Elizabeth (Acton) Whitmore (abt. 1612 - bef. 1667)

Born about 1612 in Whitechapel, London, England

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Whitmore MP — married 16 Apr 1635 in Leyton, Essex, England

Descendants

Died before 2 May 1667 before about age 55 in Apley, Shropshire, England

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Biography

Elizabeth (Acton) Whitmore is Notable.

Elizabeth (Acton) Whitmore was born in the City of London, England.

Elizabeth Acton was born in about 1612 in the City of London, England, she was baptized on 16 Aug 1612 at St Mary Whitechapel. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir William Acton 1st Baronet and Anne (Bill) Acton (daughter of James Bill of Ashwell, Hertfordshire). Later, Elizabeth's father Sir William Acton married Jane Johnson Bird (widow of Sir William Bird, lawyer 1550-1624). Much later (1651), Elizabeth Acton was the sole heiress of Sir William Acton, so presumably she had no surviving siblings, half siblings, nephews, nieces, etc. ^{[1] [2]}.

Thomas Whitmore married Elizabeth Acton on 16 Apr 1635 at St Mary's Church, Leyton, Essex ^[3]. Thomas's family was well connected as his father Sir William Whimore was High Sherriff of Shropshire in 1620 and his uncle Sir George Whitmore was Lord Mayor of London. When not in London it is likely that Elizabeth and Thomas spent much of their time at Apley Hall Shropshire. where the Whitmore family had been landowners since 1572. At least two of their children were born in Shropshire. Thomas and Elizabeth had children -

Dorothy (Whitmore) Harvey,m.1658, d.1726,

Elizabeth (Whitmore) Bennet born before 1633,

Sir Thomas Whitmore MP c.1642-1681,

Anne (Whitmore) Lawley b.c.1635 Shropshire, m.c.1650,

Sir William Whitmore 1637-1699 b.Shropshire.

Thomas Whitmore was made a knight (Sir Thomas Whitmore) and a baronet of Apley on 28 Jun 1641 ^{[4] [5]}. Possibly, it was at this point that Thomas's wife Elizabeth (Acton) Whitmore may have automatically became a Dame or Lady (assuming these were not already her titles).

The Whitmore family were on the Royalist side which lost in the English Civil War 1642-1651. In Feb 1645, Whitmore's home Apley Hall was taken by the Parliamentarians under Sir John Price. Sir Thomas Whitmore and his father Sir William Whitmore, Sir Francis Ottley, and about sixty men, were captured. Their estate and other property was taken by the Shropshire Sequestration Committee and they were imprisoned for a while. Sir Whitmore was fined the large sum of £5,000 by his captors ^[6].

As the sole heiress of Sir William Acton, Elizabeth brought great wealth to the Whitmore family (The baronet title ceased to exist on Sir William Acton's death on 22 Jan 1651) ^[7]. The handwritten text of this will mentions - "In the name of God Amen.. The thirtieth day of May in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and fifty I Sir William Acton of London knight and baronet having always in my thoughts ... my only daughter and her children ... my last will and testament ... Edmonton in the county of Midlesex ... my said daughter Dame Elizabeth Whitmore... one hundred pounds ... Sir Edward Acton and his son Walter Acton ... Sir Thomas Whitmore knight and baronet ... two hundred pounds .. In Witness ..."

In 1651, there was a family dispute over property in Gloucestershire - 'Short title: Whitmore v Whitmore. Plaintiffs: Richard Whitmore. Defendants: Sir George Whitmore kt, Sir Thomas Whitmore kt and Dame Elizabeth Whitmore his wife, William Whitmore, Sir John Weld kt, Thomas Whitmore, George Whitmore, Thomas Hincks, George Stringer, Michael Thomas and Edward Tedder alias Edward Kidder. Subject: property in Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire. Document type: three bills and thirteen answers' ^[8].

Also in 1651, there was a family dispute over property in Buildwas Shropshire between Sir Thomas Whitmore (with his wife Dame Elizabeth (Acton) Whitmore) and her family - 'Description: Short title: Whitmore v Acton. Plaintiffs: Sir Thomas Whitmore bart and Dame Ellizabeth Whitmore his wife. Defendants: Dame Dorothy Acton, William Duncombe and Elizabeth Duncombe his wife, Thomas Knolles and Dame Anne Craford his wife, Francis Goston, Dennis Hunlock, Isaac Vyner, Hester Butler, John Backler [unknown] Farre, [unknown] Cox, [unknown] Lawrence and wife, [unknown] Watfield and [unknown] Blage alias [unknown] Black. Subject: property in Buildwas manor, Shropshire...' ^[9].

Also in 1651, there was a dispute over money in London between Sir Thomas Whitmore and others - 'Short title: Whitmore v Danyell. Plaintiffs: Sir Thomas Whitmore bart and Dame Ellizabeth Whitmore his wife. Defendants: William Danyell and William Knight. Subject: money, [London]... ^[10].

In the same year (1651) There was a similar dispute over the London estate of Sir William Whitmore (Thomas's father) with the same persons - ' Short title: Whitmore v Danyell. Plaintiffs: Sir Thomas Whitmore bart and Dame Elizabeth Whitmore his wife. Defendants: William Danyell and William Knight. Subject: personal estate of Sir William Acton bart, Chancery Lane, London.' ^[11].

Sir Thomas Whitmore died in 1653 at the age of 41. Perhaps the stress of the civil war, imprisonment, legal disputes, etc. were factors in his demise .Sir Thomas Whitmore was buried on 18 May 1653 at St Chad’s Church, Stockton, Shropshire, England ^[12].

Sir Thomas Whitmore left a will dated 11 Nov 1652 in Apley. Probate was passed on 20 Sep 1654 - 'Will of Sir Thomas Whitmore of Apley, Shropshire' ^{[13] [14]}. Lady Dame Elizabeth (Acton) Whitmore was the main beneficiary of the will.

The handwritten will mentions "Sir Thomas Whitmore of Apley in the county of Salop Knight and baronet ... when the day shall come... endeavour to put my ...Church of England 1652 ...I bequeath my soul... hoping through ... body ... to the earth to be buried with my deceased father in the said county of Salop ... bound to remember ... my dear and loving wife... of all the jewels in her possession... except my best diamond ring... among my children... shall not be given to my children by my said wife either in her life time or at the time of her death. I do appoint...to be divided among my children share ... as for my best diamond ring I do give it to my son... Sir William Acton knight, baronet, the furniture of our chambers at the house of Apley, to wife all the rest of my goods at my house at Apley, the younger knight, Thomas Whitmore Esq. (son), William Whimore (son, executor)...".

Lady Dame Elizabeth Whitmore passed away in 1667. Elizabeth's Will names her son-in-law Sir Francis Lawley, Bt.; son Sir William Whitmore, Bt.; son Sir Thomas Whitmore, K.B.; granddaughter Anne Lawley, daughter of Sir Francis Lawley; and daughter Elizabeth Bennett, widow, relict of John Bennett, Esq. ^[15]. The handwritten text mentions "In the name of God Amen. The fourteenth day of April in the year of our Lord God 1666 I Dame Elizabeth Whitmore, widow late wife of Sir Thomas Whitmore of Apley Baronet in the County of Salop ... being of whole mind and ... memory thanks be given unto almighty God ... make this my last will and testament ... son in law John Bennett Esquire ... King Charles the second ... son in law Sir Francis Lawley Baronet ... son Sir William Whitmore ... Anne Lawley (daughter of Sir Francis) two hundred pounds ... Elizabeth ... daughter of ... fifty pounds ... son Sir William Whitmore twenty pounds to buy him a ring ... household servants three pounds ... Elizabeth Bennett widow of John Bennett ten pounds ... signed sealed and published ...".

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812"
   London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P93/MRY1/001
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 1624 #656910 (accessed 2 December 2022)
   Eliz Acton baptism on 16 Aug 1612, daughter of Wm Acton, in St Mary, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex, England.
2. ↑ "William Betham The baronetage of England Volume 2"[1] (accessed 1 Dec 2022)
3. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973", database, FamilySearch (), Thomas Whitemore, 1635.: Family Search (accessed 25 Nov 2022)
4. ↑ The Knights of England 1906, Volume 2, by William A Shaw Knights page 209 (accessed 29 Nov 2022)
5. ↑ "Burke, John; Burke, Sir John Bernard (1838). A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England. Scott, Webster, and Geary. p. 563" Google Books (accessed 25 Nov 2022)
6. ↑ "Neale, John Preston; Moule, Thomas (1826). Views of the seats of noblemen and Gentlemen, in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Vol. 3. herwood, Neely, and Jones. p. 126." Google Books (accessed 25 Nov 2022)
7. ↑ "Description: Will of Sir William Acton of London Date: 26 March 1651 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Reference PROB 11/215/761"[2] (accessed 1 Dec 2022)
8. ↑ "Short title: Whitmore v Whitmore. Plaintiffs: Richard Whitmore. Defendants: Sir George. Reference: C 8/115/185 Date: 1651 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s)" National Archieves (accessed 26 Nov 2022)
9. ↑ "Short title: Whitmore v Acton. Plaintiffs: Sir Thomas Whitmore bart and Dame Ellizabeth...Reference: C 8/115/179 Date: 1651 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s)" National Archieves (accessed 26 Nov 2022)
10. ↑ "Short title: Whitmore v Danyell. Plaintiffs: Sir Thomas Whitmore bart and Dame... Reference: C 8/115/191 Date: 1651 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s)" National Archieves (accessed 26 Nov 2022)
11. ↑ "Short title: Whitmore v Danyell. Plaintiffs: Sir Thomas Whitmore bart and Dame Elizabeth... Reference: C 8/90/237 Date: 1651 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) " National Archieves (accessed 26 Nov 2022)
12. ↑ Burial: Image of church register,18 May 1653 Media (accessed 29 Nov 2022)
13. ↑ "Will of Sir Thomas Whitmore of Apley, Shropshire Date: 20 September 1654 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Reference: PROB 11/237/374" National Archieves (accessed 26 Nov 2022)
14. ↑ Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
    The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 237
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #345129 (accessed 29 November 2022)
    Will of Tho Whitmore, granted probate on 20 Sep 1654. Died about 1654 in Apley, Shropshire, England.
15. ↑ "Reference: PROB 11/323/596 Description: Will of Dame Elizabeth Whitmore, Widow of Apley, Shropshire Date: 02 May 1667 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s)"[3] (accessed 1 Dec 2022)

• History of Parliament online: WHITMORE, Sir Thomas (c.1642-82), of Bridgnorth, Salop

Acknowledgements

This profile has been improved by a member of the England Project's Orphan Trail