James lived in Catsfield, Sussex.
Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: between 10 November 1550 and 4 April 1554.
Place of Death: unknown.
These are the dates that James’s will was made and proved.
Relationships
Father: John Aneston.
Mother: Agnes.
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Alice Watts.
This relationship is inferred from the will cited below. Alice was the sister of William Watts.
Children:
(The information below comes from what I believe to be James’s will.)
John Aneston (died 1555) married Margery.
William Aneston married Joan.
Clement Aneston.
Thomas Aneston.
Mary Aneston.
Agnes Aneston.
Evidence
from the descriptions of the contents of the Ashburnham family archive in the National Archives catalogue:
Grant ASH/4501/161 29 Nov 1519
Contents:
By JOHN YELDYNG, gent., one of the lords of the manor of Cattysfeld, to JAMES ESTONE, son and heir of John Estone late of Potmans decd., of a piece of land containing 24 perches in Cattysfeld lying to land of John Clement, E., the high street from Battle to Bernhorne, S., a garden and land of the said James of his tenement of Potmans, W. and N. Rent 1d
Witnesses:- John Kete, Robert Averey, Thos. Bourder
Quitclaim ASH/4501/172 5 Sep 1527
Contents:
By AGNES TOKY, widow, late the wife of JOHN A NESTON late of Cattisfeld decd., to JAMES A NESTON, son of the said John and Agnes, of and in lands and tenements, rents, services in Cattisfeld and Nenfeld which sometime were of the said John A Neston, excepting and reserving lands &c. called Great Telton in Cattisfeld
Witnesses:- John Yeldyng, gent., Ric. A Broke, John Ket, sen
Quitclaim (indented) ASH/4501/173 6 Sep 1527
Contents:
By JOHN YELDYNG, gent., to JAMES ESTONE of and in the fifth part of a tenement called Potmans in Cattysfeld, held of the said J.Y. as of his manor of Cattysfeld by fealty, rent of 12d and court suit, saving to the said J.Y. the rent and services mentioned
Witnesses:- John Wylegose, John Kete, sen., Richard A Broke
Remains of seal
Grant ASH/4501/204 15 Nov 1547
Contents:
By THOMAS CLEMENT of Cattisfeld to HENRY HILLS of the same place of a tenement called Clements and 8 ac. of land adjoining in Cattisfeld, lying to the king's street from Cattisfeld to Lunsfords Crosse, E., land of James A Neston called Potmanswisshe, S. and W., land called Millers and land and wood called Southewodde, N
Witnesses to livery of seisin:- William Holybone, John Strete, Richard A Neston, John Hills
James’s will:
In the name of god amen the xth day of Novembre in the yere of our lorde god mo. v.co l I James A Neston of the p[ar]ishe of Cattysfeld beinge hole of mynd & p[er]fett & good in Reme[m]brance, mayk my p[re]sent testament & last wyll in this man[ner] of wyse, Fyrst I bequeth my soulle to all myghtye god & my bodye to be buryed in the churcheyarde off Cattysfeld aforsayd Itm I bequeth to be gyven at my buryeng & at my monthes mynd to poore people xxs. Itm I gyve, orden, & bequeth to Alyce my wyffe, 30 marks, by the yere terme of her lyffe to by payd out of the Lands of Cattsyfeld & Nenfeld. Itm I wyll that my wyff shall have all suche houshold as she brought to me, for my brother William Watts hayth a byll of my hand. Itm I wyll that Alyce my wyff shall have the new p[er]ler, & all the chamber therto belonging, for the space of iiij yers after my dep[ar]tynge, yf she do not marye. And yf yt Fortune that she marye, that then I wyll that John my Sonne shall have the sayd p[ar]ler & the chamber therto belonging also I wyll that John A Neston my sonne shall have all my lands, & housses in the p[ar]yshes of Cattysfeld & Nenfeld. Also I bequeth to Cleme[n]t A Neston my sonne, and Arraby A Neston my Sonne, all my lands callyd the Stockelands in the p[ar]ysh off Warbleton for xviij yers. I bequeth to John A Neston my Sonne all my pryncypall that ys to say, a gret caldron, a pott, a spytt, ij chayres, iiij peces of pewter vessell, ij sylver spoones, a payr of shetts, a Fetherbedd, the best cov[er]lett, ij pyllowes, a bolster, and a colte of ij yers age. I bequeth to Wyll[ia]m A Neston my Sonne iiij kyne, two bullocks of ij yers of age, & two of one yers age. Itm I bequeth to Thomas A Neston my Sonne x li, and I wyll that the say x li be payd at the day of maryage. It[em] I bequeth to Marye A Neston my dawghter vij li xiij s iiij d to be payd at the day of maryage, or when she comyth to the age of xxi yers. It[em] I bequeth to Agnes A Neston my dawghter vij li xiij s iiij d to be payd at her maryage, or at the age of xxj yers. And yf yt happen that any of my ij dawghters do dye unmaryed, before they come to the age of xxj yers, then I wyll that the one to be an others heire. It[em] I bequeth to Wyll[ia]m Tanner a haffer bullock of the age of iij yers. Itm I bequeth to Alyce Tanner iij shepe, & ij payr of Shets, Itm I bequeth to Katheren Tanner iij shepe & ij payr of shetts. Itm I bequeth to Rychard Blacke a Cowe, Itm I bequeth to Alyce my wyff vj kyne & a blacke mare, & xx li to be payd at the hands of myn exec by the space of ij yers next aft[er] my dep[ar]tyng, also I gyve to Alyce my wyff vj of acres off offys in Pett Feld & ij acres of my best wheat. & a Fetherbedd.// The Resydew of all my goods unbequethed I gyve & bequeth to John A Neston my Sonne whome I ordeyn & mak my executor. These beinge Wytnes John Kyett, Richard A Neston of Kylton, Thomas Bennett, John Yeldyng with other. [?] In.rij clxxxxij li ij s vij d
exhibit in ecc.lia p[ar]ochiali de Saylhurst iiij die Aprilis de 1554 per exec ad valore In.rij iur.
Commentary
James’s parentage
A 1519 grant records that James Estone was son and heir of John Estone late of Potman’s. (Potman’s was a property in Catsfield.)
A 1527 quitclaim records that James A Neston was the son of John A Neston, late of Cattisfield, deceased, and his wife Agnes. Agnes is described as “Agnes Toky, widow”.
The property “Potman’s” is recorded as belonging to James in a 1547 grant, and is later recorded as belonging to his son William and William’s daughter Dorothy.
References
Will of James A Neston, proved 1554 in the Consistory Court of Chichester (Archdeaconry of Lewes). Digital images on FamilySearch.org accessed 28 December 2018.