16th Century

Jan

2020

Thomas Madstard, Mercer, of Stourbridge

Thomas Madstard was a wealthy merchant based in Elizabethan Stourbridge. He died and left a will dated 1587. His wife, Mary, and unmarried second daughter, Ann, also left wills, from which we can build a picture of their life and family. Continue reading →

Jul

2019

William Barnesley of Trysull, died 1571

William Barnesley of Trysull in Staffordshire died and left a will written on 28 Mar 1571. He is described as a Yeoman and is the grandfather of the William Barnesley, who died in 1640. It would appear to be this grandson William, son of his eldest son Thomas, who succeeded in adopting the Coat of Arms of the Barnesley family of Bromsgrove in about 1597, proving the common line of descent with the Barnesleys of Barnesley Hall. Certainly his will shows a number of important connections with the landed and merchant classes in Elizabethan South Staffordshire. Continue reading →

Jan

2019

Joyce Rugeley of Moor Hall

Joyce Rugeley must have been born about 1480 and was descended from the Rugeley family of Dunton in Warwickshire. The Rugeley ancestry is somewhat erratically recorded in the contemporary Heraldic Visitations of Warwickshire of 1619 and it is not altogether clear exactly where she fits in. She died and left a will in 1553. Importantly she married twice and was widowed twice. Her two husbands were wealthy and extremely well connected. This kind of widowhood was in reality the only way a woman in Tudor times could gain important independent social status. Continue reading →

Apr

2018

Eleanor Harman of Sutton Coldfield

Eleanor Harman who lived from about 1510 to 1579 did not leave a will but we can glean a fair amount about her life from the wills of her two husbands. As a wealthy widow in the Elizabethan era she achieved financial independence after 1565 and we can speculate she was able to espouse and promote certain views on religion and education – mainly to promote the memory of her Uncle Bishop Vesey. Continue reading →

Apr

2018

Raphael Norman, Rector of Mavesyn Ridware

Raphael Norman was the Rector of Mavesyn Ridware just north of Lichfield from 1575 until his death in 1602. He was also Vicar of Harborne from 1584, probably in parallel Continue reading →

Apr

2018

Robert Pudsey of Langley Hall

There are two versions of wills held in the National Archives relating to Robert Pudsey of Langley Hall, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. The original was written on 10 Aug in the first year of the reign of Edward VI, i.e. 1547. Probate is granted in 1558 on this will but appears to be nullified. A further version written on 6 Jul is slightly different from the first but with Probate re-granted in 1561. There is also a Latin version of this second will. This is difficult to explain especially as the documents superficially seem similar and non contentious. Continue reading →

Mar

2018

Clare Coleborne of Dudley

Clare Coleborne married Richard Jones of Dudley in about 1520. They were a wealthy burgher family in Dudley and she died and left a will probate date 19 Oct 1568 in which she names her three daughters and their respective husbands. She is thus demonstrably the common ancestor of both James Shaw and Sarah Bendy who marry on 22 Oct 1734 in Pattingham. Continue reading →

Feb

2018

Robert Smyth of Wombourne

Robert Smyth of Wombourne is referred to as his father-in-law in the will of the young Thomas Shaw of Dudley in 1583. Thomas Shaw and his wife Katherine are the parents of Richard Shaw of Pinfolds in Dudley and the putative direct ancestor of Rev Thomas Shaw-Hellier, who inherited the Wodehouse Wombourne in 1786. Continue reading →

Jan

2018

Elizabeth Bendy

Elizabeth Bendy was buried on 15 Mar 1607/8 in St Mary’s Kingswinford and left a will probate 26 Apr 1608. She must have been born in the 1530’s Continue reading →

Jul

2017

William Chambers alias Ireland

A document in the Dudley Archives shows that there was a Deed Poll in about 1550 by a William Chambers Alias Ireland assigning ancient ecclesiastical land of the Priory of St John’s at Halesowen. A number of his descendants for the next 150 years appear in the local records of Rowley Regis and Dudley, using the names ‘Chambers alias Ireland’ These include intermarriages with the Darby family discussed on the website. The name Ireland is sometimes spelled ‘Ierland’ or ‘Yearland’. The same document demonstrates that they owned ex-monastic lands at Rowley called Freebodies, and this reference recurs in a number of later Darby wills. Continue reading →

Jun

2017

Edmonde Darby

Edmonde Darby of Oldbury in the Parish of Halesowen died and was buried on 5 Sep 1598 in St John the Evangelist Halesowen. He left a will dated 21 Jun 1598 naming his three children and the numbers of his grandchildren. Continue reading →

Jun

2017

John Cartwright of Rowley Regis, died 1587

John Cartwright of Rowley in Staffordshire left a will dated 25 Nov 1587. He seems to have been a man of moderate wealth and the will gives a whole list of fellow inhabitants of Rowley Regis who owe him money. This list is fascinating as a background to many of the families featured on this web site. Continue reading →

Mar

2017

Thomas Darby

When Thomas Darby of “the Portway in the parish of Rowley Regis” died in 1611 it is clear from his will dated 28 Mar 1611, probate 22 July 1611, that he was an old man. He was probably born in the 1530’s. He requests to be buried in the churchyard of Rowley, “near unto my wife”. He identifies his surviving sister as Elizabeth Whitmore, who is recorded in the Parish Register as marrying Thomas Whitmore in St Giles, Rowley Regis on 5 Feb 1555. Continue reading →

Nov

2016

William Barnesley

William Barnesley was born in Trysull, near Wolverhampton, in about 1568. His parents were Thomas Barnesley and Katherine Cooke, who had married in All Saints, Trysull in 1565. Continue reading →

Oct

2016

John Leigh

Little is known about John Leigh, Sadler of Wolverhampton who died and left a will probate 1609. Here are the salient features and remarks about the will. Continue reading →

Sep

2016

Cecily Grey

Cecily Grey (c1497-1554) was the fourth daughter of Thomas Grey, First Marquess of Dorset and his wife Cecily Bonville, 7th Baroness Harington. She married John Sutton 3rd Baron Dudley in about 1520. She was therefore the grandmother of Anne Sutton and the great grandmother of Thomas Wilmer (1594-1680). This is therefore the direct and legitimate ancestral line of the Jellians, Shaw and Shaw-Hellier families discussed on this web site. Continue reading →

Oct

2015

Anne Sutton

Anne Sutton was the only daughter of Sir Edward Sutton, 4th Baron Dudley and his first wife Katherine Bridges. She was born probably in late 1556. Sometimes she is referred to as Agnes Sutton. Continue reading →

Sep

2015

Thomas Shawe

The Shaw family of Dudley has many strands but they seem to all lead back to Thomas Shawe who flourished 1510-1530. He died in about 1544 and was probably born about 1490. The evidence revolves around a Thomas Shawe of Dudley who does a number of land transactions, which lead to disputes after his death – although they may not necessarily all be the same person. Continue reading →

Aug

2015

Richard Shawe

Richard Shaw, yeoman of St Edmunds Dudley, left a will of 1616, held at the Worcester Record Office. This will shows that he is the father of Richard Shaw of Netherton, whose PCC will of 1657 is discussed on this site. Continue reading →

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