I have seen 2 versions of the Visitations of Sussex. Until recently I had referred to the one that indicated that John Wenham of Ninfield married Ann Needham who was the daughter of Sir Francis Needham of Sussex. I am now aware of the version that refers to Sir Francis Needham from Derby and this has led me to some interesting information. Sir Francis was known to be both of Melbourne House in Derby , Derbyshire and of Barking Hall “Barnham” and Darmsden in Suffolk as well as other districts. Melbourne House has been the home of two prime ministers and is open to the public; Barking Hall and Darmsden are situated only 12/17 miles from Little Wenham in Suffolk.
Sir Francis Needham died in 1638. There is a record dated 1639 held in the Ipswich, Suffolk, archives (ref: HA1/B/A/3/11) relating to a John Wenham of More Hall, Sussex, who sought to execute a judgement against Sir Francis Needham with regard to Barking and Darmsden. As to why I am not yet certain but possibly due to the terms of some bequeath to his wife, nee Ann Needham, not being honoured on a timely basis.
Sir Francis Needham also had another daughter (Christian name?) who was married to Phillip Tilney of Barking Hall in Suffolk. He was the son of Phillip Tilney of Shelley House, Shelley, Suffolk and his first wife Margaret Brewse who, in turn, was the daughter of Thomas Brewse (d. 1482) and Elizabeth Debenham of Wenham Hall, Little Wenham. This Elizabeth Debenham was the daughter of Gilbert Debenham and sister and heir to her brother Gilbert Debenham of Little Wenham. Wenham Hall was sacked in 1470 and lost to the Debenhams in 1487 but returned to their possession in I think 1502 to the then nearest relative Robert Brewse and remained in the Brewse family for the next 200 years.
The Tilneys can I believe be traced back to Little Wenham. Charles Tilney (1561-1586) of Barking Hall Suffolk was the son I believe of Phillip Tilney and his wife who was the daughter of Sir Francis Needham as mentioned above. Charles Tilney was executed for plotting against Queen Elizabeth 1.
The above does not of course explain the recording back in 1530 of the reference to a daughter of Richard Wenham marrying a Brewse with whom she shared Wenham Hall in approx. 1470. There are many speculative theories not least the one mentioned in a previous blog in which it was stated that perhaps we who think we descended from Wenhams may in fact have descended from Debenhams. Who knows?