General Notes

[Joanne's Tree.1 GED.GED]

2  SOUR S332582
3  DATA
4  TEXT Date of Import: 14 Jan 2004


[daveanthes.FTW]

New England Genealogical and Historical Register, 1997, English Ancestry of Joshua and Anthony Fisher, by Myrtle Stevens Hyde and John Plummer.
John Fisher, born say 1465, died in 1523, a resident of Wingfield, Suffolk. His wife Christian was named with him in a court action in 1514, but she was not mentioned in his 1523 will.
And whence came John? Study indicates that members of the Fisher family from early times resided in a broad area on both sides of the River Waveney, this river being the boundary between Norfolk (the north fork) and Suffolk (the south fork). Particularly, Fishers lived in the southwestern and south central areas of Norfolk, and the northwestern and north central areas of Suffolk. Some were armigerous, displaying a dolphin on their shields.
John's descendant, Joshua Fisher, used on documents in New England a seal with arms displayed, these arms being described as azure, a dolphin embowed naiant or (a golden dolphin, bent, swimming on a blue background). Similar arms were used in England by Fisher families living in Westleton and Redgrave, Suffolk. Fisher Genealogy, p. vii, mentions Norfolk Fisher families who also had arms with dolphins. Meticulous heraldic research might reveal a connection between the family who came to New England and earlier British Fishers.
John Fisher, in his will dated 27 February 1522/3 and proved 15 April 1523, requested burial in the churchyard of Wingfield. He bequeathed modest amounts of money to the church in Wingfield and to the neighboring churches in Syleham, Hoxne, and Stradbroke. Also to the Wingfield church he gave "one quarter of whete & 2 quarters of malte."
The will is extremely difficult to decipher, but it seems clear that John entailed Chickering Hall, with all the lands thereto adjoining, to "William my son...during the time of his natural life, and after his decease to remain to John, his eldest son and to his heirs of his body lawfully begotten, and if the foresaid John should decease within age or without heirs as is before rehearsed, then I will it return to Robert his next brother and his heirs and so to remain to the next heir male perpetually.
John additionally gave his son William fourteen "kene (milk cows) w'all my stuff of howsehold excepte a rede cofer & a payer of shets wiche I geve to R'bt my son." Robert was also to have eight marks. John directed that the following be sold: "my Catell unbequethed," "my corne that is in my bernys (barns)," "my moders (mother's) t(enem)ent...and Chylderhowse," "my t(enem)ent Jodys and Newclose closse." If son William would buy the first named tenement and Chylderhowse, he should have them cheaper than anyone else. If William would buy Newclose close, "I will that he hath it for 6 marks."
The fact that John bequeathed Chickering Hall in his will raises questions. Copinger, under Chickering Manor, has the following entry: Action by Thomas Herringe against John Fisher, bill stating that lord of Chickering Manor, in the 3 Hen. VIII (1514) granted to John Fysher and Christian his wife the site of Chickering Manor in fee and afterwards this grant was forfeited for waste and the premises were demised by the master and fellows of the late dissolved College of Wingfield being then lords of the said manor to William Budd for a term of years, afterwards vested in pltf. by purchase.
This document indicates that John Fisher and Christian his wife received Chickering in 1514, but afterwards they, or probably an assignee, lost it. That John's wife is mentioned in the transaction likely means that she, rather than he, inherited it or in some way had rights to it. In Manors of Suffolk and Wingfield: Its Church, Castle and College, no mention is made of John Fisher in connection with Chickering Hall or Manor. John had holdings in Chickering Hall when he wrote his will, and less than two months elapsed between the date and probate of this will, so he probably did not lose Chickering in that period.