BEGATS AND BEQUEATHALS

My grandfather RICHARD WHITELOCK maryed a Grove; her frends dwelled at a place called Funges [i.e., Fingest] in [Buckingham] shire. His father William maryed a Cowdrey.

The last posting also notes that a Whitelock-Colte lineage chart in Joseph Hunter’s Familiae Minorum Gentium states that Richard Whitlock (died 1556) inherited the manor of Beches (Beche in this source) at Wokingham from John Whitlock and his wife Agnes de la Beche (died 1491).[2] Beches passed from Agnes de la Beche Whitlock to her son William Whitlock (died about 1510), and William, in turn, willed it to his son Richard Whitlock (died 1556).

We know that William died testate with a will dated 20 December 1510 because the will and its date are cited in a lawsuit filed in 1549 by William Whitlock’s son William (died 1554) against his brother Richard (died 1556). As Peter Whitlock explains, the British National Archives at Kew Gardens hold three documents relating to this lawsuit, and researcher John Cook has obtained copies of these documents for the Whitlock Family Association.[3] Digital copies with a transcript helpfully created by Peter Whitlock are archived at the website of the Whitlock Family One-Name Study (page one is at the head of this posting).[4]

Noting that the Victoria history of the county of Berkshire states that in 1549, William, son of William Whitlock (died about 1510), sued his younger brother Richard for unlawful entry into Beches manor, Peter Whitlock states,[5]

Even with just the rough transcript [of the original legal documents] I have done it is fairly clear what the issues were.

The dispute centers around the Will of William Whitlock (1510) the father of the two sons, William and Richard. This family is detailed on our WHITLOCK02H chart, The Whitlocks of Wokingham, Berkshire and as the son William did not show on the charts I had this dispute attributed to the next generation where there was also two sons William and Richard. These documents make it clear that the William whose Will was dated December 20, 1510 was the son of John Whitlock & Agnes De la Beche and is shown married to a Cowdrey. Unfortunately we have not found a copy of the Will from 1510 which is referred in the 1549 Bill of Complaint.

It appears from the documents that this dispute had gone on for some years and there is reference to an award made in 1541 to settle the issue.

William Whitlock in his Will of 1510 apparently made allowance for his eldest son. The son William and his wife Thomazine and their son William were to have possession land and an orchard and a croft named Harpies “in Okyingham aforesaid by the kyngs high waie” [Okyingham = Wokingham] for their lifetime. After their decease, this portion of the estate was to return to his brother Richard’s heirs who were to inherit the whole of the Beches Manor.

The allowance to William & Thomazine Whitlock included revenue from manor lands and “six loads of wood yierelie to him delyvered, at the dwellying hous of the same playntif [William] in Okyngham aforesaid and that the said Thomasyn shall receive yerelie after the deathe of said playntif her husband one annuitie of vjs viijd paid & two loads of wood out of the said manor & other the p’mysses to the said Richard before awareded duryng his naturall lif w’t a chanse of distres for no payment of the said (pevall?) annuylie and loads of wood.”

The son Richard was ordered to pay his brother William any amounts required by their father’s will that remained outstanding and William’s claim was dismissed.

As Peter Whitlock notes, Liber Famelicus omits any mention of William Whitlock (died 1554) and his wife Thomazine, as it discusses William’s father William (died about 1510) and brother Richard (died 1556). The documents held by the British Archives from the 1549 lawsuit between William (died 1554) and Richard Whitlock (died 1556) include William’s bill of complaint dated 30 June 1549 and a legal judgment signed by Thomas Bullok dated 23 July 1549 and upholding Richard Whitlock’s title to Beches and voiding his brother’s claims. This judgment states that during the hearing about this dispute, Richard exhibited the will of their father William Whitlock, which was dated 20 December 1510:[6]

[T]he said Richard showed suche the last will indented of the said William Whitlok his father conveyenyng the disposion of all his free lands & tents dated the twentie daie of December in the second yiere of the reigne of our said late sovdain lord [1510]….

As Peter Whitlock notes, to date, the will of William Whitlock (died about 1510) has not been found, but we can confidently conclude that it existed and was made on 20 December 1510 at Wokingham because this is stated in the July 1549 legal judgment that resolved the dispute between the brothers William (died 1554) and Richard Whitlock (died 1556). And we know from these legal documents that the will of William Whitlock (died about 1510) demonstrated that William inherited the manor of Beches at Wokingham from his parents John and Agnes de la Beche Whitlock.

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[1] James Whitlocke, Liber Famelicus of Sir James Whitlocke, etc., ed. John Bruce (London: Camden Society, 1858), p. 3.

[2] Joseph Hunter, Familiae Minorum Gentium, vol. 3, ed. John W. Clay (London: Harleian Society, 1895), p. 1124.

[3] Peter Whitlock, “Bill of Complaint 1549 Re: Manor of Beches,” Whitlock Family Newsletter 32,4 (December 2013), pp. 10-11. The original documents are catalogued in the Kew Archives as Ct. of Req. bdle. 15, no. 59.

[4] “De la Beche Manor Documents Wokingham Berkshire England,” R3441 in the reference files archived at the website of the Whitlock Family One-Name Study site.

[5] Peter Whitlock, “Bill of Complaint 1549 Re: Manor of Beches,” citing A History of the County of Berkshire, vol. 3 (London: Victoria County History, 1923), pp. 225-236. The family chart, WHITLOCK02H, cited by Peter Whitlock is
“Whitlocks of Wokingham, Berkshire descent from John Whitloke and Agnes De la Beche (M1454?) with all historical detail and source references added,” and is archived in the family charts of the Whitlock Family One-Name Study site.

[6] This excerpt from Peter Whitlock’s transcript of the 1549 legal judgment is found at “De la Beche Manor Documents Wokingham Berkshire England,” R3441 in the reference files archived at the website of the Whitlock Family One-Name Study site.