Elizabeth Newsham

Elizabeth Sherbourne is said to have lived in Greenhalgh Castle, Lancashire. The lonely and beautiful ruins of the Castle still stand on a grassy knoll overlooking the River Wyre, one kilometer east of the hamlet of Garstang (picture below — click for larger view). A Newsome Family Legend tells of Elizabeth's marriage to Robert Newsom of Newsom Hall which was "not far" away. This union marks the uniting of two old and venerable Lancashire families - the Newshams and the Sherbournes.

There is strong circumstantial evidence, but no proof yet, to support the view that Elizabeth Sherbourne was a daughter (or possibly a niece) of Sir Richard Sherbourne of Stonyhurst and therefore sister to Richard Sherbourne the younger who was "Master Forester of Bowland, Steward of the Manor of Slaidburn, Captain of the Isle of Man and one of Her Majesty's (Elizabeth I) Deputy Lieutenants..." (Burke's Peerage). Key points are that Sir Richard essentially controlled much of the area around Greenhalgh Castle where Elizabeth lived, virtually all Sherbournes in the moderately populated vicinity must have been related, the birth and death dates of all of the individuals concerned are appropriate, and there are land records dating from 1586 which confirm, "Robert Newsom sold lands in Thornton and Wheatley to Sir Richard Shireburn..." (Lancashire Life Magazine, August 1974). Elizabeth Sherbourne's pedigree has tentatively been drawn to reflect this relationship.

Information added by; HRH Prince Kieren de Muire von Drakenberg

• *There is still no proven connection between Elizabeth Sherbourne and Sir Richard Shireburne! Please don't merge this record with his line unless you can show me proof. Thank you!**

Perhaps a connection will be found to this family, but it's too soon to add them to the tree.

Here is the circumstantial evidence:

Sir Richard Shireburne was born c1523 (he was 14 when his father died in 1537, 21 when he was knighted in 1544). He was the son of Thomas Shireburne and Jane Townley. Sir Richard had at least two brothers, John of Ribchester (who died without children) and Robert, a lawyer of Little Mitton (who could as easily have been the father of Elizabeth). http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LANCSGEN/2000-02/0949...

Many believe Elizabeth Sherbourne Newsom was the daughter of Sir Richard Shireburne and his wife Maud [aka Matilda] Bold [Bolde, Bolt]. (Note: her tomb records her name as Maude.)

The dates and locations fit, and the families were associated with one another. However we must not make assumptions based on similar names, etc. Sir Richard was not the only possible father for her--he had at least one brother (and presumably other male relatives, as the family had lived in Lancashire for centuries).

Nor was Dame Maud, daughter of Sir Richard Bold of Bold, the only possible mother.

Alternatively, Elizabeth could be the daughter of Sir Richard and his second wife Isabel Wood, "a lady of good family, but who had long been his mistress."* They did not marry until 1588, after the death of Maud Bold (after 50 years of marriage to Sir Richard). However, he is known to have had "three base-born" children by her during his first marriage--their names are still unknown to me. This is proved by the wills of Sir Richard and Dame Isabel. I am still looking for a transcription!

• The Archaeological Journal, British Archaeological Assoc., Vol. 56, 1899, "Some Notes on the Family of Shireburne of Stoneyhurst," p. 59. (Google ebooks)

She may also have been the daughter of one of Sir Richard's "various mistresses."

"He married Maud Bold, and had several children by her, as well as illegitimate offspring by various mistresses; one of these he married immediately after his wife's death in 1588. Note: A pedigree was recorded in 1567; Visit. (Chet. Soc), 58. The second wife was Isabel Wood. For the wills of Sir Richard and Dame Isabel see Raines, Chantries (Chet. Soc), 267; Wills (Chet. Soc. new ser.), ii, 179. Sir Richard's portrait in oils and several other family pictures are preserved at Leagram Hall; Sherborn, op. cit. 35." http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol7/pp1-20#fnn102

"Sir Richard essentially controlled much of the area around Greenhalgh Castle where Elizabeth lived, **virtually all Sherbournes in the moderately populated vicinity must have been related**, the birth and death dates of all of the individuals concerned are appropriate, and there are land records dating from 1586 which confirm, "Robert Newsom sold lands in Thornton and Wheatley to Sir Richard Shireburn..." (Lancashire Life Magazine, August 1974)." http://johnsonhansonfamily.com/showmedia.php?&mediaID=118&all=1&pag...

• *my emphasis.

However, Elizabeth's father may be found in a related, albeit perhaps less exalted, Sherborne family. Let's not ignore the other Sherbornes.