August Palgrave was born in 1567 the son of John, born in 1531, in Northwood, Barningham, Norfolk and Urith Palgrave, nee Saunder, born before 1535 in Ewell, Surrey. Augustus had one sister, Jane, later Jermy.
Augustus married Elizabeth, born in 1580, the daughter of Sir John and Frances Willoughby of Risley, Derbyshire. They had 14 children together:
Sir John, 1st. Baronet, born 26th. June 1605 at Northwood Barningham, married to Elizabeth, nee Jermy and Ann, nee De Grey, died 1672, buried at Northwood Barningham.
Henry, born 1606, died 1639.
Urith, born 1607.
Augustine 'Austin,' born 1609 at Shoreditch, London, died after 1665.
Clement, born 1609 at Inner Temple, London, died August 1649 at Northwood Barningham.
Frances, born 1612, died 1619.
Ann, born 1614, only lived for 1 day.
William, born 1615.
Willoughby, born 1617, died 1618.
Richard, born 1618, died 1619.
Nathaniel, born 1619, died 1665, buried in London.
Frances, born 1620.
Mary, later Playters, born 1620, died 1639.
Philip, born 1621, died c.1666 at Ponta Delgada, St Michael's, Azores, Portugal.
In 1633 Elizabeth died. In his will drafted two years before his death in 1639 Sir Augustus specified he should be buried "In the grave where my good wife was lately buried, in the upper end of the north isle of the church of Northwood Barningham, my tenants and servants accompanying my body, and a small monument built in remembrance of us, what children I have had with said wife, to whom they were married, my age and time of death."
It seems unlikely that he had in mind the memorial that was built, comprising a tomb chest from which rises two Doric columns supporting a curved pediment incorporating an heraldic achievement of 13 quarterings in the following sequence:
1 - Palgrave
2 - Granson
3 - Hethersett
4 - De Berningham
5 - Sturmer
6 - Hengrave
7 - Peche
8 - Chaworth
9 - Goushill
10 - Bosville
11 - Russell
12 - Baynard
13 - Ufford
The arms of Granson, De Berningham and Ufford have strong associations with the manor of North Barningham, the remaining arms have proven ancestral links to the Palgrave's.
Between the columns are two oval niches housing the busts of Sir Augustus and Dame Elizabeth by an unknown sculptor.
The structure includes the requested family inscriptions together with ten more heraldic shields, some which show impaled arms indicating known marital alliances with Sturmer, Jermy, Saunders and Willoughby.
