Thomas Seaman, Esq., of Heigham

Biography

Thomas⁵ SEAMAN, Esq. (William⁴, John³, John², John¹) was born on 6 Jan 1632 in Mendlesham, Suffolk, England. He died on 18 Aug 1700 in Heighman, Norfolk, England, and was buried in St Bartholomew Church, Heighman, England.[1]

Sir Peter SEAMAN (see p. 282) bought the lease of the manor and estate, &c. of Mr. Holl; and Thomas Seaman, Esq. about 1720, sold or mortgaged it to Sir John Blount, Bart. upon his purchasing Beeston by Norwich.[2]

There is a mural monument for Tho. Seaman, Esq. who died in 1700. His arms and those of Copland, are impaled, viz. arg. two fesses and a canton gul, a bend az.[2]

Thomas SEAMAN of Heigham, Esq. some time sheriff of Norfolk, and also some time Sheriff of the City of Norwich, married Eliz. daughter of John Copland of Yoxford in Suffolk Gent. and had six sons and four daughters, died Aug. 18, 1700, aet. 68.[2]

Marriage

Thomas Seaman of Heigham, Esquire, married Elizabeth, the daughter of John Copland of Yoxford, Suffolk, Gentleman.[2]

Issues

Thomas Seaman and Elizabeth Copland had six sons and four daughters as follows:

1. Peter Seaman (abt. 1662 - 1715), beer brewer, admitted as the son of Thomas in 1694, was Sheriff in 1699, Mayor in 1707, Colonel of the City Company in 1709, and High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1710. He was knighted on presenting an address in 1711 and was buried in St. Gregory's, in January 1715, aged 53.[3] He married Johanna Framlingham, the daughter of Henry and Bridget Framlingham,[3][4] and they had an only son, Thomas Seaman, who sold the lease of the Manor of Heigham (which his father or grandfather had bought of the Holls) about 1720 (Blom. Norf., iv., p. 508) and died 13th October 1724, aged 31, and two daughters.[5]
2. Thomas Seaman (abt. 1663 - 1740) married Mary Norris, the daughter of Jeremy Norris, Esquire. He died on 10 February 1740, aged 77.[6]
3. Frances Seaman, the wife to Thomas Vere, Esquire, and the sister to Sir Peter Seaman, was interred in the vault on 20 April 1729, at St. Gregory's Church in Norwich, England.[3]
4. Elizabeth Seman, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Seman, was baptized on 7 June 1674 in St. Gregory's Church, in Norwich, England.[7] She died on 28 June 1674 and was buried at St. Gregory's Church in Norwich, England.[7]
5. Mary Seman, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Seman, was baptized on 24 October 1675, at St. Gregory's Church in Norwich, England.[7] She died on 11 November 1677 and was buried at St. Gregory's Church in Norwich, England.[8]
6. Robert Seaman, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Seaman, was baptized at St Gregory, Norwich on 11 February 1677.[9]

Will

Mr. Thomas Seaman, by will, dated August 10th, 1700, settled his closes lying between St. Giles and St. Stephen's gates, containing nine acres, called Crabtree or Claypit closes, to pay 5l. clear of all taxes yearly, and gave 200l. with which an estate in Heigham was purchased, to find 10l. yearly; the former to bind out two girls yearly, paying 50s. each, and the latter to bind out two boys yearly, paying 5l. each, from the parishes of Heigham, St. Benedict, St. Swithin, and St. Margaret, so that every year each parish hath a child bound out, and alternately a boy one year and a girl the next.[10]

Burial

At St. Bartholomew, in Heigham, a tablet on the south wall of the chancel, with colored shield showed a barry wavy of six argent and azure, at the fesse point a crescent gules, Seaman.[6]

"Sacred to the memory of Thomas Seaman, Esqre, who departed this life in ye year of our Lord 1700, aged 68, and lies interred under the stone near this place; and also to the memory of Mr Thos Seaman, second son of the said Thos Seaman, He married Mary the daughter of Jeremy Norris, Esqr, He died Feby the 10th, 1740, aged 77."[6]

Also, a slab at the west end of the nave showed Seaman, impaling, two bars, over a bend (Copland, argent, two bars and a canton gules, over all a bend azure- Bl. Norf. iv. 508. Crest: Seaman.[11]

For, "Thomas Seaman of Heigham, Esqre, Sheriff of ye co. of Norfolk and Citty of Norwich. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Copland of Yoxford, co. Suffolk, Gent. He had six sons and four daughters, and died August 18th 1700, in his 68th year."[11]

St. Bartholomew parish church was destroyed by the bombardment in 1942.

Research Note

DISPROVEN:

• Thomas Seaman of Heigham was not the father of Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts.

The burial record shows that Thomas Seaman had a second son named Thomas Seaman who married Mary Norris, daughter of Jeremy Norris, and he died on February 10, 1740. It is elucidating that his son, Thomas Seaman, who died in 1740, is not identical to Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts, and they are two different men, therefore, Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts is not the son of Thomas Seaman of Heigham, England.

Sources

1. Seaman, Lynne C. The Seaman Family Chronicles: Including the Families of Churchill and Jennings. California: publisher not identified, 2006, p. 70.

2. Blomefield, Francis, and Charles Parkin. An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Containing a Description of the Towns, Villages, and Hamlets, with the Foundations of Monasteries, Churches, Chapels, Chantries, and Other Religious Buildings. London: Printed for W. Miller, 1805, p. 508.

3. Blomefield, Francis, and Charles Parkin. An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Containing a Description of the Towns, Villages, and Hamlets, with the Foundations of Monasteries, Churches, Chapels, Chantries, and Other Religious Buildings. London: Printed for W. Miller, 1805, p. 282.

4. Blomefield, Francis. "Eynford Hundred: Twyford." An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 8. London: W Miller, 1808. 282-285. British History Online. Web. 24 August 2017. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol8/pp.... Text: "Sacred to the memory of Henry Framingham, Esq. who by his last will, gave 1000l. to endow an hospital for ten poor men in Lynn Regis, of which town he was twice mayor, as he was also high sheriff of the county of Norfolk: he departed this life November 29, 1710, in the 73 year of his age: Here also lyeth the body of Bridget his wife, who died March 2, 1712, aged 78. This monument was erected by Dame Johanna Seaman, wife of Sir Peter Seaman, only child and heir to her father".

5. Historical Manuscripts Commission. Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, Volume 10, Issue 2, "Report on the Manuscripts of the Family of Gawdy, formerly of Norfolk." London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1885, p. 54.

6. Farrer, Edmund. The Church Heraldry of Norfolk: A Description of All Coats of Arms on Brasses, Monuments, Slabs, Hatchments, &c., Now to Be Found in the County. Illustrated. with References to Blomefield's History of Norfolk and Burke's Armory. Together with Notes from the Inscriptions Attached. Norwich: A.H. Goose and Co, 1887, p. 130.

7. Crisp, Frederick A. Fragmenta Genealogica, Vol. 1. London: Printed at The Private Press of Frederick Arthur Crisp, 1889, p. 45.

8. Crisp, Frederick A. Fragmenta Genealogica, Vol. 1. London: Printed at The Private Press of Frederick Arthur Crisp, 1889, p. 46.

9. Transcription of parish record held by Norfolk Family History Society.

10. Chambers, John. A General History of the County of Norfolk: Intended to Convey All the Information of a Norfolk Tour, with the More Extended Details of Antiquarian, Statistical, Pictorial, Architectural, and Miscellaneous Information; Including Biographical Notices, Original and Selected. Norwich: Printed by and for J. Stacy, 1829.

11. Farrer, Edmund. The Church Heraldry of Norfolk: A Description of All Coats of Arms on Brasses, Monuments, Slabs, Hatchments, &c., Now to Be Found in the County. Illustrated. with References to Blomefield's History of Norfolk and Burke's Armory. Together with Notes from the Inscriptions Attached. Norwich: A.H. Goose and Co, 1887, p. 131-132.