George Acworth
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George Acworth (1536 - 1593)

George "The Younger" Acworth
Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
[spouse(s) unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 56 in Plymouth, Devon, Englandmap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ian Acworth private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 28 Sep 2020
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Contents

Biography

Flag of Bedfordshire (adopted 2014)
George Acworth was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.

Early Life

George Acworth was born in October 1536 in the Manor House at Biscot, Luton. He was the second son of George Acworth and his wife Agnes Joye.

George Acworth was one of eight sons recorded in the Acworth Pedigree[1].

His siblings were Henry (born 1530), Edward (b 1540), William (born 1541), Stephen (born 1543) Charles (born 1544), John (born 1545) and Thomas (born 1550).

Marriage

There is no record yet found of his wife or where they became married - but see the Research Notes below that suggest she was from the Hitchens family. As George Acworth moved to Plymouth after Hindon, it is probable that his wife was of Devonshire extraction and that they were married in Plymouth in 1575 (the year before their first child was born). While in Plymouth they had 6 children: Ann (born 1576), Edward (born 1578), John (born 1580) and Gregory (born 1582). There were twin daughters who died young: Margaret (born 1583 - died 1583) and Mary (born 1583 - died Jan 1587).

These children were all baptised at St. Andrew's, Plymouth[2].

Old Plymouth in the 17th Century

The old church of St Andrews can be seen in the image and inside the town walls. Here is a Google Image from 2023 at https://www.google.com/maps/place/50%C2%B022'11.1%22N+4%C2%B008'23.6%22W/@50.3693902,-4.1391185,562m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d50.3697526!4d-4.1398741?hl=en&entry=ttu

Professional Life

George Acworth was a Merchant Taylor[3] - made free of the company by aprenticeship to his Uncle Thomas Acworth on 8 July 1558. The Merchant Taylor Registration is for George the Younger. George (of Potton) was his father and Elder. That he was the son of George Acworth of Luton and Potton is also confirmed by the association of his name with that of George Acworth of Toddington, his Grandfather, in a Recognizance dated 20 September 1560 (Close Roll, 568).

George Acworth and his father George Acworth owe William Lucke £100 (Close Roll 568 of 20 December 1559). George Acworth is recorded there as 'George Acworth' Citizen and Merchant Taylor of London.

In London, the only other record of George Acworth is on 1 August 1562, when he is one of the sureties for his cousin Thomas Acworth on his institution to the Potton Vicarage and he is then said to be of the parish of St Augustine in London, in which his uncle Thomas Acworth also lived[1] and was recently Master of the Merchant Taylor's Company.

Goldington Manor

On 21 May 1562, George and his cousin Richard buy property in Bedfordshire from John Gostwick. This purchase has been recorded[1] as being made by Richard and his brother George DLC but as more has become known of his brother's movements and life works, it is clear that it is highly unlikely that George DLC would have become involved in property sales at this, or any other, time. George DLC was commencing work with Bishop Horne in Winchester at this time and was already a well known Protestant Cleric.

George was a Merchant Taylor in 1558 where he studied under the tutelage of Richard's father Thomas. It would seem that George and Richard shared interests in property and were most likely the partners identified in the lease/purchase[4] of the Manor at Goldington. The matter is dealt with in detail in the profile of Richard where the disputed details of the purchase are reviewed. In 1576, Richard sells his interest in Godlington back to George. George seems to have left Bedfordshire shortly after the initial purchase in 1562 to become MP for Hindon in Wiltshire before then moving on to Plymouth, Devon.

Member of Parliament for Hindon

George Acworth was Member of Parliment[5] for Hindon, Wiltshire from 1563-1567. This was in the time of Elizabeth I. This appointment is often confused as some historians have assumed that, as the appointment was in the giving of the Bishop of Winchester Robert Horne, it was made to George Acworth DLC. The confusion arrises because George Acworth DLC was working for the Bishop of Winchester at the time. Examination of the well-known life of George Acworth DLC demonstrates that he did not have the time to be the MP for Hindon. Possibly, as George Acworth DLC was the cousin of George Acworth, he recommended his cousin to Robert Horne.

Plymouth, Devon

By 1570, George Acworth is resident at Plymouth, Devon, England. He was probably carrying on business as a merchant. He is mentioned on the Subsidy Rolls in Plymouth in 1570 and 1580. These are the years of Drake and John Hawkins and the Plymouth sea adventurers. Green and Acworth[1] suggest that George Acworth may have sailed overseas with Sir William Winter and Thomas Baker, presumaby to the Americas. Plymouth docks were expanded significantly in the 1570 to 1590 period to accomodate the Protestant Fleet.

Death

George Acworth died in 1593 - assumed to be in Plymouth. He left a young family as his wife seems to have died earlier. Note that all the children were not yet of age when George Acworth died and went to stay with Elizabeth Hitchens and Thomas Baker in Plymouth.

Research Notes

Too Many Georges

There are 4 George Acworths around at this time.
1. George Acworth sometimes refered to as 'George the Younger' who was MP for Hinton (born 1539 - died 1593);
2. his father George Acworth - often refered to as 'of Potton' (born 1503 - died 1561);
3. his grandfather George Acworth who was MP for Bedfordshire and ofter refered to as 'of Toddington' (born 1478 - died 1530) and
4. a fourth George who was descended from George Acworth of Toddington through another son Thomas Acworth (Merchant Taylor) (born 1510 - died 1569). George Acworth (born 1530 - died 1592) was a Protestant Cleric. The confusion often is between the cousins George Acworth and George Acworth the Cleric as they overlapped in age.

Elizabeth Horne is shown mistakenly on some family trees as the wife of George Acworth but she is the wife of George the cleric.

George's Wife

No record has been found of George's wife. George's children move in with Elizabeth Hitchins and Thomas Baker. Elizabeth Hitchens is the daughter of Richard Hitchens - Mayor of Plymouth in 1599-1600.


Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Acworth Family Pedigree:
    Green, W.A. and G. Brindley Acworth. Pedigree of Acworth of Bedfordshire, Etc.: Together with some notes on the genealogy. London: Mitchell Hughes and Clarke, 1905. FamilySearch. See also this space page: Acworth Pedigree
  2. [Wikipedia article for St Andrew's Plymouth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew%27s_Church,_Plymouth]
  3. ["Membership of the Merchant Taylor's Company" Membership extract provided by the Company Archivist (Stephen Freeth) of Merchant Taylor's Hall. ]
  4. ["Parishes: Goldington", in A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 3, ed. William Page (London, 1912), pp. 202-209. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/beds/vol3/pp202-209 [accessed 23 October 2021].]
  5. ["Member of Parliament" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Parliament_of_Queen_Elizabeth_I.]




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Comments: 2

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George was not blood related to Richard Hitchins or to Drake
posted by Ian Acworth
George related to Drake via the Hitchens as a possible grandfather line may have gone to drake to get some land for his family with him being connected this land was the deptford dockyard which was passed to George Acworth
posted by Jonathan Acworth

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