Attempts to trace Richard of Jamestown to Richard, the diplomat (or his brother)
Background: Richard Pace the Diplomat
Richard Pace: A Tudor Diplomatist by Jervis Wegg. Barnes
& Noble, Inc., New York; Methuen & Co. Ltd., London First
published, 1932; reprinted 1971. Barnes & Noble ISBN 389 04150
0. Metheun ISBN 416 60730 6
This book tells of a Dr. Richard Pace, connected with Oxford University,
who rose to high office in the administration of Henry VIII. I do not
have the book or the entire story, but Dr. Pace had an association with Erasmus
of Rotterdam, who was in turn a close friend of Martin Luther. Erasmus was
a moderate Catholic who supported many of Luther's views but did not wish
to break with the Roman church. Dr. Pace was also associated with Cardinal
Wolsey, who opposed Henry VIII's break with the Church and his annulment
of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn.
Some American Paces have attempted to trace their lineage to Dr. Pace or to his brother John. I believe the evidence on this point to be thin. Here is what one source has to say about it:
"In the Pace Society of America Bulletin #13 published Sept. 1970 there appeared an article dealing with the POSSIBLE ancestry and origin of Richard Pace (ca. 1587-1627/8) of Va. This POSSIBLE ancestry begins with two brothers from Hampshire born in the late 15th century. Richard Pace (1483-1536) was a priest. He became Secretary to Cardinal Wolsey; Ambassador from England to Switzerland, France, and Germany; Secretary to King Henry VIII, and Dean of St. Paul's, London, before he fell into disfavor in the late 1520's. A biography entitled RICHARD PACE: A TUDOR DIPLOMATIST, published in London in 1932, gives a good account of his life. His brother John Pace is mentioned in the book. He was a customer at Lynn, Norfolk, in 1522 and he is thought to have later been living in Stepney, London, where his brother Richard had a manor. A John Pace, presumably his son, was of Stepney, Middlesex, when he was admitted to King's College, Cambridge, at the age of 17 in 1539. He later became Jester to the Duke of Norfolk and later Court Jester to Queen Elizabeth. It is thought that a will of a John Pace of Boxford, Suffolk, who died in 1552 is the will of John Pace, the brother of Richard Pace. He mentions sons, John, Robert, and Anthony Pace, and a "pyle of silver" to a Thomas Waters of Linn in recompense for certain debts. John Pace the Jester is stated to have died in 1590 but no mention is made of a search for his will or administration. Next in the POSSIBLE line is a Richard Pace who in 1591 held a close called "Wellfield" in West Ham, across the River Lea from Stepney. It is THOUGHT that he might have been a grandson of John Pace, the Jester, and the father of Richard Pace, the Virginia settler.
THERE ARE TOO MANY QUESTIONS LEFT UNANSWERED AND TOO MANY SOURCES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CONSULTED TO MAKE THIS PEDIGREE AUTHENTIC" (End of Col. Avant's quotation)
Note from Webmaster: Notice that the material in the Pace Bulletin quoted by Col Avant presents the descent as from a BROTHER of Dr. Richard Pace, not from Dr. Pace himself. Dr. Pace was, after all, a Catholic priest! Thus, descent from Dr. Pace himself is unlikely. Here is a summary of the lineage presented in the Pace bulletin:
John Pace of Boxford, Suffolk, who died in 1552, thought to be brother of Dr. Richard Pace.
John Pace the Jester (d. ca. 1590)
Richard Pace, who in 1591 held a close in West Ham, across the river Lea from Wapping (where Richard of Jamestown lived) and Stepney (where he was married). A "close" is a short street leading to a building of note, such as an abbey or manor, with the buildings on both sides. The close was called "Wellfield" and was in the Abbey Marsh section of West Ham.
Richard Pace of Jamestown, born c. 1585
Therefore, even the tracing to the brother of Dr. Pace is unsupported by any "hard" evidence, according to Col Avant.
Randy Pace presents a lineage with the purported tracing to Dr. Richard Pace. Randy is aware there may be inaccuracies, but is interested in setting this up for discussion and correction. Click here to see Randy's lineage. It contains a repeat of the above information, which I added at the end of his lineage.
Despite the thin evidence on this PRECISE linkage, some kind of relationship of Dr. Richard Pace to Richard Pace of Jamestown seems possible. However, in genealogical or historical research, "seems possible" is not enough to form a conclusion. This connection, in my view, SHOULD NOT be presented as definite and should only be proposed as a hypothesis. -Webmaster
Related information: Was Richard Pace a member of the gentry? Bruce Howard comments.
