Events
Date of Baptism: 24 February 1627/8.
Place of Baptism: Horley, Oxfordshire.
The baptism is recorded in the parish register.
Date of Burial: 29 December 1694.
Place of Burial: Southam, Warwickshire.
Nathaniel made his will 14 May 1692 and it was proved 27 April 1695.
Relationships
Father: John Baker alias Arnold.
Mother: Margery.
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Mary (probably buried 11 May 1656 in Southam).
The Southam parish registers record on 11 May 1656 the burial of Mary wife of Nathaniel Arnold [image on FamilySearch].
Spouse: Mary (probably buried 16 February 1717/8 in Southam).
The Southam parish registers describe the mother of the Mary Arnold who was baptized 9 March 1661 as the “now wife” of Nathaniel Arnold. The 1656 indenture below was perhaps a marriage settlement, with Mary being related to William Dodd of Byfield, Northamptonshire.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
John Arnold (baptized 20 November 1651 in Southam, Warwickshire) married Elizabeth Hurlston. John was a baker in Snitterfield.
Elizabeth Arnold
Mary Arnold (born 14 April 1656, baptized 11 May 1656 in Southam).
Nathaniel Arnold (born 3 February 1658/9, baptized 3 March 1658/9 in Southam - buried 22 February 1737/8 in Southam) married (1) Elizabeth Waring 11 October 1682 in Barcheston, Warwickshire. Nathaniel was a farrier.
Mary Arnold (baptized 9 March 1661 in Southam) married Richard Tombs, a baker from Snitterfield.
Samuel Arnold (baptized 21 April 1666 in Southam) married Isabel Over 1 December 1699 in Leamington Hastings, Warwickshire. Samuel was a baker.
Evidence
From the Horley parish registers:
Nathanyell Baker filius Johannis Baker baptiz vicesimo quarto die Februarij. [1627]
From the Southam parish registers:
1651:
Baptized, John, the Sonne of Nathaniel Arnold and Mary his Wife November the Twentith Day 1651
1656:
Mary the Daughter of Nathaniel Arnold and Mary his wife, was Borne the xiiijth Day of Aprill 1656.
Baptized Mary the Daughter of Nathaniel Arnold and Mary his wife, May the Eleaventh Day 1656
Buried, Mary the wife of Nathaniel Arnold May the xjth Day. 1656
[image on FamilySearch]
1658:
Nathaniel. Arnold the sonne of Nathaniel Arnold and Mary his wife was Borne the Third Day of February 1628: And Baptized the Third Day of March then next ensueinge being Thursday 1658
[image on FamilySearch]
1661:
Baptized Mary Arnold Daughter of Nathaniel Arnold and Mary his now wife March the Ninth Day 1661.
[image on FamilySearch]
1666:
Baptized, Samuel Arnold the Sonne of Nathaniel Arnold and Mary his wife Aprill the xxith Day. 1666
[image on FamilySearch]
1718:
Buried Mary Arnold Widow upon the 16th day of February 1717-18.
[image on FamilySearch]
The Shakespeare Trust Archives catalogue (ER3/5363) lists a covenant to levy a fine, dated 25 September 1656 at Wroxton:
Indenture, Richard Graunte the elder of Neithrop in Banbury, yeoman, Thomas Davyes of Hunwell and Alice, his wife, Nathaniel Arnold alias Baker of Sowtham [Southam], baker, John Mumford of Horley, co. Oxon and Margery, his wife, mother of Nathaniel, of the first part, Richard Graunte the younger of the second part, William Baker of Horley, tailor, of the third part, William Keene of Horley, labourer, of the fourth part, and William Dodd of Byfield, of the fifth part, being a Covenant to levy a Fine of lands in Wroxtone [Wroxton]. Signed and sealed. Witnesses: Ambrose Holbech Jun, Ambrose Holbech sen, and Henry Stalworth.
from the National Archives catalogue (C 7/71/35):
1694, Warwickshire.
Plaintiff: Bartholomew Cornish
Defendants: Nathaniel Arnold and [unknown] Baker
Nathaniel in the Hearth Tax returns:
Southam
1662, two hearths
1663, two hearths
1672, four hearths
1674, four hearths
Nathaniel’s Will
In the name of God Amen I Nathaniel Arnold of Sowtham in the County of Warwicke Baker being in good health of Body and of sound and perfect memory praise be therefore given to Almighty God doe make and ordaine this my present last Will and Testament in manner and forme following (That is to say) first and principally I commend my Soule into the hands of Almighty God hopeing through the merrits death and passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgivenesse of all my Sinns and to inherit everlasting life and my body I commit to the Earth to be decently buryed at the discrection of my Executors hereafter named And as touching the disposison of all such temporall Estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon I doe give and dispose thereof as followeth Imprimis I will that all my Debts and my funerall charges shall be paid and discharged by my Executor hereafter named Item I doe give and bequeath unto my loveing Wife Mary Arnold four pounds every Yeare dureing her natural life to be paid her at the four quarterly Dayes or feasts in the Yeare (that is to Say) The feast of St John the Baptist The feast of Saint Michael the Arch Angle The feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle and the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin my even and equall porcions and to be paid by my Executor hereinafter named Alsoe I give and bequeath unto my said Loveing wife Mary Arnold the chamber over the parlour and the use of the kitchen dureing her naturall life provided she keeps herself a widdow But if she should be married that then my Will and meaneing is That my said Executor hereafter shall not pay to my said wife at any time or dayes as aforementioned the said sume of four pounds or any part or parcell thereof to her or her Assigne or Assignes but the said Legacy to be void and of none effect and likewise I doe give my loveing Wife Mary Arnold half my househould goods except the goods that belong to my Backing Trade dureing her naturall life or her time of widdowhood and to be other disposeing provided she doth give them to my loveing daughter Elizabeth Arnold but if my said wife should not dispose or give them to my daughter Elizabeth Arnold that then I doe give and bequeath the said half of my goods to my loveing sonne Samuel Arnold his heires Executors Administrators and Assignes forever Item I doe give and bequeath unto my loveing sonne John Arnold of Sniterfield in the County afore[said] Baker the summe of fourty pounds of good and lawfull money of England to be paid by my Executor hereafter named but not to be paid till five yeares after my decease and then to be paid without Loane or Interest to him and his heires horever likewise I doe give and bequeath unto the children of my loveing sonne John Arnold the summe of one shilling to each and every of them to be paid upon demand by my Executor hereafter named Item I doe give and bequeath unto my loveing daughter Elizabeth Arnold the summe of fourty pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid my my Executor hereafter named but not to be paid till two yeares after my decease and then being lawfully demand to be paid without Loane or Interest to her and her heires forever Item I doe give and bequeath unto my loveing sonne Richard Tomes the summe of give shillings and to my loveing daugther Mary Tomes the summe of five shillings and to each and every of their Children one shilling to be paid upon demand by my Executor Item I doe give and bequeath unto my loveing sonne Nathaniel Arnold and to his wife Elizabeth the summe of five shillings and to each and every of their Children the summe of one shilling Item I doe give and absolutely bequeath unto my loveing son Samuel Arnold of Harbury in the County aforesaid my house standing and being in Sowtham aforesaid where I now doe dwell with all the yard backside gardens barnes stables malting house or other the outhouses or premisses or appurtenances whatsoevery or any wise apportaineing to my said sonne Samuel Arnold and his heires Executors Administrators or Assignes for ever Alsoe I doe give and bequeath unto said loveing sonne Samuell Arnold my two houses messuages or cottages standing and being in Harbury in the County of Warwick now in the possession of my said sonne Samuell Aronld and Richard Evens with all the Yards backsides hoses gardens barnes stables cowhouses or other the outhouses whatsoever with all other the premisses and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaineing to them or belonging to my said sonne Samuell Arnold his heires Executors or Administrators or Assigns for ever And lastly I doe nominate and choose my loveing sonne Samuell Arnold to be my whole and sole executor of this my last Will and Testament and doe give and bequeath to the said Samuel Arnold all rest and Residue of all my goods and Chattells Debts Bills Bonds oweing or appertaine to me in any Cause or condition whatsoever the said Samuell Arnold paying my debts and perforeming this my last Will and Testament and I desire that my body may be buried in the Church Yard of Sowtham where I now dwell And I doe revoke disannull and make void all former Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made In witness whereof I the said Nathaniell Arnold onto this my last Will and Testament set to my hand and seale this fourteenth day of May in the Yeare of ou Lord Christ one thouand six hundred ninety and two Nath: Arnold Sealed signed and published and delivered inthe presence of William Mottearshad Thomas Crafts his marke Samuel Typler
[proved 27 April 1695]
from the National Archives catalogue: DR583/123 1669-1732
Annual accounts of the Rector and Churchwardens, Overseers of the Poor and Surveyors of the Highways, jointly, for money authorised by them to be collected from tenants of charity property, and expended in relief of the poor and in repairs to highways, causeways and bridges (in some detail giving a fair idea of the type of timber or stone-work repairs carried out on specified bridges). Also bills for dinners, probably of feoffees, charity tenants and parish officers in June 1715, 1717, 1718, and [found among these accounts] bonds of Richard Lyndon, ironmonger, Nathaniel Arnold, baker and George Castell, apothercary, to perform covenants contained in leases, 1690. Also some loose bills showing type of timber and stonework repairs carried out on bridges. (loose, many on parchment)
CR 611/577/19-22 1664
Covenant to levy a fine, and final concord, of Cheineyes Manor, Heyton's Manor, and houses and lands in Napton, Southam and Ladbrook; from John Arnold and Anne his wife (formerly wife of William Deacons, deceased), and John Loe and Mary his wife (sister of William Deacons), to William Cleaver, yeoman, and William Hughes, yeoman, both of Napton. CR 611/577/19-22 ( John Arnold married Anne in 1663 in Napton)
Commentary
Nathaniel’s parentage
A 1656 indenture (see the Evidence section above) refers to Nathaniel Arnold alias Baker of Sowtham, and to his mother Margery, wife of John Mumford of Horley.
The Horley parish register records the marriage of “John Mumforde et Margery Arnold” in 1631.
In his 1629 will, John Baker alias Arnold of Horley named his “now wife” Margery and his son “Nathaniell Baker alias Arnold.”
From this evidence, we can see that the parents of the Nathaniel of this page were John Baker alias Arnold of Horley and his wife Margery.
References
Hearth Tax Returns in Warwickshire, England, Occupational and Quarter Session Records, 1662-1866 on Ancestry.com [digital images accessed 9 December 2015].
Horley, Oxfordshire parish registers. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 11 May 2019.
Southam, Warwickshire parish registers; digital images Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 December 2015) citing Warwickshire County Record Office; Warwick, England; Warwickshire Anglican Registers; Roll: Engl/2/1018; Document Reference: DRO 50.
Will of Nathaniel Arnold, Baker of Southam, Warwickshire (1695, Prerogative Court of Canterbury). National Archives PROB 11/425/222.