20 September 2006 Percy Cheque and Evidence
20 September 2006
Dear Mr Gwynn-Jones,
Please find enclosed cheque and documents.
I realise it will be difficult to validate our family’s two provenances that were brought with them from Sherborne to Wellington in 1841. Provenances: a) Of descent through Thomas Percy the Gunpowder Plotter’s ”Beverley” line family. B) That their family held the true heir male to the 11th Earl of Northumberland who died without surviving male issue in 1670. The “Beverley” cadet line was started by Josceline Percy the youngest brother of the 5th Earl when he carried the Louvain-Percy male bloodline (that was claimed to have died out with the death of the 11th Earl in 1670) into his new line – table 3 “House of Percy”.
Our priority has been to prove that this ancient male bloodline did not die out and our research through Thomas Percy, the Gunpowder Plotter, to his grandchildren, in the Taunton St. Mary Magdalene registers is of considerable importance to us.
Facts up to now (from our perspective):-
- In 1935 the surviving members of our family (originally comprised of an eldest married son and his 7 siblings, 5 bachelor brothers and 2 spinsters) gave their land, lakes and gardens to the nation.
- When I was 14 years old my grandfather told me of my obligation to keep the line continuous.
- When I was 63 I sought out Di Clements and we traced the line back to John Purse/y who married Joanne Reade at Wiveliscombe, just outside of Taunton. The rich vein of the ‘Taunton Parish of St. Mary Magdalene Registers’ (our proven line) couldn’t be penetrated anymore by Di because of the civil war ‘hiatus’. So ended her research.
- My historian brother, Graeme, and I over several months managed to make the link back from the ‘Plotter’ to his family in the ‘Parish of St. Mary Magdalene’ registers (our parish) – all circumstantial I know but the ‘Plotter’, the Parish, the dates and claim all line up.
On the genealogical chart 3 there are three important points of interest re. Claims.
a) Alan Percy of Beverley (said to be de jure 12th Earl of Northumberland.
b) James Percy (claimant Earldom and Estates) – see enclosed analysis.
c) Francis Percy, later Mayor of Cambridge and the most likely candidate for our provenances. (Claimed to be de jure 8th Earl of Northumberland) His father, uncles and aunty are all christened in our Parish of St. Mary Magdalene registers.
Many thanks
Yours sincerely
Kevin Percy