Westminster Abbey is a fascinating example of archival historical fact, as are most all cathedrals and churches in London and throughout the United Kingdom, I found them to be so during my visits to England. Churches and their Parish records are like sponges to the history of our past generations and we should never underestimate the value of the information they hold about our ancestors, in their archives. This has been a fact for the research of my Bond family history, a tool I have used since the begging of my family research. In London and though out England I have found Church/Parish records that record the births, marriages and deaths of my family that go back many generations not simply two or three generations but many more. We can look forward to the possibility of gaining information for multiple persons in one record, and we may also be able to find that multiple generations have recorded history at a given church. Dig deep, research deep and leave no favourable record behind, as you discover them.
Westminster Abbey is a place of outstanding historical value, a place most would have on their bucket list of places to see in their travels. For you family historians who have the Abbey on your list see this helpful link to visit, when you are next in London, Verger guided tours.
As we know it today Westminster Abbey go's back to 1245 when the construction was begone with the orders of King Henry 3rd, there are more than 3,300 burials on site including 16 Monarchs and 8 Prime Ministers plus many more persons of notoriety. I have visited Westminster when in London and have been lifted by the grandeur and atmosphere, on taking those first steps past the entrance. I was only able to wander in areas limited to self-guiding but still, I was in wonder of the names that were before me. I was unaware at the time, of the fact that I was a descendant of some of the people entombed here. Today if I was to visit I would be visiting with the knowledge that I have 36 ancestors entombed at Westminster Abbey, in my Bond family line. Amazing some would say, unbelievable others would exclaim, but to me, it's just the results of heavy research days for years on end. All 36 ancestors were researched individually for their place in the family, over 17-18 years; before connection to Westminster Abbey. When researching our family histories be ready to be surprised at any point along the way and willing to dig deeper into the newfound facts. The 36 individual ancestors that I discovered and entombed at Westminster Abbey are listed below. Each ancestor played specific roles in history and studying each individual and their role in history only enriches our knowledge of our family. I encourage ancestral researchers to follow their ancestors, to were ever they take them and one day you may find yourself as I have at Westminster Abbey. And you too can be inspired to share your ancestral research and history. 1. Henry III Plantagenet King, 22nd Great grandfather, Eleanor De Provence, 22nd Great grandmother buried at Amesbury Priory. 2. Thomas Owen, 11th Great grandfather. 3 - 4. Edward I Longshanks Plantagenet King, 21st Great grandfather. Eleanor De Castile Queen, 21st Great grandfather. 5 - 6. Edward III of Windsor Plantagenet King, 21st Great grandfather. Philippa De Hainault Queen, 21st Great grandmother. 7 - 8. Richard II Plantagenet King, 1st Cousin 21x removed, Anne Bohemia Queen, Wife of 1st Cousin 21x removed. 9. Emma De Normandy Queen, 29th Great grandmother. 10 - 11 Edward the Confessor De England King, 28th Great grand uncle, Edith De Wessex, Wife of 28th Great grand uncle. 12. Henry V De Lancaster King, 2nd Cousin 20x removed. 13. Edward V of England child King, 5th Cousin 14x removed. 14. Henry VII of England King, 6th Cousin 14x removed. 15. Edward VI of England King, 7th Cousin 12x removed. 16. Anne of Cleaves, Wife of 6th Cousin 13x removed. 17. Mary I of England Queen, 7th Cousin 12x removed. 18. Elizabeth I of England Queen, 4th Cousin 14x removed. 19. Cnut (Canute) the Great King, 30th Great grandfather. 20. Anne Neville Queen, 2nd Cousin 17x removed. 21 - 22. Elizabeth Seymour / Percy, 8th Cousin 8x removed, Huge 1st Duke of Northumberland Smithson / Percy, Husband of 8th Cousin 8x removed. 23. Elizabeth Anne Frances Percy, 9th Cousin 6x removed. 24. Marie De La Garde Peliot / Bond, Wife of 9th Cousin 10x removed. 25 - 26. George Augustus II Hanover King, 13th Cousin 6x removed, Wilhelmine Charlotte Karoline Von Brandenburg Ansbach, Wife of 13th Cousin 6x removed. 27. Mary I Stewart Queen, 8th Cousin 11x removed. 28. James VI Stewart King, 9th Cousin 10x removed. 29. Elizabeth Stewart, 10th Cousin 9x removed. 30. Charles II Stewart King, 11th Cousin 8x removed. 31. Anne Stewart Queen, 12th Cousin 7x removed. 32. George of Denmark Prince, Husband of 12th Cousin 7x removed. 33 -34. William II - III Orange of England King, 12th Cousin 7x removed, Mary II Stuart Queen, 12th Cousin 7x removed. 35. George Seymour, 8th Cousin 7x removed.
36. Denis Bond 1st Cousin 22x removed.
Marie De La Garde Peliot was the wife of Sir Thomas Bond 1st baronet, comptroller of the household of Queen Henrietta Maria and son of Dr. Thomas Bond and Catherine Osbaldeston. She was the daughter of Charles Peliot, she died circa August 1696 and was buried 12th August 1696 at Westminster Abbey, Westminster London England.
Children of Marie De La Garde Peliot and Sir Thomas Bond 1st Baronet:
Mary Charlotte Bond. c.1556 - 1708 m Sir William Cage 2nd Baronet had issue.
Sir Henry Bond 2nd Baronet.
Thomas Bond.
Denis Bond was a prosperous Woollen Draper an MP and Mayor of Dorchester, the son of John Bond and Margaret Pitt. He sided with the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War and was named to become a commissioner at the trial of King Charles 1, for treason on 20th Jan 1649, an appointment he managed to avoid serving. Denis sat in the House of Commons 1640 - 1656, during the Commonwealth, he served as president of the Council of State. He was husband to Joan Gould and then to Lucy Lawrence. There is a great deal of recorded information on the life of Denis Bond the M.P. for the budding researcher to discover. Himself a dedicated family historian he went to lengths to establish and document his genealogical knowledge of his family history to be recognised as a gentleman.
Children of Denis Bond and Joan Gould:
Dr John Bond, MP. LLD. MA.
Joan Bond 1613 - 1614.
Joan Bond 1615 - 1620.
William Bond 1617 - 1669 m Elizabeth Helmer had an issue.
Sarah Bond 1618 -.
Children of Denise Bond and Lucy Lawrence:
Samuel Bond, MP. 1623 - 1773 m Hester Holland had issue.
Mary Bond 1624 - 1645.
Elizabeth Bond 1626 - 1627.
James Bond 1628 - 1638.
Onesiphorus Bond 1630 - 1697.
Nathaniel Bond, MP. 1634 - 1707 m Elizabeth Churchill had issue.
Denis Bond was buried at Westminster on 30th Aug 1658 and his body was later exhumed and buried on the grounds of St Margarets, Westminster. He is now paying eternal due pennants for his support of Cromwell and siding with the Parliamentarians.
Source: Burials at Westminster Abbey.
Recommended reading:
The Obedientriaries of Westminster Abbey and their Financial Records, by Barbara Harvey.
Treasures of Westminster Abbey, by Tony Trowels.
Westminster Abbey, by David Cannadine.
Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.
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