Biography of Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche 1752-1828

Paternal Family Tree: Bishopp

On 8th January 1750 [his father] Cecil Bishopp 7th Baronet and [his mother] Susan Hedges Lady Bishopp were married.

On 29th December 1752 Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche was born to [his father] Cecil Bishopp 7th Baronet and [his mother] Susan Hedges Lady Bishopp.

On 15th June 1778 [his grandfather] Cecil Bishopp 6th Baronet (age 77) died. His son [his father] Cecil succeeded 7th Baronet Bishopp of Parham in Sussex. [his mother] Susan Hedges Lady Bishopp by marriage Lady Bishopp of Parham in Sussex.

In 1779 [his father] Cecil Bishopp 7th Baronet died. His son Cecil (age 26) succeeded 8th Baronet Bishopp of Parham in Sussex.

In or before 1783 Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche (age 30) and Harriet Anne Southwell were married. They had two sons, both of whom predeceased him, and three daughters.

On 25th June 1783 [his son] Lieutenant-Colonel Cecil Bishopp was born to Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche (age 30).

In or after 1784 [his son] Lieutenant Charles Cecil Bisshop was born to Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche (age 31).

Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes

Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.

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On 7th September 1787 [his daughter] Harriet Anne Bishopp 13th Baroness Zouche was born to Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche (age 34). She married 1808 Robert Curzon Baron Zouche, son of Assheton Curzon 1st Viscount Curzon and Dorothy Grosvenor Baroness Curzon, and had issue.

On 1st December 1791 [his mother] Susan Hedges Lady Bishopp died.

On 1st December 1791 [his daughter] Katharine Anabella Bisshop Lady Brooke-Pechell was born to Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche (age 38). She married 1st August 1826 George Brooke-Pechell 4th Baronet, son of Thomas Brooke-Pechell 2nd Baronet and Charlotte Clavering Lady Pechell, and had issue.

In 1808 [his son] Lieutenant Charles Cecil Bisshop (age 23) died of yellow fever in Jamaica after the frigate Muros was wrecked whilst endeavouring to destroy some batteries near Havana, Cuba.

In 1808 [his son-in-law] Robert Curzon Baron Zouche (age 33) and [his daughter] Harriet Anne Bishopp 13th Baroness Zouche (age 20) were married.

Around 16th July 1813 [his son] Lieutenant-Colonel Cecil Bishopp (age 30) died from wounds. Bisshopp's final action in the war was to lead an attack on Black Rock, New York from Fort George, Ontario. The raid was successful but their departure was delayed and he was injured in a counterattack. He died from his injuries a few days later. Bishopp is buried in the Lundy's Lane Battlefield Cemetery in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The London Gazette 17046. Whitehall, July 27, 1815.

His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, has been graciously pleased to order a writ to be issued, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for summoning Sir Cecil Bisshopp (age 62), of Parham-Park, in the county of Sussex, Baronet, up to the House of Peers, by the name, stile, and title of Baron Zouche, of Haryngworth, he being lineally descended from the eldest of the two daughters [Note. Elizabeth Zouche and Mary Zouche] of Edward the last Lord Zouche, of Haryngworth, who died without issue male in 1625 and one of the rightful heirs of the said Barony, which was created by writ of summons in the reign of King Edward the Second.

Note. The descent from Elizabeth Zouche as follows: Zouche Tate, William Tate, Bartholomew Tate, [his grandmother] Catherine Tate, [his mother] Susan Hedges Lady Bishopp, Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche.

On 1st August 1826 [his son-in-law] George Brooke-Pechell 4th Baronet (age 37) and [his daughter] Katharine Anabella Bisshop Lady Brooke-Pechell (age 34) were married at Parham Park, Sussex.

On 11th November 1828 Cecil Bishopp 12th Baron Zouche (age 75) died. Baron Zouche Harringworth abeyant. His first cousin George (age 37) succeeded 9th Baronet Bishopp of Parham in Sussex.

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

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The London Gazette 18540. Whitehall, January 8, 1829.

The King has been pleased to direct letter patent to be passed under the Great Seal, declaring that the Honourable [his daughter] Harriet-Anne Curzon (age 41) (wife of the Honourable [his son-in-law] Robert Curzon (age 54)), being one of the two surviving daughters [Note. the other being [his daughter] Katharine Anabella Bisshop Lady Brooke-Pechell (age 37)] and coheirs of the body of Cecil, late Baron Zouche of Haryngworth and shall be Baroness Zouche of Haryngworth and shall have and enjoy the said ancient Barony of Zouche of Haryngworth, to her and the heirs of her body in as full and ample manner as the said Cecil Baron Zouche of Haryngworth, or any of his ancestors, Barons Zouche of Haryngworth, held and enjoyed the same.