Clement Smith (1507 - 1552)

Born 1507 in Little Baddow, Essex, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 26 Aug 1552 at about age 45 in Rivenhall, Essex, England

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Biography

Knighted 22 Feb 1547. The marriage to Elizabeth Twysell is uncertain, as explained below.

The will and inquisition post mortem of Clement are reproduced by Copinger.^[1] He also has a detailed biography on the History of Parliament website.^[2] Both he and his brother John, as well as the families of their wive's (the Twysells and the Seymours) are associated with Thomas Cromwell and the politics of Henry VIII.

In his will he describes his wife as "Dorothy Smyth sister to the High and Mighty Prince Edward Duke of Somerset, and unto Sir Henry Seymour, knt". The IPM mentions that his wife Dorothy "survived him and is now living".

However, as noted on Andrew Lancaster's webpage about this family, at least some records make it appear that Clement had another earlier wife.

• The will also clearly says that this Clement is the one who was "executor to the last will of Elizabeth Twysell deceased, sole Executrix of the last will of Thomas Twysell, late auditor deceased". Specifically he arranges for money inherited from the Twysells to go to "Dorothy daughter of my brother John Smyth deceased", "my said niece to have paid to her at her marriage, &c, the money which the said Thomas Twysell her grandfather bequeathed to her by his last will and testament and a ring with a turcas" [turquoise].

We can compare to the various PRO records about legal disputes concerning the Twysell inheritance.^[3]

One in particular (C 78/4/13), makes it seems that the first wife of Clement was actually the widowed mother of the wife of Clement's brother John: "Subject of decree: will and legacies of Thomas Twesell, deceased, whose widow was plaintiff's wife."^[4]

However...

An Elizabeth Twysill of Kings Stanley had a PCC will proved 5 May 1545 which confirms that the executor should be Master Clement Smith. Strangely it does not seem to refer to him as a husband, and it was written 2 May only some days before her death. Might the marriage have been one of convenience to help control the Twysell assets? But it even mentions Master Clement's wife!

Examination of the scan of that document makes it seem possible the catalogue entry is mistaken on this point - possibly confused by the fact that it discusses not only Elizabeth's will, but also her late husband Thomas'.

Sources

1. ↑ Walter Copinger (1910), "History and records of the Smith-Carington family" Available online here.
2. ↑ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/smith-clement-1515-52
3. ↑ C 4/36/57, C 4/36/58, C 1/1157/30, C 78/4/13, C 1/1164/55-56.
4. ↑ A scan of the original case can be found online: http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT7/C78/C78no4/IMG_0016.htm

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