John Bond

John BOND (1555-1632) the third child born into a rich merchant trading family with extensive connections in continental Europe. He was introduced to the business from an early age and taken with them to France and Spain in particular and there brought into close contact with the bitter conflicts over religion that were ravaging Europe. When he was 17 and still an apprentice he was involved in an incident in Rouen in 1572 when he narrowly escaped with his life from the St Bartholomew's Day massacre. Fearing for their lives, the English merchants took as hostages the wife and children of one of the leading citizens. As Denis (his son) recalled hearing the story from his father, they marched them up to the roof of the house in which they were besieged, telling the mob 'that if they did meddle with the English' the hostages would be killed. Such experiences and tales woven around them remind us how deeply embedded Protestantism had become in the national mythology.

In the late 1580's Weymouth and Southampton were the largest privateering ports against the Spanish. One such promoter of privateering mentioned in the book is John Bond. His family estate was at Lutton on the Isle of Purbeck, where nearby Studland was notorious for piracy. Bond held extensive property in Melcombe Regis because of his trade and became Mayor of Weymouth for 5 periods. He is said to have sailed with Drake on his raid on Cadiz and with him at St Domingo in the Caribbean where Bond found a stone globe of the world inscribed with “Non sufficit orbis”. This was the Latin motto adopted by the Spanish after the Pope had given them the World upon Columbus discovering the New World. John Bond decided he would use it as his own family motto so hence “Non sufficit orbis” adorned his own property. He is also suspected of being a spy for Sir Francis Drake and in the employ of Elizabeth I.

The translation from the Latin is “THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH” the same family motto used by Ian Fleming in the Bond books and films “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and the eponymous “The World Is Not Enough”.

He married Margaret PITT (1567-1631) the daughter of Richard PITT in Melcombe Regis on 12 July 1583.6 In 1588 at the time of the expected invasion of the Spanish Armada he was appointed as Captain of the Isle of Portland with 100 men. The Bond family had for a long time held the estate of Lutton as lessees but John Bond purchased the fee simple from Edward, Earl of Hertford, Lord of the Manor of Povington, on 1st November 1615. He was already in possession of the immediate beneficial interest under a subsisting lease and from him the estate passed to his eldest son Denis and from there down the line through the Rev Nathaniel Bond of Creech Grange. He is said to have been elected Mayor for Weymouth four times and the last of these appear to have been in the year 1620.

The quarter Sessions held at Beaminster in October 1627 record that Jane WOODS a servant to Mr John BOND of Lutton, became pregnant and was discharged by Bond. She returned to Corfe Castle where she was born but was evicted by the mayor. A dispute then arose between the parish of Steeple and the town of Corfe Castle as to who was responsible for her care. The case was heard by Sir Arthur Ashley who ordered Corfe Castle to receive and care of Woods for the time being as "she is like to be delivered of child under a hedge". At the sessions at Blandford in January 1628, Corfe Castle appealed to recover costs of her lying in and the burial of the child which had died. As John Bond had taken £5 and a bond for a further £5 from Edward Tombes of Steeple, who was the reputed father of the bastard child, he was ordered to pay marks from the original £5 to Corfe Castle and to repay the balance of 5 nobles to Tombes together with the bond for £5.

Margaret his wife was buried in Steeple on 17 March 1631 John Bond soon followed his death being recorded in William Whiteway's diary as 1st February 1632/3 with his burial at Steeple on 7th February 1632. A copy of his will is available at the National Archives. Dennis and Margaret had the following children.

Alice BOND (1584-1584) b. & d. 1584

Sarah BOND (1586-1642) b.15 Oct 1586; she married on 24 Aug 1607 in Steeple4 to Henry WALTHAM of Weymouth MP

Dennis BOND (1588-1658) b. 30 Aug 1588 at Lutton Dorset and is said to have been baptised on 1st September at Melcombe Regis 6. Son & heir see below

Abigail BOND (1591-1643) b. 6 Sep 1591; she married (30 July 1620 in St Marys Melcombe Regis) Henry ALBINE of Upton in the Parish of Batcomb12; d.25 May 1643

William BOND (1593-1601 ) Bapt 26 Jan 1593; buried Steeple 29 June 1601

Elias BOND (1596-1680) Bapt 8 Aug 1596 ; MP for the Borough of Wareham he married twice. Firstly to Bridget CHADECOT on 3 Oct 16366. She was buried at Steeple on 25 Dec 16704. Seciondly in 1672c to Joan GERRARD. Elias was buried 15 Nov 1680 Wareham