Gregory Wale

Gregory Wale (1668–June 5 1739) was a Cambridgeshire gentleman, a Justice of the Peace for Cambridgeshire and Conservator of the River Cam.

Parents

Gregory Wale was the son of Thomas Wale of Lackfort (born 8 January 1642) and Penelope Wood. He was one of four sons and two daughters.

Thomas Wale of Lackfort was the son of Robert Wale of Bardfield Hall who in 1653 established the Wale family merchant business in Riga. Robert Wale was the grandson of Thomas Wale who purchased in 1613 Harston Hall, which may be considered the Wale ancestral home.

The obelisk

He is notable for a large obelisk in his memory on Magots Mount (coord|52.1362|N|0.1056|E|type:landmark_region:GB) near Little Shelford, Cambridgeshire. This small hill is also known as Rowley's Hill and on some maps as St. Margaret's Mount. The obelisk was erected in 1739.

The monument is inscribed as follows:

To the Memory of Gregory Wale, EsqJustice of the Peace for this CountyConservator of the River CamHe lived -An advocate for liberty,A good subject,An agreeable companion,A faithful friend,An hospitable neighbour,And in all parts of lifean useful member of society

The obelisk was erected by his surviving friend James Church, Esq as a publick testimony of his regard for the memory of so worthy a gentleman. Gregory Wale and James Church used to meet regularly at this place, and they agreed that when one of them died, the survivor should put up a monument to his friend's memory on the very spot where they so often met. [ [http://www.rootsweb.com/~engcam/PlacesBuildings/Harston.htm Cambridgeshire, EnglandGenWeb Project - Harston ] ]

After the death of Gregory Wale, his granddaughter Margot Wale (born 1850) often used to walk up the mount and was very fond of it. At the latter end of her life she would lie at her window and watch her little hill and her friends and the country people got into the habit of calling it "Margot's Mount" and in later years this was corrupted to "Maggot's Mount". [ [http://www.rootsweb.com/~engcam/PlacesBuildings/Harston.htm Cambridgeshire, EnglandGenWeb Project - Harston ] ]

Gregory Wale was Lord of the Manor of Tiptofts in Harston, Cambridgeshire from 1731–1735 [Cambridgeshire Archives, Cambridge, references no. 132 and no. 132/M21/M20] His son and grandson were subsequently Lord of the Manor.

Family life

He married Margaret Sparke in about 1700. Margaret Sparke came from Risby and was the daughter of Ezekiel Sparke. The children of Gregory Wale and Margaret Sparke were Margaret Wale (born 24 February 1699 died 1778) of Harston and Thomas Wale of Little Shelford. Margaret Wale married Allen Hurrell at Little Shelford on the 12 January 1719. Their daughter Margaret married John Bridge-Littel (Littel-Bridge) of Shudy Camps. The will of John Littel Bridge's son Thomas is in the National Archives in London.

Gregory Wale married his second wife Elizabeth Hitch and they had a son called Hitch Wale (born 1711). Elizabeth was the daughter of Captain Thomas Hitch.

Other Aspects of his life

Some of his personal papers form part of those which his great grandson used to write "My Grandfather's Pocket Book". This book (page 63) gives an interesting anecdote concerning the birth of his son Thomas Wale: "7ber 15th 1701 - Wagered with Von Poodall a bottle of wine yt [that] my next child will be a boy". The author then notes "And he won it also".

Gregory Wale is buried in the parish church of Little Shelford.

References

*cite book|title=My Grandfather's Pocket Book. From A.D. 1701 to 1796|author=Reverend Henry John Wale M.A.|publisher=Chapman and Hall|location=London|date=1883

ee also

"Harston - History and Local Records of a Cambridgeshire Village" compiled by Helen C. Greene 1937

"In Memory of the Sounds of Shelford Parva in Cambridge" by Fanny Lucretia Wale. Cambridgeshire County Council Archives