A Memoir of Sir Edmund Andros, Knt., / Governor of New England, New York and Virginia, &c., &c
SIR EDMUND ANDROS
CONCERNING the ancestry of Sir Edmund Andros, the sole printed authority is the memoir in the History of Guernsey by Jonathan Duncan, (London, 1841,) which occupies about three pages in that book. This sketch has been copied by Dr. E.B. O'Callaghan in his "Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New York," (ii. 740), and also in a note in Woolley's Journal (Gowan's Bibliotheca Americana). It seems that Andros placed on record at Heralds' College a very elaborate pedigree of his family, September 18th, 1686, a few days before he sailed to assume the government of New England. Although this document was used probably by Duncan, it is now printed for the first time in full, from a transcript made by Joseph L. Chester, Esq., of London.
The family of Andros, or Andrews as it is more frequently spelt, was of great antiquity in Northamptonshire, being long settled at Winwick in that county. One branch, which was raised in 1641 to the dignity of Baronet, was resident at Denton in the same county; and from the similarity of the arms, it is evident that Sir Edmund claimed the same paternity. The pedigree recorded at Heralds' College is as follows.
[Heralds' College, Book 2 D, XIV. fol. 175b]
Andros.—Gules, a saltire or surmounted by another vert, on a chief argent 3 mullets sable. [No crest.]
Sausmarez.—Argent, on a chevron gules between 3 leopards' faces sable as many castles triple towered or. Crest: a falcon affrontant proper, beaked and membered or, [not wings expanded as in the armory.] Supporters: Dexter, a unicorn, tail cowarded, argent; Sinister, a greyhound argent collared gules garnished or.
["This is a true Account of the Marriages and Issues of my family, and of the Armes we have constantly borne since our coming into Guernsey, as also of the Arms Crest and Supporters of Sausmarez whose heir General we married. Witnes my hand this 18th of September, 1686.
"E. Andros."]
At the same time Sir Edmund recorded his coat-of-arms as described in the following document at Heralds' College, Grants of Arms, Book 1, 26. fol. 98.
"Whereas Sr Edmund Andros, Knight, Lord of ye Seignorie of Sausmarez in the Island of Guernsey, hath made application to me, Henry, Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshall of England &c. that his Arms may be Registered in the College of Arms in such manner as he may lawfully bear them, with respect to his Descent from the antient Family of Sausmarez in ye said Isle, there being no entries in the College of Arms of the Descents or Arms of the Families in that Isle: And whereas it hath been made out unto me that his Great Grandfather's Father, John Andros als. Andrews, an English Gentleman, borne in Northamptonshire, coming into the Isle of Guernsey as Lieutt. to Sr Peter Mewtis, Knight, the Governour, did there marry, Ao. 1543, with Judith de Sausmarez, only daughter of Thomas Sausmarez, son and heir of Thomas Sausmarez, Lords of the Seignorie of Sausmarez in the said Isle, which Judith did afterwards become heir to her brother George de Sausmarez, Lord of the said Seignorie: And that John Andros, Esqr., son and heir of the said John and Judith, had the sd. Seignorie with its appurtenances and all Rights and Privileges thereto belonging, adjudged to him by the Royal Commrs. of the said Isle, Ao. 1607, against the heirs male of the said Family of Sausmarez, who then sued for the same, as finding it to be held of the King by a certain Relief and certain Services, all which were inseparable from the said Seignorie: And whereas it hath been made [to] appear unto me by an Antient Seal of one Nicollas de Sausmarez, which seems to be between 2 and 300 years old, and by other Authorities, that the said Family of Sausmarez have constantly borne and used the Arms herein impressed, I the said Earl Marshall, considering that the forementioned Sr. Edmund Andros, Knt., and his Ancestors, from the time of the said John Andros who married the heir generall of Sausmarez as aforesaid, have successively done Homage to the Kings of England for ye sd Seignorie, and thereupon have been admitted into and received full possession thereof, do order and require, That the Arms of Andros (as the said Sr Edmund and his Ancestors ever since their coming into the said Isle have borne the same) quartered with the Arms of Sausmarez as they are hereunto annexed,1 be, together with the Pedigree of the said Sr Edmund Andros (herewith also transmitted) fairly registered in ye College of Arms by the Register of the said College, and allowed unto him the said Sr Edmund Andros, and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten, and of the body of his Great Grandfather John Andros, son and heir of the forementioned John Andros and Judith de Sausmarez, having, possessing and enjoying the said Seignorie, to be borne and used by him and them on all occasions according to the Law of Arms: And for so doing this shall be a sufficient warrant.
"Given under my hand and seal the 23d. day of September, 1686, in the second year of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Lord King James the Second, &c.
To the Kings Heralds,
and Pursuivts. of Arms.
During the exile of the Stuarts, Edmund Andros served in the army of Prince Henry of Nassau (Palfrey, iii. 127), and was faithful to their cause. His family indeed was eminent among the adherents of the King, as appears by the pardon granted 13th August, 1660, by Charles II. to the inhabitants of Guernsey. In it he declares that Amice Andros, Edmund his son, and Charles his brother, Sir Henry Davie, bart, and Nathaniel Darell, during the preceding troubles "continued inviolably faithful to his Majesty, and consequently have no need to be comprised in this general pardon." So also we learn by the monument to Elizabeth, mother of Sir Edmund, that she "shared with her husband the troubles and exile to which he was exposed for several years in the service of Charles I. and Charles II."2
Edmund Andros received his first considerable preferment by being made Gentleman in Ordinary to the Queen of Bohemia in 1660. He had undoubtedly been attracted to her service through the position of his uncle, Sir Robert Stone, who was Cup-bearer to that princess, and he was afterwards more closely allied to her friends in consequence of his marriage. Whether any part of his youthful years while he was a page in the Royal service, had been spent in her household or not, it is worthy of notice that as a young man Andros was in a position to acquire the accomplishments of a Court, and to behold Royalty in its most fascinating form.
Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, was the only daughter of King James I. of England, and was born 19th August, 1596. She was married 27th Dec. 1612, to Frederick V., Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria and Silesia, who was soon elected King of Bohemia, but lost all his possessions by the fortune of war. He died at Mentz, November 19th, 1632, having had thirteen children, of whom the best known were Prince Rupert, and Sophia, wife of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover, mother of George I. of England.
The Queen of Bohemia had shared the exile and misfortunes of her English relatives, and returned to England, 17th May, 1661. She died February 13th, 1662, at London.
Historians have agreed in describing this princess as a most charming woman. Jesse (Court of England) writes thus: "Lively in her manners, affectionate in her disposition, and beautiful in her person; throwing a charm and a refinement over the social intercourse of life; she yet possessed with all these qualities, a strength of mind which never became masculine; talents which were never obtrusive, and a warmth of heart which remained with her to the end." "In prosperity modest and unassuming; in adversity surmounting difficulties and dignifying poverty, her character was regarded with enthusiasm in her own time, and has won for her the admiration of posterity." "In the Low Countries she was so beloved as to be styled 'the Queen of Hearts.'"
During her long widowhood, her chief adviser and friend was William, Earl of Craven, and it was to the sister of the chosen heir to a portion of the honors of this nobleman, that Edmund Andros was married, in 1671. It has been believed that the Earl of Craven was married to the Queen, and he was certainly one of the bravest and most honored gentlemen of his time.
In 1666, Andros was made Major of a Regiment