Re: Leek/Leake ancestry of HM The Queen

Pages 48-50 seem relevant to this discussion.

Kelly

----- Original Message ----- From: "Kelly Leighton" <kleigh1@xxxxxxx>
To: <GEN-MEDIEVAL-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "John Higgins" <jthiggins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2007 4:38 PM
Subject: Re: Leek/Leake ancestry of HM The Queen


Listers,

I know that the first volume of Thoroton's work was available on Googlebooks on the 14th of July 2007, because I downloaded it and am looking at it now. 35.5 MB.

http://books.google.com/books?id=gz4uAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PT322&dq=simon+leek

Take care,

Kelly in RI

----- Original Message ----- From: "John Higgins" <jthiggins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Gen-Med" <gen-medieval@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2007 2:43 PM
Subject: Re: Leek/Leake ancestry of HM The Queen


In addition to the snippet of the Leek family in the Hercy pedigree in the
visitation of Nottinghamshire, there are two slightly more extensive
pedigrees of the family in "The Genealogist" [new series], 7:228-230,
apparently from a visitation of Derbyshire in 1569 and/or 1611. Although
these pedigrees have some of the same errors that Michael mentioned in the
Notts visitation pedigree, they do agree as to the placement of John Leek
who mar. Alice Grey as the brother of Sir Simon Leek of Cotham who mar. Joan
Talbot. No mention of a Ralph Leek. If so, John would indeed be a nephew
of William Leek the MP as Roskell indicates, but a son rather than a nephew
of Sir John the MP (who mar. Isabel Towers).

[For the sake of full disclosure, I must mention that the Derbyshire
pedigree has this interesting note added, apparently from the original
visitation: "To this descent Sir Francis Leeke is not willing to put his
hand, because he doubteth whether it be true or no although it were taken
from his father's relation the last Visitation." !!]

I can't readily check the sources that Roskell gives for his suggested
parentage of the younger John, but I wonder if perhaps he simply confused a
reference to John son of Ralph and inferred that this was the John he was
looking for. I note that Thoroton's "Antiquities of Nottinghamshire", vol.
1, has pedigree information on the family (although perhaps just the Notts
branch), but I don't have access to it at present.

There is also a pedigree (unsourced) of the family in Simon Payling,
"Political Society in Lancastrian England: The Greater Gentry of
Nottinghamshire". It starts with Sir Simon (m. Margaret Vaux) and his two
sons the MPs Sir John (m. Isabel Towers) and William (m. Avice Stockton).
For Sir John, it gives as children Simon (m. Joan Talbot), Margaret (m.
Foljambe and Rempston), and John, (m. Alice Grey). It continues John's line
one generation to William who m. Katherine Chaworth.

As to the cadency mark for a second son in the arms of the father of Bess of
Hardwick, the Derbyshire visitation pedigree says explicitly that Thomas
Leek of Hasland, father of Elizabeth who mar. John Hardwick, was the second
son, not the first. If this is accurate, it would explain the cadency mark
without having to go back a few more generations. Also, the pedigree in
Payling suggests by placement (although not explicitly stating it) that John
Leek who mar. Alice Grey was also a second son - another explanation for the
cadency mark which doesn't require that his possible father Ralph (per
Roskell) be a second son.

It's an interesting problem....

----- Original Message -----
From: <mjcar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval
To: <gen-medieval@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 2:28 PM
Subject: Leek/Leake ancestry of HM The Queen


Paget's 1977 work on the ancestry of the present Royal Family provides
some details of the Leek/Leake family of Nottinghamshire.

However, one of the links appears to be incorrect.

The Leeks were ancestral to the Cavendish family, Dukes of Devonshire,
thus:

a. Thomas Leek of Hasland, had issue:

b. Elizabeth Leek, married John Hardwick; issue:

c. Elizabeth Hardwick - 'Bess of Hardwick', married (1) Robert Barlow,
(2) Sir William Cavendish, (3) Sir Willam St Loe, (4) Gilbert, 6th
Earl of Shrewsbury.

According to Paget, Thomas Leek was the son of William Leek, who was
son of John Leek and Alice Grey. He continues by stating that John
was son of an earlier Sir John Leek, of Cotham, Notts. This is
presumably based on the Leek details contained in the Hercy pedigree
in the Nottinghamshire Visitations. Unfortunately, this pedigree is
unreliable in a number of respects (eg it calls Sir John Leek's father
"Sir John" when he is known to have been named Simon; it states his
granddaughter Ann was a nun, whereas extant legal papers show she
married Richard Willoughby).

However, Roskell et al in 'History of Parliament 1386-1421', vol III
sub Leek, states that John (the grandfather of Thomas Leek) was the
son and heir of Ralph Leek, who was living in 1399. According to HoP,
John was "probably a nephew of Sir John Leek", and elsewhere it calls
him nephew of Sir John's younger brother, William Leek.

That there was a close family relationship is borne out by the legal
records linking the various Leeks in joint feoffeeships, sureties,
wardships etc. A further clue is offered by the heraldic evidence
from Bess of Hardwick's own tomb in Derby Cathedral.

This shows her parents' impaled coat of arms, with Hardwick impaling
Leek (argent, on a saltire engrailed sable, nine annulets or) which is
charged with a crescent for difference. This is the cadency mark for
a second son. We know that Bess's grandfather, Thomas Leek, was
eldest son of William, eldest son of John, eldest son of Ralph, so it
seems that the inference is Ralph was a second son.

If HoP is right in their tentative placement of this branch of the
Leeks, Ralph would be the second son of Sir Simon Leek by his wife
Margaret de Vaux, and brother of Sir John Leek, William Leek MP, and
Margaret, successively wife of Godfrey Foljambe and Sir Thomas
Rempston, KG.

MA-R


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