Piecing together relationships from a 1625 will

[ElizabethHerts]

In the will of Robert Hill of Kimpton, Hertfordshire (1638) is the following snippet:

"...by reason and virtue of the last will and testament of William
Mathewe and Edward Chambers late of Kimpton..."

Edward Chambers was the father of Robert Hill's wife, Mary. He died in 1632 and left a PCC will.

I hadn't encountered William Mathew before, but he also left a PCC will, the will I'm studying here. It appears he didn't marry or have issue, and I'm attempting to work out the family relationships.

Beneficiaries:
Thomas Mathew cosen house in Husban Crawley, Bedfordshire
Annis
Elizabeth
Joane
Ellin also cozens sisters of Thomas Mathew

Alice Nuttinge widow, aunt
John Nuttinge cosen
Joane Nuttinge cosen
Edward Chambers brother-in-law, overseer grandfather of Luce, Ann, Parnill Hill
Ellin Chambers cosen

Robert Hill sole executor
John Hill sone of Robert Hill godson
Thomas Hill son of Robert Hill Leviats/Leriats in Kimpton
Luce Hill goddaughter d of RH
Anne Hill daughter of Robert Hill
Parnill Hill daughter of Robert Hill

William Davie Westfield, Kimpton
Marie Davie wife of William Davie (I also know she was the eldest daughter of Robert Hill)

Elizabeth Sibley
Thomas Demmysdale
John Cason? brother’s servant

the poor people of Kimpton


TBC in next post

[ElizabethHerts]

The PRs aren't being particularly helpful to me.

The name of Nutting(e) appears in St Paul's Walden, the next parish to Kimpton.
Two Alice Nuttinges are buried in 1629. Both old widows.

Re. Husborne Crawley in Bedfordshire - there are children being baptised to three different Mathew faimilies in the late 1500s. A Nicholas Mathew had, inter alia, an Elizabeth (1584) and Agnes (1581), a Thomas (1588). No Joane or Ellen, but there is a Jane.

However, there is this marriage:
Name: John Colopps
Spouse's Name: Agnes Mathewe
Event Date: 26 Oct 1612
Event Place: Husborne Crawley,Bedford,England
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M03565-1
System Origin: England-ODM
GS Film number: 826474
Reference ID:

This is significant because:
".... Item I give and bequeath unto Thomas Mathew my Cosen All
that my house and Land in Husban Crawley in the County of Beds with all the apptences thereunto belonginge whatsoever beinge now in the tenure and ocupacon of John Collopp ..."


So it seems that at least some of the Mathew family came from Husborne Crawley.

Re. Alice Nuttinge - was she sister to William Mathew's father (i.e. Alice Mathew at birth) or was she sister to William Mathew's unknown mother?

Does "my brother-in-law Edward Chambers" mean that Edward's wife Luce was born Luce Mathew? Therefore Robert Hill was the nephew of William Mathew and his children were the great-nephews and nieces?

[ElizabethHerts]

Re. the Mathew family - was Nicholas Mathew the brother of the father of William Mathew?

A William Mathew was baptised to William Mathew at Husborne Crawley in 1583.
Nicholas Mathew also had a son called William, baptised in 1581.

However, I have just found the following baptism in Kimpton, Hertfordshire:

First name(s) William
Last name Mathewe
Birth year -
Baptism year 1565
Baptism day 3
Baptism month Apr
Place Kimpton
Father's first name(s) William
Mother's first names(s) -
Country England
Record set Hertfordshire Baptisms

This seems more likely because:
a) it has a Kimpton connection
b) I would expect William Mathewe to be contemporary with Edward Chambers and not born in the 1580s.

[kiterunner]

Does "my brother-in-law Edward Chambers" mean that Edward's wife Luce was born Luce Mathew? Therefore Robert Hill was the nephew of William Mathew and his children were the great-nephews and nieces?

Brother-in-law could also mean step-brother or even half-brother (or husband of step-sister or of half-sister).

[ElizabethHerts]

Brother-in-law could also mean step-brother or even half-brother (or husband of step-sister or of half-sister).

Yes, that is what is bothering me, Kate. The problem here is the lack of further evidence from the parish registers or other wills.

I have looked for Ellen Chambers, but no luck so far.
"my Cosen Ellin Chambers"

If Ellen is a contemporary cousin, she won't be young. Furthermore, I don't know if she was married or single.

[ElizabethHerts]

Lucy Chambers, the widow of Edward Chambers, left a will, so I suppose I need to hop over to Hertford to view it:

First name(s) Lucy
Last name Chambers
Year 1639
Place Kimpton
Court Archdeaconry of Huntingdon (Hitchin Division)
Document Document Type: filed will, Document Reference: 22HW86, Additional Information: Inventory, HRT Reference: 17282

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch has the marriage of Edward Chamberlin and Luce Yonge 10 May 1584 at Kimpton. I was wondering whether it could be a mistranscription for Chambers, or possibly a variant? It also comes up as Chamberlin on Hertfordshire Names Online so unlikely to be a mistranscription.

[ElizabethHerts]

FamilySearch has the marriage of Edward Chamberlin and Luce Yonge 10 May 1584 at Kimpton. I was wondering whether it could be a mistranscription for Chambers, or possibly a variant? It also comes up as Chamberlin on Hertfordshire Names Online so unlikely to be a mistranscription.

Thanks, I did see that, Kate. I'll have to study it better, although I think I remember Chamberlin from my many views of the PRs.

The problem with the Kimpton PRs now is that my OH seems to have some kind of connection with just about all the families that feature there! It's very odd, as we never knew he had Hertfordshire ancestors, and this is just 10 minutes drive from us.

[kiterunner]

It does say Chamberlin on the PR image and there is a Francis Chamberlin marrying a Mary Peed on the same page:
http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbprs%2fhert%2f004946645%2f00579&parentid=gbprs%2fm%2f73092779%2f1&highlights=%22%22

FMP considers Chamberlin to be a variant of Chambers.

Edit - it's not very clear on the image whether Edward Chamberlin's marriage is 1584 or 1585.

[ElizabethHerts]

Yes, it is Chamberlin:
http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbprs%2fhert%2f004946645%2f00579&parentid=gbprs%2fm%2f73092779%2f2

[ElizabethHerts]

Snap, I have just found both too! I have viewed this page countless times. There are also Bigg and Hill marriages there, which are all part of this wider clan.

[ElizabethHerts]

Slightly OT, but can you read the last two words for the burial of Luce Hill (one of Robert Hill's daughters) on 29 May 1626?:

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbprs%2fhert%2f004946645%2f00611&parentid=gbprs%2fd%2f72236849%2f1

[kiterunner]

It looks to me like:
1626 Maye
The 29 was buried Luce Hill widow

Then the next word is the heading for the month of June.

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, not a daughter then.

[ElizabethHerts]

Probably this one, but she was a Hill!!

William Hill
Lucy Hill
Kimpton
parish
17 Oct 1602

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbprs%2fhert%2f004946645%2f00580&parentid=gbprs%2fm%2f73092827%2f1