Stanton Harcourt
"Bringing Your Library to You"
In 2010, Gary was on a business trip to Great Britain including a stop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. I went with him and spent my day investigating Gary's ancestor Robert Harcourt. Robert Harcourt had lived in Stanton Harcourt, a town just a short distance from Abingdon. When looking online for a library that might have information pertaining to the area, I realized there were too many to choose from, so I decided to just go to the town and look in the local library.
After one pass through the little village of Stanton Harcourt, I could see there was no library. There was a beautiful church, a manor house with a tower and a restaurant, but no other commerce. No gas stations. No stores. It was just a little bedroom village. After I turned onto a side road to head back for a second pass, a relatively large green van passed in front of me. Written on that van were the words, "Bringing your Library to you."
I was more than a little shocked but felt completely thrilled. I followed the van to its resting place, parked and entered. The mobile librarian informed me that he didn't have any historical information in this particular van, but he gave me the address of the specific library which held the information for which I was looking. I was so grateful and also a little shaky with excitement.
Before leaving the town, I stopped at the church but the entrance seemed locked. I looked around and read what I could on the outside and then left to find the library to which I had been directed.
I was thrilled to be able to locate the library and find the little corner with the pamphlet that had the history of Stanton Harcourt. The pages spoke of Gary's ancestor Robert Harcourt and his great deeds of valor. I scanned the pages of the book to read more carefully later.
I hurried back to meet up with Gary to start our drive to London for the evening. Because of his concern of the pending weather and our required travel ahead, he could not be persuaded to go see this amazing find.
In November 2010, on Gary's next trip to Oxford, he called me and requested the information I had procured during my previous trip. I started looking through the scanned pages and for the first time found the true treasures within. The book spoke of Robert Harcourt and his wife and their grandson and how they were all three famous knights and were honored and entombed in a side chapel of that very church in Stanton Harcourt. Below is the transcription I sent to Gary.
Sir Robert de Harcourt (1410-1470)
Gary Peck's 17th great grandfather
Excerpt from "Peerage of England" by Collins
Sir Robert de Harcourt (1410-1470) was buried in the church of Stanton Harcourt, as was his Lady Margaret, where a monument is erected, exhibiting their figures; his is in the habit of the Garter over his armour, with a sword by his side.
Excerpts from "Stanton Harcourt - A Brief History"
The Harcourt Chapel Inside the fine wrought iron gates is the Harcourt Chapel, which has a vault below. From the outside the Chapel gives the impression of having gradually grown on the side of the Church during the centuries, so well it blends with the rest of the building. It is Perpendicular in style and was built during the reigns of Henry VI and Edward IV. It is filled with monuments to the Harcourt family from that period down to the present. In the south east corner, to the right of the altar, is the tomb of Sir Robert Harcourt, K.G. and his wife Margaret. Sir Robert was Sheriff of Leicestershire and Warwichshire in 1445; High Steward of the University of Oxford in 1447, and was made a Knight of the Garter in 1464. He was killed by the Staffords, who belonged to the Lancastrian Party, in 1470. He is represented in a gorget of Mail and plated armour, strapped at the elbows and wrist, with a large hilted sword at the left and the remains of a dagger at the right. The Order of the Garter is worn on the left leg and over all is the Mantle of the Order with a rich cape and cordon. The head rests on a helmet bearing the Harcourt crest, a peacock; the feet are on a dog couchant. His wife is in a veiled headdress with a mantle, coat and cordon, with long sleeves fastened at the wrists. The Order of the Garter with the Motto in embossed letters is worn above the elbows on the left arm.
Facing this tomb, on the north wall, is the tomb of Sir Robert Harcourt, K.B., grandson of Sir Robert just described. He was Standard Bearer to Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The remains of the very standard which Sir Robert carried hang above the tomb. It was this battle which brought the Tudor line to the Throne and broke the rule of Richard III.
Robert de Harcourt was born on 20 Sep 1410 in Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, England. He died on 14 Nov 1470. He married Margaret Byron in 1440 in Stanton Harcourt. Margaret Byron was born in 1420 in Clayton, Lancashire, England. She died in 1476 in Stanton Harcourt.
John Harcourt was born in 1450 in Stanton Harcourt to Robert de Harcourt and Margaret Byron. He died on 26 Jun 1485 in Stanton Harcourt. He married Ann Norris in 1471 in Bray, Berkshire, England.
Robert Harcourt was born in 1472 in Stanton Harcourt to John Harcourt and Ann Norris. He died in 1509 in Stanton Harcourt. He married Agnes Lymerick in 1492 in Stanton Harcourt.
Letitia Harcourt was born in 1494 in Stanton Harcourt to Robert Harcourt and Agnes Lymerick. She married Thomas Nevill in 1511 in Stanton Harcourt. She died in 1520 in Shenstone Park, Staffordshire, England. Her descendants never lived in Stanton Harcourt.
Gary was excited to read this information and thrilled that he had time to investigate. He learned that the church was always unlocked, however extreme effort was required to open the door. To his delight, he found the effigies of his ancestors. Their particular chapel was roped off with no admittance allowed, but he was able to reach in and get lovely photographs.
It is an honor and a pleasure to share these treasures with other descendants of Robert Harcourt (1410-1470) and Margaret Byron (1420-1476).
Jocelyn informed me that we all have half a million "Seventeenth Great Grandparents" so there is a pretty good chance Robert Harcourt is your ancestor too!
Lightbox Created by Lokesh Dhakar. Visit his website http://lokeshdhakar.com/
