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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Buckinghamshire => Topic started by: Vance Mead on Wednesday 22 July 15 17:25 BST (UK)
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You couldn't swing a dead cat in Buckinghamshire without hitting a few Meads. I have collected a lot of information about them from wills, parish records, Common Pleas rolls, etc, particularly from before 1600 and going back to before 1500. Where wills and parish records are available, I have been able to connect them over several generations.
I am especially interested in Meads in Saunderton/Horsenden, Soulbury, Stewkley, Wing, Whitchurch and East Claydon. I also have quite a lot of information about individuals in other parishes, but can't connect them across generations.
If anyone is working on the Mead family in Bucks before about 1650, I'd be glad to hear from you. I'd be happy to share what I've found and meet others working in the same area.
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You couldn't swing a dead cat in Buckinghamshire without hitting a few Meads. I have collected a lot of information about them from wills, parish records, Common Pleas rolls, etc, particularly from before 1600 and going back to before 1500. Where wills and parish records are available, I have been able to connect them over several generations.
I am especially interested in Meads in Saunderton/Horsenden, Soulbury, Stewkley, Wing, Whitchurch and East Claydon. I also have quite a lot of information about individuals in other parishes, but can't connect them across generations.
If anyone is working on the Mead family in Bucks before about 1650, I'd be glad to hear from you. I'd be happy to share what I've found and meet others working in the same area.
I am not... but my friend is of that family/area. At the moment she's not been persuaded to pursue family history, but if she ever does, I'll remember you and force her to join Rootschat!
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Not found a Mead in my lot yet!!
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You couldn't swing a dead cat in Buckinghamshire without hitting a few Meads. I have collected a lot of information about them from wills, parish records, Common Pleas rolls, etc, particularly from before 1600 and going back to before 1500. Where wills and parish records are available, I have been able to connect them over several generations.
I am especially interested in Meads in Saunderton/Horsenden, Soulbury, Stewkley, Wing, Whitchurch and East Claydon. I also have quite a lot of information about individuals in other parishes, but can't connect them across generations.
If anyone is working on the Mead family in Bucks before about 1650, I'd be glad to hear from you. I'd be happy to share what I've found and meet others working in the same area.
Hi Vance - I'm a descendant of Rev. Matthew Mead, the dissenting minister and father of Dr. Richard Mead. I've also done a lot of research on the family and would be happy to pool resources. Thanks
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This is what I have on them.
First, this is written by Henry J. Mead, in 1918. The first few paragraphs are nonsense, but he has good information about the descendants of Richard Meade of Soulbury:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks
I have taken their ancestry back to about 1480, using wills, lay subsidies (tax records), etc:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks/soulbury
The wills are here:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/wills/bucks/wills
Especially William Meade in 1558, Richard Meade in 1645 (Matthew's father), the inventory of Joan Meade (his mother) in 1670/71, and Matthew's will in 1699.
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I have a Mary Meade marrying Simon Howlett (my direct line) in 1674. They are of Towersey. Ring any bells?
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There have been Meads there back into the 15th century, as well as in nearby Ilmer and Saunderton, though it’s not possible to be sure about the relationships for the first couple of generations.
First, John Mede of Towersey, husbandman, in the Court of Common Pleas:
1472 Hilary/dorses 1313
Bucks. Thomas Hampden, esq, versus John Mede, of Toursey, husbandman; John Baker, of Toursey, husbandman. Trespass: breach of close at Toursey.
Then, a generation later, William Mede, of Towrsey, husbandmanm in CP:
1501 Easter/dorses 484
Bucks. Nicholas Bonse or Bouse versus Nicholas Brytwell, of Charsley, gent; Richard Hykkes, of Crendon, husbandman; and William Mede of Towrsey, husbandman. Debt.
1503 Trinity/fronts 120
Bucks. Thomas Ingylson versus William Mede, of Toursey, husbandman; John Sprygyns, of Parva Kymbyll, husbandman. Debt.
A generation later, John Mede, of Toursey, husbandman, in CP:
1518 Trinity/dorses 891
Bucks. Thomas Boller versus John Mede, of Toursey, husbandman; Robert, Bayle, of Toursey, husbandman; Thomas Ravenyng, of Toursey, husbandman; William Webbe, of Toursey, husbandman; Thomas Darell, of Toursey, husbandman; Trespass: breach of close.
This must be the same person as in the 1524 lay subsidy and 1522 muster rolls:
1522 musters, John Mede of Towersey Goods £6
1524 lay subsidy John Mede of Towresy £4
William Mede of Towersey Grange, yeoman, is identified as the son of John in Common Pleas:
1550 Michaelmas/fronts b 2113
Bucks. William Fylde and Maude his wife versus John Belson, of Towersey Grange, gent, and William Mede of Towersey Grange, yeoman, son of John Mede, on a plea of covenant.
1552 Hilary/fronts 162
Bucks. William Fylde and Maude his wife versus John Belson, of Towersey Graunge, gent, and William Mede of Towersey Graunge, yeoman, son of John Mede, on a plea of covenant.
I also have some parish records of baptisms and burials, but only starting in the 1590s for Towersey (and ending in 1638):
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks/burials
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks/baptisms
I have wills and other info about Meads nearby, in Ilmer, Saunderton, etc:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home
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HI Vance,
Can you help me join up an ancestor of mine (maybe yours also)...A Richard Mead born in Monks Risborough to the Essex (Wendon) family? I know the connection is there but I'm going cross-eyed at other people's mistakes and presumptions on Ancestry.com
I have Richard Meade b. Monks Risborough 1596 d. Oct 1643 in Soulbury
married Catherine Ives b.1610
They had John Mead b. in Amersham 1636. died. 1690 Wendover married Alise Clarke.
Who had Edward Mead b 1661 in Amersham and married Ellin/Ellen Charge.
Do you know these and can they be linked to the Essex Meads?
Really hope you can help as you seem the only one I can see on the case!
Thanks,
Andy
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Extracted from Meads In Buckingamshire, https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks
William Mead was the second son of Richard Meade, of Soulbury, and Joane his wife. In the parish register of Soulbury the baptisms of five sons and four daughters of Richard and Joane are recorded. Richard Meade was a member of the merchant Taylors' Company and in the books of the company is described as the son of William Mead of Stewkley, Bucks, Yeoman. He (Richard) was churchwarden of Soulbury in 1625 and for several subsequent years. He died in October 1643 and was buried at Soulbury.
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Andy
If you mean the Mead family of Wendon Lofts, Essex, there is no connection to the Meads in Bucks. This was in a tract by Henry J. Mead, written in 1918, but he is mistaken. He has good information for the Meads in Soulbury in later generations, but the connection to Essex is nonexistent.
You can read it here:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks
As for the Meads in Bucks, you are mixing several families. The Richard Mead who died in Soulbury in 1643 was born there. His family had been living there since the 15th century.
Using wills, parish records, court records, etc, I have traced them, here:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks/soulbury
The wills are here:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/wills/bucks/wills
Particularly the wills of William Meade 1558, James Mede 1558, Agnes Meade 1561, Richard Mead of Soulbury 1642/45, the inventory of his widow Joane 1670/1, and Matthew Meade in 1699.
Monks Risborough is more difficult, because there were Meads living there and in Princes Risborough, Saunderton and other nearby parishes since the 15th century. There were a lot of them.
In Monks Risborough, Richard was the son of William. The parish records:
Monks Risborough St Dunstan
28 Dec 1587 John son of William MEADE
8 May 1589 Elizabeth daughter of Wm MEEDE
6 Jun 1591 William son of Wm MEAD
25 Mar 1596 Richard son of William MEADE
14 May 1598 Henrie son of Wm MEAD
30 Jan 1603 Dorryty daughter of Wlm MEAD
William married in 1587:
Feb 1587 27 MEEDE William & BAMPTON Alis
And he died 1610:
25 Apr 1610 William? MEAD husband of Alis
Before that I can't be sure. There were Meads living there and nearby since 1400 if not before. No Poll Tax Returns (1377-81) survive for Bucks.
As for Amersham, that's probably another different family. There are parish records for Richard:
31 Oct 1636 John son of Richard & Catharine MEAD
1 Apr 1638 Mary daughter of Richard & Catharine MEAD, Carpenter
Before that there was a Thomas Meade in Amersham who had children between 1611 and 1621 but none named Richard.
So I guess the first thing to do is forget Ancestry.com and see what you really know based on real information from wills and parish records.
There is a service from the Bucks Family History Society where they provide all parish record extracts (baptisms, marriages, burials) for a 100 year period for one surname for 3 pounds each:
http://www.bucksfhs.org.uk/index.php/database-searches
I have them for 1538-1638, but not afterwards. That's where I got the parish information above.
My homepage:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home
From there you can look at counties/Bucks and wills/bucks. The transcribed wills are in a subpage link at the bottom.
So I have to end with a question: who is the person you are sure about, based on contemporary information?
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Ah thanks. Looks like my Richard Meade is not a Soulbury one, then. But died in Amersham. I'm presuming Monks Risborough is near Princes Risborough where you were born?
Do you happen to know then, who Richard's father and mother were? Thanks for the Catherine Ives lead also! I'm going to definitely follow this one. Really appreciated.
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Thank you Vance, just read your message now. My above reply was to someone called Bucksboy who just gave some info on Richard's wife. I'm going to re-edit my info. The info I got was from Ancestry and I knew it to be wrong but couldn't see where or why, it just felt wrong.
I read the extract you mentioned about the linking to Essex but people have mixed it up and the deaths are wrong, they also link Richard who married Catherine Ives as the son of Thomas Meade VIII of Essex. This is on both Ancestry and Wikitrees which I know now are utterly non-reliant and mostly based on wishful thinking.
I will follow your advice. I know the William with Alis Bampton, so I can get as far as there now at least. Appreciate you replying so quickly. I didn't realise people use this site so much and I've had my answers within 24 hours and correct info which really helps.
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One difficulty is that the parish records for Monks Risborough begin in 1587. Another is that there are half a dozen parishes that are 5 or 6 miles long but only a mile or two wide. So it would be be easy for someone to move between them.
There is a will of William Meade of Monks Risborough, yeoman, in 1610. I haven't transcribed that one but you can order a copy of it (link bottom right):
http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/culture-and-leisure/centre-for-buckinghamshire-studies/
Also, for what it's worth, I have collected the names of some Meads in Monks Risborough from various sources (wills, common pleas, musters, lay subsidy):
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks/monks-risborough
I don't know how they might be related. They're just arranged chronologically.
Impossible to say what might be in William Meade's will, but it's certainly a good next step.
I have transcribed the will of William Meade of Whiteleaf, Monks Risborough, made 1556, probated 1561. His wife was Annes/Agnes and his children were William and Anne. There are both still minors and might have been quite young, so it's possible that this is the same William as the one who married in 1587.
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/wills/bucks/wills
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I have an interest in Catherine Ives, wife of Richard Mead.
I had 'penciled in' the Monks Risborough baptism for him, but never confirmed him. The main reason was trying to link Catherine Ives of Amersham, to the Ives family in Great Missenden. Too close not to be related....but there are gaps which prevent that. So have not been added to my IVES tree. It's an onward battle.
I also got all my IVES relatives from the BucksFHS databases, for all occurrences in Buckinghamshire. This cost me £38......and is well worth it, when you consider the price of searches at £1 each, and the cost of certs, from 1837 onwards.
The BucksFHS Parish regs CD's are well worth the money, but Monks Risborough has not been published to CD, although it is in their databases. I built my tree on these, without the use of Ancestry, and purchased copies of Wills from the Bucks online Archives shop.
So perhaps Richard Mead may take me a step closer to linking the Ives families. Time and money will tell. ;D
Steve. :)
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Hi,
I have 2, possibly 3 separate Meads lines in Bucks.
The one I am currently working on begins in Wendover, but around 1631 it leads to Monks Risborough with the birth of John Mead [married Alis Clarke] and his father was John born M.R. 1602. John snr. father was George but I can't find any more on him, or who he married.
Are the Monks Risborough branch linked to the Soulbury Meads do you know?
Sue
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I think it's unlikely that the Meads in Monks Risborough were related to the ones in Soulbury. I've traced the ones in Soulbury back to around 1500, and there were Meads in M R at least that far.
I have these baptisms in Monks Risborough St Dunstan:
28 Dec 1587 John son of William MEADE
8 May 1589 Elizabeth daughter of Wm MEEDE
6 Jun 1591 William son of Wm MEAD
25 Mar 1596 Richard son of William MEADE
14 May 1598 Henrie son of Wm MEAD
30 Jan 1603 Dorryty daughter of Wlm MEAD
6 Feb 1600 Richerd son of Georg MEAD
2 Feb 1603 John son of Georg MEAD
23 Feb 1606 Margaret daughter of George MEADE
12 Mar 1609 William son of George MEEDE
John, born Feb 1602/3 must be yours.
There are these two wills, though I haven't transcribed them:
1610 William Meade of Monks Risborough, yeoman
1640 George Meade of Monks Risborough, husbandman
You might get more information from George Meade's will, as well as from William's. It's possible that George is the son of William, but born around 1570 to 80, before the beginning of parish records there.
Before that there was a George Mede in Monks Risborough, but at least one generation before William:
http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H8/CP40no1078/cCP40no1078dorses/IMG_1056.htm
fourth entry: 1533 Trinity/dorses 1056
Bucks. Richard Milward versus George Mede of Monks Risborough, shepherd; and Walter Gogyn, of Medell, Monks Risborough, shepherd. Trespass: assault.
There were several Medes there in the 1520s and 1530s, in lay subsidies and muster rolls.
I have more on my site:
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home
Particularly under Counties/Bucks and Wills/Bucks
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Wow, thank you! I think Richard,William, Margaret must be my Johns siblings. I will have a good look at the links you gave too. Many thanks again.
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There’s a marriage for William in Monks Risborough:
Feb 1587 27 MEEDE William & BAMPTON Alis
Also a burial:
25 Apr 1610 William? MEAD husband of Alis
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks/marriages
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks/burials
That would probably mean William and George are not father and son but possibly brothers or cousins. Possibly distant cousins, since there were Meads there back into the 15th century.
Also there’s a will of William Mede of Whiteleaf, Monks Risborough, made 1556, died 1561.
His wife was Annes/Agnes, daughter Anne (not yet 16), and son William (not yet 21, but probably not a small child). This William is probably the one recorded in lay subsidies:
1525 William Mede of Monks Risborough £1
And in muster rolls:
1534 William Mede of Monks Risborough, able man with harness
1535 William Mede, billman, of Monks Risborough
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/counties/bucks/bucks-medes
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/wills/bucks/wills
William’s son William, if he was born around 1540, was probably too old to have been the one married in 1587, but might have been the father.
You can get copies of the wills from the Record Office at Aylesbury:
http://old.buckscc.gov.uk/about-your-council/do-it-online/buy-online/
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Thank you very much, this gives me lots to look at.
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For William Meade and George Meade of Monks Risborough, I went to Aylesbury to look at wills.
For William Meade, of Monks Risborough, yeoman, in 1610, there is only an inventory. He was quite well off, with goods and chattels worth £147 4d.
There is a will of George Meade of Monks Risborough, husbandman, in 1639/40. He mentioned:
Richard his son, (born Monks Risborough 1600)
Edday Bousay(?), with her son Richard
Alice (Alice Meade, of Whiteleafe, married 1628 to Stephen Clarke)
Margaret, (born Monks Risborough 1606)
Wife Katherine, (probably Katherine Clarke, married George Meade in Wendover, 1607)
Not mentioned:
John, (born in Whitleafe in Monks Risborough 1603, had children there 1625 to 1633)
William, (born Monks Risborough 1609)
https://sites.google.com/site/meadfamilyhistory/home/wills/bucks/wills
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I have John Meade born 1660 little hot wood bucks married Damaris Woolley my 8th g grandparents. Cheers
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In Family Search (Batch Number: C145421) there’s a John Mead, christened 1 January 1660 in Little Horwood, Bucks, son of William Mead and Mary. (Marriage: William Meads and Mary Dassett, 20 October 1653 in Little Horwood. M145421)
William Mead could be the son of John Meade and Elinor. I have these christening records in Little Horwood St Nicholas:
29 Mar 1620 John son of John MEADES
8 Dec 1626 Bridget daughter of John MEADE
5 Oct 1630 William son of John & Elnor MEADE
28 Apr 1633 Mary daughter of John & Elner MEADE
There could be confirmation in the will of William Mead, of Little Horwood, 1694. This is at Hertford, probably because Little Horwood was a manor that had belonged to St Albans Abbey.
Before John Meade I don’t know. There were a lot of John Meades, for example at Stewkley and Soulbury, about a mile or two away.
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I need to investigate this line a little more thanks for your reply.
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Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I (although mostly my father who is still alive at 93) have done a lot of research on the Bucks Meads. My dad did all his research before computers were around and went to church records and the Bucks Archives. He got back to Whiteleaf around 1600 and when I read his research it blew me away. For someone who was not at all interested in History at school (I am an Engineer) reading what he had put together changed my life and I am totally fascinated by history now - not just family history.
I am really fascinated by family history though, and about 20 to 25 years ago I started looking into other areas of the that dad hadn't looked at so much, and used the internet too. But I have hot and cold periods of research and haven't done much for quite some time. The one area that I was never comfortable with on his research was Richard Mead and Catherine Ives (my 9 x great grandparents) and I spend a lot of time trying to fathom where they came from and I was not convinced there was a link to the Whiteleaf Meads.
I actually handled that will you referred to (with gloves) and all the other researcher in the records office basement in Aylesbury were astounded when it appeared as none of their researches had gone back quite that far. Dad already had it transcribed but I was intrigued and could understand much of it at all, but the staff there were very willing to help. None of this really helped any further with the Richard and Catherine link which to me put an end to going much further back.
A few years back I spotted that someone had found the link with Richard to the Soulbury, Essex and Somerset Meads and without too much detailed analysis myself I was intrigued by it all and actually visited many of those areas, Elmdon, Clavering, Wendon Lofts and ended up in Wedmore in Somerset too. I share a birthday with my dad (Alan Mead) and two weeks ago we celebrated it by doing a family history tour of Wendover, looking at some of the homes my direct ancestors lived in . Dad wrote the Book Of Wendover (with three other people) about 30 year ago, so he was in his element and so that trip inspired me a little.
Other projects take up a great deal of my time and so I only dabble in family history from time to time, but last night a friend sent me an email talking about a famous person in her family tree whom she has written a piece about, in relation to an affair with Charles II. That triggered something off for me and I decided I ought to finally update my own Family Tree, that I very rarely look at, on Genes Reunited. I decided to put that Richard and Catherine link in there and go all the way back to 1166.
I started, but ended up going down other routes on both Wikitree and Geni. I went down what was shown as Richard's mother's ancestors (Bridget Brograve) and looking down so many different branches I ended up at first finding a link to General Robert E Lee (it worked out that I was his 15th cousin 7 time removed) and then eventually it went down one specific path to before the Norman Conquest and over into France with a direct ancestor in the Prince of Monaco and further back still to Rollo the first Duke of Normandy. I was just so hooked on it all last night and stayed up very late to get all the information down. I did keep thinking that most of us in this country are probably related to Rollo.
With a day off today I continued and then tried to get back to Richard again and find out exactly what the link was with the famous Meads, William and Matthew, from the 17th century. I have been doing a lot of research on William Penn lately so it all seemed justified. But I just couldn't see the link, and the date of death for my Richard being shown as October 1634 in Soulbury and the other Richard's death being exactly the same just didn't make sense as they were obviously not the same person. I then searched for Meads of Soulbury and found this thread, confirming it is all nonsense.
So I am all a little bit disillusioned about it all at the moment, and need to have another break form it. But realising there are people out there going through the same as me and finding the exact same problems that I did 20 years ago with Richard Mead and Catherine Ives and the Monks Risborough Meads, is quite heartwarming. So I just felt I ought to make contact with you, and as I live in Bucks and within striking distance of these places, I may be able to help out if it is not too time consuming. I am still working, but do get across to Aylesbury to see my new granddaughter fairly frequently. It is refreshing to have the nice and different name of "Vienna" in the Family Tree now - though not followed by Mead. Anyway, it might be possible to get into the records office there, though I'm not sure of their opening times.
Best regards
Dave Mead.
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Hi Dave,
I have always found them to be very helpful at the record office at Aylesbury.
All that stuff on Wikitree - links to Elmdon, Clavering, etc - are best ignored. Someone has gone around connecting everyone in England, with no evidence whatsoever. It's all rubbish.
All I can say with certainty is that Richard Mead and Catherine Ives were married in Amersham on 27 July 1635. There were several Richard Meads born in Bucks 1590 to 1615, and it could have been any of them - or someone else. Catherine's father might be John Ives of Amersham. He left a will in 1632. It's at Aylesbury, you can see it in the Bucks Wills Database. This might give more information about Catherine, but probably not about Richard Mead.
There were several Richard Meads born at about the right time, and I don't know how to choose among them. There was a Thomas Mead who had children in Amersham 1611 to 1619, but none named Richard that I know of. Thomas is probably the one whose burial in Amersham is recorded on 5 May 1628.