Christopher Haviland

Christopher Havilland born c. 1512, buried 24 Jan., 1589) and was Mayor of Poole 1569. The earliest record, so far as I am aware, bearing on Christopher Havilland’s parentage is found in the Poole Parish Register, under “Burials,” which state that on

“Januarie 24, 1589, Mastr Christopher Havilland, the Sone of James Havilland was buryed.” The next record we find thirty-four years later in the Visitation of Gloucestershire taken in 1623, and signed by his grandson, Robert Havilland of Hawkesbury, Co. Gloucester, who was 13 years of age at the time of his grandfather’s death. From the Visitation it appears that Christopher was the son of “Jacobus” (in pencil in official record) “Havilland of the Isle of Guernsey.”

Accepting these two statements—and there is no reason to doubt them—we must conclude that Christopher Havilland was the son of a James Havilland, and that the latter was “of the Isle of Guernsey” -- i.e., living there.

The only known James at the time in Guernsey who could have been Christopher’s father was James de Havilland of St. Martin;s, Jurat from 1517 to 14 Oct., 1540, who married Colliche, daughter of Nicholas Fouaschin, Esq, Baliff of Guernsey. This James was the son of Thomas de Havilland, Juré Justicier of Guernsey. This James was the son of Thomas de Havilland, Juré Justicier de la Cour Royale de Guernsey from 1474 to 1481, and grandson of Sieur Thomas de Havilland, who served with distinction at the recovery of Mont-Orgueil Castle in Jersey in 1471.

In his “Chronicle of the De Havillands” (published anonymously about 1860) the late John V. S. de Havilland, Esq. (York Herald in 1879), follows the pedigree as given in Hutchin’s “Dorset,” i. 640, ed. 1860. (At this point, Mrs. Frost adds the following note:

Since writing this, I have noticed that the pedigree in Hutchin’s “Dorset: was partly compiled by Mr. de Havilland, the Wilkeswood branch being done by the late Thomas Bond, Esq.) Close note)

According to this, Christopher was the son of a James de Havelland, Mayor of Poole 1502 and 1506, by wife Juliana, and grandson of another James de Havelland, also Mayor of Poole 1494 and 1498, by wife Helena. Neither Hutchins nor Mr. de Havilland gives any proof or even evidence for these statements. There is proof that there was a James de Havelland Mayor of Poole in the years 1494, 1498, 1502, and 1506, but no reason to think, without evidence, that they were not one and the same person. This James’s wife’s name was Helena _____. There is reason to believe they had but three sons who reached maturity; Richard, John, and William; and one daughter, Hélène or Eleanor. Of William, who married Frances, daughter of ____Hungerford, there are a few living descendants. Hélène or Eleanor, the daughter of James de Havelland married William, the son of Nicholas Pitt (living temp. Henry VI.), who is the first known ancestor of that!

historic family.

As Christopher Havilland is the progenitor of practically all who bear the name in England today (with the exception of members of the Guernsey branch, who are “de Havillands”), I shall be grateful for any data bearing on his parentage and ancestry.

E. HAVILAND HILLMAN, F. S.G.

13, Somers Place, Hyde Park, W.

A published transcript was discovered by researcher Penny McKay, who has presented convincing reason that this is the Christopher who was the Mayor of Poole in 1569 and died shortly into his term of office: "M[emorandu]m the xxvjth day of maie an[n]o d[o]m[ini] 1593 the Towne seale was putto a c[er]tificate sent to Garnzey c[er]tifinige that Mathew Havilond of Bristoll merchant was the sonne & heire of xptofer Havyland, Christopher the sonne and heire of John Havyland, and John Havylond the sonne and heire of James Havylond of Poole. --Willm Dicker maior" (Book of the Staple 1589-1727, Borough of Poole Museum Service, 1997).

There may be at least 2 other Christophers who have confused genealogists, or else 1 other Christopher whose father was misidentified.

John Von Sonntag Haviland, son of the Philadelphia architect John Haviland, Esq., anonymously wrote a book known as "Chronicle de Havillands" in which he presented Christopher, the Mayor of Poole, as the son of James (the Mayor of Poole in 1502 and 1506) the son of James (Mayor of Poole 1494, 1498) the son of Thomas, Sieur De Haveilland (Jurat of Guernsey 1470). This is based on the Visitation of Gloucestershire in 1623 (for Arms: Ancient, argent, a Castle sable, Modern, argent three Castles sable; Crest, a Castle as in the Arms). The pedigree published in this visitation clearly depicts Christopher (Mayor of Poole in 1569), as the son of James Havellande (Mayor of Poole in 1502 and 1506), by his wife Julia. However, the visitation was signed by Robert de Havilland of Hawkesbury, son of Matthew (Mayor of Bristol 1607) son of Christopher. Robert was born 11 Feb 1576, seven years after Christopher's death (going on the presumption that Christopher died 1569), and he signed the visitation 4 years after his father Matthew's death. He was therefore probably basing Christopher's parentage on memory. He placed him as the son of James who was the Mayor of Poole about 60 years before Christopher, which seems unlikely. The author of "Chronicle" compounded the problem by entering death dates in the visitation pedigree transcribed in his book, and had used "24 January 1589" as Christopher's death, which might be the right date but the wrong year. (See below.)

When Josephine C. Frost began her book, "Haviland Genealogy," based on dialog between Frederick Haviland (son of Robert Barclay Haviland of Haviland Porcelain fame) and numerous other members of the family, including John V.S. Haviland's first cousin Dr. Alfred Haviland, she commissioned a Haviland researcher in England named Eduardo Haviland Hillman who discovered the errors in Chronicle and believed that John V.S. Haviland had simply confused James (Mayor of Poole 1502, 1506) with James (Jurat of Guernsey 1517) who was more contemporary with Christopher's generation.

However, Penny McKay's new evidence suggests a more reasonable line of descent through the Mayors of Poole. There was a Christopher who died 12 Feb 1589 according to a Poole parish register, who was the son of a James Haviland. This entry is what has led everyone to believe that Christopher, Mayor of Poole, was the son of a James in the first place. However, the Christopher who died in 1589 could not have been the Mayor of Poole, because, as McKay points out, Christopher Havilland is not mentioned in the 1574 Poole Census, which lists 1,373 people living in Poole at that time. (Might the Christopher who died in 1589 have been a child; born after 1574?) There are no more records of Christopher Havilland after 1569, which would be unusual if he were Mayor during that time, and had been a prominent figure living 20 years longer.

McKay states that Christopher was replaced before the end of his year in office by William Constantyne. However there is another discrepancy. According to the Frost book: "[Christopher] was one of those who obtained the Municipal Charter of Queen Elizabeth in 1586, this being considered as the foundation of the Municipal Franchises of Poole. From its dissolution in 1550 until 1586, Christopher was a Trustee of the property of the Guild of St. George." That statement bodes well for the Frost / Hillman theory that Christopher, Mayor of Poole, was the person who died in 1589, which would again make him the son of a James.

And then there's the matter of the College of Heralds. Official records there have James Havellande "Maior of Poole 1569" as the father of Christopher. In the Visitation of Gloucestershire (1623), someone penciled the name Jacobus as the father of Christopher, in the official record. (Jacobus = James.) It, however, has his wife as Ann, or Amy (according to official record in the Herald's College), daughter of John Mann, which is curious, as other records list her as Cecilia. Amy was supposed to have married William Pitt, the brother of John Pitt who was the ancestor of William Pitt the Prime Minister. The Visitation of Kent (1592) has Cecilia as the wife of Christopher. Cecilia and Amy were half sisters.

Source: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~haviland/Haviland/ps02/ps0...