John is described as a tailor in his 1612 marriage record.
Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: unknown.
Place of Death: unknown.
Relationships
Father: John Littleford.
The grandfather of the John Littleford who married Mary Smith is recorded as John Littleford in a marriage settlement (see the page of the younger John).
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: Mary Poole. Married 12 October 1612 at Worfield, Shropshire.
Mary’s name is given in the marriage record in the parish register.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Jane Littleford married Thomas Shenton of Seisdon February in 1640 in Trysull.
John Littleford married Mary Smith 23 May 1650 in Pedmore, Worcesershire.
Elizabeth Littleford.
Evidence
From the Worfield parish register (1612):
The 12 day was maryed John Littlefort of Bonningall taylor and Mary daughter of John Poole of Rowley husbandman.
From the Staffordshire Archives catalogue:
Post-nuptial settlement and copy of Thomas Sheynton and Jane, daughter of John Littleford of Bonningale, Shropshire, yeoman, with final concord and counterpart.
1648
messuage in Seisdon where Thomas Sheynton of Seisdon, yeoman, then dwelt and all lands in Trysull and Seisdon descended to him from his father Roger Sheynton of Seisdon, yeoman, except 2 parcels with newly-erected cottages
(Staffordshire Archives D740/1/11-14)
The 1662 will of Richard Littleford of Womborne:
In the name of God Amen the eighth day of November 1662 & in the foureteenth yeare of our sov[er]aigne Lord Charles the Second by the grace of God of England Scottland France & Ireland King defender of the faith etc. I Richard Littleford of Womborne in the County of Staffordshire husbandman being sicke & weake in body but of good & p[er]fect memory (thanks be to god [illegible]) constitute & ordaine this my last will & testament in manner & forme followiing.
First I give & bequeath my soule to almighty God my creator & redeemer & my body to be buried att the discrecon of mine executors.
Item I give to my dearely beloved wife Joane one Feather bed & sheets whith all the app[ur]tenances & alsoe all & all man[n]er of linnens of mine or to mee belonging. Item my will & desire is that mine executors hereafter named doe continue my stock & joyntly hold the farme I am now in possession of (if they may without molestation from the landlord or landlords att the rent of twenty & three pounds p[er] ann[um]) dureing the naturall life of my wife Joane findeing unto her all manner of necessaries befitting one off her calling or age, or if shee mislike five pounds p[er] annum & shee goe where shee pleaseth. Item I give to the sev[er]all p[er]sons hereafter mentioned the sev[er]all sum[m]es of money hereafer expressed to be payed to them by mine executors within one whole yeare after the death of my wife Joane.
That is to say First to my cozen John Littleford Senior & his two sisters Jane & Elizabeth two pounds a peece to my nephew John Wheleright five pounds to my sister Dorothy Brodhurst five pounds to my cozen Thomas Shenton his six children twenty shillings a peece to my cozen Ambrose Shenton two pounds to my godson John Brodhurst teen pounds to my godson Richard Littleford teen pounds to my brotherinlaw John Brodhurst his three daughters two poundes a peece, & to my nephew James Brodhurst one pound the rest of my goods chattles Implements of husbandry corne in the house or upon the land household p[ro]vision & household stuffe money & debts with specialty & without & what else I shall die possessed of I give & bequeath to my brother Thomas Littleford my nephew John Brodhurst & my sister Frances equally to be divided among them with in one whole yeare after the decease of my wife Joane. And of the my last will & testament I make consitute & ordaine my welbeloved brother Thomas Littleford & my nephew John Brodhurst & my sister Frances executors And I utterly revoake & anull all & every testament will Legacie bequeats & executors by mee in any wise before this time made named willed or bequeathed In wittnes hereunto I have putt my hand & seale the day & yeare afforesaid
Richard signum Littleford [seal]
sealed & subscribed in the p[re]sence of William Foxall Richard Shouthall
[Proved 8 May 1663 by Thomas Littleford, John Brodhurst, and Frances Littleford. Inventory attached, amounting to 108.10.00]
The 1664 will of Thomas Littleford of Womborne:
In the name of God Amen the eighth day of Aprill in the sixteenth yeare of the Raygne of our Sov[er]aigne Lord Charles the second of England Kinge &c I Thomas Littleforde of Womborne in the County of Stafford miller Beeinge of Whole & p[er]fect mind & in good memory Laude and prayse bee unto Almighty God make & Ordayne this my last Will and Testament; Concerning herein my p[re]sent Will in man[ner] and forme Following (That is to saye) first I com[m]end my soule unto Almighty God my maker and Redeemer And my body to bee buried in the p[ar]ishe Churchyarde off Womborne decently att the charge & discretion of my executor herein & hereafter named Impr[imi]s I bequeath unto my servant mayd Joane Browne the sume of Twenty pounds of good & lawfull money of England which said leagacey I would have honestly payd & discharged within one yeare next after my decease: Item I give & bequeath unto my maide Joane aforesaid ov[er] & above the aforesaid leagacey one feather bed & bolster, one paire of flaxen sheets, one pair of Lennin sheets & one paire of hurden sheets one cov[er]lett two blanketts with the bedstead whereon she usually lieth to bee deliv[er]ed imediately after my decease Alsoe one Joyned Chest wherein shee useth to put her Clothes into & the best aprone which was my wife Joanes form[er]ly, And of this my p[re]sent Will & Testament: I make & ordaine my welbeloved nephew John Littleford of Bonningall in the County of Stafford Salop yeoman my sole executor desireing him to p[er]forme the same accordingly as it is hereby & herein expressed: And last of all off the execution fo the same I make and ordaine my well beloved frend & neighbour Edward Smith of Womborne aforesaid & County of Staff: aforesaid Gent: Ov[er]seer of this my last will & Testament: And bequeath unto him for his paynes therein ov[er] & above all charges he shall or may bee att in the p[er]formance of the same to summe of forty shillings of lawfull money of England to bee paid unto him by my exeuctor within one yeare next after my decease; And I utterly Revoake & adnull all & ev[er]y other former Wills & Testaments bequeats leagacies, Executors, & ov[er]seers, by mee in any wise before this time made named Willed And bequeath, In Wittness hereunto my hand & seale have put the day & yeare first above Written 1664
Sealed deliv[er]ed & published as my last Will & Testament: in the p[re]sents of: Edward Smith jun. Thomas Higginbothom Ed: Smith sen[ior]
the m[ar]ke of Thomas [a cross in a circle] Littleford [seal]
[Proved 18 June 1667 by John Littleford. An inventory taken 16 May 1667, totalling 26.12.00, is attached.]
The 1651 will Richard Littleford of Shifnal:
June 16th 1651
I Richard Littleford of Shifnall otherwise called Isdall of the Countie of Salop Inholder Doe make this my last will and Testament as followeth First I comend my soule to God and my bodie to the Duste Item I give and devise unto my two sonnes William and John Littleford ten pounds apeece when they shall accomplish the age of twentie yeares. Item I give and devise unto my Daughter Anne Littleford the sum[m]e of Fifteene pounds when shee shall accomplish the age of twentie yeares if shee bee obedient and dutifull to her mother Item after my debts and funerall expences paid and satisffied all the rest of my goos Cattle and Chattles I give and bequeath unto my Loveing wiffe Mary Littleford Item I doe Constitute ordaine and appointe my said wife Mary Littleford my sole Executrix of this my true and last will and Testament And I doe hereby revoake all former wills or Testaments by mee at any time heretofore made Wittnes my hand and seale the daie and yeare above written And I desire my Loveing friends John Littleford of Boninghall the younger and Thomas Beelinson of Edgmond to bee Overseers of this my last will and testament Signum Richardi Littleford/ Published and sealed for the Last Testament of the said Richard Littleford, by him the said Richard, in presence of; Ambrose Gatair Nathaniel Sharppe.
[Proved 22 August 1653]
Commentary
The Womborne wills given above show help to show that Jane was the sister of the John Littleford who married Mary Smith. I assume that the Richard Littleford of the 1662 will is using the word “cousin” to mean “nephew”, which was a common usage at the time, although it seems a little odd to use it with that meaning in the same sentence that he uses the actual word “nephew”.
References
Parish register of Worfield, Shropshire. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 1 January 2019.
Will of Richard Littleford of Shifnal, innholder. Proved 1653 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 1 January 2019.
Will of Richard Littleford of Womborne, husbandman. Proved 1663 in the Consistory Court of Lichfield and Coventry. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 1 January 2019.
Will of Thomas Littleford of Womborne, miller. Proved 1667 in the Consistory Court of Lichfield and Coventry. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 1 January 2019.