William Fowler (1521 - 1598)

Born 1521 in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Alice (Stephens) Fowler — married about 1553 in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England

Descendants

Died 21 Jan 1598 at about age 77 in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England

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Biography

Early Life

William Fowler was born around the year 1521 in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, the son of Richard Fowler and Margery Bennett..^[1] His father was a clothier, who owned the manor mill in Stonehouse before the year 1533.^[2] William was presumably raised up in Stonehouse and learned the skills of running a mill from his father. At the time of an Inquisition Poste Mortem taken after the death of his father Richard, William was named as his son and heir, being 39 years or above. That would make a birthdate of no later than 1521.^[3]

Marriage and Issue

William reached full age in the 1540s. He married Alice Stephens in about 1554, and they had at least nine surviving children: - Margery c. 1555 - Richard c. 1557 - Dorothy c. 1558 - Mary c. 1560 - Ann c. 1562 - Alice 1564 - Daniel 1566 - Henry 1569 - Joan c. 1570

In 1587 William was an executor of his brother in law Edward Stephens's will. ^[4]

Occupation and Property

He became occupied as a clothier in Stonehouse, and owned the manor mill, to the west of Bridgend. This mill was later known as Stonehouse Lower Mill.^[5]

In 1558 William Fowler and another clothier, William Sandford, jointly purchased the manor of Stonehouse from Henry, Earl of Arundel.^[2] William Fowler's estate included the manor house and demesne, with manorial rights over the whole manor.^[2]

Stonehouse manor was partitioned by William Sandford in 1567, at which point Fowler received the manor mill. At this point the mill comprised three fulling stocks and a corn-mill.^[5] William continued to work the mill as a fulling mill in his occupation as a clothier, employing weavers to work in the mill.

William had his will drawn up on 24 Dec 1597, describing himself as a gent of Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. .^[6]He made bequests to and mentioned:

• my son Henry
• my son Daniel
• my four daughters Dorothy, Anne, Alice and Joan
• Margery Fowler, my late mother
• my late brother in law William Stevens, gent
• William Clutterbuck, son of my late daughter Margery
• my cousin Richard Stevens, esq
• my son in law Robert Ball

William died in 1599, and was buried in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.^[7] His will was dated in 1598/9 and proved __. An inventory of goods was made in Jan 1598/9.^[8]

He was succeeded in his estates by his son Daniel, who died in 1647. Neither William Fowler's son Daniel nor his grandson Stephen appear to have been clothiers, as the manor mill was being worked by John Jessor in 1647 and 1655.^[5]

An Inquisition Post Mortem taken at Gloucester in 41 Elizabeth 1599 noted that William died on 21 Jan 41 Elizabeth and that Daniel Fowler was his son and heir, aged 30 and more. The IPM also mentioned Henry, another son of William, and his wife Alice.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ The visitation of the county of Gloucester, taken in the year 1623: Chitting, Henry, d. 1638 Internet Archive
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} British History Online: Gloucestershire: Vol 10 pages: 273-276, [1]
3. ↑ Gloucestershire Notes and Queries. United Kingdom: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, and Company, 1881.Google Books
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.; The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 71; Will of Edward Stephens, Eastington, Gloucestershire, Prov. 17 Nov 1587.; Ancestry Record 5111 #927440
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} British History Online: Gloucestershire: Vol 10 pages: 276-284, [2]
6. ↑ The visitation of the county of Gloucester, taken in the year 1623: Chitting, Henry, d. 1638 Internet Archive
7. ↑ "Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, Gloucestershire; Gloucestershire Church of England Parish Registers;" Reference Number: GDR/V1/232 Ancestry.com Notes: Name: William Fowler Event Type: Burial Burial Date: 15 Jan 1598 Burial Place: Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. View Image:
8. ↑ Inventory of goods of William Fowler of Stonehouse, 1598/9; [3]
9. ↑ Gloucestershire Notes and Queries. United Kingdom: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, and Company, 1881.Google Books

• Abstracts of records and manuscripts respecting the county of Gloucester By Thomas Dudley Fosbroke, [4]

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Deeann Kronenwetter for starting this profile.