Agnes Alphew

Agnes Alphew was daughter of John Alphew and his first wife Isabell Pettit. Her father John died in 1489 and when he wrote his will in 1488 Agnes's mother Isabell Pettit had already died and Agnes was unmarried and under the age of 21. Her father left her considerable property in Kent. Her father had married again to Elizabeth who had children from a previous marriage including Edmond Martin/Martyn. A chancery case was bought by this Edmund Martyn sometime between 1489 and 1493 as he had apparently expected to marry Agnes but she has since married to William Bond. William Bond, Household Servant and Clerk of the Green Cloth in the court of Henry VIII died in 1523 and was buried in Christchurch, London. Agnes outlived him, dying on the 4th Feb 1552/3 and was buried at All Hallows, Barking by the Tower London. From her memorial we know that she and William had 8 sons and 8 daughters.

A Survey of the Parish Church of All Hallows Barking, by George Fletcher, 1733 gives an account of the tombs in All Hallows, Barking-by-the-Tower,London, and gives a sketch of the brass complete. It consisted of an inscription and four shields of arms, the two lower being represented by matrices. (Plate 80.) The inscription then read:

Here resteth the body of Agnes Bonde widowe sutyme wyff to Willm Bonde esquyer which William and Agnes had issue betwixt them 8 sonnes and 8 daughters which Agnes deceased the 4 day of February in the year of our lorde god MCCCCCLII.

The upper dexter shield bore the arms of Bond, the upper sinister and lower dexter BOND impaling ALPHEW quartering PETTIT, and the lower sinister ALPHEW quartering PETTIT.