Thomas Cleaver

Events

Date of Baptism: 11 August 1616.

Place of Baptism: Hellidon, Northamptonshire.

The baptism is recorded in the parish register.

Date of Buried: 26 May 1668.

Place of Burial: Hellidon.

The burial is recorded in the parish register.

Relationships

Father: Edward Cleaver.

Thomas’s father is named in his baptism record and in his son Edward’s will.

Mother: Elizabeth Watson.

Elizabeth’s first name is recorded in Thomas’s baptism record. Her surname is recorded in her marriage record.

Spouse: unknown.

In his will, Thomas refers to Susanna as "now my wife", probably implying that he had had a previous wife.

Spouse: Susanna.

Susanna’s name is recorded in her children’s baptism records. Thomas mentions her in his will, and she left a will.

Children:

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

Elizabeth Cleaver (baptized 4 October 1649 in Hellidon) married William Makepeace.

Edward Cleaver (baptized 1 February 1651/2 in Hellidon - buried 17 July 1733 in Hellidon) married Hannah.

Thomas Cleaver (baptized 8 April 1654 in Hellidon)

Richard Cleaver (baptized 3 April 1656 in Hellidon)

Francis Cleaver (baptized 24 April 1658 in Hellidon - buried 16 May 1659 in Hellidon)

Francis Cleaver (baptized 23 February 1660 in Hellidon - buried 23 March 1660/1 in Hellidon)

William Cleaver (baptized 22 August 1663 in Hellidon)

probable Grandchild: Elizabeth Cleaver (buried 25 September 1773 in Hellidon, Northamptonshire) married George Key 26 May 1718 in Hellidon, Northamptonshire.

probable Grandchild: Mary Cleaver married Samuel Gibbs 29 March 1718 in Edgcott, Northamptonshire.

Evidence

from the Hellidon parish register:

1616

Thomas Clever the sonne of Edward Clever & Elsabeth was baptised the xj^th daye of August

1649

Elizabeth Cleaver daughter of Thomas Cleaver & of Susan[n]a his wife was baptized Oct. 4th Ano pred.

1651

Edward Cleaver sonne of Thomas Cleaver and Susanna his wife baptized upon the First of February Anno pred.

1654

Thomas Cleaver the sonne of Thomas Cleaver and of Susanna his wife was baptized Aprill the eight Anno d’ni pred. 1654

1656

Richard Cleaver sonne of Thomas Cleaver and of Susanna his [...] was baptized upon the 3d day of Aprill Anno d’ni pred. 1656

1658

Francis Cleaver sonne of Thomas Cleaver and of Susanna his wife was borne upon the 24th day of Aprill

1659

Frauncis Cleaver sonne of Thomas Cleaver and Susanna his wife was buried upon the sixteenth day of May

1660

Francis the sonne of Thomas and Susanna Cleaver baptized Febr: 23^th 1660

Francis the son of Thomas and Susanna Cleaver was buryed March. 23.^th 1660

1663

William Cleaver the son of Thomas and Susanna Cleaver baptized August 22 Anno D’ni 1663

1668

Thomas Cleaver buried May 26 1668

Thomas’s will:

In the name of god amen the second day of May in the Twentieth yeare of the Raigne of our Soueraigne Lord Charles the second by the grace of god of England Scotland France and Ireland kinge defendder of the Faith etc Annoque d[omi]ni 1668 I Thomas Cleaver of Hellidon in the County of Northampton yeoman beinge sicke in body but of sound and p[er]fect minde and memory thankes be given to allmighie god for the same and knoweinge the uncertaynety of this life on earth and beinge desirous to setle thinges in order doe make this my last will and testament in writeinge in manner and forme followeinge (that is to say) First and principally I comend my soule into the hands of allmightie god my Creator assuredly beleivinge that I shall receave full pardon and free remission of all my sins and be saved by the p[re]tious death and merritts of my blessed Saviour and redeemer Christ Jesus And my body to the earth from whence it was taken to be buried in such decent and Cristian manner as to my Executrix herein after named shalbe thought meett and convenient And as touchinge such worldy efects as the lord in mercie hath leant me my will and meaneinge is the same shalbe imployed and bestowed as hereafter by this my will is expressed And first I revoake renounce frustrtate and make voyd all wills by me formerly made and declare and appoint this to be my last will and testament Imprimis I give will bequeath and devise unto my eldest sonne Edward Cleaver all that quarter or fourth p[ar]te of one yard Land that I bought of in Willia[m] Oldbery[?] in Hellidon aforesaid with all Comons tythes[?] and m[em]ber and appurtenances but subiect to the Condicons hereafter menconed (that is to say) upon this expresse Condicon that my said sonne Edward Cleaver shall pay out of the same the some of Fortie pounds of Lawfull money of England unto William Cleaver my youngest sonne when hee shall attayne his full age of one and Twenty yeares (but if the said William dye before hee shall attayne his said age of one and twentie yeares the said Fortie pounds not to be paid And my will is that Susanna now my wife shall have the yearely p[ro]fitts of the said quarter of a yard land untill my sonne William Cleaver shall come to one and twentie yeares as aforesaid towards the bringing up of my said sonne William and to raise money to sett him to some convenient trade that hee shalbe most fitt for To have and to hold the said quarter or fourth p[ar]te of one yard land that I bought of Mr Glover as aforesaid with all wrightinges conc[er]ninge the same unto my said sonne Edward Clever his heires and assignes forever But in case my said sonne Edward shall dye before hee cometh to Age then I give and devise the Reu[er]con and remaynder thereof unto my second sonne Thomas Cleaver hee paiinge Fortie pounds to my sonne Willia[m] as aforesaid to hold to my sonne Thomas Cleaver his heires and assignes forever And as for Touchinge and conc[er]ninge all that my one yard land with thapp[ur]tenances That I bought of Thomas Allatt lyinge and beinge in the Feild precincts and lib[er]ties of Nether Shukburgh in the Countye of Warr I devise the same as followeth: First my will is that Susanna my wife shall have one full moitye or full halfe p[ar]te thereof untill Thomas Cleaver my second sonne shall attayne his full age of six and Twentie yeares and when my said sonne Thomas Cleaver shall attayne his said age of six and twentie yeares To hold to him my said sonne Thomas his heires and assignes forever But if in case my said sonne Thomas dye before hee come to the said Age of six and twentie yeares and leave no issue of his body lawfully so begotten the in that case I give and devise the said halfe yard land with thapp[ur]tenances unto my youngest sonne Willia[m] Cleaver and his heires and assignes forever And as for touching and concerninge the other moity or one halfe of my said yard Land in Shukburgh aforesaid with the appurtenances I doe hereby give full power and Lawfull and absolute authority unto Susanna my said wife and Elizabeth my sole and onely daughter to grant barayne and sell the same to thend intent and purpose that my said daughter Elizabeth shall have fower score out of the purchase money paid unto her when shee shall attayne her full age of Fower and Twentie yeares and in the meane tyme my said wife to have the yearely proffitts of the said halfe yard lands for the educatinge and bringinge up of my younger Children as as [sic] for the over plus of the said purchase money the said last menconed halfe yard land shalbe sold for be the same more or lesse my will is my wife shall have the disposinge of the same to my youngest Children at her discreasion And if my said daughter Elizabeth dye before the said halfe yard land shall be sold as aforesaid then I give and devise the said last menconed halfe yard land with thapp[ur]tenances unto my youngest sonne William Cleaver and his heires and assignes forever And the devise of Fortie pounds bequeathed to my said sonne William out of the said quarter of a yard Land I bought of Mr Glover in Hellidon aforesaid to be voyd and not to be paid And further my will and meaninge is that if my sonne Edward shall dye before hee shall come to his full age of one and Twentye yeares and leave noe Yssue of his body lawfully begotten and that my house and and homstad and all my lands tenemts and [...all] estate in Hellidon aforesaid shall fall to my second sonne Thomas Cleaver as heire at lawe to my said sonne Edward That then in that coase the devise of the halfe yard land with appurtenances in Shukburgh devised to my said sonne Thomas and his heires to be frustrat and voyd and I doe hereby give and devise the said halfe yard land with thappurtenances unto my youngest sonne William Cleaver and his heires and assignes forever All the rest of my goods Cattell Chattel and substance whatseover not herein before devised bequeathed or given away I give and bequeath the same (be it more or less) my debts and funerall expences beinge First paid I give and bequeath the same unto Susanna my loveing Wife whome I make my full and soel Executrix of this my last will and testament: And further my will and true meaninge is that my yard Land at Shukburgh shalbe equally devided into two equall p[ar]tes by my brother in lawe Richard Rawbone and William Rawebone sonne of the said Richard and Edward Shenstone of Shukburgh aforesaid husband or the survivors of them and that what division they shall make and agree upon and sett downe under their hands and seales the said Thomas Cleaver my second sonne and Susanna my wife and Elizabeth my daughter shall stand unto and be content with and that the same division by them or the survivor of them made as aforesaid shall be good both in lawe and equity as if I had devided the same myselfe in my life tyme In witness whereof I the said Thomas Cleaver to this my p[re]sent will conteyninge two sheets of paper have hereunto sett my hand and seale the day and yeare First above written:/

Thomas Cleaver [seal]

Read signed sealed and published in the presents of Richard Rawbone his marke [an upside-down U] Oliver Mayfeild snr

[Proved 3 July 1669]

References

Parish registers of Hellidon, Northamptonshire. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 14 August 2018.

Will of Thomas Cleaver of Hellidon yeoman. Proved 1669 in the Archdeaconry Court of Northampton. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 14 August 2018.