashton Court' p 142 also gives 1654 but typically gives no reference. I think '1654?' woud be justified.