Thomas Eaton, of Beausall in Hatton

THOMAS EATON (Thomas, John) was a resident of Beausall in the parish of Hatton, Warwickshire, where he was a yeoman farmer. His property in Beausall was inherited from his father who had bought it outright from one William Atwode of Tamworth. Thomas Eaton was born about 1560 in Rowington. He and his wife were certainly married there about 1587-8. The Rowington parish register for that early period no longer exists. Their first child almost certainly was baptized there about 1588, but all subsequent children were recorded at Hatton. They must have moved to Hatton onto his land about the time they were married.

Thomas Eaton was a churchwarden at Hatton for a number of years. He signed most of the pages from 1551 to 1598. However, he could hardly have been a churchwarden before he was born and his father, also named Thomas, could hardly have been one after he died in 1571, but the signatures are all alike and match his signature on his will. Perhaps he was verifying a new copy of an old register or otherwise putting his official signature on parts of the register for his own satisfaction.

Thomas Eaton died 5 November 1622. He left a wife named Helen, a married son John who then had one child, a son in law who had a daughter Anne, and eight other children that he named in his will. Oddly, he did not name the married daughter, probably because she had died.

The extent of his bequests and inventory indicates that he was a prosperous farmer. He obviously had already done a great deal for his son John who had obligations to fulfill rather than a legacy. Sons Thomas and Job seem to have received gifts earlier, but not all that was intended as their shares. Sara, Rachel and Samuel got the biggest cash bequests — £20 each, but they were minors and surely had received nothing earlier. Nathaniel, the youngest, was almost forgotten, but after the will had been drafted, the oversight was noted, and a bequest of "one sheepe" was interlined. Why he left Nathaniel only a sheep, the same bequest he made to each of his two grandchildren, is a mystery. One would have expected him to leave twelve year old Nathaniel £20, the same as he left the next three older children. Perhaps the scribe who wrote the will was confused. Thomas signed his will and also made a seal which was an E, presumably for Eaton. His will and inventory follow.

Children

1. DAUGHTER, perh. named Anne, b about 1588-9; she m Richard Dallesbye who was named as son-in-law in Thomas Eaton's will of 1622; they had a child: Annab by 1622
2. JOHN, bapt. 26 Dec. 1590, "eldest son;" m Anne ; 11 or 12 2 ch.; went to New England; she d 5 Feb. 1660/61 at Haverhill, Mass.; he m 2, 20 Nov. 1661, Phebe Dow, widow of Thomas; he d 29 Oct. 1668, testate.
3. THOMAS, bapt. 25 Dec. 1592; d before 1601
4. RICHARD, bapt. 18 Feb. 1593/4; living 1622 when his father named him in his will; no further record of him
5. JOB, bapt. 29 Aug. 1596; m 1, Alice ; ch.: Ellen bp. 1 Sept. 1622, Elizabeth bp. 25 July 1624, Alice bp. 22 Oct. 1626, Robert bp. 12 Oct. 1628, Annah bp. 22 April 1632, "ch. of Job & Alice Eaton"; first 4 ch. also recorded at Haseley
6. ELIZABETH, bapt. 19 Feb. 1598/9; unm. 1622
7. THOMAS, bapt. 30 Aug. 1601; m 27 Jan. 1628/9, Margaret Woodward; ch.: Elizabeth bp. 14 March 1629/30, Thomas bp. 3 July 1636, Richard bp. 27 Oct. 1639; res in Beausall. He was dead by 1664 but his widow was still alive then, for in that year Margery Eaton of Rowington, widow [of John] bequeathed 20s. to "widow Eaton late wife of Thomas Eaton of Hatton [her late husband's nephew]
8. SARAH, bapt. 5 Nov. 1603; unm. 1622
9. RACHEL, bapt. 23 March 1605/6; buried 21 Oct. 1625
10. SAMUEL, bapt. 1 June 1608; living 1622
11. NATHANIEL, bapt. 10 June 1610; m 1, Agnes who died in childbirth & was buried 27 Sept. 1639; the infant, Robert, was bapt. 15 Sept. 1639; he m 2, 27 April 1640, Barbara Slater of Whitechurch which is 12 miles south of Hatton; res. Beausall in Hatton

Will

The last will and testament of Thomas Eaton of Bewsall in the
p'ish of Hatton and countye of Warw., yeoman, deceased the fifth day of November in Ano dm 1622

In the name of god Amen. June the 24th ano din 1622, I Thomas Eaton of Bewsall in the p'ish of Hatton and Countie of Warw., yeoman, being sicke in bodie but of good and perfect memorie, (Thank to god) doe Constitute and appoint this my last will and testament in manner and Fourme followinge. First, I comit & comend my soule into the handes of Almightie god, trusting to be saved by the onlie meritts of Jesus Christ, and my bodie to the earth to be buried after a Christian and decent manner. Itm. I give to the poor of Bewsall 10s. to be distributed amongst them. Itm. I give unto my son Richard Eaton one piece of gold in value l i s . and foure silver spoones. Itm. I give unto my son Job Eaton the sum of three pounds six shillings & eight pence of currant English monye. Itm. I give to Elizabeth Eaton my daughter Is. of lawfull English monye. Item. I give to Thomas Eaton my sonne the summe of Five pounds of like English monye. Itm. I give to Sara and Rachell Eaton my daughters and to Samuell Eaton my sonne to everie of them the sume of Twentie poundes of Currante English mony to be paid unto them by John Eaton my eldest sonne and heire at such sev'all times as he the said John standeth bound in sev'all deedes and writings obligatorie to pay the same. Itm. I give unto Nathaniel Eaton my son one sheepe.Itm. I give unto my said sonne John the table bourdes with the frames and benches standing in the halle and the table bourds wt h the frame and benches standing in the parlor and one great Candlestick, my great Bible and my Mault mille. Itm. I give unto Sara and Rachel Eaton my daughters the one halfe of all my household stuffe unbequeathed to be equallie divided betweene them, Provided that Hellen my wife have the use of it during her naturall life if she remaine sole and unmarried and not otherwise. Itm. my will is further that if any of 70 my said children doe departe this transitarie life before his, her or their parts be due, that then the same shalbe and remaine to all the rest of my children survivinge equally to be divided amongst them and to be paid at the times appointed for the same to be paid. Itm. I give, bequeath and devise by this my last will and testament unto Hellen my wife the one halfe of all that the moitie of all the houses, barnes, stables and buildings, orchards, gardens and backsides, arrable landes, landes, meadows, pastures, groves, woods, underwoods, p'fits and comodities wt h thappertenances, (except before devised) wherein I now dwell and now in the tenure and ocupacon of me, my assigne or assignes & ev'y p'te and p'cell of them and every of them, to have, hold, occupie and enjoy all and singuler the said divised premisses wt h thappertenances unto the said Hellen mye wife her assigne or assignes for and during her naturall life if she soe remaine sole and unmarried, not doing any manner of waste willfullie in and upon any of the p'misses. All the rest of my goods, Cattell and Chatties whatsoever unbequeathed, my debts being paid and my funerall discharged, I give and bequeath whollie unto the said Hellen my wife whom I doe make sole Executrixe to fullfil and execute this my last will and Testament. And I doe request Richard Dallisbye my sonne in lawe and Richard Eaton my sonne to be my Overseers of this my last will and Testament and for their paines taken thereof, I give unto each of them five shillings a peice, and for a full confirmation of this my last will and testament, I have hereto set my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written. Memorand. I give by this my last will & Testament unto John Eaton my Grandchild one sheepe and to Anna Dallisbye my Grandchild one sheepe

Sources

Sources

1. John Brooks Threlfall, Twenty-Six Great Migration Colonists To New England & Their Origins (Madison, Wisconsin, 1993) 63 download a copy here
2. Richardson, Douglas. The English Origin of John1 Eaton (1590-1668) of Salisbury and Haverhill, Massachusetts. American Genealogist (D.L. Jacobus). (Jan 1993), 68:52.
3. Parish Registers;

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• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 23 2017, 13:17:38 UTC