FREEMAN
Associated Names - PRENTICE, JACOB and SMYTH
FREEMAN 1 - Wacton, Occold and Wetheringsett
Margaret Freeman was born about 1652 and married Nicholas Goddard in Thwaite 2 [Hart] 17 September 1674. They had issue in Thorndon, Debenham and Westhorpe before she died in Westhorpe and was buried 5 December 1742 in Walsham le Willows. Their two sons were named Robert (after Nicholas’ father) and Nicholas (after Nicholas and Margaret’s father) while their daughters were, in order, Rachel (after Nicholas’ step-mother), Dinah (after Margaret’s mother), Elizabeth, Mary and Jane.
Bartholomew Freeman of Tivetshall St. Margaret married Elizabeth ___ and had at least the following children:
1. John who received property of his father in Tivetshall and by 1572 had a daughter Elizabeth;
2. Robert who by 1572 had two daughters - Agnes and Elizabeth;
3. *Edward who received property of his father in Tivetshall;
4. Stephen who received his father’s properties in Long Stratton and Gissing and was likely the Stephen Freeman of Tivetsall who married there in 1574 to Mary Kinghton of Brampton and is possibly the "___ Freeman" below; and
5. Elizabeth who received her father’s properties in Dickleburgh and Shimpling.
Bartholomew Freeman died in November of 1572 with a will 3 which provided for his wife and five children, three daughters of his sons John and Robert and two other grandchildren - Stephen and Bartholomew Freeman.
Stephen? Freeman 4 married by license in Tivetshall in 1574 to Mary Kinghton of Brampton and had at least the following children who were referred to in the 1606 will 5 of Geoffrey Freeman of Tivetshall and Saxmundham Sfk:
1. Geoffrey/Jeffry who died between Feb. 1604/5 and July 1606 unmarried;
2. Bartholomew who had at least a son Bartholomew by 1604/5;
3. Mary who married 1.___ Browne and 2. John Davie and had at least three children by 1604/5 - Mary Browne, Ursula Browne and John Davie;
4. Steven who had at least two daughters by 1604/5 - Joane and Mary; and
5. Robert.
Roger Freeman of Toft Monks was assessed there in the 1597 Subsidy and had an inventory of his estate done 2 March 1601/2 and exhibited 6 March 6 when administration of his estate was granted to his wife Alice 7.
[John?] Freeman married [Joane Heydon?] 8 and had at least the following children:1. Edward who married Prudence Parker, a widow, in 1592 in Hecklingham [Clv] (Boyds) and died in Toft Monks (the parish immediately to the east of Hecklingham) in about 1612 leaving his estate in Haddiscoe and Fritton to his wife and his siblings and his siblings’ children 9 and Prudence died in Haddiscoe in about 1617 10 leaving her possessions to her three daughters, two from her previous marriage and the other Prudence Freeman, likely born after the death of Edward in 1612;
2. William of Aldeby who married Anne ___ and had at least sons William and John by 1612, as well as a son Leonard and daughters Joane and Elizabeth who were referred to his will of 1618 11 and although he died in Aldeby his will referred to his land in Bardwell, Suffolk;
3. Henry of Brashen? who had at least a son Robert who inherited the lands of his uncle Edward in Fritton;
4. Robert who had children by 1612;
5. John who had children by 1612;
6. Ellis who had three daughters by 1612;
7. Philip who possibly married Judith Dunn in Burgh 1601 and had 3 sons and a daughter by 1612; and
8. _____ a female who married ____ Chicherlie and had at least a daughter Elizabeth by 1612.
Thomas Freeman (b.c. 1582) married Alice _____ (likely the Thomas Freerman who married Alice Sawer in Redenhall in 1607 - Boyds) and had at least the following children, the last six in Fritton (immediately west of Topcroft):
1. Elizabeth;
2. Alice;
3. Edward baptised 27 April 1612 in Fritton but buried there 16 June 1613 12;
4. Thomas baptised 3 March 1614/5 in Fritton;
5. Rachell baptised 2 April 1616 in Fritton;
6. Stephen baptised 22 Nov. 1618 in Fritton;
7. William baptised 20 Dec. 1620 in Fritton; and
8. Susan baptised 2 Feb. 1623/4 in Fritton.
The 1619 Churchwardens’ Accounts for Fritton record disbursements to “Freeman” for “pales and posts” and “cakes and beare which was spent at the going perambulation”. Thomas Freeman was buried in Fritton 7 June 1626 and his will 13 provided for his wife and surviving children. Because the 1655 will of Stephen Freeman, Clerk, of Occold and Topcroft referred to his land in Fritton, there was likely some family connection between the two men.
Pulham St. Mary Magdalene [Ers] and Wacton [Dep]
____ Freeman married Katherine Wood and had at least the following:
1. Robert.
Katherine died about 11 June 1606 in Pulham Marie and her will 14 provided for her son Robert and appointed him and her brother Thomas Wood as executors.
A Stephen Freeman (b.c. 1573) married Margaret Cullyn 3 October 1597 in Pulham St. Mary Virgin 15 and had the following:
1. Robert baptised in Pulham St. Mary Virgin 28 October 1604; and
2. George baptised in Pulham St. Mary Virgin 21 September 1614.
No other baptisms or burials at Pulham St. Mary Virgin for this couple have been located, but neither of their sons were named Edward. Margaret Freeman the wife of Stephen was buried in Pulham St. Mary Virgin 17 July 1637.
Edward Freeman, b.c. 1548 (possibly the son of Bartholomew, see above) married Mary Prentice (see below) in about 1573 and had at least the following 16:
1. John baptised 21 Nov. 1574 in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene, married Ann Mawes 24 August 1602 in Caistor and was buried there 17 Feb. 1616/7 17 and, as John Freeman of Caistor next Norwich 18 and Wacton, left a will 19 which provided for his wife Anne, 5 sons (Edward, John, William 20, George and Gilbert) and 3 daughters (Frances, Marie and Anne), all baptised in Caistor St. Edmund, and his father Edward and appointed his brother Stephen Freeman, Clark, as bond holder. Anne was likely the Ann Freeman widow and “sometimes of Wacton” who was buried in Forncett 14 June 1642;
2. *Stephen baptised 12 July 1577 in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene and married Elizabeth Jacob in 1604 (see below) 21;
3. William baptised 6 January 1579/80 in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene and likely married Barbara Rix 26 October 1602 in Wacton and had at least a daughter Anne baptised there in 1603;
4. Elizabeth baptised 15 March 1580/1 in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene and who married Robert Baylie in about 1600 and had at least Robert baptised in Wacton 19 April 1601, Edward 1611, William 1612, Gregory 1614 and Mary 1622;
5. Mary baptised 4 November 1584 in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene 22 and married Thomas Roper in Wacton 18 October 1612 and had at least 3 children baptised there from 1613 to 1620 - Constance, Edward and Mary;
6. Margarie (or Margaret) baptised ___ August 1586 in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene;
7. Susanna baptised about 1587 and likely in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene and who married Simon Fox 23 6 October 1611 in Wacton and had at least a son Simon by 1635 24;
8. Dorothie born about 1589, married 1. Giles Hancock in Wacton 24 Nov. 1615 and 2. Matthew Fuller 16 June 1629 in Norwich St. Gregory 25;
9. Richard? [or Robert?] baptised in Wacton 9 September 1590; and
10. Margaret baptised in Wacton 10 Feb. 1593/4.
A Robert Freeman son of Edward and Mary was buried in Wacton 5 August 1612.
It would appear then that Edward and Mary Freeman moved from Pulham St. Mary Magdalene in about 1589 to Wacton 26, a few parishes to the north-east of Pulham, and north of the Tivetshalls 27.
Edward Freeman was buried in Wacton 24 May 1630 28. Mary Freeman, widow and mother of Stephen, was buried in Occold 12 August 1637 and her will 29 provided for four of her children (Stephen, Elizabeth Bailie, Dorothie Fuller and Susan Fox) and three of her grandchildren (Robert Freeman, Robert Baylie and Simon Fox) and referred to the lands in Wacton she had received from her husband.
Stephen Freeman 30 (b.1577), “M.A and Minister of Occold in Suffolk” married Elizabeth Jacob 19 June 1604 in Dickleburgh 31, Norfolk and had at least the following children 32:
1. Robert baptised in Occold 4 June 1605 and married Susan Eely. He had at least two children - Edward (who was buried in Wacton 6 Jan. 1650/1) and Elizabeth. He died and was buried in Wacton, Norfolk 21 September 1642, possibly as a consequence of injuries received during the early phases of the Civil War, and his will 33 provided for his wife, his two children, Margaret his sister, Elizabeth Bailie his aunt and Stephen his father;
2. William baptised in Occold 27 October 1606 and was referred to in the 1642 will of his brother Robert but not in the 1655 will of his father Stephen. He married Elizabeth Hill 15 January 1634/5 in Thorndon and had a daughter Elizabeth baptised in Wetheringsett in 9 Feb. 1635/6 and a daughter Margaret baptised there 3 September1638 and a son Stephen before 1651 34, and Stephen Freeman and his sister Elizabeth were left a bequest in the will of their grandfather John Hill Clerk of Thorndon in 1659 35;
3. Mary baptised in Occold 28 March 1608 and married in about 1630 to Thomas (?) Warren 36;4. Margaret born about 1610, likely in Occold, who married [Robert?] Chettleborow in about 1630 and had at least a son Robert by 1642 (possibly the Robert Chettleburg son of Robert and Margaret baptised in Hempnall 22 August 1634 37);
[gap]5. Hannah baptised in Occold 10 June 1614 but likely died before 1638;
[gap]6. *Nicholas baptised in Occold 7 July 1619 (see below);
7. Stephen baptised in Occold 11 June 1622 and, although not referred to in the 1635 the will of his grandmother, he or his nephew Stephen the son of William and Elizabeth may have been the Stephen Freeman in Occold in the 1674 Hearth Tax 38; and
8. Elizabeth baptised ? but buried in Occold 14 August 1625.
Elizabeth the wife of Stephen Freeman was buried in Occold 5 August 1637.
Stephen married, secondly, Ann Cullum 39 10 November 1637 in Occold and had at least the following children:
9. Hanna baptised 20 Nov. 1638 in Occold but likely died before 1655; and
10. John born after 1634, likely in Occold, and likely resided in Wetheringsett where he was enumerated with 5 hearths at the time of the 1674 Hearth Tax..
Stephen was admitted, as a pensioner, to Peterhouse College, Cambridge in March of 1594/5 and received his BA in 1598/9 and MA in 1602 and became Rector of Occold on 18 October of that same year 40. He remained in that position until 1655 (53 years!) when he was replaced by Joseph Forgam allegedly because he was sequestered out but he certainly died that year.
Stephen Freeman of Topcroft died sometime in May of 1655 41, although he was not buried in Topcroft, and his will 42 provided for his wife, three surviving sons and two married daughters and referred to his lands in Occolt, Suffolk and Fritton, Norfolk. Ann Freeman, the widow of Stephen, may have re-married after his death.
Despite the longevity of Stephen in Occold, by the time of the 1640 Suffolk Ship-Money Returns, only Stephen and Nicholas Freeman and several Warnes appears on the assessment rolls, suggesting that the married sister Margaret had not remained in Occold 43, and confirming that his brother Robert had returned to Wacton and brother William had moved to Thorndon.
Nicholas Freeman (b.1619) married Dinah Smyth 13 April 1641 in Aspall 44 [Hart] Suffolk and had at least the following children:
1. Nicholas born about 1642, married in about 1668 and by 1709 had 3 children - Elizabeth, Nicholas and Allan;
2. Robert born about 1644, married Jane ____, by 1709 had 6 children - Stephen, Ralph (m. Elizabeth __ and by 1725 had a son William), Dinah, Jane, Mary (m. Bowles Kent) and Elizabeth (and Nicholas who died in 1676 in Wetheringsett) and likely died in February of 1731 in Wetheringsett 45, his wife Jane having been buried there 23 October 1726 ;
3. Mary born about 1647 and who apparently died before 1709;
4. Dinah born about 1650 and married James Quintin in 1672 in Ipswich St. Mary Stoke (Boyds);
5. William born about 1653, married Elizabeth _____ 46 and died in about 1709, apparently without issue, and his will 47 left to his wife, the children of his brother and to his 3 surviving sisters - Dinah Quintin, Margaret Goddard and Jane G[il]ford?;
6. *Margaret born about 1655 and who married Nicholas Goddard in 1674 in Thwaite 48 (see above);
7. Stephen baptised in Wetheringsett 28 May 1661, married Elizabeth Green in 1683 in Wetheringsett (Boyds) and by 1709 had 5 children - Stephen, William, Robert, Elizabeth and Mary; and
8. Jane baptised in Wetheringsett 19 July 1664, married Ambrose Giford 49 8 August 1687 in Ipswich St. Nicholas and was likely the Jane Giford buried in Aspall 2 April 1734.
Nicholas Freeman of Occold was assessed there in the 1640 Ship-Money Returns.
Nicholas Freeman died and was buried in Wetheringsett with Brockford 31 July 1669 and his will 50 left his significant estate including property in Occolt and Debenham, to his wife Dinah and eldest sons Nicholas and Robert, with other bequests to his six other surviving children. Dinah either remarried or died after 1669 51 although she may have been, instead of her daughter, the Dinah Freeman who married James Quintin 52 in Ipswich in 1672.
The 1638 Able Men of Suffolk contained 8 Freemens in Hartismere from a total of 21 for the county, although none in Wetheringsett or Occold.
The 1639-40 Suffolk Ship Money Returns listed 9 Freemen males in Hartismere including
Stephen, Clerk and his son Nicholas in Occolt and two in Finningham, two in Mellis, and one each in Mendlesham, Bacton and Wickham Skeith (but as an outsetter).
Thirty-five years later at the time of the 1674 Hearth Taxes there were 7 Freeman males listed in Hartismere including Stephen in Occolt, John in Wetheringsett, and two in Finningham, two in Mendlesham and one in Gislingham.
According to the extensive Prentice research posted at www.prenticenet.com Mary Prentice was the daughter of Robert Prentice and Catherine_____.
Robert Prentice
Robert Prentice was born in Flordon [Hum] Norfolk in about 1526, possibly the son of Thomas Prentice of Pulham St. Mary Magdale (Pulham Market), married Catherine _______ in about 1549 and had at least the following children 53:
1. *Mary b.c. 1551, likely in Flordon 54, married Edward Freeman (see above) in about 1573;
2. John born about 1557, married 1. Margaret ___ and 2. Christian and 3. Mary___ and died in 1620 leaving a will 55 and whose daughter Mary (bapt. 18 April 1585 - d.1654) married John Elmy and had issue in Pulham Market;
3. Robert baptised 7 May 1562 in Flordon, married Dorothy ____ and buried in Pulham Magdalene 21 Oct. 1602 56 without any surviving children;
4. William baptised 23 September 1564 in Flordon who, with Stephen Freeman, was to be a bond holder as set out in the 1616/7 will of his nephew John Freeman of Caistor St. Edmund and Wacton, likely married Margaret ___ and had at least two children baptised in Pulham St.Mary Virgin - John 1595 and William 1597/8 buried same, and who likely died in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene (Market) in 1641 57; and
5. Dorothy.
On 18 November 1572 Robert Prentys of Flordon, yeoman, bought the reversion of a close called Mayfield in Pulham 58 and that land was later referred to in the 1641 will of William Prentice as the land of 26 acres received from his father Robert.
Robert died in Pulham St. Mary Magdalene in 1596, 97 or 98 59 and his will 60 left his estate to his wife Catherine, son John, and daughter Mary the wife of Edward Freeman and referred to his son Robert. Catherine was likely the “widow Prentice” who was buried in Pulham St. Mary Virgin 26 October 1598.
Elizabeth Jacob was born about 1580 and married Stephen Freeman (b.c. 1580), “M.A and Minister of Occold in Suffolk” married 19 June 1604 in Dickleburgh, Norfolk. Their children were, respectively, Robert, Nicholas, Margaret, Mary and William. Because Stephen’s mother was Mary, it is possible that Elizabeth’s mother was a Margaret.
Also in Dickleburgh, Thomas Sayer married Margaret Jacob in 1580 and Henry and Grace Jacob had a daughter Grace baptised in 1611 61.
William Bredlaghe of Laxfield married Agnes Derane (?) and had the following children likely born in Laxfield:
1. Thomas;
2. Edmund who was under 21 in 1529 (see below);
3. John;
4. Marjery:
5. Marion; and
6. a child born after the death of William.
William died between 1529 and 1532 with a will which provided for his wife and children and referred to his father-in-law Robert Derane, his brother Edmond and John Browne and dealt with the lands he had inherited from in father in Laxfield, Uppeston, Hevingham, Badingham and Dennyton.
Edmund Bredlaugh alias Jacob married Agnes ____ and had the following children - likely born in Laxfield, Yarmouth or Ipswich:
1. Edmund
2, William who married Elizabeth ___ (see below);
3. John who married, secondly, Anne the widow of Alexander Aylmer (see below); and
4. Mary who married Robert Smythe.
Edmund died in about 1545 in Forncett St. Mary and his will
William Bredlaugh alias Jacob of Aslacton died in 1551 and his will 62 referred to his brother John (below), his wife Elizabeth and the following children:
1. Edmund;
2. Thomas see below); and
3. Margaret.
John Bredlaugh alias Jacob of Tacolneston died in 1558 and his will 63 left his significant estate in Tacolneston, Fornsett, Tivetshall, Ipswich, Laxfield and Yarmouth to his wife Anne, Edmund and Thomas the sons of his brother William, his sister Mary the wife of Robert Smythe and her children and two of the children of his wife Anne by her former husband Alexander Elmer/Aylmer. John Bredlaugh alias Jacob was executor of the will 64 of John Whytfoot of Forncett which was made 12 November 1545 and proved 9 Feb. 1545/6 and William Bredlaugh alias Jacob was one of the witnesses. Ann died in 1562 with a will 65 leaving her possessions to her children with her first husband Alexander Elmer/Aylmer.
Thomas Bredlaugh alias Jacobbe of Baddingham Suffolk died in 1562 or 1563 with a will 66 which left his lands in Laxfield which he had bought from Thomas Browne and his lands in Laxfield bequested him by John Bredlaugh alias Jacobbe of Forncett to his wife Margaret and then to his children Michael and Katherine.
Thomas Jacob alias Bredlaugh married Margery Browne of Tacolneston 1 Oct. 1574 by license and possibly at Norwich Cathedral.
John Jacob married Katherine in about 1540 and ad the following surviving children:
1. William born about 1541 (see below);
2. Henry;
3.Anne who likely married Robert Dawse 4 August 1566 in Rushall;
4. John born about 1549 and likely married Margaret [Rowland] in 1573 (see below);
5. Isabell;
6. Dorothy;
7. Frances; and
8. Richard.
John died in Rushall, just north of Dickleburgh, in about January of 1559 and his will 67 provided for his wife and 8 children and referred to his property in Rushall and Needham.
William Jacob (born about 1541 to John and Katherine, above) married Agnes _____ in about 1564 and had the following children baptised in Rushall:
1. William 9 Feb. 1565/6 (see below);
[gap]2. Bridget twin with Henry 2 Feb. 1574/5;
3. Henry twin with Bridget 2 Feb. 1574/5;
4. Frances in 1580 68; and
[gap] 695. Thomas 17 April 1586 although only the father’s name is provided.
William died in Rushal in about May 1591 and his will 70 provided only for his wife Agnes and son William, the other children not being named.
John Jacob (born about 1550) married Margaret [Rowland?] in 1572/3 71 in Rushall and had the following children baptised:
1. Rowland 29 Aug. 1574 in Rushall;
2. Robert 1577 in Pulham St. Mary Virgin;
3. John ? buried in 1578/9 in Rushall;
4. Anne 1579 in Pulham St. Mary Virgin;
5. Thomas 1582 in Pulham St. Mary Virgin;
6. Rebecca 1584 in Pulham St. Mary Virgin;
7. Johanna 1586 in Pulham St. Mary Virgin; and
8. John 1592 in Pulham St. Mary Virgin.
Margaret the wife of John Jacob was buried in Pulham St. Mary Virgin 1 April 1593 and John was buried there 6 May 1609.
William Jacob of Rushall, (likely born 1566 the son of William, above) was buried there 7 March 1610/11 leaving a will 72 which referred to his wife Alice and his surviving children 73:
1. Anthony baptised in Rushall 5 Oct. 1594;
2. Mary baptised in Rushall 5 Dec. 1596;
3. Jeminah baptised in Rushall 18 Jan. 1598/9;
4. Anne baptised in Rushall 13 August 1607;
5. Daniel who likely married Mary Bullen 20 Jan. 1636 in Rushall;
6. Elizabeth baptised in Rushall 5 July 1610; and
7. Joseph likely baptised in Rushall 3 August 1606 but attributed by familysearch.org to Robert and Susan.
His brother Robert Jacob of Pulham likely had a grant of administration of his estate in 1631 74, although he may have been the Robert Jacob who with wife Susan had Robert, Susanna, Henry and William baptised in Rushall from 1606 to 1613.
Also in Pulham St. Mary Virgin Mathew Jacob and his wife Anne had a son Robert baptised in 1607 and daughters Mary and Ann buried in 1611 and 1613 before Mathew was buried there in 1629.
Dinah Smyth was born about 1619 and married Nicholas Freeman on or about 26 March 16 Charles I (1641) in Aspall 75 [Hart] Suffolk. Their children were, respectively, Nicholas, Robert, Mary, Dinah, William, Margaret, Stephen and Jane. As the parents of Nicholas were Stephen and Elizabeth, the parents of Dinah may have been Robert or William and Mary or Margaret.
It is unlikely that her family originated in Aspall as there were no Smyths in the Parish Registers (Transcript) except for the period 1628-1640 when several children of Hurd Smyth, Clark and Rector of Aspall, and Anne his wife were baptised and buried, Robert Smyth married Margaret Goslinge in 1631 and John Smyth was buried in 1640. While there is yet no firm evidence to link Dinah with Hurd Smith, Rector of Aspall, it was usual for children of clerics to marry and Nicholas’s father Stephen would have been familiar with Hurd Smith as the two parishes are relatively close to each other.
Samuel Smith of Melles, gentleman, left a will in 1623 76 which left his estate in Suffolk and Norfolk (North and South Lopham) to his wife Dyanie and provided for his “daughter in law” Dyane. According to the funeral certificate of Richard Smith of Carelton Roade, 1622 77 (Richard being late of Thrandeston and the fifth son of Richard Smith late of Backton Suffolk) “Samuell sixth sonne of the defunct maried Dyane the da. of .... Howse of Norff. and widdowe of Thomas Mallinge and dyed without yssue”. In that case, it is likely that Dyane was “adopted” by Samuel and possibly the daughter of one of his siblings.
Andrew Smith, burgess of Cambridge, had at least the following:
1. *William born in about 1563, admitted to Caius College in Cambridge in 1579 (after earlier schooling at Kings College) and a priest from 1586 78 (see below);
2. a daughter who married ____ Briathwaite who had at least a son James who was born in about 1576, was ordained in 1601 and was Curate of Wrennigham, Vicar of Earlham 1598-1606, and Rector of Snetterton from 1605-1632 and where he was buried 10 Feb. 1632/3;
3. a daughter who married ____ Stoughton who had at least a son Thomas who was born in about 1590, and was the Rector of Hockering Nfk from about 1622 until his burial there 15 March 1677/8;
4. a daughter who married ____ Jacob who had at least a son Philip who was born about 1576, ordained in 1601 Vicar of Little Fakenham Sfk. 1608-10 and Rector of Rickinghall Inferior by 1615 and member of the “Presbyterian Classics” in 1645 and apparently died in Rickinghall in 1661;
5. a daughter who married ____ Sherwood and had at least a son Nicholas;
6. George who married Joan ____ and had at least a son Thomas by 1629; and
7. a daughter (Amy?) who married John (?) Raymont 79 and had at least a son Thomas by 1629.
William Smith married Anne _____(Hurd?) in about 1584 and had at least the following children:
1. John born about 1585 80 and admitted to Gonville and Caius College in 1602 81 but died there and buried at St. Michaels, Cambridge 4 June 1606;
2. Thomas born about 1589 82 and admitted to Gonville and Caius College in 1604 83 and married ______ (who died before 1629) but died in October of 1629 and, as Thomas Smith of Larling, Clerk and Parson, left a will 84 which referred to his mother Ann, brother William, uncle George Smith, aunts Joane Smith and ___ Rayment and a number of “cousins”;
3. Honor born about 1591 who married Robert Jacobb 2 September 1613 in Norwich, St. James Pockthorpe and, secondly Thomas Davy;
4. William baptised 28 March 1592 in Elsing [Eyn] and admitted to Gonville and Caius College Cambridge in 1609 and was reported to have died in Metfield [Hoxne] in 1653/4 85 and his will 86 referred to two of his sisters - Honor and Lea;
5. Leah baptised 4 April 1595 in Elsing and married Daniel Ganning 15 April 1619 in Norwich St. George Colegate 87;
6. Anthony baptised 2 March 1596/7 in Elsing but buried there 1 July 1597;
7. Edward baptised 18 June 1598 in Elsing;
8. George baptised 25 April 1600 in Elsing but buried there 23 July 1600;
9. Rachel baptised 28 October 1601 in Elsing and who married ____ Coper;
10. *Hurd baptised 31 July 1603 in Elsing (see below);
11. Elizabeth who married ____ Herne;
12. Hannah who seems to have been unmarried at the time of her father’s death but was then anticipated to marry John Shelton, Clerke of Stanford, Norfolk 88; and
13. Margaret who seems to have been unmarried at the time of her father’s death.
According to the admissions list for Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, the William who was admitted in April of 1579 and received his B.A. in 1583 and his M.A. in 1586 was “perhaps minister of Elsing Norfolk and of Monk Soham Suffolk” 89. Certainly, William Smith was the Clarke and Rector in Elsing from about 1591 90 until 1605 when Thomas Buxon appears in the registers as Clarke and although Williams’s first two sons were said to be “of Elsing” they were likely born elsewhere. Venn noted in his entry that a William Smith was rector of Willingham Cambs in 1586 and Kingston Cambs. in 1596 91. John Robinson, Rector of Elsing from 1616, who was born in Elsing about 1594, was said to have been “educated at Monk Soham, under Mr. William Smith” 92, suggesting that Smith was in Monk Soham prior to 1609 and perhaps went there after his tenure ended in Elsing in 1605.
William Smith, Clarke and rector of Monk Soham [Hoxne] died in about 1631 93 and his will 94 provided for his 4 surviving sons and 6 daughters.
A Ruth Smith, wife of William (no reference to being a Clarke) was buried in Elsing 15 Oct. 1630.
Hurd Smith, born in July 1603 in Elsing, married Anne _____ in about 1627 and had at least the following:
1. William baptised 28 April 1628 in Aspall [Hart]; and
2. Anne baptised 30 April 1630 in Aspall but buried there 24 August 1630.
A Jo. Smith was buried in Aspall 6 April 1640.
According to Venn & Venn 95 Hurd received his BA in 1623 and his M.A. in 1626 before becoming rector of Hitcham Suffolk [Cos] from 1634 to 1644 and Cookley [Blyth] from 1647 to 1650 96. From the entries in the Aspall BT s, he was likely the Rector there from about 1627 to 1631. He was ultimately Rector of Middleton, Essex in 1658 and died in 1669.
A John Smythe, gent, had resided in Occold in about 1578 when his son Robert enrolled at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge aged 18, his surety being Simon Canham (who had been the surety for Thomas Blosse see elsewhere). By 1583 when Robert became a lawyer in London he reported that his father was of Hunden Suffolk 97.
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