Talk:Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet

Latest comment: 7 years ago by Emrys2 in topic Name Confusion

Name Confusion

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This article states, as many other places do, that George's wife was Elizabeth Cleeve. In fact, Bourchier Cleeve's daughter was Ann. The Current DNB perpetuates this confusion, calling her Ann and Elizabeth in the Cleeve and Yonge articles. The Gentleman's Magazine announces their marriage but not the bride's given name, so presumably did not know it. I have alerted the DNB to this confusion and await a definitive explanation.

Emrys2 (talk) 09:12, 13 August 2017 (UTC)Reply

The earliest reference I have found to Bourchier Cleeve's wife and daughter each being named Elizabeth is The Baronetage of England...[1] of 1771. This says

Sir George Yonge ... married, in 1765, Elizabeth, only daughter and heir of the late Bouchier Cleeve, of Foots-Cray in Kent, Esq; by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and sole heir of ... Heydon, of London, timber-merchant.

I suspect other erroneous sources[2] took their evidence from this publication.

The 1887 DNB said "Cleeve was survived by his wife and daughter, both named Elizabeth. The latter inherited the estates, which in 1765 came into the possession of Sir George Yonge, bart., by his marriage with her." So this has been a long-standing confusion.

Bourchier Cleeve's will[3][4] clearly states that his wife was Mary and his daughter was Ann.

The alternative view, that Bourchier's daughter was Ann, is given in The House of Commons 1754-1790[5] which says that George Yonge married Ann, daughter and heir of Bourchier Cleeve, on 1765-07-10.

The Morning Post carried a notice[6] of the death of Lady Yonge which gave her correct given name.

Given the solid evidence from Bourchier's will, the contemporary death notice and the modern reference book on the house of commons, I have modified the article here to rename George Yonge's wife Ann.

Emrys2 (talk) 11:34, 15 August 2017 (UTC)Reply

References

  1. ^ Kimber, Edward (1771). "The Baronetage of England: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of All the English Baronets Now Existing ... Illustrated with Their Coats of Arms ... To which is Added an Account of Such Nova Scotia Baronets as are of English Families; and a Dictionary of Heraldry ..."
  2. ^ Hastged, Edward (1797). "The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent".
  3. ^ "Bourchier Cleeve Will at the National Archives".
  4. ^ "Bourchier Cleeve's Will Transcript".
  5. ^ Namier, Lewis (1985). "The House of Commons 1754-1790".
  6. ^ "Morning Post". 1833-01-15.