On this day (24 July) in 1611, a young woman by the name of Thomasyn Standley (Thomasine) dictated her will. It was highly unusual for a woman of her age to write/dictate a will, even more so as she was unmarried, but this rare example happens to exist as she was engaged to Hugh Branham, … Continue reading Will of Thomasyn Standley
Tag: vicars
William Hordle: A Brief Sketch
Neatly tucked away, behind Dovercourt High Street, live Hordle Street and Hordle Place, early examples of development off the main road in Victorian Lower Dovercourt. But who or what is a "Hordle", and what made them important enough to have these areas named after them? Enter Reverend William Hordle. William Hordle was baptised on 27 … Continue reading William Hordle: A Brief Sketch
On This Day: December 14
1531 (OS): John Holland became Vicar of Dovercourt-cum-Harwich, following the death of Richard Strowgth (aka Strought). He stayed for only two years before moving on. 1611 (OS): The burial is recorded of "Lucas [blank] nauta servus Galfridi Pells de Lynne regis", one of the more interesting burials of the time - this translates as "Luke … Continue reading On This Day: December 14
Father Christmas
No festive season can be complete without discussing this particular character. But no, rather than trying to suggest Santa was a Harwich creation, this post is instead about Reverend William Henry Christmas. William was born in 1824 in Cambridge, the son of Thomas Christmas and Ann Argent Christmas. His education was firmly Cambridge-based, first attending … Continue reading Father Christmas
The First Parish Register: The Bigger Picture
In a previous post, I attempted to interpret the various gaps and quirks of the first register, mainly by using data within the register itself. This post will look to the state of England during the period in an attempt to clarify things. Firstly, on October 25 1597, an Act was passed by Queen Elizabeth … Continue reading The First Parish Register: The Bigger Picture
The First Parish Register: II
Following on from Part I. A new century brought with it a new language to the register: Latin. A combination of Thomas Drax becoming vicar in 1601, a prideful Anglican and Latin scholar, and James I ascending to the throne in 1603, led to the clerk at the time seamlessly transitioning to writing records in … Continue reading The First Parish Register: II
The First Parish Register
Edited 12 March 2019 The oldest existing parish register for St Nicholas church covers almost an entire century, from the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I, to the early years of the Commonwealth in the 1650s (with a smattering of records from the 1660s and 70s). This first register started as a copy - … Continue reading The First Parish Register
Selected Vicars of Harwich & Dovercourt: II
Following on from Part I. NAME: John RobertsPERIOD: 1533-abt 1536DETAILS: Roberts became vicar in December 1533, but by 1537 he had moved to Ipswich. Simple, right? In fact, Roberts had much more to him. It is widely believed that this John Roberts was a man in hiding by the name of Thomas Swinnerton, who used the … Continue reading Selected Vicars of Harwich & Dovercourt: II
Selected Vicars of Harwich & Dovercourt
An occasional series, looking at vicars throughout the history of Harwich (the parish being known as Dovercourt-cum-Harwich or Harwich-cum-Dovercourt until being split in 1871). NAME: Thomas DraxPERIOD: 1601*-1619DETAILS: Drax was appointed vicar of Dovercourt-cum-Harwich in 1601, but according to the Biographical Register of Christ's College, Cambridge, he refused to move to the area due to a dislike … Continue reading Selected Vicars of Harwich & Dovercourt
Harwicensis 