On Wed, 12 Apr 2000, Cherylr wrote: > While researching my fathers New England Westcott surname I found my > mothers southern Littleton surname. Who knows if i live long enough and > search hard enough..... > Thought it was interesting for others. > > Elizabeth de Littleton dau. of Thomas de Littleton and Ann Quartermaine > m. Thomas Wescote 1400. > > In the notes for Elizabeth de Littleton it explains that according to a > pre-nuptial agreement "wherby their first male issue should be called > Thomas and be baptized in her surname, Littleton. When the son was born > in 1402, this agreement was adhered to and the child in after years > became Sir Thomas Littleton, a brilliant and distinguished barrister. > However, it appears that the mother was not content to have only her > eldest son bear her name, but also wished Guedo, Edmond, and Nicholas to > take her surname. She would not permit them to share equally with their > brother Thomas in her estate, and so they retained the name of Wescote." > > There is a bit more if you would like to read it at: > www.familytreemaker.com/users/m/a/x/Marilyn-J-Maxfield-king/GENE9-0006.html > > Someday I'll learn to link, > Cheryl > > > ==== LITTLETON Mailing List ==== > LITTLETON-L@rootsweb.com Dear Cheryl. Welcome to the Littleton.rootsweb! Yes, I'm well aware of that 15th-century pre-nup and the fact that if Elizabeth hadn't been such a strong woman, we Littletons would all be researching the Wescotes rather than people bearing her father's surname. Talk about family pride! BTW, you may be interested to hear that my older daughter Leslie (I have no sons) has decided to follow in her ancestor's footsteps & pass along her Littleton surname to her first male offspring (her husband agrees). So Elizabeth de Littleton managed to set a precedent that's still alive and well five-hundred plus years later in at least one lineage of the Littleton clan! Cheers, Scott C. SCOTT LITTLETON "Any sufficiently evolved Professor of Anthropology technology is indistinguishable Occidental College from magic." Los Angeles, CA 90041 --Arthur C. Clarke TEL (323) 259-2759 FAX (323) 341-4969 "I think we're property...." http://www.oxy.edu/~yokatta/home.htm --Charles Fort