- Excerpt from "Notices of an English Branch of the Malet Family", by Arthur Malet, published 1885, pp 47-48, appendices T1-T2:
JOHN MALET OF ENMORE AND DEANDON.
John Malet was the son of Sir John Malet, Knight of the Bath, and Mary, the daughter of Chief Justice Popham. He succeeded his father in 1614, and died in April, 1644; he married (it is singular that I find at so late a date no mention of her Christian name) the daughter of Sir John Tracy, by whom he had issue:
1. John Malet.
2. Mary.
3. Jane, married to Charles White, Esq., of Fifield, Berks; he died 1662.*
4. Elizabeth.
5. Ann, married as his first wife to Roger Bourne of Gothelney, Somerset; she died May 1st, 1670, and was buried at Charlinch. "Roger Bourne of Gothelney, Esq., February 1st, 1671-2, L.4,000 on mortgage of Enmore and Charlinch made by John Malet, deceased, due to me; I devise them to trustees, named." (Pye, 15.)
John Malet was a Member of Parliament in 1623-4 for Bath, where there is a monumental inscription to him, April 10th, 1644. In a window in the north aisle of the Abbey Church were the Malet arms with the motto "Malet Meliora," but these have been removed. He was Sheriff for Somerset in 1638-9, and seems to have had considerable trouble in satisfying the demands of the Government for ship-money.** He is said by Sir W. Pole to have sold the manor of Deandon.*** The precis of his will+ is from the Rev. F. Brown's MS.
* Berks Visitation, vol. vi of Miscellanea Gen. and Herald, p. 107.
** State Papers, Ch.i, 1638-9, Feb. 2.--John Malet, late Sheriff of Somerset, to Secy. Nicholas.
"I have received sundry letters from the Council commanding Henry Hodges, my predecessor, and myself, to collect the ship moneys which were in arrears in his time; and having many times desired him to continue his endeavour towards the more speedy dispatch of this important affair, I have reaped no other fruit than peremptory refusals. Hodges was Sheriff about one year and a half, and I succeeded him, and was in office little above half the year. His account was so imperfect, as will appear by the false and injurious returns he made to me of what was behind in several Hundreds, that during my time he never perfected it, and, more, the Hundreds were so grieved at his rate that many complained to the Council for relief; and I being made a referee with the Bishop of Bath and Wells for the discovery of the inequalities of Hodge's [sic] proceedings, gave my attendance continually in the service, by which means the time I should have employed in the collection was for the most part spent in hearing the complaints of the country and certifying them to the Council." Seal with arms.
Feb. 2, Deposition of Robert Rich, Under Sheriff, to John Malet, Sheriff of Somerset.
Several letters have been sent from the Council to Henry Hodges, of Somerset, in 1625, and to John Malet, his successor; to collect the arrears of ship money imposed by Hodges; in obedience whereunto Malet and the deponent have collected and paid to Sir Wm Russel L2,200. Notwithstanding that Hodges was acquainted with the said letters, yet he has not paid in one penny of the said arrears, and has utterly refused to receive them or join in collecting them.
*** Sir A.M.'s MSS., vol. ii, p.18.
+ To my wife L500, my son John Malet--My brother and kinsman Sir Robert Tracy, Sir John Hele, my friend Mr. Hugh Halswell, my brother Thomas Malet, my friend and neighbour John Bourne, of Durleigh, and Mr. John Cridland, trustees of my estate--L 2,000 to my daughter Mary, L1,500 to my daughter Jane, L1,500 to Ann and Elizabeth--My servant Tho's Malet-- Overseers, Mr. Hugh Halswell, Mr. John Bourne of Durleigh, and Mr. John Cridland. Feb. 15th, 1646.
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