Thomas Doolittle

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Husband Thomas Doolittle

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1577 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
         Buried: 

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         Father: Doolittle (      -      )
         Mother: 

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       Marriage: 

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   Other Spouse: Kathryn Nycolls (      -      )

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Wife

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Anne Doolittle

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           Born: Abt 1550
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Rauf Clark (      -      )

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2 M Humfrey Doolittle

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           Born: Abt 1554 - prob Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 13 Aug 1625 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

         Spouse: Anne (      -1592)
           Marr: Abt 1584 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

         Spouse: Agnes (Anne) Hubey (Huley) (      -1615)
           Marr: 1594 - Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England

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General Notes (Husband)

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Master weaver of Kidderminster. Van Kempen thinks he is the progenitor of Abraham's Doolittle line. He and his sister are named only in their father's will; no baptismal records found. Unproven that they were born in Kidderminster.

He owned several houses, one of which was in the Mill St. (like that of John who died in 1629). He left this house to his wife to live in and then to his son Humfrey. But this Thomas had only two surviving children; Anne and Humphrey.

Van Kempen writes that this was an especially hard time to have and raise children. 1555 to 1563 was a period of famine due to crop failures brought on by severe rains. 1556 also had an outbreak of bubonic plague. In Van Kempen's view, that explains why there were only 2 adult children in this faimly, and why William and John each had only one surviving child.

Thomas' first wife apparently died. At some later, undocumented date, Thomas remarried, to Kathyrn Nycolls.
His will shows that Thomas was a master weaver. He was successful enough to have a man servant. Van Kempe also concludes from his will that he was a bit of a dandy.

Will written in November of 1577 and probated 24 April 1578. Edge of paper is worn away. Dashes mean unreadable.

In the name of God Amen, the year of the lord God 1577-- November, I Thomas Dolytell of Ketherminster in the county of Worcester -- of fitt mynd thanks be unto God do make this my testament conteyninge the -- and forme folowinge first I bequethe my soule unto the merciful hands of god. And --- Buryed in the Churche of Ketherminster foresayd.

Item. I geve unto the towne of Ketherminster five shilinge,

Item I will that Kathren my wyef and -- [probalby Humfrey my son] shall have and injoy my howses with aptynances together and for so ---[the house] I now dwell in is state of inhratance unto Humfrey my sonne, and the howse--- in the mill streete joyntlhly purchased unto by selfe and my wief and to -- that Kathren my wief shall within one monethe next after my decease enter - obblygatorye in the some of one hundrehe pownds with condycon therupon -- ssaid Kathren nor any other for her shall do any act or acts ded or dedes wherby the said --- shold be diserted of the same howse with aptynances in the myll streete then --- shall injoy hte moitye of [1 of 2 equal parts] and one halfe of all my goods that so on I shall have unbeqethed do refuse to -- and delyver the said Band accordingly that I will that my sonne Humfrey injoy the whole of my goods bequethed unto his owne use and she to deal with the howse as to her


shall see good.

Item I geve unto Ales the dawghtter of Raufe Clarke to -- unto her at her day of maryage in money at such tyme as she shall acomplyshe the xxi years or at the day of maryage three pownds --

Item I gve unto Rych -- my godson, my Buckskyne dublett.

Item I geve unto Thomas Betenson my godson, my medley [a faabric of mixed fibers] Blace Jerkyn.

Item I give unto William Betenson a jerkyn of medley.

Item I geve unto Elyzabeth the daughter of Rauf Clarke in money or money worth xxv to be paid unto her day of maryage.

Item I geve unto my Brother John Dolytell my new frise --

I geve unto Thomas Lawnder my medley gaskyns [loose breeches worn in the 16th centiry] with the metel unto them.

Item I geve Rauf Clarke my best gowne

Item I geve unto Thomas Nycolls my Brother Lawe a -- of frise breches with the metel unto them

Item I geve unto William Webb my second - gowne I geve unto Rauf Clark and to Anne his wief two gylte [young sows] of a yeare old.

All the rest of my goods and cattells unbequethed whatsoever I geve and bequethe to Kathren my wief and to Humfrey my soone whom I doe ordeyne and make my executor of this my last will and testament to see my will performed my debts payd and all other things done accordygly and I do ordeyne and desyre to be my overseers my brother John Dolytell Raufe Clarke Thomas Nycolls of Hurcott and Humfrey Dolytell of hte How unto --- I geve too any of them 12 apece. These being witnesses. ....

Imprimis unto Raufe Clarke my sonne in law ten pounds iv iiii Item to John Crowe of Bewdley...

The will was probated 24 Apr 1575.

The inventory of his goods and chattel was taken 10 Dec 1577.

Van Kempen identifies the daughter who was married to Rauf Clarke as Anne, but does not say how she knows this. The will identifies two children of son in law Rauf Clarke. It never mentions Anne, which Van Kempen says was not unusual, even if Anne were living, which possibly she was not. Raufe Clarke was previously married to Joane and they had seven children, the last born in 1572. Joane died in 1573. One of the children was named Elizabeth, and, unlike four of her siblings, no record of her death. No record was found of the marriage of Rauf to Anne, nor of the birth of Elizabeth. If such a record was found for the child Alyce, and this is how the name of hte mother was known, Van Kempe does not say. Anne discusses the possibility that one of the bequests was to Elizabeth the daughter of Anne, but wonders why the other children of Rauf from his first marriage who apparently were still living were not named.

Kathyrn his wife remarried, six days after Thomas' will was probated, on 30 Apr 1578, to Nicholas Smith. Van Kempen points out that she was not listed as a widow and this was rather fast to remarry, so there is a question as to whether this is the same Kathryn. She thinks that the fact that a Nicholas Smyth was of Mill St. and Kathryn retained Thomas' house on Mill St. has bearing on this, but it could be coincidence.

Nicholas Smyth married Joane Serieant July 2, 1542. They had atleast 5 children from 1543 to 1553. No burial for her.
On June 25, 1576, Alice teh wife of Nicholas Smyth was buried.
1578 Cathryn Doolittle was married to Nicholas Smith.
On 6 June 1597, Catheryne Smyth, widow, was buried.

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