General Notes

[Joanne's Tree.1 GED.GED]

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


[daveanthes.FTW]

The Enlish Ancestory of Joshua and Anthony Fisher
William Fisher was born say 1527, likely at Syleham, Suffolk. As revealed 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, and his armor was most likely made of leather. Or perhaps he inherited the armor, which might have been rather elaborate.
On 15 October 1551 he was married, in the church of the neighboring parish of Stradbroke, to Margerie Bert, a Stradbroke maiden, the daughter of William Bert.
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 miles apart, but the boundaries of the two parishes are much closer, the inbetween 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) and 1560. One little girl, almost four years of age, was buried in the Stradbroke churchyard in 1563.
As time passed, William purchased (according to 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. Eventually they moved to the parish of St. James South Elmham, seven miles northeast from 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 August 1591. Because the surviving parish registers of St. James South Elmham start many years after William and Margerie died, it is impossible to find records of their buriarls.
William's will indicates that within the yeoman class of English citizens he was probably more akin to a gentleman than to a husbandman. He named no horses or cows or sheep or wheat or barley, the items so commonly counted as a portion of wealth by yeomen. In his will, thought, he did name "implements." Perhaps animals to work or graze his land were owned by the men to whom he rented the several estates he held.
In his will William provided his "wellbeloved wiffe" Margerie, for life, "all my free holde landes and Ten'tes and Indenture or lease lande lyinge and beinge in Sarleham (Syleham)," without naming them. (One of them, Wignott(s), was bequeathed in 1638 by William's grandson, Cornelius Fisher. William directed that after his wife's decease these properties should go to their son Anthony. In addition, Anthony was to receive "all suche moveable goods as are in his custodie and possession excepte one posted bedstede wch I boughte at Witchinham hall one fetherbedde and one coveringe, wch fetherbedde posted bedsteade and coveringe I give unto Margery my wiffe." Also, "the rest of the Evidence concerninge the landes before devised to Anthonye my sonne I will that they shoulde be delyvered to him" (referring probably to the Syleham lands, mentioned earlier in the will).
Son William was to inherit the lands in Swefling and Cransford, and each year he was to pay to "Margerie his mother" an annutiy of L6. The testator William also bequeathed to his son William "all suche stuffe of howsholde as I have remayninge in his custodie and possession and all my Armor bookes and suche Evidence as I have concernyinge the landes before devised to him."
Another genealogically significant item in William's will is his bequest to "Anne Forder my sister" of 40s. "Rose Forder her daughter" was to receive 26s8d at her day of marriage.
William gave token legacies to his grandchildren as well, naming them as "my daughter Johannes thre sonnes...and their sister," "my sonne Will'm Fishers dawghter," "my dawghter Janes sonne...and...his siter...and the childe or children that my saide dawghter Jane is now bigge with all if god give her saffe delyverie." In another part of the will William named Jane's son: COrnelius the sonne of Francys Wolnaughe."
After devising his properties, William gave to "Margerie my wiffe all the residue of my moveable goods lynnyage (linenage) plate implements and stuffe of howsholde" and appointed her and their son William as executors.