Jane Churchill (Peverell) - Jane Peverell's husband's

From Notes & Qeries for Somerset in 1898:

Although Hutchins says she died in 1578,and that Nicholas Meggs died ‘circa 1579,’ thus making her predecease her husband, he states in his acccount of the Churchills that Roger Churchill, of Catherstone, married Jane, daughter of William Peverell, and widow of Nicholas Meggs.

This latter statement is no doubt correct, as we find in the Chancery Proceedings of the time of Queen Elizabeth that “joan Churchill, wz'dow,” had a suit brought against her by Thomas Lye, concerning damage to lands, and title deeds of lands held of the manor of Muckleford, in the parish of Bradford Peverell, and a tenement in Grymeston, held in fee. The manor of Muckleford had been held by the Peverells of Bradford Peverell, and seems, with other lands, to have passed on the death of Robert Buller, the grandson of John Peverell of Bradford, to the Peverells of Burdolston.

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So the manors at Bradford-Peverell & the nearby hamlet of Muckford passed to the Peverell's, and Jane, as sole heiress brought them to her marriage to Nicholas Meggs, where they stayed in that family until mid 19th century, if I remember right.

And "the widow Churchill" was responsible for Muckleford in L.I.3 of Elizabeth l. (if anyone can illuminate that date further it would be appreciated).

So - how can her Churchill son Matthew & his heir Jasper be "seated" in the Meggs property as the Duke of Malborough claimed?

And isn't Jasper Churchill the one known to have been a Dorset copyist? Is that odd only 2 gens removed from a Dorset heiress?

By the way - Roger Churchill's parents were of Catherstone Lewestone, Dorset, some 22 miles from Bradford-Peverell. So he didn't meet Jane Peverell at church.

I found some old gossip, anyway.

From https://books.google.com/books?id=XGPl045acz4C&focus=searchwith...

"John Churchill's great grand father was a blacksmith, who worked in the family of the Meggs."

So much for "seated" at the manor ... :)

Here are a few references for Nicholas & Jane Megges of Bradford Peverell, Dorset, son of Thomas Megges of Downham

not digitised
Reference: C 1/1247/18-21
Description:
Short title: Megges v Hawse.
Plaintiffs: Nicholas MEGGES, gentleman, son and heir of Thomas Megges of Downham, esquire.
Defendants: James HAWSE, gentleman.
Subject: Messuage and land held of defendant's manor of Southery, formerly of the abbot of St Edmund's. Cambridgeshire
Date: 1544-1551
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7498173
*
not digitsed
eference: C 78/7/17
Description:
Short title: Megges v Marven.
Plaintiffs: Nicholas Megges and his wife Jane.
Defendants: Sir John Marven.
Subject of decree: Manors of Bradford Peverell and Muckleford, Dorset.
Date of decree: 21 Apr 7 Edw VI.
Date: 1553 Apr 21
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14514779
*
not digitised
Reference: C 78/22/38
Description:
Short title: Grosse v Megges.
Plaintiffs: Robert Grosse of Muckleford, Dorset, yeoman.
Defendants: Nicholas Megges and his wife Jane.
Subject of decree: Copyhold lands held of the manor of Bradford Peverell, and common of pasture, in Muckleford, Dorset.
Date of decree: 22 November 4 Eliz.
Date: 1561 Nov 22
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14515599
*
not digitised
Reference: C 78/23/14
Description:
Short title: Grosse v Megges.
Plaintiffs: Robert Grosse of Muckleford, Dorset.
Defendants: Nicholas Megges and his wife Jane.
Subject of decree: Several messuages with land and common of pasture for 4 plough beasts, 6 cattle and 240 sheep in Muckleford, Dorset.
Date of decree: 1 May 5 Eliz.
Date: 1563 May 1
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14515627
*
not digitised
Reference: C 3/120/3
Description: Short title: Megges v Grosse.
Plaintiffs: Nicholas Megges and Jane Megges his wife.
Defendants: Robert Grosse and others.
Subject: copyhold of manor of Bradford Peverell, Dorset.
Document type: [pleadings].
Date: 1558-1579
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3781925
*
cost £3.30
Reference: PROB 11/61/518
Description: Will of Nicholas Megges, Gentleman of Bradford, Dorset
Date: 10 November 1579
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D964058

Index of Wills Proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury ..., Volume 18 By Church of England. Province of Canterbury. Prerogative Court
https://archive.org/stream/indexofwillsprov18chur#page/211/mode/1up
Prerogative Court of Canterbury.
1579 Megges, Nicholas, gent., Bradforde, Dorset 46 Bakon

So for a time & place line

1563
Muckleford - Nicholas Megges and his wife Jane

between 1558 - 1579
Bradford-Peverell - Nicholas Megges and Jane Megges his wife

10 November 1579
Will of Nicholas Megges, Gentleman of Bradford, Dorset

We don't know without purchase of the will who is named, but the implication from other records is that this Nicholas was widowed in 1578 & named no wife.

Perhaps we can find when Lawrence Meggs was seized of the property, as widow Churchill was responsible for Muckleford in the reign of Elizabeth (unable to interpret the chancery calendar date but our Victorian era chronicler in Notes & Queries had placed it "after" 1579)

And in any event

It is impossible for Matthew Churchill to have been born about 1548 to a woman married in 1553 to someone else, unless she married Roger Churchill (the Megg's family blacksmith) as her first husband. Which seems even more improbable than him as her second ....

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_st=adv&_aq=...

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10233300

REQ 2/15/1
Description:
John Churchyll and Joan, his wife v Sir John Marvyn and others: land in Muckleford, Dorset

Looks like a 1553 date and the Joan, wife of JOHN Churchill, would have been related to John Marvyn

For reference, the Geni profile probably is Sir John Mervyn, Kt., MP stepfather to Jane Churchill

More detail

Reference: REQ 2/14/63
Description:
John Churchehill and his wife Joan v Sir John Marvyn, knight: messuages in Muckleford in the manor of Bradford Peverell, Dorset. 1 m.
[Standard surname: Churchill, Marvin]
XP
Date: 1552 Jan 28-1553 Jan 27
Held by: The National Archives, Kew

I think Thomas Gould, I of Seaborough has been confused with Thomas Goold of Bovingdon (b bef 1455 - d 1520) as per http://archive.org/stream/familyzaccheusg00goulgoog#page/n18/mode/1up

"The family of Zacceus Gould of Topsfield" page 2

See particularly John Gould, of Bovingdon with 2 wives

John Gould & Katherine Preston were (I think) the parents of James Gould (b ca 1517) of Dorchester, father of Alice (b ca 1548) who married Matthew Churchill (b ca 1548).

Tree Guides:
http://www.thefullwiki.org/James_Gould_(c1517-1558)
http://www.multiwords.de/genealogy/churchill1.htm

Here's Thomas Gould, II of Bovingdon & his son John John Gould

Lists and Indexes, Volume 9 Pg.40
27 Jan. 1756 Harry Meggs of Bradford Peverel, esq.
*
Dorset records .... 1583-1700. by Fry, Edw. Alex.
Dorset Wills
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/n46/mode/1up
Churchill, Margaret, Bradford 20 Rowe 1583
Churchill, Philip, Muckeford 34 Soame 1620
Churchill, Roger, Muckleford, Bradford Peverel 54 Harte 1604, 1610
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/n64/mode/1up
Davye, John, Muckleford, Bradford 13 Tirwhite 1582
Davye, Robert, Bradford Peverill 43 Daper 1572
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/n68/mode/1up
Devenishe, Laurence, Bradford Peverel 51 Russell 1633
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/n96/mode/1up
Gover, Robert, Bradford Peverell 24 Coventry 1640
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/50/mode/1up
Hardye, Robert, Muckleford, Bradford Peverell 36 Bolein 1603
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/n134/mode/1up
Ley, John Bradford Peverill 37 Leicester 1589
Lie, Mary Muckleford, Bradford Peverell 81Sainberbe 1591
Lie, Richard, Muckleford, Bradford Peverill 5 Lyon 1570
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/n136/mode/1up
Lye, Thomas, Bradford Peverill 9 Nevell 1593
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/n140/mode/1up
Maber, Elizabeth, Muckelford 68 Seager 1634
Maber, John, Muckelford 16 Clark 1625
Maber, John, senr., Bradford Peverell 69 Lee 1638
Maber, Robert, cler., Bradford Peverell 47 Montague 1602
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/n148/mode/1up
Megg, Henry, Bradford Peverell 245 Berkley 1656
Megges, Lawrence, Bradford Peverell 75 Lewyn 1598
Megges, Nicholas, Bradford Peverell 46 Bakon 1579
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/74/mode/1up
Moore, Thomas, Bradford Peverell 75 Harrington 1592
https://archive.org/stream/dorsetrecords11frye#page/87/mode/1up
Roberde, Roberd, cler., Bradford Peverell 22 Tashe 1553
*
not digitised
Reference: E 134/37and38Eliz/Mich57
Description:
Thomas Jarvis, of Ely v. Augustine Steward, Humfrey Tindall, D.D.: Right and title to "West Fenn," in Ely, and a deed of feoffment of the farm of West Fenn House, in Ely, made by Bishop West, late Bishop of Ely, to Sir Giles Alington, &c., &c. [Perceval Meggs, of Bradford Peverell, Lawrence Meggs, Nichs. Meggs, Thos. Meggs, and the possessions of the Dean and Chapter of Ely, are mentioned.]: Cambridge
Date: 37 & 38 Eliz
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3702096
*
Lawrence Meggs will mentioned here
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~joanne/family/f79...
Will of Lawrence Meggs mentions his Uncle Henry Meggs & his son Percival who have mistreated him. P. 51 of book by Bartelot tells of Lawrence Meggs suing Henry & Percival Meggs for trying to restrain him as a lunatic. This was 6 Nov 1592. Peverel & Hugh Meggs sons of the plaintiff were among those mentioned.
*

What do you think of the idea that Jane Peverell married first to JOHN Churchill & after to Nicholas Meggs? It doesn't account for the Widow Churchill of Muckleford alive after 1579 however.

I'm thinking the date of death for Roger Churchill around the same time or later then his wife may be a problem and could the children Margaret & Matthew Churchill have been born earlier then listed?

We don't have much on dates (actually even soft) dates for "any" of this generation unfortunately (Lawrence Meggs, Matthew & Margaret Churchill).

I've just finished correcting the tree / adding sources for known Churchill's & the Gould line: the estimated date of birth for Alice Gould who married Matthew Churchill of c 1548 seems fair enough, but I think it's very much an estimate. There might be more ways to tighten up Gould dates & occupations etc from this wonderful site by the parish clerk for Fordington & Dorchester:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fordingtondorset/...