Sir William Throckmorton, 1st Baronet

Sir William Throckmorton, 1st Baronet (1579-1628) was an English landowner and investor in the settlement of Virginia.

He was the son of Sir Thomas (1539-1607) and Ellen, daughter of Sir Richard Berkeley of Stoke Gifford. He matriculated at University College, Oxford, in 1594. Having inherited his father's combative nature, he fought a duel with Walter Walsh of Little Sodbury.[1] Shortly after inheriting his estate he had his manors of Tortworth, Charfield, and Cromhall Ligon valued for sale.[2] He sold Tortworth in 1608 and moved to Clearwell in Newland, which he had acquired through his marriage to Cicely (b. 1586), daughter and co-heir of Sir Thomas Baynham. Smyth describes him as devouring his patrimony 'by riot & improvidence'.[1] Despite financial difficulties which led to the sale of other manors, he paid to become a baronet in 1611. In 1619 he joined with John Smyth, Richard Berkeley and George Thorpe in sending a ship with 36 men to Virginia, intending to found a new town there. The venture ended in disaster with an Indian massacre in 1622.[2] He was buried at Newland.[3]

By his first wife he had three children, who survived to adulthood:

  • Sir Baynham Throckmorton, 2nd Baronet
  • Sir Nicholas Throckmorton (1614-1664), who was knighted during the civil war for his support of Charles I. He married Alice (1621-1670), daughter and co-heir of Richard Gough of Hewlesfield. Their son William became the 4th baronet.
  • Elizabeth (d. 1676)

After Cicely's death he married Alice Morgan and Sarah Hale/Hall (d. 1636), whom Smyth described as his maids.[2] When Sarah wrote her will she had four children, of whom only a daughter Mary is identified by the surname Throckmorton.[4]

References
  1. Smyth, John (1885). The Berkeley Manuscripts III. pp. 307–8.
  2. "Throckmorton family". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/72341. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. Frith, Brian (1992). Bigland's Gloucestershire Collections. p. 920.
  4. "Will of Sarah Throkmorton of Tirley, Dame,widow, 1636".
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