Family goes

back to its roots
 

By Mitch Irving

TWO MEMBERS of the Wightman family, now living in the USA, returned to once again retrace their Burbage roots and follow the footsteps of some of their forebears on their latest visit.

    Mr. Ronald Wightman and his wife Ilsa, who come over around every two years, stayed at Wykin Hall, one of the ancestral homes (together with Burbage Grange, the Moat House and Hinckley Manor) dating back to the time of Richard II in the 14th century.

    They went back to one of the former Wightman homes on Aston Lane, where they were presented with a Wightman coat of arms by Mr. Arthur Cross, organiser of the Burbage display in Hinckley and District Museum which features the family history.

    The couple were also taken by Mr Richard Sheppard and his wife Kathleen of Wykin Hall to other places of interest including Lichfield where one of their ancestors, Edward Wightman, was taken from Wykin Hall and burnt at the stake in the market place for heresy in 1612.

    A mercer from Burton-on-Trent, Edward took to preaching and had views extreme even to Puritans. In May 1611 he petitioned the king, James I, criticising the Church of England. He denied the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ and the three creeds, as well as denouncing Communion and the baptism of infants.

    Edward also claimed to be "the Holy Ghost spoken of in the scriptures". The king had him arrested, and the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry tried and excommunicated Edward.

Faggots
    A royal warrant was sent to the Sheriff of Lichfield to burn him. On 9th March 1612 he was chained to the stake and the faggots of small kindling wood set alight. Given a chance to recant he did so, and members of the public pulled out the faggots. Edward was unchained and taken to prison, but when he was returned to court and asked to formally recant the heresies, declined to do so, and the order was renewed.

    On 11th April 1612 he was again taken to the stake and this time, despite many being opposed to the execution, was burnt to ashes in what is believed to be the last such death in England of anyone for their religious belief.

    Mr. Wightman is keenly interested in genealogy, and has researched his family history thoroughly.
 

Valuable silver

    The American visitors, whose home is now in Salt Lake City, Utah, accompanied the Vicar of Hinckley, Canon Brian Davis to the Westminster Bank where four pieces of valuable silver, donated by a member of the family are deposited for safe keeping.

    A silver paten with foot (diameter 21.5 cm, height 4 cm) with the coat of arms and crest was given in 1639, and is inscribed: "A testimony of the goodwill of Constance Wightman, late wife of John Wightman to the parish church of Hinckley".

    There was then a 20 year gap -- due, Canon Davis believes, to the upheaval of the civil war -- before a similar size paten and two communion cups (each 21.5 cm high and 12 cm in diameter), similarly marked and inscribed, were given by the same benefactor.

    Canon Davis says: "They are marvellous pieces of silver, but too heavy and big for use today."