Person Page - 53

Frederick George Lampard

• Birth*: Frederick George Lampard was born on 22 March 1894 at Goodwood Park, South Australia, Australia.
• Marriage*: Frederick George Lampard married Lily Bailey on 13 September 1919 at Methodist Church, Maylands, Western Australia, Australia.
• Death*: Frederick George Lampard died on 8 October 1988 at Perth, Western Australia, Australia, at age 94.

Lily Bailey

• Birth*: Lily Bailey was born on 14 February 1897 at Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
• Marriage*: Lily Bailey married Frederick George Lampard on 13 September 1919 at Methodist Church, Maylands, Western Australia, Australia.
• Married Name: As of 13 September 1919, her married name was Lampard.
• Death*: Lily Bailey died on 8 August 1972 at Perth, Western Australia, Australia, at age 75.

Frances Lampard

Parents:

• Birth*: Frances Lampard was born on 13 November 1921 at Western Australia, Australia.
• She was the daughter of Frederick George Lampard and Lily Bailey.
• Death*: Frances Lampard died on 31 May 1987 at Perth, Western Australia, Australia, at age 65.

Arthur William Lampard

Parents:

• Birth*: Arthur William Lampard was born on 3 June 1923 at Western Australia, Australia.
• He was the son of Frederick George Lampard and Lily Bailey.
• Death*: Arthur William Lampard died on 25 February 1992 at Mundaring, Western Australia, Australia, at age 68.

Beryl Lampard

Parents:

• Birth*: Beryl Lampard was born on 12 February 1925 at Maylands, Western Australia, Australia.
• She was the daughter of Frederick George Lampard and Lily Bailey.
• Death*: Beryl Lampard died on 6 November 2009 at Narembeen, Western Australia, Australia, at age 84.
• Burial*: Beryl Lampard was buried on 11 November 2009 at Pinaroo Valley Memorial Park, Padbury, Western Australia, Australia, No 5680.

Thomas Barber

Parents:

• Birth: Thomas Barber was born in 1750 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Baptism*: Thomas Barber was baptized on 23 November 1750 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• He was the son of Thomas Barber and Elizabeth Waite.
• Death*: Thomas Barber died circa 1751 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Thomas Barber was buried circa 1751 There are no Barber burials from November 1750 to October 1752. It is considered that this first Thomas died and either the burial record was omitted from the register by mistake, or he was buried elsewhere. The age at death (69 years) on the burial record of the surviving Thomas BARBER supports the later baptism in 1752.

John Waite

John Waite's signature 1713

Parents:

• Birth: John Waite was born in 1687 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Baptism*: John Waite was baptized on 17 May 1687 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹
• He was the son of William Waite and Joan Hunt.
• Anecdote: The marriage allegation in 1713 between John Waite and Elizabeth Low, both of Leigh, gives both their ages as 26 years, which confirms that John Waite was born c1687 and thus matches the baptism in Tonbridge. John's first son was called William which is also consistent as this is his father's name.
  There is also on the IGI a marriage of a John Waite and Jane Hadlow in East Malling, Kent in 10 May 1710 and they had their children in Tonbridge: Sam (1727), Jenny (1722), John (1720) and Richard (1730). It is assumed that this was the John Waite bap 1682 in Leigh, son of Edward and Elizabeth Waite, as the names are consistent with that family.²
• Marriage License*: John Waite and Elizabeth Low obtained a marriage licence on 23 April 1713 at All Hallows upon London Wall, London, England, John gives his age as about 26 years, and Elizabeth as 26 years.³
  
• Residence*: On 3 July 1720 John Waite lived at Hollanden, Hildenborough, Kent, England. We know this because "of Hollanden" was added to his son's baptism entry. Hollanden is a small hamlet in Hildenborough near Tonbridge. A Hollanden House still survives and is located on Mill Lane just off London Rd which connects Hildenborough with Sevenoaks.
• (Witness) Will: John Waite is mentioned in the will of Hannah Hunt dated 20 July 1724 at Sevenoaks, Kent, England^B.⁴
• Anecdote: In 1726 John Waite inherited the 18 acre farm called Mardens from his mother's sister, Hannah Gilpin (nee Blackwell, nee Hunt). For more information about Marden's, the booklet History of the Old House (Originally Marden's Farm) in Hildenbrough, Kent can be dowloaded here.^4,5,6
  
• (Witness) Probate: John Waite witnessed the probate of the estate of Hannah Hunt on 22 April 1726.
• Anecdote*: Lawrence Biddle's book "Leigh in Kent 1550-1900" mentions that Brights Farm (now called Great Hollanden Farm) was occupied by tenant famers, and that the longest tenures were that of William and John Waite, who occupied Brights in succession from 1688 to 1740. We now know that John was William's son.⁷
• Anecdote: A lease exists dated 24 November 1733 which indicates that John Waite owned a property called Mardens which is in Hildenborough on Philpots Lane (at the intersection with Nizell's Lane). The lease states:
  "Lease for 13 years by John Waite of Hollanden, Leigh, yeoman, to William Latter of Tonbridge, yeoman. Messuage called Mardens, barn, stable, stall yards, gardens, orchards, yards and seven fields comprising 18 acres, occupied for several years by William Latter; in Tonbridge. Consideration [rent] £11 per annum. Covenants: 1) Latter to spread straw from corn and dung on the land. 2) Latter not to plough meadow land, or in last two years plough more than eight acres, subject to penalty of £4 an acre.
  Signed William Latter (his mark) (seal missing). Endorsement: Witnesses: James Crosley, Thomas Weller."⁸
• Anecdote: The Tonbridge Overseers of the Poor rate assessments for 31 May 1728, 23 May 1729 and 19 Jun 1730 has the following entry: John Wayte: £5.0.0 (implied rental value £25p.a.) A later assessment on 17 Aug 1733 records: John Wells: £1.06.0 and Widow Wayte: £2.10.0. This could well be a different John Waite, the one who died 1732 whose wife was Jane Hadlow. This John Waite left a record of probate including an inventory, indicating he was a wealthy farmer. His estate was valued at over 500 pounds. This would explain why Widow Wayte (i.e. Jane) appears from 1733. In 1739 there is an entry for John Wayte "at Hollanden" who is rated at 7s/6d and this is likely to be ours.⁹
• Anecdote: The Datchurst manorial court books record the death of Robert Streatfield of Hever in 1741 stating that he held a parcel of land at Hollenden near Watts Cross in the occupation of John Waite and at the yearly rent of 8d.¹⁰
• Anecdote: In 1742 the Datchurst manorial court books record the transfer of the property Mardens from George Children to his heirs. This property came to John Waite in 1726 so sometime before 1742 it must have been sold it to George Children, although there is no record of this in the manorial court books. John appears to have never farmed the property as it was always leased out to William Latter, and the lease of 24 Nov 1733 shows that he owned it at least up to then. John's main property was always at nearby Hollanden.¹⁰
• Death*: John Waite died in 1747 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: John Waite was buried on 17 October 1747 at St Peter & St Paul, Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹¹
• Anecdote: A likely burial for John Waite is 17 Oct 1747 at Tonbridge: "John Wait aff made 22nd" . There are two other John Waite burials there: 24 May 1762 and 6 Feb 1763.¹²

Elizabeth Low

• Birth*: Elizabeth Low was born circa 1690 at England.
• Name Variation: Elizabeth Low was also known as Eliza.
• Marriage License*: Elizabeth Low and John Waite obtained a marriage licence on 23 April 1713 at All Hallows upon London Wall, London, England, John gives his age as about 26 years, and Elizabeth as 26 years.¹
  
• Married Name: As of 23 April 1713, her married name was Waite.
• Death*: Elizabeth Low died in 1733 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Elizabeth Low was buried on 13 June 1733 at St Mary's, Leigh, Kent, England^B, wife of John Wait.

William Waite

Parents:

• Baptism*: William Waite was baptized on 27 January 1713/14 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.¹
• He was the son of John Waite and Elizabeth Low.
• Marriage*: William Waite married Margaret Moyce on 5 August 1748 at East Peckham, Kent, England^B, William of Tonbridge; Margaret of Wrotham.²
• Anecdote: On 30 Jan 1776 William Waite, yeoman, acted as trustee for his sister Elizabeth Barber (nee Waite) in a deed signed between Elizabeth and her son Thomas Barber which committed Thomas to pay her an annual income of £20 p.a. Although this deed has not been sighted, it is mentioned in a mortgage taken out on various properties in 1788 and is expressed as: "One Annuity or yearly Rent Charge of Twenty pounds during her natural Life by virtue of one Indenture tripartite bearing date on or about the thirtieth day of January one thousand seven hundred and seventy six and made or expressed to be made between the said Thomas Barber party hereto of the first part the said Elizabeth Barber of the second part and William Waite of Tonbridge aforesaid yeoman of the third part.³ "
  
• Anecdote*: The will documented here for William Waite made on 22 Dec 1795 and proved 6 Feb 1800 is most likely for this William Waite. However, it has not been proven so the information here should be treated with caution.
  The will mentions the following children:
  John WAITE
  Jane married to John HUTSON
  Elizabeth married to Thomas ELLIOTT
  Margaret married to William CRONK
  Also mentioned is his wife's nephew Nicholas HUBBLE
  
  Research in Ancestry.co.uk and Familysearch.org shows:
  John bap. 17 Nov 1752 at Tunbridge son of William and Margaret WAITE
  Elizabeth bap. 24 Jan 1755 at Tunbridge dau. of William and Margaret WYATT
  Margaret bap. 27 Sep 1758 at Tunbridge dau. of William and Margaret WAITE
  William bap. 27 Sep 1758 at Tunbridge dau. of William and Margaret WAITE
  Also the birth of Thomas Wait HUBBLE son of Nicholas HUBBLE and Mary Ann on 11 Nov 1826 at Lambeth, London.
  
  William and Margaret may be William WAITE who married Margaret PRINGLE on 21 Mar 1748 at St Katherine by the Tower, London but this could very well be for one or more William WAITE's born in London at the same time as our William.
• Will*: William Waite left a will made on 22 December 1795 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.^4,5
• Will/Adm Transcript*: Will of William Waite, [copy of] will dated 22^nd December 1795     (TRANSCRIPTION)
  This is the last Will and Testament of me William Waite of Tonbridge in the County of Kent Yeoman made and declared this twenty second day of December one thousand seven hundred and ninety five in manner and form following (that is to say) First my Will is that all such debts as I shall justly owe at the time of my decease shall be truly [and] honestly paid and satisfied and Subject thereto and to the payment thereof (having already given and advanced to my Son John Waite Goods Chattels and
  [page 2]
  Effects to the amount or value of Nine hundred pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain) I give and dispose of my Worldly Estate [and] Effects in manner following I give forgive and release unto my said Son all such Sum or Sums of Money as he shall stand indebted to me on Bond Note or otherwise at the time of my decease and direct such Securities to be delivered to or retained by him to be cancelled and made void Also I give and bequeath unto my said Son John Waite my Moiety or half part of and in a certain portion of Tythes belonging to the Rectory or Parsonage of Tonbridge aforesaid and to which I am intitled under a Lease thereof granted by Sir John Honeywood Baronet to myself and Thomas Wingate therein named bearing date the nineteenth day of December one thousand seven hundred and ninety one and all my Estate Right Title and Interest of in and to the said Tythes and of in and to the said Lease whereby the same are devised as aforesaid and also all my Estate Right Title and Interest of in and to another portion of Tythes belonging to the said Rectory which I now use and Occupy under Matthew Smith Esq[uire] Also I give and bequeath unto my said Son John Waite the possession of the several Messuages or Tenements Farms [and] Lands which I now use and occupy as Tenant to Mrs Paine and to the Heirs of Mr Poley situate and being in the Parish of Tonbridge in the said County of Kent Also I give and bequeath unto my daughter Jane the Wife of John Hutson the Sum of one hundred and fifty Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid toher within twelve months next after my decease by my Executor herein after named which with the Sum of Three hundred Pounds I have already advanced or paid to her or to the said John Hutson upon or since her Inter-marriage will make the Sum of Four hundred and fifty Pounds Also I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Elliott the Sum of Two hundred and Fifty Pounds of like lawful Money to be paid to her within twelve months next after my decease by my Executor herein after named which with the Sum of Two hundred Pounds which was given by me to the said Thomas Elliot upon or soon after his marriage with my said Daughter
  [page 3]
  Elizabeth will make the Sum of Four hundred and Fifty Pounds Also I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Margaret the Wife of William Cronk the Sum of Fifty Pounds of like lawful Money to be paid to her within twelve Months next after my decease by my Executor herein after named which with the Sum of Four hundred Pounds that I paid and advanced to the said William Cronk upon his Marriage with my said Daughter Margaret will make the like Sum of Four hundred and Fifty Pounds Also I give and bequeath to my late Wife's Nephew Nicholas Hubble of Crouch in the Parish of Wrotham in the County of Kent Yeoman the Sum of ten pounds of like lawful Money to be paid to him within one month next after my decease by my Executor herein after named and all the rest residue and remainder of my ready Money Securities for Money Debts Goods Chattels and Personal Estate and Effects whatsoever (my Debts Legacies and Funeral Expenses and the Charges of Proving this my Will and all other incidental Charges being first paid and satisfied) I do give and bequeath in the following manner (that is to say) one full fifth part thereof unto my said Daughter Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Elliott, one other full/ fifth part thereof unto my said Daughter Margaret the Wife of William Cronk two other full fifth parts thereof unto my said Son John Waite and the remaining fifth part or share thereof I give and bequeath unto my said Son John Waite and the said William Cronk and the Survivor of them and
  the Executors and Adm[inistrat]ors of such Survivor Upon Trust and Confidence that they my said Trustees do and shall continue or place out the last mentioned fifth part at Interest upon Government or Real Securities and from time to time to vary and transport the same as they shall see occasion and do and shall pay the Interest Dividends Proceed and Profits thereof as the same shall be received unto my said Daughter Jane the Wife of the said John Hutson for and during the term of her natural life and from and after her decease unto the said John Hutson for and during the term of his natural life and from and after the decease of the Survivor of them the said John Hutson and Jane his Wife Upon Trust to pay transfer and make over the
  [page 4]
  Principal of the said Trust Monies unto to all and every the Child and Children of my said Daughter Jane who shall be living at the time of the death of the Survivor of them the said John Hutson and Jane his Wife share and share alike if more than one and if there shall be but one such Child then the whole of the said Trust Monies to such one Child the share of such of them as shall be a Son or Sons to be paid or transferred at his or their age or respective ages of twenty one years and the shares of such of them as shall be a Daughter or Daughters at her or their age or respective Ages of twenty one Years or day or days of marriage which shall first happen and the Interest Dividends and Proceed thereof to be in the meantime applied in their respective Maintenance and Education. But if any one or more of the Children of my said Daughter Jane shall have died before the decease of the Survivor of them the said John Hutson and Jane his Wife and shall have left any Issue of his her or their Body or Bodies lawfully begotten who shall be living at the time of the decease of the Survivor of them the said John Hutson and Jane his Wife Then my Will is that such Issue shall have and enjoy the part or share intended for his her or their Father or Mother so dying as aforesaid in equal Shares and Proportionsif more than one and if only one then solely But if there shall be no Child or Children of my said Daughter Jane nor any Issue of such Child or Children living at the time of the decease of the Survivor of them the said John Hutson and Jane his Wife Then upon Trust that they the said John Waite and William Cronk or the Survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor do and shall from and out of said Trust Monies pay apply and dispose of such Sum or Sums of Money Legacy or Legacies not exceeding in the whole the Sum of Two hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain unto between and amongst such of the Child or Children Grandchild or Grandchildren of me the said Testator in such Shares [and] proportions and at such time or times as the said John Hutson by his last Will and Testament
  [page 5]
  in Writing or by any Codicil thereto or by any Writing purporting to be or in the nature of his last Will and Testament or Codicil to be by him duly executed in the presence of two or more Credible Witnesses shall give dispose of or bequeath direct limit or appoint But so as the payment thereof be not made until after the decease of the said Jane Hutson and as to such part of the said Trust Monies as shall not be given disposed of or bequeathed directed limited or appointed by the said John Hutson as aforesaid upon Trust that they the said John Waite and William Cronk and the Survivor of them and the Executors or Adm[inistrat]ors of such Survivor do and shall pay assign and transfer the same unto my said Daughters Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Elliott and Margaret the Wife of William Cronk and my said Son John Waite to be equally divided between them share and share alike and to their several and respective Executors and Administrators provided always and it is my express Mind Will and Meaning that the said John Waite and William Cronk and the Survivor of them and the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor shall be allowed in the first place to deduct and retain in their or his hands out of such part of the said Trust Monies which shall come to them In Trust by virtue of this my Will or the Trusts herein contained all such Costs Changes Loss of time damages [and] Expenses whatsoever as they shall respectively bear pay sustain expend or be put unto in or about the Execution of the Trusts aforesaid or relating thereunto and also that they my said Trustees or either of them their or either of their Executors or Administrators shall not be answerable or accountable for any of the Monies hereby directed to be continued and placed out at Interest as aforesaid which shall happen to be lost by mistaken Securities or by the failure of any person or persons with whom the same or any part thereof shall be deposited before and until the same can be conveniently placed out and Invested as aforesaid unless such loss shall happen by or through their or some of their wilful neglect or default and in/ that case he or they by whose neglect or default such loss shall happen shall alone be answerable for the same and Lastly revoking and making void all former
  [page 6]
  and other Wills and Testaments by me at any time heretofore made I publish and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament and so make constitute and ordain my said Son John Waite to be Sole Executor hereof In Witness whereof I the said William Waite the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in four Sheets of paper set my Hand and Seal (that is to say) my Hand to the first three Sheets and my Hand and Seal to this fourth and last Sheet thereof the Day and Year first above mentioned – W[illia]m Waite Signed Sealed
  Published and Delivered/ by the said William Waite the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other have Subscribed our Names as Witnesses to the same
  Will[ia]m Scoones Will[ia]m Scoones Jun[io]r Jo[h]n Ashdowne Cl[er]ks to W. Scoones
  
  This Will was proved at London the sixth day of February in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred before the Right Honourable Sir William Wynn Knight Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of John Waite the Son of the Deceased the Sole Executor named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said Deceased having been first Sworn (by Commission) duly to administer.
  (Transcribed by Margaret Gaffney for Geoffrey Barber, 30 April 2015.)
  
• Death*: William Waite died on 1 November 1799 at Horns Lodge, Tonbridge, Kent, England, at age 85.⁶
• Anecdote: There is a monumental inscription in the Leigh churchyard which reads:
  William Waite of Horns Lodge, died 1 November 1799 aged 86.
• Probate*: His estate was probated on 6 February 1800 at Prerogative Court of Canterbury, London, England.^4,5

Mary Waite

Parents:

• Baptism*: Mary Waite was baptized on 5 May 1718 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of John Waite and Elizabeth Low.

John Waite

Parents:

• Baptism*: John Waite was baptized on 3 July 1720 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.¹
• He was the son of John Waite and Elizabeth Low.

Ann Waite

Parents:

• Baptism*: Ann Waite was baptized on 6 February 1722/23 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of John Waite and Elizabeth Low.

Sarah Waite

Parents:

• Baptism*: Sarah Waite was baptized on 27 June 1725 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of John Waite and Elizabeth Low.
• Death*: Sarah Waite died in 1725 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Sarah Waite was buried on 8 July 1725 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.

Hannah Waite

Parents:

• Baptism*: Hannah Waite was baptized on 8 September 1729 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of John Waite and Elizabeth Low.
• Death*: Hannah Waite died in 1729 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Hannah Waite was buried on 21 September 1729 at Leigh, Kent, England^B.

Richard Barber

Parents:

• Birth*: Richard Barber was born circa 1673 at Kent, England.
• He was the son of Thomas Barber alias Nynne and Mary Rootes.
• Anecdote: It is possible that he was baptised in Chevening where his parents were married as there is a gap in the Chevening parish register from 1651 to 1685 which would explain why his baptism has not been found. However, he is mentioned in his father's will of 1683 and so his parents were able to be identified.¹
• Anecdote: Richard would have been about 10 years old when his father died in 1683. He continued to live in Hildenborough with his widowed mother Mary Barber and his younger brother Thomas and his sister Elizabeth.
• (Witness) Will: Richard Barber is mentioned in the will of Thomas Barber alias Nynne dated 28 October 1683 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹
• Marriage*: Richard Barber married Margaret Wigzell, daughter of William Wigzell and Elizabeth (?), on 18 November 1712 at Kemsing, Kent, England^B.^2,3
• Anecdote*: The Tonbridge Overseers of the Poor rate assessment of 13 May 1713 shows that Richard Barber had a property in Hilden (near Tonbridge) rated at £1/16s/-. As the rate was assessed at 2s/- in the £1 of rental value it meant that the property was worth £18 a year in rent which would indicate a farm. The rate assessments do not tell us if the properties were owned or leased but this would most likely have been leased. The property was probably a collection of farm lands surrounding his mother Mary's cottage in Hilden which also had about one acre of land. Mary had previously leased other lands such as "Mr Danver's" and "Mr Danver's and Mr Richardson's lands" and Richard was probably doing the same but perhaps on a bigger scale.
  Richard died in 1722 and the rate assessment in 1728 has this same property held by Widow Barber (Richard's wife Margaret) but by 1730 she had moved to Foxbush and Reeds Land, previously held by William Webb. These properties were held by Margaret until at least 1746, but were no longer in her name in 1751, when Edward London is listed as the new owner of Foxbush. We know from the will of Richard's brother Thomas Barber, written in May 1749, that Richard and Margaret's son Richard was "of Foxbush" so it is a fair assumption that he farmed Foxbush with his widow mother while his brother Thomas worked in the town as a malster with his uncle Thomas. The uncle Thomas's death in 1749 seems to have prompted significant change in the family, including the marriages of the younger Thomas Barber to Elizabeth Waite later in 1749, and his brother Richard to Elizabeth Louff in 1751. It is also possible that the widow Margaret Barber had died earlier as she is not mentioned in the will.^4,5
• Death*: Richard Barber died in 1722 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Richard Barber was buried on 2 June 1722 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B, aged about 50 years.⁶
• Anecdote*: The burial entry for Richard Barber says "Aff received 5" meaning that an affidavit was received on June 5th stating that Richard was wrapped in wool for his burial. An Act had been passed in 1678 making it compulsory for all corpses to be buried in a shroud made of wool, with an affidavit having to be made (and recorded in the parish register) that this had been done. This was intended to support the wool industry.⁷
• Anecdote: Richard died leaving a young family, with his eldest child Thomas only 9 years old. Later documents suggest that Richard's brother Thomas remained close and probably supported the family. As Richard died before his mother, it was his brother Thomas who inherited the Draper's property in Sussex, Mary's cottage in Hilden and any other property. Thomas never married, and in his will of 1749 he left all his property to Richard's eldest son, Thomas, while leaving an annuity to his sister, and sums of money to other nephews and nieces. He seems to have played a critical role in the family.

Margaret Wigzell

Parents:

• Birth: Margaret Wigzell was born in 1688 at Kemsing, Kent, England^B.
• Baptism*: Margaret Wigzell was baptized on 18 July 1688 at Kemsing, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of William Wigzell and Elizabeth (?)
• Marriage*: Margaret Wigzell married Richard Barber, son of Thomas Barber alias Nynne and Mary Rootes, on 18 November 1712 at Kemsing, Kent, England^B.^2,1
• Anecdote*: Margaret was 24 years old when she married Richard Barber (who was about 39 years). Ten years later she was a widow with five children, the eldest only 9 years old.
• Married Name: As of 18 November 1712, her married name was Barber.
• (Witness) Burial: Margaret Wigzell witnessed the burial of Richard Barber on 2 June 1722 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B; aged about 50 years.³
• Anecdote: The Tonbridge Overseers of the Poor rate assessment of 31 May 1728 shows that Widow Barber (Margaret) was still occupying the property (farm) in Hilden (near Tonbridge) that they had occupied since at least 1713. By 19 June 1730 she had moved to Foxbush and Reeds Land, previously held by William Webb. Their rental value was 23 pounds per years so they were probably farms or farming lands. These properties were held by Margaret until at least 1746, but were no longer in her name in 1751, when Edward London is listed as the new owner of Foxbush and Richard Children may have taken over all of Reeds.
  It is interesting to note that in the 1749 will of Thomas Barber, his nephew Richard Barber "of Foxbush" is left 10 pounds, but it does not mention the widow Margaret. The will was made on 16 May 1749, suggesting that Margaret may have died in the period 1746-1749.
  Foxbush is very close to where the widow Mary Barber would have lived between 1692 and 1732. The move to Foxbush coincides with the transfer of Mary Barber's house to Thomas Barber in 1730, and it is interesting to speculate that previously, Margaret and her family had lived with Mary Barber and farmed the surrounding lands (Mardens?) which they had farmed since at least 1713. It is likely that Margaret then lived with her son Richard at Foxbush. Margaret's brother-in-law Thomas Barber never married and may have played a role in getting Margaret and Richard set up at Foxbush and Reeds (possibly a payment was made to them for the transfer of Mary Barber's house to Thomas). If he had helped to set this up to be Richard's inheritance (via his mother Margaret) it would explain why Richard received only 10 pounds in his uncle's will, while his brother Thomas, who was in business as a malster with his uncle, received all of his uncle's property.⁴
• Anecdote: There is a burial of a Margaret Barber on 14 Jan 1768 at Tonbridge. At this stage it is not known if this is for the widow Margaret Barber, or her unmarried daughter. Thomas Barber's will made in 1749 indicates that the daughter was unmarried at that time.

Elizabeth Barber

Parents:

• Baptism*: Elizabeth Barber was baptized on 31 October 1714 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• She was the daughter of Richard Barber and Margaret Wigzell.
• (Witness) Will: Elizabeth Barber is mentioned in the will of Thomas Barber dated 16 May 1749 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹
• Anecdote*: Elizabeth received 10 pounds from the will of her uncle Thomas Barber. The will referred to her as Elizabeth Barber suggesting she was unmarried at the time.¹
• Death*: Elizabeth Barber died in 1771 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Elizabeth Barber was buried on 3 February 1771 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B, Note that this burial could also be for Elizabeth (nee Luffe), wife of Richard Barber.²

Richard Barber

Parents:

• Baptism*: Richard Barber was baptized on 9 May 1716 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹
• He was the son of Richard Barber and Margaret Wigzell.
• Anecdote*: It was originally thought that Richard might be the Richard Barber who married Elizabeth c1738 and lived in Hadlow and had children there. The marriage has not been found and was speculative, based on children baptised to a Richard and Elizabeth Barber in 1739, 1742 and 1747 (mother not given), a burial of Elizabeth Barber in Hadlow in 30 Jan 1766 and a Richard Barber's burial there on 11 Oct 1763. There were no other Barber families in Hadlow. Subsequent discovery of the will of Thomas Barber 1749 indicates that Richard was living in Hildenborough (Foxbush) at that time, not Hadlow. Also, there is a baptism of a Richard Barber on 11 Mar 1718 at Plaxtol (close to Hadlow) to Richard and Susan Barber. This child is probably the Richard that had the family in Hadlow mentioned above. This is interesting in that it indicates the presence of another Barber family in the area in the early 1700s.
  The propery Foxbush had been in occupation by Widow Margaret Barber since 1730 and Richard would have lived there as a youth, and for him to still be there in 1749 indicates that he is unlikely to be the Richard Barber who married c1738, had children in Hadlow, and died in Hadlow. Richard would have had good reason to stay at Foxbush given that his mother had been a widow since 1722 and would have needed help with the farm.
  Richard is more likely to be the Richard who married Eliz. Louff on 30 Jan 1751 at Shipbourne and who had a family in Leigh. Although this has not been proved, it is supported by the following:
  1. Their children's names are consistent with previous generations - especially the first three children Mary (1752), Richard (1754) and Thomas (1755), and later Margaret (1764) and Bette (Elizabeth) (1769).
  2. Many of the Barber males married late because of having to support widowed mothers and young children. The 1751 marriage to Elizabeth Louff at age 35 years is consistent with that of his brother Thomas who married in 1749 at age 36 years. Both marriages occurred after their uncle Thomas Barber died in 1749 leaving them an inheritance in his will. Although Richard's brother Thomas received all the property from his uncle's will, Richard would have inherited from his mother, Margaret Barber, who had the Foxbush and Reeds Land property.
  3. Although the Foxbush and Reeds Land property is in Hildenborough, it is on the border of the parish of Leigh and Richard would not have to move far to be considered "of Leigh". To illustrate this, Richard's sister Mary was baptised in Kemsing in 1718 (where Richard's mother was born) and the baptism states that the father was Richard Barber of Leigh, even though they lived in Hildenborough.
  The only "fly in the ointment" is that there is a baptism of a female Barber to a Thomas and Mary Barber on 18 Mar 1764 at Leigh. It is not known who these are, as all our Thomas Barber's are accounted for.
  So until shown otherwise, I have assumed that this Richard Barber was the one who married Elizabeth Louff in 1751 and raised a family in Leigh.
• Residence*: On 16 May 1749 Richard Barber lived at Foxbush, Hildenborough, Kent, England^B.²
• (Witness) Will: Richard Barber is mentioned in the will of Thomas Barber dated 16 May 1749 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.²
• Anecdote: Richard received 10 pounds from the will of his uncle Thomas Barber.
• Marriage*: Richard Barber married Elizabeth Luffe, daughter of Benjamin Luffe and Mary Basset, on 30 January 1751 at Shipbourne, Kent, England^B, Both of Leigh. Elizabeth's surname was spelt LOUFF.^3,4
• Anecdote*: "Richd Barber of Leigh, bachelor, and Eliz: Louff of ye parish aforesaid, spinster, by licence from ye Bishop of Rochester."
• Death*: Richard Barber died in 1786 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Richard Barber was buried on 26 December 1786 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.⁵

Martha Barber

Parents:

• Baptism*: Martha Barber was baptized on 28 May 1718 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of Richard Barber and Margaret Wigzell.
• Death*: Martha Barber died in 1721 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Martha Barber was buried on 16 May 1721 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.

Margaret Barber

Parents:

• Baptism*: Margaret Barber was baptized on 7 February 1721 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of Richard Barber and Margaret Wigzell.
• (Witness) Will: Margaret Barber is mentioned in the will of Thomas Barber dated 16 May 1749 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.²
• Anecdote*: Margaret received 10 pounds from the will of her uncle Thomas Barber. The will referred to her as Margaret Barber suggesting she was unmarried at the time.²

Thomas Barber alias Nynne

Tunbridge in 1795 showing the bridge over the river Medway and the ruined castle in the background

Parents:

• Birth: Thomas Barber alias Nynne was born in 1640 at Rotherfield, Sussex, England^B.
• Baptism*: Thomas Barber alias Nynne was baptized on 3 May 1640 at Rotherfield, Sussex, England^B.¹
• He was the son of Thomas Barber alias Nynne and Anne Latter.
• Anecdote: Thomas's father died in May 1649 when he was only nine years old, and his mother was left a widow (again) to raise a young family.
• Anecdote: At some time between 1649 and 1662 Thomas's mother Ann Barber married Samuel Theobold. It is apparent from a lease document in Jan 1661/62 that her husband Thomas had foreseen this possibility and given her the right to hold all his properties by jointure and lease while she still lived, ensuring that she could provide for herself and her family in the event of his death, and also thus protecting his children’s inheritance in case Anne remarried (which she did). On 7 Jan 1661/62 at the age of 21 years, Thomas leased these properties from his mother and her third husband, Samuel Theobold, (i.e. the cottage in Rotherfield Town - this would be Bonnetts and Bachelands, and the 22 acres of land known as Drapers) and agreed to pay them a rent of £11/5s per year, with the term of the lease being for the life of Anne, his mother. This provided her with an annuity for the rest of her life. On Anne’s death the properties would pass to Thomas under the original jointure and lease agreement.
  "7 Jan 1661/62 Lease by Samuel Theobold of Tonbridge, Kent, clothier and Ann his wife, to Thomas Barber alias Nine, of Frant, Sussex, then servant to Thomas Weller, gent., of a messuage or tenement, outhouse, barn and stall and a small piece of land lying near the said barn, together with all gardens, closes, backside, etc. in Rotherfield Town. Also, 4 pieces of land and wood containing 22 acres, called Drapyers in Rotherfield; all which premises the said Samuel held by right of An his wife made to her by jointure and lease from Thomas Barber alias Nine, her former husband, father of the above named Thomas. Term, the life of the said Ann Theobold party to the deed and mother of the said Thomas: rent yearly 11 pounds/5s. Signature of Samuel Theobold, and mark of Ann Theobold & seals. Witnesses: William Jeffrey, Ann Barber (mk)."
  (Abstract by Sussex Archaeological Society.)²
• Occupation*: Thomas Barber alias Nynne was a servant to Thomas Weller of Frant, Sussex. The Wellers were primarily a family of lawyers and connections to them start in 1635 when Thomas Weller witnessed the will of William Heath, the first husband of Thomas Barber’s mother, Ann. This is likely to be the same Thomas Weller who took her son into service, which could have happened around the time that Thomas Weller was appointed steward of the manor of Rotherfield in 1653. on 7 January 1661/62.²
• Anecdote: On 29 Sep 1663 Samuel Theobald, his wife Ann and her son Thomas Barber were grantors of a lease on Drapers for 21 years or the lives of the grantors at £7 p.a.
  Counterpart lease for 21 years or the lives of the grantors from 29 Sep 1663 at £7
  Date: 29 Nov 1663 (ESRO: AMS 6860/10/1)
  Description: Samuel Theobald of Tonbridge in Kent, yeoman, and his wife Ann, and Thomas Barber of Westerham in Kent, servant to Robert Stretfield of Westerham, yeoman, to Richard Stretfield of Rotherfield, clothier
  four pieces of arable and pasture with the shaws, coppices and underwoods (23 acres) called Drapyers in Rotherfield, occupied by Richard Stretfield
  reserved: timber and pollards of oak, ash and beech; lessee to pay the quitrent of 3s 8d; detailed husbandry covenants
  Witnesses: Thomas Hosmer, William Stretfeild.
• Occupation: Thomas Barber alias Nynne was a servant to Robert Stretfield of Westerham, Kent on 29 September 1663.
• Anecdote: Ann and Samuel appear to have moved to Tonbridge around 1662 when they leased the Rotherfield properties to their son Thomas. In 1663 and 1670 Samuel is recorded as a yeoman of Tonbridge.
  In 1662 Anne’s son Thomas was already living away from Rotherfield working in Frant as a servant to Thomas Weller, gent. We have evidence that Thomas Barber's uncle, John Barber, was also living in Frant in 1662 as the burial of his wife is recorded there: 20 Jun 1662 buried Mary, wife of John Barber, Retherfield. John was the only brother of Thomas's father and probably played a role in the upbringing of the young Thomas.
  The subsequent lease of 1663 records Thomas as servant of Robert Stretfield, yeoman of Westerham. It is not known where Thomas lived as Robert Stretfield had inherited properties at Crockham Hill at Westerham and at Penshurst (Hoadleyes) near Tonbridge.
  By the time of his marriage in 1672 Thomas had also moved to Tonbridge and in 1677 he sold the family home (Bonnetts and Bachelands) in Rotherfield village. This was almost certainly following the death of his mother who had a life interest in the property. Apart from retaining the Drapers property the family had now cut their ties to Rotherfield with Thomas now a husbandman at Hilden (now called Hildenborough), a hamlet within the parish of Tonbridge and a few kilometres away from the town.
• Anecdote: Thomas Barber's appearance at Tonbridge was probably inevitable given the following:
  - In 1663 Thomas Barber is documented as being of Westerham and being a servant of Robert Streatfield, yeoman of Westerham.
  - In 1663 Thomas Barber, and his mother Anne and step-father Samuell Theobald, clothier of Tonbridge, lease the Drapers property to Richard Streatfield, clothier of Rotherfield. It would appear that Thomas's parents had moved to Tonbridge c1662.
  - The Streatfield family had clothier businesses in Rotherfield and Tonbridge as evidenced by a token that was issued sometime between 1650-1670 by "I.E. Stretfeild, Mercers in Reatherf. & Tvnbridg" which displayed the Skinners Guild coat of arms. This was issued by John Streatfield, brother of Richard.
  - Thomas's step-father Samuel Theobald was a clothier of Tunbridge, indicating a probable close business connection to the Streatfields.
  Another influence may be from his previous employer, the Weller family of Frant. Thomas Weller of Frant may be the same person who played an important role in the Civil War around Tonbridge 1642-46. He wrote his memoirs and later moved away from Tonbridge and died at Eridge Green (in Frant) in 1670 age 68 years. Weller’s death and the fact that his son lived in Tonbridge and was appointed under-steward of the Honor of Otford in 1671 (which included the manor of Datchurst alias Hilden near Tonbridge) may be connected with Thomas Barber's late rmove to Hilden, which occurred before his marriage in 1672 when he states that he is "of Tonbridge" (Hilden is in the parish of Tonbridge). The connection to the Wellers appears to have continued after Thomas's death in 1683 as we find Thomas Weller signing as under-steward for the manor of Datchurst (alias Hilden) when Mary Barber took possession of a cottage there in 1691.^3,4,5,6
• Anecdote: By 1672 Thomas was living in Tonbridge in Kent, and so began a period where the family lived there for the next 170 years, although they maintained a connection to Rotherfield through the ownership of the Drapers property.
• Marriage License*: Thomas Barber alias Nynne and Mary Rootes obtained a marriage licence on 11 October 1672 at Chevening, Kent, England^B.⁷
• Anecdote*: "11 Oct 1672 Thomas Barber alias Nin, of Tunbridge, Kent, Bachr, abt 30, & Mary Rootes, of the same, Spr, abt 25, at own disp; alleged by Edwd Clarke, of Cheevening, Kent, Dr of Divy; at Cheevening." There is a gap in the parish register for Chevening from June 1651 restarting in 1685. There are also no surviving Bishop's Transcripts so without this licence the marriage would have been lost.⁸
• Anecdote*: The marriage allegation shows that Edward Clarke of Chevening, Doctor of Divinity, appeared personally (it doesn't say where but presumably at the Vicar-General's office in London) and alleged that Thomas Barber als Nin of Tunbridge [sic] aged about 30 years and a bachelor intended to marry Mary Rootes of the same parish aged about 25 years and a spinster “at her owne dispose” (meaning that she did not have to gain anyone's permission to marry) and that he did not know or believe there was any impediment to hinder the intended marriage. He asked for a licence for the parties to be married in the parish church of Chevening. A licence enabled the couple to marry without the calling of banns in their home parishes (which is the announcing of the intended marriage on three Sundays prior to the marriage). It is interesting to see that Clarke obtained the marriage licence rather than either Thomas or Mary having to travel (presumably to London) to obtain it, but maybe he had gone to the Vicar General's office on some other business.
  We could speculate that Thomas and Mary married in Chevening either because Mary had family in the parish or because of connections to the church. If the latter, perhaps Edward Clarke, Doctor of Divinity, was a personal friend or they approved more of his religious stance and preaching than the current incumbent of Tonbridge parish church. On the other hand it may have been simply because Edward Clarke was able to obtain a marriage licence and that this enabled them to be married with a greater degree of privacy and speed.
• Anecdote: In 1677 there is a manorial record of the transfer of the Bonnetts and Bathelands properties from Thomas Nynne alias Barbour to Edmund Latter, likely a family relative of Thomas given that his mother's maiden name was also Latter. These are the properties in Rotherfield village that were leased to Thomas by his mother Anne in 1662 and first held by John Nynne in 1530. The transfer is almost certainly subsequent to the death of Anne, although no burial has been found for her. The document is transcribed below.
  
• Anecdote: Retherfield Court Roll, 1677, Nynne alias Barber
  Court Baron of William Dyke, Esquire, and Ralph Snowden, held in the same place for the tenants of the aforesaid manor on the sixth day of December in the 29th year of the reign of our Lord Charles the Second, by the grace of God, now King of England etc, and in the year of our Lord 1677, by Thomas Hoop [or Hooper], gentleman, steward.
  Essoins: None
  Homage: Nicholas Hosmer , Abraham Alchorne , Thomas Hosmer (sworn)
  To this Court came Thomas Nynne alias Barbour and surrendered into the hands of the Lords, by the acceptance of their aforesaid steward, one messuage or tenement, one garden and one barn, called Bonnetts, and a certain way leading from the messuage to the aforesaid barn, and also one other garden containing one rood of land called Bathelands lying near the aforesaid barn, and one piece of meadow containing half an acre, and one wooden building, in English a lodge or hovel, and one garden previously Adam Fermor’s, situated and lying in Retherfeild, held by rent of [blank], heriot, relief and other services, to the use of Edmund Latter and his heirs, according to the custom of the aforesaid manor. And thereupon to this court came the aforesaid Edmund and sought that he be admitted to the messuage, tenement, barn, garden, lands and premises aforesaid, with the appurtenances, to whom the lords, through their aforesaid steward, granted seisin thereof by rod, to have and to hold to the same Edmund and his heirs, at the will of the lords, according to the custom of the aforesaid manor, by the rent and services formerly due in respect thereof and by right accustomed. And he gave to the lords, as fine and heriot, a composition, £3 13s 4d. And he is admitted as tenant thereof. And he has seisin by rod. And he makes fealty to the lords.⁹
• Anecdote*: Sadly, Thomas died just 11 years after his marriage leaving Mary with three young children. He must have known he was dying as his will was written just four days before his burial.
• Will*: Thomas Barber alias Nynne left a will made on 28 October 1683 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹⁰
• Will/Adm Transcript*: "In the name of God Amen the eigh and twentith of Octobar in 1683 I Thomas Barbar of tonbridg in the county of kent husbane man being at this present of sound and parfect minde and memory praysed bee God but sick and weake in body doe therfore make and ordayne this to be my last Testament and will In manner and forme following first and principallye I will and resigne my soule into the hands of God my maker hoping To have pardn for all my sins throe the merits deth and resurriktion of Jesus Christ my alon Redemar and my body I commit to the earth in such desent mannar to bee buried as mine Ex[ecutrix] hereaftar named shall thinke fite And as concerning that estate aswell reall as parsonall which god of his mercy hath lent me here on earth I orden will and dispose of as followith that is to say I will and giv unto mary my loving wif all my lands lying in Rearfel [Rotherfield] in the couty of sothsex known by the name of Dreapars or by any other name or names what so ever for term of har natarall life with libarty to sell the timbar now standing theron within the spas of thre years aftar my desis preserving the under wads [underwoods ?] and timbar that shall renew grow or incres theron derring har natarall life and aftar har deses for the yeus of my to sons Ricard Barbar and Thomas Barbar paying therout to Elizabeth Barbar my daftar the some of forty and fif poundes with in too years aftar my wifs deses the rest of my Goods and chatells watever to my wif toward bringing up of my thre children Richard Thomas and Elizabeth I likwis make and ordayn mary my wif soll exsecutar of this my testamint and last will and to pay my depts and fenarall charges wher unto I have set my hand and sill
  The marke of Thomas Barbar
  Aftar har disis and
  To mary my wif was entalined
  Befor the selling herof did
  Selid and delevered befor
  The mark of William Ousbun
  The marke of John mepam
  Richard Polhill
  Decemb. 14 1683
  [in Latin] the executrix of this testament made oath before me Joh: Stileman surrogate"
  (Transcribed by Gillian Rickard for Geoffrey Barber, 2010.)
• Death*: Thomas Barber alias Nynne died in 1683 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Thomas Barber alias Nynne was buried on 1 November 1683 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B, aged 43 years with the entry stating that Thomas is "of Hilden". Hildenborough is now a suburb of Tonbridge.¹¹
• Anecdote: We know from his will that Thomas was a 'husbane man', or husbandman, which would generally be understood to mean that he was a tenant farmer who cultivated rented or leased land (as opposed to a yeoman farmer who cultivated his own land). While there was a distinction between yeomen and husbandmen, the variability in wealth and size of yeoman landholdings meant that it was often hard to distinguish between the wealthier husbandmen and the poorer yeomen. Lawrence Biddle’s book “Leigh in Kent 1550 to 1900” makes comment on the prosperity and wealth of the tenant farmers in the nearby village of Leigh indicating that these were not poor people. Also, many tenant farmers owned property as well, just as Thomas owned Drapers in Rotherfield, making it difficult to generalise. It is worth noting that Drapers must have become quite a valuable property to be able to bear raising the sum of £45 against it to be given to daughter Elizabeth as her share of her father's estate.
  However, although the will tells us that Thomas was a husbandman and that he and Mary lived in Hildenborough, there is no evidence of them occupying land or farming there. We do know that Thomas sold the house in Rotherfield village in 1677 (he would have had to wait until the death of his mother) and would therefore have had money to become reasonably well established in Hildenborough, especially if he was just leasing the land rather than owning it. However, a search of the Tonbridge Overseers of the Poor rating assessments from 1670 to 1692 shows no entries for Barber. This is not what would be expected if Thomas leased property for farming, suggesting that he may have worked on one of the larger estates, perhaps the Datchurst manor, and that this could have been as an extension of his employment with the Weller family in Frant as Thomas Weller did become an under-steward at Datchurst in 1671 and the first evidence of Thomas Barber living in Tonbridge parish is his marriage in 1672.
  Thomas’s move to Tonbridge/Hildenborough would ultimately prove to be a wise one. His move coincided with the start of a social transformation in Tonbridge brought about by the auction of four of Tonbridge’s manorial estates from the end of the 17^th century through to the early 18^th century which enabled the farmers, freeholders, yeoman and merchants to purchase land and over several generations acquire significant properties. Families such as the Wellers, Hoopers, Woodgates and the Childrens all benefitted, increasing their wealth and social status. This flowed through to other levels of society, allowing former tenants and copyholders to become independent farmers and also to purchase property in the town. All were to benefit also from the prosperity that came when the River Medway was made navigable to Tonbridge in 1741. Although the Barbers were not of the same social status as the Wellers and the Childrens, they rode the wave of prosperity and eventually became owners of a number of Tonbridge properties.^12,13,6,14
• Probate: His estate was probated on 14 December 1683 at Archdeaconry of Rochester, Kent, England.¹⁰

Thomas Barber

Parents:

• Birth: Thomas Barber was born in 1675 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Baptism*: Thomas Barber was baptized on 12 May 1675 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B, He was their second son and never married.¹
• He was the son of Thomas Barber alias Nynne and Mary Rootes.
• (Witness) Will: Thomas Barber is mentioned in the will of Thomas Barber alias Nynne dated 28 October 1683 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.²
• Anecdote: Thomas became a malster and appears to have learnt his trade from John Meopham, a malster who is recorded as the previous occupier of the malt-house that Thomas came to lease and eventually own in Tonbridge Town. Malt is commonly barley grain that has been germinated by soaking in water and then halted by drying with hot air. This generates the enzymes necessary to convert the grain's starch into sugars, and a malster is the expert person responsible for this process. Malted grain is primarily used to make beer and Thomas probably became a supplier to a brewery.
  Thomas's mother, Mary Barber, would probably have arranged an apprenticeship for him with John Meopham. John was also one of the witnesses to Thomas's father's will in 1683 indicating that he would have known the family well. Thomas was the younger son and so an apprenticeship would have been an appropriate means of securing his future given that his older brother Richard would inherit the family property (and who consequently took up farming in Hildenborough). An apprenticeship would have bound the young Thomas to John Meopham for five to seven years from the age of about 14 years becoming an extra worker in his household and subject to his authority. Mary would probably have seen this as a positive given that he no longer had his father. In the 17th century the payment of a fee or "premium" became usual in order to obtain an apprenticeship. In a list of Cambridgeshire apprenticeships c1730 the fee for a malster was typically £5 and the term of the apprenticeship seven years. Apprenticeships were a popular means of securing employment for sons and daughters, even amongst the gentry. The fee for top professional apprenticeships could be substantial and Elizabeth Weller of Tonbridge (who married John Austen in 1693 but became a widow in 1704) paid £140 to apprentice her son as an attorney in London in 1714 after he had finished his education at Sevenoaks School.^3,4
• Anecdote*: In the 1710 Overseers of the Poor assessments Thomas is rated for property in Tonbridge Town comprising a house and malt-house and also for a property called Finches. We know that he was leasing these properties (and was not the owner) as a contract exists showing that he later purchased them in 1743. It would appear that Thomas lived in the house in Tonbridge and was in business for himself working in the malt-house. The Finches property (about 4 acres) and later another property called Whites may have been used to grow hops or barley.⁵
• Anecdote: The town site property was described in the indenture of 1743 thus:
  one messuage or tenement wherein John Meopham lately dwelt and wherein Thomas Barber the uncle now dwells and the barn, stable, malthouse, outhouses, edifices and buildings and the closes, yards, backsides, gardens and ground with the appurtenances thereto belonging or appertaining situate lying and being at or near the Lower end of Tonbridge town in Tonbridge aforesaid on the west side of the town and now in the tenure or occupation of the said Thomas Barber the uncle or his assigns, bounding and abutting to the High Street leading through the said town towards the east, to the tenement and backside formerly Elizabeth Walters towards the south and to the lands of Robert Weller Esquire towards the west and north.
  A later indenture estimates it to be 1 acre "more or less" in area.
  It is possible (but debateable) that this property (or the remnants of it) is the same property mentioned in 1838 Tithe Award for Tonbridge as being in High St and belonging to Mary Barber, i.e. plot 1411 comprising 4 houses and yards in an area of 37 perches (i.e. just under a quarter of an acre). The location on the tithe map shows it to be almost opposite the Bull Tavern (which no longer exists), which means it would be just north of the Vale Rd roundabout today (and on the left hand side). However, there is other information in a (sort of) census of the High St in 1780 which could put it at the end of the High Street opposite the Angel Hotel (refer Appendix II, "The Tonbridge of Yesterday" by Arthur Neve (1932).^6,7,8,9
• Anecdote: On 11 Dec 1716, the property "Finches" which was occupied (but not owned) by Thomas Barber was sold. "Conveyance by Mr. James Tolputt of Milton next Sittingbourne, gent, to George Hooper the elder of Tonbridge, gent, one messuage or tenement wherein John Meopham late dwelt and Thomas Barber now dwelleth, now in the occupation of Thomas Barber. Price £165. 11 December 1716." It is interesting to note that John Meopham was a witness to the will of Thomas' father who died in 1683.
  The involvement of George Hooper is of interest and worth noting as the name appears on many of the Tonbridge documents, including the will of Edmund Latter which was made in 1654 in Tonbridge. According to Saggers (2011) the Hoopers were a family of lawyers whose founder was Nicholas Hooper, born c1550 and vicar of Shipbourne, who offered his services in writing wills, charters and indentures for his congregation and so began a business that was taken over by his son John and was then followed by four generations of George Hoopers of Tonbridge, the last one dying without issue c1759. They were one of the wealthy gentry families whose names were prominent in Tonbridge in the 18th century.^10,11
• Anecdote: The location of Finches has been determined as plot 1744 on the 1838 tithe map for Tonbridge which indicated that the field was used for growing hops. The location was revealed when land known as Finches was bought by James Alexander in 1820 and became part of Relfs Farm, a farm that bordered on Lodge Oak Farm. We know that Finches was 4 acres and the tithe map shows only one 4 acre plot on Relfs farm and that is plot 1744. In addition, various deeds relating to Finches refer to "the right of road, lane or way leading to Wickenden" and there is a lane that runs alongside plot 1744 which still exists today. The tithe map of 1838 was made as the railway was preparing to come to Tonbridge and it shows the future rail track. The necessary railway land is designated by the number of the original piece of land followed by the letter 'a'. The corner of plot 1744 was needed for the railway and it is designated as 1744a. It was necessary to accommodate the existing lane and right of way when the railway was built, resulting in a bridge being erected over the lane. Its origin is still evident today as the road is narrow and can accommodate only one car at a time. Nowadays the road joins Vale Road but a foot path still exists which continues to Tonbridge Town.
  The name Finches passed out of use after it ceased to be a self-contained parcel of land and became merely another field of Relfs farm. Today the area is built up and known as Strawberry Vale.
  
• Anecdote: In 1730 Mary Barber transferred her cottage in Hildenborough to her son Thomas. In the court book for the manors of Datchurst, Lamport, Martin Abbey and Nizells, 1718-1884, at the court on 13 October 1730, presented that Mary Barber, a customary tenant of the manor, was seised (ie had ownership) of a messuage or tenement, a garden and two orchards lying to the Kings highway from Tonbridge to Sevenoaks to the east and to the land late of Francis Skeffington to the south, at the yearly rent of 6d, and she devised (gave) the same to Thomas Barber [her son, 1675-1749]. This was less than two years before her death. The cottage was held by the Barber family until 1801.
  In 1730, two years before her death, Mary Barber transferred her house in Hildenborough to Thomas, now her eldest surviving son. At the Datchurst, Lamport, Martin Abbey and Nizells manorial court held on 13 October 1730:
  presented that Mary Barber, a customary tenant of the manor, was seised [i.e. had possession] of a messuage or tenement, a garden and two orchards lying to the Kings highway from Tonbridge to Sevenoaks to the east and to the land late of Francis Skeffington to the south, at the yearly rent of 6d, and she devised [gave] the same to Thomas Barber [her son, 1675-1749].
  This is the entry from the actual manorial court roll while the copy that was given to Mary (with slightly different wording) also exists. She may have also transferred the freehold Drapers property in Rotherfield to him at this time. In any event, he would have inherited Drapers after her death in 1732.^12,13
  
• Anecdote: In 1731 Thomas Barber is recorded as a member of the homage and jury at a Datchurst, Lamport, Martin Abbey and Nizells manorial Court Baron showing that as a property holder his obligations included "suit" (attendance) at the lord's court. It is interesting to see that there were also two people from the Children family as later generations of Barbers had financial dealings with George Children (c1742-1818) who was one of the founders of the Tonbridge Bank.¹²
• Anecdote: In the Overseers of the Poor rating assessments of 1733, 1736, and 1739, Thomas was rated for himself (this would be the house and malthouse in the town) and for Finches, Whites and other lands. We know that he had occupied (leased) Finches since 1710 and purchased it in 1743 but nothing is known of Whites. The "other lands" probably refers to his mother's house in Hildenborough.⁵
• Anecdote: The 1734 Poll for the Knights of the Shire, Kent (a list of people entitled to vote) lists no Barber's in Tonbridge indicating that Thomas did not qualify. The basic qualification was to be male and to own freehold land worth at least 40 shillings (£2) p.a. in rent. However he is recorded in the poll for Rotherfield, Sussex as "Thomas Barber, abode Tunbridge" which was based on his ownership of the freehold Drapers property.
• Anecdote: On 23 June 1743 George Hooper senior sold the Tonbridge Town properties (comprising the house, malt-house, etc.) and Finches to Thomas Barber and his nephew for £300 by a conveyance method known as lease and release. The nephew Thomas was thus set up to carry on the business after his uncle.⁸
  
• Anecdote: INDENTURE 23 June 1743 between George Hooper of Tonbridge, gent, of the one part, and Thomas Barber of Tonbridge, malster, and Thomas Barber of the same place, malster, his nephew, of the other part. George Hooper for 5s to him in hand at or before the ensealing and delivery of these presents paid by Thomas Barber the uncle and Thomas Barber the nephew, or one of them, releases and discharges to Thomas Barber and Thomas Barber, the nephew, and their executors, administrators and assigns, and by these presents does bargain, sell and demise to Thomas Barber the uncle and Thomas Barber the nephew, and their executors, administrators and assigns, one messuage or tenement wherein John Meopham lately dwelt and wherein Thomas Barber the uncle now dwells and the barn, stable, malthouse, outhouses, edifices and buildings and the closes, yards, backsides, gardens and ground with the appurtenances thereto belonging or appertaining situate lying and being at or near the Lower end of Tonbridge town in Tonbridge aforesaid on the west side of the town and now in the tenure or occupation of the said Thomas Barber the uncle or his assigns, bounding and abutting to the High Street leading through the said town towards the east, to the tenement and backside formerly Elizabth Walters towards the south and to the lands of Robert Weller Esquire towards the west and north, and also one piece or parcel of land arable and pasture (now being divided into two severalls or parcels) called or known by the name of Finches, or howsoever otherwise called or known, containing by estimation four acres more or less lying in Tonbridge aforesaid likewise lately in the occupation of the said [Thomas – crossed out] John Meopham and now of the said Thomas Barber the uncle or his assigns, together with the lane thereunto leading and belonging, bounding and abutting to the lands called Wichenden [possibly should be Wickenden] now of David Polhill Esq. towards the east, north and south and to the lands of Jeffery Amhurst Esq. towards the west, together with all manner of houses, outhouses, edifices, buildings, trees, ways, passages, waters, watercourses, hedges, hedgerows, fences, rents, easements, profits, commodities, hereditaments and appurtenances whatsoever to the said messuage etc. belonging or appertaining, to have and to hold the said messuage etc. to Thomas Barber the uncle and Thomas Barber the nephew, and their executors, administrators and assigns from the date of these presents to the end of one year after, paying at the end of the said term the rent of one pepper corn if lawfully demanded, to the intent that Thomas Barber the uncle and Thomas Barber the nephew may be in actual possession of the said messuage etc.
  (Also the corresponding indenture of sale, very large, not photographed, with receipt on back by George Hooper from Thomas Barber the uncle and Thomas Barber the nephew, both malsters, for £300.)
  (Transcribed by Gillian Rickard, March 2013.)
• Will*: Thomas Barber left a will made on 16 May 1749 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹⁴
• Anecdote: The will was made only 12 days before he was buried suggesting that he knew his death was imminent.
• Anecdote: "In the Name of God Amen I Thomas Barber of Tonbridge in the County of Kent Malster being sick and weak in Body but of sound and disposing Mind Memory and Understanding praised be God for the same Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following First and Principally I commend my Soule into the hands of Almighty God my Creator hoping for Salvation through the Merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer and my Body I commit to the Earth decently to be Interred and Buryed at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named Item I give devise and bequeath unto my Sister Elizabeth Jeffery one Annuity or Yearly Rent charge of forty shillings a Year for and during the Term of her natural Life to be paid quarterly out of the Messuage or Tenement and Land now in my own Occupation situate in Tonbridge aforesaid The first payment to begin and be made on the Quarter day which shall next happen after my decease And if it shall happen the Yearly Rent Charge or sum of forty shillings shall be behind or unpaid in part or in the whole by the space of Ten days after either or any of the Quarter Days on which the same ought to be paid That it shall and may be Lawfull to and for the said Elizabeth Jeffery and her Assigns into the said Messuage or Tenement Lands and Premises to Enter and to make Distress and Distresses for the same and the Distress and Distresses there taken to have take load and drive and Carry away and dispose of untill the said Annuity or Rent charge of Forty Shillings and all Arrears thereof together with all Costs and Charges in recovering the same shall be fully paid and satisfied Item I give and bequeath unto my Neices Elizabeth Barber Mary the now Wife of Francis Grassum of Lewisham in the said County of Kent Innholder Richard Barber of Foxbush my Nephew and Margarett Barber my Neice the sum of Ten pounds apeice of Lawfull Money of Great Britain to be paid to them respectively within one Year after my Decease by my Executor hereafter named Item I give and devise unto Ann the now Wife of William Wingate of Tonbridge aforesaid Yeoman the sum of Thirty pounds to be paid her within one Year after my Decease by my Executor hereafter named Item I give and bequeath unto William Wingate John Wingate Thomas Wingate Sarah Wingate and Ann Wingate the five Children of the said William Wingate by Ann his Wife the sum of Ten pounds apeice to be paid immediately after my decease to the said William Wingate their father for their respective Uses by my Executor hereafter named and that the Receipt of the said William Wingate their father shall be a full discharge to my Executor hereafter named for the same And I do hereby direct that the said William Wingate their father shall pay and be accountable for the said several sums of Ten pounds apeice by me bequeathed to the said William Wingate John Wingate Thomas Wingate Sarah Wingate and Ann Wingate to them respectively when they or either of them shall respectively attain to their Age or Ages of Twenty one Years Item I give and bequeath unto my Nephew John Jeffery Son of my Sister Elizabeth Jeffery the sum of Ten pounds to be paid to him within twelve Months after my decease by my Executor hereafter named Item I give devise and bequeath unto my Nephew Thomas Barber his Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns All and every my Messuages Lands tenements and Hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever in the Counties of Kent and Sussex and elsewhere in the Kingdom of Great Britain And all and singular my personal Estate ready Money Securities for Money Household Goods and Cattle and all other my Goods and Chattles whatsoever and wheresoever not before herein by me devised bequeathed and disposed of my Debts Legacies and Funeral Expences being first paid and satisfied Item I do hereby make ordain constitute and appoint my said Nephew Thomas Barber sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at anytime heretofore made In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Barber the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in two sheets of paper sett my hand and Seal this sixteenth day of May in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty nine Tho Barber Signed sealed published and declared by the said Testator in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request have sett our hands as Witnesses hereunto the several Erasements being made between the third fourth fifth and sixth lines in the last sheet Geo Alchin Samll Burton Thos Landon
  This Will was proved at London the Sixteenth day of June in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty nine before the Worshipfull Robert Chapman Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of Thomas Barber the sole Executor named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the deceased being first sworn duly to Administer."
  Transcribed by Rosie Ansell November 2012 from a downloaded copy supplied by Geoffrey Barber.
• Death*: Thomas Barber died in 1749 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Burial*: Thomas Barber was buried on 28 May 1749 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Probate: His estate was probated on 16 June 1749 at Prerogative Court of Canterbury, London, England.¹⁴
• Anecdote*: The will of Thomas Barber does not mention a wiife or children leaving one to conclude that he never married. He obviously had a very close relationship with his sister Elizabeth, who married William Jeffery, as he was very generous to her and her children in his will (especially daughter Ann who married William Wingate). It is possible that Elizabeth was a widow at the time the will was written as her husband is not mentioned and this could be another reason for his generosity. She may have even lived with Thomas at his house in Tonbridge.
  Given the early death of his father in 1683 and his elder brother Richard in 1722, it is clear that Thomas played an important role in the family. One is left with the impression of a hard worker who prospered and cared for his family, ensuring an orderly transfer on his death. The family must have been very grateful to him.
  All the property owned by Thomas (the malt-house in Tonbridge, Finches, the cottage in Hildenborough, etc.) was left to his nephew, Thomas Barber, who was the eldest son of his brother Richard Barber and wife Margaret. Their second son, Richard Barber, was left £10 possibly indicating that he had inherited by other means either through assistance in establishing himself earlier or by inheriting from his mother who we know was involved in farming at Foxbush in Hildenborough. Richard married Elizabeth Luffe on 30 January 1751 at Shipbourne and had a family of ten children, all baptised at the neighbouring village of Leigh. There is a conveyance of Nizell's Estate in Tonbridge and Leigh on 14 November 1848 showing lands occupied by a Richard Barber, likely a descendant of Richard and Elizabeth.^14,15

Elizabeth Barber

Parents:

• Birth: Elizabeth Barber was born in 1677 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Baptism*: Elizabeth Barber was baptized on 20 June 1677 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of Thomas Barber alias Nynne and Mary Rootes.
• (Witness) Will: Elizabeth Barber is mentioned in the will of Thomas Barber alias Nynne dated 28 October 1683 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.²
• Marriage*: Elizabeth Barber married William Jeffery on 9 December 1705 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Married Name: As of 9 December 1705, her married name was Jeffery.
• (Witness) Will: Elizabeth Barber is mentioned in the will of Thomas Barber dated 16 May 1749 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.³
• Anecdote*: Elizabeth was left an annuity of forty shillings a year from her brother Thomas Barber's will.³
• Anecdote*: The will of Thomas Barber does not mention a wiife or children leaving one to conclude that he never married. He obviously had a very close relationship with his sister Elizabeth, who married William Jeffery, as he was very generous to her and her children in his will (especially daughter Ann who married William Wingate). It is possible that Elizabeth was a widow at the time the will was written as her husband is not mentioned and this could be another reason for his generosity. She may have even lived with Thomas at his house in Tonbridge.
  Given the early death of his father in 1683 and his elder brother Richard in 1722, it is clear that Thomas played an important role in the family. One is left with the impression of a hard worker who prospered and cared for his family, ensuring an orderly transfer on his death. The family must have been very grateful to him.
  All the property owned by Thomas (the malt-house in Tonbridge, Finches, the cottage in Hildenborough, etc.) was left to his nephew, Thomas Barber, who was the eldest son of his brother Richard Barber and wife Margaret. Their second son, Richard Barber, was left £10 possibly indicating that he had inherited by other means either through assistance in establishing himself earlier or by inheriting from his mother who we know was involved in farming at Foxbush in Hildenborough. Richard married Elizabeth Luffe on 30 January 1751 at Shipbourne and had a family of ten children, all baptised at the neighbouring village of Leigh. There is a conveyance of Nizell's Estate in Tonbridge and Leigh on 14 November 1848 showing lands occupied by a Richard Barber, likely a descendant of Richard and Elizabeth.^3,4

Mary Barber

Parents:

• Birth: Mary Barber was born in 1679 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Baptism*: Mary Barber was baptized on 5 May 1679 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹
• She was the daughter of Thomas Barber alias Nynne and Mary Rootes.
• Death*: Mary Barber died circa 1680 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• Anecdote: The will of Mary's father, Thomas Barber in 1683 does not mention Mary, so it is likely she died. However, there is a marriage of a Mary Barber in Tonbridge on 21 Oct 1697 to John Goding (a cooper of Wadhurst). They appear to have had children in Wadhurst after the marriage under the name Godden (Sarah, John, James, Elizabeth). Also, a John Gooddin was baptised 1656 in Rotherfield. (www.familysearch.org)
  So who is this Mary Barber? This needs further work to resolve this. Could she be a niece who came to live with the Barbers in Tonbridge to help the family after Thomas died in 1683?^2,3

William Jeffery

• Marriage*: William Jeffery married Elizabeth Barber, daughter of Thomas Barber alias Nynne and Mary Rootes, on 9 December 1705 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.
• (Witness) Will: William Jeffery is mentioned in the will of Thomas Barber dated 16 May 1749 at Tonbridge, Kent, England^B.¹