Elizabeth Columbell

circa 1470 - circa 1520

Elizabeth was probably born around 1470 in Darley, the daughter of Henry & Beatrix. She had at least one brother ^(1)(2)(3)(8).

She married Robert Gilbert of Youlgreave ^{(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(8)}, and they had at least 3 sons - Humphrey, John & Roland; and at least three daughters - Lucy, Cecily & Barbara ⁽³⁾⁽⁵⁾.

Her husband died sometime after 1508 ⁽⁷⁾, and she remarried William Stafford of Botham ^(1)(2)(5)(6), but she is not thought to have lived much longer, as she was only the first of William's three wives ⁽⁶⁾.

• Humphrey has his own page.
• John was probably born sometime around 1498. He was the second eldest (surviving) son. He had a son called Gilbert (as a christian name too) who moved to Cornwall.
• Lucy was probably born sometime around 1500. She married Roger Smetheley. He appeared in a jury list for Yougreave in 1524/25, but nothing more is known of them.
• Cecily was probably born sometime around 1500. She married John Rogers, but nothing more is known of her.
• Barbara was probably born sometime around 1500. She married Henry Ellis, but nothing more is known of her.
• Roland was probably born sometime around 1500. Nothing more is known of him.

1. Pedigree of the Columbell family of Darley in the visitations of Derbyshire 1569 and 1611 (as published in "The Genealogist (New Series)" Volumes 7 & 8).
2. Pedigree of the Columbell family of Darley published in Familae Minorium Gemtium, Volume 1 page 237, taken from a variety of sources.
3. Pedigree of the Gilbert family of Yolgreave in the visitations of Derbyshire 1569 and 1611 (as published in "The Genealogist (New Series)" Volumes 7 & 8).
4. "Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire", by J Charles Cox, 1875, Volume 2, pages 329-330, within the chapter on Youlgreave church, contains the following:
   Against the east end of the north aisle is a remarkable monument, which previous to the restoration was in the chancel; at an earlier date it was against the south wall of the south aisle, as descibed by Bassano; but it was originally designed (as we believe) to form a memorial reredos at the back of the chantry altar of the Lady Chapel in the latter aisle. This mural has twenty-one small figures carved in relief in alabaster. In the centre is the Blessed Virgin crowned, with the Child in her arms. To her right kneels a man with his seven sons behind him, to her left kneels the wife with their ten daughters behind her. Round the margin is the following inscription in rather illegible black letter :-
   "Hic jacet sub lapede corp' Roberti Gylbert de Yolgreff generosi, et Johe cosortis sue, que Joha obiit, ii^e die Novembris A^o dni MCCCCLXXXXII, qui quid' Robert clausura hujus capelle fieri fecit in A^o [superadict], et idem Robert' obit."
   The word in brackets is now missing, a piece of the marble having been cut out, but we have supplied it from the copy of the inscription taken by Bassano. The date of the death of Robert was never recorded. The meaning of the latter part of the inscription is, that Robert Gilbert erected in 1492, a screen, or parclose, round the east end of the south aisle, so as to form a chapel. Below the figures are three shields, (1) Statham (gu, a pale fusilly, arg, with a crescent for difference); (2) Statham impaling Rossington (arg a fesse between three crescents, gu); and (3) Rossington.
   The first of the Gilberts, of Youlgreave, mentioned in the Visitation pedigrees, is Robert Kniveton alias Gilbert, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Maple, of Mapleton. His son, Nicholas Gilbert, married Margaret, daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Rossington ... . Their eldest son and heir was Robert Gilbert, who, by his wife Alice, daughter of Nicholas Cooper, had issue Robert, commemorated by this monument. This Robert Gilbert married Joan, daughter of John Statham, of Horsley. The Gilberts, of Youlgreave, whose own arms were - gu, a bend vaire, arg and sab, seem to have for the most part adopted the arms of Rossington, as the more honourable family, after their alliance with that heiress. It should also be noted that a careless blunder of the original sculptor has reversed the arms on the monument, and has made Statham impale Rossington (i.e. Gilbert), instead of vice versa. Of the various children here depicted, we are only able to give the name of the eldest son and heir - Robert Gilbert, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Columbell, of Darley.
   
5. Pedigree of the Kniveton alias Gilbert family, of Youlgreave, from the papers of Benjamin Bagshaw, antiquarian. Sheffield Archives reference Bag C/3361B
6. Pedigree of the Stafford family of Botham in the visitations of 1569 and 1611 (as published in "The Genealogist (New Series)" Volumes 7 & 8).
7. See her husbnad's page
8. Pedigree of the Columbell family of Darley in the Visitation of Lincolnshire 1592 (as published in "The Genealogist" Volume 6).