14. CULMER

Baker Tree 

ALEXANDER CULMER and MARGARET (14)

 

ALEXANDER CULMER was born too early for the parish registers, which began in 1537.

Although we do not have a baptism for him, we know from his father’s will that he was the son of Thomas Culmer of St Peter’s in Thanet. His mother’s name may have been Margaret, but this is uncertain.

He was married, and had more than one child by the time his father wrote his will in 1533. This suggests he was born around the turn of the century, probably in the reign of Henry VII.

St Peter’s, covering Broadstairs as well as the village of St Peters, remained Alexander’s home and it was here that he raised his family.

 

MARGARET. We know Margaret’s first name from Alexander’s will. Since we do not have their marriage, we do not know Margaret’s maiden name, or what parish she came from.

They were married well before Alexander’s father wrote his will in 1533, so probably in the 1520s.

Alexander’s own testament of 1555 names four children: sons Thomad, George and John, and a daughter Adrian. There may have been others who died in infancy.

His will and testament do not state his occupation or status. He was evidently a well-to-do man, leaving several houses and a number of acres of land. But there is nothing in his will and testament specifically related to farming – no mention of livestock, crops or farming equipment. We cannot rule out the possibility that he was a yeoman farmer, but we have no evidence for this.

Alexander was executor of his father’s will in 1533.

Alexander’s forbears had been members of religious guilds at St Peter’s church, one of their duties being to maintain lights before an altar or religious image. These guilds were abolished in 1547 by the young King Edward VI, who was fervently Protestant. There is a document from 1549 which may relate this. Arrangements would have to be made for the money that previously was previously held by these guilds.

It concerned the grant of land in the tenure of Alexander Culmer and John Avarde in the parish of Minster in the Isle of Thanet. These had previously belonged to the late chapel called Pott Chapell, Ches. There was indeed a Pott Chapel in Cheshire, but its connection with Minster in Thanet is unclear.

This particular entry does not mention “lights”, but most of the following entries do.

Alexander wrote his will on 4 Feb 1551. He was probably around 50.[1]

He asks for his body to be buried within the church of St Peter, alongside those of his father and mother. A burial within the church says something about the status of this family.
He gives his eldest son Thomas “my best Chamlet dublett”, his best gown, best jacket and best pair of hose. “Chamlet” is camlet, a European fabric of silk and wool, possibly angora. It was an expensive cloth.
To George he left the gown that was his father’s, his second chamlet jacket and his blue chamlet doublet.
To his youngest son John, he leaves his black furred gown and a jacket and doublet of unwatered chamlet.
Thomas also receives a maser cup percell gilt. This was a large drinking bow. “Parcel gilt” meantsthat only part of it was gilded. It was still a luxury item.
His wife Margaret, his sons George and John, and his daughter Adrian each receive two silver spoons.
To Margaret he bequeaths half his household stuff, with the other half shared equally among his three sons.
The rest of his goods are to be sold to pay his debts, and, if this is not enough, the remaining money is to come from his lands of Stone.
  Margaret and all three sons are made his executors.
The will is to be overseen by Maister Blayksenden of Mownton.

When it comes to real estate, he leaves Margaret his dwelling house, with all its buildings and lands, for her natural life. After her death, it is to go to Thomas.
He also gives Margaret his tenement and lands in Broadstairs for her lifetime, with these passing to George at her death.
To George also goes his tenement in Dumpton with 4 acres of land. Dumpton is a mile SW of Broadstairs.
To John goes his tenement at Stone with the accompanying land. He also gets another acre and a rood of land.
He leaves a further 3 acres of land to Thomas.
To his daughter Adrian he leaves £10, to be paid in two instalments. The fact that she is to get the first of these immediately suggests that she is already over 21.

He comes across as someone who, while not rich, was a man of some means and enjoyed the good things of life, fine clothes, etc.

The widowed Margaret married the yeoman Michael Webb some time before 1564.

The historian John Lewis tells us:[2]
“According to two Indentures of 1564 and 1586, it appears, that this Pier and the Way leading thereto, was the Estate and Possession of the Family of Culmer of this Place, and that by Mychell Webb and Margaret his Wife, late the Wife of Alexander Culmer, and George Culmer, one of the sons of the said Alexander, Leave and Privilege of using the said Way was granted and confirmed to the Inhabitants and Parishioners as well Fishermen as others, on Condition of their rendring and paying to the said George Culmer, his Heirs or Assigns for ever, half a Man’s Share of every Boate appertaining to the said Parishe, of all such Profits, &c, which shall happen to them, by Wreckes of the Sea, or by any other Casualltie or Meanes whatsoever, by them or any of them saved, gained, or taken up there, or near adjoining. And also in Consideration of ten Pounds paid to George Culmer they have granted and confirmed to them all that the Pier of Bradstow, with all the Rights, &c of the said George Culmer to hold for ever, for the good of the whole Common Weatlth with them, on their paying to the Wardens of the Pier for the Maintenance of it, such Dues as have been accustomed, only that George Culmer and his Heirs, living in his House at Bradstow, shall pay only one half-penny for every Load, being ten Seams of Lime, that he shall load: That the Inhabitants shall have room on George Culmer’s Land to frame Timber, &c for the Repair of the Pier; that a Rule of Government be kept up for ever on the Feast of Christmas, and John Evangelist, in the Afternoon, at the Parish Church of St Peter’s and there be chosen two Wardens, one at least, to be a Fisherman, who shall gather up the Duties for the Maintenance of the Pier, and if any Damage happens, repair it on Notice given, within two Year at further, on Pain of voiding the Agreement: And lastly, that the great Gates entring in at the same Pier, made and there placed by George Culmer, shall not by the Fishermen be spoiled or hurt.”

Stephen Holbourn writes: “In 1440 an archway was built by George Culmer, across a track leading down to the sea, where the first wooden pier or jetty was built in 1460, a more enduring structure was to replace this later in 1538. The Culmer’s nestled their boatyard on its protected sands. It was in 1538 that the road leading onto the seafront, known as Harbour Street was cut out from the rough chalk ground Broadstairs is built upon, accomplished by the local Shipwright George Culmer. Going further still to defend the town he also built the ‘York Gate’ in 1540, this being a portal that still spans Harbour Street to this day, and which then held two heavy wooden doors that could be closed in times of threat from beyond the sea.”[3]

It would seem from Lewis’s History that this George Culmer is probably a near relation of Alexander.

Michael Webb was evidently a man of some standing in the community, appointed to positions of oversight.

From 1562 onwards, there was war in France between the ruling Catholics and the Protestant Huguenots. This culminated in the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre on 24 Aug 1572. Thousands of Huguenots were slaughtered.
Refugees fled to Protestant countries like England, and they had been arriving before this, along with Protestant Walloons from the Low Countries.
On 21 September 1572, the Lords for the Council to the Commissioners for the Five Ports (Cinque Ports) issued the following decree:[4]
“For as much as it is apparent that many have since the universall murders violently committed in Paris and other partes of France, fledd unto this realme and do yet continue to save their lives as the verie law of God and nature doth require, of whome alsoe common and christian charitie ought to move us to have compassion, yet we thinke also verie convenient to have certaine knowledge frome tyme to tyme what numbers and what sortes of persones they are that do come unto the realme uppon this occasion, and to foresee that under pretence thereof no other sorte of daungerous persons do transporte themselves. And therefore we require you to give some present order to all the portes and landinge places within that County that good regarde be hadd and speciall observation kept and regester made what persons do arrive and their names, there qualities and there occasions as they shall alledge of their comming, and to what places they do determyne to repaire further into the realme, and frome tyme to tyme, that is, every foretene daies or oftener if the numbers do encrease, advertisement to be sent to us and therof we earnestly requier you to take some care and to signifie to us your opinions of their arrivall if you find any cause to doubte thereof.”

Clearly, suspicion of asylum seekers is far from new.

It added: “The names of such persons as be chosen and aucthorised to take charge for the serch of all suche as shall passe in or out at any of the Portes and Crekes underwrytten.”
For “Broidstare”, it lists Michael Webbe and John Culmere.

We do not know how closely this John Culmer is related to our own Culmers. He may be Alexander and Margaret’s youngest son, but this is uncertain. He is probably the same John Culmer who later witnessed Michael Webb’s will and testament.
A John Culmer is also mentioned in connection with the harbour at Broadstairs in the following dissertation:[5]
“A 1571 parchment established certain orders and agreements ‘between the Landsmen and Fishermen of the Parish of St. Peter,’ concerning Broadstairs harbour, signed by John Sprackling, John Culmer, and Robert Emptage.”

We hear of Michael Webb again in 1575. The Visitation of the Archdeacon of Canterbury notes the following:
“ That there is six acres of land given to the poor by one Richard Culmer, who appointed certain feoffees for distributing of the same, but the said feoffees be all deceased, which said land should be put out to the most advantage for the said poor, but the same land is now in the occupation of Nicholas Grant and Michael Webb, who hath it under the price that would be given for the same, and we desire your worship to let us understand who shall have the putting forth of the same.” [6]

We do not know who was now administering these lands, but it appears that Michael Webb was benefiting from his association with the Culmer family, and occupying a portion of them at less than the commercial rent.
The implication of the report is that the Church should appoint new trustees, and these should manage the lands to achieve the maximum income for the benefit of the poor.

We not have a death date for Margaret, but she appears to have died before Michael, some time after 1564. In his testament and will of 1587 Michael makes several mentions of his wife Joan, so he evidently remarried..

Michael Webb, yeoman, wrote his will and testament on 19 May 1587, when he was already ill.[7] The testament tells us something about his character.
We already know that, in 1575, Michael Webb was found to be short-changing the poor by renting the Culmers charity land at less the going rate. He may not have realised that he was doing so. His testament shows him to be generous towards the poor. He leaves £10 for the poor in each of four parishes in Kent: St Peter’s, St John’s (Margate), Eleham, and Howe near Stoke.
£40 is a not inconsiderable sum, worth about £7,000 today.
In addition, he leaves £2 to each of these churches for repairs.Then there are the following bequests:
“Item: I forgive unto every one of my tenntes one halfe yeares rent of theire farme whiche they oughte to pay me within one yeare next after my decease.”
“Item I give unto every of my servants as well men as maides that take wages tenne shillings over and above theire wages to be paide to every of them the Michaelmas next after my decease.”

Small legacies are often left to a servant, but this wholesale benefaction to tenants and servants is unusual.
In addition, he leaves 20s to his servant John Heele, who is evidently under age, and 40s each to his servants Thomas Culmer and Joane Norwoode.
We are accustomed to seeing the Culmers and Norwoods as leading members of the community, but it appears that some of them were of a lowlier status.

There are legacies to other Culmers: 40s to his godson Michael Culmer, son of Thomas Culmer of St John’s, and £5 each to his “sonnes in lawe” Thomas, George and John Culmer. Nowadays, we should call these “stepsons”.

There is no mention of Alexander and Margaret’s daughter Adrian. She may have died, or have already received a marriage portion.

A John Culmer was one of the witnesses to both Michael’s testament and his will.

His testament also gives us a picture of the sort of mixed farming he did. He leaves his wife Joan: “tenne quarters of wheate, twenty quarters of barley, twoe kyen (kine or cattle) and foure working horses, halfe the hoggs and halfe the Poultrye, one halfe the geese and ducks and halfe my bees and six ewes”.

In his will, he left her 55 acres of land in St Peter’s, and he had other estates as well.

In contrast to Alexander Culmer’s testament, Michael Webb’s makes no mention of clothes.

He asks to be buried in the parish church of St Peter, near the great window, on the north side of the church. It is here, in the north aisle, that we find the altar tomb for Michael Webb, obt. 1587.

 

 

[1] Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury will. Original will, PRC16/11, vol. 3. Register will, PRC32/24/23verso-24verso. Transcribed by Noël Siver.
[2] Lewis, John, The History and Antiquities, as well Ecclesiastical as Civil, of the Isle of Tenet, in Kent. 2^nd edition, London, 1736, pp. 164-5. https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/_/7KJfAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1
[3] [3] S.N. Holbourn, A Boatman’s Tale, Michael’s Bookshop, 2007.https://www.michaelsbookshop.com/abt/id3.htm.
[4]  ‘The corporation of Rye: 1571-4’, The Manuscripts of Rye and Hereford Corporations, etc.: Thirteenth report, Appendix Part IV (1892), pp. 2-38.  http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=67143&strquery=Culmere.
[5] Whyman, John. Aspects of Holidaymaking and Resort Development Within the Isle of Thanet, with Particular Reference to Margate, circa 1736 to circa 1840. Arno Press, 1981. Originally presented as the author’s thesis, University of Kent, 1980. Dissertations in European Economic History. p. 18:
[6] Hussey, Arthur, Visitations of The Archdeacon of Canterbury. (Fol. 182.) Vol. 1574-76.
[7] Prerogative Court of Canterbury will PROB 11/71/66. Transcribed by Noël Siver.