Mary (Ashlock) Bennett (abt. 1535 - 1618)

Born about 1535 in Wiltshire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

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Biography

Mary was born about 1535. Mary Ashlock married Thomas Bennett of Pythouse, Tisbury. ^[1]

"The arms of Bennett are quartered with those of Ashlock, which would suggest that Mary was an heiress, or at least brought with her a substantial dowry. Whatever fortune her father, Christopher Ashlock may have had, however, and it certainly does not appear particularly substantial from his Will, he left to his two daughters 'what my two brothers shall deem fitting.' Perhaps her uncles were of a generous nature, and they in turn left Mary whatever fortunes they were possessed of. It might be pleasing to suppose that Mary was their favourite niece and that they themselves were not blessed with children -- but imagination can make nonsense of family histories! The Ashlocks, whose arms were recorded at the College of Heralds in 1563 were manufacturers of cloth or "clothmen" as they were then called. This industry flourished in the County at this period and fortunes were made from wool-stapling and cloth manufacture. The blazon of the Ashlock arms is as follows: Crest: a talbot's head couped sable, guttee d'eau. Sable, a chevron ermine between three Catherine Wheels, Argent. " ^[2]

She passed away in 1618.

Sources

1. ↑ See visitation of Dorset 1623 [1]
2. ↑ A Memoir of the Bennett Family of South Wilts, p. 3