Mede, Thomas

[Mead8.FTW]

Thomas Meade migrated from Somerset during the reign of Henry VI (before1471) and settled in Clavering, Essex.
According to John Mead in a paper dated May 1977 in the Essex Record Office, the reason Thomas moved to Essex was because of Maurice Berkeley and his wife Isabel Mede. Maurice Berkeley was "granted the manor of Great Chesterford in Essex and lived there until his death in 1506. Isabel''s father and her brother died in Bristol but it is possible that she and her husband saw prospects for other members of the family in the area of their Essex home. Great Chesterford is in the north west corner of the county on the border with Cambridgeshire, where the Berkeleys held further estates. The merchant class in England at the close of the fifteenth century was wealthy as a whole and members of that class would have been anxious to improve their fortunes by moving into the landowning ranks of the rising gentry." Great Chesterford is about three miles from Elmdon and five miles from Clavering.
Thomas Mede left a will dated 1504 in the Prerogative Canterbury Court. In his will he names his brother William Mede, his wife Johanna, and his four sons Richard, Thomas, Robert and John.
Thomas''s descendants lived in Clavering, Elmdon, Berden, Great Easton, and Chrishall, which are all within about ten miles of each other in northwest Essex. His descendant, William Mead, migrated to America in 1635. In 1780, William''s descendant Enoch Mead built a house and named it Elmdon.
The information here is based mainly on wills, which are documented separately for each of the people involved, and on Visitations. The Visitation of Essex 1634 (No. 1) shows the descendants of Thomas Meade, son of Thomas Meade of Clavering, d. 1504. The Visitation of Essex 1634 (No. 2) shows the descendants of John Meade of Great Easton, d. 1570. The Visitation of Essex 1634 (No. 3) shows the descendants of Edward Meade of Berden, d. 1577. The Visitatations of Cambridgeshire 1575 and 1619 show the descendants of John Meade of Great Easton, d. 1565. The Visitation of Essex 1664-1668 shows the descendants of Richard Meade of Berden, d. 1611.
Most of the birth and marriage dates are best estimates, valid to within ten years either way. Parish records starting in about 1550, where available, keep the dates fairly accurate.
Will (Prerogative Court of Canterbury), PROB11/508., TNA: PROB 11/14 (Reliability: 3).
Jn the name of god amen The iiii=th= day of May in the yere of owr lorde god X V C and iiii J Thomas Mede of Clavering in the Dioc of London being hole of mynde and in good and p~fet memory thanked be almyghty Jhv made, ordenid and disposid his present testament conteynyng his last will in the maner and forme ensuing that ys to witt ffirst and princypally he bequethid and recomendid his sowle to almygthy god his maker and savyour to his glorius mother owr Lady Seynt Mary the Virgin and to all the holy company of hevin and his body to be buried in the parish church of Claveryng aforesaid. And he bequeth to the hye Aultar of the same church for his tithis and offerings forgoten or negligently witholden in discharging of his sowle iii s iiii d. Jtem he bequethid to the reparacion of the same church a good fermabull cow. Jtm he bequethid a nother cowe to the fundyng of a lyght before owr Lady in the new Tabernacule jn the body of the same church. Jtm he bequethid to the reparacion of the foresaid parish church of Clavering x li to be disposid by the oversyght of his executours and overseer to be paid by the hondis of his executours vi li xii s iii d and v marke the residue to be lesond o a dett which Robert fiche Brother owgth him. Jtm he bequethid a nother cow to goo in like wise to the sustentacion of a light before the Jmage of Seint Blase within the said church. Jtm he bequethid to the reparacion of the parish church of Arkesen vi s viii d. Jtm he bequeathed in like wise to the parish church of Langley vi s viii d. Jtm he bequethid to a prest of good and honest conversacion to sing him dymy serme by a hole yere yn the parish church of Clavering aforesaid for his sowle and all cristen sowlis vi li. Jtm he bequethid to his sonne Robert Meed v mark in money wherof he willed that he shall receyve xlvi s viii d of Gefferey Cheshin which he owed him. Jtm he bequethid to Thomas Mede his godsonne of the foresaid Robert a cow a ewe and a lambe. Jtm he bequethid to William Chessy a ewe and a lambe. Jtem he bequethid to his servant Alice Totynh~m xx s. Jtm he bequethid to his servant Will Cole a bushell whete and a bushel of barley. Jtm he bequethid to his sonne Richard vi milch bests vi hors a cart and a plow with apparell therto belonging. Jtm he bequethid to Thomas his sonne vi other milch bests vi hors a cart and a plowgh with all the apparell to them to be deliverd when his lease and terme of yeres be exspired of the Lordship of Clavering. And yf hit happon any of his said sonne Richard and Thomas before his saide lease be exspired to discease he would that then the parte of him so decessing shall remayne to the other of them overlivyng. Jtm he bequethid to Johanne his wife vi horse of the best and a cart withall that belongith therto and x milch bests of the best. The residue of all his goodis, detts and cattals corne and vestilments what so ever they be after his detts paide his ffunerall done and this present testament fulfilled he gave and bequethid to Johanne his wife to dispose part theref for his sowle and all cristen sowlis and all the remnent at her pleasur to the comfort of hir and of hir childern and of this testament numenpatyve he made and ordenid the foresaid Johanne his wife his executrice William Mede his brother and John Cokesweth his executours. And he bequethid to ether of them for ther labors and bisines therin to be hadde x s. Also he made and ordenid Robert ffiztwilliam Gentilman of the foresaid testament numenpatyve supervisor and he to have for his labor and bisines x s. Thes being witnes Master Richard Heheby vicary of the parish church of Clavering aforesaide, Thomas Lerkin, Thomas Waren, John Drew, Edward Armbold and William Palmer with other penin the day and yere above specified.
Thys ys the last wyll of Thomas Mede made the iiii=th= day of May in the yer of owr lorde god a thowsand v c and iiii of all his londis and tenements both fre and copy which he or eny other person or persons to his use hath or have within the p~ish of Clavering and Domnow in y=e= counte of Essex. ffirst he will that his croft of iii acres callid Stokking Croft and a pece of lond cont on acr and a [unclear] liing in Stutfeld by rebers medow shall goo to the fundyng of his Obet to be holden and kepte yerly for evermor in the parish church of Clavering aforesaid. Jtm he will that Johanne his wife shalhave all his londis and medow called Dawberrys and all his londis and T~ents called Jardays also his medow callid virlys medow now occupied by Thomas Northath and also his t~ent called Darmeres to holde to ther sonne John for terme of hir lif and after hir decece he will that all the same londys and tenements to hir assigned shall holy remayn to Richard his sonne to holde to him and to his eyris in fee simple forever. Jtm he will that the same Richard his sonne shalhave when he commith to his lawfull age all his londis callid Lorkins, Wesowoden, Virleis, Greatmead ende pais Pightell and Marse in Reyland to hold to him and his eyris in fee simple for ever. Jtm he will that Thomas his sonne shalhave when he comith to his lawfull age his londis called Sunners perkins Harberd Slolyes picre, Webbis Biner and Maryfond holden by copy of John Barly to holde to him and to his eyres in fee simple for ever and yf it happon eny of the saide Richard or Thomas to decease befor he atteyne unto his lawfull age he will that then all the londis & tenements to him so during befor assigned shal remayne unto the other of them overlivyng. And yf hit happen both the said Ric~ and Thomas befor that ether of them com to his lawfull age to decece as god defend he will that then all the londis and t~ents to them before assigned shalbe solde by his executours undernamed and the money commyng of such sale to dispose for his sowle his sowle his frendis sowlis and all in goode works and dedis and dedis of cherite as seme to them best to please god and to p~fit his sowle. Jtm he will that Margaret Bartram shalhave his t~ent in Dunmow wherein she now dwellyth for terme of hir life and after hir deceace he will that the said t~ent with thappurtenance shall remayne to the foresaid Robert his sonne and to his eyris in fee simple for evermor. And of this his present testament and last will he mak and ordene the foresaid Johanne his wife his executrice and executours of the same he made and ordeyn his brother William Mede and John Cokyswith and he bequethid to eyther of them for his labor and bysines herin to be hade x d. Also he make and orden Robert ffytzwilliam gentilman of this present testament and last will supervisor.