Cousins

William had more than thirty cousins who came from six families: Clack, Cotes, Honywood, Lock(e), Palmer and Wrottesley. For information on their parents, visit Aunts and uncles. Although William Beckford is sometimes described as a cousin too, this was not their relationship (see note below).

William’s aunt Charlotte and her husband Alexander Wedderburn may have had a child who died as an infant but this is very unlikely. In 1793 some English newspapers carried a misleading report that ‘the Lady of the Right Hon. the Lord Chancellor’ had given birth on 2 October to a son, whereas Irish and Scottish newspapers referred to ‘the Lady of the Right Hon. the Lord Chancellor of Ireland’. The boy born on that day in Ireland was named Richard Hobart Fitzgibbon and lived until 1864, dying as 3rd earl of Clare.

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CLACK children of Bridget Diana Stone who married Thomas Clack in 1772. (Richard and Martha Clack do not seem to have had any children.)

  • Charlotte Bridget (1781-1835): baptised 11 April 1781 at Moretonhampstead (Devon); died 6 January 1835 at Chudleigh (Devon) where she was buried.
  • Edward Robert (1786-1855): baptised 22 February 1786 at Kenn (Devon); died 14 February 1855 at Chudleigh (Devon) where he was buried.
  • Elizabeth (1777-1859): baptised 11 June 1777 at Moretonhampstead (Devon); died 13 November 1859 at Chudleigh (Devon) where she was buried.
  • Frances Diana (1776-1854): baptised 1 May 1776 at Okehampton (Devon); died 14 January 1854 and was buried at Spreyton (Devon). Married Richard Holland 9 December 1801 at Kenn (Devon); she died before her husband who remained a widower until his death 30 December 1856 at Spreyton.
  • Henry (1786-1786): baptised 11 November 1786 at Powderham (Devon); buried 13 November 1786 at Kenn (Devon).
  • John (1784-1862): baptised 22 June 1784 at Moretonhampstead (Devon); died 1 March 1862 at Bridford (Devon) and was buried at Moretonhampstead.
  • Lucy Harriet (1791-1869): baptised 24 November 1791 at Kenn (Devon); died 23 October 1869 at Fairfield (Lancashire) and was buried at Churchstoke (Wales). Married Richard Ambler 17 October 1812 at Tormohun (Devon); widowed 13 September 1845 when he died at Churchstoke.
  • Mary Ann (1788-1864): baptised 29 March 1788 at Okehampton (Devon); died 28 September 1864 at Okehampton and was buried at Chudleigh (Devon).
  • Richard (1778-1803): baptised 18 July 1778 at Moretonhampstead (Devon); buried 15 June 1803 at Kenn (Devon).
  • Thomas (1774-1852): baptised 24 May 1774 at Okehampton (Devon); died 29 September 1852 at Milton Damerel (Devon) where he was buried. Married Elizabeth Sadler 29 December 1795 at Westminster (Middlesex); widowed 1 May 1845 when she died at Westminster.
  • William Charles (1782-1865): baptised 31 August 1782 at Okehampton (Devon); died 30 September 1865 at Moretonhampstead (Devon) where he was buried. Married Ann Naylor 31 July 1810 at West Alvington (Devon); widowed when she died 21 January 1863.

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COTES children of Lucy Courtenay who married John Cotes in 1777. (After Lucy’s death John Cotes married again, with Maria Grey in 1794; there were several children from this later marriage.)

  • Charlotte (1784-1859): born 14 December 1784 at Sheriff Hales (Shropshire); died 19 November 1859 at Shrewsbury (Shropshire) where she was buried.
  • Lucy Elizabeth (1783-1835): born 19 January 1783 at Sheriff Hales (Shropshire); died 16 February 1835 at Greenwich (Kent) where she was buried.

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HONYWOOD children of Elizabeth Clack who married William Honywood in 1750

  • Annabella Christiana (1754-1808): baptised 14 November 1754 at Broughton Poggs (Oxfordshire); died 6 April 1808 at Bromsberrow (Gloucestershire). Married Robert Gorges Dobyns Yate 25 July 1775 at Alphington (Devon); widowed when he died 26 May 1785 at Bromsberrow.
  • Edward (1763-1812): born 8 April 1763 at Shipton under Wychwood (Oxfordshire); died 1 December 1812 and was buried at Honiton (Devon). Married: (1) 21 July 1785 at Colchester (Essex) Sophia Long who died 17 February 1795 at Honiton; (2) Sarah Domett 31 March 1808 at Marylebone (Middlesex). Edward died before his second wife who remained a widow until she died 16 December 1849 at Shire Newton (Wales); Sarah was buried at Honiton.
  • John (1756-1806): baptised 26 October 1756 at Broughton Poggs (Oxfordshire); died 29 March 1806 at Bath (Somerset) and was buried at West Malling (Kent). Inherited a baronetcy from his grandfather June 1781: ‘sir John Courtenay’. Married his cousin Frances Courtenay 13 December 1779 at Powderham (Devon); after his death Frances married again and died 20 August 1838 at Caen (France).
  • William (1759-1818): baptised 25 June 1759 at Shipton under Wychwood (Oxfordshire); died 8 February 1818 at Westminster (Middlesex) and was buried at Markshall (Essex). Married Mary Drake Brockman 7 November 1786 at Marylebone (Middlesex); she died before him 23 January 1815 at Westminster (Middlesex) and was buried at Markshall.

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LOCK(e) children of Anne Clack who married Thomas Lock in 1764

  • Charles (1769-1800): baptised 29 March 1769 at Powderham (Devon); died 21 February 1800 at Bath and was buried at Walcot (Somerset).
  • Frances (d. 1786): died at Bristol and was buried 2 August 1786 at Clifton (Gloucestershire).
  • Harriet (1773-1815): baptised 15 August 1773 at Rochester (Kent); died 1 August 1815 at Cheriton (Kent) where she was buried. Married Julius Drake Brockman 10 June 1793 at Elmstead (Kent); she died before her husband who remained a widower until his death 7 September 1849.
  • John (1770-1837): died 28 February 1837 at Florence (Italy) aged 67. Married his cousin Matilda Jane Courtenay 7 June 1800 at Westminster (Middlesex); he died before Matilda who remained a widow until her death 4 August 1848 at St.Germain-en-Laye (France).
  • Thomas (1767-1846): died 25 December 1846 at Newcastle (County Limerick, Ireland) in the 80th year of his age. Married Aphra Langford 1 October 1792 in County Kerry (Ireland); widowed 14 October 1839 when she died at Newcastle.
  • William Thomas (1765-1817): born 24 July 1765 and baptised at Westminster (Middlesex); died 23 August 1817 at Newcastle (County Limerick, Ireland). Married Anne Margaret Drake Brockman 14 July 1789 at Marylebone (Middlesex); he died before his wife who remained a widow until 20 August 1838 when she died at Cheriton (Kent).

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PALMER children of Sarah Clack who married Charles Palmer in 1752

  • Charles Harcourt (1760-1838): died 19 February 1838 aged 78 at Dorney (Buckinghamshire) where he was buried. Inherited a baronetcy from his grandfather in November 1773 (‘sir Charles Harcourt Palmer’). His cousin Caroline Bonin became his partner and mother of their 4 children; Caroline died unmarried 12 December 1851 at Dorney.

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WROTTESLEY children of Frances Courtenay who married John Wrottesley in 1770. (Wrottesley-hall, their Staffordshire home, was in the parish of Tettenhall.)

  • Caroline Gertrude (1775-1777): born 18 May 1775 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 11 July 1777 and buried at Tettenhall.
  • Charles (1783-1848): born 8 July 1783 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 17 February 1848 at East Knoyle (Wiltshire) where he was buried.
  • Charlotte (1779-1853): born 7 October 1779 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 27 May 1853 at Walcot (Somerset) where she was buried. Married: (1) 14 January 1822 at Codsall (Staffordshire) John Helyar who died at East Knoyle (Wiltshire) 4 November 1823; (2) Henry Gordon 18 December 1826 at Walcot. Charlotte died before her second husband who remained a widower until his death 14 September 1855 at Walcot.
  • Edward (1785-1814): born 19 October 1785 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 29 July 1814 at Newfoundland (Canada) where he was buried. Married Ann Tringham 2 November 1812 at Gibraltar; he died before his wife who remained a widow until her death 15 May 1853 at Wrottesley (Staffordshire).
  • Frances (1773-1814): born 12 December 1773 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 26 April 1814 at Oaken (Staffordshire) and was buried at Tettenhall.
  • Henry (1772-1825): born 26 October 1772 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 17 February 1825 and was buried at Tettenhall.
  • Hugh (1782-1830): born 23 July 1782 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 18 October 1830 at Allahabad (India) where he was buried. Married Emma Matthews 3 November 1811 at Jaunpur (India); he died before his wife who remained a widow until her death 22 February 1864 at Bloomsbury (Middlesex).
  • John (1771-1841): born 25 October 1771 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 16 March 1841 at Tettenhall where he was buried. Inherited a baronetcy from his father April 1787 (‘sir John Wrottesley’); created a baron July 1838 (‘lord Wrottesley’). Married: (1) 23 June 1795 at Marylebone (Middlesex) Caroline Bennet who died at Westminster (Middlesex) 7 March 1818; (2) Julia Conyers, widow of John-Astley Bennett, 19 May 1819 at Epping (Essex). John died before his second wife who remained a widow until her death 29 September 1860 at Clifton (Somerset).
  • Louisa (1780-1842): born 24 November 1780 at Tettenhall (Staffordshire); died 11 May 1842 at Salisbury (Wiltshire) and was buried at East Knoyle (Wiltshire).

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William Thomas Beckford (1760-1844) is sometimes called a cousin of William’s but their family relationship was much more distant than that: Beckford was a cousin once removed of the William Courtenay (1777-1859) who became earl of Devon in 1835.

In 1774 the reverend Henry Reginald Courtenay married lady Elizabeth Howard. He was a cousin of the second viscount Courtenay (their fathers were brothers); she was a cousin of William Beckford (her mother and his father were siblings). William Courtenay (1777-1859) was their eldest son. Like William Beckford and unlike the first three viscounts Courtenay, this William Courtenay and his descendants had among their ancestors Bathshua Beckford and her husband Peter Beckford who was Speaker of the Jamaican House of Assembly in the early 18th century.

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Image(s)

Joshua Reynolds: Sir John Honywood, 1784; Wikimedia Commons

Page history

  • 2018 July 9: Uncles, aunts and cousins first published online.
  • 2026 September 1: Cousins first published online.