John Foote
Heather’s
12th great grandfather
John Foote was
born about 1523 in Royston, Hertfordshire, England. He married Helen Warren in
1548 in Hertfordshire, England. They had four children during their marriage, including my ancestor Robert Foote. John died in 1558 at the young age of 35, assuming he was born in 1523. He left a
will, so it is possible that he was ill. The will is undated, but was probated
18 Jul 1558. His parentage is unknown, both according to the Foote Family
Association and NEHGS.
He owned a
small manor house along with some land in the town of Royston, according to the
Foote Family Association.
His will
indicates that his occupation was tallow chandler.
Extract from
his will:
His will revealed that he had
a wife named Helen, sons Robert and John, and daughters Aves or Avis (Alice) and
Elizabeth.
The will also eluded to the testator's brother Foote, first name not stated and his two older children.
He left to the church of Royston, 20s;
To wife Helen, all lands and tenements in Royston for life; and L80 to be divided among all the children;
To servant Maud Smythe L6/13/4 to her marriage;
L3 that my brother Foot oweth to his two eldest children;
To wife's brother Richard Warren the younger and to her uncle John Jenawaye of Stoone, 40s each;
To wife the rest;
To son Robert a goblet, feather bed and bedding;
To son John Foot a silver salt, feather bed and bedding;
To Aves Foote and Elizabeth Foote, daughters, each three of the best spoons, bed and bedding;
All the remainder to wife named executrix.
Witness
William Meede, citizen and grocer of London;
John Jenaway,
Nicholas Warreyn of Bassingbourn
Richard Warreyn of Bassingbourn.
The will also eluded to the testator's brother Foote, first name not stated and his two older children.
He left to the church of Royston, 20s;
To wife Helen, all lands and tenements in Royston for life; and L80 to be divided among all the children;
To servant Maud Smythe L6/13/4 to her marriage;
L3 that my brother Foot oweth to his two eldest children;
To wife's brother Richard Warren the younger and to her uncle John Jenawaye of Stoone, 40s each;
To wife the rest;
To son Robert a goblet, feather bed and bedding;
To son John Foot a silver salt, feather bed and bedding;
To Aves Foote and Elizabeth Foote, daughters, each three of the best spoons, bed and bedding;
All the remainder to wife named executrix.
Witness
William Meede, citizen and grocer of London;
John Jenaway,
Nicholas Warreyn of Bassingbourn
Richard Warreyn of Bassingbourn.
There is also
no evidence of the existence of the alleged James Foote who allegedly received the award. Sorry!
2 comments:
Yay! Thank you for debunking the fake Foote family coat of arms myth, first time I've seen that in print! I'm a fellow descendant of Nathaniel the settler and the next two descendants of Nathaniels, but I can't join the Foote Family Association until they stop propagating this stuff.
Lots of New Englanders searching for their roots in the late 1800s had no knowledge of British history or how the Puritans were treated by King James and by his son King Charles (the one who was beheaded during the English Civil War). And, as you note, there's no known connection to a James Foote who might have been rewarded with a knighthood by a king in the 16th or 17th century.
I'd love to exchange information about early Foote genealogy -- I've been to the Eastcheap area in London, and to Shalford in Essex, and nearby Wethersfield. I've found fascinating documentation on the Puritan connections of Nathaniel (1592-1644) and his father Robert, who actually left London in the late 1570's to live in the backwater village of Shalford, so that he could attend the powerful lectures of the great Puritan preacher Richard Rogers in nearby Wethersfield. (You may know this name from Robert's will; see his bio on Wikipedia for his role in the late Elizabethan period and early years of King James).
I'm sorry I'm just now seeing your comment...I was traveling in March and I must have missed it then...thanks for validating my research. I try so hard to be evidence-based although for the most part I am limited to evidence that I can find online.
I'm envious of you for having traveled to England. You walked in their footsteps and it sounds like you've found even more evidence. Thanks for filling in more of the story. I added a link to the Richard Rogers bio on Wikipedia.
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