Ffrancces Lovelace (Lovelesse) of Bethersden 16C

[Oldlands]

Hi

I am trying to find records for Ffrancces (sic) Lovelace and Margaret Harrot who married in Bethersden
2.11.1567. They were both recorded as residents of the parish - and there were 6 children (that I can find) baptised there. I am guessing they would have been born c 1545 though they could have been born earlier.
There is a famous Lovelace family (with sons mostly called John or William) who lived at Lovelace Place in Bethersden - from c 1367 when they acquired it through to the 1600s. I can trace them from then through through to the 1570s - but no sign of any FFrancces among them.
Yet the co-incidence of the same name in the same area seems too great for there not to be a link somewhere

[bearkat]

The Kent Archaeological society has an article about the LOVELACE family

https://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Pub/ArchCant/010%20-%201876/010-17.pdf

[Oldlands]

Hello

Thank you so much for this. I had seen bits of the information - but this is the best for sources that I have come across. I don't think it gets me much closer - there are glimpses of the 'Francis' family christian name -  but no obvious place that my Ffrances (male! with a consistent double 'Ff'  in many records - did he stammer? ) seems to fit. There is also a marriage of one of his children to Elizabeth Smyth (a Smyth is mentioned later in your document as a former ally of the Lovelaces). But I'm sure there must have been many 'Smyths'.
I suspect it was the wealthier members of the Lovelace (Lovlas, Lovelesse) family who were better recorded (visitations and wills) - and although Ffrannces' son is recorded as a 'householder' in his burial entry, I suspect he was not of that ilk. 
If you come across any more information, that would be fantastic. And thank you again.

[bearkat]

The Kent Archaeological Society is a great source for early records

try putting

lovelace site:www.kentarchaeology.org.uk

in your search box

There are 95 results.  There may be some clues there.

It's worth doing the same for any variants of the surname.

[bearkat]

The East Kent Wills Index

https://wills.canterbury-cathedral.org/

lists a few LOVELACE (and variants) wills.

There is a will dated 1582 for a Francis LOVELACE of Bethersden PRC/10/10/329 and one for William of Bethersden dated 1540.  They might be worth investigating as wills can give a much bigger picture of the family, if you're lucky.

[Oldlands]

Thank you so much for this.

I have asked for copies of several the wills.

There were also those listed for Lovelaces I believe to be Ffrancces' son and grandson.So that's really helpful.
(And should help me confirm the family links if I'm lucky.)

His birth and parentage still seem unrecorded though. I also looked through all the links you suggested for which also thank you.

The dates of William (and wife Alice) both b/d Bethersden would fit well with Ffrances as a son datewise -
but everything I find about them seems clear that they only had 2 daughters and one son (William).
Their wills suggest this too.  Alice's son from a previous marriage is included in both wills - so the possibility that Ffrances was from an earlier marriage doesn't seem to work either.

I suppose he could have been illegitimate - but very frustrating that I can find no birth entry for him.

But thank you for what you have done. Fingers crossed the wills all tie up.