Uncertain existence: Sir James Bishop of Linlithogowshire, Scotland

Question

Following on from the Uncertain Existence post about Lady Ann Dolabella Rippan, this is an appeal for evidence of her supposed son's existence. Lady Ann (1526-1605) was said to be from Ipswich, Suffolk, England, as was the man she was said to be married to, a Richard Bishop (1524 - 1625)

One of the sons said to be born to this couple was Sir James Bishop, born in Scotland in 1540. The only source on his profile is a website (now archived by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine) named "House of Bishop".  The good folk of the Scotland Project have taken a look for something more substantial in the way of sourcing, but have not turned up anything. The "House of Bishop" website claims that Sir Michael was baptised at St Michael's church in Linlithgow, but the baptism records do not survive before 1613 - information from Scotland's People) The House of Bishop website also say they have had their Bishop pedigree entered at the Court of the Lord Lyon, the heraldic authority for Scotland. If there is anyone on WikiTree who can verify this, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Sir James is said to be the ancestor of John Bishop who emigrated to Virginia.

If anyone can find a source for this Sir James Bishop which is not another family tree or unsourced website, we would be very grateful if you would post it as an answer to this question. In the meantime, we propose to sever the mother-son relationship with Lady Ann Dolabella Rippan. If any evidence appears showing a relationship, they can be reattached.

Jo, England Project Managed Profiles Team Coordinator.

Answer 1

Really not sure if this is going to help. I've searched SP etc., to no avail, and also with regards to the ancestor - John Bishop migrating to America.

The only records I found were from one of Sir James' sons - Sir William Bishop, The Elder. He had a son Capt. John Bishop born 1590-1656. He married Elizabeth Ewell Booker on the 20 December 1627 in Kent. They had 17 children. One of these children was a son named John Bishop ll, born 1638.  http://England, Norfolk, Parish Registers (County Record Office), 1510-1997", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7N4-RXF : Wed May 01 17:56:58 UTC 2024), Entry for John Bishop and John Bishop, 3 June 1638. 

There was also a birth/baptism record on Free Reg UK.

He apparently migrated to America around 1651 according to FS.http://Their Deep Roots and Tangled Branches, Vol 3, pge., 48 James City County Land Patent Abstracts, Pg. 323 

http://9 April 1651 James City Co, VA Land Patent

 Abstract:"Mr. JOHN BISHOP, 300 acs., lyeing upon the S. side of Upper Chipoaks Cr., commonly called by the name of Swan Bay." trans. 6 pers: JOHN, ELIZA. , MARY, JOHN JR. BISHOPP, NEGRO WENCH, & ANN INGLETON

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/LB8W-NLW

Here is a link to a profile on Geni.com  https://www.geni.com/people/John-Bishop-of-Swan-s-Bay/6000000002474907429 which marries with the above records for Capt. John Bishop arriving in America, and his father was Sir William Bishop The Elder. Sir William was the son of Sir James Bishop and Lady Mary Hudson.

Comments

Unfortunately the profile on Geni.com appears to rely on the archived, unsourced, House of Bishop website

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https://houseofbishop.org/

The House of Bishop website still exists. Perhaps the owner of this site is the one to consult re: sources? 

Unfortunately sources are apparently attached to a private tree on Ancestry, due to ‘challenges’ to the tree when it was public. (?!)

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Here is a transcription of the patents used as a source on that page. It refers to the man's great grandson John, not the man in question in this uncertain existence posting. (The patent is already on that John's profile from a publication.)

http://www.usgwarchives.net/special/wmmaryqtr/vol9-2.htm

http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/schools/wmmary/patents9.txt

Page 72.

604.  John Bishopp, Novr. 9, 1638.  150 acres.  At the head of Tappahanock creek.

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@Megan Thanks for looking. The marriage in Kent was between John Bishop, the Rector of Chillendon and Jane Ewell of Barfrestone. This is the abstract of the marriage licence (Canterbury Marriage Licences Vol II 1619-1660, images on FindMyPast)

 Bishop, John, clerk, M.A., rector of Chillenden, ba., about 38, and Jane Ewell of Barfrestone, maiden, about 22, d. of Mr. Robert Ewell, clerk, rector there, who consents. At Barfreston. Dec. 22, 1627.

So at least we can rule out this John Bishop from the equation. And if he was the Rector in Chillendon, he wouldn't be having children up in Norfolk.

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No probs, sorry I couldn't be more help to you. Odd though, the Elizabeth Booker who John Bishop married had her middle name 'Ewell'. Her christian name was not Jane, according to FS.

Good luck with it.

Answer 2

I found the current version of the House of Bishop website. It has an account of how some of the records linking John Bishop to William and James Bishop of Edinburgh were found:

After several weeks of tracking down documents, estates and tombstones relating to Captain John Bishop’s family, Guardian of the House of Bishop Michael Dean Bishop finally hit pay dirt in the basement of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Linlithgow. The baptismal records for Captain John and his whole family were there!

This doesn't stack up because:

1. There is no cathedral in Linlithgow, but perhaps the parish church of St Michael is meant.
2. The church of St Michael has no basement (or crypt or undercroft), as shown by the description of the building on the parish website and the detailed architectural description in a 1905 book about the church.
3. The parish registers for the whole of Scotland were transferred to the custody of the Registrar General in the mid-19th century, and since then have been kept at New Register House in Edinburgh. Those for Linlithgow are catalogued as being in his custody in 1872, though it is possible that the parish had transcripts of them.
4. The known registers for Linlithgow start in 1613 according to the 1872 catalogue and the Scotland's People website, but Captain John Bishop is said to have been born in 1590.

The Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland of the Court of the Lord Lyon is available on Scotland's People up to 1923. After that they have to be consulted in person in Edinburgh. I doubt that the public register shows the proofs of descent that were submitted to obtain arms.

Comments

Thanks Andrew, they say that the Bishop lineage was entered at the Court of the Lord Lyon in 2003, so it would need an "in-person" visit to examine that entry.

Answer 3

Lady Ann Dolabella (Rippan) Bishop has now been marked as Disproved Existence and has been disconnected as the mother for Sir James Bishop.