Anne Salter

Events

Date of Birth: unknown.

Place of Birth: unknown.

Date of Death: unknown.

Place of Death: unknown.

Relationships

Father: Richard Salter.

Mother: Anne Pigott.

This relationship can be inferred from the 1623 Visitation of Shropshire and a number of documents cited on Richard's page. See the Commentary section below.

Brother: Robert Salter.

William Dudley names his brother in law Robert Salter in his will. The transfer of homage below and Quarter Sessions cases from 1594 given on William Dudley’s page indicate that Robert was of Littlehales. 

Spouse: William Dudley. Married 30 August 1584 in Albrighton (Shifnal), Shropshire.

This relationship is recorded in William’s will. The marriage is recorded in the parish register.

Spouse: Edward Grove.

The will of Edward Grove makes clear that Ann the widow of William Dudley was his second wife. A marriage is recorded in the West Bromwich parish register with the date 21 May 1632, but the documents below strongly suggest the marriage happened well before then, probably soon after William Dudley's death. (The Ann named as Edward's wife in the 1616 fine is his second wife: his first wife was named Mary.) I am not sure if the 1632 marriage is of a different couple, or if there is some other explanation.

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

Thomas Dudley probably married Ellen Grove (a daughter of Edward Grove, his mother's second husband).

William Dudley probably married Mary Wilye married 21 April 1616.

Elizabeth Dudley (buried 4 May 1654 in Rowley Regis, Staffordshire)  married Richard Willets.

Mary Dudley married Francis Penn 16 February 1613/14 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire.

Evidence

from the Shropshire Archives catalogue:

6000/4753

1601

Great Aston:-Court Baron of Walter Chetwind Esq. held October 1st 43 Eliz. Jo. Iremonger being steward. Surrender by Robert Salter of Littlehales of premises in Gt. Aston to the use of Edward Grove of Westbromarich, who is admitted tenant etc.

6000/4754

1603

Great Aston - Court Baron of the same, held December 19th 1 Jas I Ric. Bolte being Seneschal. Relatiing to the conveyance of Salter to Groves of premises in Gt. Aston. Reciting Deed of Feoffment.

6000/5588

19 December 1603

19 Dec 1 Jas I. Richard Bolton, steward. Homage. Surrenders of Edward Groves and Thomas Salter to Thomas Bullock (admitted) and of Robert Salter of Littlehales, gent, to Edward Groves of West Bromwich (admitted).

A fine (CHS p. 6):

Quindene of Easter 14 James I [1616]

Between Henry Grove and Richard Willet, complainant, and Edward Grove and Anne, his wife, Thomas Dudley, and William Dudley, deforciants of a cottage, a barn, a garden, 10 acres of land, 6 acres of meadow, and 10 acres of pasture in Rowley Regis.  Edward, Anne, Thomas and William remitted all right to Henry and Richard and to the heirs of Henry for which Richard and Henry gave them 41 pounds.

The will of Edward Grove

In the name of God Amen the seventh day of December anno dn’ 1634 And in the Tenthe yere of the Raigne of our Soueraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God kynge of England Scotland France & Ireland defender of the faithe &c I Edward Grove of Westbromwiche in the Countie of Staffe yoman beinge in good healthe and of good & p[er]fitt mynd & memorye gevinge thanks to God therefore Doe make & declare this my last will & testament in man[er] and forme folowinge that is to say Fyrst & pryncipallye I comend & bequeathe my soule unto the mercye of Allmyghtie God trustinge & faithfullye belevinge to be saved amongest the nomber of thellecte by the onlely merits and bloud sheadinge of Jhesus Christe my onelye savyor & Redemer And my bodye to the earthe & to be buryed in the p[ar]ishe Churche of Westbromwiche aforesaid. And I geve towards the Rep[ar]cons of the said Churche and for my burial therein tenne schillings Item I geve & bequeathe unto the poore people of westbromwich aforesaid Fortye shillings and to be distributed unto them within one yere next after my decesse by my executors with the consent of the Churche wardens of the said p[ar]ishe Item I geve & bequeathe unto my sonne Henry Grove my best doublet Jerkyn & briches and allso one Signett Rynge of gold and to my daughter Margery fyve shillings and to theire sonne Edward Grove & their daughter Anne to either of ijs vjd & to the Residue of theire Children to every of them five shillings and allso to theire sonne Richard Grove one ewe & a lambe Item I geve & bequeathe unto my dawghter Frances Crompton tenne shillings and to every of her children ijs vjd apece Item I geve & bequeathe unto my dawghter Ellen Dudley tenne shillings and to every of her Children Five shillings Item I geve & bequeathe unto my sonne Thomas Grove tenne shillings & to his wife ijs Item I geve & bequeathe unto my dawghter Jone Cowper Tenne pounds and to every of her children tenne shillings Item I geve & bequeathe unto my sone in lawe Richard Creswey my best Cloke my second Dowblett briches & Jerkin & my best sh[...] and to his dawghter Anne xijd, And to his dawghter Ellen Creswey Tenne pounds and to be sett forthe to her use within one yere nexte after my decesse Item I geve & bequeathe unto my dawghter in lawe Elizabeth Willetts iijs vjd and to her daughter Sara Willetts Fortye shillings and to every of her other children ijs apece Item I geve & bequeathe to my sonne in lawe Francs Penne my third Dowblett & briches. And I forgeve him all suche detts as he owithe me and I geve unto his wife Mary Penne my daughter in lawe my best hatt & band and to every of her children xxs a pece and I geve unto the said Mary those shepe which her husband hathe to p[ar]te of myne Item I geve unto Mr Johnson xijd and I forgeve him all suche detts as he owithe me Item unto my sonne in lawe Willm Dudley twoe shillings Item I forgeve Richard Dudley all such debts as are in my boke which he owithe me, and allso I forgeve him Five pounds p[ar]cell of the bond of Tenne pounds which he owithe me Item unto Willm Attkis sonne of Anne Atkis twenty shillings Item I geve unto every of my servants which shalbe Dwellinge with me att the tyme of my decesse twoe shillings a pece, Item I geve unto Thomas Blackham my workeday Jerkyn, Item I geve unto John Osborne my second hatt my workeday briches & my best Stockyngs Item I geve unto Richard Weston my second payre of Stockyngs & my beste shooes Item I geve unto my daughter in lawe Mary Grove twoe shillings and to her sonne Thomas Grove xijd and to her sonne Edward Grove & to her dawghter Anne Grove to either of them Tenne shillings, Item unto Thomas Gilbart my workeday dowblett Item geve unto every godchild that I have xijd a pece Item the Residewe of all my goods Cattells debts chattells & money whatt soever unbequeathed my debts paid & these legacs paid and discharged and my bodie honestlye browght to the earthe I geve and bequeathe unto Edward Grove my sonne And I doe make ordayne and Constitute the said Edward Grove my sonne my sole & lawfull executor of this my last will & testament to execute & p[er]forme the same accordinglye as my speciall trust is in him, And I make & appoynt overseers of this my will & testament my sonnes Henrye Grove & Thomas Grove desyringe them to be ayddinge & assistinge my said executor in the p[er]formance of this my will & testament and I will that they shall have for theire paynes takinge iiijs iiijd a pece/ And I desyre all my said Children to be lovinge one to an other And well and quyetlye to agree as I hope they will doe In witnes whereof I have written this my present will & testament with my own hand and hereunto putt my seal & subscribed my name the day and yere above written//

per me Edward Grove

These beinge witnesses whose names are here under written videlt Thomas Birche Richard Willetes Thomas Grand Thomas Jesson Richard Cresway Richard Cowper

[Proved 31 January 1641/2]

Commentary

Ann’s parentage:

The 1584 marriage record of Ann Salter and William Dudley, and the mention by William Dudley of his brother-in-law Robert Salter in his 1598 will, make clear that Ann’s maiden name was Salter and that she was the sister of Robert Salter.

A few pieces of evidence show that this was Robert Salter of Little Hales, Shropshire:

In 1594, a writ of venire facias was issued against “Robt. Salter of Lyttle Hales co. Salop, gent., Ric. Salter of Rockdyne co. Salop gent., Wm. Dudley of Westbromwich gent., Robt. Salter jun. of Litle Hales co. Salop gent.,” and several other people, to answer “touching certain riots, trespasses, and other misdeeds.”

Entries from the Great Aston Court Baron in 1601 and 1603 record the transfer of property from Robert Salter of Little Hales to Edward Grove of West Bromwich. This probably relates to Ann’s second marriage to Edward Grove, which probably took place around this time.

From the evidence I am currently aware of, I think it is chronologically possible for Ann to be the sister of either the elder or younger Robert Salter in the 1594 writ. This means Ann could have been the daughter of Robert Salter of Little Hales, or of Robert’s father, Richard Salter of Wrockwardine. Richard had bought the Little Hales property and left it to his son John. This son, as John Salter of Little Hales, left in his 1557 will  “the Towneshepe or Capital messuage of Lyttelhales and all the lands belonginge to them” to his brothers William, who died in 1582, and Robert.

John Salter, in his 1557 will, also mentioned William’s and Robert’s “two systers & myne nott yett bestowed that is to say Margarett & Anne Salter”. The Ann of this page, as Ann Salter, married William Dudley 30 August 1584 in Albrighton. A Margaret Salter married George Childer 10 October 1586 in Albrighton. It is chronologically possible, although a bit of a stretch, that these Margarets and Annes are identical. For this reason, I think it is more likely that Ann was the daughter of Richard Salter than of Richard’s son Robert.

Determining Ann’s mother requires looking at evidence which is more complex.

The “Salter of Oswestry” pedigree in Grazebrook and Rylands (p. 428) records Richard Salter’s wife as “Anna filia Tho. Pigot de Chetwyn”. The printed version in Grazebrook and Rylands is based on three manuscripts:

Har. 1396, which is a copy made by John Withie of a 1623 “visitation”, which may not have been an official visitation, made by Robert Treswell and Vincent Rouge, who were deputies to William Camden, the Clarenceux King of Arms. Additions were taken from a “visitation” of 1584, which may not have been an official visitation, and “other collections” made by John Withie.

Har. 1241, which is (probably) a copy of the 1584 “visitation” made by Richard Lee alias Richmond, marshall to Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms, “Augmented by many Notes and Gatherings of Lewis Dunne and others” by Jacob Chaloner around 1620, and then copied by Thomas Hanford of Wigmore in 1661.

S., an independent copy of the visitation of 1623.

It is not completely clear from the printed version, but the informant for this pedigree appears to have been Thomas Salter, who was a Thomas Salter, a son of Richard Salter and Ann Pigott. The pedigree also mentions Richard and Ann’s children Rosa and Robert.

The “Pigott of Chetwyn” pedigree in Grazebrook and Rylands comes from “S”, a copy of the 1623 “visitation”. It records that “Anna ux. Rich. Salter.” was a daughter of “Thomas Pigott of Chetwyn” and “Elizabeth da. to …Oneley”. It therefore agrees with the Salter of Oswestry pedigree in this. The informant appears to have been Walter Pigott, who was sheriff of Shropshire in 1623. He was a son of Thomas Pigott, who was a son of Robert Pigott, a brother of the Ann Pigott who married Richard Salter.

Thus a grandson and a great-nephew of Ann, the wife of Richard Salter, both agree that Ann was the daughter of Thomas Pigott of Chetwynd. There are errors in the Pigott of Chetwyn pedigree that show it is not completely reliable: the probable informant Walter gives his grandfather Robert Pigott a second wife Jane Pontesbury. Jane was actually married to Robert’s grandfather, also named Robert Pigott. There are a couple of similar errors in earlier generations. But Walter’s information about Ann Pigott and Richard Salter appears to be substantiated by Salter pedigree.

Wills provide additional evidence that Richard Salter’s wife was a Pigott. 

Ann is not mentioned in the will of Thomas Pigott (made in 1546), which only names daughters who were unmarried. The 1554 will of Thomas’s widow Elizabeth mentions in addition two married daughters, Mary and Ann. Two of Elizabeth’s executors are her “cosen” William Humfreston” and her “cosyn” John Salter. The term “cousin” was used very loosely in Elizabethan English to refer to a relative. William Humfreston was in fact the husband of Elizabeth’s granddaughter Katherine Piggot (daughter of her son Robert Pigott). It is difficult to see how the John Salter here could be anyone other than the son of Elizabeth’s daughter Ann, since Ann is recorded as the wife of Richard Salter in the two pedigrees mentioned above.

The 1557 will of Richard and Ann’s son John Salter mentions his “cousin” Robert Pigott esquire. This Robert was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Pigott, and thus Ann’s brother. The will also mentions John’s “cousin” John Cotts, who seems to have been John Cotes of Woodcote, a descendant of Thomas Pigott’s grandfather Sir Humphrey Blount and probably Ann’s second cousin. The will of John Salter also mentions his “Cossyn Humfrestons”.

This evidence seems sufficient, but there is a wrinkle. In Elizabeth’s will, Ann is not named Ann Salter but Ann Yonge. The pedigree of “Young of Charnes” in the 1614 visitation of Staffordshire records that Ann, the wife of John Young of Charnes, was the daughter of “Robert Pigott of Chetwynd, co. Salop.” The informant seems to have been John and Ann’s son Thomas Young. The 1557 will of Elizabeth Pigott shows that “Robert” must be an error for “Thomas”.

The apparent inconsistency – Was Ann Pigott the wife of Richard Salter or of John Young? – seems to be most easily resolved by assuming that Ann’s marriage to John Young was a second marriage. (Second marriages are often omitted in visitation pedigrees.) Some doubt may be raised by the 1546 will of Ann Pigott’s father Thomas, which makes John Young an overseer although Richard Salter did not die until about 1551. But Thomas does not state that John Young is in any way related to him, and some of his other overseers also seem not to be relatives.

I am not sure when John and Ann’s children were born, but their two sons were buried in 1628 and 1635. The one whose marriage I can track down was married in 1582. This seems consistent with their having been born after 1551, although it does not prove it.

Taken as a whole, the evidence seems good enough to show that Richard Salter’s wife Ann was the daughter of Thomas Pigott and his wife Elizabeth, although one wishes one had more.

Therefore, I give the parents of Ann Salter as Richard Salter and Ann Pigott.

Ann’s daughter in law Ellen:

Edward Grove’s will mentions “my dawghter Ellen Dudley”. The 1652 will of Thomas Dudley of West Bromwich names his wife Ellen and his brother in law Mr Thomas Grove. Taken together, this suggests that Thomas Dudley married Ellen Grove. (Edward Grove’s will refers to his natural children as “son” and “daughter” and his step-children as “son in law” and “daughter in law”. Thus Thomas’s brother William Dudley is called a “son in law” in Edward’s will. So Ellen Dudley appears to have been a daughter of Edward who married a Dudley rather than a step-daughter of his second wife.)

References

“Final Concords, Staffordshire” in Collections for a History of Staffordshire Vol. VI, New Series (Part I) (1903).

The parish register of Albrighton (Shifnal) Shropshire. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 2 February 2021.

“The Staffordshire Quarter Session Rolls” v. 1-5 (S.A.H. Burne ed.) in Collections for a History of Staffordshire (Staffordshire Record Society (William Salt Archaeological Society), 3rd series, 1929-1940. 

Will of Edward Grove of West Bromwich. Proved 1641 in the Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.

Will of William Dudley of West Bromwich. Proved 1598 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.