There were many Medes living within about 20 to 30 miles of Watford in the early years of the 16th century, for example in Saunderton, Princes Risborough and Soulbury, Bucks; Barley, Gilston and Bishops Stortford in eastern Herts, and Clavering and Elmdon, Essex. But there were only a handful within 10 or 15 miles: St Albans, Herts (7 miles north); Great Berkhamsted, Herts (10 miles northwest); Tring, Herts (14 miles northwest): and Chesham, Bucks (10 miles west).
St Albans
Robert Mede, of St Albans, carpenter, was a defendant in the court of Common Pleas in 1425. In his will of 1431, his executor was his brother Hugh, to whom he left the bulk of his estate, so it would appear that Robert was not married and had no children.
In his own will of 1442, Hugh Mede of St Albans mentioned his wife Isabel, his daughter Ellen, and his son Thomas, a monk at Westminster. So he probably didn't have any Mede descendants after his son Thomas.
Great Berkhamsted
Robert Mede, of Magna Berkhamstede, Herts, baker, was a defendant in Common Pleas in 1460-61. No further records of him have been found.
Tring
In 1491 Bernard Brocas gave the king 6 shillings 8 pence to have concord with Robert Mede and Joan his wife concerning 40 acres of arable land and two acres of meadow in Long Merston, Coblecote and Wyvelesthorn in Tringe.
Chesham
In 1515-6 Robert Mede of Chesham, yeoman, was a defendant in Kings Bench. Chesham is about 4 miles from Berkhamsted and 6 miles from Tring.
Aside from the coincidence of location and names - four named Robert Mede - there is nothing to connect them to each other or to Richard Mede in Watford. Richard Mede is not found in Watford before he was married there in 1545. He probably was not born there. He might have come from anywhere in England, but the probability is that he came from within about 20 to 25 miles, a reasonable day's journey.
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