Corrections to "Plantagenet Ancestry" , Scampston pg 643
This page edited and hosted by Will Johnson, Professional Genealogist
Page 643 Scampston
7. Elizabeth Botetourt married (1st) William Le Latimer, 3rd Lord Latimer. Married (2nd) 1337 Robert de Ufford.
Remark : I noted a peculiar disagreement between CP and RPA regarding the death dates of the wives of the 3rd and 4th Lords Latimer. I wonder if this represents a new correction to CP � or just an error in RPA.
William le Latimer, 3rd Lord Latimer married (as her 1st husband) Elizabeth Botetourt, and their son William, 4th Lord Latimer married Elizabeth, said to be a daughter of Edmund, 9th Earl of Arundel (although CP says its cited sources �give no other authority� for this parentage). For the wife of the 3rd Lord Latimer, CP 7:470 says �she died 11 April 1384. Her will as Lady Elizabeth Latimer, Lady of Iselhampstead, dated Newnham by Bedford 21 March 1383/4, was proved 26 April 1384. She desired to be buried in the priory church of Newnham.� For the wife of the 4th Lord Latimer, CP 7:475 says �She was living in March 1385/6, but died before 23 March 1388/9�. CP appears to cite primary sources to support these various dates.
RPA (Page 643) says the wife of the 3rd Lord Latimer �died testate 11 April 1384, her will (no dates given) requesting burial in the priory church of Newnham�. On the following page, RPA says the wife of the 4th Lord Latimer died testate 11 March 1384 (will dated 21 March 1383 (not 1383/4), proved 26 April 1384, requesting burial at Newenham (sic) Priory church�.
The question clearly is WHICH Lady Elizabeth Latimer is the one who made the will proved in 1384, and when did she die? Unless there were two distinct wills (not likely), it appears that RPA may have (inadvertently?) used the same will as documentation for both Elizabeths.
It does seem peculiar that the 1st Elizabeth (Botetourt) would have referred to herself as Latimer in her will, since her 1st husband the 3rd Lord Latimer died over 40 years before the date given for her death, and she was remarried for at least 25 years. So the will may in fact be that of the 2nd Elizabeth, but that raises doubts about the stated death date of the 1st Elizabeth, as well as the fact that CP thought the 2nd Elizabeth was living after the date the will was proved.
Can anyone shed any light on this confusion?
Contribution of John Higgins