Hello
I'm having difficulties in finding baptisms and marriages for a few children for Henry Dudley Esq and his wife Frances and his Parentage.
These are the baptisms I have so far from records on FindMyPast -
Henry Dudley bapt 1641 Twycross, Leic son of Henry and Frances
Mary Dudley bapt 1644 Swepstone, Leic dau of Henry and Frances
Hannah Dudley bapt 1646 Swepstone, Leic dau of Henry and Frances
There is then an 18 yr gap and this baptism appears -
Honor Dudley bapt 1664 Twycross, leic dau of Henry and Frances.
The will of Henry Dudley Esq of Odstone, Leic states the following Children, Firstly -
'I give and bequeath the sum £50 to the children of my son Henry'
'I give unto my son John the sum of £50' (I can find no baptism for a John to a Henry but must have been baptised within the 18yr gap)
'I give unto my daughter Smart and my daughter Bill 20 shillings a Piece'
(I can find No marriages for Dudleys with the names Honor/Mary/Hannah marrying into the Bill or Smart families)
'Appoints Daughter Honor to be sole Executrix'
(Doesnt say Bill or Smart so maybe these refer to the 2 older daughters married names and Honor isnt married yet?)
'I nominate and appoint my son Richard to be overseer of this will and give 20 shillings'
(No baptism for a Richard to a Henry found but evidence points to this Richard being the Richard Dudley Gentleman of Cosby, Leic c.1650-1710)
So in the 18yr gap John and Richard must have been born but I can find no record of their births or baptisms.
He mentions a sister in Law Jane Shaw which seems to be the Jane Trowell who married Thomas Shaw in Ashby de la Zouch. (This Jane Trowell comes from Yorkshire it seems and has a Sister Called Frances Trowell who must be the Frances who marries Henry Dudley but I can find No marriage between the pair)
He lastly mentions a brother called William Dudley, This is the only reference to other family members to help with Henrys parents.
There are no baptisms in Leicestershire for a Henry fitting the age. But there is one baptism in Uttoxeter, Staff for a Henry Dudley son of Edward and Frances. There is also a William baptised to Edward and Frances so this could be them but not sure as Uttoxeter is 27 Miles away walking distance from Twycross. Although If Frances is the Frances Trowell from Yorkshire, Travelling obviously isnt an Issue. There are other Dudley families in Swepstone but no baptisms with the name Henry apart from one in 1639.
The Edward who marries a Frances and baptises in Uttoxeter could be the Edward baptised in 1589 in Kinver, Staff son of The Honourable John Dudley of Compton Hallows MP son of Edward Sutton-Dudley 4th Baron Dudley of Dudley Castle and Jane Stanley Dau of Edward Stanley 3rd Earl of Derby. (Kinver is 38 miles away from Uttoxeter but this could be the Connection Which enables 3 generations including Henry and his son Richard and grandson Richard to have the Social Standing and Occupation as Gentlemen and Esquires until 1748)
