William Haye is described as of Robertsbridge in the 1634 Visitation of Sussex (p. 167). He was taxed at Robertsbridge for £23 of goods in 1524 and £26 in 1525. In 1535, he was granted a messuage in Robertsbridge called "Wysemede" and another piece of land in Salehurst. He served on a jury at Robertsbridge in 1536 (Reed pp. 235-240). His Inquisition post mortem refers to lands at Salehurst (Attree p. 118, No. 538).
Events
Date of Birth: about 1495.
Reed (pp. 235 - 240) gives the estimated date.
Date of Death: 22 August 1538.
The Inquisition post mortem abstracted by Attree (p. 118, No. 538) gives the date.
Relationships
Father: John Haye.
This relationship is given by Reed (pp. 234-5).
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: Joan Tufton.
The 1634 Visitation of Sussex (p. 167) gives William’s wife as a Tufton of Nordiam. William’s wife’s first name is given as Joan in Inquisitions post mortem abstracted by Attree (p. 118, No. 538, and p. 228, No. 1038).
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. The birth dates are Reed’s estimates. One of the daughters married David Pilcher. Their son Thomas Pilchard has been beatified by the Catholic church.)
William Haye (born about 1520-21 - died 1588) married Joane.
Thomas Haye (died 27 February 1591/2) married (1) unknown; married (2) Elizabeth Baker.
Joan Haye .
Mary Haye.
Agnes Haye.
Bridget Haye.
Margaret Haye.
Evidence
In the 1524-5 lay subsidy rolls, William appears in the Hundred of Robertsbridge, where his goods are assessed at 23 pounds in 1524 and at 26 pounds in 1525.
from the East Sussex Archive catalogue:
Conveyance, dated 26 August 1528.
James Wenar of Hawkhurst, son of John Wenar, to William Haye of Robertsbridge and Richard Sharp, to WH's use
Property as in AMS 5689/8 above, once of William Castylman of Sedlescombe deceased (N: land late Thomas Robyn and land of Thomas a Myll's heirs; E: land of Thomas a Myll's heirs; S: John Spryngett's land and land late TR; W: road)
Endorsed: M18
W: John Stonestrete, John Besbeche, Maweer Egilden
Exemplification of common recovery, dated 6 Nov 1529
Demandants: Thomas Nevyle, knight, Edward Nevyle, knight, William Haye and Henry a Wyke by their attorney Thomas Yngler
Tenant: Richard Covert, esq
the manor of Socknersh, a messuage, 30 acres of land, 8 acres of meadow, 20 acres of pasture, 100 acres of wood, 60 acres of heath and furze and 12 shillings of rent, in Brightling
Vouchee: Thomas Chapman
tested by Robert Brudenell [CJCP]; [William] Conyngesby, [prothonotary]
Copy grant in fee farm, dated 19 April 1532.
Date:c1590
Description:William Haye of Robertsbridge to Richard Butler of Brightling
1 messuage and a forestall called Holmans with pieces of land Grenecroft and Bromefeld in Brightling
2 a piece of woodland, two fields and a croft 'lately rid up by the root' (N: land part of Holmans; W: lands of WH called Covelinges and Letecote; E: wood called Hordens Went; S: road from Robertsbridge to Brightling), in all 40 acres
3 piece of land (4 acres) called Henrys Field in Brightling (E: land called Croochfield, S: road from Robertsbridge to Brightling; W: lane leading from the road to Socknersh; N: wood called Wyland Wood)
to hold by a quitrent of 6s 8d
at Brightling
[?original endorsed]: grant by RB to WH a reasonable way over the east part of Henrys Field and along by the hedge of Croochefeeld, WH maintaining the necessary gates, posts and bars
Witnesses: John Collen of Burwash, John Trewe of Brightling
from the Penhurst manuscripts:
1536. September 10.-- Charter of Thomas, abbot of Robertsbridge, to William Haye of Robertsbridge, yeoman, relating to Waspeltmede in Salherst and Lucasgrove in Westfield.
Attree’s abstract of William’s Inquisition post mortem
William Haye, yeo. Vol.67, No. 94.
Robertsbridge, 17 Oct. 34 Hen. VIII. Died 22 Aug. 30 Hen. VIII.
Heir, eldest son, William Haye, aged 17 years 6 months and more at Inq.
Lands in Saleshurst -- settlement 18 Aug. 30 Hen. VIII. -- to use of W. H. for life, then for his son and heir William and his heirs, paying his mother Joan 5 marks a year, then for his son Thomas and his heirs on same condition, remainder to his daughters Joan, Mary, Agnes, Bridget, and Margart Haye.
References
Attree, F. W. T. Notes of post mortem inquisitions taken in Sussex: 1 Henry VII to 1649 and after, [1485-1649]. (London: Sussex Record Society, 1912).
Cornwall, Julian. The Lay Subsidy Rolls for the County of Sussex 1524-1525. (Sussex Record Society, 1956).
Bannerman, Bruce (ed.), The Visitations of the County of Sussex made and taken in the years 1530 by Thomas Benolte, Clarenceux King of Arms; and 1633-4 by John Philipot, Somerset Herald, and George Owen, York Herald etc. (London: 1905).
Report on the Manuscripts of Lord de L’Isle & Dudley preserved at Penshurst Place vol. 1 (Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1925).
Reed, Paul C. “The English Ensigns: Ancestral of Thomas (1) Ensign of Scituate, Massachusetts, and James (1) Ensign of Hartford, Connecticut”, in American Genealogist (Jan, Apr, Jul 2000).