Margaretta  Maria  Fraunceis Gwyn

Margaretta Maria Fraunceis - Courtesy Desmond FitzGerald

Margaretta  was born in 1765 and her christening took place on May 27th, 1765 in Combe Florey, Somerset.¹   Margaretta 's father was John Fraunceis - Created Gwyn of Forde Abbey 1780 and her mother was Sarah Escott.  Her paternal grandparents were William Fraunceis and Joanna Whitlock. She had two brothers named James and William.  She was the oldest of the three children. She had a half-brother and a half-sister, named Squire John Fraunceis and Joanna-Phillippa.  She died at the age of 36 on September 21st, 1801 in Combe Florey, Somerset.¹ 

• General Notes

  In 1789 Colonel John Fitzgerald, Knight of Glin, Ireland, married his beautiful English wife, Margaretta Maria Fraunceis Gwyn of Forde Abbey, the daughter of a rich west country squire. Her coat of arms is impaled with his on the hall ceiling, which suggests that the house was still being decorated at the time of their marriage.
  
  In June 1801 a private act of parliament in Westminster was passed which forced the sale of part of the Glin estate in order to pay off the many 'encumbrances' which had accrued during the 18th century.
  
  Margaretta died at one of her father's properties, Combe Florey in Somerset, a few months after the act was passed in 1801.
  
  ***Desmond FitzGerald, the current Knight Of Glin, has kindly provided the attached image of Margaretta Maria Fraunceis from a locket in his possession.

Details of Margaretta 's family with Colonel John Bateman Fitzgerald, 24th Knight of Glin