Thomas Machen M.P. M.A. (abt. 1540 - 1614)

Born about 1540 in England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 18 Oct 1614 at about age 74 in Gloucestershire, England

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Biography

Thomas Machen (c.1541–1614), a merchant who was three times mayor of Gloucester. The son of Henry Machen (d. 1566) and his wife, whose surname may have been Baugh or Brayh, he was possibly the Thomas Machin who in 1562 supplicated for his MA at Oxford, where three of his sons were later educated. Successful in business and politics, with his son-in-law Thomas Rich he was the leader of a godly faction in the corporation of Gloucester, and in 1613 he was elected MP for the city. By 1566 he had married Christian Baston (c.1546–1615); they had seven sons and six daughters. He died on 18 October 1614 leaving much property, including the manor of Condicote, which he bought in 1599, and bequeathing more than £4000 to his family and to various Gloucester charities. His monument survives in Gloucester Cathedral, representing him kneeling in his mayoral robes."

"Thomas Machen and his father Henry Machen were the two Sheriffs of Gloucester 1555, and Henry was mayor 1558. Thomas Machen, who was a mercer, was again Sheriff 1572, 1576, and mayor 1579, 1588, and 1601. He sat for Gloucester March to June 1614, was lord of the manor of Condicot in 1608, lived for 50 years with his wife Christian, the daughter and co-heir of --- Baston of Swell, and d. 18 Oct. 1614. (M.I. Gloucester Cathedral). He gave a charity of 24/- a year to 12 poor persons of the parish of St Katherine, Gloucester. The "Thomas Machen of Gloucester, who matric. Magd. Coll. Oxon. 2 July 1585, age 17, demy 1585-6, fellow 1586-94, B.A. 27 June 1587, M.A. 5 May 1592, entered Lincolns Inn 1589," was doubtless his son." ^[1]

In 1609, Thomas was named one of the overseers of the will of his son Henry. ^[2]

Thomas died on 18 October 1614 in Gloucester. His will passed probate on 3 December 1614.^[3] Mentioned is his will were:

• wife Christian
• nephew Henry Machen
• son Edward
• son Richard
• daughter Anne Robins
• daughter Elizabeth Ashfielde
• daughter Mary Wyrrell
• son Henry Machen, deceased.
• niece Anne Machen
• nephew Michael Ashfielde
• nephew Richard Robyns
• Emanuel son of son Edward Machen.

Thomas was buried Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. ^[4][5]

Research Notes

The inscription on the Machen memorial in the Gloucester Cathedral mentions that Thomas and Christian had seven sons and six daughters.

Machen Memorial Gloucester Cathedral

HERE LIE BVRIED THE BODIES OF THOMAS MACHEN ESQR LATE ALDERMAN OF THIS CITY OF GLOUCESTER AND THRICE MAIOR OF THE SAME, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE THE 18 DAY OF OCTOBER 1614 IN THE 74TH YEARE OF HIS AGE. AND OF CHRISTIAN HIS WIFE WITH WHOME HEE LIVED IN THE ESTATE OF MARRIAGE 50 YEARES, AND HAD ISSVE 7 SONNES AND 6 DAVGHTERS. SHEE DEPARTED THIS LIFE IVNE 29. 1615 IN THE 70TH YEARE OF HER AGE. ^[6]

Their know children:

• Thomas ^[1][6]
• Henry
• Edward
• Richard
• Anne
• Elizabeth
• Mary ^[3]

The monument appears to show 4 adult sons and 4 adult daughters, the others are shown as small children. This likely means that Thomas and Christian had 4 sons and 4 daughters who lived to adulthood, while 3 sons and 2 daughters died in childhood.

Possible Fourth Daughter

'Jone daur. of Tho. Macheu of Creksley in com. Gloucest.' wife of Francis Hampson, according to the Visitations Of The County Of Oxford. Could 'Macheu' be a misprint of 'Machen'?^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Williams, William Retlaw, The parliamentary history of the county of Gloucester, including the cities of Bristol and Gloucester, and the boroughs of Cheltenham, Cirencester, Stroud, and Tewkesbury, from the earliest times to the present day, 1213-1898, 1898, p. 192. https://archive.org/details/cu31924030494953 accessed 7 June 2017.
2. ↑ Will of Henry Machin: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
   The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 115
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 5111 #873449 (accessed 15 August 2022)
   Will of Henrici Machin of Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England, granted probate on 9 Feb 1609. Died Abt 1609.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Will of Thomas Machen: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858", database with images
   The National Archives, Kew, Surrey, England, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11, Class PROB 11, Piece 124
   Ancestry Sharing Link - (Ancestry au Record 5111 #893737 : accessed 6 February 2024)
   Will of Thome Machen, granted probate on 3 Dec 1614. Died about 1614 in Gloucester.
4. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89639448/thomas-machen: accessed 6 February 2024), memorial page for Thomas Machen (1541–18 October 1614), Find a Grave Memorial ID 89639448, citing Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England; Find a Grave Memorial Maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
5. ↑ Memorial: Machen Memorial, Gloucester Cathedral [5 photos] in SO831188:: Geograph Britain and Ireland. (https://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/5978 : accessed 6 February 2024)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Parsons, Mike The Machen family of Gloucestershire (http://www.mikeparsons.org.uk/genealogy/machen/index.html : accessed 6 February 2024).
7. ↑ "The Visitations Of The County Of Oxford : Taken In The Years 1566 By William Harvey, Clarencieux; 1574 By Richard Lee, Portcullis ; And In 1634 By John Philpott, Somerset, And William Ryley, Bluemantle. Together With The Gatherings Of Oxfordshire, Collected By Richard Lee In 1574". Archive.Org. (https://archive.org/stream/visitationsofcou57harv#page/n313/mode/2up/search/hamson : accessed 30 March 2018).

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/17531/17529?back=,17531
• The History of Parliament http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1604-1629/member/machen-thomas-1540-1614
• 'Parishes: Condicote', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 6, ed. C R Elrington (London, 1965), pp. 63-72. British History Online (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol6/pp63-72 : accessed 7 June 2017).
• The Visitation Of The County Of Gloucester, Taken In The Year 1623. Archive.Org. (https://archive.org/stream/visitationofcoun00inchit#page/106/mode/2up/search/machin : accessed 23 March 2018)
• Images of monument at Gloucester Cathedral - http://professor-moriarty.com/info/en/section/church-monument-art/17th-century-church-monuments-thomas-machen-family-monument-glouceste
• Wikimedia Commons, Memorial to Thomas Machen (d 1614) in Gloucester Cathedral (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Memorial_to_Thomas_Machen_(d_1614)_in_Gloucester_Cathedral : accessed 6 February 2024)
• Machen families http://www.next1000.com/family/EC/machen.origins.html