Noble Ancestry

Noble Ancestry is a summary of some of the British baronial families who are ancestral to our Waller line between the Angevin Kings of England and Thomas Jocelyn [10] (father of Anne Jocelyn). Except as noted, the bulk of this genealogical history is found in the Complete Peerage, edited by G. E. Cokayne, with corrections in the later Volume XIV reviewed [1].

Surnames are used in this chapter whenever possible, even if they were not in use at the time, because they aid in differentiating among individuals with the same names and titles. Dates given are often approximate and inaccurate but are essential for the identification of individuals with the same names. Uncertain or approximate dates are identified by "~". Generations are numbered from the present, beginning with the younger author.

The name "Jocelyn" has appeared frequently among Waller decendents (including the authors), signifying the importance of the marriage of Anne Jocelyn to Samuel Waller in 1730. The genealolgical significance of this marriage is that the Waller family acquired multiple links to a very large number of readily identifiable, politically and historically significant forbears, especially during the Plantagenet and Lancastrian periods of English royalty.

When Anne Jocelyn [9] of baronial and royal ancestry married into the prominent Waller family of Newport, Tipperary, a family was created that was very promptly elevated to produce peers of the British realm. The Jocelyns themselves were an old though most likely not noble family of French descent with an origin in Brittany. Robert, the eldest son of Thomas Jocelyn [10] and sister of Anne, became Viscount Jocelyn and the first Earl of Roden (the 10th Earl, also Viscount Jocelyn, Baron Newport of Newport, Tipperary lives today in Cashel, Galway, Ireland). The other Jocelyns were a prominent family, but the noble relationship in the male line was limited to only this small branch.

Thomas Jocelyn's father, Sir Robert Jocelyn [11], 1st Baronet (born in 1622) married Jane Strange [11] (born 1628) in 1650. Jane Strange was the grandmother of Anne Jocelyn and was the daughter of Jane Hungerford [12] and Robert Strange, and thus links the large Hungerford family to the Waller descendents. Lucy Hungerford [13], the widow of John St. John and the first wife of Anthony Hungerford, was the motherof Jane Hungerford.

Immediate Ancestors of Anne Jocelyn [9]:

Strange

Hungerford
Ancestors of Anthony Hungerford [13] (father of Jane Hungerford):

Ancestors of Lucy Hungerford [13] (mother of Jane Hungerford):

Earlier Hungerford Ancestors [3]:

Botreaux

The family of Margaret Botreux [19], wife of Robert Hungerford, is of considerable interest because her ancestors includes such historically prominent surnames as Beaumont, de Clare, de Vere, Daubeney, de Chaworth, Comyn, Moels, Saint Maur (Seymour), Beauchamp, and several Plantagenets. Some of these are identified in other sections below.

Beaumont

The Waller family descends from the Beaumont family through the Hungerford line as a result of the marriage of Eleanor Beaumont, daughter of John Beaumont (4th Lord Beaumont) to William Botreux. The Beaumont family is of Norman origin and was actively involved in the Norman conquesdt of England. Robert de Beaumont and William de Warenne were among those known to have been present at the battle of Hastings (1066), and were close advisors to William I (The Conqueror) during his reign (see ref. 5 below). Henry de Beaumont was descended from Kings of England and the Continent.

Zouche

Jane Zouche [16], who married Edward Hungerford, was the daughter of John Zouche [17] (7th. Lord Zouche, also Lord Saint Maur, and Lovel of Castle Cary). The Zouche family descends from Alan Ceoche, or La Ceoche, brother of Eudon Vicomte of Porhoet, sons of Geoffrey, Vicomte of Porhoet (d. 1141) by Hawise, daughter of Alan Fergant, Duke of Brittany.

Alan La Zouche was mentioned variously in England in 1172 and after. He married Alice, daughter of Philip de Belmeis and died in 1190. His son William de Belmeis died in 1199 without issue.

de Clare
The family of de Clare is of Norman origin and came to England with William the Conqueror.

Richard FitzGilbert de Clare (Strongbow)

de Vere (Oxford)

de Quincy

Courtenay

Despenser

Saint Maur (Seymour)

Dinham

Marshall

Maud, daughter of William Marshall, married Hugh Le Bigod., which established a second line of descent to the Waller family through John de Beaumont, shown below.

Bigod

de Warrene
A descent from William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Warenne and Surrey:

Lancaster

Henry, the 3rd Earl Lancaster, was the brother and heir of the second Earl, who was beheaded after warring with the King in 1321, and who had no heirs. He frequently served with his men in the Scottish wars. He was pardoned for the murder of Piers Gaveston. He fought with the Lords Marchers in the fighting in South Wales. He became Earl of Leicester and possibly Steward of England in 1324. Henry joined the Queen’s party against edward II which contributed to the the king’s downfall. Henry was responsible for the protection of Edward III at kenilworth and later was present at the coronation of the new king. He was responsible for negotiations with King Philippe opf france in the (failed) negotiations for the marriage of Philippe’s son Jean with Edward’s sister Eleanor. At about this time he became blind. He died in 1345; he married Maud Chaworth in 1296 and secondly Alix daughter of John de Joinville, Seneschal of Champagne, historian of Saint Louis.  

Thomas of Lancaster was the Earl of Lancaster, Leicester and Derby. He was born in 1278 and became earl in 1296; he was removed after rebelling against his cousin the King Edward II and fighting against Hugh le Despenser, a favorite of Edward after Piers Gaveston. His father was Edmund of England, “Crouchback” (so called for his carrying a cross while crusading), 4th but 2nd surviving son of King Henry III by Eleanor, daughter of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence. He was born in 1244/5; he became Earl of Leicester and Derby as well as of Lancaster; he posessed numerous castles and forests. He was appointed Steward of England for life in 1269. He journeyed to the Holy Land as crusader, returning in 1272. He married several times, first to Aveline, daukghter of William, Count of Aumale who died without issue in 1274. His second wife, Blanche of Artois was the mother of the second and third earls. She was the widow of Henry, King of Navarre and daughter of Robert, Count of Artois, son of Louis VIII of France by Maud, daughter of Henry, duke of Brabant. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. 

A line of descent from Henry III through Edmund of Lancaster (Crouchback) and John de Beaumont:

A second line of descent can be traced from Henry II and William Longspee through Margaret de Vere, descending through the Beaumont and Hungerford families.

A line of descent can be traced from Henry II and William Longspée through Alan La Zouche and the Seymour family, rejoining the Zouche line, and continuing as listed above.

A line of descent from Henry I, King of France:

References:

[1] G. E. Cokayne, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. extant, extinct, or dormant. V. Gibbs, Ed., St. Catherine Press, London, 1910. Unless otherwise specified, this is the reference for most of the Noble Ancestry section.
[2] Weis, Frederick, Ancestral Roots Of Certain American Colonists, 8th Ed., Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.
[3] Richardson, Douglas, Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families, Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.

Additional References:

[1] Thomas B. Costain, The Conquering Family, Doubleday, NewYork, 1949.
[2] Thomas B. Costain, The Plantagenets, Doubleday, New Yorl, 1962.
[3] Thomas B. Costain, The Magnificent Century, Doubleday, New York, 1951.
[4] Thomas B. Costain, The Three Edwards, Doubleday, New York, 1958.
[5] David C. Douglas, William The Conqueror, Univ. of Calif. Press, Berkeley, 1964.
[6] David Faris, Plantagenet Ancestry of Seventeenth-Century Colonists, 2nd. Ed., New England Historic Geneal. Soc., Boston, 1999.
[7] Elizabeth Hallam, Ed., The Plantagenet Encylopedia, Crescent, New York, 1996.
[8] Elizabeth Hallam, Ed., Four Gothic Kings, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, New York, 1987.
[9] Brian C. Tomsett, Directory of Royal Genealogica; Data, Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Hull, Hull, U.K.                 http://www.clcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/royal/
[10] Alison Weir, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Ballantine , New York, 1999.
[11] Alison Weir, The Wars of the Roses, Ballantine, New York, 1995.

*A striking feature of these pedigrees is the occurrance of marriages between members of the same families in different generations. This suggests that the availability of potential spouses was very restricted in medieval England. Factors contributing to this, in addition to the difficulties and dangers of travel, was the extreme stratification of the classes and the importance of marriage in maintaining or advancing social status. 
** We don't know if the Jocelyn family is descended from Viscount Josselin.

Last updated: May 11, 2009