Theydon Mount: Wills during the Reign of King James I (Part 2). An Overview

Last time we saw that wills of testators in Theydon Mount cast light on the rebuilding of St Michael’s Church between 1611 and 1614. Of those preserved at the Essex Record Office, four of the deceased were not buried in the parish churchyard.

There are in total ten “King James I” wills of Theydon Mount preserved in the Essex Record Office, all of which, since this research was done, are now available by online subscription through Essex Ancestors.

Wills are interesting because they give an insight into the lives of ancestors: who their relations were, what they left to whom, and what was important to them at the time.

The ten wills include three yeomen, two husbandmen (farmers), a widow, a tailor and a bricklayer. Of these, there is a run of four wills matching a sequence of four burials.

From the Burial Register

1623
Thomas Gilson singleman was buryed June 11 A[nn]o supradicto(?)¹

1624
Thomas Herd [th]e elder was buryed Septem[ber] 18 A[nn]o supradicto(?)

Richard Gladwin was buryed February 5 A[nn]o supradicto(?)

Susan Winter widdow² was buryed March 13 A[nn]o supradicto(?)