(Vol. iii., p. 8.)
Your correspondent may be interested to know, that Sir Anthony Chester,
Bart., of Chichley, co. Bucks, married, May 21, 1657, Mary, dau. of Samuel
Cranmer, Esq., alderman of London, and sister to Sir Caesar Cranmer, Kt., of
Ashwell, Bucks. This Samuel Cranmer was traditionally the last male heir of
the eldest of Cranmer's sons; his descent is, I believe, stated in general
terms in the epitaphs of Lady Chester, at Chichley, and Sir Caesar Cranmer,
at Ashwell. He was a great London brewer by trade, and married his cousin
Mary (sister of Thomas Wood, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, and Sir
Henry Wood, Bart., of the Board of Green Cloth), dau. of Thomas Wood, Esq.,
of Hackney, by his wife ---- Cranmer. They had only two children, and it
would appear from Harleian MS. No. 1476. fo. 419., which omits all mention
of Sir Caesar, that he died in his father's lifetime, and that Lady Chester
was sole heiress to this branch of the Cranmers.
There are two brief pedigrees I have seen of these Cranmers, one in Harl.
MS. 1476. above {189} mentioned, the other in Philipot's _Catalogue of
Knights_; but neither of them goes so far as to connect them with the
archbishop, or even with the Nottinghamshire family; for they both begin
with Samuel Cranmer's grandfather, who is described of Alcester, co.
Warwick. Now the connexion is certain: could one of your readers supply me
with the wanting links? Is it possible that they omit all mention of the
archbishop on account of the prejudice mentioned by your correspondent;
being able to supply the three generations necessary to gentility without
him?
I am obliged to write without any books of reference, or I would have
consulted the epitaphs in question again.