Henry Bridger

The Victoria County History of Sussex describes how Henry Bridger gradually bought most of the land in the parish of Warminghurst (6:2:52-54; 6:2:54-57;.6:2:76-78). Property that he bought included “Bridgers” (from Henry Pollard), Warminghurst manor (from Henry Shelley), 177 acres in the north of the parish (from Edward Shelley), and “Squinces and Knells” (from William Woodman). “Peppers” was another of his properties.

Events

Date of Baptism: 29 January 1584/5.

Place of Baptism: Warminghurst, Sussex, England.

The baptism is given by Renshaw (p. 63 fn).

Date of Burial: 5 August 1657.

Place of Burial: Warminghurst (Holy Sepulchre).

The burial is given by Renshaw (p. 63 fn). It is also given by the Warminghurst Project transcription of the Warminghurst bishop’s transcripts.

Relationships

Father: Richard Bridger (died 1615).

Richard is named as Henry’s father by Renshaw (p. 63 fn). This relationship is also given in the 1634 Visitation of Sussex (p. 156), where presumably the informant was Henry Bridger, and by Dallaway (2:2:265). Richard is named as Henry's father in a 1630 Chancery case (C78/254 no 5.)

Mother: Isabel Weller (died 1603).

Isabel Weller is named as Henry’s mother by Renshaw (p. 63 fn). The 1634 Visitation of Sussex (p. 156) calls her “Issabell d. of Willm. Wells of Shipley in com. Sussex.”

Spouse: Jane Ravenscroft. Marriage licence 6 April 1613.

Dunkin (p. 17) gives the date of the marriage licence (“Henry Bridger of Wormingehurst & Jane Ravenscroft of Horsham (Subdeanery, Chichester)”). Hughes-Clarke (p. 17) gives the same date for the marriage itself.

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

Elizabeth Bridger (baptized 22 May 1616 at Warminghurst, Sussex - died 1682) married John Byne 10 July 1634 at Ashurst.

Richard Bridger (baptized 13 February 1619/20 at Shipley, Sussex - died 8 January 1698/9) married Frances Burrell. Richard was the Member of Parliament for Lewes between 1679 and 1690.

John Bridger (born (and baptized?) 16 May 1622 at Ashurst, Sussex) married Mary Rivers. Left a PCC will (probate 7 July 1704).

Henry Bridger (baptized 11 April 1624 at Ashurst, Sussex - buried 5 May 1624 at Ashurst).

William Bridger (baptized 25 September 1625 - buried 29 October 1625).

Mary Bridger (baptized 22 July 1627 at Ashurst, Sussex - died June 1669) married William Gratwicke 12 June 1651 at Ashurst, Sussex. Left a PCC will (probate 23 June 1669).

Henry Bridger (baptized 24 September 1629 at Ashurst, Sussex) married Dorothy.

Frances Bridger (baptized 1 March 1631/2 at Ashurst, Sussex - died 1655) left a PCC will (probate 11 September 1655.)

Adria Bridger (baptized 23 October 1634 at Ashurst, Sussex) married (1) William Shelley 3 June 1657 at Arundel, Sussex; married (2) Daniel Waldo.

James Bridger (baptized 1 Nov 1636 at Ashurst, Sussex). Mentioned in the will of his sister, Frances.

Jane Bridger (baptized 6 December 1638 at Ashurst, Sussex).

Evidence

from the Shipley parish register:

[1619] Richardus Bridger filius Henrici Bridger Gener baptizatus fuit decimo tertio die mensis Februarij.

from the Ashurst parish register:

[[1622] John the Sonne of Mr Henry Bridger was borne the 16th of May ano di 1622.

[1624] Henry the Sonne of Mr Henry Bridger was baptized the 11th of Aprill

[1624] Henry the Sonne of Mr Henry Bridger was buried the 5th of May

[1625] William the Sonne of Mr Henry Brydgers was baptized the xxvth day of September

[1625] William the Sonne of Mr Henry Bridger was buried the 29 of October

[1627] Mary the daughter of Henry Bridger gentleman baptized July 22

[1629] Henry the son of Henry Bridger gentleman baptized Sept. 24

[1632] Francis the daughter of Henry Bridger gentleman was baptised March 1.o 1631

[1634] Audrya the daughter of Henry Bridger gentleman baptized October 23

[1636] James Bridger Sonne of Mr Henry Bridger baptized november first/

[1638] Jane the Daughter of Henry Bridger baptized the sixth of December

from the West Sussex Record Office catalogue:

Conveyance (feoffment). Consideration £40

1 February 1624

(a) Lionel, Earl of Middlesex, and Richard Croshawe and Richard Ven of London, esqrs., to (b) Henry Bridger of Ashurst, gent

Huddlestone alias Hurlestone Farm, late parcel of the demesnes of the manor of Charleton, 140a. land, with buildings, etc., in Steyning, demised by Sir Thomas Sherley, sen. to James Langford, and now in occ. of William Vagger, yeoman. With power to (b) to take marl from pits at Wiston, Charleton and Buddington Hills

Recites that (b) holds the property by assurances made by Sir Thomas Sherley, but they were defective as the estate was in the King's hands and he granted it to the Earl of Middlesex, for a valuable consideration, and to his trustees, Richard Croshawe and Richard Ven who now confirm the property to (b)

Witnesses: John Mayle and Ralph Hayward

Deed to lead the uses of a fine

10 Dec 1651

Between (a) Henry Fuller, snr., and Henry Fuller, jnr., and John Hurste of Shipley, yeo.; (b) Henry Bridger of Ashurst, gent., Thomas Willett of Ashurst, yeo., and Thomas Badmeringe of Wiston, yeo; (c) Thomas Baldey of Warminghurst, yeo.

Property as in WISTON/268 (but now given as WISTON/30a.) and WISTON/270; also, tenement, barn, buildings, orchards, gardens, farm and lands (50a.) called Pipes alias Butchers, in Wiston (more details given)

Deed of covenant, whereby (a) Henry Bridger of Ashurst, gent. (exor. of the will of Frances Bridger, late of Ashurst, spinster, dec'd.) and (b) Anthony Eversfeild of Highden in Washington, gent., agree that (c) William Fletcher of [West] Tarring, mercer, may peaceably enjoy property as in Wiston/2489, now summarised as barn and gates and 28a. land [cf. Wiston/2486]

3 March 1658

Recites that John Eversfeild, late of Annington [in Botolphs] now of Steyning, gent., acknowledged debt of £1,200 to Frances Bridger, upon bond, 10 March 1652/3; (a) since assigned his interest in the debt to (b) and John Eversfeild since conveyed the above property to (c).

from the Visitation of Sussex in 1634 (List of Gentry):

Henry Bridger, of Worminghurst

West Sussex Protestation Returns (1641): Henry is listed under Ashurst.

A transcription of Henry Bridger’s will

In the name of God Amen: I Henry Bridger of Ashurst in the County of Sussex gent this thirtieth day of July in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand sixe hundred fiftye and five knowing the brevity of mans life doe make and ordayne this my last will and Testament revoaking all former wills First I give and Comend my Soule to Almightie God my Creator and Jesus Christ my Redeemer by whome I trust to be saved And my body to be buryed in the buriall place at the Church of Worminghurst which I purchased of Mr Thomas Shelley Alsoe I give to the poore of Worminghurst and Ashurst Twenty shillings to each parishe Alsoe I doe more give and bequeath to my sonne Henry Bridger and to the heires of his body all that Capital messuage and all those landes tenements and hereditaments lyinge in the parish of Shipley in the said County called Brookehouse land To have and to hold the same to hime and his heires accordinge to the uses in one deede Indented bearinge date The Tenth day of June in the yeare of our Lord one thousand sixe hundred thirtye and eight made betweene mee the said Henry Bridger of the one part and Hall Ravenscrofte of Horsham in the said County Esq of the other part are specified and conteyned Alsoe I give and bequeath to my youngest sonne James Bridger and his heires for ever all my freehold land with thappurtenances lyeinge in the parishe of Fyendon in the said County To have and to hold the same to him the said James Bridger and his heires for ever, Alsoe I give and bequeath to him the said James Bridger All my lease lands tenements and hereditaments with thappurtenances lyeinge in the parish of Patchinge in the said Countye called Sewtons(?) or by whatsoever other name the same be called or knowne To have and to hold the same to him the said James Bridger his Executors adminstrators and assignes for and Dureing doe longe tyme and terme of yeares as I have therein yett to come and [...] Alsoe I give unto all my other sonnes and daughters the sume of Five shillinges a peece of lawfull money of England, and noe more, for that they have their sevrall porcons in Lands and money assigned them already And I doe hereby make my said sonne James my whole and sole Executor of this my last will and Testament And I doe intreate my Loveing brother Hall Ravenscrofte Esq to be overseer of this my will, and to end all controversies and differences that may hereafter arise betweene any of my children concerninge the same In wittnesse whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & Seale the day above said Hen: Bridger Sealed published and declared in the presence of us Thos: delves Hall Ravenscrofte Mary Sheppard.

[proved 17 Aug 1657]

References

Attree, F.W.T. “Lists of Sussex Gentry at Various Dates” in Sussex Archaeological Collections v. XXXIX (1894). 

Bannerman, W. Bruce (ed.), The Visitations of the County of Sussex, made and taken in the years 1530 by Thomas Benolte, Clarenceux king of arms, and 1633-4 by John Philipot, Somerset herald, and George Owen, York herald, for Sir John Burroughs, Garter, and Sir Richard St. George, Clarenceux (London: Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1905).

Dallaway, James. A history of the western division of the county of Sussex: including the rapes of Chicheser, Arundel, and Bramber, with the city of diocese of Chichester. (London: T. Bensley, 1815-32)

Page, William; Susan M Keeling; Louis Francis Salzman; and C. P. Lewis. The Victoria history of the county of Sussex. (London: A. Constable, 1905-).

Parish register of Ashurt, Sussex. Digital images on FamilySearch.org accessed 16 March 2018.

Parish register of Shipley, Sussex. Digital images on FamilySearch.org accessed 17 March 2018.

Renshaw, Walter Charles. Searches in the History of the Family of Byne or Bine of Sussex (London: Chiswick Press, 1913).

Snow, Martin B. Warminghurst Project. URL: http://pastfinders.com/index-warminghurst.htm (accessed 22 April 2014).

West Sussex Protestation Returns 1641-2. R. Garraway Rice, ed. (Sussex Record Society vol. V, 1906).

Will of Henry Bridger, Gentleman of Ashurst, Sussex, in Church of England. Province of Canterbury. Prerogative Court. Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Probate Records, 1384-1858, PROB 11/266/484