If you really believe the lawsuits are helpful,
you should hire someone to look at them.
It only costs about $20 for each one.
Leslie
Leslie, it bothers me you won't say a few more positive things for me
in this context. You, and probably quite a few other American
readers, are aware that each of those items concerns an immigrant
family, quite a few of them from gentry families. We can go through
the list right now ...
p. 13
--Richard Atlee of East Dereham, Norf., linendraper
--Christopher Barrett
--Threat of common law suit by defendant against plaintiff on bond for
debt [1588; Norfolk]
Christopher Barrett was the father of Margaret (Barrett) Huntington of
Connecticut; these Barretts had a descent from the medieval family of
Love of Westhall, Suffolk. That, plus the date of 1588, makes it on-
topic.
p. 15
--Ralph Astbrooke of Ipswich, Suff., merchant [factor of defendant]
--John Knappe of Ipswich, merchant
--Debt following arbitration [1590; Suffolk]
John Knapp was the father of Judith Knapp, wife of William Hubbard of
New England. These Knapps had a medieval line and a descent from
royalty (i.e., on-topic).
p. 42
--John and Thomas Bromwich
--Michael Gater
--Detention of bond and forfeiture of property of plaintiff [1591;
Warwick]
Michael Gater was a connection of the Perkinses of Hillmorton who came
to New England.
--Thomas Bromley of London, merchant
--Henry Anderson and Katherine Garraway, widow, his mother
--Detention of bond of deceased son-in-law of plaintiff [1598;
London]
Katherine Garraway was ancestress of Mr. Christopher Taylor of Lynn
and Boston, who has a royal line through this Garraway family.
p. 45
--Maurice Blunt, Richard Hill and Thomas Graye of London,
clothworkers, William Smyth and Roger Powell of London, linendrapers,
James Parrott of London, mercer, Edward Draper and Christopher
Robinson of London, girdlers
--Hamon Pickeringe, Leon[?ard] Hollingworth and Edward Shuttleworth
--Debts claimed from estate of third party against defendants as
executor and overseers [1601; Lincs., London]
I think this Edward Draper, girdler, was probably the father of Susan
Draper, wife of Ralph Fogge of New England.
p. 67
--Jane Batt
--Esdras Reade and 'Bersabee' [? Bathsheba] his wife
--Suit against plaintiff in King's Bench for debt [1596]
There was an Esdras Reade (note the very _unusual_ name) at Boston,
Mass., in the next century.
p. 68
--William Buckenham of Diss, Norf., yeoman
--Faith Sherman, widow
--Common law suits against plaintiff for debt [1587; Norfolk,
Suffolk]
Some connection of the Shermans of New England.
p. 75
--Edward Baskervile of Bickenhill, Warw., gent.
--Laurence Washington, gent.
--Detention of deed concerning lease in Kingsbury, Warw.; nonpayment
of rent [1590; Warwick]
Washington is an ancient, well-connected name; presumably this is some
relation of the Washingtons of Virginia, who had a royal line.
p. 80
--John Birde
--Richard Purefey, Augustine Nicholls and Thomas Morgan, esq.
--Money lent by plaintiff to buy property at Foxton, Northants.;
conspiracy to defraud [1589; Northants.]
Augustine Nicholls and Richard Purefoy (from an ancient family) were
relations of Gov. Thomas Dudley of New England.
p. 83
--William Brewster of Scrooby, Notts., gent [bailiff and receiver for
certain lands of Archbishop Edwin Sandys, deceased]
--Cecily Sandys [widow of Archbishop Sandys]
--Threatened common law suit against plaintiff for alleged negligence
over audits for Archbishop Sandys [1589; Notts.; badly torn]
William Brewster was a passenger on the Mayflower. Was he always
called "gent"?
p. 97
--William Bradstreete of Eye, Suff. and Joan his wife
--Joan Goddarde and Robert Garrarde
--Refusal to deliver bequests to second plaintiff under will of her
father [1589/90; Suffolk]
Probably some relation of Bradstreets in New England.
p. 111
--Thomas Batter of Sutton Poyntz, Dors., yeoman
--Thomas Burley of Osmington, Dors., gent. and Edward Warham of
Dorchester, Dors., gent.
--Lease of farm at Osmington; threatened common law suit against
plaintiff about bond concerned with this [1590; Dorset]
Edward Warham was an ancestor of Rev. John Warham of New England,
whose family, upper yeomanry or minor gentry, has been traced back to
the late 1400s.
p. 121
--Nicholas Browne of Snelston, Derb., esq.
--William Asheton of Haywood, Staffs., 'innholder'
--Detention of bond; nonpayment for horses sold to defendant by
plaintiff [1558-79; Derb., Staffs.]
Nicholas Browne was an ancestor of Nathaniel Browne of CT, and this
line (Brownes) has a royal descent.
p. 132
--Richard Beridge of Kibworth Harcourt, Leics., husbandman and
Elizabeth his wife
--Michael Gater of Hilmorton, Warw., yeoman
--Refusal to pay to second plaintiff legacy under will of her father
[1594; Leics., Warwick]
See above (Gater).
p. 138
--John Bredstrete, junr. of Creeting St. Mary, Suff.
--Thomas Cooke of Little Barningham, Norf.
--Common law suits between father of plaintiff, plaintiff himself and
defendant over forgery of bond [1584; Norfolk, Suffolk]
See above (Bradstreet).
p. 160
--Robert Corderoy of Chute, Wilts., gent.
--John Happgood of Hatherden, Hants., husbandman
--Conditions of lease of property in Hatherden; detention of bond
[1587-91; Hants., Wilts.]
See Paul Reed's article on the royal line of the Virginia Corderoys.
I could do this for each of my lists, and there would be a similar
percentage of gentry/royal connections in each one (since these
families are better known). But who wants to be reduced to spelling
things out explicitly in all instances?