I'd be very grateful for more information on these people, as I have
serious questions about the conflicting information published
elsewhere. I strongly suspect that the Ralph Wormeley who married
Agatha Eltonhead was the son of Ralph b. 1590 (son of Christopher W
and Elizabeth Hogg)--otherwise he was a generation older than Agatha
(b 1622). In several references (including Visitation of Lancashire by
Sir William Dugdale 1664-5: "Agatha [Eltonhead],  wife of Ralph
Wormley son of Ralph Wormley, Co. Ebor.") Agatha's husband is
described as "son of Ralph", not son of Christopher. If Agatha's
husband actually was 55 when he married, it seems unlikely that it was
his first marriage.

The Parish Register of Prescot, 1573-1631, ed. by F.V. Driffield
(Lancashire Parish Register Series, vol. 76 (R. Seed and Sons:
Preston, 1938), LDS Microfilm 0844816, Christenings 1580--1631-2.
Marriages 1575--1631-2. Burials 1573--1632.
"c1622, p. 32, [town] Sutton, [name] Agatha, fa. Rici Eltonhead, Gent:, 10 Feb."

The Eltonhead family comprised father Richard Eltonhead, mother Ann
Sutton, and 16 children. The family seem to have been Catholic and
Royalist, although most of the children were baptized in the Church of
England. _The Royalist Composition Papers . . . County of Lancaster_,
ed. J.H. Stanning (The Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire,
1892), vol. 2 (C-F), p. 279: "Richard Eltonhead, the Elder, of Sutton,
Gentleman. (Second Series, Vol. xlii, No. 2,541, fol. 797 &c) fo. 797.
Delinquency, assisting the forces against the Parliament. He
petitioned 19 June, 1649, and compounded upon a particular which
disclosed that he was seized of a frank tenement for his life,
remainder to Richard Eltonhead, his son, in tail, of and in a capital
messuage and lands called Eltonhead Hall, in Sutton, and a mill and
other lands there, worth yearly £41; but he claimed a deduction of
£120, a debt due on a bond to one Thomas Barnes, who had sued him to
the outlawry in Michaelmas Term 1646, and the lands had been extended
thereupon in the Exchequer; he also stood indebted to various other
persons in the aggregate sum of £190. Fine, £92.2s. (16 July 1649).
fo. 800. Particular.
fo. 802. Petition.
fo. 803. Affidavit of compounder, sworn 13 July 1649 before Tho.
Benet, in which, in addition to Barnes's name as a creditor, he
mentions those of Elizabeth Turner, £10; Thomas Walls, £16; William
Fletcher, £60; William Wood, £50; John Launder, £10."

A number of the children (at least 7) came to America. Katherine (c.
1609) married Thomas Mears/Meares/Marra of Burras, Ireland, and came
to Maryland or Virginia. William (ca 1616-1655) came to Maryland,
where he left a widow Jane, who d. 1659. [Gust Skordas, _The Early
Settlers of Maryland_ (Baltimore, 1968), p. 150: "Eltonhead, Mr.
William liber ABH Folio 165 Nephew of Edward Eltonhead, Esq. 1651
Eltonhead, William  liber 2 Folio 439-440 Immigrated 1648 with wife,
son, and others." William b 1616 is probably the Mr. William of the
first entry. The second entry could be his uncle, or he might have
received headrights for two different voyages.] Jane (c. 1621-1660) m.
Robert Morson and Cuthbert Fenwick and came to Maryland. Agatha (c.
1622) m. at least Luke Stubbins, Ralph Wormeley, and Henry Chicheley.
Eleanor m. William Brocas and John Carter in Virginia. Martha (b ca
1628) m. Edwin Connoway and came to Virginia. Alice (b ca 1630) m.
Rowland Burnham (probably before emigrating from England) and Henry
Corbin and Henry Creyke in Virginia. Several siblings died young.

Brother Richard was heir to his father, the eldest son having died in
infancy. Brother Henry (c 1623, d 1670) evidently died unmarried in
England but had strong ties to Ireland. Lothrop Withington, _Virginia
Gleanings in England_ (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980),
pp. 392-393: "Henry Eltonhead, whose will was dated in 1665, was a
brother of Richard Eltonhead, of Eltonhead, though not named in the
[Visitation] chart. This is evident as he mentions his brother Thomas
Meares.
"Henry Eltonhead late of London Esq deceased. Will 27 July 1665. These
seuerall following I doe giue to my Brother R. Eltonhead if I dye a
single man. Moneys due to me in Ireland by bond in Mr. John Doughty's
hands in Dublin £100. Mr. Thomas Houghton is bound interest due 10 in
hundred this bond is in hands of Mr. Walter Scudamore. In hands of Mr.
Timothy 'Grolliers' in Dublin wherein Mr. James Butteele is bound at
10 in hundred. In my landlords hand Mr. Joseph Stokers in Dublin £100
at his house in Castle Street Dublin, interest to be paid by him by
reason I lay two yeares in his house and paid nothing for my chamber
which I ought to pay for after the rate of fiue pound ten shillings a
year. In my brother Richard Barrys hands my salary due from the King
as Commissary for Munster £97. Two bonds of Mr. Edwd Rands £90 some
years ago. Two bonds of my brother Tho. Mearas £6 in hands of Mr.
Nathaniell Foulkes he lives at the sign of the Horseshoe in Castle
Street Dublin. I owe Mr. William Richardson £24. Mr. Clement Hog for
two last terms Business £8. Due from Mr. Denton £100. Due to my
proctor Mr. John Clements £10. Grand Book 1668-1675 fo. 54. Letters of
Administration with will etc to Richard Eltonhead of Eltonhead in
county Lancashire in England Esq of goods of Henry Eltonhead late of
London Esq deceased on 23 August 1670. Prerogative Court of Ireland,
Will Book 1668-72, folio 166."

This will shows some of the economic ties in England, Ireland, and the
colonies that closely follow the blood ties. Clement Hogg is
undoubtedly kin to the Wormeleys, but I don't know how. I don't know
which sister married "brother Richard Barrys"; it is possible that
Henry had been married to Richard Barrys's sister and that she
predeceased him, but I haven't seen evidence that he was ever married.

Society of Genealogists typescript, _Irish Will Abstracts up to 1700
in P.C.C._: "ELTONHEAD Henry of Ireland (? previously a Comissary in
Munster). Died at St Clement Danes, London. Made 1665, proved 1669 (40
Coke). Brother Richard (executor); 'brothers' Richard Barry, Thomas
Meares. Mentioned: John Doughty of Dublin, Thomas Houghton, Timothy
Groliers of Dublin, James Bulteel, Joseph Stokers of Castle St,
Dublin, Edward Rands, Nathaniel Foulks of Dublin, Mr. Richardson,
Clement Hoye, Mr. Denton, John Clements."

I haven't found any evidence of Agatha's marriage to William Kellaway
except Currer-Briggs's statement. There is good evidence that she was
the widow of Luke Stubbins when she married Wormeley (at age 23) and
that she married Sir Henry Chicheley about 1651 and survived him (he
died 5 Feb 1682/3).

Agatha seems to have had at least three children by Wormeley--William,
Christopher, and Ralph--but there is some controversy about
Christopher. _Genealogies of Virginia Families_ (Baltimore:
Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981), vol. 5, p. 887: "Ralph and Agatha
Wormeley had issue: 1. Ralph-11; 2. William, died young.
"There is on record in Lancaster county a deed of settlement, between
Sir Henry Chichley, his wife, Agatha, and her two sons, Ralph and
William, dated Nov. 20, 1652, which made Captain William Brocas, Mr.
William Eltonhead, and Mr. Rowland Burnham feoffees in trust for the
execution of the settlement. In Sept. 1654, William Wormeley having
died, Chichley and wife renew this deed for the benefit of Ralph
Wormeley alone."

Darrett B. and Anita H. Rutman, _A Place in Time: Middlesex County,
Virginia, 1650-1750_ (New York: W.W. Norton, 1984), p. 119:
"Middlesex's own Christopher Wormeley, in his 1698 will, asked that he
be buried 'in my own Garden and Betwixt my first wife Frances, and my
last wife Margrett.'"
P. 259, n. 30: "Despite extensive genealogical research on the
Wormeley family both by us and others (e.g., _Virginia Magazine of
History and Biography_, vol. 35 [1927], 455-56; vol. 36 [1928],
98-101, 283-93, 385-88), there is no evidence of a connection between
the two Wormeley families of Middlesex, one stemming from the Ralph
Wormeley who settled Rosegill and the other from the Christopher
referred to here. The latter makes his first appearance in the county
records in 1667. By then he was already married to Frances Armistead,
widow of both Justinian Aylmer and Anthony Elliott. (Armistead,
Aylmer, and Elliott were all prominent names in the colony and Anthony
Elliott a major Middlesex landowner.) Wormeley is not a common name,
however, suggesting a connection between the two families. the fact
that 'Christopher' does not appear in the line from Ralph although it
was the given name of Ralph's grandfather, father, and brother hints
at a 'left-handed' connection displeasing to the Rosegill family. The
most obvious possibility is that Christopher of Middlesex was Ralph
II's uncle Christopher's illegitimate son. The earlier Christopher had
been governor of Tortuga in the 1630s and had come to Virginia
following the Spanish capture of that island, settling in York. A
justice of the York County Court and member of the colony council, he
died in the early 1640s, his widow marrying William Brocas." But see
Hayden, below, who says that Christopher was a son of Ralph.

Horace Edwin Hayden, _Virginia Genealogies_ (Wilkes-Barre, PA, 1891),
p. 230: "Children [of Capt. Ralph Wormeley and Agatha Eltonhead]--
Col. Christopher, Mem. Va. Council, and Vestry Christ Ch., Midd'x Co.,
1666 (M.R.); m. (I) Mrs. Aylmer. He brought suit, as husband of the
relict of Rev. Justinian Aylmer of Jamestown, Min. of Hampton Parish,
1665-7, ae 26. (II) 'Frances Wormeley, wife of Colo. Christopher W.,
d. May 25, 1685, and was buried at home in the garden next day.'
(M.R.) Was this his only wife? Child.--Judith, b. May 25, B. June 7,
1683. (M.R.)" But see will of Elizabeth (Travers) Wormeley 1694, who
leaves property to William, Thomas, and Judith Wormeley, children of
her husband Christopher Wormeley. Did he have two daughters named
Judith? Was Hayden confused (not for the first time)?

You see some of the problems, partly stemming from the family's
overuse of the same names. If you can solve them, please let me know!

Kathleen Much

On 12/27/05, charles ortel <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> the English records I have reviewed do not
> show any evidence of a "Ralph" Wormeley in the
> generation you mention. These records include digests
> of Y.C.C. wills as well as Visitations and Pedigrees.
> A major issue I have is that the Christopher who
> married Mary Adams certainly had other heirs so I
> cannot understand why he would have left significant
> bequests of Virginia assets to a brother, as opposed
> to his own children.
>
> A further point requiring clarification is that the
> Ralph Wormeley who married Agatha Eltonhead married
> her after she had been a widow of Luke Stubbins (this
> is very clear from Northampton Co, VA records and I
> can provide citations in a few days). I have not been
> able to find proof of her possible first marriage to
> William Kellaway, though this is certainly possible.
> If true, this first marriage is interesting because it
> links her to Massachusetts as well as Virginia
> settlers.

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