The Family of Morgan Williams



by William Addams Reitwiesner

wargs@wargs.com



Oliver Cromwell (later the Lord Protector of England), shortly after his marriage to Elizabeth Bourchier (on 22 Aug. 1640) signed his marriage covenant as "Oliver Williams alias Cromwell" [Judge Sir Thomas Artemus Jones, Without My Wig (Liverpool: H. Evans, 1944), p. 42]. The reason for this form of signature is that the Lord Protector's great-grandfather, Richard Williams, son of Morgan Williams by Katherine Cromwell (sister of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex) changed his name to Richard Cromwell (or, more precisely, "Richard Williams alias Cromwell") because, as secretary to his uncle, the name Cromwell was more important. This Morgan Williams (the Lord Protector's great-great-grandfather) was actually a Welshman named Morgan ap William ap Ieuan [WG2: Bl. ap C. 56 (B)].

Through this Welsh great-great-grandfather, Oliver Cromwell has four different descents from King Henry I of England:



HENRY I, KING of ENGLAND = NN
Robert de Caen Earl of Gloucester m. Mabel FitzHamon
William Earl of Gloucester = NN
NN m. Gruffudd ab Ifor Bach
NN f. Gruffudd m. William Maelog Rhys ap Gruffudd m. NN f. Hywel Caerllion Hywel Felyn ap Gruffudd m. Sara le Sore
Ralph Maelog m. Joan f. Rhys Llywelyn ap Hywel Felyn m. NN Nest f. Hywel Felyn m. Llywelyn ap Bledri
Ann Maelog m. Gwrgi Grant
Thomas ap Gwrgi Grant m. Isabel De La Bere Catrin f. Llywelyn m. Henry Kemys Ifor ap Llywelyn m. Tangwystl f. Rhys
William ap Thomas m. Jonet f. Rhun
Thomas ap William m. Cecily de Brian John Kemys m. Mawd f. Rhun Llywelyn ab Ifor m. Angharad f. Morgan
Hywel ap Thomas m. Gwenllian f. Tomkin Morgan ap Llywelyn m. Mallt f. Rhun
Thomas ap Hywel m. NN Jenkin Kemys m. Crisli f. Morgan
Joan f. Thomas m. Morgan ap Hywel
Ieuan ap Morgan m. Margred Kemys
William ap Ieuan m. margred f. Thomas
Morgan ap William m. Katherine Cromwell
Sir Richard Williams alias Cromwell m. Frances Martyn
Sir Henry Williams alias Cromwell m. Joan Warren
Robert Williams alias Cromwell m. Elizabeth Steward
OLIVER CROMWELL, LORD PROTECTOR of ENGLAND (1599-1658)




His Highness Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England and military leader of the Parliamentary Forces which deposed and executed King Charles I, is thus related to King Charles I through their shared descent King Henry I of England, but there are closer relationships through their mutual descent from Rhys ap Gruffudd, called Yr Arglwydd Rhys [The Lord Rhys] (b. ca. 1132, d. 1197), Prince of South Wales [WGRs. ap T. 2]. Each has several descents from Yr Arglwydd Rhys, but the closest connection is:



Rhys ap Gruffudd ("YR ARGLWYDD RHYS") m. Gwenllian f. Madog

Maredudd Gethin ap Rhys m. Gwenllian f. Hywel
Siblings
Gwenllian f. Rhys m. Ednyfed Fychan ap Cynwrig

Gruffudd ap Maredudd m. [two wives]
1st Cousins
Gronwy ab Ednyfed Fychan m. Morfudd f. Meurig

Maredudd ap Gruffudd m. Mawd f. Cadwallon
2nd Cousins
Tudur ap Gronwy m. Angharad f. Ithel Fychan

Sir Morgan ap Maredudd m. Crisli f. Dafydd
3rd Cousins
Gronwy ap Tudur m. Gwerful f. Madog

Angharad f. Sir Morgan m. Llywelyn ab Ifor
4th Cousins
Tudur ap Gronwy m. Margred f. Thomas

Morgan ap Llywelyn m. Mallt f. Rhun
5th Cousins
Maredudd ap Tudur m. Margred f. Dafydd Fychan

Crisly f. Morgan m. Jenkin Kemeys
6th Cousins
Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur m. Catherine of Valois

Margred Kemeys m. Ieuan ap Morgan
7th Cousins
Edmund Tudor E Richmond m. Margaret Beaufort

William ap Ieuan m. Margred f. Thomas
8th Cousins
Henry VII King of England m. Elizabeth of York

Morgan Williams m. Katherine Cromwell
9th Cousins
Margaret Tudor m. James IV King of Scots

Richard Williams alias Cromwell m. Frances Murfyn
10th Cousins
James V King of Scots m. Mary of Guise

Sir Henry Williams alias Cromwell m. Joan Warren
11th Cousins
Mary Queen of Scots m. Henry Stewart Ld Darnley

Robert Williams alias Cromwell m. Elizabeth Steward
12th Cousins
James VI & I King of England m. Anne of Denmark

OLIVER CROMWELL, LORD PROTECTOR of ENGLAND
13th Cousins
CHARLES I, KING of ENGLAND


So through this shared descent, Charles I and Oliver Cromwell were thirteenth cousins of each other.



Selected descendants of the paternal grandparents of the Lord Protector include:


Sir Henry Williams alias Cromwell m. Joan Warren
A. Dorothy Williams alias Cromwell m. Thomas Fleming
AA. Mary Fleming m. Thomas Leigh
AAA. Anne Leigh m. James Stockman
AAAA. John Stockman, emigrant to Massachusetts
B. Frances Williams alias Cromwell m. Richard Whalley
BA. Edmund Whalley, Regicide, emigrant to Massachusetts [NCP IV:644-645]
C.       Joan Williams alias Cromwell m. Sir Francis Barrington 1 Bt
CA.       Joan Barrington m. Sir Richard Everard 1 Bt
CAA.       Sir Richard Everard 2 Bt m. Elizabeth Gibb
CAAA.       Sir Hugh Everard 3 Bt m. Mary Browne
CAAAA.       Sir Richard Everard 4 Bt, Colonial Covernor of North Carolina
D. Mary Williams alias Cromwell m. Sir William Dunch [Richard K. Evans, The Ancestry of Diana Princess of Wales for twelve generations (Boston: NEHGS, 2007), no. 5801]
E. Sir Oliver Williams alias Cromwell m. Elizabeth Bromley
EA. Elizabeth Williams alias Cromwell m. Sir Richard Ingoldsby
EAA. Anne Ingoldsby m. Sir Edward Chaloner [Richard K. Evans, The Ancestry of Diana Princess of Wales for twelve generations (Boston: NEHGS, 2007), no. 5233]








William Addams Reitwiesner


wargs@wargs.com