Sarah (Deane) Methwold (abt. 1601)

Born about 1601 in London, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of William Rolfe — married about 1622 in London, England

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Biography

Sarah Deane was a daughter of Sir Richard Deane, Alderman and Lord Mayor of London, and his first wife Mary Banckes, and the wife of William Rolfe of the Inner Temple, silk merchant. She was named as the wife of William Rolfe in the 1630 Will of her maternal uncle, John Bankes, Mercer of London. ^[1] She was also named in the 1635 Will of her father, Sir Richard Deane. ^[2] Her husband William Rolfe was named as an overseer of Sir Richard Deane's Will. Their marriage might have taken place in 1622 at St Mary, Putney, ^[3] but there is insufficient evidence to identify the parties.

William Rolfe wrote his Will on 19 April 1646, and it was proved on 6 May. ^[4] In it, he named his wife Sarah as executor and his brothers-in-law John Goodwyn and William Methold. In her 1676 Will ^[5], Sarah stated that her first husband, William Rolfe, had been buried at Ealing.

Sarah married secondly on 16 February 1652/3 to William Methold (Methwold) of the East India Company, as his second wife. He died within a month on 5 March. ^[6]

She lived as a widow for almost another twenty-five years before writing her Will ^[5] on 10 May 1676. In it, having no issue of her body, she left bequests to:

her late husband's sons William and Thomas Methold,

her (step) daughter Susan Cokayne widow and her daughter Ellen

her niece Joanna wife of William Eldred Esq of Lincoln's Inn

her niece Sarah wife of Ralfe Whitfield

her cousin Sarah Goodwin daughter of Deane Goodwin deceased

her cousin Katherine Goodwin sister of Sarah Goodwin

her cousins Deane and Charles Goodwin

copyhold lands to late husband's grandson Thomas Methold, named executor

Research Note:

It is not clear who was the wife of William Methold, brother-in-law of William Rolfe, as he was apparently the second wife of Sarah Rolfe.

Sources

1. ↑ "Will of John Bancks, Mercer of London", proved 30 October 1630 PROB 11/158/330
2. ↑ "Will of Sir Richard Deane, Alderman of City of London", proved 16 July 1635 PROB 11/168/438
3. ↑ Ancestry Marriage Index. Ancestry UK
4. ↑ "Will of William Rolfe of Inner Temple, City of London" PROB 11/196/61
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Will of Sarah Methwold, Widow of Kensington, Middlesex" Proved 8 April 1678 PROB 11/355/362
6. ↑ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 37/ Methold, William by Gordon Goodwin DNB