Ferdinando Dudley Lea 11th Baron Dudley

[Neville Bastable]

Frances Ward born 1687 married William Lea of Halesowen Grange which still exists and it was their son Ferdinando Dudley Lea born 1710 who became the 11th Baron Dudley upon the death of the 10 th Baron his uncle William Ward in 1740. Ferdinando had no children and when he died in 1757 the title went into abeyance until it was restored for a descendant of the eldest of his sisters Anne and her husband William Smith.
The descent went from father to son beginning with Anne and William’s son Ferdinand Smith born 1746 who was married to Elizabeth Lyttelton
Lt. Col. Ferdinand Smith (1779-1841) who married Elizabeth Grazebrooke
Ferdinando Dudley Lea Smith (1834-1905) married Amy Sophia Leigh.
Ferdinando Dudley William Lea Smith (1872-1936) who was restored to the title as the 12th Baron Dudley.
Ferdinando Dudley Henry Lea Smith (1910-1972) 13th Baron Dudley.
|
It was his sister Barbara Amy Felicity Hamilton (1907-2002) who became the 14th Baroness and her son Jim Anthony Hill Wallace born 1930 who is the 15th Baron Dudley and is as far as I am aware still living and therefore of course the end of that line at present
I believe all the above to be an accurate description of the the descent of that branch of the legitimate Dudley family, for consideration to be added to bcconnections and will be looking at the branch that eventually became the present day Earls of Dudley in due course for which I will start a new topic.
Neville

I can add a a little more on Ferdinando Dudley Lea (1710-1757) particularly his home The Grange and also his ancestors. The first of the Lea family to own The Grange I understand was in the Tudor period, William Lea, Ferdinando’s great great grandfather. Ferdinando’s grandparents were I believe John Lea and Anne Tibbots. This building was replaced apparently by Ferdinando and his is the building we know today although there were later additions
Ferdinando’s great great grandmother on his mother’s side was Frances Sutton (1611-1697) who married Humble Ward (1613-1670). Frances mother incidentally was the daughter of a royal descendant named Honora Seymour, who could claim amongst others descent from Edward III and Henry VII. The Suttons themselves were descended from the great de Somery mediaeval Barons of Dudley.
Ferdinando was the 11th Baron the title having devolved through his mother and as he had no children it went into abeyance when he died in 1757 until it was restored by act of Parliament in 1916 in favour of Ferdinando Dudley William Lea Smith the 12 th Baron who was the great great grandson of the 11th Baron’s eldest sister Anne.
Anne’s son Ferdinand Smith had however inherited The Grange and it was Ferdinand’s grandson Ferdinando Dudley Lea Smith who died in 1905 who was the last of the family to live there so his great grandson Jim Anthony Hill Wallace born 1930 the present and 15th Baron Dudley lives eleswhere.