I have been convinced for a while that the “movers and shakers” who built and lived on Combe Down from the time of Ralph Allen to the early 1900s were probably related – albeit distantly. By movers and shakers I mean the Allen, Atherton, Bennett, Bryan, Cruttwell, Daubeney, Disney, Falkner, Fortt, Gabriel, Gore, Hope, Howard, Maude, Morley, Richardson, Vivian and Wingrove families who are mentioned on this site in numerous places.
I have now proven it to my own satisfaction, though I am still working on the complete, single family tree. As it’s not finalised with all citations etc it may be a while before I publish on the site, so I have uploaded a zipped GEDCOM for anyone who may be interested.
Let me try to explain. You’ll also find some conclusions at the end.
It’s well known that Ralph Allen was the first of the movers and shakers, responsible for building the first community on Combe Down but that he left no surviving children. His will stipulated that his estates were for the use of his wife during her lifetime. After she died the Bathampton Manor & estates were to go to his brother Philip Allen (1695 – 1765) and Prior Park in trust to:
- Gertrude Tucker (abt 1727 – 1796 ), his niece (daughter of his sister Elizabeth Allen (1702 – 1731)) and her issue, sons and oldest first but daughters equally, but if none then
- Capt. William Tucker RN (abt 1728 – 1770) his nephew (son of his sister Elizabeth Allen (1702 – 1731)) and his issue, sons and oldest first but daughters equally, but if none then
- Mary Allen, Lady Maude (1732 – 1775) (daughter of his brother Philip Allen (1695 – 1765)) and her issue, sons and oldest first but daughters equally, but if none then
- To whomever was his lawful heir
Mary Allen, Lady Maude became the beneficiary but she died before inheriting and so her husband Cornwallis Maude, 1st Viscount Hawarden had possession of them for their son Thomas Maude, 2nd Viscount Hawarden. Mary Allen was the daughter of Ralph Allen’s brother Philip Allen (1695 – 1765) who had married Jane Bennett (1703 – 1767). Her family owned Widcombe Manor and thus the Bennett and Allen families were connected as were, obviously, the Allen and Maude families.
Move on some time and the Bennetts have left Widcombe Manor and acquired Rougham Hall in Suffolk. Maj Philip Bennett (1837 – 1875) married Barbara Sophia Harriet Disney (1838 – 1929) who was the great, great, great grand daughter of Rev John Disney (1677 – 1729). He was also the grandfather of Henry Woolhouse Disney Roebuck (1733 – 1796) who built Midford Castle. After the death of Maj Philip Bennett, Barbara Sophia Harriet Disney married The Hon Harbord Harbord (1836 – 1894), a son of Sir Edward Harbord, 3rd Baron Suffield (1781 – 1835). Though they had no children this marriage tied the Bennett, Disney and Harbord families together.
In 1861 Charles Henry Gabriel (1821 – 1900) the son of John Gabriel (1787-1825) married Sabina Pool Atherton (1828 – 1913) the daughter of Nathan Atherton (1798 – 1885). In 1909 Charles Harry Atherton Brown (1888 – 1961), the great grandson of Nathan Atherton married Ida Harbord (1878 – 1956). She was a grand daughter of Sir Edward Harbord, 3rd Baron Suffield (1781 – 1835), who is mentioned in the previous paragraph. This linked the Bennett, Disney, Harbord, Atherton and Gabriel families.
Alice Mary Disney Roebuck (1843 – 1869) the great grand daughter of Henry Woolhouse Disney Roebuck married John Brabazon Vivian (1836 – 1874) who was the great grand son of Rev Thomas Vivian (1718 – 1792) whose son Rev Henry William Vivian (1756 – 1840) had married Frances Wingrove (1777 – 1830) who was the cousin of Benjamin Wingrove (1773 – 1840), lawyer, land speculator and road builder who did work for for Cornwallis Maude, 1st Viscount Hawarden (1729 – 1803), Thomas Maude, 2nd Viscount Hawarden (1767 – 1807), Cornwallis Maude, 3rd Viscount Hawarden (1780 – 1856) and John Thomas (abt 1752 – 1827). This links the Disney, Vivian and Wingrove families and also the Allen, Maude, Bennett, Harbord, Atherton and Gabriel families.
In 1911 Mary Morley (1855 – 1917), the daughter of Samuel Morley MP (1809 – 1866) lived at St Christopher, also residing there was her niece Rebekah Wilbraham Phibbs (née Taylor) (1877 – 1952) the daughter of Herbert Wilbraham Taylor (1847 – 1899) and her sister Rebekah Hope Morley (1842 – 1877). Mary Morley was the niece of Rhoda Mary Hope (1828 – 1910) and a cousin of Dr Charles Middleton Coates (1857 – 1933) who both owned Hopecote. Herbert Wilbraham Taylor was a grandson of Sir William Gosset CB KCH (abt 1783 – 1848) and Gertrude Martha Daniell (1789 – 1849). Gertrude Martha Daniell was the daughter of Ralph Allen Daniell MP (1762 – 1823) whose grandmother was Gertrude Allen (1697 – 1789) – Ralph Allen‘s sister. This links the Hope and Morley families to the Allen, Maude, Bennett, Disney, Vivian, Wingrove, Harbord, Atherton and Gabriel families.
Richard Falkner (1796 – 1863) was a banker and a partner in Tufnell, Collett, Falkner & Co. and part owned 115 Church Road & 117 Church Road. Richard had a brother, Francis Henry Falkner (1786 – 1866). His grand son Archibald John Campbell (1867 – 1944) married Clementina Henrietta Brooke (1876 – 1952) who was the daughter of Kathleen Maude (1854 – 1939) who was the daughter of Sir Cornwallis Maude (1817 – 1905) 1st Earl de Montalt, 4th Viscount Hawarden, 4th Baron de Montalt, 6th Baronet Maude who was the grandson of Cornwallis Maude, 1st Viscount Hawarden who was married to Mary Allen, Lady Maude. Thus the Falkner family links to the Allen, Maude, Bennett, Disney, Vivian, Wingrove, Harbord, Hope, Morley, Atherton and Gabriel families.
Robert Falkner (1811 – 1851) the son of Francis Henry Falkner married Susanna Eykyn (1811 – 1883) in 1841. Susanna’s brother William Eykyn (1821 – 1884) married Fanny Mary Cruttwell (1839 – 1902) in 1865. It was her second marriage. Fanny was the daughter of Robert Cruttwell (1812 – 1858) whose older brother was Thomas Cruttwell (1808 – 1881) built Glenburnie on Church Road. They were both sons of Thomas Macaulay Cruttwell (1777 – 1848) and Mary Micklem (1786 – 1849). The Cruttwell family owned the Bath Chronicle for many years. This means the Cruttwell family links to the Allen, Maude, Bennett, Disney, Vivian, Wingrove, Harbord, Hope, Morley, Falkner, Atherton and Gabriel families.
Capt. William Tucker RN (abt 1728 – 1770), the nephew of Ralph Allen was married to Diana Marriott (1740 – 1816). Her father was Rev Dr Randolph Marriott DD (1699 – 1782) and her mother Lady Diana Feilding (1706 – 1756) the daughter of Basil Feilding (1668 – 1716) 4th Earl of Denbigh and 3rd Earl of Desmond and Hester Firebrace (1670 – 1726) Countess of Denbigh and Countess of Desmond. One of her father’s siblings was Lady Mary Feilding (1670 – 1697) Countess of Kingston-upon-Hull who was married to Evelyn Pierrepont (1665 – 1726) 1st Duke of Kingston upon Hull, 1st Marquess of Dorchester KG PC. One of Evelyn Pierrepont’s sons was William Pierrepont (1692 – 1713) Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull who married Rachel Baynton (1695 – 1722), which brought Great Chalfield Manor and much of the old Bath Priory property in central Bath to the Pierrepoints. In the 1730s Gen Evelyn Pierrepont (1712 – 1773), 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull, sold the old Bath Abbey Orchards land in Bath to John Wood the Elder (1704 – 1754) and his business partner James Leake who went on to design and construct housing and named the streets Pierrepont Place and Pierrepont Street in homage. The rest of the lands passed to Charles (Medows) Pierrepont (1737 – 1816) 1st Earl Manvers, grand son of Evelyn Pierrepont (1665 – 1726) 1st Duke of Kingston upon Hull when the 2nd duke died without issue.
Capt Lord William Stuart RN (1778 – 1814) was married to The Hon Georgiana Maude (1781 – 1807), a daughter of Cornwallis Maude, 1st Viscount Hawarden and Anne Isabella Monck (1759 – 1851) Viscountess Hawarden. Lord Stuart was a grandson of John Stuart (1713 – 1792) 3rd Earl of Bute, KG, PC who was married to Mary Wortley Montagu (1717 1794) Countess of Bute, 1st Baroness Mount Stuart. She was the only daughter of Sir Edward Wortley Montagu (1678 – 1761) and Lady Mary Pierrepont (1689 – 1762) the eldest daughter of the Evelyn Pierrepont (1665 – 1726) 1st Duke of Kingston upon Hull, 1st Marquess of Dorchester KG PC.
Rev Reginald Guy Bryan M. A. (1819 – 1912), who had been the vice-principal at Protestant College, Malta; Perpetual Curate at Fosbury, Wiltshire and the Principal at Monkton Combe College first married Salome Blomefield (1827 – 1894) the daughter of Sir Thomas William Blomefield (1791 – 1858) and Salome Kekewich (1795 – 1862). Sir Thomas William Blomefield‘s great, great, great, great, great grandmother was Isabella Pierrepont (1549 – 1620). She was also the great, great, great aunt of Evelyn Pierrepont (1665 – 1726) 1st Duke of Kingston upon Hull, 1st Marquess of Dorchester KG PC.
Caroline Letitia Gore (1843 – 1920) was the third wife of Rev Reginald Guy Bryan. She was the daughter of Mary Eliza Hole (1813 – 1891). The Bryan family were related to many others on Combe Down. Helen Gertrude Bryan (1860 – 1917) married Rev Charles Howard (1853 – 1928) and Edith Mary Marow Bryan (1866 – 1951) married Rev Alfred Howard (1857 – 1945). Both were sons of Rev Thomas Henry Howard (1804 – 1885) whose other son Rev Richard Nelson Howard (1852 – 1932) was vicar of Combe Down from 1892 – 1897. The Howard family were also related to Rev Alfred Richardson (1853 – 1925) was vicar of Combe Down from 1902 – 1914. The Bryan family were related to the Gore family who, in turn, were related to the Daubeny / Daubeney family via Edith Henrietta Gore (1852 – 1931) Caroline’s sister and wife to Capt Charles William Daubeney (1860 – 1937). The Daubeney’s lived at The Brow.
Henry Grahame Montagu (1829 – 1916) lived at 109 Church Road. He was married at least four times and had 22 children. He had 8 children with his first wife Louisa Maria Jenkins (1845 – 1890). Their daughter Ethel Montagu (1871 – 1919) was the second wife of John Cunningham (1846 – 1930) who had been married to Maria Howard (1848 – 1896) the daughter of Rev Thomas Henry Howard (1804 – 1885) who was vicar of Warmley from 1860 – 1885 and two of whose brothers were married to daughters of Rev Reginald Guy Bryan. His second wife Gertrude Kate Fortt (1872 – 1900). Gertrude Fortt’s great uncle was William Fortt (1796 – 1880) who lived at Hopecote or 1 Claremont Buildings as it was then.
Everything noted in the last five paragraphs links the Bryan, Daubeney, Gore, Howard, Fortt and Richardson families to the Allen, Maude, Bennett, Disney, Vivian, Wingrove, Harbord, Hope, Morley, Falkner, Cruttwell, Atherton and Gabriel families as well as the Pierreponts.
So what, you may reasonably say. It’s just a whole load of old families you may add. I find it more fascinating than that.
Property, power, position and patronage were the cornerstone of the class system (and still are?) in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Their lands and estates were often made up of tenanted farms, in which case the gentleman could live entirely off rent income so that they did not have to to actively work. They could even pass off most of the administrative work to a steward. This allowed them to pursue other careers at court, in the military or politics from which they could gain even more property, power, position and patronage. The nobility and gentry had good reason to make sure that they married other people of a similar ilk who understood the ‘rules of the game’ and only to ‘let in’ those who had made it to a similar status whom they then absorbed in the ‘rules of the game’. It still goes on today, think of quangos.
