5

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 WILLIAM BYSH and SARAH (12)

 

WILLIAM BYSH was the son of an older William Bysh of Godstone near Reigate in Surrey. His mother was either Jone, as stated in an article on Snouts Farm[1], or Alice, who was his father’s wife when he died.

He was born in 1589. His father was a sheather, making cases for swords and knives.

He was the youngest of ten children, though two of them seem to have died.

William was only two when his father died in 1591. His father’s widow Alice was charged with bringing up William junior until he was old enough to earn his living.

His father died heavily in debt. He left instructions that the family home of Millers or Millinges should be sold to pay this debt. His sisters were to be paid legacies out of the remainder, and Willam was left £10. This would be worth about £3000 today.

He was born in the reign of Elizabeth I, but was still a young teenager when James I, son of Mary Queen of Scots, came to the throne.

He became a yeoman, and made his home in Tandridge, a village 2 miles SE of Godstone, which was his father’s home when he died..

At some point he married Sarah.

 

SARAH. Their marriage took place too early for it to appear in the surviving registers, so we know nothing about Sarah, except her first name.

The article on Snouts Farm tells us that they had seven children. From his will, Henry appears to be his eldest son. There is also a son William and daughters Anne, Sarah, Angell. Elizabeth and Mary.

He had become a wealthy yeoman farmer, with properties in Tandridge, Horne and Godstone. Horne is a village further south than Tandridge.

One of these properties is Snouts Farm. In his article on this farm Michael Chappell tells us that William bought it.

Snouts Farm is in Tandridge, on the east side of Tandridge Lane. It is described as ‘a 16th Century Hall House with a King Post roof’. In the 1937 the name was changed to the Red Barn. It is now a pub/restaurant.

  William, and Sarah lived through the Civil War and the Commonwealth decade that followed it. Surrey was largely Parliamentarian. Edward Bysshe, from Smallfield Place near Tandridge, may well be a relation. He was a prominent lawyer and politician who sided with Parliament and was made Garter King of Arms under Cromwell’s rule.

William wrote his will on 27 Nov 1674, well after Charles II had taken his father’s throne at the Restoration of the monarchy. He died a year later, at 86.

He was buried, not in Tandrid g, but in Horne. If he lived in the south of the very long, thin parish of Tandridge, possibly at Snouts Farm, St Mary’s at Horne may have been closer than St Peter’s at Tandridge.

Burial. St Mary, Horne.
1675 Nov 24  William Bish of Tandridge.

The will of William Bysh of Tandridge, Yeoman, was proved on 20 Dec 1675. [2]

He leaves Sarah “The thirds of all my lands called Snoutes, Shafridge and the Collis lands for and during the terme of her naturall life.”
He also leaves her “One Bedstedle with a Feather Bedd and the furniture with all things thereunto belonging. … foure paire of my Beste sheetes, a doszen of fine napkins, two paire of Pillowcases, a paire of Pillowes, Two Tablecloaths, one ioyned Chest and the Boxe shee brought with her, a brasse posnett, a little Iron Pott”.
“And also my will is that Sarah my said wife shall have the use of one roome in my house where I now dwell called the Parlor and fier wood for her owne necessary use and free liberty of ingresse to and from the usual fier place in my said house during all the time and so long as shee keepes her selfe a widdow.”
To his son William he leaves 10 shillings.
To his daughter Ann, wife of John Wheeler of Westhodely, one shilling, “shee haveing received her portion already.” (presumably when she married).
To Anne’s son John he leaves 5 shillings.
To his daughters Sarah, Angell, Elizabeth and Mary £60 each, to be paid when they reach the age of 21. That would be about £10,500 each today.
If any of them dies before the age of 21, their legacy is to be shared equally among the others.
During their minority, 12 pence in the pound of their portion is to be paid to Sarah “towards theire education and bringing up”.
He leaves his son Henry “All my Messuage Lands Hereditaments with the Appurtenances lyeing in Tandridge Horne and Godstone with all my goods and Chattells to him and his heires for ever.”
He makes his son Henry his sole executor, with the duty of paying his father’s debts and funeral expenses.
William signs his own name.
The witnesses are Ja: Fow… and John Coleman.

 We have not found a burial for Sarah.

 

[1] Michael Chappell, “Snouts Farm Now The Red Barn”, The RH7 History Group, 2006. https://www.rh7.org/factshts/snoutsfm.pdf
[2] https://thesignsofthetimes.com.au/WPA/ENG/Surrey/Bysh_William_Will%20(1675).pdf

 

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