Boothby, William, Sir, 2nd Baronet, of Broadlow Ash (1638 -1707)

Sir William Boothby, 2nd Baronet was the only son of Sir Henry Boothby, 1st Baronet, and Mary daughter of Sir Thomas Hayes, Knight, Lord Mayor of London in 1615. He married, firstly, in 1653, Frances, second daughter and coheir of Colonel John Milward, of Snitterton in North Darnley, in Devon. She died in 1654, and he married, secondly, 6 April 1657, Hill, daughter and coheir of Sir William Brook K.B. Boothby's father was created a baronet 5 November 1644 by letters patent which received the sign manual of Charles I but did not pass the seals before he died. Sir William, who received the honour of knighthood in the field from Charles II, had his patent renewed gratis but taking date from 13 July 1660. He purchased Ashbourne Hall in Derbyshire from Sir Aston Cokayne in 1671. He kept a series of diaries and letter-books compiled between 1676 and 1689, and found at Fonmon Castele, Glamorgan in 1994, which provide an insight into the provincial literary.community of the time, and into Boothby’s passion for books. His library was said to have had six thousand volumes.