John Brett, Esq., of Thorncombe, Woolston & Whitestaunton

From < Brett Family >

• Somersetshire wills By Frederick Brown, Frederick Arthur Crisp 1st Series.
• http://books.google.ca/books?id=PElFAAAAYAAJ&q=brett#v=snippet&q=br...
• Pg.66-67
• JOHN BRETT,1 of White Stanton, Somerset, Esq. Will, May 16, 1587, proved Apr. 30, 1589, by Alexander & George Brett. [41 Leicester.] To be buried in S. aisle of the Church of White Stanton, where my wife Margaret is buried. "The ile to be enlarged in that respect by my son & heir, which, by the help of God, I living do minde to do." My sons Alexander & George Brett, Exors. Death of my grandmother Thomasine Brett, of Pilland,2, widow of Robert Brett, my grandfather. My kinsmen Simon & Robert Brett, nephews of Robert Brett, of Pilland, my grandfather. My 2nd son, George, 3rd son, Arthur, 4th son, Robert. My sons in law, Mr. Christopher Morgan & Nicholas Frye, Overseers. My daughter Anne Brett. My daughter Ellinor Frye. My son & heir Alexander Brett, & his eldest son & heir John Brett, my cousin (sic). House at Thorncombe & Yarncombe, Devon. Loaves to poor householders who come to Friday morning prayers.
  • 1 His wife, Margaret, was one of the daughters and coheirs of Hugh Ratcliff, Esq. She died Feb. 22, 1582. Their daughter Mary was wife of Xtopher Morgan, of Maperton, Dorset, and died Jan. 4. 1582. Another daughter, Ellinor, Married Nicholas Frye, of Varty, Devon. For Morgan pedigree, see B. 76, and "Genealogist," N.S. iii, II, 165.
  • 2 A Branch of the Brett family held the manor of Pillond in the parish of Pulton, N. Devon. Two brasses still exist in Pilton Church to Alex. Brett, d. 1536; and Robert Brett, d. 1540.
  • 3 She was widow of Robert Brett, citizen and Merchant Taylor of London. Vis. Lond., 1568.
  • 4. B. 18.
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• Alexander Brett Esq of Thorncombe 1495-1569, parent of John, Robert (m. Margaret _), Alexander Brett
  • Robert Brett of Thorncombe & Whitestaunton OBIT 1340 Buried at Pillond, Devon, m. Margaret , parents of John Brett Esq
    • John Brett Esq of Thorncombe 1540, parent of John (m. Margaret Radcliffe) Brett Esq JP
      • John Brett Esq JP High Sheriff of Somerset 1579-80 JP High Sheriff of Somerset 1580-89 of Thorncombe, Woolston, Whitestaunton, Mowley, Buckland St Mary, Yarncombe (Devon) OBIT 1589 buried at Whitestaunton, m. Margaret daughter of Hugh Radcliffe Esq OBIT 1582 Buried at Whitestaunton, parents of Sir Alexander (m. Anne Turberville), George (d.1638), Arthur (d.1590), Robert Brett
• From: http://www.sampfordbrett.org.uk/brett-family-tree
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• BRETT, Sir Robert (c.1566-1620), of Charing Cross, Westminster and Dover Castle, Kent; formerly of West Molesey, Surr.
• b. c.1566, 4th s. of John Brett (d.1589) of Whitestaunton, Som. and Margaret, da. and coh. of Hugh Ratcliff of Stepney, Mdx., wid. of John Acland of Akeland Barton, Devon; half-bro. of Sir John Acland*. educ. Hart Hall, Oxf. 1586, aged 20. m. (1) 14 Dec. 1590, Alice (bur. 19 June 1602), da. of James Huishe, Grocer, of St. Pancras, London, s.p.; (2) 13 July 1603 (with £1,000), Frances (d. 28 Aug. 1617), da. of (Sir) Thomas Fane of Badsell, Tudeley, Kent, 1s. d.v.p.; (3) Anne (d. 22 Feb. 1634), da. of Sir William Meredith, paymaster of the army, of Leeds Castle, Kent, s.p.1 kntd. 22 Apr. 1603.2 d. 1 Sept. 1620.
• From: http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1604-1629/member/br...
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• Somersetshire wills By Frederick Brown, Frederick Arthur Crisp 2nd Series.
• https://archive.org/details/abstractssomers00browgoog
• https://archive.org/stream/abstractssomers00browgoog#page/n43/mode/1up
• Pg.29
• CHRISTOPHER MORGAN, esq. Will dated Jan. 7, 1590, admon. Feb. 20, 1590, to Ann Morgan, Widow. [II St. Barbe.] Debt of L400 due to me by my brother Alexander Brett, or the Exor. of his deceased father, to my two daughters Elizabeth & Mary Morgan, & L20 more out of my lands & goods. To my friends & feoffess Amias Bampfield, esq., John Crewkerne, esq., & William Morgan, gent., my brother, my Manor of Witherston, lands in Broad Winsor, & Marnhull, Dorset, after the decease of Mary Stourton my mother, until my heir attains the age of 21. My mother Stourton shall have the custudy of my evidences to the use of my heir at his full age. To my wife Ann Morgan, all my living beast & cattle. My kinsman & servant Edward Morgan. My son Christopher, Exor, my wife to have the Adm'n during his minority. Oveerseers, my mother Sturton, Mr John Strangwais, & Mr William Gibbes, esq'rs. Admon. Jan. 23, 1609, to Ann Luttrell alias Morgan, relict of the dec'd testator, in consequence of Christopher Morgan (the son) having died. Further Admon. Dec. 7, 1627, to Elizabeth Trenchard alias Morgan, wife of Sir Thomas Trenchard, knt, & Marie Broadrpp alias Morgan, wife of Robert Broadripp, daughters of Xtopher Morgan, of goods unadministered by Ann Luttrell alias Morgan.
  • Buried at White Stanton, Somerset, Mary Morgan, eldest daughter of John Brett, Esq., and Margaret his wife, and wife of Christopher Morgan, of Maperton, Esq. She died Jan. 4, 1582.
  • Ann Bampfield, widow of Christopher Morgan, married 2ndly, John Luttrell. His will III Soame.
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• Abstracts of Somersetshire Wills, Etc: Copied from the Manuscript ..., Volume 4 By Frederick Arthur Crisp, Frederick Brown
• http://books.google.com/books?id=7KsqAAAAYAAJ&q=brett#v=snippet&q=b...
• Pg.34-35
• NICHOLAS FRYE,1 of Yeartie, Devon, esq. Will dated Aug. 25, 1632, proved Feb. 7, 1632-3. by his son William Frye. [7 Russell.] My son & heir, William Frye. My son John Frye. My sister Bridget Worth, &c.
  • 1 He married Ellenor Brett, of White Staunton.
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• Proceedings (1849) Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol. 28
• https://archive.org/details/proceedings28some
• https://archive.org/stream/proceedings28some#page/82/mode/1up
• Pg.82
• I now return to the owners of White Staunton Manor. John Brett, Esq., was High Sheriff of Somerset, 1579. He married Margaret Ratcliff, relict of John Ackland, Esq. She died Feb. 22, 1582/3, and there is a monumental inscription to her in the church. His will was proved April 30, 1589. He desires "to be buried in the southest part of the south Ile, which Ile is to be enlarged in that respect, my son and heir to enlarge the same in such order as I have directed, being so written by mine own hand, if I myself in my lifetime do not enlarge the south Ile, which by the help of God, I, livinge, doe mind to do." He speaks also of "my grandmother, Thomasine Brytt, of Pillond, Devon.
• John Brett, Esq., had six children. One of his daughters, Mary, married Christopher Morgan, Esq., of Maperton, Dorset. She died Jan. 4, 1582/3, and there is an inscription to her memory in White Staunton Church. He married secondly, Ann Bampfield, and his will was proved by his relict, Ann Morgan, Feb. 20, 1590/1. Another daughter, Ellinor Brett,
• https://archive.org/stream/proceedings28some#page/83/mode/1up
• Pg.83
• married Nicholas Fry, Esq., of Yearty, Devon, whose will was proved Feb. 7, 1632/3. She predeceased him.
• One of his sons. Sir Robert Brett, Kt., was of West Mailing, Kent, Gentleman Usher of H.M. Privy Chamber and King's Sergeant. He died Sept. 1, 1620, and there is a monument to him in West Mailing church. His first wife was Frances Fane. His second wife was Ann Meredith, who afterwards became the wife of Francis Lord Cottington, one of the chief ministers and advisers of Charles I. He was a Roman Catholic. He died at Valladolid, in Spain, June 19, 1652, aged 74. There is a large monument to him in the Chapel of St. Paul in Westminster Abbey.
• The eldest son of John Brett, Esq., was Sir Alexander Brett, Kt., knighted at Beddington, Surrey, 1603. He died 1609. His first wife was Ann Morgan, relict of Nicholas Turberville, Esq., who was murdered by his brother-in-law, John Morgan, Esq., for which murder John Morgan was attainted and executed at Wells, January 23, 22nd Elizabeth.
• The second wife of Sir Alexander Brett was Ann Gifford, daughter of John Gifford, of Weston-under-edge, Gloucestershire, by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir George Throckmorten, of Coughton. I think it was through this alliance that Sir Walter Raleigh, who married Elizabeth Throckmorten, speaks so often in his correspondence of "my cousin ....
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• The history and antiqutities of the county of Somerset (1791) Vol. 3
• https://archive.org/details/historyantiqutit03colluoft
• https://archive.org/stream/historyantiqutit03colluoft#page/126/mode...
• Pg.126
• The original name of this place was Stantune, and it is thus defcribed in the Norman furvey as parcel of the poffeffions of Robert earl of Morton :
• " Anfger holds Stantune of the Earl. Alward held it in the time of King Edward, and gelded for three hides. The arable is eight carucates. In demefne is
• https://archive.org/stream/historyantiqutit03colluoft#page/127/mode...
• Pg.127
• " one carucate and a half, and fix fervants, and eighteen villanes, and four cottagers, with three ploughs and a half. There is a mill not rated, and two hundred and fixty acres of wood, and fifty acres of pafture. It renders four blomes of iron. It is worth fixty fhillings."
• A defcendant of the laft Earl of Morton feems to have been fettled at this place, and to have affumed its name. In the time of Henry II. Robert de Stantone held two knights' fees of Walter Brito or Brett, which Walter Brett had this manor by the grant of the crown, and was progenitor of a refpectable family who poffeffed it till the beginning of the prefent century. To which Robert de Stantone fucceeded William, Henry, John, and John de Stantone; which laft was living in the time of Edw. II. and had for his arms a chevron between three lions' heads erafe. To him fucceeded another John, and to him William de Staunton, who was lord of the manor of White-Staunton 3 Ric. II.
• The Bretts, its chief lords, were a family of much repute, and produced many perfons of eminence both in politicks and literature. Richard Brett, fon of Robert Brett of this place, was one of the tranflators of the bible now ufed in our churches and private families; he was well verfed in the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldaick, Arabick, and Ethiopian languages, and publifhed feveral books of hiftory, biography, and criticifm. He died in 1637, and was buried at Quainton in Buckinghamfhire, of which parifh he was rector. Henry Brett, the reprefentative of this ancient family, fold this manor with the advowfon of the church to Sir Abraham Elton, bart. whofe defcendant Ifaac Elton, of Stapleton in the county of Gloucefter, efq; is the prefent poffeffer.
• etc.
• On a black ftone in the wall: --- " In this ifle lyethe buried Margaret Brett, one of the daughters and coheirs of Hugh Ratcliff, efq; and wife of John Brett, efq; lord of this manor of Whitftanton, who died the 22d day of Februarie 1582, and here refteth in the affured hope of the joyful refurrection." Arms, Argent, a lion rampant between five crofs-croflets fitchee gules : Brett. Impaling, Argent, a bend engrailed fable : Ratcliff.
• " In this ifle lyethe buried Mary Morgane, eldeft daughter of John Brett, efq; and and Margaret his wife, lord of this manor of Whitftanton, and wife of Chriftopher
• https://archive.org/stream/historyantiqutit03colluoft#page/128/mode...
• Pg.128
• Morgane, of Maperton, efq; who died the 4th day of Januarie 1582, and here refteth in the affured hope of the joyful refurrection." Arms, Argent, on a bend cotifed fable, a fleur-de-lis between two cinquefoils gules: Morgan, impaling Brett.
• In the floor on a grave-ftone:- " Here lyeth the body of Alexander Brett, efq; who died the firft day of July, A. D. 1671, aetatis fuae 38."
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References

• https://www.sampfordbrett.org.uk/file/BrettFamily.pdf