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A1. Thomas COLCHESTER of Barking died in 1503 in Barking, Suffolk.1 Thomas is the earliest Colchester from whom all living members of the Colchester family are descended.
The first we know of him is that he bought land in Barking in 1463 - which is recorded in the Barking Manorial Rolls of 1503.2
He owned amongst others the fields Popynolds (perhaps Poppy Knolls to the south of Lower Farm Barking Tye), Smofens, Bryons, and Tycroft; tenements Baldwynns which he left to his daughter Crystyan, Berkelottes to his son John, and Framysden where he lived, to his wife; and a pightle by Lybrook of 2 acres.1
In 1492 he took on the establishment, Master William Pykenham, Clerk to the archdeacon of Suffolk - an extremely important man as his gateway at Ipswich and a magnificent gatehouse at Hadleigh show. Pykenham maintained that Thomas Colchester had agreed to buy land from him in Kersey and Hadleigh and wanted to force Thomas to pay up. Pykenham's case was as follows:3
"To the most Revd Father in God the Cardynatt and Archbishop of Canterbury and chancellor of England
In the most humble wise shewith unto your great Master William Pykenham Clerk Archdeacon of Suffolk that wher be of late that is to wite in the moneth of August the VIIth yere of the reigne of King Henry the VIIth [1492] barganed and sold unto one Thomas Colchester of Needham Markett a messuage and cc [200] acres of lond medowe and pasture with the appurtenances lying in the townes and parishes of Hadley and Karsey for the some of a c li [£100] to be payed at eveyn yeres and dayes betwene theym agreed that is to say at the fest of Crismass then next following xx li [£20] and so yearly att the seid fest xx li [£20]. Att the said some of c li £100 were to your seid Oratory well and truly contented and payed. Wherof the said Thomas paied in hand to your said Oratory (VIs VIIId) (6s8d, 1 noble) in ernest upon the confirmacon of the seid bargayn. And so the seid Thomas by virtue of the said bergayn is in possession of the seid messuage lond medowe and pasture. And how be it that your seid Oratory at the daies of payment past required to have payment of the some of xx li [£20] accordyng to the bargayn aforeseid yet that to pay the seid Thomas utterly refused contrarie to all reason and gode consaens. And for as mush as the seid bargayn was not ingrosed in writing by twene the seid Oratory and the seid Thomas whereby the same your Oratory myght instifie eny accion for the recovry of the seid c li [£100] he is therfor wont remedie at the coene [coven] lawe In consideration whereof it may pleas your seid gode grace the primysses considered to grant a writ of sub pena directed to the seid Thomas commanding hym by the same to appere afore the King in this Court of Chancore at a certeyn daye and under a peyn by your seid lordship to be lymet there to answer to the primisses and further to be compelled to do and resteyne as right and gode conscience shall require for the love of god and in the wey of charite".
Whether he won or lost we don't know, but Thomas didn't mention the land in his will although his son John mentions a house in Kersey.
Thomas wrote his will in 15001 when he was 'of whole mind and good memory'. But we know that he was unwell by 1503 when his son asked for Thomas to be excused from the manorial court. From the probate for his will we know he died in 1503. He asked to be buried in Barking churchyard. He left money to his children, and, as was customary at the time, gave money 10/- to the Grey and the White Friars to sing trentals (a service of thirty masses, one each day, sung for a deceased person) to ease the way through purgatory for his two dead sons, and also requests that his son John 'find a priest to sing for me and my friends in the church of Barking Church' for one whole year. By way of comparison, his daughter Margaret was given 6/8. The will was as follows:
"In dei noie Amen the XVII day of Junn the yer off our Lord God 1500. I Thomas Colchester of Berkyng in the diocyse off Norwych beying off hoole mynde & goode memorye make my will & testament in this fforme folowyng First I byqueth my soule to almyghty God & to his blissed modeer our lady Mary & to all Sayntes and my body to be buryed in the Chirche yerde off Berkyng
Item I byqueth to the heygh Awter off the Chirch of Berkyng for my tythes & offrynges forgoten xiid (one shilling)
Item I beyqueth to the Grey Fryers off Ipswych for one trentall to syng for my son Wylliam xs (ten shillings)
Item I byqueth for a nother Trentall to the Wyght Fryers ffor Robert & Thomas My sonys xs (ten shillings)
Item I byqueth to Elizabeth my Wyff my tent that I dwell in callyd Framysden with all the landes both ffre & copy therto longyng as long as she kepeth hir soole & on maryed. And Iff she ffortune to be maryed than I wyll that William my son shall entyr the same place at the tyme off hir maryyage to holde to hym or to the ysew off his body lawfully bygotten. And yff be that Elizabeth my Wyff kepe hir soole & onmaryed then I will that she have my said tent byfore rehersid duryng hir lyff and the sayd William to have yt aftyr hir decease.
Item I byqueth to John Colchester my son my tent callid Berkelottes to holde to hym & to the ysew off his body lawfully bygotten
Item I byqyueth to Crystyan my daughter my tent callyd Baldewynes to holde to hir & to the yssew off hyr body lawfully bygotten
Item out of the sayd Tent callyd Baldwynes the sayd Cristian shall pay for ij [2] trentalls before rehersid xxs [20 shillings]. Also th sayd Cristian shall pay or do pay to Agnes Smyth hir syster XLs [40 shillings] out of the same tent called Baldwynes
Item I wyll that the sayd John Colchester fynd or do fynd a prest to syng for me & my ffrendes in the chirch of Berkyng in the yer off Saynt Jamys an hoole yer
Item I byqueth to Margaret my daughter VIs VIIId [1 noble]
The resideue off my goodes not byquethen at this tyme I put it in the exucion off my executors so for to ordeyn & to that ys both nedfull & spedefull to the pleasing off almyghty Gode & helth for my soule the bylvyd & shosyn in Cryst to me Elizabeth my Wyff
John my son & William my son to myn executores"
Probate was granted on 11 October 1503.
We know nothing about his wife Elizabeth - only her name which was obtained from her husband Thomas's will of 15001 and also from the transfer of Popynolds, Bryons, & Smofens to her and her son William at the Manorial Court on 3 February 1504.2
Children of Thomas COLCHESTER of Barking and Elizabeth were:
- A2 William COLCHESTER.
- + A3. William COLCHESTER
- A4 Robert COLCHESTER.
- A5 Thomas COLCHESTER.
- + A6. John COLCHESTER
- + A7. Christian COLCHESTER
- A8 Margaret COLCHESTER
- A9 Agnes Colchester