Jane Vere
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About
Jane Vere was a daughter of the Honourable Aubrey de Vere and his first wife Margaret Spring, and she married Henry Hunte, later High Sheriff of Essex, at Gosfield on 2 April 1573. She is the hinge of this entire family history. Everything above her is the medieval nobility of England; everything below her is Essex gentry, then Cromwellian settlers, then Irish farmers, then a builder's clerk in Bandon. Her descendants remembered the connection well enough that, two hundred and fifty years later, one of them took royal licence to drop the name Hunt and call himself de Vere.
Research notes
? TRADITION/VISITATION-CLAIM - THE ROOT OF THE WHOLE "DE VERE" STORY: "Jane Vere," m. Henry Hunte at Gosfield 2 Apr 1573; "stated in the Visitation of Essex, 1558 (Harl. MS 1137) to have been youngest dau. of Aubrey de Vere, 2nd son of John, Earl of Oxford, K.G." Burke's OWN quotation marks around her name signal its caution - the Oxford descent rests solely on this Visitation statement and is NOT independently proven. It is nonetheless the entire basis on which Sir Aubrey de Vere Hunt, 2nd Bt, obtained the 1832 royal licence (Office of Arms, Betham, 15 Mar 1832 - notice filed) to take the surname and arms of De Vere only. Grade: the marriage ✓ per Burke's; the de Vere parentage ? claim. COKAYNE'S VERDICT ADDED 21 Jul 2026 (Complete Baronetage V p.415 note a): the sources even disagree on her - Burke's Baronetage 1871 has settler-Vere "grandson of Henry Hunt, Esq., of Gosfield... by it is said Jane de Vere, of the noble house of Oxford" (father's name not given), while Foster's Baronetage 1883 makes Jane "da. of Hon. Aubrey de Vere, 2d son of John, 15TH Earl of Oxford" (LGI says "John, Earl of Oxford, K.G."); her son John's wife is nowhere named. Cokayne pointedly writes "Allowing this descent from de Vere to be CAPABLE OF PROOF" - and notes that even if proven, no representation of the de Veres would flow, Aubrey being ancestor of two succeeding Earls. The ? stands. Added 21 Jul 2026. FULLER VICTORIAN VERSION (Burke's Peerage DE VERE article p.296, added same day): "Jane de Vere, dau. of the Hon. AUBREY DE VERE, second son of JOHN, EARL OF OXFORD (d. 1539 [= the 15th Earl]), by BRIDGET, dau. of SIR ANTHONY GIBBON, of Lynn, co. Norfolk" - the claim at its most specific, stated as fact by Victorian Burke's, held at arm's length by Cokayne. Recorded as the claim's full text. *** UPGRADED TO ✓ (per visitation) 21 Jul 2026, evening: THE HERALDS' OWN DE VERE PEDIGREE FOUND (Visitation of Essex, printed Harl. Soc. vol., 1558 section with later continuations, p.47 - photographed by Aynsley). It records, among the children of "Aubrey de Vere, 2nd sone" of "John de Veere Earle of Oxford obiit 31 H. 8, 1539" [the 15TH EARL, m. Elizabeth Trussell - historically correct] by "[unnamed] da. to Sir Anthony Gebons of Norff": "JANNE UXOR HEN. HUNT OF GOSFEILD IN ESSEX". The record is from the DE VERE side (no Hunt motive for invention), and is internally sound against known history: Aubrey's son Hugo (m. Elianora Walshe) is shown with son Robertus - the very Hugh whose son Robert became 19TH EARL in 1626; the Fighting Veres (Sir Francis & Sir Horace, sons of Geffrey 3rd son) appear as Jane's first cousins. CORRECTIONS TO THE VICTORIANS: the mother's forename is NOT given - Burke's "Bridget" conflated her with Jane's SISTER Bridgett (m. Thomas Crachewood of Curshall); other siblings John (d.s.p.), Anne (m. Chrp. Sherborne, then Stapes/Staple). CAVEATS HELD: (a) visitation pedigrees are family-attested, not court-proven; (b) modern peerage accounts usually give Aubrey a wife MARGARET SPRING of Lavenham - two wives, or a conflict; the MOTHER's identity stays soft (~) while the FILIATION to Aubrey is ✓-per-visitation. CLINCHED 22 JUL 2026 BY A PRIMARY PROBATE RECORD: the PCC will of her uncle JOHN DE VERE, 16TH EARL OF OXFORD (PROB 11/46/247, made July 1562, pr. 29 May 1563; purchased, transcribed and filed - see 'Will of John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford... Transcription and Notes (July 2026).md'): "I geve and bequeath to the ij sonnes of my brother AWBREY VEER, that ys to saye Hughe and John... And... to ANNE VEERE eldest daughter of my saide brother Awbrey one hundreth marks, and to either of his other daughters BRIDGETT AND JANE fortie poundes, to be payed to them at the severall dayes of their marriage or full age." Jane unmarried July 1562; m. Gosfield 1573. FILIATION NOW ✓ DUAL-SOURCED (primary probate + heralds' pedigree, independently agreeing name-for-name). Her first cousin = EDWARD DE VERE, 17TH EARL (the will's "my sonne Edwarde Lorde Bulbeck" - the Shakespeare-authorship candidate); will supervisors = the Duke of Norfolk and Lord Robert Dudley. Only the MOTHER's identity remains ~ (Gibbon vs Spring). Aubrey's own will remains unfound (PCC null under Vere; try Veer/Veere/forename, then Essex RO) but is no longer needed for the filiation. [DIRECT ANCESTOR OF THE COMPILER: flag added 24 Jul 2026 by walking the tree from Aynsley, so that this marker is reliable and can be searched.]