William Curtis, of Nazeing

• Disputed Origins
• Alleged parents John Curtis & Elizabeth Wells have no known factual basis. The parish registers do not support their existence or relationship. Evidence needed to support William Curtis, of Nazeing as son of John Curtis II of Nazeing and Elizabeth Curtis
• I show William Curtis, of Nazeing is the son of John Thomas Curtis ll, born in 1515 in Stanford Rivers, Essex, England & died on 2 December 1607 in Essex, England & Margerie Unknown
• Curtis, William 1539-1585 & Agnes abt 1540 Family Group Sheet Submitted by Lucy E J Thompson
• Christening Record: 9 July 1539 in St Margaret's Church, Stanford Rivers, Essex, England
• Death: before May 17, 1585 in Nazeing, Essex, England (United Kingdom)
• Place of Burial: on May 17, 1585 in All Saints Churchyard, Nazing, Essex, England, United Kingdom.
• William Curtis, of Nazeing Find A Grave Memorial

The Will of William Curtis died 1585

• Original Hand Written Will of William Curtis died 1585
• Typed Copy of The Will of William Curtis, of Nazeing

Family

WILLIAM CURTIS was born about 1640 in Nazeing, Essex, England, and died before May 17, 1585 in Nazeing, essex, England. He married MS AGNES 1555 in Nazing, Essex Co, England. She was born Abt. 1541 in Nazeing, Essex, England, and died July 09, 1585 in Nazeing, Essex County, England.

Children of Agnes and William Curtis:

1. Thomas, eldest son.[3] A Thomas was bapt. at Nazing 25 Aug 1560, and married Mary Camp, 24 Aug 1585.[1]
2. Mary had 2 children in 1585 [3] She married John Read 19 Aug 1582.[1]
3. Edward not yet 21 in 1585[3]
4. The Robert, son of a William, attached is uncertain. He was baptized at Waltham Abbey about 6 miles from Nazeing. He was not listed in William's will.
5. Gabriel not yet 21 in 1585[3]
6. Sara[3]
7. John not yet 21 in 1585[3] A John Curtis was baptized at Nazing 15 Sep 1577, and John Curtyce and Elizabeth Hutchins were married 19 April 1610.[1]

Commissary Court of London; an original will, proved on July 9, 1585.

"In the name of God Amen the 10th day of May in the year of our Lord 1585. I Willm Curtis of ye pish of Nazing in ye county of Essex sick of bodie but of good memorie God have prays do make & ordeyn this my last Will & Tesmt in form following first I bequeath my soule into the hands of All mughtie god beleving to be saved by the death of Jhesus Christe & I yeald my body to the Earth in hope of the resurrection wth the iust in the day. Concerning my wordly good I geve & Bequeath the as followeth. Itm I geve to the poore of the pish of Nazing 20 shillings of lawfull english mony to be distributed unto them at the discrecon of my Executors. Itm I geve & bequeath to Sara Curtis my daughter the sum of ten pounds of lawfull english mony to be payd unto here at the day of her mariadge. Itm I geve & bequeath to Edward Curtis my son 10 pounds of lawfull english mony to be payd unto hym at his adge of 21 year. Itm I geve & bequeath to Gabriell my soon the sum of ten pounds of lawfull english mony to be payd to him in like mannr at his adge of 21 yeares. Itm I geve & Bequeath to John Curtis my yongest soon 20 markes of lawfull english mony to be payd also to him at his adge of 21 yeares. Itm geve to my daughter Mary the sum of forty shillinges of lawfull english mony to be payd unto her wthn two moneths next after my deceasse. Ite my will & mynde is that all these legasies heere before geven shalbe payd out of my moveable goodes wthout the house as Corne cattells grain or any such like thing whatsoever & I will that the overplus of the sayd moveables (these legasies above said being discharged) be equally devyded between Agnes my wife & Thomas Curtis my eldest son excepting out of my sayd bequest two of my best lambes wch I geve to my daughter Maryes two children. Concerning my howsehould stuff I do whollie geve the same to Agnes my wife & I make & ordeyn my said wife and Thomas Curtis my son my Executors to see my will truly fulfilled my debts payd & funeralls discharged. And I desire my good freend goodman Bannister & my brother Geordg Curtis to be oversears of this my laste will & Testmt.

Witnesses John Bannister George Curtis and John Hopkins (recorder) (A Genealogy of the Curtiss-Curtis Family of Stratford, Connecticut - Harlow Dunham Curtis)

STAGGE-PARKER HISTORIES

William Curtis of Nazing, Essex, England 1540-1585 , Nazing, Essex, England

William Curtis: born about 1540 in County Essex, England. He died and was buried 17 May 1585 at Nazing (or Nazeling, Nazeing), Essex, England. He married Agnes _____ about 1559 in Nazing, Essex, England She was born about 1540 at Nazing. She was buried at Nazing, Essex, England 9 July 1585.

Children:

1. Thomas Curtis: born 1560. He was christened at Nazing, Essex, England 25 August 1560. He died 11 December 1631. He was of Nazing, Essex, England. He married twice. His second wife was Mary Gore Shelley who he married 3 July 1596 at Nazing. His son William Curtis emigrated to Roxbury, Massachusetts in the ship Lion (Lyone) from London 22 June 1632 with his family.

2. Mary Curtis: born about 1562 in Nazing, Essex, England. She died after 1585. She married John Read 19 August 1582 in Nazing, Essex, England and had 2 daughters.

3. Edward Curtis: born 1563 Nazing, Essex, England. He died and was buried 13 August 1610, at Waltham Abbey, Essex, England. He married about 1598 Mary ____ at Nazing, Essex, England.

4. Robert Curtis: christened 15 April 1565 in Nazing, Essex, England.

5. Gabriel Curtis: born after 1564-67. He died after 1585. He was of Nazing, Essex, England.

6. Sarah Curtis: born about 1575 Nazing, Essex, England. She died after 1585.

7. John Curtis Sr.: Baptized 15 September 1577, Nazing, Essex, England. He died soon about 1639-40 probably in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He married 16 April 1610 in Nazing, Essex, England Elizabeth Hutchins (or Hutchinson), the daughter of John and Mary Hutchins. Elizabeth Hutchins Curtis was born 1568 in Nazing, Essex, England and died 4 June 1658 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.

Background on the Curtis surname and Nazing, Essex England The Curtis surname is a form of the old French word Courtoisie or Courtois, which means a courteous or refined person. It became a surname in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. It can be spelled Curtiss, Curtesse, Curteis and Curtoys, in addition to several other ways.

The Curtis family originally resided in the village of Nazing or Nazeing, Essex County, England. The name of the village appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it is called Nassinga. Later documents revised the name to Nasingham, Nasing, Nazing and Nazeing. The modern spelling is Nazeing. The village probably existed for a long time before this date and was perhaps the site of a church in the sixth or seventh century. Nazing is on an elevated position in a clearing of Essex Forest, later known as Waltham Forest.

The All Saints Church at Nazing is built on the edge of the hill overlooking both Essex and Hertfordshire with a magnificent view. In part it was built between the year 1060 and 1177 on the site of older churches perhaps dating back to Roman times, with major additions and remodeling in the twelfth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The walls of the church are of flint rubble, faced with brick and dressed with a mixture of clay and lime. The original 15th century roof timbers are original, though repaired and treated over time. The tower dates from the 15th century.

Nearby Waltham Abbey was built in 1030 by Tovi, the Standard Bearer to King Canute the Dane. Later the Abbot of Waltham became Lord of the Manor of Nazeing.

The only burial record older than that of William Curtis below in Nazing is that of “Mother Curtis, November 20 1561. The earliest marriage is that of William Tomson and Marion Curtis 19 May 1561. In nearby Waltham Abbey (or Holy Cross) there are the baptisms of Robert Courteys, the son of William Curteys, 15 April 1565, Jone Courtes, the daughter of George Courtes, 18 July 1568 and Madlyng Cortes, the daughter of George Cortes 16 October 1575. Marriages at Waltham Abbey include early entries for: Thomas Curtes and Alles Anderson, widow 22 April 1577 and John Curtis and Phillip (perhaps Phillipa) Brown, 5 June 1614. Burials at Waltham Abbey include: George Cortes, the son of Wm Cortes, of London, 21 July 1566, Madlyng Cortes, the daughter of George Cortes 4 November 1575.

William Curtis of Nazing, Essex, England The lack of vital records for Nazing, Essex, England prevents the Curtis family from being traced any earlier that William Curtis. Some genealogies give the father of William Curtis as John Curtis (1515-1601) and also give his grandfather’s name as John Curtis. Additional information is needed before I would feel confident adding them to this tree.

Little is known of William Curtis of Nazing except for what is found in his will. The will was written 10 May 1585. He left money to the poor of Nazing Parish. He also bequeathed to his daughter Sara, 10 pounds to be paid on the day of her marriage. To his sons Edward and Gabriel Curtis 10 pounds to be paid when they reach age 21. To his youngest son John he left 20 marks of English money to be paid when he reached age 21. To his daughter Mary he left 40 shillings to be paid within two months of his decease. These monies were to be paid out of his movable goods, “without the house as corne, cattells, grain or any such like thing whatsoever.” Any remainder was to be divided between his wife Agnes and his eldest son Thomas Curtis. To his daughter Mary’s two children he left two of his best lambs. His household stuff he gave to his wife Agnes. Executors were his wife and son Thomas Curtis. Overseers were his good friend Goodman Bannister and his brother George Curtis. Witnessed by John "Bannyster", George Curtis and John Hopkins (writer). The will was probated 9 July 1585.

References

• Curtis, Charles B., “Notes & Queries,” The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 54, Oct 1900, pp. 447-449 (Journal Author, Henry Fitz-Gilbert Waters and the New England Historic Genealogical Society)
• Curtis, Harlow, Dunham, A Genealogy of the Curtiss-Curtis Family of Stratford, Connecticut, a supplement to the 1903 edition, Curtiss-Curtis Society, 1953.
• Curtiss, Frederic Haines, A genealogy of the Curtiss Family, Being a Record of the Descendants of Widow Elizabeth Curtiss, who Settled in Stratford, Connecticut 1639-40. Rockwell and Churchill Press, Boston, 1903
• Cutter, William Richard, Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex
• Doster, Pat, “Descendants of William Curtiss,” Spalding Genealogy, www.spaldinggenealogy.com/Curtis%20Family.htm, 2005
• Jacobus, Donald Lines, M.A. (editor), History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, volume 1, 1930, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Company, p. 704
• Luckow, Chloie Hultine, “Descendants of John Curtis,” familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/l/u/c/Chloie-Luckow-WI/GENE1-0001.html, 2005
• Orcutt, Rev. Samuel, A History of the Old Town of Stratford, and the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Fairfield County Historical Society, 1886. (Map p. 751)
• Walker, S. Curtis, freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~walkersj/Curtis.htm, 2006
• Last Will & Testament of William Curtis of Nazeing, England, http://www.curtis-curtiss.com/
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/i/c/Scott-R-Hickman/WE...
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/e/e/William-R-Meek/PDF...
• http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/rr01/rr01_068.html#P40351
  • 17. John William Linzee, The History of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles of Roxbury, Mass., 1913, Boston, http://archive.org/details/historyofpeterpa00linz.
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Curtis-9 cites
  • 1. Curtiss, Frederic Haines. A genealogy of the Curtiss family : being a record of the descendants of widow Elizabeth Curtiss, who settled in Stratford, Conn., 1639-1640, 1903. Parish records pp xvii+
  • 2. The page was not well scanned and the right edge is missing. Words have been added where they are clear from the context and ____ where they are not clear
  • 3. Curtis, Harlow Dunham. A Genealogy of the Curtiss-Curtis family of Stratford, Connecticut: a supplement to the 1903 edition. 1953. p. vii <Archive.Org>
• A genealogy of the Curtiss family : being a record of the descendants of widow Elizabeth Curtiss, who settled in Stratford, Conn., 1639-1640, by Frederic Haines Curtiss, 1903. pp. xxviii-xxix. Amos Eagle Elliston
• A Genealogy of the Curtiss-Curtis family of Stratford, Connecticut: a supplement to the 1903 edition. Complied by Harlow Dunham Curtis. 1953.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #36262403 (no photo of gravestone): has multiple errors https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36262403
• http://trees.wmgs.org/getperson.php?personID=I40351&tree=Schirado cites
  • John William Linzee, (1913, Boston).