Peerage Record – 13960

     Sir Francis Astley married Elizabeth Altham, daughter of Sir James Altham and Mary Stapers.¹

     Sir John Bernard, 2nd Bt. was born in November 1630 at Brampton, Huntingdonshire, England^G.² He was the son of Sir Robert Bernard, 1st Bt. and Elizabeth Tolcarne.¹ He married, firstly, Elizabeth St. John, daughter of Sir Oliver St. John and Elizabeth Cromwell, on 26 February 1655/56 at St. Andrew, Enfield, London, England^G.² He married, secondly, Grace Shuckburgh, daughter of Sir Richard Shuckburgh and Grace Holte, on 30 August 1670.¹ He died in June 1679 at age 48 at Brampton, Huntingdonshire, England^G.² He was buried at Brampton, Huntingdonshire, England^G.¹ His will was proven (by probate) in 1680.¹
     He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Huntingdon from 1654 to 1655.¹ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Huntingdon between 1656 and 1660.¹ He succeeded as the 2nd Baronet Bernard, of Huntingdon, Hunts. [E., 1662] in 1666.¹ He lived at Brampton, Huntingdonshire, England^G.¹ He had eight other children by his first wife.¹

     Elizabeth St. John was born before 1640. She was the daughter of Sir Oliver St. John and Elizabeth Cromwell.¹ She married Sir John Bernard, 2nd Bt., son of Sir Robert Bernard, 1st Bt. and Elizabeth Tolcarne, on 26 February 1655/56 at St. Andrew, Enfield, London, England^G.²
     From 26 February 1655/56, her married name became Bernard.¹

     Sir Oliver St. John was born before 1598.³ He was the son of Oliver St. John and Sarah Buckley.^3,4 He married, firstly, Johanna Altham, daughter of Sir James Altham and Elizabeth Barrington.³ He married, secondly, Elizabeth Cromwell, daughter of Henry Cromwell, on 21 January 1638.³ He married, thirdly, Elizabeth Oxenbridge, daughter of Daniel Oxenbridge and Katherine Harby, on 1 October 1645.³ He died on 31 December 1673, on the Continent of Europe, where he had lived some ten years.³
     He was educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.³ He was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn in 1626 entitled to practise as a barrister.³ In 1629 he informed 4th Earl of Bedford (who put much business his way) of certain of King James I’s plans for curbing Parliament, for which he was imprisoned in the Tower of London, as a result of which he became hostile to the Stuart Court.³ In 1637 he defended the celebrated John Hampden in his refusal to pay King Charles I’s Ship Money.³ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Totnes in 1640, ‘Short’ Parliament.³ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Totnes in 1641, ‘Long’ Parliament.³ He held the office of Solicitor-General between 1641 and 1643.³ Between 1643 and 1646 he acted as Parliament’s substitute Attorney-General and a Parliamentary Commissioner to have custody of the Great Seal.³ Between 1644 and 1648 he was one of closest allies of Oliver Cromwell (to whom he was related by marriage.)³ He held the office of Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas between 1648 and 1660.^1,5 He was appointed a Commissioner to try King Charles I but declined to act.³ He was an envoy to negotiate an alliance with the United Provinces in 1651.³ He held the office of Chancellor of Cambridge University in 1651.³ He was a Parliamentary Commissioner to impose ordered administration to Scotland and promote its unification with England from 1651 to 1652.³ He held the office of Member of Council of the State in 1653, under the Commonwealth.³ He was nominal Commissioner of Treasury in 1654.³ By the assistance he gave General Monck and other judicious manoeuvres he escaped punishment at the Restoration apart from permanent disqualification from public office.³

     Samuel Chandler was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.¹ He lived at Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland.¹ He graduated in 1701 with a Doctor of Divinity (D.D.)¹ He held the office of Bishop of Lichfield between 1717 and 1730.¹

     Grace Holte was the daughter of Sir Thomas Holte, 1st Bt. and Anne Littleton.¹ She married, firstly, Sir Richard Shuckburgh, son of John Shuckburgh and Margaret Middlemore, in 1634.² She married, secondly, John Keating on 27 October 1659.² She died on 12 April 1677.²
     From 1634, her married name became Shuckburgh.¹ From 27 October 1659, her married name became Keating.²

     Sir Thomas Holte, 1st Bt. was born circa 1571.² He was the son of Edward Holte and Dorothy Ferrers. He married, secondly, Anne Littleton, daughter of Sir Edward Littleton and Mary Fisher.³ He married, firstly, Grace Bradbourne.² He died in 1654.
     He was created 1st Baronet Holte, of Aston, co. Warwick [England] on 25 November 1611.⁴

     Sir Robert Bernard, 3rd Bt. was born before 1670 at Brampton, Huntingdonshire, England^G.¹ He was the son of Sir John Bernard, 2nd Bt. and Elizabeth St. John.¹ He married Anne Weldon, daughter of Robert Weldon, on 26 May 1692 at St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, London, England^G.¹ He died before 1703.¹
     He succeeded as the 3rd Baronet Bernard, of Huntingdon, Hunts. [E., 1662] in June 1679.¹ He held the office of High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1688.¹ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Huntingdon from 1689 to 1690.¹ He held the office of High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire from 1691 to 1692.¹ He lived at Brampton, Huntingdonshire, England^G.¹

     Anne Weldon was the daughter of Robert Weldon.¹ She married, firstly, Sir Robert Bernard, 3rd Bt., son of Sir John Bernard, 2nd Bt. and Elizabeth St. John, on 26 May 1692 at St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, London, England^G.¹ She married, secondly, Thomas Trevor, 1st Baron Trevor of Bromham, son of Sir John Trevor and Ruth Hampden, on 25 September 1704.¹ She died on 5 December 1746.¹ She was buried on 13 December 1746 at Bromham, Bedfordshire, England^G.¹
     From 26 May 1692, her married name became Bernard.¹ From 25 September 1704, her married name became Trevor.¹

     Robert Weldon lived at St. Laurence Jewry, London, England^G.¹