ROBERT BASKERVILLE

The family of Baskerville is one of the moat ancient and honourable in England, and from the time of its Norman patriarch, has continued to hold the highest position amongst the great landed proprietors. Its earliest residence was the castle of Erdisley in Herefordshire, and among the first knightly ancestors of the race we may mention Sir Robert Baskerville of Erdisley, whose wife was Agnes, daughter and heiress of Nesta, daughter of Rees ap Griffith, Prince of South Wales; Sir Richard Baskerville, who represented the county of Hereford in parliament in 1295 ; and Sir John Baskerville of Combe, who served in the retinue of Henry V. at the battle of Agincourt. At a later period Sir Thomas Baskerville of Goodrest, in Warwickshire, commanded, as general, the English army in Picardy. The heiress of the chief line, Eleanor Baskerville, married John Talbot of Grafton, Esq., and was mother of John, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury; several junior branches established themselves in various counties, and in all sustained the honour of the name; the Baskervilles, Lords of Lawton and Pickthorne, county Salop; the Baskervilles of Netherwood, of Goodrest, and of Aberedow and Lambedr. The late male representative, Lieut.-Col. THOMAS BASKERVILLE, who died s.p. in 1817, devised his estates to his cousin, the present THOMAS BASKERVILLE MYNORS-BASKERVILLE, Esq., of Clyrow, M.P. for Herefordshire, younger brother of Peter Rickards-Mynors, Esq., of Treago. Mr. Baskerville derives, from the Aberedow line, through his grandmother, Philippa, wife of the Rev. John Powell, and daughter and heir of Thomas Baskerville, Esq.

--(This name appears on the Battle Abbey roll)