General Notes

probated 9 Aug. 1591

-farmer
a-could read and write; owned armor
r-Syleham; parish of Stradbroke; property in Cransford, Swelfling; moved to St James South Elham
w-14 jun 1591; prob 9 aug 1591 South Elham

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The English Ancestry of New England Settlers Joshua and Anthony Fisher by
Murtle Stevens Hyde and John Plummer, 1997, NEHGR Vol. 151, pg 175-177:
3.  WILLIAM FISHER (Robert, John). was born say 1527, likely aty Syleham,
Suffolk.  Asrevealed by the contents of his 1591 will, William was among
the privileged few of his contemporaries to learn to read and write.
Also, he had armor, indicating military activity.  This service was
probably of a local nature, andhis armor was most likely made of
leather. Or perhaps he inherited the armor, which might have been rather
elaborate.
On 15 Oct. 1551, he was married, in the church of the neighboring
parish of Stradbroke, to Margerie Bert, a Stradbroke miden, the dau. of
William Bert. Margerie's family is discussed below(pp. 184-191).
William Fisher prospered as a yeoman farmer, retaining property in
Syleham that he had inherited. Exactly where he and Margerie resided
during their early marriage is unknown, though likely within the parish
of Stradbroke.  The parish churches of Syleham and Stradbroke are about
three milesapart, but the boundaries of the two parishes are much
closer, the in between being a walk of gentle ups and downs across part
of the parish of Wingfield.  Perhaps the Fisher home was near the
boundary of one of the parishes.  William and Margerie took some of their
children to each church for baptism: Stradbroke in 1553, Syleham in 1556,
and then Stradbroke again in 1559 (apparently with twins).  One little
girl, almost four years of age, was buried in theStradbroke churchyard
in 1563.
As time passed, William purchased (accordingto his will) properties in
Cransford, nine miles southeast of Stradbroke, and in Swefling, two and a
half miles beyond Cransford.  Whether or not he and Margerie lived for a
period in either of these places is unknown.  Eventuallythey moved to
the parish of St. James, South Elmham, seven miles northeast of
Stradbroke, still in county Suffolk.
In St. James South Elmham, William wrote his own last will and
testament, "scripte by me Will'm Fisher,"  14 June 1591.    He died less
than two months later, as the will was probated 9 Aug. 1591.  Because the
surving parish registers of St. James South Elmham start many years after
William and Margerie died, it is impossible to find records of their
burials.
[for abstracts of his will, see pages 176-177]
Children ofWilliam and Margerie (Bert) Fisher:
i.  Johanna Fisher
ii.  William Fisher
4.iii. ANTHONY FISHER, bp. at Stradbroke 1 Feb. 1558/9; m. Marie Fiske.
iv.  Agnes Fisher
v.   Jane Fisher