Richard Beke, of Whiteknights, Esq.

From page 11 of A Record of the Redes of Barton Court, Berks: With a Short Precis of Other ... By Compton Reade, R. Reade Macmullen

By Anne Hoo, Thomas Rede had issue one son, Thomas, of whom presently, and four daughters, Katheryn, Elizabeth, Alice, and Marie.

2. ELIZABETH, second daughter of Thomas Rede, married Richard Beke, Lord of the Manor of Whiteknights in the Parish of Sonning, Berks, chief equerry to Queen Elizabeth, and is mentioned in the will of her father, dated 16th April, 1556, as his wife, and also in that of her brother Thomas, dated 14th April, 1604, as " Mistris Elizabeth Beke." This RICHARD BEKE obtained from the Queen a lease of the Manor of Haddenham for seventy-one years. His son Richard, by Elizabeth Rede, married Coluberry, daughter of Sir Richard, and sister of Lord, Lovelace. His grandson, Sir Richard Beke, was M. P. for Peterborough, and Major of a Parl1amentary regiment in the Civil war. Knighted by Richard Cromwell, he was pardoned by Charles II., January 2nd, 1661. He married at Whitehall, Lavinia, daughter of Roger Whitstone of VVhittlesea by Catherine daughter of Robert and sister of Oliver Cromwell ; and for a second wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Lea, of Hartwell.

Richard Beke, alleged to have been of the same family as Beck or Beke, Bishop of Lincoln in 1342, was the son of Thomas Beke, receiver in 1538 of the dissolved Free Chapel of Whiteknights-Erly, and grandson of Sir John Beke, a personal friend of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex. Sir John's father Thomas was Mayor of Reading in 1458, 59, 62. He succeeded Willliam Rede, who again succeeded him in 1464, 67, 69. He represented Reading during the first year of Edward IV.'s reign, being succeeded by William Rede. John Beke was Abbot of Thame at the dissolution of the Monasteries.

[Arms of Beke, granted by Wriothesley, Garter, temp. Hen. VIII. or, two bars dancette"e sa. on a chief of the second three annulets arg.]

• page 175 of The Topographer and Genealogist, Volume 3 edited by John Gough Nichols. "Beke of Erlegh Whiteknights, in co. Berkshire".
• BEKE, Richard (1630-1707), of Westminster and Ford, Dinton, Bucks. In the History of Parliament Online