Thomas Appleton

  That son, THOMAS A. APPULTON (1442 - 1507), was born in Waldingfield Parva, England. From HARLEIAN MS. 1196, fol. 167a: "Thomas Appulto~ obijt 1507, 2 filius." Also, in margin: "Orate pro anima Thome Appulto~ natyve de waldingfild maga qui Thomas ab [hac] luce migravit Anno Dn~i 1507, 4 die mensis octubris."

  He married MARGARET CRANE of Stoneham, England (daughter of ROBERT CRANE—the family was found in Suffolk where they were seated from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.)

  The Crane family of Little Stonham and Chilton, co. Suffolk, entered a pedigree in the visitation of Suffolk of 1561, but the Appleton-Crane marriage does not appear in it. In another pedigree, Margery Crane is placed as only daughter and eventual heiress of Robert Crane by his wife ANNE (OGARD), Lady Arundel. By the will of her husband, Thomas Appleton, however, we know that Margery had a sister, the Abbess of Bruisyard, and in this pedigree "Elizabeth, 3 dau., a nun at Brusyard" is placed as daughter of a senior Robert Crane, the father of the man who married Lady Arundel. That Margery (Crane) Appleton was in fact the daughter of the senior Robert Crane and sister of the younger Robert is fully proved by the latter's will of August 4, 1500, in which he leaves "to my suster Appulton my Releqwikis aboute my nek,: which must have been holy objects in a little case, and appoints "my brother Thomas Appulton gentleman" executor. The inquest on the estate of the younger Robert Crane, taken in 1501, states that "he died without heir of his body begotten," and in her will of 1508 his widow, Anne, Lady Arundell, names Arundell children but no Crane children. Finally, the inquest shows that Robert Crane and Lady Arundell were not married until 1477, when Margery Crane must long have been Thomas Appleton's wife. 

  "Thomas Appullton of Little Waldyngfeld in the diocese of Norwich" made his will on January 20, 1504/5. He directed that he be buried in the church of St. Lawrence in Waldyngfeld, near his wife, and that a priest should sing for four years for him, his father and mother, his wife, his kinsfolk and his benefactors. To the church he gave a vestment "of such coor and price as shall be thought metely and convenient." To the nuns of Malling, L4 in four years for masses to be said on the day of his obit. To Dame Anne, his daughter (a nun), 13s. 4d. yearly out of the lands and tenements in Kersey, Grotton and other towns which he had given to his son William Appulton. To his son Gilbert Appulton, seven horses with the plow and cart and all the harness thereunto belonging, eight kine, a mass book with a challis, altar cloths and vestments. To his son the parson of Laneham (Lavenham), his gilt cup with the covering and his best salt. To Robert Appulton, his other salt of silver. To his son William Appulton, his flat piece of silver and the covering to the same. To Robert Appulton, three goblets of silver and a standing mazer. His napery, bedding and all other household stuff were to be divided between his son Robert and his (Robert's) brother Richard. Whoever had his manor of Holbrook should have his farm of Branston Hall for "myn yers" (that is, the remaining years of his leasehold). William Appulton was to have the plate and jewels which he had given to his mother, that is, a ducat of gold of the value of 46s., a ring of ducat gold after the fashion of a hoop, a flat piece of silver whereof the brim be gilt, a maser "that I drynk of daiely" and a new long carpet that he sent his mother. "And thies ben the Jewells that I and his moder geve him"—a ring with a blue stone that the Abbess of Brassyard (Bruisyard) her sister gave her at the time of her decease, and half a dozen silver spoons with great gilt knobs on the end of every spoon that he did make for his mother. The residue to his executors, toward the mending of the highway leading from his manor of Holbrook to the well. Executors: his sister Margaret Spryng, his son Thomas Appulton, parson of Laneham, and his son William Appulton, Supervisor: his nephew Thomas Spryng, to whom, for a remembrance, a signet of gold graven with St. John's head. Proved February 9, 1508.

  Margery died 4 Nov 1504 (From HARLEIAN MS. 1196, fol. 167a: "Margeria [Crane] sola filia et heres." Also, separately: "Orate p. an~a Margerie Appulto~ que obijt 4. die novembris Anno Dn~i 1504, cuius anime ppitietur Deus.), and Thomas on October 4, 1507, according to the inscription formerly on a stone in Little Waldingfield church, asking the reader to pray for their souls. According to the inquisitio post mortem taken on his estate in 23 Henry VII (about 1508), his manors of Holbrook and Branston Hall and other lands passed to his son Robert Appleton, aged 30. Here are all of their known children: