Warde of Rivenhall; Little Wratting; Haverhill.
Matthew Hovious
possible parentage of Judith, the wife of Edward Ward of Little
Wratting, Suffolk (d. 1621).
In the interest of seeing if anything further can be ascertained about
Edward's own parentage, I have obtained from the Essex Record Office a
copy of the 1593 will of Thomas Warde, yeoman of Rivenhall. Parish
records for the relevant period at Rivenhall do not survive.
Before going any further, I should clarify that I have not been able
to obtain a copy of the most recent research on this Ward family
(Leslie Mahler, “The English Origin of Nathaniel Ward of Hartford,
Connecticut, and Hadley, Massachusetts, Mary (Ward) Cutting of
Newbury, Massachusetts, Rebecca (Ward) Allen of Newbury, and Their
Nephew William Markham of Hadley: A Previously Unknown Kinship Group,”
The American Genealogist 83 (2008-9):13-18.) so I am perhaps simply
retreading matters already discussed by others.
In any event, the connexion between Edward Ward of Little Wratting,
John Ward of Haverhill and a Ward of Rivenhall is hardly a new idea:
the gist of it was apparently given in Candler's Essex and Suffolk
pedigrees, the sections of which pertain to Ward are analysed in an
appendix of John Ward Dean's 'A memoir of the Rev. Nathaniel Ward,
A.M., author of The simple cobbler of Agawam'. It seems Candler
concluded that Rev John Ward of Haverhill was the son of ____ Ward of
Rivenhall, but no evidence for the statement is given. Candler's own
accuracy has previously been impugned, and in his Ward pedigree he
also managed to remain oblivious to the identity of Edward Ward of
Little Wratting (though it seems certain the reference to _____ Ward,
father of Edward Ward of Ipswich, alludes to him), while coming up
with a (fictitious?) _____ Ward of 'Boyton Hall in Monks' Eleigh' and
making Mary Ward, eventual wife of Samuel Waite of Wethersfield, the
daughter of _____ Ward of Rivenhall, rather than, as it appears, his
granddaughter.
For all Candler's errors, he does appear to have had some inkling of
the truth. In the hope that it may be of interest both in clarifying
the relationships of the known Ward clan, and perhaps identifying some
of its other members, I am posting below a transcript of the will, in
full save for a few illegible words. This Thomas Warde of Rivenhall
did have a son named Edward Ward, and one named John, who was his
executor and principal heir; there are also other children, and a
profusion of sons and daughters 'in lawe'.
Note that Thomas Warde of Rivenhall does leave some money for the poor
of the parish of Haverhill, which is some 25 miles from Rivenhall and
seems to be the only parish not immediately adjacent to Rivenhall, of
those mentioned in Thomas' will: presumably, this has to do with the
presence at Haverhill of Rev John Ward.
**********************************************
In the name of God Amen; the xvith day of June in the xxxvth yeare of
the Reigne of our sovereigne Lady Quen Elizabethe by the grace of God
of England Fraunce and Irland quen defender of the ffaythe etc I
Thomas Warde of Rivenhale in the Countie of Essex, and Diocesse of
London yeoman, beinge sicklie in bodye, but in good and perfect
memorie by gods goodnes, doe make this my last will and Testament in
manner and form followinge: first I yeld my body and soule into the
handes of almightie god who gave them beinge fully assured by the
----- of Jesus christ that my sowle shall presentlye goe into the
place of ioye to the spirites of the righteous, and my bodye shall att
the daye of christes second cominge, be ioyned agayne to my soule, and
--- both be eternallye glorified, Item I give unto Elizabeth my wyfe
forte and sixe pounds of lawfull monye of England to be payed within
one whole yeare next after my decease and ---- the houshold stuff to
be equalle devided, Item I give to Judith Browne my daughter in lawe
eighteen poundes of lawfull monye of England within twoe years next
after my decease, Item I give unto Elizabete Holden my dawghter in
lawe xx s, Item I give unto John Browne my sonn in lawe xl s to be
payed within two yeare after my death, Item I give to obdias Ward my
sonn fourte pound Item I give to Josua Ward my sonn one hundrete and
twentie poundes to be paid within one yere after my death, Item I give
to Edward Ward my sonn tenn pound, Item I give unto Janne Stricksonn
my daughter twentie pound, Item I give unto mary castline my daughter
twentie pound, Item I give unto icklas Ward my brother five pound,
Item I give unto Sara mather my daughter in lawe five pound, Item I
give unto five preachers twentie shillings a pece, Item I give to the
poore of Rivernall xx s, ant to the pore of [Lollea] xx s and to the
pore of Coxall xx s and to the pore of wittam xx s and to the pore of
Haverhill xx s, all which legacies I will shall be payed within twoe
year after my deathe, all the residue of my substance goodes and
chattels whatsoever I give unto my son John Ward, whome I mak and
ordeine my sole executor to performe this my last will and Testament,
In witness whereof I have sette my hand and seale the day and year
above written My will is alsoe to give [Aels] Browne my daughter in
lawe sixe pound xiii s iiii d to be payed within two yeare
Sealed subscribed and delivered in the presence of us John Peche &
John Sparrow
[Proved 10 July 1593]
Douglas Richardson
In answer to your question, I can confirm that Isabel Brome was the
wife successively of Nicholas Purefoy, Esq., and John Denton, Esq.
The contemporary evidence for these two marriages is quite good.
Although the source you cite in your post states that Isabel Brome was
living as
late as 1540, I believe she actually died before 1517. I've copied
below my current file account of this family. All of my sources are
provided.
I assume that when John Denton referred to Philip Purefoy as his
"brother-in-law," I assume this was merely an euphemism for his wife's
first husband. Please note, however, that John Denton also had a
son- in-law named Nicholas Purefoy.
Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
13. ISABEL BROME. She married (1st) PHILIP PUREFOY (or PUREFEY,
PURFREY), Esq., of Shalstone, Buckinghamshire, and, in right of his
wife, of Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire, son and heir of William
Purefoy, Esq., of Sherford (in Burton Hastings), Warwickshire and
Shalstone, Buckinghamshire, by Margery, daughter of Robert Moton,
Knt. They had four children, John, Nicholas, William, and Alice.
PHILIP PUREFOY, Esq., left a will dated 26 March 1468, proved 18 June
1470 (P.C.C. 31 Godyn). His widow, Isabel, married (2nd) before 1472
JOHN DENTON, Gent., of Appleton, Berkshire, and Foscott,
Buckinghamshire, son of Thomas Denton, of Fyfield, Berkshire, by
Alison, daughter of William Dauntsey. They had one son, Thomas, and
two daughters, Anne (wife of Edward Greville, Knt.) and Alice (wife of
Nicholas Purefoy, Esq.). In 1472 John Purefoy (brother of Philip)
released the manor of Sherford (in Burton Hastings), Warwickshire and
other lands to John Denton and his wife, Isabel. In 1475 John and his
wife, Isabel, presented to the church of Shalstone, Buckinghamshire.
In the period, 1475–80, or 1483–5, as “John Denton, of Shirford,
gentleman,” he sued Nicholas Waldyve, mercer, of London regarding the
manor and advowson of Foxcote, Buckinghamshire, late of William Purfey
[Purefoy], afterwards of Thomas Waldyve. JOHN DENTON, Esq., left a
will dated 6 Sept. 1493, proved 17 Nov. 1497 (P.C.C. 17 Horne). His
widow, Isabel, presumably died before 1517.
References:
\Willis, Hist. & Antiqs. of the Town, Hundred, & Deanery of Buckingham
(1755): 186–187. Nichols, Hist. & Antiqs. of Leicestershire 4(2)
(1811): 599. Nicolas Testamenta Vetusta 2 (1826): 415 (will of John
Denton). Lipscomb, Hist. & Antiqs. of Buckingham 3 (1847): 71
(Purefoy ped.). Harvey et al., Vis. of Oxford 1566, 1574, 1634 & 1574
(H.S.P. 5) (1871): 228–229 (Denton ped.: “John Denton of Wightam in
com. Barke. = Isabell daur. to John Brome of Baddesley in Com.
Warr.”). Lennard & Vincent, Vis. of Warwick 1619 (H.S.P. 12) (1877):
96–98 (Brome ped.: “Isabell [Brome] 1 mar. to Phillip Purfoye, 2 to
John Denton.”). C.P.R. 1467–1477 (1900): 626. C.P.R. 1476–1485
(1901): 489, 544. List of Early Chancery Procs. 1 (PRO Lists and
Indexes 12) (1901): 91, 349; 2 (PRO Lists and Indexes 16) (1903):
236. Philipot et al., Vis. of Buckingham 1634 & 1566 (H.S.P. 58)
(1909): 37–38 (Denton ped.: “John Denton of Ambersden [co:] Oxf. =
Margery da. of Sir John Brome of Halton [co.] Oxf.”). Benolte et al.,
Four Vis. of Berkshire 1532, 1566, 1623 & 1665–6 2 (H.S.P. 57) (1908):
115–116 (Denton ped.: “John Denton of Wightham in Com. Berks: Esqr son
& h: = Issabell wid: to Phillip Purifoy of Shalsone in Com. Buck: Esqr
da to John Browne of Badesley in Com. Warw: Esqr.”). Cal. IPM Henry
VII 2 (1915): 40–41. VCH Berkshire 4 (1924): 338 (Denton arms:
Argent, two bars gules with three cinqfoils sable in chief). VCH
Buckingham 4 (1927): 171, 223–226. VCH Warwick 6 (1951): 58. C.C.R.
1468–1476 (1953): 256. NEHGR 142 (1988): 227–244. National Archives,
C 1/56/241; C 140/28/29 (abs. of docs. available online at
http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search.asp).
On Nov 18, 8:17 am, Johnny Brananas <ravinmaven2...@yahoo.com> wrote:
<
< Note that Isabel (Brome) Purefoy's father John Brome died in 1466,
and
< her second husband John Denton died in ca. 1497. His will as given
in
< _Testamenta Vetusta_, p. 415, reads:
<
< "John Denton, 6th September 1493. I will that my wife, if living
< sole, have all my lands in Oxfordshire and Berkshire. To my brother
< Philip Purefoy's father; to my father Browne, and my mother, his
< wife. My manor of Foxcote, during the non-age of my son. And I
< appoint Isabel my executrix. Proved 17th November, 1497."
<
< See:http://books.google.com/books?id=XOgKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA415&dq=
%22john
+den...
<
< I had a number of reservations upon reading this: Philip Purefoy
was
< supposedly the first husband of Isabel, and supposedly her sons by
him
< (who did not include a Philip) all died young. In what way could
John
< Denton have had a brother or brother-in-law Philip Purefoy? Could
it
< be a mistake for "son-in-law"? Also, while "Browne" probably stands
< for "Brome," John Brome, Isabel's supposed father, was dead long
< before this (and his widow Beatrix Brome was deceased as well).
<
< However, a different version of the will, provided by Browne Willis
in
< his _Deanery of Buckingham_ (p. 187), helps out a bit, mentioning
"his
< [Denton's] last Will and Testament, in which he bequeathed 'it [the
< manor of Foxcote] to Isabel his Wife, (by whom he had a numerous
< Issue) living sole or unmarried, and ordered that she should find
< Thomas Denton, his younger Son (afterwards the Lord of Hillesden)
< during his Nonage out of this Manor, and that the Residue should go
to
< pray for his Soul, and his Brother-in-law Philip Purefoy's, and his
< Father and Mother's Souls," and made the said Isabel his Executrix,
< who survived him above Forty Years, and died possessed hereof, about
< the Year 1540 ..."
<
< See:http://books.google.com/books?id=Bj8QAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA187&dq=
%22john
+den...
<
< This seems to show it was a bequest FOR THE SOULS of the parents
< (presumably Bromes), not an actual bequest TO the Bromes. This
< removes most of the difficulty, assuming "Brother-in-law Philip
< Purefoy" was a simple mistake for "Brother-in-law JOHN Purefoy," who
< was indeed a brother of Isabel's first husband (I suppose Denton was
< calling his wife's former brother-in-law his own brother-in-law).
<
< It should probably be noted that Isabel had to be somewhat over 90,
< perhaps almost 95, when she died in 1540, as her first husband (by
< whom she had four children) died about the same time as her own
< father, around 1466 or 67.
<
< Doug shares this line (through Governor Thomas Dudley). Maybe he
< could give his impressions about my reconstruction.
John H
if they supposedly only had the 3 children namely:
Thomas DENTON possibly married to Ann GREVILLE, daur of John GREVILLE and
lady Jane FORSTER;
Ann DENTON married to Sir Edward GREVILLE son of John GREVILLE and lady Jane
FORSTER;
&
Alice DENTON married to Nicholas PUREFOY,
then
I am now left pondering who Isabel DENTON wife of Edward GRENVILLE of Wotton
Underwood in county of Bucks
(also shown as Caversfield Bucks) is , as I show she is also a daughter of
John & Isabel DENTON.
Browne Willis in "The history and antiquities of the town, hundred, and
deanry of Buckingham"
shows that another Edward GRENVILLE in 1600's ended up with Foxcote,
which originally was held by the Purefoys and Denton's, so there looks to be
a connection.
> http://books.google.com/books?id=Bj8QAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA187&dq=#v=onepage&q=&f=false <
see pages 187-188
Can Douglas or anyone else throw some light on this Isabel GRENVILLE nee
DENTON
John H
++++++++++++++
"Douglas Richardson" <royala...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:f468ef86-a227-4d2f...@z35g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
John H
deanery of Buckingham...."
also shows on page 81
> http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Bj8QAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=thomas+denton+lord+of+hillesden&source=bl&ots=-sEosDjpcZ&sig=SQ1FU9pmMvSQvQGuZuvhk65yv2w&hl=en&ei=ZtcLS_ySG43c7AP43O2QAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCEQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=denton&f=false <
a piece about a bequest in the "Will about 1540 for Isabel Denton, for a sum
of four marks yearly to a priest for the teaching of children in the town"
so is this another Isabel Denton if the Isabel nee Brome Browne died before
1517 (as Douglas says)
or does this reinforce the death year as about 1540.
Also on page 262 same publication re the History of Shalston, again is
stated Isabel death around 1538-1540
> http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Bj8QAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=thomas+denton+lord+of+hillesden&source=bl&ots=-sEosDjpcZ&sig=SQ1FU9pmMvSQvQGuZuvhk65yv2w&hl=en&ei=ZtcLS_ySG43c7AP43O2QAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCEQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=denton&f=false <
Also on page 263 conveyance of lands in 1541 involving Edward Purefoy which
seems to suggest that Isabel more than likely was holding those lands till
just before that time.
Also on page 266 there is a priest George Fyll who has been instituted 23rd
Jan 1523 upon the presentation by Isabel DENTON (after 1517) relict of
Philip Purefoy, so she would have to been alive in at least 1523 to do that.
Thus Browne Willis either has made a lot of statements pertaining to
Isabel's death year without foundation
OR this needs further investiagtion re the "before 1517" and the "1538-
1540" death of the same person namely Isabel DENTON nee Brome/Browne.
Douglas, in all those sources you have shown, which one supports your belief
that Isabel Denton relict of Philip Purefoy died about 1517?
regards
John H
"Douglas Richardson" <royala...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:f468ef86-a227-4d2f...@z35g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
Douglas Richardson
< I am now left pondering who Isabel DENTON wife of Edward GRENVILLE
of Wotton
< Underwood in county of Bucks
< (also shown as Caversfield Bucks) is , as I show she is also a
daughter of
< John & Isabel DENTON.
You're only off by a generation, that's all. Isabel Denton, wife of
Edward Grenville, was the daughter of Thomas Denton, of Caversfield,
Buckinghamshire. Thomas Denton, of Caversfield, in turn was the son
of John Denton, Esq., and his wife, Isabel Purefoy.
The correct parentage of Isabel Denton is set forth in a pedigree
found in the Visitations of Essex at the following weblink:
You can also find it mentioned at the following two other weblinks:
I assume Isabel (Denton) Grenville's father, Thomas Denton, of
Caversfield, is the same person listed in the online PCC will index
with the following will:
Description Will of Thomas Denton of Canersfield, Buckinghamshire
Date 12 March 1534
Catalogue reference PROB 11/25links to the Catalogue
Dept Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Series Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate
Jurisdictions: Will Registers
Piece Name of Register: Hogen
After you've examined the will, be sure to let us know if it confirms
that he is the father of Isabel (Denton) Grenville.
John H
I will look through what you posted, and amend as required.
regards
John H
"Douglas Richardson" <royala...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:db4b1626-f440-4eb6...@m7g2000prd.googlegroups.com...