John Stoodley, Gent. of Marshwood

Simon Hoyt (d 1657), son of Michael Hoyt of West Hatch, Somerset, England, married on 11/4/1617 in Marshwood, Dorset, England to Jone Stoodlie (2/8/1596-1630), daughter of John and possibly Dorothie Stoodley, and baptized in Marshwood

http://studylib.net/doc/7369067/w---faulkner-family-history

A John Stoodley married in Broadwindsor on 2nd May 1582. The original record of the event was presumably written on paper for the record which now exists was clearly copied at a later stage in compliance with the requirements of the 1598 Act that parish records should be recorded on parchment. Unfortunately the scribe saw fit not to enter the wife’s surname, only her Christian name which was Maria. This reluctance to include information about the wife & mother extended to the baptisms of their children but it is reasonable to conclude that the six children baptised between 1583 & 1597 were theirs. The person transcribing the original registers suffered the same problems as those who transcribe today; he didn’t always get it right.

One of their children was Tristram baptised in 1586 which the scribe read as “Andrew” This is most likely an error for Andrew is not a name that occurs in the Stoodleys but Tristram most certainly does. And at that time.

Of their children Alice married Thomas Mantell in 1626 in Broadwindsor. Mantell is a name which recurs on various documents pertaining to the early Stoodleys. Catherine married William Gibbes in 1617. Ann died young in 1584, christened one day & buried the next. Tristram(586) (Andrew) married twice, first wife to Jane Buke in 1609 by whom he had seven children, the eldest being Tristram and the youngest being Agnes baptised in 1621.

No record has been found of the death of his wife. However in 1630 Tristram married again, this time to Alice Langley by whom he had a further six children. Christian & Ruth died as babies. Confirmation of his two families can be found in his will (W5) drawn up on 5th April 1661 & proved on 17th March 1661. The Old Style calendar of those days started on 25th March. He describes himself as a yeoman. He left small amounts to his sons Tristram(609) & Matthew(618) & daughters Emma & Jane from his first marriage. The children from his second marriage fared better. To Samuel he left £20 & his coverlet looms whilst Nathaniel, aged 19 years, received half his house, garden & shop & a “pair of woollen looms”. So he had a second string to his bow, he was also a weaver.

His daughters Mary & Alice received money & furniture.

The executor of his will was a Jonathan Stoodley with no reference to any relationship. This might possibly be the Jonathan, son of John & Tomasin baptised in 1634 in Broadwindsor. Tristram did have a brother John (583) and so Jonathan would be his nephew. Jonathan also appears in the 1662 Hearth Tax for Broadwindsor. A witness of Tristram’s will was “Giles Stoodley gent”. This would be his first cousin Gile s(598), son of his uncle Giles(570)

The eldest son of Tristram(586) was Tristram(609). He married Elizabeth Turner in 1636 in Marshwood. Likely therefore that his wife’s family came from Marshwood. They had a family of seven children including four daughters. Rather sadly their son Thomas whose baptism has not been found, died in 1672. He was young and unmarried but left a will (W9) proved in 1673. He was a yeoman’ specifically of Monkwood in Marshwood. His will enables his family to be positively identified. Thus he refers to his grandfather Thomas Turner, his four sisters, his aunt Emme Heighcock (Hitchcock) and his father Tristram. He does not mention his brother Tristram(640) for he had died in 1668, five years previously.

Most unusually he left certain “grounds” to his father Tristram “after the decease of my grandfather Thomas Turner during the life of Thomas Hellier”.

Tristram(609) drew up a will(W11) in December 1676 which was proved in April 1677. He was a yeoman of Monkwood in Marshwood. He mentions his sisters Emme & Joan and his daughter Joan Cox. His daughters Dorothy, Alice & Mary he made his executors. He also included a codicil to the effect that after his death his five(!) daughters should agree together to sell his lands and divide the proceeds between them.

His wishes were granted in 1680 as shown by a deed of 1680 (D6) By this his property in Marshwood and Stoke Abbott was sold by his four married daughters, Joan Cox, Elizabeth Cox, Dorothy Hext & Mary Crow and the proceeds divided between their husbands! There was no mention of Alice. It is a pity that these lands were not fully described. It is however quite likely they were those allocated in 1602 to “Tristram(530)” and his son & heir “John the younger”

Matthew(618) Stoodley was another of the sons of Tristram(586). His marriage is not recorded but it must have occurred about 1652 for in the baptismal register there is a Matthew being baptised in 1653, son of Matthew & Joan. He appears in the Broadwindsor Hearth Tax in 1662. He was buried 3rd September 1689.

By his will (W16) drawn up in 1685 he was a yeoman of Broadwindsor. He left:
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To sons John & Tristram his “long lease at Broadwindsor”.

To Tristram “half lease of Lews on Hill, Hill Close, Furzey Close & Knap close, gardens & house with contents”

To John “part of the long lease at Over Downe Way & Nether Downe Way” & the residue.

Probate was granted 24th November 1689 to “Matthew Stoodley, coverlet maker of Powerstock

Unfortunately his son John died only two months later on 5th November 1689 without himself making a will. Some chaos must have resulted. Powers of Administration (W15) were granted on 20th November 1689 to his brother Matthew(653), coverlet maker of Powerstock who was bound together with James Rider, rug maker of Broadwindsor and Tristram Stoodley, coverlet maker of Broadwindsor. This latter Tristram(669) was also his brother.

Matthew(653) married Margery Cooper in Powerstock on 26th May 1684. Shortly afterwards they had a daughter Mary. Tragedy then struck this unfortunate family once again for Matthew died, intestate, and was buried on 26th July 1695, only six years later to be followed one month later on August 29th by his wife Margery.

One suspects that the cause was one of the virulent diseases of the time, cholera or smallpox spring to mind. This left an orphan daughter Mary just eleven years old. Mary, presumably an only child, then inherited all the goods & chattels of her father & mother. Being only eleven years old a guardian was officially appointed to look after her welfare & her property until she reached 21 years of age. This was her uncle Tristram(669) who was unmarried at the time. Indeed it was not until 22nd March 1698 that he married Mary Notton in Broadwindsor. They then went on to have nine children. What became of young Mary is not known but one does have a nasty feeling that the death & burial recorded in the Broadwindsor Register in 1699 just might be her.