Thomas Gratwick (abt. 1572 - 1635)

Born about 1572 in Angmering, Sussex, England [uncertain]

Husband of Rachel (Beach) Gratwick — married 3 Feb 1616 in Angmering, Sussex, England

Descendants

Died 25 Mar 1635 at about age 63 in Angmering, Sussex, England

Biography

Thomas Gratwick was probably born in Angmering in Sussex around 1572; he was the son of Henry Gratwick of Ham and his wife Joan Older.^[1]

On the death of his father, Henry Gratwick, on 30 May 1602, he inherited two thirds of the manor of Hame, which Henry had obtained from Thomas Older (possibly Henry's father-in-law), and land in Hame and West Angmering, which Henry had recently purchased from John Palmer. ^[1] Thomas later acquired the remainder of the manor and farm of Ham from Lady Marjory Gratwick of Seaford and her son Roger Gratwick of Tortington. ^[2]

His mother Joan Gratwick of Ham, widow died in Angmering in 1608/9^[3]

Thomas married Rachell Beach in Angmering on 3 February 1616/1617. ^[4][5] Their children were baptised in Angmering and included:

1. 1618: Thomas
2. 1620: Humphrey Gratwick
3. 1622: Sarah^[6]
4. 1624/25: Anne^[7]
5. 1628/1629 Henry^[8] who died on 30 April 1629.^[9]

Rachell was buried in Angmering on 6 September 1629.^[10]

Thomas married again and his now wife, Margarett, was mentioned in his Will, which was written on 16 February 1634/35. He died on 25 March^[2]and was buried in Angmering.^[11] His Will was proved on 7 November 1635 and his eldest son was the main beneficiary and the sole Executor. ^[12]

He bequeathed:

• unto the Cathedral Church of Chichyster the sum of twelve pence
• unto the Church of Angmering five shillings
• unto the poor of Angmering and Hamme tenne shillings
• unto Humphrey my younger sonne the some of foure hundred pounds whereof to bee disbursed for the purchase of a Tenement with seven acres of land in Goringe unto John Sole of Rustington and the residue to bee paid unto him when hee shall accomplish the /age of one and Twentie yeares
• unto Anne myne onely daughter the some /of three hundred pounds to bee paid unto her when shee shall atteyne the age of sixteene / yeares or within one month after the daie of her marriage
• if my sonne Humphrey chance to dye before hee atteyne the / age of one and Twentie yeares That then my daughter Anne shall have his share and the /Land att Goring
• And if my daughter Anne chance to die before shee receive her share that /my mynd is that her share shall remayne with my sonne Humphrey
• But if both of them dye / before the daies of payment That then my will is that their shares shall remaine with my sonne Thomas
• unto Thomas Selden the youngest sonne of my sister Sibill / Selden the some of fortie shillings
• the other four children of my said sister the somme of twentie shillings
• unto William the son of my brother Henry Gratwick / the some of twentie shillings
• And to his brother Humphrey Gratwick the some of Fortie shillings
• unto [ blank space ] Finch my goddaughter the some of four shillings
• and all the rest of my Godchildren two shillings
• that one Third part of my Free Land unto Margarett my now wife to bee /enioyed by her during the terme of her life in the name of her Jointure
• one Third part of my said Freeland unto my Executor to bee enioyed of him until myne eldest Sonne / Thomas shall accomplish the age of one and twentie yeares towards the payment of my debts and legacies
• the third part / of my Prebend of Bargham and Hamme unto my said Executor towards the payment of my / debts and legacies hereby bequeathed until my sonne Thomas shall attain the age of one and / twentie yeares
• I make and ordeyne Thomas my eldest sonne the sole executor of this my last / Will and Testament Unto whome my funerall performed and my debts and legacies paid and / discharged I give and bequeather all the residue and remaynder of my goods unbequeathed
• my kinsman Roger Gratwick of Hasting shall have the education of / my daughter Anne untill she accomplysh the age of sixteene yeares and shall receive yearely / from my Executor for her meate drinke and clothes and teaching according as my Executor and / hee shall agree
• I constitute and appoynt my loving kinsman Roger Gratwicke and my / brother in law Henry Slater oversee and supervise thereof
• my will and meaning is that my son Thomas shall enjoy the lease of my Prebend wholly to himselfe / within one year after hee shall atteyne the age of one and Twentie yeares
• and my pleasure is that my Sonne Humphrey shall bee bound Prentice unto a Mercer with as convenient / speed as may bee and that the money that shall bee given with him / shall be paid out of the / Interest of his share Provided

I have putt my hand and seale the sixteenth daie of Februarie in the tenth yeare of the reigne of or / Sovereigne Lord Charles (16 February 1634/35)

the marke of Thomas Gratwick in the presence of

• the mark of Christopher Turky
• the mark of Cyprian Liliatt
• the mark of Hester Lihart

• I owe unto widow Pratt of Coates Fortie shillings and my will is that shee have that fortie shillings paid unto her and Twentie shillings more
• My Cosen Mr Roger Gratwicke shall deale for the Wardshipp of my sonne Thomas
• unto my menservants and maydservants to everie one two shillings
• unto Margarett my now wife the some of Twentie pounds

He was succeeded by his son, Thomas.^[2]

Research Notes

1. This profile previously recorded Thomas's birth as 1572 in Ringmer (unsourced). The Sussex Inquisitions show that Thomas's father, Henry Gratwicke, owned Ham Manor in Angmering parish at the time of his death, there are also parish records for the baptism of at least two of his children in Angmering: John, 1577 and Henry, 1579. In the absence of other evidence, it has been assumed that Thomas was also born in Ham and baptised in Angmering.

2. Thomas's birth date, 1572, has been calculated from his age at the time of his father, Henry Gratwicke's, death, which was given as 30 years on 30 May 1602 (30 May 44 Elizabeth) see Inquisitions: Henry Gratwick (ref 502)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Inquisition 493. F.W.T Attree (Ed), Notes on Post Mortem Inquisitions in Sussex - 1 Henry VII (1485) to 1649 and after',' Sussex Record Society 1912, page 108, ref 493 Henry Gratwick Sussex Record Society (accessed 2 January 2022).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Inquisition 502. F.W.T Attree (Ed), Notes on Post Mortem Inquisitions in Sussex - 1 Henry VII (1485) to 1649 and after',' Sussex Record Society 1912, page 110, ref 502 Thomas Gratwick Sussex Record Society (accessed 2 January 2022).
3. ↑ Death of Parent Edward W.D. Penfold (ed), The first book of the parish registers of Angmering, Sussex. 1562-1687, Worthing: W.J.C. Long 1913, 1685/6, page 37. digital images, Archive.org Registers of Angmering (accessed 2 Jan 2022)
4. ↑ "England, Sussex, Parish Registers, 1538-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2QW-R65N : 11 March 2018), Thomas Gratwick and Rachell Beach, 1616.
5. ↑ Marriage Edward W.D. Penfold (ed), The first book of the parish registers of Angmering, Sussex. 1562-1687, Worthing: W.J.C. Long 1913, 1685/6, page 37. digital images, Archive.org Registers of Angmering (accessed 2 Jan 2022)
6. ↑ Child Baptism Edward W.D. Penfold (ed), The first book of the parish registers of Angmering, Sussex. 1562-1687, Worthing: W.J.C. Long 1913, 1685/6, page 42. digital images, Archive.org Registers of Angmering (accessed 2 Jan 2022)
7. ↑ Child Baptism Edward W.D. Penfold (ed), The first book of the parish registers of Angmering, Sussex. 1562-1687, Worthing: W.J.C. Long 1913, 1685/6, page 44. digital images, Archive.org Registers of Angmering (accessed 2 Jan 2022)
8. ↑ Child Baptism Edward W.D. Penfold (ed), The first book of the parish registers of Angmering, Sussex. 1562-1687, Worthing: W.J.C. Long 1913, 1685/6, page 49. digital images, Archive.org Registers of Angmering (accessed 2 Jan 2022)
9. ↑ Child Burial Edward W.D. Penfold (ed), The first book of the parish registers of Angmering, Sussex. 1562-1687, Worthing: W.J.C. Long 1913, 1685/6, page 51. digital images, Archive.org Registers of Angmering (accessed 2 Jan 2022)
10. ↑ Burial of Spouse Edward W.D. Penfold (ed), The first book of the parish registers of Angmering, Sussex. 1562-1687, Worthing: W.J.C. Long 1913, 1685/6, page 37. digital images, Archive.org Registers of Angmering (accessed 2 Jan 2022)
11. ↑ Burial Edward W.D. Penfold (ed), The first book of the parish registers of Angmering, Sussex. 1562-1687, Worthing: W.J.C. Long 1913, 1685/6, page 37. digital images, Archive.org Registers of Angmering (accessed 2 Jan 2022)
12. ↑ Will of Thomas Gratwick, 1635 England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11/571/411 The National Archives Kew, Surrey, England. Image downloaded from The National Archives (Accessed 20 January 2022).

See also:

Further details about the Ham Estate and the Gratwick family can be found in:

• The Gratwicks of Ham
• Ham Manor Estate Map in 1724: "Ham Village in 1724" Web.Archive.org Internet Archive
• Ham Manor: "Abbreviated History of Ham Manor" Internet Archive Wayback Machine.Internet Archive
• Dudley George Carey Alwes (ed), Dugdale's A history of the castles, mansions, and manors of western Sussex, London: Longmans & Co, 1876, pp 10-12. Internet Archive (accessed 25 January 2022)