William Skydmore, of Ballingham and Upton Bishop

Berry, Brian J. L., "Was Mary French a Scudamore?", in The Shapely Connection, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Oct. 1992), pp. 66, 79-81:

Mary Scudamore's father was William Scudamore, born 1540 in Ballingham, Co. Hereford, the second son of William Scudamore and Mary Burghill. After William died Mary married, second, John Guillim of Fawley Court in Fownhope, Co. Hereford, bearing him several children of whom the oldest was Thomas who d.s.p. in 1604. . . .

William Scudamore was the first of his family to settle at Upton Bishop, acquiring Coldborough, now Coldborough Park, but also known as Cawborough. At this time the Rudhall family were hereditary Lords of Manor of Bishop's Upton, Bayton and Gayton. Skidmore says of William that he was "born 1540, of Upton Bishop, Herefordshire. On 3 March 1561/2 this William Scudamore (called 'late of Ballingham') conveyed to the use of his elder brother John a part of their father's lands in Wormelow Hundred, and on 6 December 1566 he gave a further release for the whole of his interest. He was the first of his name to settle at Upton Bishop where he purchased Tedgewood Farm (sold soon after his death for the benefit of his minor children). Tedgewood, about ¾ mile east of the church, is a fine timber-framed house of the early 16th century which still survives.

He married Margery (who married 2ndly by 1600 Anthony Caple of How Caple, Herefordshire; he was dead in 1622) daughter of Richard Lechmere of Lechmere Place, Hanley Castle, Worcestershire (see Burke's Peerage, Lechmere, Bt.), and was burined at Upton Bishop on 2 December 1598. The admin on his estate was granted to Thomas Lechmere of Fownhope Court and to Thomas Guillim of Fawley, two of the uncles of his minor children. Margery Caple was living a widow at Gloucester in 1636 when the will of her son William gave her an annuity of £10 and enough very good black cloth to make a mourning gown. Had issue, of whom five survived at his death,

1. Walter, eldest son, died unmarried according to Mayes' Visitation of Gloucestershire taken in 1682/3.

2. Gilbert, eldest surviving son, baptized 12 September 1588. He did homage for his father's land at a court held for Upton Bishop on 20 April 1599. He travelled beyond the seas where he died about 1609.

3. Robert, baptized 26 July 1590, died young.

4. William, born 1591, succeeded his brother.

5. Thomas, baptized 1 August 1593.

6. Mary. She married _____ French 'of Boston in New England' according to Mayes Visitation. She and her children are remembered in the will of their uncle William Scudamore in 1636. (She is frequently said to have married Thomas French (born 1608, died 1680) of Ipswich, Essex County of Massachusetts, and to have died his widow on 8 May 1681 at Ipswich. If this should be so she would have been several years younger (sic) than her husband and would have been approaching 90 years of age at her death. This identification, for which no proof has yet been found, is to be received with considerable caution.]" . . .

When William Scudamore died (he was buried 2 Dec. 1598 at Upton Bishop) Thomas Lechmere of Fownhope Court (Margery's brother) and Thomas Guillim of Fawley (William Scudamore's half-brother) were appointed administrators of his estate. As noted, Thomas Lechmere died in 1605 [1604?], while Thomas Guillim d.s.p. in 1604.