Mary Harding, Lady Gorges

The Lady Mary Gorges, widow of Sir Robert, was buried in Bruton Church, Jan. 31, 1648/9.

Robert Gorges is described as of Redlynch, Somerset. (1) He m. Mary, dau. of William Harding.—History of Surrey. Manor of Cleygate, Surrey, was conveyed in 1507 to William Harding, of Wanborough (near Guildford, Surrey), who married Catharine, dan, of Sir John White, Alderman and afterwards Lord Mayor of London, 1563.

GORGES, Sir Robert (c.1589-1648), of Redlynch, Som. Family and Educationb. c.1589, 4th but 3rd surv. s. of Sir Thomas Gorges† (d.1610), of Longford Castle, Wilts., and Helena, da. of Ulf Henrikson von Snakenborg of Ostergottland, Sweden, wid. of William Parr, 1st mq. of Northampton; bro. of Sir Theobald Gorges†.1 educ. Magdalen, Oxf. 1605, aged 16, BA 1608; M. Temple 1608.2 m. c.1612, Mary, da. of William Harding of Claygate, Surr. and h. to her bro. William, 4s. 2da.3 kntd. 30 June 1616.4 d. 25 or 26 July 1648.5
... He married a Surrey heiress, but sold most of her property to purchase Redlynch, in south Somerset, for £7,800 from the recusant Fitzjames family in 1617. He must be distinguished from a cousin of the Wraxall branch, knighted in 1619, and from a son of Sir Ferdinando Gorges† who deputized as governor of Plymouth.12
... He died intestate in 1648. His male descendants were short-lived, and on the death of his grandson, Poyntz Gorges, Redlynch was inherited by his daughter Agnes, who married her cousin Robert Phelip

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From The New-England Historical & Genealogical Register Page 382 “Gorges and Harding.” GoogleBooks

Mary was heiress to her brother William in 1611. She was the widow of Sir Robert Gorges.N.B. It is evident from the above entry that Mary Harding who married Sir Robert Gorges, had another sister, Elizabeth, who married John Buck. land. The Bucklands were a very ancient family of West Harptree. Thereare many entries of their names in the West Harptree Registers. There are no monuments in Redlynch Church, nor is any burial ground attached. The present church was erected as late as 1740.

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These notes mix up Robert Gorges of Redlynch with Robert Gorges, son of Sir Ferdinando Gorges:

“Hardings: A History of the Harding Family" by Alena Brown Hartwell says Captain Robert Gorges wife was "the adorable Lady Mary (Harding) DeGorges."

From https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=twtoke&id=I6468

John Harding's will leaves property to his brother, William, father of La dy Mary Harding Gorges, wife of Capt. Sir Robert Gorges, appointed Govern or of Plymouth Colony in 1623. His will further mentions his sons Richar d, Amos, John, Lemuel, and Oliver.; (Sir Robert was the son of Sir Fredin ando Gorges, one of the founders of the Plymouth Company which was charter ed in 1606).
Sir Robert Gorges lead a group of colonists from the port of Harwic k, County of Essex, England to the Plymouth Colony at Wessagussett, lat er Weymouth Landing, partly in Braintree of what is now Massachusetts, arr iving in August, 1623. Among those accompanying Sir Gorges were Richard H arding, wife and infant son, John Harding, wife and two young sons, and Jo seph Harding. These three were all cousins of Lady Mary Harding Gorges, a nd sons of John Harding of Barnstable, England and the first of the li ne to immigrate to America.
An additional sources are "A Briefe (sic) Narration of the Original U ndertakings of the Advancement of Plantations into the Parts of Amerika ( sic), Especially Showing the Beginnings, Progress, and Continuance of th at of New England" by Sir Ferdinando Gorges, 1658 and "Gorges, Sir Ferdina ndo, an Excerpt from the Columbia Encyclopedia."

References

• The New-England Historical & Genealogical Register Page 382 “Gorges and Harding.” GoogleBooks
• proceedings, Volumes 24-26 By Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. Page 40. GoogleBooks
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary%27s_Church,_Bruton The Bruton branch of the Berkeley family have a long association with the town and the church. William Berkeley left Bruton for America becoming colonial governor of Virginia. The church has links with Bruton Parish Church in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA.
• 'Parishes: Ash ', in A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3, ed. H E Malden (London, 1911), pp. 340-344. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol3/pp340-344 [accessed 6 May 2019].. Draper apparently lost little time in selling, for a year later William Harding of Wanborough was in possession. (fn. 41) He died seised in 1593, (fn. 42) leaving by his wife Catherine daughter of Sir John White of London a son and heir William, who died unmarried in 1610, when the manor passed to his sister Mary. (fn. 43) Mary married Sir Robert Gorges, who in 1620 joined with her in conveying the manor to Sir Thomas White. (fn. 44) According to Manning and Bray, (fn. 45) who had access to Mr. Woodroffe's papers, Sir Thomas settled it on his cousin, Robert Woodroffe, son of Catherine wife of William Harding, by her second marriage with Sir David Woodroffe. From him it descended in the family with Poyle (fn. 46) (q.v.).