The published descent of the Wingates, who, for some four hundred years, ranked as one of the leading families of the Sharpenhoe and Harlington Districts, terminates with Robert the son and heir of John Wingate (aged about 7 years) in 1634.

Robert, “died a youth” June 14. 1637, pre-deceasing his father; Francis the second son thus becoming heir. This Francis Wingate has in several accounts been erroneously taken for Sir Francis Wingate, his son; and in that invaluable mine of Bedfordshire Records, the Genealogia Bedfordiensis, the latter is stated to have had four wives and “altogether twentytwo children,” whereas the first of these wives (as will be seen later) was that of his father of the same name. It may be well therefore to record the further descent of the family from John Wingate in some detail, till it failed in the male line by the death of Captain John Wingate, the last surviving son of Sir Francis, 19 May, 1760.

Original manuscripts of the generations in question obligingly placed at my disposal by Mr. G. Wingate Pearce, the present representative of the eldest female branch, make the above relationship quite clear. The confusion was no doubt partly accounted for by the fact that the elder Francis married only one month after completing his sixteenth year. These records are on separate sheets and would appear to have been kept by the heads of the different families, they cover also several of the female alliances; as they are not only curious in many of the particulars given, but also contain many items of genealogical interest, tending to exemplify the alliances of the family, such of them as are to the point are here quoted in full and as written.

The earliest record is a list of the children of John Wingate, who married Alice, daughter of Francis Smallman of Kinnersley in Herefordshire.

(Sheet i.)

THE CHILDREN OF JOHN AND ALICE WINGATE.

(At Kynnersley Herefordshire.)

Hester Wingate was borne the 28th of Aprill 1625 halfe an houre before eleven of the clocke in the morninge beinge Thursday, Leonard Benett Esq., my Mother Smalman and my sister Katherine Smalman beinge Witnesses.