PEDIGREE  OF  MARCHE,  &C.  24/

But  before  entering  upon  this  genealogy,  it  may  be  pertinent
to  explain,  that  I  was  originally  led  to  it  when  tracing  in  1841-3
the  representation  of  the  Steward  family  of  Ely,  in  which  (with
Oliver  Cromwell  and  some  other  persons)  the  Marches  enjoyed
a  coheirship;  and,  according  to  my  general  habit,  I  perfected
the  Marche  pedigree  {i.  e.  as  nearly  as  I  could  without  any  great
expense)  having  once  touched  upon  it.
I  have,  however,  a  rather  important  reason  for  this  preface  to
the  pedigree,  and  it  is  to  rectify  an  error  which  I  copied  from
Vincent,  and  published  in  a  periodical  called  "TheArchseologist,"
printed  by  Mr.  John  Russell  Smith,  in  1841-2.  This  article
I  wrote  for  the  express  purpose  of  correcting  Mark  Noble's
groundless  and  unwarrantable  presumption,  "  that  of  all  the  six
sister- coheiresses  of  the  Steward  family,  whereof  Oliver  Crom-
well's mother  was  the  fifth,  all  died  young  or  unmarried,  except
Mrs.  Cromwell :  "  whereas  it  is  clearly  proved  that  all  six  mar-
ried;  and  that  not  less  than  two,  besides  Mrs.  Cromwell,  had
surviving  issue ;  all  which  I  fully  substantiated.  But,  upon
Vincent's  authority,  I  there  also  stated,  that  Barbara  Marche,
the  daughter  of  Thomas  Marche  who  married  Anne  Stev/ard,
was  she,  so  named,  who  became  the  wife  of  Edmond  Hodilow.
