John Smythe, Esq., of Corsham

Not the son of Sir William Smythe, Sheriff of Staffordshire and Isabel Smythe

No William is listed in John Smythe's will of 1538. Also, Stirnet's "Smith01" page (membership required to view without interruption) does not mention a son of this John named William. Therefore, the following profile has been disconnected as being one of his children:

William Smith of Stratford-on-Avon

• Place of Burial: Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom
• Birth: circa 1513 Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England
• Death: December 6, 1579 (62-70) Worcester, Worcestershire, England

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Date of birth might be one of the following:

• 1490
• 1495

Date of death has also been (erroneously?) reported to be:

• circa 1560
• circa 1568

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Debrett's Complete Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland pg. Pg. 611

"John Smythe, of Corsham, sq., died in 1538, and left issue, by Joan, da. of Robert Brouncker, of Melksham, (the ancestor of viscount Brouncker,) five sons

• I. JOHN, whose descendants were living in 1620;
• 2. THOMAS, the ancestor of the viscounts Strangford;
• 3. HENRY, whose son, Henry Smythe, of Baydon, co. Wilts, entered his pedigree at the herald's visitation, in 1620;
• 4. ROBERT, who was living in 1592;
• 5. RICHARD; and three das., viz.
• ANNE,
• JANE, and
• ELIZABETH, who m. Symon Horsepool, of London."

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A summary of the will of John Smyth, 1538 by Steve Hunt

In his will made on 01 Apr 1538 and proved on 08 Nov 1538, John is described as John Smyth, Clothier of Cosseham (Corsham), Wiltshire. His will was to be buried in the churchyard of Saint Bartholomew in Corsham. He listed his children as John, Thomas, Henry, Robert, Richard, Anne, Jane and Elizabeth. He noted that his father in law, Robert Brunker, had given him eight score pounds for his children and he willed that this money should be given to his children.

He also noted that Robert Brunker had given him twenty pounds for Henry Ffryse and he willed that this money should be passed to Henry Ffryse, or if he should die, then to his brother Thomas Ffryse.

He bequeathed all his plate to his eldest son, John, but if John should die before marriage then it should pass to his second son, Thomas, followed by his third son, Henry etc. His wife Johane was to be custodian of the plate until John should be married, and at the time of his marriage one moytie should be delivered to John and the other moytie remain with Johane during her widowhood.

He willed that his wife should keep the profits of his Weavers mill in the parish of slaughterford (for nine years, should she remain a widow for that time) and the profits of all his other stock and goods during her widowhood. Johane was to pay Henry Brunker of Melksham, his brother in law, twenty pounds per year for nine years to pay the sum of nine score pounds given to him by Robert Brunker.

Johane was requested to bring up the children using the profits of his mill, stock etc. If she should remarry then she would receive one hundred pounds on the condition that she released all her rights to the estate of her husband to their eldest son, John. If his son, John, should not marry then all his legacies were to be divided between the other children according to the discretion of Henry Brunker. His executors were named as his wife, Johane, and his son, John Smyth.

Will of John Smyth. Clothier of Cosseham. 1538. PROB 11/27/357. National Archives.

Summary here John Smythe Esq. (1495 - 1538) - WikiTree

Full will here National Archives of UK must purchase

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"five sons, –John, Thomas, Henry, Robert, and Richard—and three daughters, Anne, Jane, and Elizabeth; who are all mentioned in their father's will, dated 1st April, 1538, and proved on the 8th of November following."

(The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle, 1830)

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The SMITH'S of Maryland, Kentucky & Illinois by Harold D. Smith

ID: I14921

• Name: John [Smyth] SMITH , Sir of Corsham, Wilts 1 2 3
• Sex: M
• •Birth: 1495 in Corsham, Wiltshire, England 2 1 3
• Death: 1538 in Corsham, Wiltshire, England 3
• Note: The word knight comes from the Old English word cnight, which means a household retainer. English people used the word to describe French mounted soldiers who first came to England after the Norman conquest of 1066. These knights were merely warriors equipped and trained to fight on horseback. Knighthood carried no social distinction, and any man could be a knight. Many lords had knights, who performed household duties in peacetime and fought in time of war. The lord provided armor and horses for his knights, and the knight repaid him with his loyalty. Between 1100 and 1300, most knights became servants to lords or vassals, and received some land. As the cost of armor and a war horse increased, only wealthy men could equip themselves to fight as knights. Thus the knights became a class divided from the rest of the community. Knights became a mark of honor and distinction.

John Smythe, a substantial yeoman and clothier, who married a daughter of Thomas Brounker, died at Corsham in 1538, leaving his wife a life interest in his mill, with the reversion of it to his son John, as well as his other property.

John was the High Sheriff of Essex and assistant to King Henry, VII.

Father: Richard [Smyth] SMITH b: 1465 in England

Marriage 1 Joan BROUNCKER b: ABT 1500 in Corsham, Wiltshire, EnglandChildren1.Has Children Elizabeth [Smythe] SMITH b: BEF 1522 2.Has No Children John [Smythe] SMITH b: BEF 1522 3.Has Children Thomas [Customer Smythe] SMITH , Sir b: 1522 in Devon, England

Sources:

• 1.Title: Research by Harold D. Smith - hsmith6@sc.rr.com
• Note: Because my genealogy has been merged into several other family genealogies as their own work, I've found it necessary to add this notice to each individual in my genealogy. My work gives recognition of each persons work if it isn't my personal research.
• 2.Title: Research by John Brown - jwbrown@ite.net
• 3.Title: "Smythe of Strangford and Penshurst" with input from TCP (Strangford) Author: stirnet. com

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"Of 15 Bristol merchants from the 16th century recently identified as being involved in a smuggling ring, ten served as mayors, sheriffs or MPs of the city. Some were all three. Others included customs officers, a mayor of Gloucester and even senior officials in the navy.

The Bristol men included some of the city's most important 16th century figures – including John Smyth, who founded the fortunes of the Smyth family of Ashton Court, and Nicholas Thorn, a major Bristol benefactor and the son of Robert Thorn, the principal Bristol backer of Bristol's early voyages of discovery to North America. For such men, with power and wealth behind them, crime really did pay."

Year
1547 1554 Mayor John Smyth John Smyth Sheriff Thomas Harris Giles White Sheriff William Tindall John Cutt

John started out as a Yeoman and Clothier; otherwise, a merchant that took his father's company and made it grow.

John added the "e" to the end of their name, most likely after obtaining the post of High Sheriff in order to help further distinquish himself as an up and coming Elite. In order to become a Sheriff, you must be in good favor with the Crown. To be anywhere near the crown, one must be of good stature within the country and people. It seems that his father, Richard, established a good business and did well for himself which propelled his son to an even greater standing within the community. John probably aquired a contract with the King and did well. And as a reward for his good service to the crown, he was given the title of Sheriff. The sheriff was a representative for the crown in an particular area to help govern the land. As John was no doubt of good standing with his people and now the crown, the title would seem fitting.

We discoverd John's age, based on the Inquisition of his father's will. Which help discover where he lived (Corsham, Wiltshire, England) or owned property. John married Ms. Joan Brouncker about 1521.

The following information on the Smythe branch was graciously provided by Paul and Dorothy Tobler (tobler@omniglobal.net):

"After the death of the said Richard Smyth, the said Wm Wilforde & his co-feoffees were seised of the sd premises to the use of the sd John Smyth. ... "The sd John Smyth being so seised enfeoffed thereof Tho Crumwell, John Bylsdon, Rd Ryche, Guy Crafforde, Wm Gynkes, Rd Holte, John Bodnam, & John Stuk'ey: to hold to them and their heirs to the use of the sd John Smyth & Joan his wife, & the heirs of the sd John Smyth for ever" (Abstracts of IPM relating to the City of London returned into the Court of Chancery: Part I, I Henry VIII to 3 Eliz, 1485-1561 (124 Chancery Lane: British Record Society, Ltd., 1896). Hereinafter cited as London IPM 1.). Died in 1538. Probate on 8 Oct 1538 Wiltshire PCC 21 Dyngeley (Squibb, Visitation Pedigrees.). 1

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MY FAMILY TREE :Information about John Smythe

John Smythe (b. 1490, d. 1538)

John Smythe (son of Richard Smyth and Isabella R Smyth) was born 1490 in Cosham Wiltshire England, and died 1538 in Wiltshire England.He married Joan Brouker on 1518, daughter of Robert William Brouker and Ursula Gouldinge.

Children of John Smythe and Joan Brouker are:

+William Smith, b. 1532, Stratford Warwick, d. 1578, Worcester Cathed, Worcester Worcestershire England.

NOTE: As stated at beginning of this profiles this son is incorrect

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From Stirnet's Smith01 page (membership required to view without interruption): "Visitation inserts an additional generation before the following <this> John, another John (m. Alice), but does so in brackets noting that this was 'From Somerset's copy, in later hand'. It does so also for the next John's wife, naming her Agnes Branker (sic)."

This John appears to be the same person as his half-brother Richards.

Date and place of birth have been (erroneously?) reported to be the following:

• 1495 at Corsham, Wiltshire, England
• circa 1500 at an unspecified location

High Sheriff of Essex?

Stirnet's page which is based on:

• the "Smythe of Strangford and Penshurst" section in the Addendum of the 1883 edition of "Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire"
• the "Smith" section of the 1619 Visitation to Kent
• the "Strangford" section of "The Complete Peerage" (AKA "A History of the House of Lords and all its Members from the Earliest Times")

links

• Sir Thomas Smythe or Smith (c.1558 – 4 September 1625)
• Updated from WikiTree Genealogy via daughter Johanna Harris (born Smythe) by SmartCopy: May 18 2015, 22:32:39 UTC Eight children are mentioned in John Smythe's will in 1538:

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https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LVD3-B6C/john-smythe-1490-1538

John Smythe was born about 1490, in Corsham, Wiltshire, England as the son of Robert Smyth and Agnes. He married Joan Brounker about 1521, in Wiltshire, England. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 2 daughters. In 1538, at the age of 49, his occupation is listed as clothier in Corsham, Wiltshire, England. He died in 1538, in his hometown, at the age of 49, and was buried in Corsham, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom.

Children (7)

• John Smythe 1522–1570 • Male
• Thomas Smythe 1522–1591 • Male
• Henry Smythe –Deceased • Male
• Jane Smythe 1530–Deceased • Female
• Robert Smythe 1530–Deceased • Male
• Richard Smythe 1532–1573 • Male
• Elizabeth Smythe 1535–1598 • Female