A'Bear Family History c1470 - c1700

Generations 1 & 2

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Early Family Tree

References

BRO - Berkshire Record Office

WRO - Wiltshire Record Office

IGI - International Geographical Index

TAFOW - "The A'Bear Family of Wargrave" - Stephen Leach

TSBOW - "The Second Book of Wargrave" - Wargrave Local History Society

Some of the will transcriptions below are the work of David Nash Ford, to whom grateful thanks are expressed.

John A Beyre of Wargrave (c1470 – 1550)

The last will and testament of the earliest known A'Bear gives us a good start to the family tree. (Ref: CD / BRO / pg 74 TAFOW)

 It reads as follows:

Berkshire, 9th April 1550

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, the ix day of April in the fourth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord Edward the sixth by the Grace of God King of England, France and Ireland, defender of the Faith , And in ye earth of the Church of England and also Ireland the supreme head next and medieth under our Saviour Christ. I John A Beyre of the parish of Wargrave in the County of Berks, husbandman, of a whole mind and good remembrance make my Testament or last Will in manner and form following. First, I bequeath my soul to almighty god my creator and to Jesus Christ his only son my redeemer, and my body to be buried in the Churchyard at Wargrave. Item, I bequeath to George my son 41 oxen and one cow bullock. Item, I bequeath to William my son xx of the best trees growing in Pypar's Grove. Item, I bequeath to Alice my daughter a bullock of one year old. Item, I bequeath to Annes A Beyre i ewe and one lamb. Item, to Annes Thelar i ewe and one lamb. Item, to Joan my daughter a sucking calf. Item, to Thomas Gryme one sheep. Item, I bequeath to any daughter that I have unto whom I have gave nothing one lamb. The residue of my goods not given nor bequeathed I give to Joan A Beyre my wife whom I make my whole Executrix to fulfil this my last will or testament and to pay my debts, and to see my body buried.

Witness hereof Richard Spencer, William Monke, Richard Fretten, Robert Westwood, Thomas Doglas.

Probate apud Oxon xxx die Octbris anno dni 1550.

The spelling of his surname is interesting. It began to change in the next generation with his sons George and Thomas Abere, after which there is no record of the letter y being used again.

Annes A Beyre should probably be Agnes A Beyre, as Agnes is named in her brother William’s will, along with another daughter Margaret Feise.

The will makes no mention of his son Thomas (c 1495 – 1544) who died before this will was written. There is some doubt that Thomas was his son, as the register of land ownership, (probably compiled from the Manor Court Record for the new Lord of the Manor in 1603/4), clearly states that land was surrendered from John’s son William to William’s son Thomas, (whose son in turn was named Thomas...). However, William declares himself a bachelor in his will of 1553.

Richard (c1504 – 1540/1) and John (c1493 – 1548) (Group 1) are not mentioned for the same reason, although it is uncertain that they were sons of John. One might expect Alex A’Bear (Group 2) to be named as a beneficiary if he was a son, as he was still living in 1550.

It is possible that Annes Thelar is a married daughter, and Thelar may be an alternative spelling of Taylor mentioned in his son William’s will.

John’s marriage to Joan A’Bear is recorded in the Wargrave marriage list in 1542, so clearly John’s children were born to a previous wife.

The register of land ownership shows a number of properties and parcels of land concerning John and his descendants. It seems he acquired the following estate from William Gower in 1478 :

A toft containing 12 acres called Corke in Woodrow and 2 acres in Southkenfield

In 1495 he surrendered these and the following to his son William :

A toft and court at Harehatch and another toft and courtyard called Childs Garden containing 1 acre and 1 rood. A Toft of Land called Saweland and 4 acres in Bycroft (permanent pasture). Three crofts containing three acres and 2 acres in Southkenfield.

Additionally, in 1496 he forfeited to his son William :

Three acres called Mattely Innings.

The Lay Subsidy for Wargrave (1545/1546) includes a John Abber, taxed on Land. (Ref :  pg 269 TSBOW). This could refer to John A'Bear (Grp1 gen 2) or his son (Grp 1 gen3). Strangely, no John is listed in the earlier list of 1524/1525.

We may deduce that John’s main farming interest was in the rearing of cattle, which he handed on to George, not William his elder living son. That John owned land known as Pypar’s Grove in Wargrave is significant, as it is passed down through his son George.

John died in 1550, six months after making his will. Then in 1551 Joan A Beyre married Thomas Barnard. Joan Barnard is mentioned in son William’s will of 1553 as William’s mother-in-law, taken to mean his step-mother.

Thomas Abere (c 1495 – 1544)

Thomas is placed as a son of John because he is contemporary, names William as a brother in his will and his sister’s son named Fessy, who is taken to be Margaret Feise’s son.

The Lay Subsidy for Wargrave (1524/1525) and that of the following year include a Thomas a Bere and a William a Bere. The fact that their names are listed one after the other may indicate that they lived together or next to each other. (Ref :  pg 268 TSBOW)

The register of land ownership shows a number of properties and parcels of land owned by two previous generations of the family, and which were surrendered to Thomas in 1526 by his “father, William”. These are:

A toft and court at Harehatch and another toft and courtyard called Childs Garden containing 1 acre and 1 rood. A Toft of Land called Saweland and 4 acres in Bycroft (permanent pasture). Three acres called Mattely Innings. Three crofts containing three acres and 2 acres in Southkenfield. A toft containing 12 acres called Corke in Woodrow and 2 acres in Southkenfield.

All these estates descended to his son Thomas in 1545.

His will reads as follows: (Ref: CD / BRO / pg 74 TAFOW)

Berkshire, 7th August 1544

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, the vii day of August in the year of our lord god MCCCCCXLIIII, I Thomas Abere of the parish of Wargrave being whole of mind and sick of Body maketh this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following. First, I bequeath my soul unto Almighty God and to our blessed Lady Saint Mary and to all the Holy Company of Heaven and my body to be buried within the Churchyard of our Lady in Wargrave. Item, I bequeath to the mother Church of Sarum iid. Item, I bequeath to the High Altar of Our Lady in Wargrave aforesaid for tythes once gently forgotten iiiid. I bequeath to William my son half a house lying in Kynghin. And also of mine grounds lying in Twyford. If so be that Thomas my son and William die without issue then I will what shall remain to my Godson (Thomas -crossed out) Fessy my sister's son and to his heirs. Item, I bequeath to my sister xls. Item, I bequeath to John Lovewell £5. Item, I bequeath to William Abere my brother a part of wheat and a part of barley. The Residue of my goods not bequeathed I give and bequeath them unto Thomas my son and William to be divided equally betwixt them both by the council of Thomas Battell and Thomas Tame whom I do ordain and make them my executors and they to have for their painstaking each of them xvis viiid apiece. And Christopher Battell to be my overseer. These men bearing my witness John Lovewell and Christopher Battell and Thomas Abere.

Thomas states that he is ill, and he was buried three days after making this will. The Wargrave burials list (below) tells us that no less than seven other members of the family had died during the previous three weeks, so no wonder he is careful to make provision in case either of his sons dies. The burials list for 1544 tells us the order in which the nine family members were buried: 

This evidence suggests that a disease was the cause of these deaths. In fact his son William died and was buried the same day as Thomas, making a total of nine deaths, but his other son Thomas survived. This son Thomas had himself married and had three children of which two had just perished, possibly with their mother. Considering the obvious virulence of the disease, one has to wonder how the witnesses of Thomas’s will managed to survive.

From his will, we may suppose that Thomas had only these two sons living at the time. His wife is not mentioned, nor any daughters to whom he probably would have bequeathed something had they been alive. His wife may also have been one of the earlier fatalities listed, namely Agnes, Joan, Isabelle or Jane, although the Stanley A’Bear tree names Thomas’s wife as Abigail, who died in 1542.

Thomas seems to have been building a house for his family in Kynghin, and by 1544 had lands in Twyford, a village only two miles from Wargrave. Though Thomas died, clearly many if not all of his brothers and sisters survived, so presumably he was already living away from them in his half-built house or elsewhere at this time.

 William A Beare (c 1497 – 1553) / Wyllyam A Bere "de Londres"

The register of land ownership shows a number of properties and parcels of land owned by William’s father, John, and which were surrendered to William in 1495. These are:

A toft and court at Harehatch and another toft and courtyard called Childs Garden containing 1 acre and 1 rood. A Toft of Land called Saweland and 4 acres in Bycroft (permanent pasture). Three crofts containing three acres and 2 acres in Southkenfield. A toft containing 12 acres called Corke in Woodrow and 2 acres in Southkenfield.

Additionally, in 1496 his father forfeited to him :

Three acres called Mattely Innings.

Clearly there is a discrepancy here with dates. Additionally, the same document names William’s son as Thomas to whom all these estates were surrendered in 1526. However, it seems William died a bachelor.

The Lay Subsidy for Wargrave (1524/1525) and that of the following year include a William a Bere and a Thomas a Bere. The fact that their names are listed one after the other may indicate that they lived together or next to each other. (Ref :  pg 268 TSBOW)

The discovery of a William a Bere was made by a student in History of Art at the University of Parma, Italy, in 2005. Laura Saporiti’s interest in History of Illumination led her to study a Book of Hours produced around the third quarter of the fifteenth century for the English market and now held at the Biblioteca Palatina of Parma. She described the book as quite luxurious, covered with a very gold-tooled binding binding of the middle of the XVth century in a typical French-ribbon style, with grotesques and monstrous figures. The reference number of the manuscript is Ms Palatino 206. There is no need for special permission to view it. A negative microfilm of it reproduces the full manuscript in black and white (inverted), while a positive microfilm shows only the miniatures, but in colour. Though of a standard structure it contains many full-page miniatures. The manuscript presents a number of pages with added notes, and translations of Latin prayers into English, written, signed and dated by William a Bere who was clearly the owner during the sixteenth century. (See photos)

The first page bears William’s signature where he names his wife Joanna, states he is of London, and dates his signature 1550. Interestingly, his signature includes a symbol, believed to be a wool mark. In other places he signs briefly as W.A.B.

A further inscription reads:

Si Guli ponatur, elmus simul accipiatur / et Bere jungatur, qui scripsit sic vocitatur / (quod) W B / 15 septembris / a(nn)o 1543.

Regarding another page of the manuscript, he writes:

Thus endyth certayn / prayers for the masse tyme, annexid by / me Wyllyam A Bere. In laudem d(omi)ni a(nn)o 1542.

Another detail of historical interest is the fact that he has erased all references to Thomas of Canterbury, as dictated by Henry VIII in 1538.

It seems that every time he wrote something in the book, William dated and signed it. In fact the first part of the manuscript is filled with his personal writing, while the second is not, possibly suggesting to the reader an unexpected death. Might this coincide with the multiple deaths of 1544?

On first inspection it seems unclear if this William could be this same man who died in Wargrave. The reference to his wife Joanna disagrees with the statement in his will in which he declares himself a bachelor, and how could a simple yeoman farmer receive an education good enough to translate Latin and write so adeptly? Again, how does he come to be living in London, and why was his inventory so basic?

One can only try to make sense of what we do know. William seems to come from a fairly prosperous family, as indicated by his brother Thomas’s inventory. Thomas lived in a large house, and even had painted cloths decorating the walls of his bedroom. He was bordering on gentry status. So perhaps he did receive a good education. Additionally, if William was not the first-born child, his father may have arranged an apprenticeship in London. [It was felt important to provide a living for younger sons, as demonstrated by the studies of Pollock and Trumbuch]. With Berkshire wool being some of the best available at this period, what more natural than to enter the wool trade in London, while retaining just a small landholding in Wargrave. Finally, William may have divested himself of his wealth upon his retirement and returned to his childhood home which was, by then, in the hands of his nephew, Thomas.

Following this first correspondence from Laura Saporiti a further fact came to light, suggesting with greater certainty that these Williams are one and the same man. Her research led her to another Book of Hours held in the Free Library of Philadelphia (Reference Ms Widener 3) inside which was found a dedication miniature drawn by a wool merchant called John Browne, who may have bought the book whilst on business in Bruges at the end of the XVth century. The dedication miniature of this book displayed a similar mark to that inscribed by William, endorsing the notion that it is indeed a wool mark. (See photos). William’s brother George A Beare / A Bere (c1505 – 1577) names a John Browne as his father-in-law in his will of 1552, having married Joanne Browne in 1525, entrusting him to take care of his young family and supervise the will. He even names his brother William as a benefactor. This John Browne would have been born around 1475, so could well have been travelling to Bruges at the end of the XVth century. The will suggests the family were close, so perhaps, it seemed, there was a relationship here. However, a further letter from Laura added that John Browne and his wife Agnes lived in Stamford in the XVth century. The National Archives' Catalogue includes two documents which nominate a William A Bere in London between the years 1530 and c1545. Whilst one defines himself as a chaplain (who is certainly not this William because he is married), the other describes himself as a draper of London and this could be revealing because most of these merchants sold wool as well. So there remains doubt concerning our relationship.

William inherited twenty trees in Pyper’s Grove upon his father’s death in 1550. Three years later he made his will which reads as follows: (Ref: CD / BRO / pg 74 TAFOW)

Wargrave, Berkshire, 7th February 1553

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, the viith day of FEBRUARY in the viith year of the reign of our sovereign Edward the vith by the grace of God King of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and in earth of the Church of England and also Ireland the supreme Head. I William A Beare of Harehatch in the parish of Wargrave in the County of Berks, bachelor, of a whole mind and good remembrance make my testament or last will in manner and form following. First, I bequeath my soul to Almighty God my maker, creator and redeemer and my body to the earth to be buried. Item, I bequeath to Joan A Bere my sister a brown cow and iii ewes and iii lambs and a coffer. Item, I bequeath to Agnes A Beare my sister a bullock of one year old, ii bushels of wheat and ii bushels of malt. Item, I give to my sister Margaret Feise one bullock of ii years old. Item, to Annes Taylor a white faced bullock. Item, to Alice A Beare ii ewes and ii lambs. Item, to Annes Barnard ii ewes and ii lambs. Item, to Sybil Webb and Julia Webbe one ewe and one lamb betwixt them. Item, to Robert Westward one bushel of wheat. Item, I give and bequeath to Robert A Beare the son of Robert A Beare ii acres of free land lying in South Kenefields after the death of Joan Barnard my mother-in-law, moreover I give and bequeath to my ii sisters Aves Wilbor and Margaret Feise xiiii acres of free land being within the parish of Wargrave equally divided betwixt them and the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten and if they both decease without heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten then to return to my sister Joan A Beare and her heirs. The residue of my goods and lands not given nor bequeathed I give to Aves Wilbor and Margaret Feise my sisters whom I make my full executors to execute and fulfil this my last will and testament and to pay my debts and see my body buried.

Witness hereof Richard Spensar, Ralf Newbery, Richard Stretten, William Gonnell, Thomas Gonall. Thomas Dowglas.

Probatu suit her testamentum apud Reading xv die Aprilis Anno Edwardi Sexti Septimo.

William declares himself to be living at Harehatch, and to be a bachelor. Later, he names his mother-in-law, so we might take it that he is a widower whose widow’s maiden name was Barnard. However, mother-in-law is an alternative phrase for 'step-mother'. DNF has details of her remarriage to Mr. Barnard and has a copy of his will. However, if we are to believe this William to be Wyllyam, owner of the Book of Hours, perhaps he married Joan(ne) Barnard, and she died before him just after 1550, the year of his inscription, making him once again a ‘bachelor’?

He names a Robert A Beare, son of Robert, who is listed as born in 1539. Also in his brother William’s will, Robert A Beare son of Robert A Beare is named in conjunction with Joan. One might think that Joan had previously married Robert, and that they had had a son named Robert born in 1539 (to whom William bequeathed two acres of land after Joan’s death). However, Robert (senior) was married to Alice ? at the time. So perhaps Robert (senior) and Joan were brother and sister?

By the way people are named we may suppose that his sisters Joan and Agnes were not married in 1550, and that Margaret’s married name is Feise. Aves is taken to be Alice. It seems his sister Joan had married and had a family by this time.

Even by 1553 William had acquired land – not less than sixteen acres – and he seemed to be ploughing the land and sheep farming whereas his father had specialised in oxen.

William’s will was proved in 1553, at which time an inventory was made of his belongings. His burial is not listed, though there is a record of a William in 1556.

 Inventory - taken upon the death of William A'BEAR of Harehatch, 1553

The Inventory of all such goods and chattels as were lately belonging to William A Beare of the parish of Wargrave in the County of Berks, deceased, seen and praised the ix day of April in the seventh year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth by Ralph Neubery, Thomas Barnard, William Gonell and Thomas Gonell. 

Anne(s) A Beyre ( ? – >1553)

Annes is named in her father’s will as Annes Thelar where she is treated the same as his daughter Annes (Agnes?) A Beyre. Annes Taylor is named as a beneficiary in William’s will. George also bequeaths bushels of wheat and malt to his sister Annes against her marriage. It is possible Annes is a misspelling of Agnes (see below), but William’s will clearly names both parties.

 Joan A Beyre (c 1499 – >1553)

Joan was born in about 1499. She is named in her father’s will, in her brother William’s will and her brother George’s will. She must have died after 1553, the latest of these dates, and seems to have been unmarried at this time.

Francis a Bere (c 1500 – c1540)

Francis appears in the Lay Subsidy list for Wargrave in 1524/1525 as a wage-earner. (Ref : pg 268 TSBOW). He is placed here only because he is contemporary and local, and shares the same spelling in the list as Thomas, William and Richard. He is not named in John A Beyre’s will, but could be a son if he died before this will was written. This is possible, since his name does not appear in the 1545 /1546 list.

Alice A Beare (c 1501 – >1553)

Alice was born in about 1501. She is named as Alice by her father, and both Alice A Beare and Aves Wilbor in her brother William’s will. Her husband James Wilbor is also named in William’s inventory, so it is just possible Aves is another sister.

She must have died after 1553, the year of William’s will.

Margaret A Beare (c 1503 – >1553)

Margaret was born in about 1503. She is not specifically named in her father’s will, but is named as a sister in her brother William’s will as Margaret Feise. Her brother Nicholas Feysse is also listed in William’s inventory. Thomas gives her surname as Fessy and indicates that she had a son named Thomas before 1544 (when he wrote his will).

Margaret therefore would have married Nicholas Feysse before 1544, and must have died after 1553 when William’s will was written.

Richard A’Bear (c1504 – 1540)

Richard is copied from the Stanley A’Bear tree. He would not have been mentioned in his father’s will as he seems to have died before it was written.

The Lay Subsidy for Wargrave (1524/1525) and that of the following year include a Richard a Bere. (Ref :  pg 268 TSBOW). He does not appear in the 1545/1546 Lay Subsidy list.

A Richard is listed in the burials list for 1541, followed by a Sybil nine months later. It is possible they were married, so Sybil has been placed here.

Additionally, the Stanley A’Bear tree shows Richard (c1529 – 1585) married to Ann Inglass with a daughter Elizabeth (1551 - ?). They have been included here only because the years of birth follow well and the son’s name matches the father’s name.

George A Beare / A Bere (c 1505 – 1577)

George was born in about 1505. He married Joanne Brown(e) in 1525. They had two children John (c 1535 – 1616) and Celice (>1541 - ?)

George does not appear in any Lay Subsidy lists, which might suggest his homestead was outside this catchment area.

George inherited 41 oxen and a cow bullock from his father in 1550. Two years later he made the following will, which was proven in 1577:(Ref: CD / BRO / pg 74 TAFOW)

St.Lawrence, Reading, Berkshire, 24th June 1552

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, the xiiiith day of June and in ye iiii year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord Edward the Sixth. I George A Bere of ye parish of St. Lawrence in Reading in ye diocese of Sarum, whole mind and good in remembrance thanks be to God make my testament in manner and form followeth. First, I commend my soul to Almighty God and to all ye holy company of heaven and my body to be buried in ye churchyard of Saint Lawrence aforesaid. Item, I give and bequeath to John A Bere my son and mine heir all my Lands, meadows, grounds and pastures lying within the parish of Wargrave. Item, I will that my father-in-law John Browne of Mapledurham shall have ye custody and keeping of my son John until he be of ye age of xx years, that is to say to be kept with ye afore named John Browne at all manner of finding until ye said age of xx years be past and the said John Browne to have all his land in keeping and he to look to all manner of reparations and perfect and the divers the Lord and King to ye use of ye said John A Bere. Item, I will that my father-in-law John Browne shall so delivered unto my brother William A Bere xx of ye best oaks within Pipers Grove at any time within this iii years. Item, I bequeath to Celice my daughter iiii sheep when she shall be of x years of age and the afore named John Browne my father-in-law to buy them for her and she to set them forth to her most perfect when she shall think best. Item, I will that my father-in-law shall fell and cut down all the rest of Pipers Grove to the maintenance and repairing of my house and lands and if ye said John Browne my father-in-law should find any timber in any plot of my grounds he shall fell them to ye reparation of ye said house and fell ye logs and tops also to ye said use. Item, I give and bequeath to Thomas Core my best coat and also a tod of wood, he paying for felling and carrying. Item, I bequeath to Thomas Grymmes of Twyford a tod of wood, he paying for felling and carrying. Item, I bequeath to my sister Annes against her marriage a bushel of wheat and a bushel of malt. Item, I bequeath to my sister Joan to her marriage a bushel of wheat and a bushel of malt. The residue of all my moveable goods I give and bequeath to Joanne my wife to pay my debts, to bury me on earth and to pray for my soul. Also, I make, ordain and constitute John A Bere my son and mine heir my executor. And also, I make ye said John Browne my father-in-law supervisor of this my Last will and Testament performed and fulfilled these witnessing: John Knight, John Davy, John Browne, Nicholas Thorne, Nicholas Noryshs, Richard A Dene, clerk.

Probatum apud 1577.  

By 1552 George seems to have established quite a holding, for he declares he has lands, meadows, grounds and pastures in Wargrave. He married Joanne Browne whilst a young man in 1525, and they had two children, John who must have been born after 1531 and Celice who must have been born after 1541 (since they had not reached the respective ages of twenty and ten years).

It is possible George had another son named Henry. See gen 3.

Since his wish was to be buried at St Lawrence, we may assume George was established in that locality. Pipers Grove is mentioned in this will as it was by his father, and this may some day give a further clue as to where his family lived exactly.

When he died twenty five years later in 1577, an inventory was taken of his belongings. It reads as follows:

Inventory taken upon the Death of George A'BEAR of Reading, 1577

The Inventory of ye goods of George A Bere made ye iiiith year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord Edward the Sixth.

It seems George had retained only the basic essentials at the time of his death, presumably because he had already handed on all his other belongings to his son John (who had by then married and had eight children) and his daughter Celice.

Since his wife Joanne is mentioned in his will, she must have died after 1552.

Agnes A Beyre / A Beare (c 1507 – >1553 ?1572)

Agnes was born about 1507. She is named in both her father’s will (Annes), her brother William’s will (Agnes) and her brother George’s will (Annes). Therefore she must have died after 1553. There is a burial record for an Agnes in 1572.

Descendants of Thomas (c1520 – 1562) and George (c1505 – 1577)

Rationale :

At this juncture decisions have to be made as to how the tree progresses. Both Thomas (c1520 – 1562) and George’s descendants are named, and clues are given in their wills as to their approximate years of birth. Both have a son named John, and the problem to sort out is which John A’Bear should be attributed to which man.

There are three known candidates for these two Johns :

 John c 1550 –1616 md Mary Bear in 1570.

John c1525 - ? md Alice ? c 1530 – 1578 who lived in Henley.

John 1562 – 1639 md Joan Blunte 1585 then md Agnes Symmons 1585.

 In George’s will, made in 1551, his son John is not yet reached the age of twenty years, and so must have been born after 1531, but no later than 1551. Only the first two candidates above could be George’s son.

Looking at the first candidate, John who dies in 1616 married Mary Bear, and declares himself “waxen old”. It would seem reasonable that he was older than 66 when he died, and so was probably born before 1550, say about 1535. This John has had a very prosperous life, developed along the same lines as George. Their wills are similar, and he (in turn) bequeaths Pipers Grove to his son John. Mary Bear, could have been Mary A Beare( c.1552 - ?), Thomas’s daughter. She would then have been only a few years younger than this John, and being cousins could have married.

In Thomas’s will, his son Gilbert is favoured before his son John. Both are not yet adult, and so this John must have been born after 1541, but no later than 1562 when the will was written. So it would seem that either this John was born by Thomas’s first marriage in about 1541 and was disfavoured for some reason, or else Gilbert was older than John. The third candidate listed above was born in 1562, and fits nicely as a son of Thomas, being younger than Gilbert. Supporting this notion is the fact that in this John’s will he bequeaths Heaton Meade (in Hurst) just as Thomas did to him.

The remaining candidate is John (c1525 - ?) who lived in Henley. For the time being this John heads Group 4 of the unattached family groups.