Middlemore Family Genealogy

9. Robert Middlemore, of Edgbaston, esquire; undoubtedly the Robert Myddlemore who matriculated at Hart Hall, Oxford, in 1574, aged sixteen as " armigeri filius" from Warwickshire. Amongst his companions there of the same year was Thomas Shughburghe, from the same county, aged seventeen, and also ^" armigeri filius," evidently the elder brother of John Shuckburgh, who afterwards married Robert Middlemore's sister Margery,

It is possible that he is that Robert Middlemore who, in 1579 at which time he would be twenty-one, was admitted a convictor, or pensioner paying his own expenses, to the English College at Rome for the purpose of pursuing his humanity studies, He did not take the oath, but promised to observe the college discipline, and ultimately left for France.  His place of birth is not entered, but he is frequently mentioned in the Douay Diary, being styled" nobilis." Elsewhere he is noted as " gent,  His father mayntayneth him."  But see also Robert, son of John Middlemore (48) of Hawkesley,

His name does not appear upon the Recusant Rolls, so perhaps he conformed, or more probably was able to conceal  the religious opinions of his family.  He was, in 1619, perhaps the defendant in a curious bogus Chancery proceeding, the object of which, as shown by the following decree, was doubtless to extort costs for the benefit of Peter Power.

William Middlemore, esquire, plaintiff v. Robert Middlemore, esquire, defendant.  It appeared that one Peter Power, served the defendant with a subpoena at the suit of William Middlemore.  He, finding no bill exist­ing at the suit of William Middlemore, obtained 30s. costs against him. It now appears that there is no such man [19]as the said William Middlemore, and consequently defendant cannot obtain the said 30s.  It was ordered that the defendant might take a subpoena against Power to pay the 30s.

He entered his pedigree at the Herald's Visitation of Warwickshire in 1619.

He died aged about seventy-three at Edgbaston, 16 March, 1631-32 (or 15 March, according to the Chancery bill filed by his son Richard against his tenant, Richard Hunt). But no will, either of himself or his wife, has been discovered. His inquisition post mortem is as follows:

Inquisition after the death of Robert Middlemore, taken at Warwick 18 September, 8 Charles I [16321 ; the jury found that he died seized in his demesne as of fee of the manor of Edgebaston and various premises there, besides the manor of Studley and the manor of Olton, and divers burgages, cottages, meadows and lands there and in Solihull, and that Richard Middlemore aged forty-four years was his son and heir.

He married Priscilla, second daughter of John Brooke, of Madeley, co. Salop, esquire, who died 1598, and grand­daughter of Sir Robert Brooke, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and Speaker of the House of Commons. Her mother, Anne, daughter of Francis Sherley, of Staunton, Leicestershire, died 19 September, 1608, and was buried at Madeley.  The date of her own death has not been found,  consequent no doubt on the loss of the older Edgbaston registers.

   They had issue:

1. Richard Middlemore of who next (10)
2. John Middlemore , aged twenty-seven in 1619, was admitted to the Middle Temple , 17 April, 161 as the "2nd son of Robert Middlemore of Edgbaston. Esq."

He is probably the John Middlemore of London, gentleman, whose will, -  dated a January, 1633, was proved 14 November, 1634, by his widow, Anne, daughter of William and Bridget[20]Saunders, and granddaughter of Valentine Saunders, to whom, with the exception of legacies to servants, he left all his property; he also named "my lady Anne Lake" and the servants at Sutton Court, and desired to be buried at St. Dunstan's in the West. She was probably the Anne Middlemore, widow, living at Sutton Court, Chiswick, who, in 1637, as executrix of John Middlemore, gentleman, sued Dame Anne Lake and her son Lancellot, to compel them to pay a bond for £200 for which John Middlemore had become surety for Sir Arthur Lake.

3. Humphrey Middlemore, aged twenty-three in 1619.  The age twenty-three is perhaps a mistake in the Visitation for twenty-five, since he is probably to be identified with Hum­phry Mandeville vere Middlemore, Salop, mentioned in the Diary of the English College at Rome. He is stated to be aged twenty, 4. October, 1614, and was ordained priest, 13 March, 1619, and left for England 6 May, 1621.  A note says that he was the "son of an esquire," and was brought up at Edgbaston in his father's house, and was converted to the Catholic faith by Father Stanney.
4. Thomas Middlemore, aged twenty-one in 1619. Perhaps the Thomas Middlemore of East Baston, co. Warwick, whose goods were :administered by Humfrey Huggeford "next heir," 6 August, 1631.
5. Robert Middlemore, of Yardley, Worcestershire, esquire, aged eighteen in 1619, was a recusant, so convicted with his wife in 1658, and two parts of all their goods and chattels were to be paid to Oliver, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth.  It is probable thatheis that Robert Middlemore, then of Mosley in King's Norton, who in March, 1647, was assessed by the Parliamentary commissioners in the sum of £300 for his delinquency.  From this, on his appeal, he was ordered to be discharged, it being shown that he had but "£150 a year for life and being £1,100 in debt."

 He purchased from his brother Richard for £400 the annuity of £32, which had descended to the latter on the death of their uncle, Thomas Middlemore, and by his will devised it to his wife for life, with remainder to his two daughters. His will, dated 1 October, 1660, was proved by his widow 1June, 1665, at Worcester.  He desired to be buried in Edgbaston Church.  The inventory of his goods shows that their value was L639 16s.

He married Mary, daughter of John Harrington, of Allbritton, i.e. Allbrighton, in Shropshire, near Wolverhampton, probably at that place 8 September, 1656, the ceremony being performed by justice Greaves, as appears by a certificate in the Yardley register[21].  She probably remarried, for a marriage licence was granted at Worcester, 4 July, 1666, to John Middlemore, of King's Norton, bachelor, to marry Mary Middlemore, widow, she being aged thirty.  He was, perhaps, the John Middlemore, of Northfield, gentleman (second son of John Middlemore (50), of Hawkeslowe), who was fined for "°recusancy " in 1682, and died in 1705.

Robert Middlemore and Mary Harrington had issue two daughters.

1. Mary.
2. Elizabeth, bapt. at St. Peter's, Birmingham, 28 April, 1659.
6. Emma, married Waliston Betham, who was aged twenty-four in 1619, their daughter Frances being then aged six months. He was a son of Thomas Betham, of Rowington, Warwick­shire, by Margaret, daughter and co-heiress of John Waliston, of Ruislip in Middlesex. His aunt, Sybil Betham, had married Humphrey Middlemore (8), of Edgbaston, and his sister Bridget married John Middlemore (50), of Hawkesley. See Table P.
7. Anne, married Robert Gower, of Colmarsh, co. Worcester, presumably of that family whose pedigree, dating from Richard Gower "temp. Ed. the first," is given in the Visitation of Worcestershire, 1569. They gave for their arms, Azure a chevron between three wolves' heads erased or.



Winifred, married Thomas Waring, aged twenty-one in 1619. He was son and heir of Charles Waring, of Beryhall, in-Solihull, by Lettice, daughter of John Hugford, -of Henwood, presumably of that Shropshire family of Waring from which she herself was descended through her mother, Priscilla. According to the Visitation of Shropshire, 1623, these Warings used for arms, Gules on a fess engrailed or, between three bucks' heads caboshed argent, attired gold as many crescents sable, though Dugdale, p. 672, ascribes to them, Azure a chevron between three lions passant or.



Frances, living unmarried in 1619.  She married, as his first wife, Matthias Meysey, of Shaken­ hurst, co. Worcester, who died about 1678. They had two sons and three daughters

Thomas and Robert, who died unmarried.

Mary, married . . . . Freeman, of .... near Edgbaston.

Catherine, married (i) John Fox, of Leighton, co. Hereford, and (2) Thomas Lingen, of Leighton. Elizabeth " went beyond sea."

The arms of Meysey are, Argent a fess gules between three cinquefoils pierced sable eared gules; crest, a dragon's head quarterly, or and azure.

8. Priscilla, living unmarried in 1619. She married John Berington, of Cowarne, Herefordshire, second son of John Berington, of Cowarne, in right of his wife Mary, daughter and heir of Thomas Skull, of the same place.  He died about 1683, leaving a son and six daughters. Arms of Berington, Sable, a greyhound courant argent, collared gules, within a bordure of the second.