Dorothy or Dorothea Arundel was the oldest daughter of the 16th/17th-century soldier and assassin Theodore Paleologus. She might have been one of the last living members of the Palaiologos dynasty, which ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1259 to 1453. Born in Lincolnshire, Dorothy lived in England her entire life. She lived with her family in Tattershall until 1616, then in Plymouth and later in Landulph, Cornwall, where her parents died. She married a man by the name of William Arundel in 1656 at fifty years old. Records of the marriage emphasize Dorothy's heritage, referring to her as of "imperial stock". Whether Dorothy and William had any children is unknown, though it might be unlikely on account of her age at the time of marriage.
Biography
Dorothy Paleologus was the oldest daughter of Theodore Paleologus by his wife, Mary Balls,' and was baptized at Tattershall in Lincolnshire on 18 August 1606, the baptismal register recording her as "Dorathie, daughter of Theodore Palalogo". Dorothy's family might have been the last living members of the Palaiologos dynasty,' which ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1259 to 1453. They claimed descent from Thomas Palaiologos, a brother of Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos, through a son called John, whose existence can not be confirmed through contemporary sources. All other purported ancestors of the later Paleologus family can be verified through contemporary records, making their descent from the emperors plausible, but somewhat uncertain.' In her youth, Dorothy lived with her family at Tattershall, since her father served the hated and feared Earl Henry Clinton as Master of the Horse. When Clinton died in 1616 and Theodore left Lincolnshire, possibly being evicted by the new Earl, the whereabouts of the children are unknown. What likely transpired was that the children were placed in the service of some household of higher class, a common practice in regards to adolescents at the time. It is also possible that the family lived with Mary's relatives, the Balls family.' From 1619 to 1628, Dorothy lived in Plymouth with her parents, her younger sister Mary, and her younger brotherFerdinand.' The whereabouts of Dorothy's other brothers, Theodore Junior and John Theodore, are more unclear, but Theodore is known to have also lived at Plymouth from at least 1623 onwards.' Theodore Junior left his family at some point prior to 1628, making his own life elsewhere. In 1628, Dorothy's father was invited by the rich Cornish squire Sir Nicholas Lower to join him at his home in Landulph, Cornwall. Lower's large home, Clifton Hall, was divided to accommodate two families after Dorothy, her mother, her sister Mary, and probably Ferdinand moved in shortly thereafter. Dorothy's mother died on 24 November 1631 and was buried in Plymouth. Her father Theodore died on 21 January 1636 and was buried in Landulph. After the deaths of their parents, Dorothy and Mary remained at Clifton Hall. On 23 December 1656,' Dorothy married a man from Cornwall by the name William Arundel.' William was probably the son or grandson' of Alexander Arundel, from whom Nicholas Lower had originally purchased Clifton Hall. The entries recording the marriage in the marriage registers at Landulph and at William's home parish of St Mellion grandly describe Dorothy as of "imperial stock".' Soon after the marriage, Dorothy and William settled in the nearby parish of St Dominic.' Dorothy, now known under the name Dorothy Arundel, was willed twentyshillings upon the death of her brother Ferdinand, who had moved to Barbados, in 1670.' Dorothy died in 1681 and was buried at Landulph. Her husband died in 1684.' Since the registers at St. Dominic were accidentally destroyed, it is impossible to determine whether Dorothy and William had children.' Local historian Jago Vyvyan wrote in 1817 that it was probable that they did, believing that a woman by the name Mary Arundel, recorded as marrying a man by the name Francis Lee some years after Dorothy's and William's deaths, was their daughter and noting that it was thus possible that descendants of the Palaiologoi still lived in Cornwall.' Other historians, such as Donald Nicol, belive that it is unlikely that Dorothy and William had children since Dorothy was fifty years old at the time of her marriage.'
