You can not always tell someone’s ancestry by looking at their coat; of arms, that is. Neither is ancestry revealed by assuming two people with similar names are synomous. An example of both mistakes is found in Virginia in 1624, where an Edward Grindall is confused with an Edward Grendon. These are very distinct names, as may be adduced from armorial bearings, which, in the case of Grendon, were assumed from their superior lords. This is not to infer that Edward Grendon of Virginia was necessarily of the armorial family of Grendon, yet, even if not, the distinction between Grindall and Grendon remains clear.

The armorial bearing of the Grendons are recorded thus:

Grendon (Gloucestershire) ar. two chev. gu. a label of three points vert.

Grendon, ar. a chev. reversed, gu.

Grendon, ar. two chev. and a label of three points.

Grendon, gu. two chev. or.

Grendon, (Grendon, Warwickshire, (early) ar. two chev. gu.

Grendon. The same, within a bordure engr. sa.

Grendon, (Leicestershire) ar. two chev. gu. a label az.

Grondon, ar. two chev. gu.

Grandon, (Leicestershire) ar. three chev. gu. (Another adds a label vair.) These are the bearings of John de Grandone, who was probably related to the north Warwickshire family of that name, lords of Grendon. John was probably the man who held Grendon in Devon in 1288 and who had served with Edmund de Stafford in Flanders in 1297/8. He acquired a life grant of rent at Tysoe in Warwickshire from him in 1307. He bore the arms differenced of two successive lords with whom he campaigned, Stafford and Robert de la Ward (see Moor, Knights of Edward I., vol. II., p. 141-3). John de Grendon is termed a scion of the Warwickshire and Staffordshire family by Peter R. Coss and Maurice Hugh Keen (Heraldry, Pageantry and Social Display in Medieval England, p. 59, 2002), who note: ‘In this age, military retinues could still provide the inspiration for new arms, just has they had done in the early days of heraldic dissemination’.

Grandon, ar. two chev. gu. (Another adds a label vaire ar. and sa.) These are the bearings of Robert de Grandon, the said John de Grandone’s cousin.

These are bearings held by the same family.

The armigerous Grindalls were a Yorkshire family, bearing:

Quarterly arg. and az. a cross quarterly erm. and or betw. four doves counterchanged, bore by Edmund Grindall, Bishop of London 1551, Archbishop of York 1570, Canterbury 1576-83; granted 1559; Harl. MS. 1441 fo. 62 b. His Will commences, ‘In the name of God, Amen. The Viii. day of May, in the year of our Lord 1583, and in the xxvth year of the raign of our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God, of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, Quene, Defender of the Faith, &c. I Edmund Grindall, Archbishop of Canterbury, being hole in mynd, and of perfect remembrance, do make this my last Will and Testament, in manner and form following … Item, I gyve and bequeath unto my nieces, Mabel, Anne, Barbara, and Frances, the daughters of Robert Grindal my brother late deceased, to every of them fifty pounds. And to my nieces, Dorothie, Katheren, Elizabeth, and Isabel, the daughters of Elizabeth Woodhal, my sister late deceased, to every of them fifty pounds; to be divided amonges them at the discretion of William Woodhal their uncle … And to my servant William Grindal, ten pounds.

His brother was ‘Robert Grindal of St. Beighes, Cumberland, yeoman’, who, in 1568, made testament: ‘I give and bequeath to my L. Bishop of London, my brother, one standing silver cup with a cover … To Robert Grindall the whole years of Tythe of Hensingham reserved in my lease paying the accustomed rent yearly. To John Gryndall quarter of Tythe of Whythavin, now in his occupation duringe his life, paying yearly 28/4 … Supervisors, my Lord of London my brother, John Swynburne, gent, the elder, Willm. Osmotherlaw gent, and my nephew, Willm. Woodhall‘; he being:

William Woodhall, of Walden in the County of Essex Esq., his will proved 29 November, 1604. ‘To be buried in the parish church of Walden, either on the North side of the church in a place where I appointed or else by my father-in-law and my son James, at the discretion of my executor … Nowe whereas my wife and I haue bin mareyed this foure and thirtie yeres and I haue had nott onely by her many children but alsoe haue founds her a moste kinde and loving wief I should farr forget myself if I should nott soe prouide for her as she may haue sufficient … I leave unto my said wife, according to her father’s will all such lands as he hath bequeathed unto her, lying either in the parish of Walden or Lytlebury. To John, Archbishop of Canterbury (certain bequests) humbly beseeching his Grace to be good and favorable to my son Edmund whom I leave behind me to succeed in my office. To loving cousin Doctor Duffield of the Requests and Dean of the Arches. To my dear and faithful brother Mr. William Wilson. To Doctor Birde and Michael Woodcock (spoken of in another place as ‘son Woodcock’) … I had a purpose to bestow my sonne William Woodhall either at the study of the common lawe or at the Universitie of Oxforde; but geiving his tabackicall humor I see he hath nott anie minde either to the one or to the other, and therefore for any thinge I see he must be a souldyer or servingman both places commendable for a younge man especially if he may haue a pipe of tobacco. And to that ende least a farther inconvenience mighte follo we for his better maintenaunce I giue unto the said William the place wherein Thomas Lynne was … Nephew John Wilkinson now in London … Son Grindall Woodhall to be an apprentice either with a merch’ Venturer or some other good trade … My three eldest daughters, Debora Calton, William Burroe and Michael Woodcock. My four other daughters, Mary, Jane, Katharine and Jone Woodhall.

James Woodhall, of Walden, Co. Essex, yeoman, in his will dated 21 Feb., 1588, pr. 30 June, 1601 (P. C. C. Woodhall 1), father of the said William, bequested: ‘Land near William Shelford, land near Thomas Howard, bought of William Bowling. To William Bird and George Bird, sons of my daughter Mary. To Mary Bird, one of the daughters of my said daughter and now the wife of John Kyng, clerk and canon. of Windsor. To Debora Woodhall, a daughter of William and Mary Woodhall and every of the other sons and daughters of the said William and Mary, viz. Elizabeth, Mary, Edmond, Dorothy, Jane, Katherine and Johane Woodhall. Whereas Johane my wife, after my marriage had with her, did faithfully promise that she would not claim any title of dower … To Robert Nichols, her son, and to James, her son, and Henry, her son. William Bird, my daughter’s eldest son, to be the overseer of this my will’. The testator’s signature was Jamys Woodhall. The witnesses were William Willson, clerk,* John Kyng, clerk, and James Crofte Not. In a codicil, made 29 Aug. 1596, referring to his wife’s dowry and the bequests to Robert, James and Henry Nichols, her sons, and to the children of William Woodhall of Walden Esq., his son-in-law and daughter Mary his wife, we learn that ‘synce that tyme it hath pleased god to blesse hym with one sonne more named Grindall Woodhall. The witnesses to this codicil were William Bird, George Bird, John Sharpe. In another codicil, bearing date 22 March 1598, he makes bequests to his wife and to the poor of Walden. The witnesses to this were George Bird, Thomas Bird, William Burroughs, John Sharpe and John Rice.

*Rev. William Wilson, D. D. Canon of St. George’s Chapell, Windsor, who left a will dated 23rd. August, 1613, proved 27th. May, 1616 (P. C. C. Rudd 36). He was a D. D. of Merton College, Oxon, and married Isable Woodhall, daughter of John and Elizabeth Woodhall of Walden, Essex, and niece of Edmund Grindall, Archbishop of Canterbury, the great Puritan divine. His son was Rev. John Wilson, Pastor of the First Church of Boston, Massachusetts.

A Pedigree of Byrd of Saffron- Walden, Essex, may be seen in Hist, of Audley End, Essex, P. 292, as well as important notes on the family of Woodhall.

As shown in Harl. MS., 1541, fol. 55, Mary, da. William Byrd, afterwards married to William Woodhall. She died 1613. William Byrde, Gent., d. 1568. (Salmon, His. of Essex, p. 142.) It is not improbable ‘that the Birds mentioned in the abstracts of the wills of the Woodhalls were of the same lineage of William Byrd of Westover, James River, Va., whose parents were John and Grace (Stegge) Byrd, of London‘ (Waters, Henry F. Genealogical Gleanings in England. Vol. 1. pp. 52-3, 1885).

The Grindall’s very probably descended from a family settled in Bridlington, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, of which there is a pedigree in Harl. M.S. 1154.

Their connection to the family of Woodhall may have been significant. A John Woodhall is noted in ‘Virginia Colony’ in 1607 and 1611; Henry Woodhall(s) is recorded in Jamestown Colony and Indian Thicket in 1623, John Woodhall, ‘Surgeon of London’, is noted in Jamestown in 1624, and John and Thomas Woodall are noted in that place in 1636; the former recorded thus:

‘Richard Peirce, 600 acs. James Citty Co. , 12 Sept. 1636 , p. 379, being a neck of land on the S. side of Chichahominy Riv. neare Warrany old landing place, Nly., Wly. and Ely. upon the river and Sly. into the Maine woods. 50 acs. due in right of his now father Thomas Ward; and 550 acs. in right of his late father Richard Peirce, to whom sd. 550 acs. was due for trans. of 11 pers: Thomas Warne, Christ. Young, Thomas Causby, John Woodall, Georg Barker, Rich. Bucktrell, Jon. Carter, John Wright, Nich. Martin, Michael Spurrier, Christ. Young.

Edward Grindall is evidenced here:

Richard Tree 50 acres Exmd. By the Govern[or] and Capt Gener[all] of Virginia. To all to whome these p[re]sents shall come greeting in o[ur] Lord God Everlasting Know yee that I S[i]r ffrancis Wyatt K[nigh]t Govern[or] and Capt Gener[all] of Virginia by vertue of the great Charter of orders and Lawes concluded on in a Gener[all] Quarter Court by the Treasurer Councell & Company of Adventurers for the ffirst Southerne Colony of Virginia according to the authority grannted them by his Maj[es]tie under his great Seale and by them dated at London the eighteenth day of November one Thowsand six hundred and eighteenth and directed to the Govern[or] and Councell of State here resident doe w[i]th the approbacon and consent of the same Councell whoe are Joyned in Comission w[i]th mee give and grannt unto Richard Tree of James Citty Carpenter whoe came over into this Country w[i]th Master Abraham Percye Cape Merchant in the George as a freeman and to his heires and assignes for ever, for his first p[er]sonall devident to bee augmented & doubled by the Company to him his said heires & assignes when hee or they shall once sufficiently have peopled and planted the same fifty acres of land eight acres of the said fifty being scituate w[i]thin the Island of James Citty and abutting Southward upon the land of Edward Grindall Westward & Northward neare unto the high way leading to black point Eastward upon the markes and bounds there sett out and appointed being a multangled peece of ground conteyning by measure eight acres the remainder being forty twoe acres scituate and being about a mile below blunt point and abutting Westward upon the land of Richard Craven & thence extending Eastward unto a small Creeke one and twenty pole Southward upon the maine river Northward upon the maine land To have and to hold the said fifty acres of Land w[i]th the app[ur]ten[a]nces & w[i]th his due share of all Mines and Minneralls therein conteyned and w[i]th all rights and priviledges of hunting fishing fowling and others w[i]thin the p[re]cincts and upon the borders of the same Land to the sole and p[ro]per use benifitt and behoofe of him the said Richard Tree his said heires and assignes for ever in as larg and ample manner to all intents and purposes as is expressed in the said great Charter or by consequence may Justly bee Collected out of the same or out [of] his Maj[es]ties Letters Pattents whereon it is grounded Yeilding and paying unto the said Treasurer and Company and to their Success[or]s for ever yearely at [the feast of] St Michaell the Archangell for the said fifty acres of ground the fee rent of one shilling In Witnes whereof I have to these p[re]sents sett my hand and the great seale of the Colony Given at James Citty the fowerteenth day of August in the yeares of the raignes of o[ur] Soveraigne Lord James by the Grace of God King &c Angl the twoe and twentieth Scot the fifty Eight Anno domi one Thowsand six hundred twenty fower’.

A Thomas Grindall is noted as a transportee of Edward Oliver in a grant of 450 acs. James city Co. dated 16 April 1639: Edward Oliver, 450 acs. James City Co., Apr. 16, 1639, page 640. Upon S. side of Chickahominy Riv. 150 acs. due by assignment from John Brodwell & the other for the trans, of: Thomas Golding, Dorothy Golding, John Smith, Thomas Grindall, Wm. Grames, Richard Baker. Same. 300 acs. James City Co., upon the N. side of Chickahominy Riv., ‘called by the Indians with the name of Custipa’. Trans. of: John Turner, Francis Webster, Tho. Boughton, Georg Barber, Ann Edmonds, Thomas Edwards.
Same date and page. (C&P).

Although thes Byrds and Stegges are familially connected to the Grendons, it is an untoward contortion to confound the names Grindall and Grendon.

Many constructions of Virginia pedigrees are composites, taking parts from various people, creating a modern Prometheus.

copyright m stanhope 2016