You’re probably familiar with the British television series, Wolf Hall, an adaptation in both novel and film of a fictionalized biography of the very real Thomas Cromwell in the time of Henry VIII. The actual Wolf Hall, or Wulfhall as it was most commonly spelled, was the seat of the Seymour family, a member of which, Jane Seymour, was queen to King Henry VIII.
This manor house fell to ruin and was demolished in 1723, but there were other buildings on the property. The present manor house and farmhouse both date back the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It is likely one or both of these buildings that the Whitchurch family has a distant connection to.
As you can see from the chart above, the connection to Wulfhall is a distant one. No direct ancestry is connected at all, but it’s fun to see the connection in the collateral branches.
It is noted that Stephen Dore’s first wife, Sarah, was part of the Savage family. For clarification, she was not a child of Edward Savage, nor does it appear that she resided at Wulfhall. She was the daughter of a John Savage and Frances Ragborn. John may have been a brother of Edward’s, but more research is needed to confirm this.
It is not known how long the Savage family held the Wulfhall property – more research is needed on this family to understand the full extent of their holdings, lineage and fate, however, because they are not directly related it is more of a “back-burner” project.
For more information about Wulfhall, visit here.
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