Other Records

1. A History of Kenton Hall: By Mary Terbrak, 2019.
For this Article by Mary Terbrak with the accompanying pictures see the Books section of this website.

The History of Kenton Hall
KENTON HALL *This estate was held by Ivo de Keneton , and Alicia , his wife, Anno 1194 and descended in a direct line through the family of Garneys
Taken from A Genealogical and Heraldic History of The Commoners of Great Britain And Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank: But Uninvested With Heritable Honours.

Blood Hall and the Bloody Field
Tradition says that Blood Hall near Debenham was built on the site of a clash with the Danes. Others say the Hall was used as a hospital while the battle raged close by. Bloody Field. here was once two, Big and Little Blood Fields, the supposed battle site. During field leveling in 1859, a large quantity of bones, both human and horse, were found here, plus an iron spur and other oddments, confirming the local belief. Probably speculation rather than genuine tradition, it has even been suggested that this is the site of King Edmund's final and fateful battle with the Danes in 869 AD.

KENTON
"KENTON, a parish in the hundred of Loes, county Suffolk, 2 miles N.E. of Debenham. Stonham is its post town. The village is small, and the inhabitants chiefly employed in agriculture. The surface is high tableland, and the soil clay alternated with sand and loam. The impropriate tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £147 4s. 8d., and the vicarial for £148. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Norwich, value £137. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient edifice, with a square embattled tower. It contains an ancient mural plate of the Garney family, with an inscription bearing date 1524. The charities produce £38 per annum, £25 of which is for the repair of the church, the remainder for the benefit of the poor of this parish and that of Debenham. Kenton Hall is the principal residence."
From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

All Saints' church comprises a nave with S aisle and N and S porches, a chancel and W tower. The nave is of flint with a S doorway dating from the end of the 12thc. and a plain N doorway of the same period (not accessible). Both doorways are protected by flint porches: the N (now a vestry) plain and designed by Hakewill in 1871-72; the S more elaborate and 15thc. The nave windows, two on the N and one W of the porch on the S, belong to Hakewill's restoration, and he also lowered the nave roof slightly; the line of the old roof is visible on the tower wall.
The S aisle is a two-bay brick structure built by John Garneys, Lord of the Manor, in 1520-22, as a chapel to St John the Evangelist. It occupies only the section of the nave E of the S porch, and can be entered from a doorway in the E wall of the porch.
The south aisle is now furnished in a devotional manner, albeit dedicated to the Blessed Virgin rather than to St John . It once contained an excellent, intricate Garneys brass, contemporary with the chapel, which Cautley and Arthur Mee both saw in the 1930s.

Taken from An Historical and Chorographicall description of Suffolcke (1594)
T.M. Felgate illustrates it in his excellent Knights on Suffolk Brasses of 1976, at which time he records it as being 'loose in the vestry'. I wonder where it is now.?

The Story of the GARNEYS of Kenton Hall
John Garney (1464) HRH Charles's 14-Great Grandfather. PM Churchill's 13-Great Grandfather. Lady Diana's 14-Great Grandfather.
The main family manors were Kenton, Redisham , Roos and Boyland Hall
Robert was feudal Lord of the Manor of Soham Hall in Bereford, Norfolk, (1384), and was no doubt descended from the Robert Garnoise who in 1194 held lands in Chippenhall in Fressingfield Suffolk.
Robert of Heveningham of Beccles purchased Redisham Hall (1394). He married Aveline; then (1400) Catherine of Heveningham (daughter of John Blanchard of Huntingfield, Suffolk). Catherine died 1405, and Robert died May 1411. Both were buried at Beccles where there was once a memorial inscription.
Piers (son of Robert & Catherine) married Anne (daughter of Ralf Ramsey by his wife Alice, who was daughter of Sir Roger Wellisham) .Piers Garneys died 1451.
Thomas (eldest son of Piers) of Kenton Hall, married Margaret (daughter and one of the heirs of Sir Hugh Francis of Giffard's Hall, Wickhambrook Suffolk, Thomas died December 1458,
Thomas Garneys and Margaret Francis had four known children, 1 son died without issue, and 1 daughter who married into a noble family.
Richard, Who married Elizabeth Toppesfield. He was of Mendlesham, Suffolk, and Lord of the Manor of Boyland Hall, Morningthorpe, Norfolk. He died on May 14th, 1515

John was born c.1464. He succeeded as Lord of the Manor of Kenton (1492 after his mother died). He also held the Manor of Hammonds in Mickfield (1515), He married Elizabeth Sulyard, the daughter of Sir John Sulyard of Wetherden, Suffolk, who was Chief Justice of England. He died age 80 (June 1524). His wife Elizabeth died c.1527. Both were buried at Kenton.
John Garneys and Elizabeth Sulyard had twelve known children: 2 boys who died without issue. And seven daughters, who all married into noble families, except for one Agnes, who became a Nun.
Robert Garneys of Kenton Hall , eldest son and heir of John , succeeded to the estates at the decease of his father, and married Anne , second daughter and co-heir of Thomas Bacon , esq. of Baconsthorp , in the county of Norfolk ,
John Garneys (Son of Robert) married Anne Rookwood, the daughter of Edmund Rookwood of Euston, Suffolk, He died about 1553
John Garneys and Anne Rookwood had eight known children: 3 boys died without issue,and 3 daughters who married into noble families, and two sons who inherited the hall in turn.
Thomas Garneys of Kenton Hall , eldest son of John Garneys of Spexall , who, as before stated, died without heirs. His wife was Frances , daughter of Sir John Sulyard , knt. of Wetherden Hall aforesaid, by whom he had an only child and heir, Elizabeth Garneys , who was three years old at her father's death. She married Philip Strelly of Strelly , in Nottinghamshire. On the decease of Thomas Garneys without issue male, which occurred on the 20 Dec 1566 , the Kenton estates devolved, by virtue of an entail, on his brother,
Nicholas, who was baptized at Spexhall, Suffolk, on July 27th, 1546, and died about 1623. He married Anne Clere. Nicholas inherited Kenton at the death of his brother, Thomas.
Nicholas and Anne had 9 Children
Oldest son Charles GARNEYS c: 25 Sep 1570 in Kenton,married Elizabeth Wentworth of Somerleyton. He died in Kenton in 1678.
Charles Garneys c.25 Sep 1570 of Kenton and Boyland Halls , eldest son and heir of Nicholas , was sheriff of Norfolk in 1652 , and married Elizabeth , daughter of John Wentworth of Somerleyton Hall, Suffolk , and sole heir of her brother, Sir John Wentworth , knt. of the same place. Charles died. 30 Jan 1657, and was succeded. by his son.

Charles , the eldest son, succeeded his father at Kenton and Boyland Halls , and Cleve . His sixth son, married. Ann , daughter of John Jolly , of Southwold , and was ancestor of Charles Garneys ,of Headenham , in Norfolk ..
His second son John GARNEYS was born 1608 and was christened 17 Apr 1608 in Somerleyton, He died 15 Dec 1661 in Morningthorpe,Norfolk,England He married Ann Rugge abt. 1630, He married Elizabeth Soame abt.1649
Two of his children eventually inherited the hall.
Mary GARNEYS was born c.1650 in Kenton, was christened 12 Apr 1653 in Kenton and died 1726. She married William SHIPMAN of Morningthorpe, Norfolk. She married William Dutton COLT 2 Aug 1679 in London, Middlesex,. He was born ABT 1650 in the Grange, Dorset, England
Wentworth GARNEYS was christened 17 Jun 1656 in Somerleyton, Suffolk,. He married Ann GAWDY 24 Jul 1679 in Debenham, Suffolk. She was born ABT 1658 in Debenham, and died 7 Sep 1681 in Morningthorpe,Norfolk, He married Mary ABDY ABT 1680 of Felix Hall, Kelvedon,Essex, England. She was born ABT 1657 in Felix Hall, Kelvedon,Essex and died ABT 1739. He had no isuue.
ntblntbl
A Genealogical and Heraldic History of The Commoners of Great Britain And Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank: But Uninvested With Heritable Honours. History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland.
The manor of Kenton descended to Wentworth Garneys , esq. the last heir male of this family, and on his death the greater part of it became the property of Lady Colt , his eldest surviving sister and co-heir, by whose grandchildren, Mary , wife of John Bond , esq. of Grange, county of Dorset , and Mary-Alice , wife of John Westbrook , esq. of Forrest Hall , in Essex , it was sold in 1772 , and 1774 .
Denis Bond , esq. of Grange. This gentleman was M.P. for Dorchester , 7th Anne, for Corfe Castle , 1st and 8th George I. and for Poole , 1st George II. He espoused, in 1729 , Leonora-Sophia , relict of Edmund Dummer , esq. and youngest daughter of Sir William-Dutton Colt , (He was second surviving son of George Colt , esq. of Colt Hall , in Suffolk , by Elizabeth , his wife, eldest daughter and co-heir of John Dutton , esq. of Sherborn , in Gloucestershire , and brother of Harry-Dutton Colt , crested a baronet, 4th William and Mary. (See Burke's Peerage and Baronetage.)) knt. envoy at the court of Hanover , by Mary , his third wife, (of whom she was co-heir) eldest surviving daughter of John , and co-heir of her brother Wentworth Garneys , esqrs. of Boyland Hall , in Norfolk , and Kenton Hall , (This estate was held by Ivo de Keneton , and Alicia , his wife, Anno 1194 , 6th Richard I. and descended in a direct line through the family of Garneys , to the late Mrs. Westbrook , of Forest Hall , in Essex , who was sole daughter and heir of William Stane , esq. of the same place, by Elizabeth Colt , his wife, the elder sister of the said Leonora-Sophia , and was sold by her about the year 1774 .) in Suffolk . This lady was born in Hanover , and obtained her baptismal name from the Electress Sophia , her sponsor. Mr. Denis Bond d. s. p. in 1746 , and the estates devolved upon his nephew,
Mr Joshua Vanneck sold all his estates at Kenton (all freehold, with two Manors) at London in May 1794. Kenton - Hall Farm, containing 242 acres, together with ye Manor and 258 Top Oaks - 121 Timber ashes - 62 Pollard Oaks - 249 Pollard Ashes - 359 small trees - in ye occupation of Messrs. Darbys sold for 5800£

Here follows the Suffolk History, Gazetteer, and Directory, 1844

The 1841 Census
Name: Peter Kersey Age: 40 Estimated birth year: abt 1801
Where born: Suffolk, England
Civil parish: Kenton Hundred: Loes County/Island: Suffolk Registration district: Plomesgate
Street address: Kenton Hall
Head of household: Peter Kersey 40 (Farmer) Mary Kersey 35 (wife)
Children: Henry Kersey 10 ,Joseph Kersey 8 ,Robert Kersey 6 ,Mary Kersey 3 ,Ellen Kersey 1
Guests: living on independent means: Letita Barker 65 ,Maria Barker 20
Servants: William Marjoram 28 ,Joseph Ship 18 ,Eliza Souter 16 ,Sarah Catchpole 20 .

Here follows the Suffolk Post Office Directory 1875

On the 1851, 61 ,71 and 81 Censuses the Inhabitants of the Hall Were:
In 1851 Robert Symonds a 34 yr old farmer of 400 acres, His wife Susan and their 5 children aged between 9 and 3 yrs old and 4 servants
in 1861 he was a widower with the 5 children and one servant
in 1871 still a widower, 3 children still at home and 2 servants.
in 1881 3 grown up children still at home and 1 servant.
in 1891 Robert Symonds was retired and living in Debenham.

On the 1891 and 1901 censuses the Hall belonged to the Capon family
1891 Ambrose Capon a 45 yr old Farmer with his wife Clara 3 children aged between 11 and 1 , and 2 servants
1901 Clara a widow, 2 grown up children and 1 servant.(2 visitors)
The capons stayed at the Hall until 1940.

EARLY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES IN ENGLAND
In 1934 I was born at St Marys Hospital, Paddington, London, within the sound of the Bow Bells and like Princes William and Harry am technically a Cockney.
My father, Paul Capon, was working on a film called 'Little Friend', starring Nova Pilbeam, and directed by Berthold Viertel, Deborah Kerr's father-in-law. They both sent similar congratulatory telegrams punning on the name of the main character, 'Felicity', whereupon my mother decided, "What better name to give a little girl than 'happiness'" and Felicity-Ann I became.
My mother was very beautiful, with a creamy complexion, red hair and green eyes. She was also deaf. My parents lived in small flats with 'good' addresses, entertaining writers like Christopher Isherwood and other notables, particulary film people. On Saturday nights they gave small, bohemian dinner parties using my mother's inexpensive blue and orange pottery and invariably marigolds. Much laughter and daydreaming went on early in 1934, some of those present became famous in their own fields. My father had 38 books published and did extensive TV work. Chris Isherwood wrote 'I Am a Camera', which was later made into a film called 'Cabaret' and his relationship with the poet W.H. Auden added to his notoriety.
Although my parents came from very different worlds, their mothers had had strikingly similar early experiences on opposite sides of the British Isles. Both had been educated by their brothers' tutors, both had eloped to marry and both had become non-militant suffragettes.
In a non-working period during the Depression, my mother and I were sent to live with my father's parents at Kenton Hall in Suffolk and it was there that my earliest memories were formed. Kenton Hall was a lovely old farmhouse with a rare double moat and was partly situated on Blood Field, where tradition had it that Boadicea, Queen of the Iceni, fought the Romans. When my father was a boy, Roman coins were still occasionally uncovered. The present house had been Elizabethan but when my father was young there had been a devastating fire. The estate horses had been sent to fetch the fire-engine, three miles away, and quite a few of the salvaged contents were looted. Most of the house was destroyed but the beautiful Elizabethan front with mullioned windows was saved. All the books and the great family Bible with the family records were also destroyed.
My grandfather was unable to find an architect to rebuild, preserving the Elizabethan front, so although he was no architect he decided to do it himself, turning farm labourers into building labourers, felling trees, dredging moats and re-laying tennis courts, etc. that had been decimated in the upheaval. Wherever possible, he saved and repaired what had been salvaged, and duplicated all the original rooms, with the addition of modern bathrooms. The library became a double garage off his study. The rebuilding took three years to complete and luckily they had another old house to live in during this time, Winston Grange, now the home of a former Cabinet Minister, John Gummer.
When my mother and I joined them, my grandparents lived alone at Kenton with a married couple to look after them, so my earliest memories were afternoon teas in the Drawing Room with various great uncles and aunts, and then in turn visiting them in their old houses. There always seemed to be one odd fly buzzing sleepily in the background when I was sent for my traditional afternoon rest and the reflection of the moat shimmered on the ceiling of my room. The past was a different country then, to paraphrase L.P. Hartley. By the 1930s it was genteel poverty. The glory days for my grandfather had gone when he used to drive endless Buicks and presented my grandmother with a £500 Citroen; when he persuaded fellow investors to build a railway line that ran past the house, and he and a great-uncle built yet another tennis court between the houses so that neither family had to drive too far for a game of tennis, perhaps five miles!
Finally, it came to an end and in the 1940s the house was reluctantly sold to the Earl of Stradbroke and my grandparents moved back to Winston Grange, a few miles away.
Paul capon was the child of Harry Urban Capon and Bessie Martha Gooderham, So these were the Grandparents who rebuilt the hall. They married in 1907. So the hall burnt down after 1912 (Paul was born in 1912) and before the depression years of 1930"s

The railway episode
The line was intended to run from Haughley to Halesworth, with a second branch running from Kenton station to Westerfield near Ipswich. The Mid-Suffolk Light Railway, or Middy as it became affectionately known, was built to provide transport to the rural Suffolk communities who had no reliable transport links. It was built in accordance with the 1896 Light Railways Act, which allowed for cheaper construction methods in return for a speed restriction of 25 mph. The railway was built as cheaply as possible: the buildings were constructed using corrugated iron, and the route followed the natural contours of the land to minimise the need for embankments and bridges.
The railway was built too late, long after the great railway boom that had affected the country in the Victorian age, and soon came into financial difficulties.
After just 6 years the branch was already in decline and the extension to Cratfield was closed. Originally there were cattle docks provided at every station except Haughley, but these also fell into disuse as agriculture turned from cattle to corn. In World War l, part of the link to Kenton and Debenham, which had been started, was lifted because the materials were more urgently needed elsewhere and this effectively ended any hopes of completing the original scheme.

Other articles
Just north of here, the remarkable Mid-Suffolk Light Railway ran on its way from Haughley Junction to Laxfield (it was planned to reach Halesworth, but this never materialised). This early 20th century enterprise was the setting for the novel Love on a Branch Line, and is still remembered fondly by older Suffolkers.

The time of the First World War, a spur was built from Kenton Junction to a field just north of Debenham. It was an expensive and hare-brained extension, for permission to carry passengers along this stretch was never obtained, and nor was the last stretch into Debenham itself ever built.

Although very little evidence of this company's railway survives today, there are substantial remains of a bridge and embankment of the Kenton-to-Debenham spur on the road to Aspall, about a mile north of the church. The traffic rushes by, but to clamber up on this overgrown ridge is to consort with ghosts.

The Earl of Stradbroke, (The Rous family were an unsavoury bunch, enough to give nobles a bad name. In their long unsavoury family history, Kenton Hall was not mentioned, though they owned many properties in many different counties.)
George Edward John Mowbray Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke was born on 19 November 1862. He married Helena Violet Alice Fraser, daughter of Lt.-Gen. James Keith Fraser, on 23 July 1898. He died on 20 December 1947 at age 85. He gained the title of 3rd Earl of Stradbroke

George Edward John Mowbray Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke KCMG CB CVO CBE VD TD (19 November 1862 - 20 December 1947) was a British noble and the 15th Governor of Victoria, Australia.
He also served in the British Parliament, holding the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1928 until the defeat of the 1924-1929 Conservative Government. Was the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk 1935-1947 At some time he also served in the British Army, rising to the rank of Colonel.
He married Lady Helena Rous, Countess of Stradbroke, DBEHelena Violet Alice Fraser (b. 18?? - d. 14 April 1949), daughter of Lt.-Gen. James Keith Fraser married George Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke on 23 July 1898.
She was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1927; she died on 14 April 1949.
Children
Lady Betty Helena Joanna Rous (b. 24 April 1901 - d. 19??)
Sir John Anthony Alexander Rous, 4th Earl of Stradbroke (b. 1 April 1903 - d. 1983)
Sir William Keith Rous, 5th Earl of Stradbroke (b. 10 March 1907 - d. 1983)
Major Hon. Peter James Mowbray Rous (b. 23 January 1914 - ????)
Ref: Mary Terbrak - 2019

Robert married Agnes PALLE [31264] on 15 Jan 1542 in Thorndon SFK. Agnes was born circa 1520 and was buried on 30 Mar 1544 in Thorndon SFK.

Children from this marriage were:

1024       i.  Bartholomew FENN [25684] (born circa 1539)

         ii.  William FENN [31257] was baptised on 10 May 1540 in Thorndon SFK and was buried on 26 Jan 1542 in Thorndon SFK.

        iii.  Richard FENN [31258] was baptised on 11 Sep 1541 in Thorndon SFK and died on 12 Sep 1542 in Thorndon SFK aged 1.

         iv.  John FENN [31256] was baptised on 14 Mar 1543 in Thorndon SFK and was buried on 15 Mar 1544 in Thorndon SFK.

          v.  Thomasine FENN [31261] was baptised on 16 Aug 1544 in Thorndon SFK, died in 1587 aged 43, and was buried on 28 Jun 1587 in Falkenham NFK.

Robert next married Joane [26507] in 1545. Joane was baptised on 1 Jan 1539 in Kenton SFK and was buried on 29 Aug 1551 in Kenton SFK.

General Notes:
Kenton Register FB44/D1/1
Joane ffenn bur Kenton wife of Robert 29 Aug 1551

Joan Fenne
Burial date29 Aug 1551
ChurchAll Saints
DenominationAnglican
PlaceKenton
CountySuffolk
CountryEngland
Record setNational Burial Index For England & Wales

Children from this marriage were:

          i.  John FENN [31680] was born circa 1546 in Thorndon SFK.

         ii.  Janne FENN [26506] was born circa 1551 and was buried on 28 Apr 1611 in Southolt SFK. Another name for Janne was Janne.

Robert next married Margery [31767] after 1555. Margery died on 14 Aug 1590 in Kenton SFK.

General Notes:
Margery, spelt Margerye was named in her husband Robert's Will of 1573.

Margerye is also made responsible in this Will for her stepgrandson Robert son of Bartholomewe:
I will that Margerye my wyffe shall have the keeping and bringing uppe of Robert Fenne w(i)th meate drinke clothinge and learning untyll he shall [space filler] accomplishe the age of 16 yeres
It is considered that as Bartholomewe was then a widower he and his son Robert were probably living with his father and stepmother in Kenton 1573. This instruction gave certainty for the provision of Robert were his father to die before Robert reached the age of 16.

Robert & Margery are thought to have had no living issue.

Name: Fenne, Margery Kenton Widow
Dates: 1590
Place: Kenton, Norfolk, England
Index to Wills, Consistory Court of Norwich, 1550-1603
Volume:Diocese of Norwich Wills Proved in the Consistory Court 1550-1603
544 Flack
Source Information Ancestry.com. UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975

Norfolk Record Office
The Archive Centre
Martineau Lane
Norwich NR1 2DQ
Telephone: 01603 222599
Fax: 01603 761885
E-mail: norfrec@norfolk.gov.uk


Conveyance FC 94/L1/2/45 7 Aug. 1587
Contents:
John Browne of Aspall, husbandman, Robert Fenne of Kenton, yeoman, Margery, wife of Robert Browne, dec'd., and William Browne of Thornham Magna, husbandman, brother of said John Browne to John Godbolde, sen., William Manshipp, sen., and Robert Gardiner of Worlingworth, yeoman; two pightells called Goneldis and Clapirscroft with appurtenances, one piece of land in tenement called Hawys containing by estimation ½ a rood with part of a green way adjoining in Tannington, a garden with green way adjoining, a small grove and piece of arable land adjoining the garden
This document is are held at Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich Branch

Grant of Land
Robert Fenn of Kenton is named in a Grant of Land 7 Apr 1617
Reuben Feveryear of Kenton, yeoman
George Lord of Kenton, yeoman
Nicholas Garneys of Redisham
Charles Garneys of Boyland Hall, Morningthorpe (Nf.)
Thomas Bedingfield of Darsham
Thomas Garneys of Norwich (Nf.)
John Garneys of Redisham
Claro Garneys of Redisham
Christopher Robinson of Kenton
John Smith of Kenton
William Drane of Kenton
John Flowerdew of Kenton
John Aldriche of Kenton
Thomas Clodde of Kenton
Robert Clodde of Kenton
John Feveryear of Kenton
Edward Calver of Kenton
Robert Fenn of Kenton
(1) to (2), 6 acres land, lately built upon in Bedfield; also, 10 acres land in Monk Soham. (Latin; seals)
Ref: HD850/1/3/5 Ipswich R.O.

Research Notes:

Results search Y Massingham 4 Oct 19 Ref: 2019 - 8443
SOURCES CONSULTED
IC/AA1/21/270 Original will of James Russhe of Yoxford 1571
FB44/D1/1 Original Parish register Kenton 1538 - 1684
FB155/D1/1 Original Parish register Thorndon 1538 - 1711
FV135/D1/1 Original Parish register Eye 1538 - 1670
HD4084/278 Charles Partridge Suffolk Family Pedigree RUSH
HD4084/97 Charles Partridge Suffolk Family Pedigree DRANE
HD4084/167 Charles Partridge Suffolk Family Pedigree HUNTING

I made a start by entering the surname of RUSHE in to our CALM database, with the following relevant (timescale) results held at SFO Ipswich being returned:-


Item EE5/6/54 - Feoffment - 1 Sept. 17 Henry VIII (1525)
Scope and Content
(1) Richard Pereson, clerk, rector of Orford church
(2) Thomas Rushe, esq.
Arthur Rushe, gent.
William Bambyr
George Gore, chaplain
Richard Hunt
(1) to (2), messuage late waste land, now built on, measuring 72 ft. by 38 ft. with appurtenances in Orford, late in tenure of John Bullyng (boundaries given). At Orford.

Item HD1538/201/3 - Letter of attorney by George Waller of Wortham, gent. to John Rushe, to deliver seisin of 2 tenements called Colles and Heywardes in Dennington to Richard Downinge.
25 Sept. 1575
Scope and Content
HD 1538/201/3-5 together comprise Phillipps MS No. 31132.)

Item EE5/8/3 - Election indentures: Anthony Wyngfelde and Anthony Rushe - 17 Mar 1571

Item HD78/2879/1/34 - Receipt - 4 Oct 1602
Receipt issued to Gyles Rushe, farmer of 'Fawcons Hall' for a half year's rent of £79 18s 6d signed by N Bacon.

item EE2/M/1/9/31 - Bond of indemnity for maintenance of bastard child, born of Anne Rushe ; John Knyvett, Eye, tailor, reputed father of the child, to Robert Shene, senior, Eye, gent. and Robert Meene of the same, cordwainer, churchwardens of Eye. 30 July 1610

I then repeated the search using RUSSHE, with the following relevant (timescale) results held at SRO Ipswich:-
Item IC/AA2/1/160 - Registered copy of will of Katherine Russhe of Tunstall c. 1449 wife of William Russell

Item HA93/2/436 - Acknowledgement of receipt
(1) Thomas Russhe of Ipswich, esq. and serjeant at arms (2) Richard Broke, serjeant at law (1) acknowledges receipt of £140 from (2), concerning bargain and sale of manors of Merehalle [in Playford] and Tirelhalle [in Bucklesham], advowson of Bucklesham church and all lands in Playford, Bucklesham, Little Bealings, Kesgrave, Great Bealings, Rushmere and Foxhall which (1) has in possession by bargain and sale of George Fastalf, esq. or Richard Lloid, esq., except manor of Colviles in Rendlesham and advowson of Rendlesham church, "which is in comunycacion and yet not fully determyned.
14 Feb. 1520
Various parishes

Item HA93/3/16 - Lease
(1) Thomas Russhe of Ipswich, esq. (2) Ele Fastolf of Ipswich, widow (2) to (1), manors of Meare Halle in Playford and Tirel Halle in Foxhall, for 30 years at £17p.a. - 28 Nov. 1522
Broke Hall Estate: Leases - Foxhall and Playford

Item C/3/10/2/6/2/16 - Mortgage in respect of lands held of manor of Kentons in Bramford 20 May 1524 - Lands (36a) held of manor of Kentons in Bramford.
Mortgage from Thomas Russhe esq to Thomas Baldry, merchant, both of Ipswich, for £50

Item HA30/312/146 - Lease for 10 years, tenement Poleys and land in Yoxford, Sir Owen Hopton to Robert Russhe, Yoxford, mason - 24th October, 1565

Item IC/AA1/21/270 - Original will of James Russhe of Yoxford 1571

Item HA51/6/1 - Copy of final concord - 1574
(1) Antony Russhe, armiger, Robert Dowe plaintiff (2) Sir Robert Wyngfield defendant 3 messuages, 2 tofts, 3 gardens, 50 acres of land, 10 acres of meadow, 60 acres of pasture, 10 acres of wood, in Woodbridge, Hasketon, Hacheston, Great and Little Bealings, Clopton, Burgh, Playford, Dallinghoo, Letheringham, Wickham Market, which R.W. quitclaims to A.R. and R.D.; for which quitclaim by 2 to 1, 2 recieves a yearly rent of 47s. 121/2d out of 2 messuages, 2 tofts, 2 gardens, 30 acres of land, 6 acres of meadow, 40 acres of pasture, 6 acres of wood in Woodbridge, Hasketon, Hacheston, Great and Little Bealings, Clopton, Burgh and Playford, and a yearly rent of 25s. out of 1 messuage, 1 garden, 20acres of land, 4 acres of meadow, 20 acres of pasture, 4 acres of wood in Dalinghoo, Letheringham and Wickham Market

Item IC/AA1/131/8 Original will of Richard Russhe of Cratfield 1701 yeoman

I then ran a search using FEN* and Margery with these two relevant items returned (NB they are documents held at Bury Record Office).
Collection HD2551 - NETHERGATE STREET, CLARE 1522
Bargain and sale by Gregory Reynham of Clare and wife Margery to John Fen of Clare, clothmaker of messuage, 22 Mar.13 Hen.8 (1522)

Item HD703/1 - Feoffment 7 Apr (1523)
(1) Margery, wife of Gregory Regnham of Clare, formerly wife of John Rust, tanner John Petiwat, senior, of Glemsford Robert Rust of Clare John Petiwat, junior, of Glemsford
(2) John Fen, senior John Barker, senior John Bacon Richard Meller John Barker, junior John Frere Robert Frere (all of Clare) (1) to (2) tenement called Coggeshall in le Nethirgate [Nethergate Street], Clare - Power of attorney to Robert Ailmer of Glemsford to accept seisin on behalf of (2) 7 Apr 13 Henry VIII

From the items listed above, I did access IC/AA1/21/270 Original will of James Russhe of Yoxford 1571, and made an attempt to read it. Whilst it did exceed my basic palaeography, I was able to make out that his wife was Johan, he had a least one son called John, and he also made a bequest to a daughter called (I believe) Margery. However, if this daughter were a married woman, we would expect her to be described as Margery wife of such & such.

In considering potential parish locations where Robert FENN may have married a Margery (named as his wife in his Will of 1573), I chose Kenton, Thorndon, and Eye. This would necessitate searching the original parish registers.

I started with FB44/D1/1 original Parish register Kenton, which at this very early period has all three life events mixed in together i.e. no separate entries for marriages, and I can confirm the following entries for FENN found in the limited period I searched :-
Baptism
1^st March 1540/41
Joane FENNE daughter of Thomas FENNE was christened

Burial
29^th august 1551
Joane FENNE wife of Robert FENNE was buried

Burial
? August 1552
Thomas Browne vicar of Kenton was buried

Burial
14^th (?) February 1564
George Drane of Kenton was buried at London
[I believe this to be Drane: it's certainly _rane, but first letter?]

Marriage
1^st July 1571
George Drane [spelling as noted above] and Janne FENNE were married

Burial
27^th (?) January 1573
Robert FENNE was buried

At this point I stopped searching, as I had been concentrating on his potential marriage prior to this date. Please be aware that the additional entries noted above for Browne, and Drane, were entries that 'leapt' out from the page, and I did not scrutinise every entry for all the other names of interest e.g. Dade, Hunting etc. This perhaps may be a request you wish to pursue another time.

I then carried out a similar search using FB155/D1/1 Original Parish Register Thorndon, with the following entries found (In this volume, the entries are separated so that all marriages are listed chronologically, and is in a much neater hand!):-

Marriage
15^th January 1542
Robert FENNE and Agnes Palle
[The name Palle has a superscript horizontal line above it, which I believe indicates a shorthand spelling i.e. some letter missing]

Marriage
15^th September 1558
Bartholomew FENNE and [I am unable to make out the bride name although it starts with a 'J']

Turning to the parish of Eye and Original Parish Register FB135/D1/1, I can confirm the following entries found:-
(This is a much larger volume then either of the other two already searched, as Eye was a substantial town. The entries in the register are mixed in i.e. no separate listings for marriages, but I concentrated on the name FENN):-

Baptism
24^th February 1562
William ye son of William Browne

Baptism
20^th February 1568
Bartholomew son of John FENN

Burial
28^th July 1569
Bartholomew son of John FENN

Baptism
27^th November 1569
John Applewhayte son of Bartholomew

Baptism
23^rd August 1570
Jone the daughter of John FENN

Baptism
26^th August 1570
Nicholas the son of Bartholomew FENN

Burial
15^th September 1570
Jone the wife of Bartholomew FENN

Burial
23^rd September 1570
Nicholas the son of Bartholomew FENN

Turning to some potentially useful secondary sources, I referred to HD4084/278 Charles Partridge Suffolk Family Pedigree RUSH. This is quite a substantial item being handwritten notes by the antiquarian Charles Partridge, in one foolscap size notebook. He has arranged his findings by parish. The entries are a bit erratic and scribbled, as though he has written them down as he found them, rather than being a neat, organised report. He has generally obtained his information from Will registers, inscriptions on headstones, and memorials in churches etc.
To this end, I note down the potentially relevant items spotted:-
Robert RUSH of Mellis married to an Eliz. - He is a 'Husbandman' and made his Will verbally 21^st July 1601.
She made her Will just a fortnight after her husband. They have at least two sons - John and Robert

Administration Bonds of Archdeaconry of Sudbury
18 April 1580
Henry RUSHE of Hitcham dec., - Leonard, and Thomas RUSHE his brothers

Archdeaconry of Sudbury Wills
Robert RUSH of Tannington 1557 - 59

Robert RUSHE of Worlingworth Goods of £2

1609 Thomas RUSH Churchwarden at Stoke Ash

Marriage
1620
Creeting St Peter
John HUNTINGE and Ann RUSHE

Tannington Parish
Robert RUSSHE = ?
I
I
Edward RUSSHE ========== (2^nd) Margery ========= (1^st) BROWNE
Of Tannington I I
Husbandman I I
Will 04 March 1550/1 I John/William/Robert BROWNE
I
I
Robert/George(?)/Thomas/Margaret/Ann/Hansard

In his notes, Charles Partridge has noted the following - "bellchildren [grandchildn]"

Tannington Baptism
30^th April 1549
Hansarde dau. Of ? RYSHE
[Hansarde is a daughter]

Thornham Magna Parish
Marriage
5^th April 1566
Thos. HUNTYNGE and Marg't RUSSHE

Thrandeston Parish
Baptism
1572
Edward son of Thomas and Brid. RUSHE

Baptism
1616
Rebecca daughter of Thomas RUSHE

Bedingfield Parish
Baptism
1574
Tho. Son of Tho. RUSHE

Baptism
1576
Brid. Dau. Of Tho. RUSHE

There is a hand-drawn pedigree chart of Edward RUSH of Mendlesham, although the baptism date for this starts at 1613.
Another, is for a Robert RUSSHE of Worlingworth commencing 1524, and includes mention of Mellis, but an absence of the female surnames!


HD4084/97 Charles Partridge Suffolk Family Pedigree DRANE
The format for this file is of loose sheets with notes and partial pedigree charts for different Suffolk parishes, but only one is as early as sixteenth-century, commencing with a marriage between a Robert DRANE of Bedfield and Mary Revett, in 1581.
HD4084/167 Charles Partridge Suffolk Family Pedigree HUNTING
This is a similar file to the previous item, with loose sheets of notes and partial pedigree charts.
It starts with some lists of Wills, including the following:-
Marg't HUNTINGE wid. Palgrave 1568

Additional:-
(In working at my other role here in the Archives, I came across a secondary source entitled "Muster Rolls Suffolk 1638". This is a bound volume of hand-written entries listing "Return of Able-bodied Men between the ages of 16 & 60 in the County of Suffolk January 1638". I include the following as I couldn't help but look for the FENN surname!)

The entries are arranged by parish within the relevant 'Hundred' and simply lists the names of those who qualify as being liable for military service.

Kenton
John FENNE
Coddenham - none noted
Baylham - none noted
Debenham - none noted
Offton - none noted
Barking - none noted

Some data from Lobb Family Tree Ancestry - 2019 - unproven

2049. Agnes PALLE [31264] was born circa 1520 and was buried on 30 Mar 1544 in Thorndon SFK.

General Notes:
Agnes
Last namePalle
Marriage 15 Jan1542
Spouse's first name(s)Robert
Spouse's last nameFen
PlaceThorndon
CountySuffolk
CountryEngland
Source Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850
Thorndon Register FB155/D1/1

Agnes married Robert FENN [26503] on 15 Jan 1542 in Thorndon SFK. Robert was born circa 1520 in Kenton SFK and was buried on 27 Jan 1574 in Kenton SFK.

2560. John ALSTON of Newton Suffolk. [2826], son of William ALSTON [11108], died before 1514.

General Notes:
John Alston is not proven to the many references to a John Alston during and prior to the 15th C.

Cresswell, in the absence of a defing or any will, made an assumption that as he had linked him to Newton Suffolk, he was the father of William of Newton and that the family had established there from Stisted Essex.

Edward Fenn in the 21st C made an assumption that John was also the father of Henry Alston of Edwardstone. This produces a link in the families proven by DNA testing but presently untraced in later Birth, Marriage & Death records - 2019

The following indenture shows that a John Alston, then William Alston held land named Crekys, in Newton in 1514.

BURY ST. EDMUNDS AND WEST SUFFOLK RECORD OFFICE Received from Mr. L A. Sheppard, 55 Park Town, Oxford, per the East Suffolk Record Office. Ac. 869 .
Demise.
Thomas Gosse, son of John Gosse, at instance of Joan Medevryn, widow or Thomas Medewyn formerly of Newton, and Robert Rowge, executors of the will of the same Thomas Medewyn to Thomas Bonham Esq., Stephen Roose and William Taylour. A messuage and three pieces of land in Newton. The aforesaid messuage with garden called Pryours lying between a tenement, once of John Fuller now of Thomas Warner, and the common pasture called Newton Hethe, with one head abutting on the way leading from the Rectory there towards the Church of Newton, the other head abutting on land once of John Wyffyn called Santerescroft now called Town Croft. The first piece of land was formerly built upon with a messuage, contains one acre and lies between land once of Peter Jurdon afterwards of Richard Mody, then of Andrew Halys and now of Thomas Hale on both sides and abuts at one head on lands pertaining to the tenement called Crekys once of Richard Croke then of JOHN ALSTON and now of WILLIAM ALSTON and at the other head on the highway leading from Sudbury to Assington. The second piece of land contains half an acre lying in the field called Outefeld viz; between land of the Rectory of Newton and land pertaining to a tenament called Colles pertaining to the chantry founded in Acton, with one head abutting on land of the same tenement called Colles, the other head abutting on land called Basely otherwise Crookes formerly of Robert Donyng now of John White. The third piece of land formerly was called a garden and contains 1 rood of land and lies between the common pasture called Newton Heath and land of the manor called Newton Hall called Yves Croftes. These premises Thomas Gosse formerly held jointly with Thomas Medewyn of Newton, Isabella his wife, John Deene, gent., Richard Smyth, jun. , and JOHN ALSTON, NOW DECEASED, of the feoffment of Richard Gosse of Newton, Grinenilde, his wife, John Gosse and Edward (or Edmund?) Waspe as appears in a certain charter then made. Having and holding to Thomas Bonham, Stephen (Roose) and William Taylour, their heirs and assigns, to the use of Thomas Bonham and his heirs 2 August, 1514. (1 parchment document, seal of Thomas Gosse missing).

Thomas Alston in his Will of 1469 mentions a tenament in Melford called in Latin "Hame Hammundes Crycbe"

Research Notes:
THE STORY OF NEWTON
When Mrs. Warner urged me to look into the history of Newton I. didn't think there would be anything to look into and my natural slothful nature put off doing anything about it. But during the time we had no Rector, I had occasion to look into the Church Chest, where music had been stored end found a brown paper parcel at the bottom with the paper, well and truly nibbled by mice. It was a complete set of Parish Overseers' accounts, from 1685-1840.
Then Mr Arthur Vince found the tithe map behind the coach house door at the Rectory and brought it to me. So I thought I had got, something to start, on. I might mention in passing, that every Women's Institute had got their histories done years ago. This Newton History became a sort of complaint with me - an intermittent fever, as it were, and as I don't want it to get chronic, now is the time to get it out of my system. But I am no foreigner butting in. I've been here 33 years
so am just getting acclimatized. My immediate ancestry came from the Rivers Colne and Box, so with the river Box I shall begin the story.
The history of Newton does not begin with the Box, If you scratch East Anglia you uncover Rome and before Rome you would find inhabitants stretching back and back in time. But the first written reference begins beside the Box in the Great Survey of 1086, commonly called Doomsday Book. The other bit of evidence is in the Geological map of the district and the historic fact
called the Invasion of the Danes.
In your imagination do away with the roads and grow a forest from the Green to Edwardstone and from Goldings to Assington and you will have a fair idea of our village in the 8th or 9th century or perhaps earlier. If you look at the map you will see that Newton is a sort of knot of highish land between the valleys of the Stour and Box in a clay belt having a strip of heathland - light soil - dividing it into a big and little bit, sloping towards the Box from the Goldings end. The rainfall is low, the supply of water is spasmodic and hangs about on the flat land in wet weather and drains off towards the Box by a winter stream, which dries up in the summer, and is liable to be a trouble in winter. The heavy clay land will support good grain but the green soon looks parched (Mr Davey's care offsets this but by nature it soon loses its greenness) So much for Geography, though much more could be said.
Newton was a Saxon Settlement for protection from the Danish threat, as its Saxon name suggests Neutun - Newtown or Fort. When the Danes started life difficult for the Saxons some people retreated further up the valley of the Box into the higher forest land, perhaps by crossing of the ford from Edwardstone and certainly up the river in canoes from Boxford to Sayham Hall. Never mind Newton Hall and the Green at present.
Stand on Boxford Lane where I stood to take a photograph just beyond Roger's Lane and look across to Edwardstone Then turn a shade to the left and look towards Rogers, Between the Boxford Lane, and Rogers lies the Sayham Hall valley. You can see the dip beyond the sugar beet.
The map marks springs along this tributary valley so even if the was a winter flow the springs would keep running. Here is a good place to settle: high land commanding a route through the forest, and a water supply. Take away the farm from the valley and build some wooden shelters on the higher land and there you have the first Newton settlement of Saxon times.
Now stand by the gate opposite Trotts and look towards the tower of Newton Church. Mr. Taylor says the sugar beet has got the yellows but never mind, they didn't grow sugar beet there in 800 a.d. But someone pushed on up the little valley until they reached the top. The 200 ft. contour line runs up to a point near Newton Hall and the Church. And through the forest they came to scrubby land, with I suppose, rabbits galore, easy to dig and water not very far down; and the land was a good place for a lookout you could see anyone coming. That makes two settlements.
What about the ones who came across the ford? It would be worth getting up the hill on the other side. A perfect place. The Danes would wholly get it if they got past the Sayham Hall fort Rogers it is now. This may all be imagination but look at the map and consider the position in 1066 and 1086. The Great Survey gives all the details of 33 parishes and 118 manors in the Hundred of Babergh. You can see how close the manors were together if you look across the fields. They had a settled, if intricate method of government, built up after the peace with the Danes. Canute had established the Benedictines at Bury in 1020 and Edward the Confessor had endowed the Abbey in 1043 the survey notes the number of inhabitants and their status, and the state of agriculture in the manors with its valuation for tax and its measurements. Many of the manors were provided for spiritually with a church endowed with a living and clergy who combined the clerical and spiritual duties.
There are one or two points on which to comment. You can read the details yourself. After 20 years of Norman rule, Sayham Hall is rated higher than Newton Hall, (Hall means there was a manor house with the necessary land and the people to cultivate it) And there are two references to a Church in Sayham and none in Newton. Had the Saxon Church at Newton burnt down - they were all of wood and thatch - or was it a Clerical error ?
Then the man with 20 acres of free land at Sayham, maybe a sort of sub manor, half under the Lord of Sayham and half under the Abbot, but independent of both to a certain extent. was this Rogers?
The Great Survey was a thorough census made possible by this system, known as the Feudal System. We are rather scornful at times but we must not judge a thing by its worst features. At least and it was a system that worked and made law and order possible.
Roughly it worked like this. All land was the King's ultimately - it is still the Queen's if you delve into the question, because the land can only be private property up to a point, so the Crown is a safeguard. The King was responsible for the defense of the land, so he gave out regions to the great lords, the tenants in chief, who promised to stand by him. They in turn let out the land to the men who would both cultivate it and pay it back in service and food.
It was like the big and little and lesser fleas. Forty days in the army a year was the usual national service, I believe, Harold's men hadn't done their 40 days and had gone home to get in the harvest but for this there might have been no conquest, so they say. Note that the food supply the harvest is the basic consideration. We must eat and to eat we must get in the harvest.
At the time of the conquest in 1066 Newton Hall was under the Abbot. Sayham Hall was under Harold and so at his death became vacant, that is, it had no tenant in chief. It's Lord was Huthred, Newton's was Aelous. They both continued in their manors because William 1st confirmed the Abbot as tenant in chief and gave Sayham Hall to his kinsman Ralph de Limesi with 39 other manors and he kept his tenants. Sayham Hall came after a time to the Peytons, whose name is associated with Boxford, Edwardstone and Waldingfield as well as Newton and eventually after 400 years came to the Alston family.
The next part of the story during the late middle ages must be built round the Manor of Newton and its Church. If the Saxon church had disappeared another was built some time between 1086 and 1150 for there to this day stands a bit of it. There is another somewhat like it at Buckingham the doorway of a chapel that Henry III afterwards turned into a Latin School. We only know two facts about Newton between 1026 and 1250 - at least up to date I have only two.
In 1199, Jocelyn the Almoner (who wrote a Chronicle of the Abbey) witnessed a deed by which Abbot Sampson bestowed certain income for the upkeep of the hospital of St. Saviour's in Bury. This was two thirds of the demesne tithes of various of which Newton was one. The priest in charge at that time only had a third of the living.
The second fact is that in 1250 the manor reverted to the crown - in the reign of Henry III. Newton has been a Rectory since that time if not before. Henry III was succeeded by his son Edward 1st, of the first parliament fame and he, or his tenant in chief gave Newton to a John de Mose, who was there by 1285 and must have set to work at once on restoring the Church (the manor too probably needed attention) and this work went on until the early 14th century when it was ready for re-consecration. l309 is the date of the first Rectory of the new Church. We must imagine the manor as a collection of wood and thatched buildings within a wall or fence and a mound formed by digging out a moat. The church was near at hand on another mound. The church could have been completely restored in the new style and it is still there, but the old manor buildings went long ago which is not surprising, even though they took the precaution of scattering the buildings with the kitchen well away from the hall.
Fire was a constant enemy with all the wood and thatch. It is worth taking a trip to the West of England to a manor of the same period but of stone. It is singularly like our church nave on first sight. This is an ambitious fortified manor house but there was continual fighting amongst the great lords in the West and stone was there for the picking up. Stokesay Castle is unique as a survival of a fortified manor house and was occupied until recently. Notice the position of the church, and the moat with the bank.
All that is left of Newton manor is the site the suggestion of the moat in the duck pond the dip in the road and the odd ups and downs near the Church. John de Mose set about establishing his family in Newton but died before his sons were old enough to inherit. This meant they had to be in ward. Enter Peter de Campis or Peter de Hethe. The young John died early, married but with no children and his brother Thomas became the Lord of the manor. John's widow, Ada, married the son of Peter de Campis and Peter de Campis himself claimed the right of presentation to the newly consecrated Church in 1309 on account of his guardianship of John, and Ada took a third of the manor in dower as his widow. (l think this is right, I have mislaid the notes on this point)
One day the reconsecration of the Church took place with all the usual ritual and Gilbert of Wratting was inducted to the living. The old Norman doorway remained on the north side but they went in by the new south doors where the consecration cross had been made. The windows were filled with new Flemish glass and there were new wall paintings. The East window (like those in the nave) was just east of the little niches by the priest's door. That was the piscine then. The tombs were not there neither was the porch or the present font. The floor was lower so that you had to go up steps to the Chancel. You could get up to the screen by a little stairway behind the Chancel arch. There was a Holy water stoup just inside the south door you can see the trace of it still. The tower was a trouble then and still is. Most towers were.
Gilbert 'Wratting lived only a year and during the next Rector's ten years incumbency Thomas de Mose had married again and died and his daughter and heir was Margaret. She married William de Butevilleyn whose arms are in the south window by the Lady Alter. He came from Flixton and no doubt, there are records of him there. The widow of Thomas de Mose and stepmother, I think, of Margaret was Christiana Latimer and with her we come to the connection of Newton with the Carbonells and Butlers of Waldingfield. At about the same time (1285) that John de Mose took over the manor of Newton, we hear of a Robert Carbonell who held land in Newton and Waldingfield. The Butlers, de Bures, Greys and Peytons all had land in Newton and there had been a constant swapping and purchase of land and rights so as to get rid of isolated bits and consolidate estates. Just as manors were a source of income, so were heiresses. They carried their inheritance to their husbands and as widows they kept thirds of estates in dower.
Now this happened in the person of Christiana Latimer. She married, being her father's heir, three times and survived her third husband, Thomas de Mose of Newton Hall.. She was supposed to be of Newton and she must have been wealthy. John Carbonell of Waldingfield, her first husband was dead by 1302, leaving her with two sons. She married de Bosco of Assington and finally Thomas de Mose of Newton. By this time she must have been even more wealthy and who would she leave wealth to but her granddaughter Alice Carbonell of Waldingfield, daughter of her 2nd son John, who died when Alice was ten. Her elder son William had the Carbonell manor of Waldingfield and her daughter or stepdaughter de Mose held the manor of Newton Hall. But Christiana's own property could be left to this girl who, it is alleged, married one Ralph Butler. Furthermore, as an orphan, she could have lived with her Newton relations until her marriage at the age of 16. (It is possible she was married as a child but would not live with her husband until 16). She could also, and probably did, inherit from her step-aunt, Margaret Butvilleyn. The discussion as to whose tomb is the Butlers' tomb turns on the likelihood of Alice living to be an oldish women (68), unusual for that time, but not impossible. My own opinion is that the tomb itself was an Altar tomb - an Easter Sepulchre - without the figure originally - the tomb of Alice Carbonell, married to a Butler granddaughter of Christiana de Mose of Newton. This was suggested by Mr Daws, and his compromise is acceptable on these grounds:
1st. The date of the tomb could be as early as 1393, or even earlier, but the figure would appear to be a little later.
2nd. The figure appears to be rather large for the proportions of the aperture. The Sepulchre is a work of art - quite outstanding in conception, especially in its proportions and restraint in ornament If the figure were removed - the memorial would be complete - even improved.
Margaret Butler appears to have inherited in 1393 and seems to have been a widow or unmarried. Butler's went to another branch of the family in 1410. If one could find her will it might contain an instruction about the disposal of her body and such things. Between Alice and Margaret Carbonell there could have been another life, father of Margaret, but Margaret herself or her father would have been entitled to quarter the arms of Carbonell and Butler, according to Mr Almack in 1828. All the Newton Butler property and that of Waldingfield eventually came to rest in the Crane family through the marriage of the next inheritor of Butlers. The Cranes settled at Chilton Hall and held the manors of Chilton, Waldingfield and Newton Butlers. There was plenty of money and they built Chilton. Hence its presence on show in a Newton collection.
No one knows who the lady in the nave may be - but it could be Ada (1310) or Christiana de Mose (1325-30), or even Margaret de Butvilleyn (1330-40). It was found during restoration work in the 19th century, with the exception of the Buttler tomb and the porch, the Church was finished by 1320-30 - the chancel lengthened and a new East window of beautifully flowing lines .- the sedilia, and piscina all in the perfect taste of the early decorated period. What most strikes me about this almost anonymous church is the delicacy and restraint of the interior. People say it is bare, bit if we restore the colour of the 14th century, one can imagine that it looked like to Ada and Christiana and Margaret de Mose and Alice Carbonell as they worshipped in it. The windows filled with coloured glass and the pictures on the walls would give a warmth that it lacks today, Fragments of the early glass remain in the South window of the Nave.
What about the ordinary people of the time? The 14th century was fall of disturbance and change. There was also over population, famine, pestilence, war and unrest. The plough teams moved up and down the big fields behind Newton Hall, Butlers and Sayham Hall. If you want to know what they looked like go round the church and look at the window corbels. Look at the pictures from the Luttrell Psalter with the men and women working in the fields. They got in the harvest, they ploughed and sowed. At Sammas they drove down the cattle to Shafford meadows and brought them back at Martinmas to kill and salt for the winter. Their wooden houses burnt down but it didn't take long to put up another two roomed hovel. They lived in acute discomfit with a complete lack of privacy and the death rate was appalling. They were a quarrelsome and litigious lot but they had respect for the King's commissioners (Except Christiana. She was alleged to have pushed John de Whelnetham in a pit and jumped on him, and he the Kin's representative forsooth). There was an outbreak of sorts between Newton Hall and Greys Hall. There has been explanation of this. I think myself it could be connected with the famine year and the cattle coming up from the meadows, but, of course, I don't know - it could just have started as a herdsman's row.
There was a lot of land transference particularly at Sayham Hall. The second half of the 14th century is a bit obscure The Black Death of 1349-50 makes a cleavage. It brought down the population and such a sudden cataclysm disturbed the economic pattern and led to great unrest. So far as Newton was concerned the upheaval had already taken place - the de Mose-Butvulleyn era was over and de Bohm Earl of Northampton became Lord - some Butler connection here, I think. For the next 30 years there is litigation about the manor and advowson of the church, but eventually Newton Hall came to rest in another woman, Maud or Matilda Francys, daughter and heir of Sir Adam de Francys, a wealthy Londoner moving in court circles. Another heiress, another 3 marriages and a hundred years of political upheaval and Civil War.
The wars of the Roses always got me down. In the confusion of names Newton lost one Lord after the other during that 100 years. Maud's 3rd husband, the Earl of Salisbury, lost his head on behalf of Richard II, but Maud got her manor back after a time. Manors were still important. The People paid their rent in food and work although money was beginning to replace the work bargain. We have the alternative of food, work or money until quite recent times. So the people went on working on the land in spite of Peasants' revolt and the march on London and Simon of Sudbury's head being stuck up on London Bridge.
Maud brought up her son and stepson and Newton came eventually to the stepson's daughter. The title of Salisbury was revived in her husband and the Salisbury's held the manor until Henry VII seized the crown after the battle of Bosworth. They all lost their heads or were killed in battle. James Butler lost his estates in Waldingfield by being on the other side but Butlers in Newton flourished in the hands of the Cranes. Again what did the village people do? Paid their rents in capons, hens eggs weeding, or haymaking; grumbled about the weather, the state of the highway by the Cordwaynes's,, gossiped about the row between the Parson and the Master More, and of course got in the harvest and tended the cattle on Shalford meadows. They also went to church and listened to sermons and there was no doubt that there was a change of thought seeping down to the villagers from the likes of John Montague's equals in intellect While East Anglia was in the throes of the Peasants' Revolt, Julian of Norwich sat in her cell and wrote her Priceless book and recorded that she could see the Church of Christ "Shaken like a cloth in the wind". And Newton Church itself was a beautiful and new, glowing with colour with the sun coming through, falling first on the simplicity of the South Sedilia and moving around to light up the Butler tomb with its coloured shields and delicate ornament. One family worshipped there - its children were baptised in the new font and married in the new porch and communicated at its
altars But there was no pulpit.
On July 28th 1463, a Newton man sent for the parson and made his will. The clerk wrote it all down in Latin but here is a rough translation.
In the name of God Amen. Richard Moody will that I be buried in St. Gregory's cemetery in Sudbury and leave to the High Alter 6/8, and to the High Alter of Newton Church for Tythe forgotten 6/8.
To an honest and discret Priest for celebrating in the Newton Church for one whole year for my soul and the souls of my kinsfolk 9 marks for his stipend.
I leave to Margary my daughter, wife of Thomas Salmon, one pot, my saltpan, 12 plates, 10 dishes and 6 soucers and has 2 chargers. She already has these in her custody. I also leave to the same Margery, 1 mattress, 1pair of blankets and
40/- in money to Thomas Salmon as marriage portion.
I leave to Agnes, my daughter, a pot, 1 salt pan, 2 gallon vessels which she has in her possession, xx/- in money.
To my daughter Margaret 6/8.
To Richard Salmon, son of Thomas Salmon, 6/8 for handing over to him by my executors when he comes to the age of 21 years. I leave to Letitia, daughter of Thomas Salmon, a green belt with silver ornament and best wool and linen hanging and 6/8 in money when she comes to the age of 16.
To the repair of the common way lying next the cordwayners in Newton xx/-.
To Thomas Salmon my best fur lined gown.
Then he leaves money to Clare Priory, his godsons and goddaughters various young people including the baby of the Salmon family and the poor of Bury, Newton and Acton - appoints his executors and leaves them xx/- each for their work.
His will was proved on Dec. 20th 1468.
As he left no money for the purpose of providing a pulpit in the Newton Church I like to think that Margery and Agnes, Richard and Letitia, not to mention the "young son" saw to it that his memory was kept green.
For five hundred years the pulpit has invited us to "pray for the souls of Richard Moody and Letitia his wife", There would be no better symbol of the indestructibility of' faith in the long run, than that pulpit which has withstood time, intolerance, apathy and violence. It is a rebuke to those who would despise the past, sentimentalize over it or frame it with a goodness it did not have. It reminds us of the part that ordinary people have played in the history of our Parish in performing their daily duties, in work and home and church. It helps to create that atmosphere in our church of which even complete strangers become conscious, and I can't help thinking that Richard Mody was really had the last word "Pray for the souls of Richard Mody and Letitia his wife", Not a single house remains in Newton earlier than, that of the 16th century. What does remain is the land, with the tradition of work on it, the skill in cultivating it handed down, from generation to generation as men have found a better way of doing the same things times without of number. The sites of houses remain in the holdings of small tenements on which house must have succeeded house. The spiritual life has been handed down in like manner in a continuity that has withstood the passion and prejudice of passing generations,
And there stands the pulpit looking back to the past and also to the future when the church was "shaken like a cloth in the wind", but survived because there was always someone to keep the ark steady and read the signs of the times aright, as we shall see in the next part of the story. "Pray for the souls of Richard Moody and of Letitia his wife"
This booklet was given to the researcher Edward Fenn in 1999 on a visit to Newton, by Mrs Searles of Saracen Cottage Newton who is believed to be the author.

Whites Directory 1844
NEWTON-near-Sudbury, a pleasant village, scattered round a green of 40 acres, 3 miles E. of Sudbury, has in its parish 443 souls, and 2197a. 2r. 32p. of land, in the manors of Newton Hall and Bottelers. Earl Howe is lord of the former, and the Rev. T. H. Canston of the latter, but part of the soil belongs to J. Gurdon, H. Green, and E. Stedman, Esqrs., and several smaller owners. Sackers Green,1¼ mile S.W. of the village, is a small hamlet in this parish. The Church (All Saints) is an ancient fabric, with a tower and three hells, supposed to have been built by the Botteler family, who were seated here, but went to Ireland at the Reformation. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £17.13s. 8½d., is in the patronage of St. Peter's College, Cambridge, and incumbency of the Rev. Charles Smith, B.D., who has a good residence, 55a. of glebe, and a yearly modus of £597, awarded in 1840. Here is a National School, built in 1836. The poor have four rent charges amounting to £1. 16s. 8d. yearly, left by Wm. and Edw. Alston, in 1564 and 1591, and Robert and John Plampin, in 1603 and 1618, out of property now belonging to the Alston, Nicholson, and Gurdon families.
Chandler Samuel, parish clerk,
Farrow Eliz. vict. Saracen's Head
Tiffen Thos Layzell, jun. Siam Hall (owner) Farmer.

Other Records

1. Alston Tree:
This Tree was found in the Liveing Archive 11052020.
It has not been checked for accuracy - 2020

2. Alston Tree:
This Tree was found in the Liveing Archive 11052020.
It has not been checked for accuracy - 2020

3. Alston Tree:
This Tree was found in the Liveing Archive 11052020.
It has not been checked for accuracy - 2020

4. Alston BMD data scraps:
Liveing Archive 11052020

John spouse unknown.

His children were:

1280       i.  Henry ALSTON of Edwardstone [2643] (died about 1559)

         ii.  William ALSTON of Newton SFK [2819] was born about 1485 in Newton SFK and was buried on 30 Jan 1564 in Newton Nr Sudbury SFK.

        iii.  John ALSTON of Cavendish SFK [4900] was born about 1500 and died after 1524.

         iv.  John ALSTON of Brent Eleigh SFK [4901] was born about 1500.

          v.  Edward ALSTON [8324] was born before 1568.

         vi.  Thomas ALSTON (ALLSTON) [8326] was buried on 8 Dec 1595 in Shotley SFK.

2562. Thomas SIMONDS [2821] .

General Notes:
A Thomas Simonds declared as an Archdeacon of Sudbury in 1559, in proving Henry Alston's Will.

COMMISSARIES OF SUDBURY ARCHDEACONRY.
1550, Tho. Simonds, rector of Capele, Stokeash, and Hindercley.
1570, John Brome.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=78010

This Simonds family is unproven.

Thomas spouse unknown.

His children were:

1281       i.  SIMONDS [2644]

         ii.  Ann (Elizabeth) SYMONDS [2820] died in 1564 in Newton SFK and was buried in May 1564 in Newton SFK.

        iii.  Henry SIMONDES of Wenham [11294]

Copyright © and all rights reserved to Edward Liveing Fenn and all other contributors of personal data. No personal data to be used without attribution or for commercial purposes. Interested persons who wish to share this data are welcome to contact edward@thekingscandlesticks.com to arrange same and be given the details