Worthington Family History Society
Worthington Family History Society
The Worthington Family History Society is a world wide society researching and publishing information on the lives and genealogies of Worthingtons throughout history.
Pedigree Sudborough
Sudborough is a small village towards the north east of the county, not far from the border with Cambridgeshire. It is situated in a wooded valley, with many of its buildings built with locally quarried stone. Its church probably dates from the 12th century and is dedicated to All Saints. The parish registers began in 1660.The Worthingtons of Sudborough are one of the three Worthington families of Northamptonshire included in this project and the most distinguished in terms of education: several were Cambridge graduates, including both ordained priests and lawyers.Fotheringhay is 6 to 7 miles to the north east of Sudborough and Barnwell St. Andrew is within 5 miles of Sudborough. Irthlingborough and Higham Ferrers are 7-8 miles to the south. Gretton is about 7 miles northwest from Sudborough.
Robert was a yeoman living in Sudborough, according to a three generational pedigree drawn up by the College of Arms at the time of the Visitation of London 1633-35 by Sir Henry St George. He married firstly, a daughter of the Drawater family from Fotheringhay and they had a son, William. His second wife was Ellen Bedle of Easton in Huntingdonshire and they had three further sons, Robert, John and Richard. The dates of Robert’s birth, marriages and death are not known, but he was living in February 1597-8, when he took on a lease of a property in Slipton from William Hemmington.
Family of Robert and his two wives
William was the only known son of Robert SU1 and his first wife ….Drawater. He was born in 1593 in Sudborough and was admitted to Saint John’s College, Cambridge in 1611. William graduated in 1613-14 and gained his M.A. in 1617. He was ordained a deacon at the Bishop’s palace in Fulham, London on 26 May 1616. He became Rector of Barnwell St. Andrew, close to Sudborough, in 1620, having married Anne Crawfield there on 14 September 1620. They had at least* seven sons and two daughters: William, Nicholas, Elizabeth, Thomas, Robert, Richard, Benjamin, Edward and Anne. William made his will in August 1638 and it was proved the following month at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. In it he referred to his wife Anne, who was evidently still alive at the time of his death, his half brother John of Sudborough and each of the children mentioned above. William was buried at Barnwell St Andrew on 6 August 1638. (Pedigree is Sudborough part 1. Note *At least as there is a possible eighth son John, who was baptised at Barnwell on 11 January 1624-5 as the son of William Worthington, and a burial, also at Barnwell, of John Worthington, son of William on 16 December 1635. As this John’s burial was before that of William SU2, it might explain why no son John appeared in William’s will. A previous theory, recorded in an editor’s note attached to item 38.08.01 in the Register of Worthington References, 17th Century, Vol 2, discounted the possibility of William having a son named John as he did not appear in his father’s will. But at that time of writing, the burial of John Worthington, son of William in December 1635, was not known. John would have been the third son of William and therefore did not contradict the reference to Nicholas being the second son of William (17C Vol2 38.08.01). Robert was the eldest son of Robert by his second wife, Ellen. He was a lawyer at the Inner Temple, London. Robert married Margaret Hemmington at St John the Baptist church, Keyston, Huntingdonshire on 8 June 1663. They had two children, a daughter named Elizabeth, and a son named Hemmington. Both children died young and were buried in Sudborough, as was Robert’s wife Margaret, who was buried there in 1688. Robert was still alive at that time. What happened to Robert after 1688 is not currently known. (Pedigree is part 2.) John was the second son of Robert and Ellen and alive in 1638 in Sudborough, being mentioned in his (half) brother’s will as one his supervisors. He married, but Richard was the youngest son of Robert and Ellen. Like his elder brother Robert, he was also a lawyer, but working as a clerk of the Kings Bench Office, London. He married Margaret Thompson of London and they had three daughters, Helen, Margaret and Elizabeth and a son, Robert. It was Richard who signed the pedigree in 1634 at the time of the Visitation of London. (Pedigree is part 2.)
his wife’s name is unknown, and had a daughter Helen (see below) by her. He died and was buried at Sudborough on 26 April 1667. (Pedigree is part 2.)
William was the eldest son of William SU2, and his wife Anne. He was baptised at St Andrew’s church, Barnwell on 16 September 1621. He lived in Warmington, Northamptonshire, before moving to Cranford. He was married to Sarah and there is a record of a burial in the Parish Church in Cranford in 1664 of a Mr. Worthington. Sarah was involved in a quit claim with her brother-in-law Nicholas Worthington in 1668, and therefore assumed to be living at this date. Nicholas was the second son of William and Anne and was baptised on 3 June 1623 at St Andrew’s, Barnwell. He was educated at Oundle School and Sydney Sussex College Cambridge. It was known that he matriculated aged 16 in 1640. He benefited from his father’s will in 1638. In 1671 he was appointed a Sub Commissioner of Excise for Northamptonshire. He was a witness to his (half) aunt Margaret’s will in 1688 and he had two sons, John and William. He died in 1693-4 and was buried on 3 Feb that year at Wadenhoe. Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of William and Anne. She was baptised at St Andrew’s, Barnwell on 26 November 1626. Elizabeth married a gentleman, Nathanial Smith of Barnwell St. Andrew and they had nine children. She is commemorated on a painted board in the church, which records her death as 3 March 1665-6. Thomas was baptised at St. Andrew’s, Barnwell on 16 January 1628-9. He was living in 1638 when he benefited from his father’s will. It’s probable, but not certain that he married and was living in Thrapston, some 3 miles south east of Sudborough, as parish registers there record the baptism of a daughter Elizabeth, father Thomas and mother Elizabeth. Subsequently there is a burial of a daughter Mary, father Thomas and mother Sarah. Thomas may therefore have married twice. Robert was like his siblings baptised at St. Andrew’s, Barnwell on 2 February 1631-2. He was also living in 1638 when he benefited from his father’s will. Richard was baptised on 1 January 1633-4 at St. Andrew’s, Barnwell. He was also alive in 1638 when he too benefited from his father’s will. Benjamin was baptised on 15 November 1635 at St. Andrew’s, Barnwell. He died in 1679 aged 41 and was buried at St Michael and All Saints church, Wadenhoe (ref FMP and Ancestry). Edward was baptised on 12 February 1636-7 also at St. Andrew’s. A image of the burial register at Barnwell St Andrews shows Edward Worthington buried 4 December 1648. Ann was baptised on 25 February 1637-8 also at St. Andrew’s. She was left 10 acres of meadow in Warmington (5 miles to the west of Barnwell) by her father in his will in 1638. Her eldest brother was “of Warmington” and may have acquired land there from his sister.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Robert and Margaret. We do not know her date of baptism but she was buried in Sudborough on 22 May 1678, as recorded on a memorial stone in the church.
Hemmington was the son of Robert and Margaret and was baptised on 14 August 1673 at All Saints, Sudborough. He died aged four and was buried at the same place on 19 April 1678; a memorial stone in the church records his burial. An unusual given name, probably connected to William Hemmington, who had leased land to Hemmington’s grandfather Robert SU1 in 1597-8.
Helen was the daughter of John, SU4, and married Thomas Bennett with whom she had children. She died in 1668 and was buried in Sudborough.
Helen was the daughter of Richard SU5, and Margaret and she was baptised on 11 November 1628 at St. Andrew’s Holborn.
Margaret was the daughter of Richard and Margaret, and living in 1634, although there is no record of her baptism.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Richard and Margaret, and baptised in Holborn on 11 November 1635.
Robert, son of Richard and Margaret, was baptised in Holborn on 15 June 1638.
John was baptised on 8 May 1651 in Wadenhoe some 3 miles east of Sudborough. He went up to Clare College, Cambridge in 1669 and was awarded a BA in 1673-4. According to the Clergy of England database, John was vicar of Grendon between 1692 and 1697. He was married to Katherine and they had one son and three daughters, all baptised in Grendon: Luke, baptised 1680, Mary, baptised 1685, Katherine, baptised 1688 and Anne, baptised 1689.
Note – There is some confusion and doubt about the several John Worthingtons who were clergyman about this time around the country. Which was which and descended from whom is open to interpretation. Hence the dates of John being vicar at Grendon in this pedigree are taken from the C of E’s own database.
There is no record of William’s baptism. He was a schoolmaster at Wadenhoe and had married Maria. Nothing more is known about him except he was buried on 14 October 1720 in Wadenhoe; Maria was granted probate of his estate in 1721.
Elizabeth, whose father was Thomas and mother Elizabeth, was baptised on 9 February 1662-3 at Thrapston, some 3 miles south east of Sudborough.
Mary, whose father was Thomas and mother Sarah, was buried on 18 April 1668 at Thrapston.
