Grace Webb, {Fictional}

Henry Alexander Webb was born on May 11, 1510. As noted in the diagram above, Henry married Grace Arden, daughter of Thomas Arden, of Aston Cantlow parish of Warwick county. The continued close association of the Webb family and royalty are documented in a letter sent by the Queen, Catherine Parr, requesting that grants and privileges due Henry Alexander Webb be fulfilled as promised. Sir Henry and wife Grace had three children: First-born Alexander, Agnes and Robert. Little is known of Agnes and Robert. Sir Henry Alexander permanently secured nobility for the family when, on June 17, 1577, he was granted a coat of arms.

Sir Henry Alexander permanently secured nobility for the family when, on June 17, 1577, he was granted a coat of arms.

Alexander Webb was born in Bearley on December 24, 1534 and in 1555 married Margaret Arden, a daughter of the wealthy Stratford landowner Thomas Arden. Margaret was the sister of Mary Arden, eventual mother of William Shakespeare. Her mother, Mary Webb Arden, is also the aunt of Alexander Webb. Sir Alexander and Margaret had three children, Robert, Agnes, and first-born Alexander. Alexander is of particular interest, since it was members of his family that left Warwickshire for America.

Not a known child of Sir Thomas de Arden, of Wilmcote

Lack of Evidence for Existence

No reliable sources have been cited or found that provide any evidence for the existence of any person meeting the description of the Grace Arden described in her disputed bio. None of the reputable Shakespeare scholars who have studied the Arden family mention that Thomas Arden had a daughter or that Robert Arden had a sister.[9][10][11][12][13] According to Stopes, "[t]here is no trace of another child [of Thomas Arden] than Robert."[11] The only mentions of Grace Arden found in an exhaustive search on the web are in online family genealogies which do not cite reliable sources for her.

links

• http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/aa/arden2.php#shak (membership required to view without interruption)
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sharonkforehand/page%208Sm...
• http://jimwebb.rootsweb.ancestry.com/webb/pafg07.htm#9473