Sir Thomas Vachell, Kt.

The Vachels were one of Reading's leading families since 1261. Sir Thomas Vachel was Reading's Member of Parliament from 1529 onwards. In 1634 another Thomas Vachel commissioned some Almshouses in St Mary's Butts. By 1867 the houses were nearing the end of their lives. The site was closed and the proceeds, along with other charities money's were put in a fund for the development of the Almshouses in Castle Street. The were named after the original benefactor, they were designed by William Henry Woodman & were modernised in 1960-62. They are Grade 11-listed buildings and the plaque from the original Almshouses in displayed on them.

This Thomas Vachel was the nephew of Thomas Vechel of Coley Park, Reading and apparently inherited the estate when he was a man of 50 years of age in 1610. Also in 1610 he was Sheriff of Berkshire and was knighted. A regular visitor to Vachel house at Coley Park was Sir Thomas's good friend Oliver Cromwell, at this point a minor player in Parliament.

Marriages:

Sir Thomas first married Alice Brook in 1590 then circa 1600 remarried Sarah Lane. HIs third wife was to Lettice or Letticia Knollys on 23 September 1616 at St. Laurence Church, Reading. She was the daughter of Sir Francis Knollys and his wife Lettice Barrett.

Death

With no issue to inherit the Coley Estate Sir Thomas persuaded his nephew Tanfield Vachel to move in, with conditions to Coley Park on his death which occurred in 1638. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Reading where he'd previously endowed with a font which features the Vachell Coat of Arms. Although buried on 20th July there was a "prestigious funeral" held for Sir Thomas on 30th August 1638.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Vachell-9

Thomas was born about 1568. He was the son of Walter Vachell.
Sir Thomas Vachell made his Will on 7th January 1634/5 [1]and he died in July 1638. He was buried at St Mary's Church Reading on 20th July 1638.
In his Will Thomas makes bequests to :

his loving wife Dame Lettice Vachell

his nephew Tanfeild Vachell (the son of his brother John Vachell and his wife Marie Clement)

his niece Elizabeth Thisthlethaite (the daughter of his brother John Vachell and his wife Marie Clement)

the 'unmarried daughter of his brother Francis Vachell by his first wife' (the first wife of Francis Vachell was Anne Tanfield - the only daughter found so far for them is Dorothye baptised 1606 at Gayton)

his nephew Barnard Cliffe of Weston

A further 'Great' or 'Solemn' funeral was held on 30th August 1638 - details of the participants and proceedings recorded in Rawlinson MS., B138 folio 30 in the Bodleian Library [2]

Sources
↑ https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D876496; PROB 11/178/36; Will of Sir Thomas Vachell of Coley, Berkshire; Date: 05 October 1638
↑ https://archive.org/details/quarterlyjourna00ditcgoog/page/n60/mode...
The Four Visitations of Berkshire Page 136: Vachell of Coley

According to Ullingswick Herefordshire Thomas Vachell or Vatchell was married 3 times: Alice Brooke (daughter and co-heir of Hugh Brooke) in 1590

Sarah Lane in 1600

Lettice Knollys in 1616

The marriage to Alice is also shown in On the Manorial History of Clifton by Alfred S. Ellis, 1878 Pg 221 and 231 and The Four Visitations of Berkshire Page 136: Vachell of Coley