Holbeche family

The Holbeche (also spelt Holbech) family is an English gentry family of medieval origin associated with Lincolnshire and, from the early modern period, with Warwickshire. The family has been documented in county histories, heraldic visitations, and genealogical works since the 1200s. From the late seventeenth century their principal seat was Farnborough Hall. A major branch became connected with Stoneleigh Abbey in the early eighteenth century. It is a Germanic name, meaning "the low brook" or "the brook in the ravine or hollow".^[1]

The Holbeche family is first recorded in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, where they were medieval landholders and knights.^[2] Branches of the family were established in Warwickshire by the early modern period, particularly around Fillongley, where they held land and local offices.^[3]

This family is originary of Lincolnshire, England, from the Lordship of Holbeche, which surname took during the reign of William I of England. The earliest known member is Oliver Holbeche, father of John Holbeche, who succeeded his brother in the paternal Lordship, for not having children. He spoused Dorothea de Godney, daughter of John de Godney, Lord of Godney, of whom he had Lawrence Holbeche, who served in Ireland King Henry II and married a daughter of Sir John Creasy. Of this matrimony was born Sir John Holbeche, who had the chart of a Knight, served Richard I and John in the fights against France and had by his wife, daughter of Sir John Branche, Lawrence Holbeche, who served Henry III around the years of 1260. He consorted with Christina Weston, daughter of Sir Thomas Weston (probably Thomas Weston (MP)), of whom descended Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland and Lord Treasurer of King Charles I. His son Thomas Holbeche succeeded in the Lordship of Holbeche, and the second, Richard Holbeche, married Ursula Kinston, daughter of John Kinston, Lord of Kinston, of whom he had John Holbeche, who served Henry IV, and consorting with Cassandra de Erby, Lady of Hoffelyke, Lincolnshire, had Thomas Holbeche. Of this Thomas Holbeche and his wife Alice de Kenan was born another of the same name, who in 1435 served with value Henry V, and got married with a daughter of Richard Brearly. Of this consortium also was born a son named Thomas Holbeche who, rendering great services to Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III, had an addition to the arms of the Holbeche, which were: vert, five scallops argent saltire. For the addition was the shield broken, staying in the first or, chief azure charged with three lion heads torn off or, and in the second the above mentioned arms. Thomas Holbeche contracted marriage with Anne Varley, daughter of Sir ... Varley, Lord of Milhas, of whom he had Edward Holbeche, who lived by 1509, in the reign of Henry VII, and consorted with Juliana Portington, Lady of Portington. Their son Thomas Holbeche was contemporary of Henry VIII and consorted with Mary de Harvey, daughter of John de Harvey, of whom he had William Holbeche, who lived in the time of Queen Elizabeth I and married Jane Oughton, daughter of Sir Thomas Oughton, being born from the consortium Thomas Holbeche, contemporary of James I and husband of Elizabeth Haylas, daughter of Sir Thomas Haylas. From this marriage was born William Holbeche, who lived in the reigns of James I and Charles I and married Anne Begley, daughter of Sir Roland Begley, having for son Francis Holbeche, married to a Lady of the House of Russell, of whom he had another Francis Holbeche then Francisco Holbeche. This one came to Portugal in 1654 in the company of Richard Russell then Dom Ricardo Russel, his cousin, born around 1630 in Berkshire, Chaplain and Confessor to Queen Catherine of Braganza wife of Charles II, Bishop of Portalegre between 1 July 1671 and 10 September 1685 and Bishop of Viseu between 10 September 1685 and his death at the Farm of the Fontelo, in Viseu, on 15 November 1693, where he was buried at the Chapel-Major of the Viseu Cathedral, of humble condition, who left the reputation of being a man of zeal and illustration, and though a severe disciplinarian, of ready wit. He established himself in the city of Lisbon and was Consul of England, Scotland and Ireland, and it is known that was his son João Holbeche, Knight of the Order of Christ, Treasurer-Proprietor of the Treasury of the Royal Household, Secretary of the Sonships, who married leaving issue continuator of the surname. The arms of the Holbeche, with the addition of the above mentioned shield, whether in England, whether in Portugal, are: or, chief azure charged with three lion heads torn off or; crest: a pelican's head and neck, wounded gules. A Portuguese author says that in Portugal they used the arms with the addition, which in England are found registered as of Holbeach, certainly an antiquated form or variant of a branch of the family.^[4]

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, members of the family appear in visitation records and county histories as owners of properties in Fillongley and neighbouring parishes. Ince notes references in early narratives to Thomas Holbeche who served in the 1544 campaigns at Boulogne and Montreuil, with heraldic sources attributing later augmentations of the arms to this period.^[3]

The arms associated with the Holbeche family are: Vert, six escallops three, two and one, argent. The crest is: A maunch vert charged with escallops argent.^[3]

One of the family’s principal seats from the late seventeenth century was Farnborough Hall in Warwickshire. The estate was purchased by Ambrose Holbech in 1678.^[5] His son William Holbech made improvements to the house after returning from the Grand Tour, introducing paintings and decorative works, including Canaletto and Giovanni Paolo Panini.^[3]

The surrounding parkland was developed in the eighteenth century in the ferme ornée style, incorporating an obelisk, terrace walk and ornamental buildings.^[6] In 1960 Geoffrey Holbech transferred the estate to the National Trust, with members of the family continuing to occupy the house.^[3]

A significant connection was formed in 1705 when Mary Holbeche, heiress of the Fillongley branch, married Edward Leigh, 3rd Baron Leigh of Stoneleigh Abbey. Through this marriage a number of Holbeche-associated lands passed into the Leigh estates, as recorded in holdings at the National Archives.^[7]

Major architectural work at Stoneleigh Abbey followed in the early eighteenth century, including the construction of the Baroque west wing attributed to Francis Smith of Warwick.^[8] The Abbey received several prominent visitors in later centuries, among them King Charles I, Queen Victoria and the novelist Jane Austen, who stayed at the house in 1806.^[9]

• William Holbech (fl. 1358–1367), Member of Parliament for City of London
• David Holbache or Holbech (c. 1355–1422/3), Welsh Member of Parliament, founder of Oswestry School
• Sir Thomas Leigh (c. 1504–1571), Lord Mayor of London; linked to the family through the Leigh–Holbeche marriage line.^[3]
• Thomas Holbech (1606–1680), Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University in 1677, Master of Emmanuel College from 1676 to 1680.^[10] ]
• William Holbech (1748–1812), English Member of Parliament for Banbury and landowner.^[5][11]
• Lady Mary Ann Holbech Mordaunt (c. 1778–1842), amateur artist; her works are held in the Royal Collection Trust and the British Museum.^[3][5]
• Charles Holbech (1816-1901), Archdeacon of Coventry.^[5]
• William Holbech (1850-1930), Bishop of St. Helena in the South Atlantic for 25 years, earlier Archdeacon of Kimberley and Dean of Bloemfontein.^[12]
• William Holbech (1882-1914), cricketer, played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club and the Marylebone Cricket Club, killed in the First World War.^[13]

By the twentieth century, many of the historic estates of the various branches had been sold or passed into other lines. The Farnborough branch, however, remains associated with Farnborough Hall, where descendants continue to reside under National Trust stewardship of the wider property.^[3]