Name |
Thomas MALET [1] |
Note |
Aft 1481 [2] |
- Excerpt from "Notices of an English Branch of the Malet Family", by Arthur Malet, published 1885, pp 49-51, appendix W1:
BALDWIN MALET OF ST. AUDRIES.
Baldwin Malet was the second son of Thomas Malet of Enmore, by his wife Joan, the daughter of Sir William Wadham. Under the will of his father he inherited Quantockshead, commonly called St. Audries, and was the progenitor of the branches of the families of Malet who severally held that place, Ullegh or Wolley in Devonshire and Poyntington in Somerset. He was solicitor to King Henry VIII.*
Baldwin Malet married twice; his first wife was Joan, the daughter and heiress of John Tacle of Honiton, whom Sir William Pole designates "a man well learned in the law, and through whom he had a manor lying in the parish of Giddesham Com. Devon;" by his first wife he had issue his son and heir:
1. Michael Malet, born 1511.
He married, secondly, Anne, the daughter and heiress of Thomas Hache of Ullegh, and his wife Alice, daughter of Sir John Basset,** by whom he had issue:
2. John Malet of Ullegh. He was progenitor of the Poyntington Malets, from whom came the Malets who succeeded to St. Audries after the failure of direct heirs of Michael Malet.
3. Thomas Malet of Currey Heys, Cornwall; he married Isabel Browne.
4. Adam Malet of South Ockenden, Essex.
5. Elizabeth, married John Trethrup.
6. Anne, married John Vivian of Trelewaren, Cornwall.***
Baldwin Malet died in 1533; he was succeeded in the St. Audries estate by his eldest son Michael, and in the Ullegh property by his second son John, whose mother was the heiress of Thomas Hache of Ullegh, and with whom seven quarterings were added to the Malet coat of arms.*
* Inquest held at Bridgwater, Som/t., Dec. 16th, 1533, on death of Baldwin Malet, son of Thomas Malet. His wife Anne Malet--Manor of West Quantockshead--Will quoted--Baldwin Malet died Aug/t 25th last. Michael Malet, his son and heir, aged 22 and more.
Baldwin Malet, Esq/re., July 12, 1533--Manor of West Quantockshead, Somerset--Anne my wife--Michael, John, Thomas, Adam, my sons, and Hugh Malet [his nephew, son and heir of William Malet, of Enmore, his brother] in reversion, North Swanage, in the isle of Purbeck. Manor of Bensted---Popham, Hants--If Thomas or Adam my sons will be a priest or professed in any religion, then £20 a year until presented to a benefice. Three hundred marks to my daughters Ann and Elizabeth. Residue to my wife. Ex'x--Proved by Anne Malet, relict, Aug't 9th, 1533.
Swanwich, Dorset. Carrants Court Manor, 25 Henry VIII, 1533. William Carent and Elizabeth his wife conveyed the Manor of Swanwick to Baldwin Malet, of St. Audries, Som't, Solicitor to Henry VIII, who by his will devised it to his sons-- The manor then held of William Earl of Arundel--3rd Phi'l and Mary, 1556 Tho's Malet of Curreyheys, Cornwall, Gen't, and Adam Malet, of South Ockenden, Essex, sons of Baldwin Malet, sold Swanage Manor to Humphrey Walrond, of Lea, Somerset.
** Sir A. Malet's MSS., vol ii, p. 14. "Leigh in the parish of Tiverton. Anno. 19 Edward III, Thomas Hache of Wolley married Mabel, daughter of Thomas de Leigh, and this land continued in the name of Hache until the reign of Henry VIII, and then it came unto Baldwin Malet by the marriage of Hache's heir, and is now the inheritance of the Lady Vincent, daughter and heir of Robert Malet of Wolley."
*** Sir A. Malet's MSS., vol. ii, p. 8. "John Vivian died July 24th, 1577, and was buried at Mawgan,in Menheniot, Cornwall. His son and heir Hannibal Vivian."
|
Birth |
Abt 1516 |
St Audries, West Quantoxhead, Somerset, England [1, 3] |
- Said to be aged 40 in 1556.
|
Gender |
Male |
Note |
- Arthur Malet, in "Notices of an English Branch of the Malet Family", states that Thomas, second son of Baldwin Malet, solicitor to Henry VIII, was of "Currey Heys" Cornwall, and that he married Isabel Browne. No source was given for this assertion.
T.P.S. Woods, in "Prelude to Civil War", notes that there was a Thomas Malet aged 40 years, living in Tregony, Cornwall for "20 years" in 1556, and that Tregony was associated with the Trevanion family, whose seat was at "Caerhayes", Cornwall. A sampling of various spellings of the modern day Caerhays estate indicates that it was typically pronounced something like "Caryhays", which is obviously very close to Arthur Malet's "Currey Heys": "Karyhays" (1242), "Caryhayes" (1602), etc.
When Thomas was 17 years old or so, his father Baldwin died (1533), and his mother remarried to Sir Hugh Trevanion. Thomas would almost certainly have gone with his mother to live at the Trevanion estate of Caerhayes, and it is not surprising to find him living on Trevanion property at Tregony shortly thereafter, at about the time that one would expect him to marry.
So what happened next?
Arthur Malet says that he married Isabel Browne, which is probably true, though no source is given that can be verified, and no record of the marriage has been found. The first children recorded in the IGI born to a Thomas Malet in Cornwall are Jone, Pacience, Thomas and William, born in Bodmin between 1578 and 1583, all about two years apart, which is a typical pattern for a family born to a particular couple. That is to say, it is safe to assume that these four children were all born to the same Thomas, since an assumption must be made, because no mother's name was recorded that could help to sort the situation out.
The next two "Malet" families in this part of Cornwall are those of "Malachie" in Luxulyan, and "Amond" in St Erth. The parentage of Malachie and Amond is unknown, but it is not unreasonable to think that they might have been related to this Thomas.
Malachie has a suggested connection to Thomas because in Thomas's will he gives money the "the poore people" of Luxulyan. This implies that he had land holdings there. Malachie was not mentioned in Thomas's will, but if he were Thomas's son, he would have been old enough at the time of the writing of Thomas's will that he would already have been married and already have been given some of his father's property (presumably in Luxulyan) to allow him to make a living and to support a family, hence no need to mention him specifically in the will. If this assumption is correct then Malchie would have been the child of Thomas and his wife Isabel Browne.
Amond could have been Thomas's godson, because in Thomas's will he makes provision for "Reginald Amadas", his godson. This person's name was recorded three different ways in the IGI: "Amond", "Amman", and "Namaan". This implies that the writing in the parish register that the IGI transciber(s) saw was difficult to make out, and that the name was uncommon, making the inscription difficult to interpret. It is perhaps possible that Reginald Amadas, for some reason, adopted the surname Malet, but kept Amadas as a given name, or that he gave his children the surname Malet and the transcribers mistook his surname "Amadas" as the given name "Amond" or "Amman" or "Namaan”. Since Reginald Amadas was a godson, he was not (likely) the biological child of Thomas.
What of the four children born to Thomas in Bodmin? If they were born to the Thomas, son of Baldwin, born c. 1516, he would have been between 60 and 70 years old. Normally one would assume that these children must have been born to another, younger, Thomas, but, in his will dated 1592, Thomas gives the bulk of his estate to a Patience Archer the wife of his servant John Archer. It is not uncommon for a man of property to give a few shillings or pounds to his servants upon his death, but to give the bulk of ones estate to the wife of a servant is clearly exceptional. The second child born to Thomas Malet in Bodmin, in 1580, was called Pacience. It seems very likely that the mother of this Pacience and probably her 3 siblings was Patience Archer. At the time of the writing of the will, all four children were minors, and there is no mention of them or any other children in the will, nor is there any mention of a wife — only Patience Archer. Normally, when children are to be left without parents, the will will contain very specific provisions as to their maintenance until they reach "full age". In this case, it may be that no mention is made of these children because it is understood that because Patience Archer is their mother, there can be no doubt that she will take care of them — all that remains is to make sure that she has the financial wherewithal to do so, hence the provisions of the will giving a substantial amount of property to Patience herself, and not to her husband, who, for obvious reasons, may not have been too keen on the arrangement between Thomas Malet and his wife.
T. P. S. Woods, in Prelude to Civil War, states that there was a will of a Thomas Malet of Cuby/Tregony proved in 1581 in Bodmin that has been lost. This could be the will of Thomas, son of Baldwin, but other details of the 1592 will, though that Thomas was of Lanivet rather than Tregony, seem to indicate that it is the will of Thomas born c 1516. He mentions a nephew "Michaell" — his brother John of "Wooleigh" had a son Michael. He mentions Hannibal Vivian — his sister Anne married John Vivian, and their son was called Hannibal. He also mentions Thomas St Abyn (Aubyn) — his niece Zenobia (daughter of John of Wooleigh) married into the St Aubyn family. None of that is proof positive of the 1592 will being of Thomas born 1516, but if it isn't him, it is certainly someone closely related to him, perhaps a son Thomas — a birth gone unrecorded, like Malachie and Amond, aforementioned.
|
SW Group |
A |
UKC 1881 |
N |
Alternate Name |
Thomas Mallatt [7] |
Alternate Name |
Thomas Mallete [7] |
Will |
12 Jul 1533 [8] |
- Hughe Malet esq. is mentioned as a successor if his own line fails - this being Hugh the current (when the will was written) owner of Enmore. It's interesting that they don't spell out exactly which Hugh this is - but perhaps he was the only Hugh Malet extant at the time.
|
Will |
16 Dec 1592 |
Lanivet, Cornwall, England [4] |
- In the name of god amen The sixteenth daye
of December in the five and thirteth? yeare of the reigne of our soveraigne Lady Elizabeth
by the grace of god of England France? and Ireland Quene defendress? of the faith by and
in the yeare of our lord god one thousand five hundredth? foure score and twelve I Thomas
Malett of Lanyvet in the county of Cornwall Esquyre being sound and perfect of
memorye (thanks be given to almighty god) taking unto mind the uncertainty? of man’s lyfe
with the small _____ _____ have of any time of _____ in that _____ doe therefore
make and ordayne this my last will and testament in manner and forme following / first and before
all things I doe commend my soule unto almighty god my maker and redeemer, _____ by
god grace and the merits of Jesus Christ I shall have full remition of all my sinnes and resurrect-
tion of bodye and soule and for my body to be buryed I doe referre the same unto the the discretion?
of my executors / I doe give unto the poore people of the parrishe of Lanyvett twenty six
shillings eight pence Item I give unto the poore people of the parrish of ______ Luxulian
and Lanhidrock twenty shillings apiece.? / Item I doe give unto the poore people of Bodmyn towne
twenty shillings to be equally distributed amongst the poore people of every? of the said parishes and
towne by my executor / Item I doe will give and bequeath unto Patience Archer the wife of John
Archer my servant? twoe hundred pounds in money to be payed provided? and taken oute of all my debts
goods and chattels whatsoever to be paide unto her or to her assignes within three months next and
immediately following my deathe. Item I doe give and bequeath unto the said Patience Archer one
dozen of silver spoones _____ one halfe dozen with _____ and the other half dozen with _____ _____
Item I doe give unto her also one silver salte? _____. Item I doe give unto the said Patience
Archer two bowles of silver _____ and one bowle? of silver _____ gilt? / Item I doe give and
bequeathe unto the said Patience Archer one litle? cup of silver with _____ _____ and two _____
_____ or bowles of silver / Item I doe give and bequeath unto the said Patience Archer the
third parte of all my _____ for house keeping and the third parte of all my household? stuff? _____
linen? _____ other with the furniture thereunto belonging whatsoever? / Item I doe will give bequeath
and devise unto the said Patience Archer all _____ landes and tenements of mine with all and
singular their members? and appurtenances? In Trelewack? _____ lying and being in the parrish of
St Ewe otherwise Ewe in the County of Cornwall with all _____ _____ charters
_____ obligations and _____ thereunto belonging or in any wise apporteyning whatsoever
to have and to hold all the aforesaid lands and tenements with all and _____ their members
and appurtenances unto the said Patience Archer and to her assignes for ever. / Item I doe will
give and bequeath unto Humfry Nicolls Esquyer all my parte and portion of all _____ lands and
tenements of myne in Lanyvet and Clanne also Lillyland? lying and being within the parrish of
Lanyvet to have and to hold all the said lands and tenements with their members and appurte-
nances unto the said Humfry Nicholls and unto his heires forever. Item I doe give unto Henry?
Nicholls my sonne in law twenty pounds to be paid unto him within one year next after my death.
Item I doe give and bequeath unto Stephen _____ my servant tenne pounds to be paid unto
him within one month next after my death. Item I doe give and bequeath unto the foresaid Patience
Archer all _____ corne and cattell of mine of all kyndes as shall be growing pasturing lying and being in
and upon the aforesaid lands and tenements of myne in Trelowack at the time of my death. / Item I
doe give unto the said Patience Archer foure draught oxen and _____ _____ for the plough with so
many yokes _____ and _____ with all other _____ implements thereunto belonging and apperteyning.
Item I doe give unto her also one _____ and one _____ _____ and two payre of yron _____ _____ _____
_____ with his furniture with all other _____ implements thereunto belonging / Item I doe
give and bequeath unto the said Patience Archer six milche kyen and our bull and fifty heade of
sheepe halfe weathers and halfe ewes to be taken out of my flock at _____ the _____ and Clanne.
Item I do give unto my nephewe Michaell Malett twenty pounds to be paid unto him within one
year next after my death. Item I doe give unto Reginald Amadas? my godsonne tenne pounds to be
paide unto him within one yeare next after my death. Item I doe give unto Thomas St Abyn
Esquyer _____ _____ of mine as he shall make _____ of. Item I doe give and bequeath unto Hannyball Vivian Esquier
all my avowsand? of St Erme. Item I doe give unto the said Patience Archer my _____ _____ _____
honour?. Item I do give unto the said John Archer my servant one sute of apparel / Item The
_____ of all my goods and chattels whatsoever not heretofore given devised _____ I doe will
give devise and bequeath unto Reynold? Mohun and Humfry Nicolls Esquyers _____ I doe
make ordaine and appointe to be my only executors and herewith all I doe revoke anull and
make forfeit? all former wills and testaments heretofore made by me whatsoever. In wittness
whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and sette my seal the daye and yeare above written./
Tho. Malet _____ _____ Nicholls Symon George? _____ Richard Nicolas
|
Death |
Bef 21 May 1593 |
Lanivet, Cornwall, England [4] |
- This was the date that probate was granted. The will was dated Dec of the previous year, so he probably died early in 1593.
|
Person ID |
I7395 |
Southwest |
Last Modified |
20 Jun 2016 |