Thomas Godfrey

Events

Date of Birth: unknown.

Place of Birth: unknown.

Date of Burial: 5 March 1542/3.

Place of Burial: Lydd, Kent.

The burial is recorded in the parish register.

Relationships

Father: Peter Godfrey.

This relationship is given in the 1619 visitation of Kent (p. 132). The informant was presumably Thomas’s grandson. It is also given by Hasted.

Mother: unknown.

Spouse: unknown.

The 1515 will of Clement Baker mentions his daughter Isabel, the wife of Thomas Godfrey of Lydd, but Isabel's 1516 will names her husband as Thomas Fermor als Godfrey the younger.

Spouse: the widow of someone named Benton.

This relationship is given in Howard’s chart.

Children:

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

Peter Godfrey (died 10 March 1566, buried 11 March 1566 at Lydd) married Joan Eppes 24 April 1540 in Old Romney, Kent.

Katherine Godfrey

Thomas Godfrey

Evidence

from the Lydd Churchwardens’ Accounts:

… Rc of Thomas godfrey Sen for a yere of gregorys Lands ending at or lady day in lent Ao 17o regs Harr 8 (A.D. 1526), 5s.

Thomas Godrey, Sen., for Gregorys lands clere to the churche, 3s. 4d.

Lydd, Kent parish registers:

Burials:

1542 March. 5. Thomas Godfrey howsholder./

Thomas left a will, which I have not yet had the chance to consult. Howard (pp. 268 - 269) gives long excerpts:

Will of Thomas Godfrey of Lydd, 1542.

In the name of God Amen. The first day of March in the year of our Lord God 1542. I Thomas Godfrey of the parish of Allhalowne in Lidde in the County of Kent thelder in good and perfecte remembrance ordeine and make this my presente Testament and last wille in forme followinge that is to say. First I commend my soule, &c Item, I bequeath to the high alter here for tithes negligently forgotten and withholden iij s iiij J . Item, to the high alter in ye church of Midley xx^d. Item, to the high alter in the church of Old Romney in like manner xx^d. Item, to the reparations of the church of Lidde foresaid xx^d. Item, I will to be expended at my furthe bering, to Prestes, Clarkes, and poore people x^s, and iii^s, iiij^d to be expended in vittayles to refresh my poore nebors at home. Item, at my monethes mind in like manner x^s and iii^s iiij^d in refreshing poore negbours. Item, at my yeares mind xiij^s iiij^d, and every yeare by the space of v yeares then next following xiij^s iiij^d for the health and comfort of my soule and all Christian soules. Item, I will and bequeath to Thomas Godfray my sonne xvij^l of good and lawful! money of England, iiij kine, ij hafers, ij Budds, two sheepe, one wayne yoked that is to say iiij oxen, iiij mares with a wayne, to be delivered to the said Thomas when he shall come to the full age of xx yeares. And my mind is that Peter Godfrey my Sonne shall freely keepe all the said cattells to the said Thomas my sonne above bequeathed till he shall come to the said age of xx yeares. And also my will and mind is that Peter my sonne when the said Thomas shall come to the full age of xx yeres shall deliver to the same Thomas with the said cattells as much foode and fodder as shall keepe and finde the same cattells to them of the same winter. . . . Item I will to Katheryn my daughter xx marcs of lawful money, iiij kien, xx sheepe, all her mother's wearing gere, one girdle with a dimysin, a fether bed, abolster, a payer of blankets, a coverlet, iij payer of canvas sheetes, one payre of fine sheets, ij kettells pryce the peece ij^s , three candlestices, vj platters, iiij dishes, and ij sawsers of pewter one saltseller, a chafing dish, and one cheste, to be delivered to the same Katherine in the day of her marriage. . . .

And as to my lands and Tenements, with thappertenances, This is the last will and entente of mee the said Thomas Godfrey thelder, made the day and yeare foresaid, that is to say, First my will and mind is that Peter Godfrey my sonne shall have my principall Tenement with xl acres of land thereto appertayning with thappertenances set living and being in Lidd foresaid and old Romney in the county of Kent ; And also all that my lands lying at Goodryng Lane, which I late purchased of George Buntinge, To be had to the same Peter his heirs and assignes for ever. Also my will and mind is that Thomas Godfrey the yonger my sonne shall have, when he shall come to the full age of xx yeres, my Tenemente called Cottinge^s, with xj acres of land to the same annexed, with thappertenances, And xix acres lying in the Sumpe (?), late purchased of Thomas Harlakynden gentleman. To he had to the same Thomas Godfrey his heires and assignes for ever. And my minde is that Peter my sonne shall take the proffites thereof till the said Thomas shall come to the said age of xx yeares. Also my will and mind is that the said Thomas my sonne shall have all that my lands being in Le Estfelde, late Stephine Ederickes, which I late purchased of Thomas Strougle, To be had to him his heires and assignes forever. And over and besides this, my will and mind is that my barne called Cotinge^s shall be equally and indifferently divided and shifted betwixt Peter and Thomas my sonnes, with the closses to the same appertayning, when the said Thomas shall come to the full age of xx yeares. To be had to them their heires and assignes for ever. And my mind is that in the meantime Peter my sone shall take the proffites and maintayne the reparacions of his owne proper costes and charges, and also shall keep all thother lands above to the said Thomas bequeathed withoot streipe or waste, and par the rentes thereof during his Interest therein.

Dated the day and yeare first above written.

Proved 7th February, 1543, in the Consistory Court of Canterbury.

from Hasted (8: sub Lid):

The family of Godfrey was originally of Old Romney, and afterwards removed to Lid about the reign of Henry V. They were originally called Fermor, and afterwards Fermor, alias Godfrey, but at the time above-mentioned, though there were several branches of them in this parish and neighbourhood, which still retained the name of Fermor, this principal branch used that of Godfrey only. And it appears by their several wills, that they were possessed of lands in Lid from the earliest mention of them, and that they were from time to time buried both in the church and church yard of Lid. Thomas Godfrey, the first that is mentioned in the pedigree of this family, died on Aug. 5, 1430, anno 9 Henry VI, and was buried in the middle isle of Lid Church, having the effigies of himself and wife Joane, daughter of Tamworth, with an inscription on their gravestone in brass, of which his name only now remains. He left issue one son Thomas, who was of Lid, gent., whose son and heir Peter Godfrey left issue one son Thomas, who died in 1543, and was buried in the church-yard here, leaving two sons, Peter and Thomas, the latter of whom was of Rottinges in this parish. Peter, the eldest son, was of Lid, gent. and was possessed of a mansion and estate called Nod, in Midley, and a moiety of the manor of Finches, in this parish, He married Joane, daughter of John Eppes, who died in 1556, as he did in 1566, and were both buried in the middle ilse of the church, where their figures and inscriptions in brass still remain. He had by her five sons and four daughters; of the former, Thomas and Peter survived him; and of the latter, Alice married Thomas Plumer, Katherine married John Berry, and Susan married Edward Wilcocke...

References

“The Visitation of the County of Kent, Taken in the Year 1619” Part III (J.J. Howard ed.) in Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. VI, (1866) pp. 251-301.

Hasted, Edward. The History and Topographical Survey of Kent. (Canterbury, 1799).

Parish registers of Lydd, Kent. Digital images on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 1 May 2020.

Records of Lydd, Kent (translated and transcribed by Arthur Hussey and M.M. Hardy; edited by Arthur Finn). (Kentish Express Office, 1911).

The Visitation of Kent: taken in the years 1619-1621. (Harleian Society, 1898).

Will of Clement Baker of Saint Martin Romney, Kent. Proved 26 March 1516 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.