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Thomas Wyncoll
(F)
(1621 - 1675)
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Thomas Wyncoll (F) was
baptised at Bures church on the 5th February, 1621.
This generation is most important and marks an epoch in the family history. Its position in the county was then at its zenith, but, on the death of this ancestor, began to wane, this being brought about by quite an everyday occurrence - a marriage resented by the family. That Thomas Wyncoll was wealthy is undoubted. He was lord of the manors of Twinstead, Netherhall in Little Waldingfield and of Peyton Hall and Ravensfield, and also owned land in Great Henny. I have in my possession a deed dated 17th December, 1657, whereby he sold lands and tenements in Bures Hamlet, called "Coppins," to Grace Bowles, of Mount Bures, widow. He held Court at Twinstead on 17th January, 1654. He was married twice; first, to Mary, eldest daughter of William Cooke, of Broome, Norfolk, esquire, and, secondly to Mary, daughter of Joseph and Bridget Spring, of Shalford, Essex. It is from this second marriage that the present Wyncoll family are descended. By the first marriage there were issue three children -Mary, baptised at Twinstead 27th November, 1653, who became the wife of Edward Golding, of Great Henny, esquire; Isaac, baptised at Twinstead 24th January, 1654, who died without issue on 14th March, 1681, of whom more later on; and Penelope, baptised at Twinstead 22nd August, 1656, and who died an infant "soon after her Mother." |
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Thomas Wyncoll was about 30 years of age and Mary Cooke about 17 when they married. She died on 27th December, 1658, and was buried at Twinstead church and, on my visit in December, 1888, I found, on the wall of the vestry, two brasses (which in Holman's time were "under the Communion Table" on a "fair stone of black marble") the top one bearing the following arms:-
Here lieth interred the body of Mary Wyncoll, the Wife of Thomas Wyncoll Esquire, eldest daughter of William Cooke, of Broome, in ye County of Norf., Esq., and of Mary his wife, one of the daughters of Thomas Astley, of Melton Constable, in ye same County, Esq., who departed this life the 27th day of December, 1658, in the 23rd yeare of her age leaving issue behind her one sonne and 2 daughters, the youngest whereof deceased soon after ye Mother.The vicar, the Rev. T. Myers, has kindly removed them to the north wall, opposite the south porch, beside the other Wyncoll brasses. Thomas Wyncoll evidently remained a widower for three or four years before contracting his second matrimonial alliance. By such marriage, there were issue:- Thomas (G), John, baptised at Twinstead 24th January, 1664, and Katherine, baptised at Twinstead 6th August, 1669. Every endeavour has been made to ascertain who Joseph Spring, of Shalford, was, but the marriage does not appear on those registers, nor are there any entries therein of any Springs at this period; but there are the following entries in the church registers:-
I am inclined to think that Joseph Spring was a member of a younger branch of the celebrated Spring family of Lavenham, who were immensely rich and into which one of the Earls of Oxford married, if for no other reason than to replenish the family coffers, which, about that time, seem to have been in low water. It would appear that Thomas Wyncoll left Twinstead and went to reside at Dedham, Essex, probably about 1669. He is described as of Dedham, in his will, which he made there on 16th December, 1675, only a month previous to his death. We now come to the momentous epoch that this
generation marks in the family fortunes.
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| As before mentioned, three
or four years after the death of his first wife (nee Mary Cooke),
Thomas Wyncoll married Mary Spring. There is evidence that this second
marriage was resented by the two children of the first marriage, for Isaac
Wyncoll, the son, left all his property to his nephew, William Golding,
and made not the slightest reference to his half-brother (who was only
18 years of age when Isaac Wyncoll made his will) or his half-sister and,
beyond this, as though out of pique, Thomas Wyncoll assumed the name of
"Spring" Wyncoll. Moreover he is described in several deeds I have seen,
as well as in his own marriage settlement, as "Spring Wyncoll." His mother
was a party to the latter and he executed such deed in his assumed name
and, according to Morant, was "commonly called Spring Wyncoll" and such
christian name has been common in the family ever since. If further evidence
be wanted on this point, there remains the fact that, as will be seen by
the inscription on the stone placed to the memory of his father by direction
of the will of his son, Isaac, mentioned further on, and also from
the inscription on Isaac Wyncoll's own stone, not one word referring to
the second marriage, or the children of that marriage appears and this
was, it may be assumed, in consequence of instructions Isaac Wyncoll's
executor had received.
By his will, Thomas Wyncoll devised his copyhold messuage and land in Great Henny called "the Fennes" to his wife Mary (nee Spring) on condition that she paid 100l. within two years of his death to "Mary Wyncoll, his eldest daughter," who afterwards married Edward Golding, of Great Henny. He appointed his eldest son, Isaac, executor of his will, which was proved on 11th March, 16762 the witnesses being Thomas Wyncoll, Henry Fenne, junior, and Henry Cooke. He died at Dedham on 16th January, 1675, aged 54, and left directions in his will that he should "be decently buried in the Parish Church of Twynstead where many of my relations lye interred." His eldest son, Isaac, left "5l. to buy a gravestone to lay over the grave of my late honored father." This stone, in 1888, was in front of the entrance porch of that church. It is now, and for about the last ten years has been, leaning against the west wall of the church exposed to wind and weather. Its original position in the old church, according to Holman, was "in the Chancel near the doore, next to his first wife." The inscription thereon is as follows:- H. S. E. Thomas Wyncol, Armigeri de Twinstead, Comitatu Essex, filios unicos Dignissimi Viri Isaac Wyncol, Armigeri de Ferriers pago communiter dicto Buers Hamlet, Comitatu predicto, sincerae pietatis, Patronis miseris et egenis Benigni Bonis omnibus grati qui nunc inter Uxoris atavos dormit in Ecclesia parochiale de Buers, comitatu Suffolk, una cum uxore charissima Maria filia clarissimi viri Thomae Waldegrave, Armigeri, de Ferriers predict. Uxorem duxit Mariam filiam primogenitam celeberrimi viri Gulielmi Cooke, de Broome Comitatu Norfolk Baronotte, ex quo connubio filium unicum Isaac, et Mariam filiam unicam superstites ot innumera generosi Candoris acutissima indolis invicta probatatis documenta reliquit, mortuus est decimo sexto die mensis Jan. Anno Salutis 1675. |
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| It will be seen that a mistake
appears in this inscription and in the inscription on his son Isaac's tombstone
given below. Thomas Wyncoll's first wife was the daughter of William Cooke,
baronet. Her parents were William Cooke, of Broome, Norfolk, and Mary,
"one of the daughters of Thomas Astley, of Melton Constable," as already
shewn on the brass to her memory. It was her brother who was the first
baronet, his wife being Jane, daughter and heiress of William Steward,
esquire, of Barton mills, Suffolk.3 Moreover, the extract
given in the footnote again proves that Sir William Cooke4
was the brother of Mary Wyncoll.5
Isaac Wyncoll, the son of the first marriage, died, unmarried, on 14th March, 1681, in the twenty-seventh year of his age and was buried at Twinstead. The pecuniary bequests under his will, which was dated 1st March, 1681, amounted to what, now-a-days, would represent between 4000l. and 5000l. and he thereby devised Twinstead Hall to his nephew, William Golding, on attaining twenty-one and directed that the moneys arising thereout should be applied during the minority of his nephews, William and Edward Golding, in the reparations of the Hall and buildings and in educating such nephews, and placing the elder nephew at the university of Cambridge and retaining him there a whole year at the least. He also made the following bequest:- Item, my Will is that such person or persons as for the time being shall enjoy the premises, meaning Twinstead Hall, or receive and take the rents and proffits thereof shall yearly, and every year forever, cause to he killed upon the premises at Christmas time in every year, one good Bull in good plight, and give all out thereof, except the hide, with the assistance and direction of the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor for the time being of Twinstead aforesaid unto and among the poor people of the several Parishes of Great Henny, Pebmarsh, Lamarsh and Alphamstone in the said county of Essex.6
Isaac Wyncoll appointed his uncle, Isaac Hubbard,
sole executor, and his will was proved at Kelvedon on 10th July, 1682.
The witnesses were:- John Butcher, John Rood and Joseph Wyatt.7
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| Thomas ("Spring") Wyncoll and
his sisters being totally ignored by the will of their half-brother, Twinstead
Hall and a great deal of other property passed out of the male line of
the family.
Isaac Wyncoll's tombstone is, as has been already
stated, in front of the south porch of Twinstead church. Its original position
in the old church, in Holman's time, was "Just within the Chancell under
the Pews" and the inscription thereon is as follows:
Here lieth interred ye body of Isaac Wyncoll, of Twinstead Hall, in the County of Essex, eldest sonne of Thomas Wyncoll, Esqr, and of Mary his wife, eldest daughter of Sir William Cooke, of Broome Hall, in ye County of Norfolk, Baronet.8 |
