This is a transcription of the Thomas Wescote, Esquire, of Wescote section from History and Genealogy of the Ancestors and Some Descendants of Stukely Westcott by Roscoe L. Whitman, 1932, page 5.
Thomas Wescote, Esquire, of Wescote
The grandson of St. Leger Wescote was Thomas Wescote, esquire. He was born on the ancient family estate at Wescote, and is mentioned by Lord Coke, who calls him “the king’s servant at court, a gentleman of Devonshire, anciently descended.” He was married about 1400, to Elizabeth, daughter and sole heir of Thomas de Littleton (2nd), lord of the manor of Frankly in Worcestershire, and esquire of the body of Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V. Her mother was Ann (or Maud), daughter of Richard Quartermine.
The family of Littleton, according to Collins’ “Peerage of England” (Vol. VIII, p. 316), had “fair possessions” in the vale of Eversham in the county of Worcester, before 1234, particularly at South Littleton, from which place it is probable they took their name, agreeably to the custom of the age. In 1160, John de Littleton was witness to a grant of land belonging to Eversham Abbey.
Thomas de Littleton (1st), father of the preceding Thomas, married Emma, daughter and sole heir of Sir Simon de Frankly, knight, which Thomas appears as witness to an instrument between Walter de Cantelupe, Bishop of Worcester, and Robert Fitz-Ralph. This Thomas [page 6] married secondly, Asselm, daughter of William Fitzwarin of Worcester. He died and his wife, having remarried, seized Frankly estate.
Thomas, son of Thomas de Littleton, attaining his majority, became heir to his father and recovered Frankly. He died in 1392, leaving his widow Ann (or Maud), daughter of and sole heir of Richard Quartermine of Ricote in the commonwealth of Oxford, and his wife, Joan, daughter of Robert Grey of Rotherfield, same county. Their daughter and sole heir was Elizabeth, who married Thomas Wescote, who, according to Prince’s “Devonshire Worthies,” was “born in Wescote, near Barnstaple, and flourished in 1414.”
(1) Thomas and Elizabeth (Littleton) Wescote had four sons and four daughters: Thomas, Guedo, Edmond, Nicholas, Ann (who m-Thomas Porter, Esquire, of Barston, in Warwickshire), and three others. With the death of the second Baron Thomas de Littleton, the paternal line of his distinguished old family became extinct. To perpetuate the name and keep the family fortune intact, which appears to have been large, and included beside the Littleton, the Quartermine and Frankly estates, Elizabeth upon her betrothal to Thomas Wescote, entered into a pre-nuptial agreement whereby their first male issue should be called Thomas and be baptised in her surname, Littleton. When the son was born in 1402, this agreement was adhered to and the child in after years became Sir Thomas Littleton, a brilliant and distinguished barrister. However, it appears that the mother was not content to have only her eldest son bear her name, but also wished Guedo, Edmond and Nicholas to take her surname. She would not permit them to share equally with their brother Thomas in her estate, and so they retained the name of Wescote. This appears to have created something of a family discord which culminated in 1450 in Guedo, the second eldest son, registering his Coat of Arms with the motto: Renovato nomine, meaning the name renewed. The use of clasped hands issuing from clouds suggests the family discord. Thomas and Elizabeth settled on her estate at Frankly, where he served the office of escheator of Worcester under Henry VI in 1451. He died soon after, and his widow married second, Thomas Hewster, esquire, of Lichfield in Staffordshire. Guedo remained on the ancestral estates at Wescote, Edmond died unmarried, and Nicholas married Agnes, daughter and sole heir of Edmond Vernon of Staffordshire, and they were the ancestors of the Wescotes of that county. From them descended William Wescote of Hansaker in Staffordshire, whose daughter, Maud, married David Cawaden of a family dating back to Henry Mevesyn, “son probably of the Norman, being of sufficient age in 1100 to attest to the foundation grant of William Itzalam to the Abbey of Haghmon, in Shropshire.” Through the Purefoy family, the Cawadens were related to the Wightman-Whitman line of the third known generation.
(2) Guedo Wescote of Wescote, b-1404, second son of Thomas and Elizabeth, as heir to his father’s estate because of his elder brother being baptised in his mother’s surname, retained the ancestral acres at Wescote. He married Alice, daughter of Sir Richard Granville of Gloucestershire, who was the son of William, of Bartholomew, second son of Sir Richard Grenville of Stow in Cornwall, whose wife was the daughter and heir of Bevil of Guarnack in Cornwall and who flourished late in the 13th century. To Guedo, the credit is due for reclaiming and perpetuating the family name and prestige since the confusion [page 7] occasioned by the demand of his mother. From Guedo and Alice (Grenville) Wescote “descended the Wescotes of Devon and Somerset.” They had but one son to whom they gave the name of the child’s grandfather, Thomas.
(3) Thomas Wescott of Wescote, appears to have made a slight change in the spelling of the family name. He married Mary, daughter of Thomas Wescott of the parish of Porlock in the adjoining shire of Somerset. They were cousins, it is recorded, but if so, Mary’s father was probably of the line of Nicholas Wescote who settled in Staffordshire. Thomas and Mary appear to have departed from Wescote and settled in Somerset, for of their son Thomas, it is recorded that “he came to Devonshire,” suggesting that he was not of that county at the time. Also it is recorded that Philip, their eldest son, was “of Porlock in Somerset,” the native parish and county of his mother. Philip married Margaret, daughter of William Spur of South Petherton in Somerset, and is said to have died without issue. Of the third and last son, Stephen, no record is found. It appears also that at about this period, Wescote was owned by the Stucleys.
(4) Thomas Wescott, second son of Thomas and Mary, above named, “followed the Court in the time of King Henry VIII (1509-1547), came to Devonshire with Sir Thomas Dennis of Holcomb-Burnell, knight, Chancellor to Queen Ann of Cleves, and was much desired in marriage by Anna, daughter of John Walker, the relic of John Raddon of Raddon in the parish of Shobrooke in Devon, and heir of John Collacutt of Winkleeigh in Devon. Anna’s mother was Alice Collacutt, of John, and widow of John Colome of Champslon in Mollan. There was no issue of record by this marriage, and secondly, Thomas married Alice, daughter and heir of John and Alice Walker, a sister of his first wife. Thomas died Mar. 28, 1549, and Alice, Oct. 6, 1557. Issue: In pedigree of Wescote of Shobrooke, “View of Devon” (1630), only Phillip is named as issue of Thomas and Alice Wescott. However, Harlain Society “Visitation of Devon” (1620), states there were two sons, but names only Philip. (For reference: Unnamed son.)
(5) Philip Westcote (so spelled in the ancient records), the only named son of Thomas and Alice, remained at Raddon (or West Raddon), where he died Feb. 7, 1600. He married Oct. 17, 1557, Katherine, daughter George Waltham of Brenton, parish of Axminster in Devon. She died Feb. 19, 1601. Waltham was son of Richard of Brenton. His mother was Janot Paddon of Keene, Devon. Philip and Katherine had twelve children. An account of the children follows merely to establish the fact that Stukely Westcott, the Founder of the American family of his name, did not descend from them.
(6) Robert Westcote, the eldest son (1560-1636), lived throughout his life at West Raddon and died without issue. George, second son, died without issue. Thomas, third son (1567- ), married Mary Roberts, lived in his later years with his brother Robert at West Raddon, and had divers children, which he names in his “View of Devon” (1630). There was not a Stukely, Richard, William or a Daniel among them, all names of those who came to America. John and Philip both died young and without issue. The others were daughters: Joan, Susan, Pascaw, Ann, Alice, Janor, Julia.
[page 8] In searching the ancient records of the antiquarian family in England for a clue to the parentage of Stukely Westcott, which, regretfully, has never been determined, the present compiler was aware at the outset that a half-century back, a diligent investigation was made without successful issue. However, in pursuing the records left by the Harlain Society, Thomas Westcott, Burke, Prince, Coke, Collins, and other authorities, the impression was gained that through the process of elimination, possibly some progress might be made in determining at least the second or third generation before that of the Founder.
It is learned from the ancient records that from Guedo and Alice (Glenville) Wescote “descended the Wescotes of Devon and Somerset.” As they had but one son, Thomas, it may be said of him as of his father, that from him descended the Wescotes of Devon and Somerset.
This son Thomas, of Guedo, had three sons: Philip, Thomas and Stephen. Philip, the eldest son, was “of Porlock in Somerset,” the native parish and shire of his mother, and died there without issue. Thus, he is eliminated as a possible ancestor. Likewise, it has already been shown that his next eldest brother, Thomas, must be eliminated and at the same time. Devonshire must be eliminated as the probable native shire of the Founder. The old records state clearly that this Thomas came to Devon, indicating that he was not originally of that county. He settled in Raddon in Devon, and nowhere do the records say he ever was of the parish of Wescote.
Authorities differ as to whether this Thomas had one or two sons. They agree that he had a son Philip (married 1557), and some contend that he had two sons, but they left the second son unnamed. Names and dates recorded of Philip’s offspring, eliminate him also as the ancestor of the Founder.
The unnamed son (brother of Philip) suggests a possible clue. However, the fact, clearly established by the old Arnold papers, that Stukely Westcott and his friend William Arnold and their families, started from Somersetshire to board the sailing vessel at Dartmouth to come to America, is at least circumstantial evidence that they were both natives of that shire. It is recorded positively that the Arnolds were natives of Somerset.
Therefore, the deduction that Stukely descended from the Wescotts of Somerset, seems logical, although unfortunately, there are no known records to substantiate this position. It is only known that he was in Somerset in 1622 and that he left the shire for America in 1635.
The only remaining son of the line who so far as the old records show, cannot be eliminated, is Stephen, son of Thomas and Mary Wescott. There is no known record of him, but as his parents and at least one of his brothers, dwelled in Somerset, and he being the youngest son, it is probable that he also was of Somerset.
Stephen Wescott, based upon the birth of his grandfather Guedo in 1404, the law of genealogical averages and the reign of his brother Thomas (1509-1547), was born about the year 1475 and therefore of suitable age to have been the grandfather (or great-grandfather) of Richard, b-1588, Stukely, b-1692, and of William, who are conceded to have been brothers. Thus, the speculation, far-fetched as it may appear to some, is that Stukely Westcott probably descended from Stephen [page 9] Wescott, of Thomas, of Guedo and Alice (Grenville) Wescote, the last of the name to dwell on the ancient estates of the family at Wescote.
The inability to definitely trace and authoritatively record the immediate ancestors of the Founder is most unfortunate. In view of the extended research made in England by representatives of the late Judge J. Russell Bullock prior to 1886, and again by Mr. Edson S. Jones for a period extending over some years prior to 1902, and the later research of Mr. Fred A. Arnold, the first and last named being descendants of Stukely Westcott, it appears unlikely that the missing link in the English lineage will ever be learned. However, the records compiled here may be of service in some future and more ambitious research.