The Sussex Colepepers
Colepepers of:
Folkington, co. Sussex,
Penton Mewsey, co. Southampton, and
Sevenoaks, co. Kent
This John, who, as we have seen from his father's Inquisition, was 23 years of age and
more in 1591, and therefore born about 1568, married Anne, daughter of Thomas and Margery
Scott, of Sevenoaks, in Kent, and widow successively of Edward Puckering, gent.,66 and of
Mr. Bourchier67 (vide Visitation of London, 1634, published by the Harl. Soc.). He
matriculated at Oxford from Hart Hall, 18 Nov 1586, aged 17, and was admitted of the
Middle Temple, 1593, as son and heir of Francis, of Hollingbourne. Soon after this he
married and settled at Folkington, in Sussex, and by his wife Anne had two sons:
(i.) Thomas, bap. at St. Mary Woolchurch, Haw, London, 4 Jan 1600/1, as son of Mr.
John Culpepper, of Fointon (Folkington), in Sussex.
(ii.) John.
And a daughter:
(iii.) Frances, who married about 1619, Herbert Hay, of Glyndebourne, near Lewes, Esq.
He was buried at Wilmington, as of Folkington, 6 Oct 1607, and his widow
re-married at Folkington 2 Jan 1608/9, as her fourth husband, Edmund Hayes, or Hay,
of Battle, gent., who was buried there 10 Nov 1621, leaving her surviving.
The following is an abstract of his will:68
7
Sep 1607 I John Culpeper of Fogington in the county
of Sussex, Esquire. To my daughter Frauncis £500 at marriage or 21,
if married with the consent of her mother and my overseers. To Henry
Parker, son of my good friend Sir Nicholas Parker, Kt. and
my godsonne, a colt or £5. To John Ranger and Agnes Honny who have
attended me in my sickness 10s. To the residue of my
servants 5s. each--land in co. Southampton to
myself for life, then to my wife Anne, then to my daughter Fraunces,
remainder to my brother Thomas Culpeper (i.e. half brother) and his
heirs, with remainder to my right heirs. To my mother in law Mrs,
Margerie Scott a ring of 5 marks. To William Jurden 20 nobles.
Residuary legatee and Executrix my wife Anne. Overseers my brothers in
law Richard Scott and George Scott and my friend Herbert Springett
Esq. Witnesses Jo. Rivers, Clemens Athurst, William Jurden. Proved 28
Apr. 1608 by Anne Culpeper the relict.
By Inquisition taken at Winchester on 14 Sep 8 James I
(1610)69 after the death of John Culpeper gent. it was found
that he died seized of the manor of Penyton Meysey in the county of
Southampton and of a messuage and carucate of land in Penyton Meysey,
lately William Peverells, and to the aforesaid John Culpeper a fine was
levied in the 4th year of the now King between George Scott
and Edmund Scott plaintiffs and the aforesaid John Culpeper and Anne his
wife deforciants of the manor of Pennyngton Mewsey alias Penyton Meysey
with the appurtenances 20 messuages 10 cottages, 10 lofts, 3 dovecots,
20 gardens, 12 orchards, 2000 acres of land, 200 acres of meadow 1000
acres of pasture 200 acres of wood, 200 acres of furze and heath and £6
rents with appurtenances in Pennyngton Mewsey, Fascott, and Hatherden,
to the use of the said John Culpeper and Anne and the longer liver of
them, afterwards to the heirs male on the body of the said Anne, and
afterwards to John Culpepers right heirs, according to an Indenture 1
May 4 James I between the said parties. The said John Culpeper in the
brief named had issue male on the body of the said Anne a certain John
Culpeper. The said John Culpeper in the brief named was also seized of
the Advowson Rectory and church of Penyton Meysey, and so seized died 6
Oct 5 James I at Penyton Meysey, but Anne survives him and is living at
Penyton Meysey. John Culpeper is son and heir of the above John and Anne
and was aged 8 years 10 months and 5 days at the death of his father.
The manor of Penyton Meysey is held of the King as of the heredity of
Thomas Seymor who died without heir, and the messuage and carucate are
held of the King as of his honour of Gloucester both by military
service. The advowson is held of the King in capite, and is worth
nothing because it is filled (quia plena).
By another Inquisition taken at King's Clere, co. Southampton, 8 Oct
1610 (8 James I) 70, it was found
that John Culpeper, gent., had issue male on the body of Anne his wife a
certain Thomas Culpeper, who is his son and heir, and was aged 11 on 25
Dec 1609..
This Thomas, though from the Inquisition it would appear that he was
born 25 Dec 1598, is presumably the Thomas baptized at St. Mary
Woolchurch, Haw, on 4 Jan 1600/1, and was probably the Sir Thomas
Culpeper knighted at Whitehall 10 Dec 1628. From the Visitation of
Sussex in 1634 he married Elizabeth, daughter of ___ Goodridge, of ___
in co. York, sister to Henry Goodridge, by whom he had the following
children, all baptized at Folkington on the dates given:
(i) Anne, daughter of Thomas Culpepper, Knight, 21 Jun
1632. She married at Wilmington, 1 Aug 1648, John Honey, of Ditchling,
gent., but died s.p., and was buried at Wilmington 4 Apr 1649.
(ii) John, son of Thomas Culpepper, Knight, 18 Feb
1663/4.
(iii) Francis, son of Thomas Culpepper, Knight, 16 Jun
1635.
(iv) William, son of Thomas Culpepper, Knight, 26 Oct
1637.
His wife Elizabeth was buried at Folkington 5 May 1638, and Sir
Thomas himself was buried there 19 Mar 1638/9.
He left no will, but by
an Inq. taken at Winchester 30 Jul 163971,
the jurors found that:
On
a day before the death of the said Sir Thomas Culpeper, a certain John
Culpeper father of the aforesaid Thomas was in his lifetime seized in
fee simple of the manor of Pennington Mewsey alias Pennyton Mewsey with
appurtenances in the county of Southampton, and of and in one messuage
(dwelling house) and one carucate of land (as much land as could be
tilled by a team of eight oxen in one year) with appurtenances (rights)
in the parish of Pennington Mewsey alias Pennyton Mewsey, lately the
lands of William Peverell, and that the aforesaid John Culpeper by
Indenture dated 1 May 4 James, late King of England (1606) made between
the aforesaid John Culpeper by the name of John Culpeper of Pennington
co. Southampton Esq. and Anne his wife of the first part and George
Scott and Edmund Scott of the other part agreed with the said George and
Edmund Scott that he and the said John and Anne his wife should before
Easter term next ensuing levy a fine of all the premises to the use of
the aforesaid John Culpeper and Anne his wife for the terms of their
lives, and after their decease to the use of their heirs male, with
remainder to the right heirs of the aforesaid John. And the said fine
was accordingly levied by which fine and Indenture and Act of Parliament
of 4 Feb 27 Henry VIII (1536), the aforesaid John Culpeper and Anne his
wife were seized of the aforesaid manor in lordship as of a free
tenement for the term of their lives. The aforesaid John Culpeper was
also seized of the advowson, Rectory and Church of Pennington Mewsey
alias Pennyton Mewsey, and having issue by the aforesaid Anne died on 6
Oct 5 James (1607) and that the aforesaid Anne survived him, and is yet
living. After the death of the said John the advowson of Pennington
Mewsey and the reversion of the premises descended to the aforesaid Sir
Thomas Culpeper Knight named in the brief and afterwards he had a
release out of the hands of the King of so much of the premises as
devolved on the King by the death of the aforesaid John Culpeper. The
aforesaid Sir Thomas Culpeper died on 6 May last past and John Culpeper
Esq. is his son and next heir, and at the time of the death of Thomas
Culpeper his father was aged 5 years 2 months and 21 days. The aforesaid
Anne widow of the aforesaid John is still alive. The Manor of Pennington
Mewsey is held of the King as of the heredity of Sir Thomas Seymor
Knight, who died without heirs, by military service and is worth 20s
per annum. The messuage and carucate is held of the King as of his
honour of Gloucester by military service and is worth 5s. The
advowson is held of the King in capite and is worth nothing because it
is filled.
The Visitation of Sussex, 1634, however, makes Thomas, then aged
about 4 years (and not John as in the above Inq.), the son and
heir, and this is the Thomas Culpeper, of Penton, Co. Hants, who married
at St. Olave, Marygate, York,72 18
Jun 1653. Mary, daughter of Henry Austin, Alderman of London, and widow
of William Ellis, of Kiddall, co. York, Esq., slain in 1647. By her
first husband she had a daughter, Fridiswide, wife of William Culpeper,
citizen of London, and two sons, William and Henry. On 9 Feb 1662/3,
administration of the goods of Thomas Culpeper, late of Penton, co.
Southton, Esq., was granted to Edward Noyes, the principal creditor, but
on 1 Jun 1663, this administration was revoked and granted to William
Culpeper, his brother.
His widow’s will73
is as follows:
I Mary
Culpeper the relict of Thomas Culpeper late of Penton in the county of
Southampton, Esquire. Whereas by deed of articles between my said late
husband of the one part, and Henry Parker Esquire and Nicholas More,
gentleman on the other part, dated 20 Dec 1653, several sums of money
are due from his heirs, executors and administrators to the
appointment of me Mary Culpeper – in case my daughter Frydiswide
shall be legally acquitted and discharged of a marriage pretended to
be between her and John Henshawe, gentleman, so as the said John
Henshawe shall not have any right to her estate, then I will appoint
the whole benefit of the said deed (except £5 to Henry my son, to the
use of the said Frydiswide, otherwise to my executors to pay such
persons as my daughter Frydiswide shall appoint. And where as divers
monies are due to me by my brother Edward Austin as administrator of
Henry Austin my father, one moiety (equal share) to my son Henry at
25, and the other moiety to my daughter Frydiswide when acquitted of
her pretended marriage to John Henshawe. Executor’s son William
Ellis and my cousin Nathaniel Parker, Esquire to manage my estate with
the consent of Sir Phillip Parker, Bart. And my cousin Henry Parker
the elder, Esquire. If my daughter Frydiswide die without issue then
to my son Henry at 25. Executors £10 each. Cousin Henry Parker £5.
To Master William Culpeper my brother-in-lawe £5. To my Lady Chester
my sister-in-lawe 40 shillings. To Master Watts of Fish Street Hill,
woolen draper 40 shillings. £20 for poor of Eling, co Middlesex.
Dated 9 Mar 1663 (15 Charles II, viz 1662/3). Witnesses Wm.
Culpeper, Wm. Gaseley, the X of Elizth Finch.
Proved by Nathaniel Parker and Wm. Ellis 14 May 1664.
The children mentioned in Mary Culpeper’s will were her children by
her first husband, William Ellis, and Lady Chester was William Ellis’s
sister, Mary, who married Sir Anthony Chester, Bart., of Chicheley, co.
Bucks, from which the inference is that Thomas and Mary Culpeper had no
children. Whether Fridiswide Ellis was "acquitted" of her
pretended marriage to John Henshawe and afterwards married William
Culpeper, her mother’s brother-in-law, we have no yet been able to
ascertain, nor what became of the Penton Mewsey property.
The next son of Sir Thomas Culpeper, John, born in 1663/4, seems to
have settled at Riverhead, in Sevenoaks, as in 1653 there is an
Indenture74 between Anne Hay, of
Riverhead, and John Culpeper, of Riverhead, gent., which witnesses that
for the natural love and affection which she bears to her said grandson,
John Culpeper, she has granted him all those messuages (houses) called
the George and the Royal Exchange Tavern, situated against the Stocks,
in the parish of St. Mary Woolchurch, London. There appears to have been
several dealings with this property between the brothers, for a few
years later John, son and heir of John Culpeper, late of Riverhead,
deceased, complains75 that whereas
Francis Culpeper, late of ____, deceased, was seized about 9 Nov 1656 of
a messuage in St. Mary Woolchurch, and by Indenture, 1 Nov 1656 between
the said Francis Culpeper and John Culpeper, father of your orator for
£60, and in consideration of the natural love and affection which he,
Francis, did beare unto his name and blood, did covenant that he,
Francis, should stand seized of the premises for the use of himself and
his heirs, and in default of issue to the said John Culpeper, the
father, being the brother of the said Francis, and his heirs male, and
in default to his right heirs. About Aprl 1668, the said Francis married
Mary Wigge, spinster, and about July 1669, the said Francis died without
issue, and about 1670, Mary, wife of the said Francis, died. The
property had been destroyed in 1666 by the dreadful fire in London.
About the time of the fire your orator’s father died, leaving your
orator an infant about 12 years old. And now Thomas Wigge, Sr., Thomas
Wigge, Jr., and a whole horde more have got hold of the site, which they
claim under Mary Culpeper’s will.
In 1658 there is an Indenture76
between William Colepeper, citizen and leather-seller, of London, and
John Colepeper, of Riverhead, gent. For £400 William has sold to John
the premises known as Gridiron, lying as the Stockes over against the
market place, in the parish of St. Mary Woolchurch, with all that
passage heretofore part of the said messuage and used for and as a shop
or warehouse, but lately converted into an entry passage or way into the
Taverne adjoining called the Royal Exchange.
John Culpeper, of Sevenoaks, died about 1663 and administration of
his effects was granted on 16 Jul in that year to Frances, his relict.77
By her he had two children:
(i) John, son and heir, the complainant in the above-mentioned
bill. He is therein stated to be 12 years old in 1666. He matriculated
at Queen’s College, Oxford, 4 Jul 1673, aged 18, married a lady of
the name of Bridget and died about 1693. His will78
, in which he describes himself as being of Riverhead in Sevenoaks,
Esq., was dated 14 Jan 1692 and proved by his wife Bridgett 6 Jul
1693. He mentions his lands in Littlington, county Sussex, in the
occupation of himself and William Blackman. "Unto my lovng friend
Edmund Attree, Gent. who lives with me £20;’ mentions his kinsman,
Sir Thomas Culpeper, Bart., of Aylesford, and his sister.
(ii) Frances, who appears on 31 May 1693,79
as Frances Culpeper, spinster, in answer to the bill of complaint of
Bridgett Culpeper, widow, in which she says that it may be true that
her brother John died seized of lands and manors in Kent and Sussex of
considerable value. She does not know if he made a will as alledged.
She hopes to show that the said John could not dispose of his estate
by will. She will receive the legacy of £400 without prejudice to any
claim she may have on the estate. She has good reason to believe that
her father John, on his marriage with Frances, her mother, did settle
the estate on his wife as jointure, remainder to his heirs male,
remainder to his heirs female. Her mother Frances enjoyed the premises
after her husband’s death.
It is to be presumed that the suit terminated in favor of Bridgett,
the widow, as in 1695 she sold the manor of Littlington to James Greene.
Francis Culpeper, the third son of Sir Thomas Culpeper of Folkington,
born 1635, was, from his will, sometime of Battle, and afterwards of St.
Sepulcre’s, county Middlesex, gentleman. He married Mary Wigge. His
will,80 dated 19 Feb 1668, was
proved 3 Nov 1669, by Mary, his widow and executrix, to whom, after
various legacies, he left the residue of his property.
On 20 Jun 1670, his widow Mary made her will81
as "widow and executrix of Francis Culpeper gent." as follows:
Executor
to pay my husband’s legacies which I have not paid, and 5 more to my
loving friend Mr John Purfield of Battell. Executor then to
pay my deare and loving father Thomas Wigge the interest of my estate
(debts and legacies being paid) for life, and the principal after his
death to be equally divided between my four brothers George Packe,
William Packe, Thomas Wigge and John Wigge, and my two sisters Anne
the wife of George Godfrey and Joane Wigge, Executor William Packe, my
brother who proves 22 Nov 1671.
Of William, the fourth son of Sir Thomas Colepeper of Folkington,
born 1637, we have discovered at present no further records, but he was
probably the citizen and leather-seller of London mentioned in the Close
Roll of 1658, and was possibly the father of Anne, wife of James Hougham,
M.D., of Ditchling,82 and mother of
Culpeper Hougham, as William Culpeper’s sister Anne married John
Honey, of Ditchling, Esq., who in his will,83
dated 7 Nov 1694, proved at Lewes 15 Jan 1694/5, mentions his kinsman
Culpeper (blank in transcript but ? Hougham) and one of the witnesses
James Hougham.
To next chapter
Footnotes
66 Mr. Edward Puckering, gent., buried at
St. Mary Woolchurch, Haw, 5 Jul 1591. (?)
67 Thomas Bowchar, citizen and haberdasher, of London, St.
Leonards by Bowe, St. Edmund in Lombard Street, and Essex, whose will
was proved in P.C.C. in 1594 (87 Dixy). (?)
68 P.C.C., 30 Windebank
69 Chancery Inq. P.M., 8 James I, pt. 2, No. 116
70 Chancery Inq. P.M., 8 James I (1610), pt. 2, No. 75
71 Chancery Inq. P.M., 15 Charles I (1639), pt. 2, No. 75
72 Genealogist, New Ser., Vol. XIV, p. 107
73 P.C.C., 50 Bunce
74 Close Roll, 1653, pt. 9
75 Bills and Answers before 1714, Collins, Bundle 228
76 Close Roll, 1658, pt. 16
77 P.C.C., Admōn, Jul 1663
78 P.C.C., 106 Coker
79 Bills and Answers before 1714
80 P.C.C., 106 Coker
81 P.C.C., 106 Coker
82 S.A.C.. Vol. XXVIII, 133
83 Lewes A. 42, 86
Last
Revised:
02 Jan 2015 |
