Biography of Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell 1725-1780

Paternal Family Tree: Stawell

On 27th January 1725 Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell was born to [her father] Edward Stawell 4th Baron Stawell.

On 23rd January 1742 [her uncle] William Stawell 3rd Baron Stawell (age 60) died. His brother [her father] Edward succeeded 4th Baron Stawell of Somerton in Somerset.

In 1747 [her future husband] Wills Hill 1st Marquess Downshire (age 28) and Margaretta Fitzgerald were married. She the daughter of Robert Fitzgerald 19th Earl of Kildare and Mary O'Brien Countess Kildare.

On 13th April 1755 [her father] Edward Stawell 4th Baron Stawell died. Baron Stawell of Somerton in Somerset extinct. His daughter Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell (age 30) inherited his estates. She was created Baron Stawell of Somerton in Somerset in 1760.

In or before 1757 Henry Bilson Legge (age 48) and Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell (age 31) were married. He the son of William Legge 1st Earl Dartmouth and Anne Finch Countess Dartmouth.

In 1757 [her son] Henry Bilson Legge 2nd Baron Stawell was born to [her husband] Henry Bilson Legge (age 48) and Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell (age 31). He married 1779 Mary Curzon Baroness Stawell, daughter of Assheton Curzon 1st Viscount Curzon and Esther Hanmer Baroness Curzon, and had issue.

In 1760 Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell (age 34) was created 1st Baroness Stawell of Somerton in Somerset. She the daughter of [her father] Edward Stawell 4th Baron Stawell.

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

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On 23rd August 1764 [her husband] Henry Bilson Legge (age 56) died.

In 1766 Wills Hill 1st Marquess Downshire (age 47) and Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell (age 40) were married.

On 2nd December 1773 James Cecil 1st Marquess Salisbury (age 25) and [her step-daughter] Mary Amelia Hill Marchioness Salisbury (age 23) were married. She the daughter of [her husband] Wills Hill 1st Marquess Downshire (age 55) and Margaretta Fitzgerald. He the son of James Cecil 6th Earl of Salisbury (age 60) and Elizabeth Keet Countess of Salisbury (age 52). They were fifth cousin once removed.

In 1779 [her son] Henry Bilson Legge 2nd Baron Stawell (age 22) and [her daughter-in-law] Mary Curzon Baroness Stawell (age 17) were married.

On 29th July 1780 Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell (age 55) died. Her son [her son] Henry (age 23) succeeded 2nd Baron Stawell of Somerton in Somerset. [her daughter-in-law] Mary Curzon Baroness Stawell (age 19) by marriage Baroness Stawell of Somerton in Somerset.

On 7th October 1793 [her former husband] Wills Hill 1st Marquess Downshire (age 75) died. His son [her former step-son] Arthur (age 40) succeeded 2nd Marquess Downshire. Mary Sandys Marchioness Downshire (age 29) by marriage Marchioness Downshire.

Royal Ancestors of Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell 1725-1780

Kings Wessex: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Gwynedd: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd

Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 25 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth

Kings Powys: Great x 20 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys

Kings Godwinson: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of King Harold II of England

Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Kings Scotland: Great x 21 Grand Daughter of King Duncan I of Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 18 Grand Daughter of Louis VII King of the Franks

Kings France: Great x 22 Grand Daughter of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks

Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 26 Grand Daughter of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine

Ancestors of Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell 1725-1780

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Stawell of Cothelstone Manor

Great x 1 Grandfather: John Stawell 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Tuchet 10th Baron Audley, 7th Baron Tuchet 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: George Tuchet 1st Earl Castlehaven 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Tuchet 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: James Mervyn

Great x 3 Grandmother: Lucy Mervyn Baroness Audley and Tuchet

GrandFather: Ralph Stawell 1st Baron Stawell 10 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: George Hext

Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Hext

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Parker

Great x 3 Grandmother: Mary Parker

Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hext

Father: Edward Stawell 4th Baron Stawell 11 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: William Pitt

GrandMother: Abigail Pitt Baroness Stawell

Mary Stawell 1st Baroness Stawell 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England