Husbandman in 16th Century

[t@nya]

I've discovered that my earliest known ancestor was a husbandman who married 1592 in Kington in Worcestershire. I was wondering if he might appear on the manorial rolls for the area.

[Jan1954]

Hi t@nya,

Have a read of this TNA Research Guide as a starting point.

[t@nya]

Thanks.

[Peter Goodey]

Have you checked for wills? They are cheaper than searching manorial court rolls and may contain valuable clues to suggest the best place to look next. Worcestershire Record Office are the people to ask. I think the Consistory Court of Worcester would have been the main court involved.

Also PCC wills (but not admons) are online via TNA.

[t@nya]

I've thought of that myself (well, partially)

I've gone through the Calendar of wills and administrations in the Consistory Court of the bishop of Worcester on Ancestry. There is one will for a John Hale, a clerk in Kington; I don't think he's a relative, but I'm going to ask a genealogist I've hired in the past to look into it for me.

I just checked the National Archives: I've searched for wills there a lot, but hadn't though of doing so for the Hales. One will for Henry Hale, yeoman of Kington Worcestershire in 1655.

I'm off to buy it now and hope it's a relative. Thanks very much.

[t@nya]

After a brief look at the will, it definitely looks like my distant ancestor, Henry Hale, son of the husbandman. I never thought I'd find a yeoman in the family. I'm going to have to get the will printed out so I can try reading it. Reading it on the screen makes my eyes start to ache.

[t@nya]

Oops, meant to write 'grandson' of the husbandman. Got too excited and made a mistake.