Sir Anthony CHESTER Bt ²

  Notes:

Anthony was the eldest son. He was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1615 at the age of 22, and in 1623 married Elizabeth Peyton (qv) the oldest daughter of Sir John Peyton of Doddington. It seems likely that the marriage was not approved by Sir Anthony, as the marriage settlement was not made until 1628, when he entailed his Chicheley estate on his son and male heirs. Anthony jnr succeeded to his father's titles and estates in 1635, when he was 42. He had been partially disinherited by his father, who had left his Bedfordshire estates to Anthony's brother Henry. Sir Anthony soon ran into financial difficulties, and he had to let the Chicheley estate to pay his debts and raise portions for his younger children.

Sir Anthony and his brother John joined the Royalist Army at the outbreak of the Civil War, and commanded a troop of horse at the Battle of Naseby, where John was taken prisoner. The Parliamentary garrison at Newport Pagnell subsequently targeted him and his estate, Chicheley Hall was sacked, and the rents sequestered. Sir Anthony sold a great proportion of his estate to his brother Henry, and took refuge in The Hague in Holland to avoid arrest. In 1646 he sold land to his brother Henry, conveyed the remainder of the estate to Henry and to his cousin Le Hunt on trust to pay him an annuity, raise portions for his children and pay his debts. Chicheley Hall was reserved for his son Anthony, and a jointure provided for his mother. In this way Chicheley Hall was protected from sequestration. Sir Anthony returned home in 1650, but Chicheley Hall was almost in ruins. He was in poor health, and died the following year. He had no assets, and did not leave a will.

Sir Anthony and his wife Elizabeth had 13 children, five sons and eight daughters, born in Bedfordshire, Chicheley, Cambridgeshire and the Hague. Their eldest daughter Alice married John Millicent of Barham Hall in Linton in Cambridgeshire: John was a Captain in the Royalist Army, and was subsequently involved in Retoration politics. Their next daughter Dorothy married John Fisher of Wisbech; he was a Colonel of horse in the Royalist Army, and served under Prince Rupert at Worcester. Their eldest son Henry was just 14 when he died in 1641. Their next daughter Frances married Samuel Wiseman of Barbados in Paris. Their eldest surviving son Anthony (qv) was his father's heir.

Their next daughter Diana did not marry, and was buried at Chicheley. Their next son Peyton attended St John's College Cambridge and the Inner Temple: he was a high Cavalier, and served in the exiled Court in Brussels, returning to England after the Restoration. Their next daughter Elizabeth married William Ryley, who worked closely with his father William Ryley who was Keeper of the Records during the Commonwealth. Their next two children Penelope and John both died in infancy.

Their youngest son William was apprenticed to a haberdasher in London, but after the Restoration was able with the returning family fortunes to cancel his indentures, and emigrated to Barbados where he was a merchant and landowner: he had four children with his wife Sarah Helmes. Their next daughter Ruperta married Edward Cony of North Stoke in Lincolnshire, and had four children. Their yougest daughter Henrietta is thought to have been born in the Hague in the Low Countries; she did not marry and died in London in 1668.

Anthony married Elizabeth PEYTON in 1623.¹ (Elizabeth PEYTON was christened on 13 Jul 1604 in St Mary the Virgin, Doddington, Bedfordshire,⁵ died on 3 Jul 1692 ⁶ and was buried on 4 Jul 1692 in St Lawrence, Chicheley, Buckinghamshire ³.)