John Hever and Marion --
John Hever of Cranbrook, Kent, England. Entries in an index to Chancery court proceedings shows a "John, son of John Hever" in a case or cases concerning a messuage in Cranbrook. While the entries are undated in the index, they were part of Bundles 38 and 39, which were both dated "1467 to 1472, and perhaps also 1433 to 1443." If the proceedings took place in the first set of dates, it could very well be our John and therefore, he may be the son of the elder John Hever noted in the entry. I have requested a page check from the National Archives (UK) on these documents and will update if additional information is found.
A John Hever, who may be our John Hever, left a will written 8 June 1483. In it, he names his wife and executrix, Marion --. Also named in the will are his daughter Margaret, who was under the age of 18 and unnamed godchildren. The supervisor for the will was Stephen Elys of Cranbrook with trustees Laurence Taylour, Thomas Portreve, Richard Posse the younger of Cranbrook, John Thornhurst the younger of Headcorn, and John (Breggeland?) of Staplehurst, who were to keep John's assets in trust until Margaret married or reached the age of 20.
A passage in the will of Sir Nicholas Tufton (who married a Margaret Hever, the daughter and heir of John Hever of Cranbrook, according to pedigrees) provides an interesting clue as to the relationship between Sir Nicholas's wife and the John and Marion above. Nicholas left money to the church "for a priest to say mass for him, in the said church for two years, for his soul, and the souls of William his father, Allice his mother, and the souls of John Hever, and Marione his wife, Thomas Hill, Thomas Cryour, and John Bruckland, and for the souls of all the faithful dead" (passage translated from Latin). While it does not state that this John and Marione had any relationship to Nicholas, the information from the pedigrees stating that Margaret was the heir of John Hever of Cranbrook (indicating that she had no brother to inherit the estate and likely no sister as she was not called "co-heir") paired with the 1483 will, which showed that John was married to Marion and seems to have had only one child, Margaret, named in the will indicates that Sir Nicholas was probably the son-in-law of John and Marion.
John and Marion’s child is:
- Margaret Hever, under the age of 18 at the time of her father's will written 8 Jun 1483. Probably the Margaret Hever, who married Sir Nicholas Tufton (son of William Tufton and Allice --, of Tufton in the parish of Northiam, Sussex, England, d. 31 Dec 1539, buried in the church at Northiam, Sussex, England, will dated 2 Jan 1537/8 and proved 1 Feb 1539, inquisition post mortem held 12 Nov 31 Henry VIII (1539-40).
Sources:
- Berry, William, County Genealogies: Pedigrees of the Families in the County of Sussex, London: Sherwood, Gilbert and Piper, 1830, p. 237.
- Collins, Arthur, Peerage of England, vol. 2, London: W. Innys et al., 1756, pgs. 346-9.
- Monumental brass of Sir Nicholas Tufton, St. Mary's Church, Northiam, Sussex, England.
- Public Record Office, Lists and Indexes, No. XVI: List of Early Chancery Proceedings Preserved in the Public Record Office, vol. II, London: Mackie and Co. LD (printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office), 1903, pgs. 1, 25.
Records related to the William and Joan (Tufton) Haye family but not copied below due to copyright considerations:
- Reed, Paul C., "The English Ensigns: Ancestral to Thomas Ensign of Scituate, Massachusetts, and James Ensign of Hartford, Connecticut," The American Genealogist, Vol. 75, Jan 2000, pgs. 1-15.
- Reed, Paul C., "The English Ensigns: Ancestral to Thomas Ensign of Scituate, Massachusetts, and James Ensign of Hartford, Connecticut (Wybourne Descent and Haye/Hayes Descent)," The American Genealogist, Vol. 75, Jul 2000, p. 229-40.
- Will of Nicholas Tufton of Northiam, Sussex, 1 February 1539, found in the Peculiar Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/27/410, held by the National Archives, http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D978055.
- MattD30 (30 Sep 2017), "1483 Will of John Hever" [Online forum thread]. Message posted to Rootschat at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=779835.0, retrieved 3 Mar 2018, showing original images of the will of John Hever (repository of record not given).
Chancery Proceeding Index
Source: Public Record Office, Lists and Indexes, No. XVI: List of Early Chancery Proceedings Preserved in the Public Record Office, vol. II, London: Mackie and Co. LD (printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office), 1903, pgs. 1, 25.
Pedigree
Source: Berry, William, County Genealogies: Pedigrees of the Families in the County of Sussex, London: Sherwood, Gilbert and Piper, 1830, p. 237.
Peerage
Which William, was father of another William Tufton of Tufton in Northiam in Sussex, Esq; who was living in the reign of King Edward IV. and was succeeded by Nicholas his son and heir, who, writing* himself of Northyam, made his will the 2d of January, 29 Hen. VIII. ordering his body to be buried in the church of the blessed virgin Mary of Northyam, before the altar of St. Nicholas there; and that a stone be laid over him, with his picture thereon, and an inscription. He bequeathed XX marks to the said church, for a priest to say mass for him, in the said church for two years, for his soul, and the souls of William his father, Allice his mother, and the souls of John Hever, and Marione his wife, Thomas Hill, Thomas Cryour, and John Bruckland, and for the souls of all the faithful dead: To the high altar of Ewhurst, he bequeathed for his tythes forgotten 3s. 4d. to Isabel Cryour his daughter, an annuity for life; to the marriage of 6 poor maidens in Northyam 20s. each; to the reparation of the church of Northyam, repair of vestments, and other necessaries there, five marks; and 20s. to be distributed by his executors to the poor of that parish; to Nicholas Cryour, son of John Cryour, and all his sons and daughters, by his daughter Isabel, small legacies; to John Tufton his son, his lands, &c. and appoints him executor. By inquisition taken Nov. 12, in the 31st of Hen. VIII. the jury found that he died on the last of December, before the inquisition was taken; and that John his son and heir was of the age of 19: And by another inquisition taken in Sussex, it was found he died possessed of the manors of Northiam, and Ewhurst, in the said county. His wife was Margaret, daughter and heir of John Heaver of Cranbrook in the county of Kent, Esq; by whom he had John, his heir; Alice married to Richard Sharp of Northiam; and Isabel the wife of John Cryour, mentioned in his will.
* Ex Regist. Dingley, Qu. 25. in Cur. Praerog. Cant.
Source: Collins, Arthur, Peerage of England, vol. 2, London: W. Innys et al., 1756, pgs. 346-9.
