William Bennett (abt. 1596 - 1661)

Born about 1596 in Pythouse, Tisbury, Wiltshire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1661 at about age 65 in Cale House Place, Semley, Wiltshire, England

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Biography

"...William, the third son of Thomas (5) Bennett and Margaret (née Grove) of Pythouse and the younger brother of the Thomas (7) Bennett, also of Pythouse who was fined two thousand pounds for his Royalist sympathies during the Civil War. ... William, although a third son was a substantial man of property. His father 'conveyed to him by indenture dated 27th January 1631 the messuage, tenement etc., with appurtenances, called Cale House Place, in the parish of Semley, Co. Wilts,' which he had purchased of the Earl of Castlehaven in 1623. William was also the owner of Berwick Farm in Berwick St. John and Brains Farm and farmhouse in the parish of Wincanton in Somerset and held lands at Harwood, Horsington. Cale House Place remained in the possession of the Bennetts (the orginal Pythouse family) until 1772 when it, too, passed into the Norton Bavant family by purchase.

William Bennett, in the year 1620, married Agnes, the second daughter of John Hitchcock Esquire of Preshute, N. Wilts. A pedigree of fourteen descents of this family is to be found in the Heralds Visitation of 1623. There were seven children of the marriage, four sons and three daughters. Their father died on June 16th, 1661 and was buried at Berwick St. John.

He left to his sons, Thomas and William and their issue, the Cale House estate, subject to a life Interest to his wife Agnes..."^[1]

N.B.: The Earl of Castlehaven mentioned was James Touchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven, a distant relation of Agnes Hitchcock through both of her parents, as was his wife, Elizabeth Brydges. They were related also through Eleanor Touchet who was the wife of Sir John Davies, uncle to Matthew Davies of Shaston (see below) and aunt to James Touchet. Matthew was married to Anne Mervyn, likely related to Lucy Mervyn, James' grandmother.

For pedigree of Bennett family, see see Visitation of Dorset 1623, p. 14 [3]

Mentioned in will of brother Christopher Bennett ^[2]

William's will is dated 1661 and was proved 1662.

William Bennett gentleman of Berwick St. John 15 May 1661, proved 18 Feb 1662: wife Agnes: friend & kinsman Matthew Davies of Shaston [Matthew Davy of Shaston (Shaftesbury) "Matthew Davy of Shaftesbury, co. Dorset, compounded for his estate before the Parliamentary Commissioners in the sum of £300...He clearly was the 'Matthew Davis, Esq. of Shaftesbury,' who was elected M.P. for Christchurch, in Hants, in 1640, and who was disabled for his royalism in March, 1644. He was present in the King's Parliament at Oxford." ^[3]]: kinsman William Bennett: Matthew Bennett son of my brother Thomas Bennett: daughters Mary, Margaret (under 21): sons James, William, John, Thomas: Mary Goldsborough, daughter of nephew Augustine Goldsborough: son-in-law John Davies [married to Bridget Bennett, probably the John Davies who was son of Matthew above]: all grandchildren: executors kinsmen William Bennett, Matthew Bennett and son John Bennett : witnesses Giles Jarvis, John Reed, James Davies ^[4]

Arms of Bennett "Per pale ar. and or, an eagle displ. gu. Crest—On a whelk shell or, a Cornish chough ppr. beak and legs gu. Motto—Mihi consulit Deus."

This coat was quartered with the Ashlock coat at the time of Thomas Bennett's marriage to Mary Ashlock ca. 1560.

"The arms of Ashlock are quartered with Bennett: Crest: On a wreath Sable and Or, a chough proper beaked and legged Gules standing on a whelk shell. Quarterly 1 and 4 per pale Argent and Or, a double-headed eagle displayed Gules (for Bennett), 2 and 3 Sable a chevron Ermine between three Catherine Wheels Argent (for Ashlock), and adage 'Mihi Consulit Deus'." [College of Arms]

Sources

1. ↑ Memoir of the Bennett Family of South Wilts, John Bennett, undated, privately printed, p. 35 [1]
2. ↑ Memoir of the Bennett Family of South Wilts, John Bennett, undated, privately printed, Appendix 2, p.64 [2]
3. ↑ Notes & Queries for Somerset and Dorset, Volume 2
4. ↑ Reference: PROB 11/307/304 Description: Will of William Bennett, Gentleman of Berwick Saint John, Wiltshire Date: 18 February 1662 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s)