STEPNEY
(or
STEPNETH
)
family, of
Prendergast, Pembs.
The family was founded by
Alban
Stepney
, a
Hertfordshire
man and son of
Thomas
Stepney
of
S. Albans
by his wife
Dorothy
, daughter of
John
Winde
of
Ramsey, Hunts.
Educated at
Cambridge
and
Clement's Inn
, it is said that he came to
Wales
as a young
lawyer
in the employ of
bishop
Richard
Davies
during the visitation of
1559
. On
31 Dec. 1561
the
bishop
appointed him
receiver-general of the diocese of S. Davids
for life. He was also
registrar of the diocese
. He m. (1),
1565
,
Margaret
(
c.
1546
-
ante
1573
), daughter and coheiress of
Thomas
Catharn
of
Prendergast
, who brought him the
manor of Prendergast
, and (2),
before 1573
,
Mary
, daughter of
William
Philipps
of
Picton
. In
local politics
he became prominent within a group of gentry, led by
William
Philipps
, in opposition to
Sir
John
Perrot
and his faction. He was a
justice of the peace
for
county Pembroke
and
Haverfordwest
,
deputy lieutenant
of
county Pembroke
,
sheriff
for
county Pembroke
in
1573
,
1590
, and
1605
, and for
county Carmarthen
in
1597
,
Member of Parliament
for
Haverfordwest
in
1572
,
1584
, and
1586
, for
Cardigan borough
in
1588
, and for
county Pembroke
in
1602
. He d.
19 Aug. 1611
. His heir,
JOHN
STEPNEY
(b.
1581
), was created a
baronet
in
1621
. He was educated at
Oxford
and
Lincoln's Inn
and m.,
before 1611
,
Jane
, daughter of
Sir
Francis
Mansel
of
Muddlescomb
,
Carms.
He was a
justice of the peace
,
sheriff
for
county Pembroke
in
1614
, and
mayor
of
Haverfordwest
in
1620
. He d.
21 July 1626
and was succeeded by his son
Sir
ALBAN
STEPNEY
(
c.
1607
-
1628
), whose brother,
Sir
JOHN
STEPNEY
(b.
c.
1618
), became the
3rd baronet
. He was
governor
of the town of
Haverfordwest
during the
Civil War
and was one of the few
Pembrokeshire
gentlemen who remained loyal to the
king
. He was imprisoned by the
Parliamentary forces
after his capture at
Hereford
in
1645
. In
1637
he was
sheriff
for
county Pembroke
. He was
Member of Parliament
for
Pembroke
in
1640
and sat in the
Long Parliament
for
Haverfordwest
,
1640-3
. In
1662
he was
mayor
of
Haverfordwest
and
deputy lieutenant
of
county Pembroke
in
1674
. His wife was
Magdalen
, daughter of
Sir
Henry
Jones
of
Abermarlais
. He d.
before 26 Sept. 1676
. His nephew,
Sir
JOHN
BAPTIST
STEPNEY
(d.
1681
), the
4th baronet
, m.
Justina Marianna
, daughter of
Sir
Anthony
Vandyke
, the
painter
. Their son,
Sir
THOMAS
STEPNEY
, the
5th baronet
, m.
Margaret
, sister and coheir of
Walter
Vaughan
of
Llanelly
,
about 1691-3
. He was
sheriff
for
county Pembroke
in
1697
and
Member of Parliament
for
county Carmarthen
in
1717
. He d.
before 15 Feb. 1745
. It seems that the
Stepneys
transferred their interests from
Pembrokeshire
to
Carmarthenshire
(where they are still represented by the families of
Stepney-Gulston
of
Derwydd
and
Howard-Stepney
of
Cilymaenllwyd
) and in
1772
their
Pembrokeshire
property was sold. The
8th baronet
,
Sir
JOHN
STEPNEY
(
1743
-
1811
), was
Member of Parliament
for
Monmouth
,
1767-83
,
minister
to
Dresden
1775-82
, and to
Berlin
1782-4
. With the death of his brother,
Sir
THOMAS
STEPNEY
(
1760
-
1825
),
groom of the bed-chamber
to the
duke of York
, the baronetcy became extinct. His wife was the
novelist
lady
Catherine
Stepney
(d.
1845
) (see
D.N.B.
).
The
D.N.B.
deals with another member of this family, namely
GEORGE
STEPNEY
(
1663
-
1707
),
poet
and
envoy
.
Bibliography:
-
West Wales Historical Records
,
1910–29
, vii, 109-42;
-
Burke's Landed Gentry
,
s.n.
, Stepney—Gulston;
-
Heraldic Visitations
of Wales and Part of the Marches
, 1846
, i, 180;
-
The Transactions of the Honourable Society
of Cymmrodorion
,
1942
(29),
1948
(59);
-
English Historical Review
, lxi, 18-27;
-
W. R. Williams
,
The History of the Parliamentary
Representation of Wales
, 1895
, 36, 138, 155, 167;
-
Public Record Office, List of Sheriffs for
England and Wales…to A.D. 1831
, 1898
(P.R.O.);
-
Alumni Cantabrigienses
;
-
Alumni Oxonienses
;
-
A. L. Leach
,
History of the Civil War (1642-49) in
Pembrokeshire and on its borders
, London, 1937
;
-
Richard Fenton
,
A Historical Tour through
Pembrokeshire
, 223-4.
Author:
Dr Bertie George Charles, Ph.D., (1908-2000), Aberystwyth
