A True Account of the Royal Descent of Kathleen Mary Newark

My books owe their existence to a small red leather-bound book with pages edged in gold which I found amongst my mother's possessions after she died. On the first page, written in my father's distinctive sloping handwriting, were the words "A True account of the Royal Descent of Kathleen Mary Newark". Kathleen Mary Newark was my mother and this book, with its details of one bloodline of her family tree, was a gift to her from my father. The story began in 1299 with a marriage between the Royal Houses of England and France and ended in 1909 with the birth of my mother. These people were my mother's ancestors and this was the first time I had made their acquaintance.


Edward the First, King of England, married as his second wife Marguerite, Princess of France, the daughter of Phillip the Third, King of France, and grand-daughter of Saint Louis, and had by her issue among others Edmund Plantagenet of Woodstock.

Edmund Plantagenet of Woodstock Earl of Kent Earl of Arundel born on 5th August 1301 at Woodstock and beheaded at Winchester 1330 and buried at Westminster Abbey, married in 1325 Margaret, the daughter of Lord John Wake and widow of John Comyn, by whom he had issue among others, Joan Plantagenet.

Joan Plantagenet, the "Fair Maid of Kent", in her own right Countess of Kent, Baroness Woodstock and Baroness Wake, married Sir Thomas Holland, Lord Holland, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, to whom she bore issue Thomas Holland.

Sir Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent, Baron Woodstock, Baron Holland and Baron Wake, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Marshal of England, married in 1365 Alice Fitzalan, the daughter of Richard Earl of Arundel by Eleanor, daughter of Henry Earl of Lancaster, by whom he had issue Eleanor Holland.

Eleanor Holland married Thomas de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, Lord Montacute and Lord Monthermer, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Count of Perche and Lieutenant General of Normandy to whom she bore issue Alice de Montacute.

Alice de Montacute, in her own right Countess of Salisbury, Baroness Montacute and Baroness Monthermer married Sir Richard Nevill, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the younger son of Ralph, First Earl of Westmoreland, by Lady Joan Beaufort the daughter of John of Gaunt, to whom she bore issue Katherine Nevill.

Katherine Nevill married William Bonville Lord Harington to whom she bore issue Cicely Bonville.

Cicely Bonville in her own right Baroness Harington and Baroness Bonville married Sir Thomas Grey, Marquis of Dorset, Lord Ferrers de Groby, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, to whom she bore issue Elizabeth Grey.

Elizabeth Grey married Gerald Fitzgerald, ninth Earl of Kildare to whom she bore issue The Honourable Edward Fitzgerald.

The Honourable Edward Fitzgerald married Agnes Paston, the daughter of Sir John Leigh of Helston, Dorset and widow of Sir Thomas Paston, by whom he had issue Thomas Fitzgerald.

Thomas Fitzgerald, esquire, of Walton-on-Thames, married Frances Randolph, the first daughter of Sir Thomas Randolph, Postmaster of England, by whom he had issue George Fitzgerald.

George Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare and Baron Offaly married Joan the daughter of Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork, by whom he had issue Eleanor Fitzgerald.

Eleanor Fitzgerald of County Kildare married Sir Walter Borrowes, Baronet of Gilltown, County Kildare to whom she bore issue Kildare Borrowes.

Sir Kildare Borrowes, Baronet of Gilltown, County Kildare, Sheriff of Kildare married Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir Richard Dixon, by whom he had issue Robert Borrowes.

Robert Borrowes of Kildare married Mary the daughter of John O'Neill of Shane's Castle, County Antrim by whom he had issue Charity Borrowes.

Charity Borrowes, the widow of Stephen Rice of Mount Rice, married Conway Richard Dobbs M.P. for Carrickfergus and High Sheriff of County Antrim, to whom she bore issue Robert Conway Dobbs.

The Reverend Robert Conway Dobbs married Wilhelmina Josepha the daughter of the Reverend William Bristow, Vicar of Belfast by whom he had issue Rose Dobbs.

Rose Dobbs married William Maunsell Reeves of Burrane County Clare to whom she bore issue Rose Emily Reeves.

Rose Emily Reeves married Herbert Glendinning Bainbridge to whom she bore issue Herbert William Bainbridge.

Herbert William Bainbridge married in 1909 Aileen Mary Ford by whom he had issue Kathleen Mary Bainbridge.

Kathleen Mary Bainbridge is twentieth in direct descent from Edward the First King of England and lineal descendent of the Royal Houses of Scotland and France.

The said Kathleen Mary Bainbridge is descended not only from the Royal House of Plantagenet in England and the Royal House of Capet of France but also from the Marquessate of Dorset, the Earldoms of Kent, Arundel, Lancaster, Salisbury, Westmoreland, Kildare and Cork, and the Baronies of Woodstock, Wake, Holland, Montacute, Morthermer, Harington, Bonville, Ferrers de Groby and Offaly in the Kingdom of Ireland.

In 1934 Kathleen Mary Bainbridge married Francis Headon Newark. The couple had three children: two sons, John and Michael, and a daughter, Caroline.