Millicent Smith

Daughter of Robert Laingham, second wife of John Carrington als. Smith.

"She brought him part of the Manor of Rivenhall, Essex."

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"A mural monument in Cressing Temple Church, to Anne, the wife of Henry Smith, Esq. Henry Smith came from the old family of Carington. John Carington, Dugdale says, "was bred up in Gascoigne under Sir Thomas Neville, in the service of Richard II., and after the decease of his elder brother Edmund, 1397, returned to England, still in the service of the King' but on deposal of Richard II. by Henry of Lancaster, being constrained to flee into France, after one year in Paris served in Italy, and then went to Brabant, where he met two English Friars going to Rome, who informed him that his cousin, William Curson, was now Abbot of St. Osithe's, whereupon he hasted by Amsterdam to Ipswich in 1404, he thence sped to St. Osithe's, when changing his name to Smyth, made himself known to the Abbot, was by him courteously entertained and advanced with good means." He was buried at Rivenhall, 1446. By his second wife MILICENT, daughter of Robert Laynham, he had besides other children, Hugh, of Cressing Temple."

(The Ancient Sepulchral Monuments of Essex: a Record of Interesting Tombs in Essex Churches, and Some Account of the Persons and Families Connected with Them (1890), Chancellor, Frederic.)

From http://users.skynet.be/lancaster/Dorothy%20Burlingham%20Ancestry.ht...

John Smith's second wife was said to be Milicent Laynham from a family spelled variously as Lenham, Lainham, Layneham and so on, which is also the name of a small manor near Cressing and Rivenhall. The visitations name their arms as quarterly argent and sable, in first quarter a fleur-de-lis gules, and fourth quarter an ermine spot.
Milicent's father was said to be Robert Laynham.

Milicent's mother was said to be Alice or Alison Hende, daughter of John Hende, Sheriff of London in 1381 and Lord mayor of London in 1391 and 1404. This mayor died 1 August 1418 and was buried at Bradwell by Coggeshall, just in this area. Coppinger is not the one who added these details this time. And indeed as Round notes, the Smiths did later make a claim on Hende's estates.

According to the traditional account, using the visitation for example, John Smith and Millicent had the following children (boys first, then girls, as often in the pedigrees): Thomas Smith was eldest, and we will deal with him next.

• A Thomas Smith starts appearing about 1412 and in 1424 (WARD 2/60A/240/20) he is described as a son of John Smith of Cressing. From about 1435 (for example DL 25/999/766) Thomas Smith "of Rivenhall" starts to appear.
• Robart Smith, second son. The visitation says he had issue. Already in 1432-33 we see mention of a John son of Robert Smyth involved with lands in Terling (C 1/12/164, C 1/10/171). C 1/223/53 of 1493-1500 concerns John, son and heir of Robert Smyth, of White Notley, plaintiff against John Cheseman, late of Witham, husband of Elizabeth, executrix and late the wife of Hugh Smyth. It involves deeds relating to a messuage called Wodewardes and land in White Notley, purchased by the said Hugh Smyth from Robert Rolchestre. C 1/223/54 from the same period has the same subject and plaintiff but the defendent is Robert Rolchestre. Robert Rochester, who I think must be the same person, was son to one of the Writtle daughters (mother unclear) who are therefore connected to inheritances disputes concerning the Hendes.
• Hugh Smith, third son, is the only one apart from Thomas who Coppinger deals with. Indeed Hugh's descendents are his focus. One of Hugh's sons was Sir John Smith, Baron of the Exchequer. J. Horace Round points out (and Coppinger admits it in places) that actually this other John bore different arms to those that his family used from the 1600s on (the peacock one at the head of this Smith section) apparently indicating that they had no arms at all before him. The arms granted to him (as new arms) were argent, on a chevon sable 6 fleurs-de-lis or, on a chief of the second, a lion passant of the first. It is doubted that this Smith family had any arms before him, so the peacock arms normally associated with this family are apparently a 17th century fraud which became accepted. As noted under his brother Robart, the wife of Hugh was named Elizabeth, and she re-married to John Cheseman. Round accepts the will reproduced by Copinger as real. It was dated the 12 March, 1486, was proved before 23 May, 1486. It leaves Rivenhall to his John Smith, son of his brother Thomas. He also mentions living brothers, Robert, Edward and John.
• John Smith. 4th son. The visitation says he also had issue. Not dealt with by Coppinger, but I can add: About 1433 (C 1/39/146) John Smith, of Staines, son of John, brother of Edmund Smyth is complaining about a messuage in Terling. In 1457 a John Smith of Cressing witnesses a deed involving both John Hende and Roger Hamond of Little Baddow (D/DPo/T16/3). (This would have had to be a son of John Hende the mayor who had died 1418.) In 1477 or 1478 (DL 25/1008) a John Smith of Cressing makes a "Grant of land, etc., in Cressing called 'Turnorys', late of Robert Leynham of Rivenhall". 1479 (D/DXa 9) and 1495 (D/DXa 11) there is mention of John Smith of Cressing and his brother Hugh Smith who apparently held land in Rivenhall.
• Christopher Smith, 4th son, only appears in the visitation that I have seen so far.
• Jayne Smith married Mr. Edmondes of Rivenhall
• Margaret Smith married Mr. Wightbread

References

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Dec 19 2016, 1:52:29 UTC
• 'Lady Eleanor Talbot's Other Husband: Sir Thomas Butler, Heir of Sudeley, and his Family' (The Ricardian, Volume XIV, 2004, pp. 62-81): by John Ashdown-Hill PDF