John Isham (abt. 1585 - 1626)

Born about 1585 in Braunston, Northamptonshire, England

Ancestors

Died 9 Dec 1626 at about age 41 in Braunston Manor, Braunston, Northamptonshire, England

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Biography

John Isham was born in Pytchley, Northamptonshire, England.

John was the son of Euseby Isham and Anne Borlase. He was his parents' oldest son. He was almost certainly born in Northamptonshire, where his parents lived, quite possibly at Braunston, where his younger brothers Euseby and William were baptised. His birth date is uncertain, but his younger brother Euseby, his parents' second son, was baptised on 22 March 1586/7, so he may have been born about 1585.^[1]

John Isham, the eldest son, married twice, first to Anne, daughter of Sir William Fitzwilliam of Milton, county Northampton. According to the Pytchley Register this first wife died when her only child was born. This was Anne Isham, born in London 13 June 1604, and baptized at St. Botolph's Without Aldersgate 18 June 1604; she married twice, first to William Lane of Horton and Glendon, who died 21 November 1637, and secondly to Pierce Walsh.^[1]

John Isham married secondly Elizabeth, daughter of Edmund Duncb of Little Wittenham, county Berks, but had no issue by her. He lived at Braunston, died there 9 December, and was buried there 13 December 1626. His will (P.C.C. 52 Skyimcr), dated 29 September 1624, makes his father Sir Euseby and his brother Thomas Isham his executors; he leaves a sum of money to his daughter Anne Lane "for a remembrance of my love to her, although she bath delt unnaturallie and undutifully with me who have been allwaies tender and carefull over her as the world can witnes and have impaired my estate to advance lier fortunes."

A codicil, dated 8 December 1626, in consequence of the death of his father, makes Thomas Isham his sole executor, and contains his wish that his executor shall "provide one treble Bell tuneable to the fower Bells which are in the parish Church of Braunston." Elizabeth Isham, his widow, of whom curiously he makes no mention whatever in his will, perhaps because she was well provided for, returns to her own neighbourhood, and during the thirty years of her widowhood fnds a home at Sandford in Oxfordshire. Her will (P.C.C, 1190 Ruthen) is dated 7 April 1656, and was proved in London 30 October 1657. What property she has she leaves to her own friends. This only concerns Northamptonshire: "Item I give and bequeath unto the Church of Braunston in the County of Northampton where my Joineture lyeth a Comunion Cupp of ffower pounds price. And to the poore of that toune £10."

Finally she desires to be buried in the Church of Little Wittenham "as neere to my Mother as may be, and that it be done in the day and not in the night; 20s to a preacher at my funerall on this text: 'Al the dayes of my appointed tyme will I wait till my change cometh;' £10 to the poor that come thereto."

The Communion Cup still exists. It bears the inscription : "To the faithfull of Braunston in North'ton the guift of Elizabeth Isham, widdow about 40 years who died 6' August 1657. Have faith and repentance to god each to other charity." It has also arms and crest. Arms: A chevron between three castles. Crest: Out of a three-leaved coronet a goat's head. The cup and cover paten bear the Hallmark of 1657.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Henry Isham Longden. Some Notes on Sir Euseby Isham, of Pytchley in the County of Northampton: with special reference to his Virginian Descendants, Mitchell and Hughes (London), 1898, pp. 4-22, Familysearch (image pages 5-24)

• OF WHOM I CAME; FROM WHENCE I CAME WELLS-WISE, RISH-WISE AND OTHERWISE BY ZELMA WELLS PRICE PUBLISHED 1959. NOTES TAKEN FROM VOL. 6 Pt. 3 P.290
• "Some notes on Sir Euseby Isham, of Pytchley in the county of Northampton : with special reference to his Virginian descendants" Author:Longden, Henry Isham, 1859-1942 Pages: 32 Language:English;eng;en Location:Allen County Public Library Subject: Isham family; Eppes family; Randolph family; this can be read at
  • https://www.gengophers.com/book.html#/book/20751?page=9&given=Euseby&surname=Isham
  • Familysearch