Napier Headaches was Fw: The Lords Napier: Ancestors of HRH

[Leo van de Pas]

Kelsey mentioned an ancestry line and advised where he found it, the
Complete Baronetage in a footnote.

Having found the Napiers of Merchistoun in : "Burke's Landed Gentry of Great
Britain, The Kingdom of Scotland, 19th Edition, 2001.
I tried to compare and see where they fit

the Complete Baronetage did not give many dates
1.Sir Alexander Napier of Merchistoun in Scotland
2.John Naper of Swyre, Dorset
3.James Naper, of Puncknoll, Dorset
4.Sir Robert Naper, of Middlemarsh, Dorset
5.Sir Nathaniel of Middlemarsh married Elizabeth Gerard
6a.Sir Gerrard 1st Baronet
6b.James Napier of Loughrew, died 1676
7.Elzabeth Napier married in 1682 died 1737

Burke's Landed Gentry mentioned above, page 1099,
the family starts with
1.Alexander Napier, died in 1454, he obtained Merchistoun
2.Sir Alexander Napier, of Merchistoun, died "before 1475/1479"
3.John Napier, of Merchistoun, died before 3 November 1487
4.Archibald Napier, of Merchistoun, died 1521
5.Sir Alexander Napier, of Merchistoun, killed at Flodden 1513
6.Alexander Napier, of Merchistoun, 1509-1547 killed at Pinkie
7.Sir Archibald Napier, of Merchistoun and Edinballie, ca.1534 died 1608
8.John Napier, of Merchistoun 1550-1617, he married twice and had many
children
John Napier was one of the most distinguished philosophers and learned
and cultivated
men of his age, the inventor of logarithms.
9.Sir Archibald Napier, 1st Baron Napier, died in 1645

Somehow, somewhere these two lines must join, but where?

With best wishes
Leo van de Pas
Canberra, Australia

----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2007 11:25 AM
Subject: Re: The Lords Napier: Ancestors of HRH The Duchess of York?

Dear Leo,

The name appears to have been customarily spelt "Naper" or "Napper"
rather than Napier but there is a Scottish descent all the same. The
1912 edition of Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland (p. 503) states that
James Naper of Loughcrew was High Sheriff for Co. Meath in 1702 and
died in 1718, having married three times but Elizabeth who married
Thomas Bligh of Rathmore was not his daughter but rather his sister
and the daughter of an earlier James Naper of Loughcrew, High Sheriff
in 1671, who died 4 October 1676, having married Dorothy, dau. of
Anthony Petty of Romsey, Hants. He, in turn, was the sixth son (not
fourth -- cf. Notes & Queries, 2nd ser., 5 [1858]:169) of Sir
Nathaniel Naper of More Critchell, Dorset, sheriff & M.P. for Dorset.
Sir Nathaniel's eldest son, Sir Gerrard, was made a baronet on 25 June
1641 and the Complete Baronetage gives the following pedigree
(probably from a visitation):

Sir Alexander Napier of Merchistoun, in Scotland
\
John Naper of Swyre, Dorset
\
James Naper of Puncknoll, Dorset
\
Sir Robert Naper of Middlemarsh, Dorset
\
Sir Nathaniel of Middlemarsh & More Critchell = Elizabeth, da. & h. of
John Gerard of Hyde, in the isle of Purbeck

Sincerely,
Kelsey

On Dec 29, 4:10 pm, "Leo van de Pas" <[email protected]> wrote:
This slip of the pen, is not such a big slip, I think/hope.

Where does Colonel James Napier, of Loughcrew fit in?

Col.James Napier, died 1719
\
Elizabeth Napier
\
John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley
\
Lady Ann Bligh
\
Theodosia Hawkins-Magill
\
Lady Catherine Meade
\
Richard Wingfield, 5th Viscount Powerscourt
\
Richard Wingfield, 6th Viscount Powerscourt
\
Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powerscourt
\
Mervyn Richard Wingfield, 8th Viscount Powerscourt
\
Doreen Julia Wingfield
\
Susan Mary Wright
\
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

Sarah Ferguson descends from Col. James Napier in at least three
different
ways. In her ancestor list he is 1818, 1834 and 7226.

Col James Napier is also an ancestor of
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 13th Baron Cecil of Essendon
Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire
Richard Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan
Sir Angus Ogilvy, husband of Princess Alexandra

Sarah Ferguson is also a descendant of Janet Napier, wife of Alexander
Hepburn and Helen Napier wife of Sir John Melville, 4th of Raith

I hope someone can connect Col James Napier to the Lords Napier family

With best wishes
Leo van de Pas,
Canberra, Australia


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[Ian Wallace]

From "A Difficult Country: the Napiers in Scotland" by Priscilla
Napier (Michael Joseph, London, 1972)

"Settling first at Swyre, Pucknowle and Bexington, James Napier (son
of Sir Alexander Napier of Merchistoun by a sister of Robert Stewart,
Earl of Atholl) had Edward Napier of Holywell, Nicholas Napier of
Tintinhull and James of Baglake"

Priscilla Napier is generally considered rather a lightweight author
but I have found her to be careful and reliable when it comes to
matters of Napier family history (well, she did have access to the
family archives). She goes on to say "Edward left a son William only
seven years old, but this did not prevent him being seized of the
manor of Swyre..." and quotes his MI "Here lyeth William Napier who
after xv years travell in forayne landes married Anne Shelton, the
daughter of William Shelton of Ongar Park, esquier, by whom he had VI
sonnes, and now his sole being with God his bodie now resteth in Jesu
Christ". She adds, regarding this William "His younger brother Robert
went west and became Queen Elizabeth's Lord Chief Justice of Ireland,
returning to Dorset to settle at Middlemarsh".

She continues "Sir Robert Napier, returning from Ireland and knighted
by Queen Elizabeth some time before 1593, restored Middlemarch,
derelict since 1536....Nathanial Napier of Middlemarch, son to Sir
Robert by Magdalen his wife, and knighted by James 1 at Newmarket for
no discernible reason...his eldest Sir Gerard was M.P. for Wareham and
Melcombe Regis and made a baronet in 1641." Clearly this links up with
what Leo found in the "Complete Baronetage"

The father of James Napier who came south (with his brother John) from
Scotland to settle at Swyre can be identified as :

5.Sir Alexander Napier, of Merchistoun, killed at Flodden 1513

the other son of this Alexander was another Sir Alexander, killed by
the English at Pinkiecleugh in 1547. His son Sir Archibald, was father
of John Napier the great mathematician.

Leo, this is put together in haste at 3am owing to family illness, if
not completely clear, please come back with any queries and I will try
to deal with them tomorrow.

Ian.

On 30 Dec, 05:31, "Leo van de Pas" <[email protected]> wrote:

Kelsey mentioned an ancestry line and advised where he found it, the
Complete Baronetage in a footnote.

Having found the Napiers of Merchistoun in : "Burke's Landed Gentry of Great
Britain, The Kingdom of Scotland, 19th Edition, 2001.
I tried to compare and see where they fit

the Complete Baronetage did not give many dates
1.Sir Alexander Napier of Merchistoun in Scotland
2.John Naper of Swyre, Dorset
3.James Naper, of Puncknoll, Dorset
4.Sir Robert Naper, of Middlemarsh, Dorset
5.Sir Nathaniel of Middlemarsh married Elizabeth Gerard
6a.Sir Gerrard 1st Baronet
6b.James Napier of Loughrew, died 1676
7.Elzabeth Napier married in 1682 died 1737

Burke's Landed Gentry mentioned above, page 1099,
the family starts with
1.Alexander Napier, died in 1454, he obtained Merchistoun
2.Sir Alexander Napier, of Merchistoun, died "before 1475/1479"
3.John Napier, of Merchistoun, died before 3 November 1487
4.Archibald Napier, of Merchistoun, died 1521
5.Sir Alexander Napier, of Merchistoun, killed at Flodden 1513
6.Alexander Napier, of Merchistoun, 1509-1547 killed at Pinkie
7.Sir Archibald Napier, of Merchistoun and Edinballie, ca.1534 died 1608
8.John Napier, of Merchistoun 1550-1617, he married twice and had many
children
John Napier was one of the most distinguished philosophers and learned
and cultivated
men of his age, the inventor of logarithms.
9.Sir Archibald Napier, 1st Baron Napier, died in 1645

Somehow, somewhere these two lines must join, but where?

With best wishes
Leo van de Pas
Canberra, Australia