Why Audley Family History?

 

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The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography http://www.oxforddnb.com/ has the following biographies relevant to the Audley Family

Tag Number Description
 several tag numbers  Audley [de Audley] family (per c1130 to 1391), gentry
 {Z34} Audley, Adam de (d 1203) found in Audley [de Audley] family (per c1130 to 1391), gentry
{Z105}  Audley, Adam de (d 1211) found in Audley [de Audley] family (per c1130 to 1391), gentry
 {Z49} Audley, Edmund (c.1439 - 1524) bishop of Salisbury
 {Z5} Audley, Henry (d 1246) baron
 {Z24} Audley Hugh earl of Gloucester (c 1291 - 1347) magnate
 {XA5} Audley Hugh (bapt 1577 d. 1662) moneylender
 {Z13} Audley, James, third Lord Audley (1312-1386) found in Audley [de Audley] family (per c1130 to 1391), gentry
 {Z27} Audley, Sir James (c 1318-1369) soldier
 {Z2} Audley, Liulf de (fl 1130) found in Audley [de Audley] family (per c 1130=1391), gentry
 {Z10} Audley, Nicholas, first Lord Audley (c1258-1299) found in Audley [de Audley] family (per c1130 to 1391), gentry
 {Z12} Audley, Nicholas, second Lord Audley (1289-1316) found in Audley [de Audley] family (per c1130 to 1391), gentry
{Z16}  Audley, Nicholas, fourth Lord Audley (1329-1391) found in Audley [de Audley] family (per c1130 to 1391), gentry
 {Z144} Audley, Thomas Baron Audley of Walden (1487/8-1544) lord chancellor
 See John ' the blind' Aidley in Family Z Awdelay [Audley] John (fl 1417-1426) poet and Augustinian friar
 First wife of {Z56} Brydges [neé Stanley], Anne, Lady Chandos [other married name Anne Touchet countess of Castlehaven] (1580- 1647} noblewoman
 {Z73} Davies [neé Touchet, other married name Douglas], Lady Eleanor (1590-1652), prophetess [ also known as Audley, Lady Eleanor]
 3rd wife of husband of {Z62} Thicknesse [neé Ford] Ann (1737-1824) writer and musician
 Husband of {Z62} Thicknesse, Philip {1719-1792) travel writer
 {Z74} Thynne [neé Touchet], Maria, Lady Thynne (c1578-1611), gentlewoman [also known as Audley Maria]
 {Z57} Touchet, George [name in religion Anselm] (d before 1689?) Benedictine monk
 {Z56} Touchet, James, third earl of Castlehaven (bapt 1612 d. 1684) army officer [ Baron Audley of Hely]
 {Z55} Touchet, Mervin, second earl of Castlehaven (1593-1631), convicted rapist and sodomite [Baron Audley]
 {Z39} Tuchet James seventh Baron Audley (c1463-1497) rebel leader

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is a subscription website.  To go to the website select the following  http://www.oxforddnb.com/  The numbers on many UK library cards cab be used to log into the website

dlu20200410

 Published Information about the Barons Audley

This page contains links to transcriptions of various published documents that contain complete or partial family trees regarding the ' Barons Audley'. They are listed in date order of publication  and within the transcription tag numbers have been included to relate the individuals in the transcription to the individuals in ' Audley Families ZA; ZC; ZT & ZW' about the Barons Audley. The understanding of the family tree of the early Barons Audley has changed over the years and comments have been include in the transcription detailing where these transcriptions do not agree with the current understanding.

Please be aware that these documents have been personally transcribed and may contain errors, if you think that there may be errors, please check against the original document and advise the website of any errors so that corrections can be made.

 

 Year compiled or

Published (Note 1)

 Publication and Author  Comments about the publication

Created

1597

 

Published

1920

pdf

 The Pedigree of {ZC20} George Touchet, Lord Audley and created 1st Earl of Castlehaven in 1616

 The original of this family tree was created in 1597 for {Z54} George Touchet, the lord Audley who became the first of Castlehaven in Ireland. The original document was copied in 1887 by J Paul Ryland and eventually published in the 'Genealogist' in 1920

This document is referred to by the ' Complete Peerage Volume XII pt 2 (2nd edition)' under Touchet and is dismissed as being not worthy of consideration in the following footnote. ' A fine illuminated pedigree of this family on vellum was drawn up in 1597 for George, Lord Audley, afterwards 1st Earl of Castlehaven [Ireland], and was (1877) penes Sir Richard Brooke, 7th Bart., of Norton. A copy was made by J.P. Rylands in that year and is printed in the 'Genealogist' N.S. Vol xxxvi pp 9-21 Any prdigree drawn up by the Elizabethan Heralds is of course open to suspicion; so as this pedigree differs materially from the proven descent of Tuchet and in the main is not backed by record evidence, no attempt has been made to correlate it with the account given here.

This transcription is a copy of that in the 'Genealogist' and is in Latin.

Some examples of these inconstincies are given here:

  •  It is generally accepted that the father of {ZA5} Henry Audley is {ZA34} Adam de Aldithley. This pedigree inserts an addition generation between {ZA5} and {ZA34} namely a James de Audley. Interestingly Baronagium Genealogicum also inserts an additional generation here. Naming the father of {ZA5} Henry Audley as being {ZA4} Hugh de Aldithley and his grandfather being {ZA3} James de Aldithley, who it claims to be the brother of {ZA34} Adam de Aldithley
  • This publication, like many others attributes {ZA13} James Baron Audley as being the founder Knight of the Garter when infact {ZA27} Sir James de Audley was the founder knight of the garter.

  • This document refers to {ZA18} Roland Audey as being the son of {ZA13} by his first wife where as it is now generally accepted that {ZA18} is the son of {ZA13} by his second wife.

  • Whilst this document refers to {ZA24} as Hugo de Audeley Junior ( this is the Hugh Audley who became Earl of Gloucester) This document records his father as {ZA10} Nicholas Audley whereas it should be {ZA23} Hugh Audley Senior.

  • Most document define {ZA31} Alice Audley, who married Ralph Lord Nevil of Raby as beig the daughter of {ZA24} Hugh Audley the Earl of Gloucester whereas this document suggests that {ZA31] Alice Audley is the sister of {ZA24} Hugh Audley

Created

 1673

Published

1882

 pdf

History of Cheshire

2nd edition

by G Ormerod

 This publication published in 1882 contains a copy of the family tree of the Touchets of Nether Whitley and Buglawton that was originally created by Sir Peter Lycester in 1673
1675

pdf

Baronage of England

by

Sir William Dugdale

Aldithley (Audley) Family

Volume 1 pages 746 to 751

  • This publication:
    Incorrectly attributes {ZA13} James Baron Audley as being one of the founder kights of the Garter when in fact the founder knight of the Garter when it was infact {ZA27} Sir James de Audley.
  • Refers to the wife of {ZA7} James Audley as being called Maud whereas later publications refer to her as Matilda.
  • Refers to an additional person as 'Of this family also was James de Aldithley' later publications conclude that this person is {ZA13} James Baron Audley. Dugdale possibly created this additional person because of his incorrect belief that {ZA13} James Baron Audley was  a founder knight of the Garter.
1675

pdf

 

Baronage of England

by

SirWilliam Dugdale

Touchet Family

Volume 2

pages 28 to 30

This publication only covers a few generations of the early Touchets prior to them taking the title Lord Audley.The first two people listed in this family appear are refered to as being 'Contempory' suggesting that they were living around the same time as the main family but Dugdale could not identify a link to the main family.
Volume 2 (Touchet Family) differs from Volume 1 (Audley Family) in  volume 2 indicates that {ZA14} Joan was the daughter of {ZA16} Nicholas Lord  Audley where as volume 1 correctly describes {ZA14} Joan as being the sister of {ZA16} Nicholas Lord Audley.

Volume 2 incorrectly states that {ZA14} Joan Audley married {ZT14} Thomas Touchet whereas {ZA14} actually married {ZT18} Sir John Touchet. This error may have occured because {ZT14} Thomas Touchet, who was the father of {ZT18} Sir John Touchet also married a Joan.

1688

 Walter

Chetwynd

Walter Chetwynd (1633 - 1693) in 1679 coomenced writing ' A short History of Staffordshire' by 1688 he had only covered the 'Hundred of Pirehill' and his work was never published.

This work was published in 1909 and 1914 by the William Salt Archaeological Society and contains additions and corrections based on other society publications.

The links below are to:

pdf    The Audley Pedigree contained within the 1909 publication annotated to show the Tag Numbers use in the 'Audley Family Z' file produced for this website

 extlink         A link to an online copy of the 1909 publication of the William Salt Archaeological Society known as 'Collections for a History of Staffordshire (New Series) Vol 12 (1909). The link takes you to the index page.

No suitable link has as yet been found to the 1914 publication of the William Salt Archaeological Society.

1764

to

1768

pdf

 

Baronagium Genealogicum

Vol 4 & Vol 6

This document differes from current understanding in the following ways:
  • This document incorrectly attributes {ZA13} James Baron Audley as being the founder Knight of the Garter when infact the founder Knight of the Garter was {ZA27} Sir James Audley.
  • Has two people called Peter Audley namely {ZA21} and {ZA28} It is believed {ZA21} is a duplicate of {ZA28}. It believed this duplication has occurred because of the above error regarding who was the founder knight of the garter as {ZA21} is the brother of {ZA13} and {ZA28} is the brother of {ZA27}
  • Has a different parentage for {ZA5} Sir Henry Audley, than is currently accepted. See separate comparison document below.
  • Incorrectly records {ZA14} as Jane when she is called Joan.
  • Incorrectly records {ZC15} as Edward when he is called Edmund.
  • In volume 4 {ZC27} is recorded as John this is corrected in volume 6 to James
  • Incorrectly states that {ZC69} succeeded his brother as Baron in 1779 when it should be 1769. (He died in 1777)
  • In volume 4 {ZC28} is recorded as Mary this is corrected in volume 6 to Elizabeth
1841

pdf

The Order of The Garter

by G F Beltz

This publication contains 'Biographical Notices of the Knights in the Reigns of Edward III and Rchard II'

  • Is the the earliest publication to show that the James Audley who was the hero of  the Battle of Poictiers (Poitiers) that occurred on 19th September 1356 and a founder knight of the Garter was {ZA27} James Audley the nephew of Hugh Audley who became Earl of Gloucester in 1337 and is NOT  {ZA13} James Baron Audley of Heighley.
  • Proposes that {ZA6} James Audley must have had two wives to explain why the Title of  Baron of Heighley passed to {ZA10} Nicholas Audley and the Manor of Stratton (later Stratton- Audley) passed to {Z23} Hugh Audley [The later publications of the 'Parentage of James de Audley' by Josiah Wedgewood and the 2nd edition of  'The Complete Peerage' by GEC both record {ZA6} as only having a single wife]
 1844

pdf

  Baronies in Fee

by Sir T C Banks

 This publication:

  • Incorrectly attributes the James Audley who was the hero at the Battle of Poictiers (Poitiers) that occured on 19th September 1356 and who was a founder knight of the Garter to be the {ZA13} James Audley who was Baron of Heighley, who also fought in the wars with France. The James Audley who was the hero of Poitiers and a founder knight of the garter was infact {ZA27} James Audley who was the nephew of Hugh Audley who became Earl of Gloucester in 1337. [The most complete publication regarding the ancestry of the James Audley who was a founder  knight of the garter is in Josiah Wedgewood's publication titled ' The Parentage of James de Audley K. G', a copy of which can be found below].
  • Incorrectly names the second wife of {ZA13} James Audley Baron of Heighley as Isabel Malbank.  This is later corrected by GEC in his 1918 publication of the Complete Peerage to Isabel Le Strange
  • Incorrectly refers to {ZC58} the  second Earl of Castlehaven as Martin instead of Mervin, his correct name

1851

(&

1970)

pdf

Burke's

Peerage

This document contains a copy of both the 1851 & 1970 editions of Burke's Peerage and highlights the differences between the two editions.

This has been done to show how the understanding of the Family History of the Barons Audley has developed over a 120 year period

1857

pdf

Historic Peerages

by

William Courthope Esq

This document is primarily a simple list of those people who were Barons Aldithley or Audley it makes no reference to who they married and does not list other children who did not become the Baron.

  • This document makes the same error as other publications in that it incorrectly claims that {ZA13} James Baron Audley was a founder Knight of the Garter when the founder Knight of the Garter was {ZA27} Sir James de Audley.
  • In footnote 1 of 'The Complete Peerage' edition 1 Volume 1 listed later in this webpage is the statement 'The description given in "Courthope" and in other Peerages is very erroneous'. To me the error in this publication only refers to the incorrect statement that {ZA13} James  Baron Audley was a founder Knight of the Garter. The correct attribution as to who was the founder Knight of the Garter was made by G F Beltz in 1841 (see above)
1887

pdf

The Complete Peerage

Vol I: 1st Edition

by GEC

  • This document (first edition of 'The Complete Peerage' is the only document (apart from Baronagium Genealogicum) that lists {ZA1} Adam de Aldithley in the Family Tree of the Barons Audley. The second edition commences the family two generations later with {ZA34} Adam de Aldithley and reference to {ZA2} is limited to a footnote.  'The Parentage of James De Audley K. G.' also commences its family tree with {ZA2}
  • Following the lead of Beltz this documents stated that {ZA6} James De Aldithey had two wives. This is disputed in later documents such as 'The Parentage of James De Audley' and the second edition of 'The Complete Peerage'
  • That the second wife of {ZA13} James Audley was Isabel the daughter of William Malbank. 'The Parentage of James de Audley' confirms that the name of the second wife of {ZA13} is Isabel but she is NOT the daughter of William Malbank, In the second edition of 'The Complete Peerage' the second wife of {ZA13} is named as Isabel the daughter of Roger Le Strange. The family tree produced in 1597 for George Touchet the first Earl of Castlehaven and published in 1920 in the Genealogist gives the name of the second wife of {ZA13} as Isabella the daughter of Robert Fitz- Walter
1896

pdf

The Complete Peerage

Vol VII: 1st  Edition

by GEC

This volume of the First Edition of the Complete Peerage deals with the name Touchet.

Rather suprisingly this volume only makes reference to a single individual for a Barony that only appears to have been in existance from 1299 to 1306.

I can only conclude that this is for a separate branch of the Touchet family and that this Barony is not related to the Audley Barony.

 1905

 pdf

The Parentage of

James de Audley KG

by J Wedgewood MP

This is a very comprehensive document but only covers the Barons Audley from the earliest times up to about 1391 when the death of {Z16} Nicholas Baron Audley resulted in the title transfering through marriage to the Touchet Family. The publication makes use of the work of the 'William Salt' Archeological Society which extracted and transcribed many old manuscripts and documents  related to the county of Staffordshire.

This document

  • Shows that the James Audley who was the hero of  the Battle of Poictiers (Poitiers) that occurred on 19th September 1356 and a founder knight of the Garter was {Z27} James Audley the nephew of Hugh Audley who became Earl of Gloucester in 1337 and is NOT  {Z13} James Baron Audley of Heighley.
  • Disagrees with  G F Beltz 'Order of the Garter' and the first edition of ' The Complete Peerage' by GEC that {Z6} James Audley must have had two wives to explain why the Title of  Baron of Heighley passed to {Z10} Nicholas Audley and the Manor of Stratton (later Stratton- Audley) passed to {Z23} Hugh Audley
  • States that names the second wife of {Z13} James Audley Baron of Heighley is not Isabel Malbank. He does not propose a name.  This is later corrected by GEC in his 1918 publication of the Complete Peerage to Isabel Le Strange

 

1910

pdf

 The Complete Peerage

Vol 1: 2nd Edition

by GEC

edited by Vicary Gibbs

This volume of 'The Complete Peerage' contains information about the following Baronies; Audley or Aldithley (of Heleigh); Audley of Hely; Audley or Aldithley; Audley (of Stratton Audley); Audley or Aldithley; Audley of Walden; and Audley of Orier.

It should be noted that J Wedgewood MP who wrote 'The Parentage of James de Audley K.G'.  above advised on the updating of the Audley Family from edition 1 to edition 2

1913

pdf

The Complete Peerage

Vol 3: 2nd Edition

by GEC

edited by Vicary Gibbs and

H A Doubleday

 This volume contains information about the  Earldom of Castlehaven created in 1616.

The first holder of the title being George Touchet, Lord Audley

1959

pdf

The Complete Peerage

Vol 12 part 2

2nd Edition

edited by G H White

This Volume contains the Information about the Touchet family prior to them taking the title of Lord Audley following the death of {ZA16} Nicholas Audley (or Aldithley) in 1391.  As Lord Audley their family history is contained in the Complete Perage Volume 1 (see above). In 1616 the family became Earls of Castlehaven in Ireland and this part of their family history is contained in volume 3 (see above)

(1851

&)

1970

pdf

Burke's

Peerage

This document contains a copy of both the 1851 & 1970 editions of Burke's Peerage and highlights the differences between the two editions.

This has been done to show how the understanding of the Family History of the Barons Audley has developed over a 120 year period

 2015

 pdf

Touchet Comparison

Document

This document compares the Family Trees for the Touchet Family namely that period before 1391 when the Touchet Family through marriage became Lords Audley

The 4 volumes compared in this document are:

  • 'The Complete Peerage' 2nd edition Vol 12 part 2 published 1959
  • The family tree produce in 1597 for George Touchet Lord Audley who became the first Earl of Castlehaven in 1616
  • Collins Peerage published in 1812
  • That published in Baronagium Genealogicum Vol 4 between 1764 and 1784

(Note 1)  The documents listed on this page are listed in the order in which the information was compiled, which in some cases is may years before the information was published.  One document compares the information in two editions of the same publication 109 years apart.  There are therefore two links to that document one from 1851 and the other from 1970.

dlu20240317

 

The Research of Mr Richard Sneyd

The three files below are the notes from the personal research undertaken by Mr Richard Sneyd regarding the common origin of the Aldithley (Audley), Sneyd and Stanley Families. These files provide additional information about the origins of Audley Family ZA ' The Early Barons Audley' contained on the Family Tree Page of this website.

This research shows that the Audley Family has Saxon Origins rather than Norman origins.

pdf       Notes on the Saxon de Aldithley Family From Leofwine, Ealderman of the Hwicce c975 - c1025 to Henry 1st Baron Audley c1125 - 1246)

pdf       Notes on the Origins of the Audley, Stanley & Sneyd Family, Names, Places & the origin of the Sneyd Coat of Arms

pdf        Notes on the De Aldithley (Audley) & Sneyd families from the 10th to the 17th Centuary.

The administrators of this website have not verified the information in the above files. The Keele University Library 'Special Collections & Archive' unit has a collection related to the Sneyd family. Click here to go to the relevant page of the Keele University website

dlu20200620

     

 

Other Published Information

This page contains links to a number of documents that contain information about the 'Audley Family History':

Link 

 Book Title and Brief Description

pdf Peerage of England

Collins 'Peerage of England' 6th Edition published in 1812

pdf The Parentage of James De Audley KG

The Parentage of James De Audley KG by Josiah Wedgewood MP and published as part of the Staff Colls. Collection

This excellent publication details the family tree of the early Audley families including the Barons Audley prior to the Baron Audley Title being taken over by the Touchet Family.

pdfCounty Families

'County Families of Lancashire & Cheshire' by James Croston F.S.A  Published 1887

Contains details regarding how the author believed that the Audley Family and the Stanley family were related

pdfPeerage and Pedigrees

'Peerage and Pedigree. Studies in Peerage Law and Family History' by J Horace Round M.A., LL,D. Volume Two. Published 1910

Contains a very detailed study regarding the origin of the Audley Family and their relationship with the Sneyd and Stanley families.

pdfOld Cheshire Families

'Old Cheshire Families & Their Seats' by Lionel M. Angus-Butterworth F.R.G.S., F.Z.S., F.S.A.,Scot. Published in 1932 & reprinted 1970.

Contains details regarding how the author believed that the Audley Family and the Stanley family were related. (it is an almost perfect copy of the work by James Croston above

 pdfCheshire Squires

Article titled 'Sir James Audley's Cheshire Squires' by James Blundell from 'The Coat of Arms' an heraldic quarterly magazine published by The Heraldry Society Vol 1 No 91 Autumn 1974.

 pdfAudleys in America

An American book published in 1991/1992 titled 'Audleys after the Civil War'. It essentially consists of a list of people with the Audley surname who were born in America from 1865 onwards and died after 1930. It also includes a list of people with the Audley surname in the American phone books of 1991.

 pdfBarons Audley of Heley and Hulton Abbey

 The Barons Audley of Heley and Hulton Abbey by Thelma W Lancaster.

This article  was first published as the Presidential Address to the North Stafforshire Field Club and published in that society's Transactions 1993 - 4. It was also published in issue 1 of 'The Audley Historian'.

dlu20200610

The Baronage of England by Sir William Dugdale published 1675

In 1675 Sir William Dugdale, Norroy King of Arms published his book ' The Baronage of England' or 'An Historical Account of the Lives and most Memorable Actions of Our English Nobility, in the Saxon time, to the Norman Conquest, and from thence, of those who had their rise before the end of King Henry the Third's Reign. Deducted from Publick Records, Ancient Historians and other Authorities'.

The image below is one page from the original document in the British Library and the three links below the image are links to three transcripts of parts of Sir William Dugdale's publication that are relevant to this website and Audley Family Z in particular. Please note that the links below are only a first draft and will contain errors. If any body is prepared to proof read these documents against images that I have of  the original 1675 document please contact me through the website contact page.

Links to pdf documents:

pdf Aldithley (Audley) Family from Baronage of England by Sir William Dugdale (from volume 1 pages 746 to 751)

pdf Lord Audley of Walden from the Baronage of England by Sir William Dugdale

pdf Tuchet Family from the Baronage of England by Sir William Dugdale (from volume 2 pages 28 to 30)

dlu20200410

Our Research of Audley

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