Bishops Nympton lies just nine miles to the west of Oakford village which is believed to be the origin of the Loosemore family although no evidence actually exists to link the Bishops Nympton families to the Oakford community. Bishops Nympton is on the southern edge of Exmoor in Devon. The soil of the area has been described as a 'gritty kind of earth', over 600 feet high, hilly exposed and mainly scrub and heath except for sheltered valleys. A farmer's life must have been hard. The village of Bishops Nympton plays an important part in the Loosemore family we are following here. No direct link has been found between this family and the medieval Loosemores of Oakford or with the other branches that established themselves during the period prior to 1500 ,when parish registers and lay subsidies provide evidence of their existence.
The ancient route to South Molton and on to the sea at Barnstaple passed near the Loosemore homestead in Oakford, and skirted Bishops Nympton so it would be the natural migratory route for any young Loosemore leaving Oakford in search of new land.
William Lowsemore 1500 – 1539 and Agnes ??? 1500 - ????
Recorded history of the Bishop Nympton Loosemores begins with the Lay Subsidy of 1524. William Lowsemore was second only to a John Coker in the size of land and value of goods in the Knowstone Manor. So William was a prosperous yeoman farmer with a comfortable living and having the tenancy for 3 generations for a fixed yearly rent of about one third of the annual income. To hold such a tenancy indicates that his birth must have been 1500 or before.
From the Parish Registers we learn that William and his wife Agnes had three children, Johan, John and Robert. We are uncertain as to the age of William, but we know that his will was proved in 1539 (which was unfortunately destroyed during the bombing of Exeter in 1942). After his death Agnes continued to occupy Kerry's Cott until presumably the eldest son John became of age to take over the tenancy in his own right, confirmed by an entry in the 1543 lay subsidy giving him a possible birth in 1524. Agnes - widow of William, as was customary, married again in 1544 to a Lawrence Partridge of Molland.
The ancient route to South Molton and on to the sea at Barnstaple passed near the Loosemore homestead in Oakford, and skirted Bishops Nympton so it would be the natural migratory route for any young Loosemore leaving Oakford in search of new land.
William Lowsemore 1500 – 1539 and Agnes ??? 1500 - ????
Recorded history of the Bishop Nympton Loosemores begins with the Lay Subsidy of 1524. William Lowsemore was second only to a John Coker in the size of land and value of goods in the Knowstone Manor. So William was a prosperous yeoman farmer with a comfortable living and having the tenancy for 3 generations for a fixed yearly rent of about one third of the annual income. To hold such a tenancy indicates that his birth must have been 1500 or before.
From the Parish Registers we learn that William and his wife Agnes had three children, Johan, John and Robert. We are uncertain as to the age of William, but we know that his will was proved in 1539 (which was unfortunately destroyed during the bombing of Exeter in 1942). After his death Agnes continued to occupy Kerry's Cott until presumably the eldest son John became of age to take over the tenancy in his own right, confirmed by an entry in the 1543 lay subsidy giving him a possible birth in 1524. Agnes - widow of William, as was customary, married again in 1544 to a Lawrence Partridge of Molland.
John Loosemore 1524 – 1583 and Joan Moll 1524 - 1563
John then occupied Kerry's Cot and married Joan Moll the daughter of Henry Moll, possibly in 1549. We are now in the region of conjecture. The first children were born before the records of the registers of Bishops Nympton exist. The most probable order in which the children were born was John, Agnes, Sidwell, Henry, Johan, Andrew and Robert. The last was buried on 27 January 1562/3, just one day old, and his mother Joan three days later. This uncertainty is because of the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752, which means that dates between January 1st and March 25 before 1752 may refer to the either year i.e. 1562 or 1563 . John, left with 6 children, married again the same or next year to Emote Gorton. Two children were born of this union, Gregorie in. 1564 and Peter in 1568. Agnes was married to John Westeren in 1568, Sidwell married Peter Bowden in 1572/3 and Henry married Ursula Gosse in 1576/7 and Johan married .---.Domeade. . At this time John was the relatively prosperous for in 1577 and the year of his death, 1583, his property was valued at £11 with a tax of 11s. This marriage of 20 years was broken when John died and was buried on the 10th September 1583.
His will has been preserved, possibly because it was disputed. Emote, now left with two sons Gregorie, 19 and Peter 15. John made provision for them for his will expressly states:
"I will that my sonne Henry shall permitt and suffer Emote my wife and her sonne Gregory to dwell in the now belonging to my tenement for one whole yeare next after my decease without paying any rent for the same and also shall allow her pasturage herbage grassfield giving haye and howse roome winter and sommer for two kyne and twelve sheepe to be ordered no worse than my sonne Henrys. "
Emote was left furniture and bedding, silver spoons etc and John's best riding beast, gelding or mare which she should prefer.
Peter is not mentioned, though he is included as one of the beneficiaries. John Westeren was left 8 bushels or rye and 8 bushels of oats, Agnes his wife and John's daughter an heifer, ten shillings to John and 20 shillings to Elizabeth their children..
Johan Domeade, his daughter was left 6s 8d and to each of her children a lamb.
Henry was to continue in Kerscott and was left ploughing gear, ploughing gear and farm wagons. The will is of interest as it shows in the type of farming that was performed. Henry's children were to receive 6s 8d each.
All the rest of his estate was to be divided into 3 parts. The one to be given to Emote his wife and the other two thirds divided among his sons Henry, Peter and Gregory. Is there significance in that the words of 'my sons' exclude the eldest John though he is referred to as his son in another section? Gregory was made the sole executor of the will.
Although the will was dated 10th July 1583 and John died and was buried on 10th September 1583, the will was not proved until February 1590/1 in the senior Prerogative Court of Canterbury. There must have some dispute, which may have centred around the provisions concerning John his eldest son. John's will contains the paragraph:
"Whereas my sonne John Lousmore brought unto me of the gifte and bequoth of his grandfather Henry Moll a brasen crock and half a dozen silver spoons and for sheetes and other stuff that was sold to the value of seven poundes I give him eight pounds of lawfull English money. Also a bolster, a pair of blankets , a doublet, six sheep and a heyfer of two years age And so mine Executors and Administrators to be clearly discharge of all the stuff which he brought into my cuustody etc. "
Does this wording and the fact that younger son Henry inherited the tenancy indicate that John was the son of Joan Moll born soon after the marriage and not the natural son of John, or does it imply that he may have been the son of a previous marriage of Joan Moll and took the name of Loosemore.? Both Johns, father and son, appear in the Muster roll of 1569 as pikemen. The latter died and was buried on 16th September 1592. There was no indication that he had married.
John then occupied Kerry's Cot and married Joan Moll the daughter of Henry Moll, possibly in 1549. We are now in the region of conjecture. The first children were born before the records of the registers of Bishops Nympton exist. The most probable order in which the children were born was John, Agnes, Sidwell, Henry, Johan, Andrew and Robert. The last was buried on 27 January 1562/3, just one day old, and his mother Joan three days later. This uncertainty is because of the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752, which means that dates between January 1st and March 25 before 1752 may refer to the either year i.e. 1562 or 1563 . John, left with 6 children, married again the same or next year to Emote Gorton. Two children were born of this union, Gregorie in. 1564 and Peter in 1568. Agnes was married to John Westeren in 1568, Sidwell married Peter Bowden in 1572/3 and Henry married Ursula Gosse in 1576/7 and Johan married .---.Domeade. . At this time John was the relatively prosperous for in 1577 and the year of his death, 1583, his property was valued at £11 with a tax of 11s. This marriage of 20 years was broken when John died and was buried on the 10th September 1583.
His will has been preserved, possibly because it was disputed. Emote, now left with two sons Gregorie, 19 and Peter 15. John made provision for them for his will expressly states:
"I will that my sonne Henry shall permitt and suffer Emote my wife and her sonne Gregory to dwell in the now belonging to my tenement for one whole yeare next after my decease without paying any rent for the same and also shall allow her pasturage herbage grassfield giving haye and howse roome winter and sommer for two kyne and twelve sheepe to be ordered no worse than my sonne Henrys. "
Emote was left furniture and bedding, silver spoons etc and John's best riding beast, gelding or mare which she should prefer.
Peter is not mentioned, though he is included as one of the beneficiaries. John Westeren was left 8 bushels or rye and 8 bushels of oats, Agnes his wife and John's daughter an heifer, ten shillings to John and 20 shillings to Elizabeth their children..
Johan Domeade, his daughter was left 6s 8d and to each of her children a lamb.
Henry was to continue in Kerscott and was left ploughing gear, ploughing gear and farm wagons. The will is of interest as it shows in the type of farming that was performed. Henry's children were to receive 6s 8d each.
All the rest of his estate was to be divided into 3 parts. The one to be given to Emote his wife and the other two thirds divided among his sons Henry, Peter and Gregory. Is there significance in that the words of 'my sons' exclude the eldest John though he is referred to as his son in another section? Gregory was made the sole executor of the will.
Although the will was dated 10th July 1583 and John died and was buried on 10th September 1583, the will was not proved until February 1590/1 in the senior Prerogative Court of Canterbury. There must have some dispute, which may have centred around the provisions concerning John his eldest son. John's will contains the paragraph:
"Whereas my sonne John Lousmore brought unto me of the gifte and bequoth of his grandfather Henry Moll a brasen crock and half a dozen silver spoons and for sheetes and other stuff that was sold to the value of seven poundes I give him eight pounds of lawfull English money. Also a bolster, a pair of blankets , a doublet, six sheep and a heyfer of two years age And so mine Executors and Administrators to be clearly discharge of all the stuff which he brought into my cuustody etc. "
Does this wording and the fact that younger son Henry inherited the tenancy indicate that John was the son of Joan Moll born soon after the marriage and not the natural son of John, or does it imply that he may have been the son of a previous marriage of Joan Moll and took the name of Loosemore.? Both Johns, father and son, appear in the Muster roll of 1569 as pikemen. The latter died and was buried on 16th September 1592. There was no indication that he had married.
Henry Loosemore 1552 – 1621 and Ursula Gosse 1564 - 1625
Henry was 24 years of age when he married Ursula Gosse on the 29th January 1576/7, and probably lived at Kerscott with his father and mother-in -law Emote and her two children Gregory and Peter. During the next six years three children were born to Ursula, Samuel on 28th November 1577, Emote in April 1780 and William on 19th March 1581/2.
Although there were provisions in the will for her to remain in Kerscott, she remarried four months later to Thomas Burges to live in Twitchyn. Henry's family grew and on 15th May 1584 John was born, then Christopher, and then twins Peter and Gregory on 25th May 1589.
Parish records tell us little of the personalities behind the facts. From a statement contained in future litigation in 1631 however we may learn that Henry was spoken of as a very careful and wary man, clearly jealous of his standing in Bishps Nympton and the neighbouring village of Knowstone. From the 1592 Lay Subsidy, Henry was valued at £8 for Goods and paid the tax of 8s. In 1595 he procured the tenancy of Abbots Park for £100 and then in 1610 paid £350 officially to take over the tenancy of Kerscott in the manor of Knowstone Beaples.
Henry had a long married life of 44 years disturbed by two incidents which later led to litigation after Henry had died'. In or about the year 1616, a Jane Drawkins of Knowstone, a servant of John Kerslake, imputed Peter Loosemore as being the father of her base child. Jane is described as a woman of lewd and wicked conversation and behaviour. Emote, Henry's daughter, had married John Kerslake in 1621 so the incident must have been an embarrassment to the family.
The child would become a burden on the Parish of Knowstone so by order of the justices and some parishioners, Peter was to pay for the upkeep of the child. Henry stood surety for his son to the amount of £20 pounds. It was agreed that one Nicholas Hill should take the child as an apprentice for a sum of £7 per annum until she reached the age of 21 years. There is a suggestion that the bastardy order could have been challenged but Henry was keen to preserve his and the family's good name and the outcome was agreed clarelie and absolutelie to discharge and keep harmelesse the said Henry Loosemore and Peter his sonne.
In the second incident, Richard Leerwell of Combe Martin had 'placed money intended for his daughter, Katherine, marriage portion in a tenement called Maytowne' in Kentisbury, a neighbouring parish, in anticipation of her marriage to a Richard Crocker Unfortunately Richard died before the marriage took place. Here John Loosemore comes into the story. Whether for love or convenience John became her suitor and a meeting was held between the two families to arrange a dowry.. The meeting was held in Richard Leerwell's house and was attended by Henry, William and John Loosemore, Richard Vicary; Richard , Johanne and Nicholas Leerwell(son) and Richard Richards, clerk. (Priest). Upon agreement the marriage was concluded the same or the next day. Later, in or before 1625 there was to be uncertainty as to the provision of the dowry.
Of the other three sons of Henry, little is known. There is no evidence that Christopher was married and his name does not feature in the parish lay subsidy returns though a Christopher is mentioned in the Protestation return for the adjacent village of Molland. Peter also appears in the Protestation return for Bishops Nympton in 1642 when he would have been 53 years of age.
The eldest son of Henry, Samuel who probably occupied Abbotts Park, became the head of a famous family of organ builders and notable organists and composers of church music. William, the second son of Henry moved to an adjoining parish of Twitchen, where he was described at his marriage in 1613 as 'gent' John the third son was the subject of another incident in Henry's life later to involve litigation.
Gregory, the twin of Peter, seems to have moved to Twitchen where his uncle Gregorie was living possibly at the home of his mother and stepfather Thomas Burges . (refer to the family tree below). Henry died in 1621 and his will was proved on 23rd January 1622. Presumably his wife Ursula continued to live at Kerscott but died just four years after.
Henry may have been a careful and wary man but the contents of his will mentioned in later legislation leads one to suppose that either he was a poor farmer or was financially unsound. Not only was the bond of twenty pounds for his son Peter's misdemeanour passed on to his son John, but he paid £7 to have the base child taken as apprentice to a Nicholas Hill.
In his will he left money to the poor of Bishop's Nympton, twenty shillings to eldest son Samuel, twenty shillings to his daughter Emote Kerslake, seven pounds to both Christopher and Peter and a legacy to Gregory, and . John's daughter Ellyn was left twenty shillings. His son John was to receive the rest of his goods and chatells. It is stated in a deposition by Katherine, John's wife, who outlived him , that Henry's debts amounted to more than his personal estate so John was burdened with the deficiency.
It is uncertain how long Kerscott or Abbotts Park remained in possession of the family after Henry's death.
Henry was 24 years of age when he married Ursula Gosse on the 29th January 1576/7, and probably lived at Kerscott with his father and mother-in -law Emote and her two children Gregory and Peter. During the next six years three children were born to Ursula, Samuel on 28th November 1577, Emote in April 1780 and William on 19th March 1581/2.
Although there were provisions in the will for her to remain in Kerscott, she remarried four months later to Thomas Burges to live in Twitchyn. Henry's family grew and on 15th May 1584 John was born, then Christopher, and then twins Peter and Gregory on 25th May 1589.
Parish records tell us little of the personalities behind the facts. From a statement contained in future litigation in 1631 however we may learn that Henry was spoken of as a very careful and wary man, clearly jealous of his standing in Bishps Nympton and the neighbouring village of Knowstone. From the 1592 Lay Subsidy, Henry was valued at £8 for Goods and paid the tax of 8s. In 1595 he procured the tenancy of Abbots Park for £100 and then in 1610 paid £350 officially to take over the tenancy of Kerscott in the manor of Knowstone Beaples.
Henry had a long married life of 44 years disturbed by two incidents which later led to litigation after Henry had died'. In or about the year 1616, a Jane Drawkins of Knowstone, a servant of John Kerslake, imputed Peter Loosemore as being the father of her base child. Jane is described as a woman of lewd and wicked conversation and behaviour. Emote, Henry's daughter, had married John Kerslake in 1621 so the incident must have been an embarrassment to the family.
The child would become a burden on the Parish of Knowstone so by order of the justices and some parishioners, Peter was to pay for the upkeep of the child. Henry stood surety for his son to the amount of £20 pounds. It was agreed that one Nicholas Hill should take the child as an apprentice for a sum of £7 per annum until she reached the age of 21 years. There is a suggestion that the bastardy order could have been challenged but Henry was keen to preserve his and the family's good name and the outcome was agreed clarelie and absolutelie to discharge and keep harmelesse the said Henry Loosemore and Peter his sonne.
In the second incident, Richard Leerwell of Combe Martin had 'placed money intended for his daughter, Katherine, marriage portion in a tenement called Maytowne' in Kentisbury, a neighbouring parish, in anticipation of her marriage to a Richard Crocker Unfortunately Richard died before the marriage took place. Here John Loosemore comes into the story. Whether for love or convenience John became her suitor and a meeting was held between the two families to arrange a dowry.. The meeting was held in Richard Leerwell's house and was attended by Henry, William and John Loosemore, Richard Vicary; Richard , Johanne and Nicholas Leerwell(son) and Richard Richards, clerk. (Priest). Upon agreement the marriage was concluded the same or the next day. Later, in or before 1625 there was to be uncertainty as to the provision of the dowry.
Of the other three sons of Henry, little is known. There is no evidence that Christopher was married and his name does not feature in the parish lay subsidy returns though a Christopher is mentioned in the Protestation return for the adjacent village of Molland. Peter also appears in the Protestation return for Bishops Nympton in 1642 when he would have been 53 years of age.
The eldest son of Henry, Samuel who probably occupied Abbotts Park, became the head of a famous family of organ builders and notable organists and composers of church music. William, the second son of Henry moved to an adjoining parish of Twitchen, where he was described at his marriage in 1613 as 'gent' John the third son was the subject of another incident in Henry's life later to involve litigation.
Gregory, the twin of Peter, seems to have moved to Twitchen where his uncle Gregorie was living possibly at the home of his mother and stepfather Thomas Burges . (refer to the family tree below). Henry died in 1621 and his will was proved on 23rd January 1622. Presumably his wife Ursula continued to live at Kerscott but died just four years after.
Henry may have been a careful and wary man but the contents of his will mentioned in later legislation leads one to suppose that either he was a poor farmer or was financially unsound. Not only was the bond of twenty pounds for his son Peter's misdemeanour passed on to his son John, but he paid £7 to have the base child taken as apprentice to a Nicholas Hill.
In his will he left money to the poor of Bishop's Nympton, twenty shillings to eldest son Samuel, twenty shillings to his daughter Emote Kerslake, seven pounds to both Christopher and Peter and a legacy to Gregory, and . John's daughter Ellyn was left twenty shillings. His son John was to receive the rest of his goods and chatells. It is stated in a deposition by Katherine, John's wife, who outlived him , that Henry's debts amounted to more than his personal estate so John was burdened with the deficiency.
It is uncertain how long Kerscott or Abbotts Park remained in possession of the family after Henry's death.
John Loosemore 1584 – 1630 and Katherine Leerwell 1584 - ????
The birth of a son Henry to John Loosemore and Katherine Leerwell is not recorded butit is possible, even likely, that Henry was born soon after the marriage of John and Katherine and baptised in Coombe Martin the home of Katherine's parents. Records for this parish do not exist for this period. John may not have been the natural father. The first entry is for a Henry Loosemore and Elizabeth at the baptism of their first child Jane on 20/9/ 1627.
Henry's son John, was baptised on the 15th May 1584. Details of the events leading up to his marriage have already been given, but we do not know the date of the marriage, which took place in Combe Martin and registers do not exist for that period. It may have been, by a custom at that time, a 'marriage by arrangement' as a priest was present at the meeting prior to the marriage. There is an early reference to John in that in 1613 he was a churchwarden of Bishop's Nympton Church. It was in that same year that we have the first record of a child born, Ellen, who was baptised on the 30th November 1613. Unfortunately there are gaps in the registers over that period and the next child, according to the registers, was baptised on 4th September 1625. A gap of 12 years that is very unusual, suggesting that other births occurred before or between these years.
In the years 1620 - 1625 John Loosemore was assessed at £5 and £6 for goods, so it seems that up to six years before his death he continued to farm. Although family fortunes had declined he still possessed a satisfactory income, in spite of a statement made by Katherine mentioned above.
In 1625, John and Katheryne brought a complaint against her brother Nicholas Leerwell concerning the possession of the tenement Maytown in Kentisbury after the death of Helen Crocker. By this time both Richard Leeerwell and Henry Loosemore had both died. On the Loosemore side it was understood that Richard Leerwell was to give her £200 at the marriage and also confirmed her right to the tenement Maytowne upon the death of Hellen Crocker. On the Leerwell side they alleged that the £200 was in lieu of the right to the tenement. The statements of witnesses present at the meeting where the dowry was agreed and their statements are preserved among Chancery depositions. The outcome of the dispute has been lost.
John died and was buried on 8th December 1630 and one of his daughters Katherine was buried 13 days later. Unfortunately his will was among those lost in the bombing of Exeter. The Christmas must have been a very sad one for Katherine, his widow.
During the early seventeenth century the parish registers had been kept as loose pages in the Parish chest and when they were discovered and an attempt was made to put them in order parts had been destroyed by mice and others were unreadable. However we get a single glimpse of John by the records that remain. We know that in 1613 he was a churchwarden as his name was mentioned in the baptisms for that year with Richard Conighant, Vicar, and John Bowden Warden. Some records for later years have been lost
The birth of a son Henry to John Loosemore and Katherine Leerwell is not recorded butit is possible, even likely, that Henry was born soon after the marriage of John and Katherine and baptised in Coombe Martin the home of Katherine's parents. Records for this parish do not exist for this period. John may not have been the natural father. The first entry is for a Henry Loosemore and Elizabeth at the baptism of their first child Jane on 20/9/ 1627.
Henry's son John, was baptised on the 15th May 1584. Details of the events leading up to his marriage have already been given, but we do not know the date of the marriage, which took place in Combe Martin and registers do not exist for that period. It may have been, by a custom at that time, a 'marriage by arrangement' as a priest was present at the meeting prior to the marriage. There is an early reference to John in that in 1613 he was a churchwarden of Bishop's Nympton Church. It was in that same year that we have the first record of a child born, Ellen, who was baptised on the 30th November 1613. Unfortunately there are gaps in the registers over that period and the next child, according to the registers, was baptised on 4th September 1625. A gap of 12 years that is very unusual, suggesting that other births occurred before or between these years.
In the years 1620 - 1625 John Loosemore was assessed at £5 and £6 for goods, so it seems that up to six years before his death he continued to farm. Although family fortunes had declined he still possessed a satisfactory income, in spite of a statement made by Katherine mentioned above.
In 1625, John and Katheryne brought a complaint against her brother Nicholas Leerwell concerning the possession of the tenement Maytown in Kentisbury after the death of Helen Crocker. By this time both Richard Leeerwell and Henry Loosemore had both died. On the Loosemore side it was understood that Richard Leerwell was to give her £200 at the marriage and also confirmed her right to the tenement Maytowne upon the death of Hellen Crocker. On the Leerwell side they alleged that the £200 was in lieu of the right to the tenement. The statements of witnesses present at the meeting where the dowry was agreed and their statements are preserved among Chancery depositions. The outcome of the dispute has been lost.
John died and was buried on 8th December 1630 and one of his daughters Katherine was buried 13 days later. Unfortunately his will was among those lost in the bombing of Exeter. The Christmas must have been a very sad one for Katherine, his widow.
During the early seventeenth century the parish registers had been kept as loose pages in the Parish chest and when they were discovered and an attempt was made to put them in order parts had been destroyed by mice and others were unreadable. However we get a single glimpse of John by the records that remain. We know that in 1613 he was a churchwarden as his name was mentioned in the baptisms for that year with Richard Conighant, Vicar, and John Bowden Warden. Some records for later years have been lost
KATHERINE, widow of John.
We do not know the contents of John's will but we may suppose that his financial position had deteriorated, for within the year, in 1631, Katherine made a complaint in Chancery against Robert Pollard, Henry Viccary, Phillip Morris, Jane Drawkins, and Francis Hill that they were demanding the payment of the bond entered into in the first instance by Henry in 1616/7 and taken over by John in 1622 in respect of the base child born to Jane Drawkins.
Katherine stated her poor financial position and in contrast the girl was apprenticed to Nicholas Hill who had left a good estate to his wife Fraunces. Furthermore Peter the reputed father of the girl was still living in Bishops Nympton.
Judgement was awarded against the defendants.
The next year Katherine was married to Bartholomew Courtenay.
We do not know the contents of John's will but we may suppose that his financial position had deteriorated, for within the year, in 1631, Katherine made a complaint in Chancery against Robert Pollard, Henry Viccary, Phillip Morris, Jane Drawkins, and Francis Hill that they were demanding the payment of the bond entered into in the first instance by Henry in 1616/7 and taken over by John in 1622 in respect of the base child born to Jane Drawkins.
Katherine stated her poor financial position and in contrast the girl was apprenticed to Nicholas Hill who had left a good estate to his wife Fraunces. Furthermore Peter the reputed father of the girl was still living in Bishops Nympton.
Judgement was awarded against the defendants.
The next year Katherine was married to Bartholomew Courtenay.
Henry Loosemore 1605 – 1681 and Elizabeth ??? 1613 - 1681
There was a custom to name the first born male child of a family from the father's father. Accordingly we have two young Henry's born about the same time; Henry the son of Samuel born C1605 and another Henry born before 1611 (?). It is the latter who presents the problem., Who was his father? John, who was disinherited by old John, died in 1592 and there is nothing to suggest that he ever married, nor had a son. William, Henry's second son, William, lived in Twitchen where we know only that he had three daughters from the records of their deaths, and John, Henry's third son who married Katherine in the circumstances mentioned above.
We have been unable to find the date of the marriages of John to Katherine nor can we find the record of the baptism of the problem Henry. We do know that this Henry married an Elizabeth, though the record of the marriage cannot be found, but we do know that the first child of the marriage was Jane, baptised on the 30th September 1627.
From this we may reason that Henry was born before 1611. At that time it was legally possible for a youth to married at 14 years. So it is possible for the wedding date of John and Katherine to have been C1610. However in John's father Henry's will in 1621, the young Henry is not mentioned though his sister born in 1613 is left twenty shillings. We know too that Henry died 21st February 1680\1. We are left with three possibilities:
1. Henry was the son of William of Twitchen and returned to Bishop's Nympton to raise his family
2. Henry was the natural son of John, but for some reason was excluded from his grandfather's will.
3. At John's marriage to Katherine, she was already pregnant, by Richard Crocker or even by John, which would account for the marriage taking place without delay. This may have accounted for old Henry not recognising him in his will as had happened nearly 40 years before, in John's will dated 1583 and referred to above.
It is the third possibility that is accepted in this record
Henry became very important for the survival of the Loosemore line in Bishop's Nympton
We have no record of Henry's marriage nor the surname of his wife Elizabeth, in spite of a thorough search in neighbouring parishes. Again deficiency in Parish Records may be a reason.
The reduced circumstances of the family can be gathered for in the Hearth Tax return of 1664, Henry was taxed at 2s on one hearth. It must have been a humble dwelling. This record also shows a second Henry taxed for 2s on a dwelling with one hearth. This is the only mention of the second Henry - he may have been a son of the first Henry but there is no record of any marriage or offspring. He is not included in the Protestation Return of 1642 - though perhaps that was because he was then too young. If he was the son of Henry then he could have been born in 1631 as there is a break in the births of offspring to Henry and Elizabeth between 1629 and 1633. We have a record that an Henry Loosemore was an immigrant to Maryland America in 1667.. This could be our Henry, but so far we have been unable to follow his story in Maryland.
So in Henry's dwelling, with only the one hearth, between 1627 and 1638 there were five or possibly six children with Henry and Elizabeth. Jane ba 1627, Agnes ba 1629, Henry ba 1631?, Edmund 1633, Thomas 1635 and Hugh 1638. In the family tree we have included a John Loosemore who married a Sibilla (-----) whose first child was born in 1672 in Bishops Nympton. He could well have been the youngest son of Henry and Elizabeth.
The only other glimpses we have of Henry's family were the occasions of the marriages of Jane and Thomas in 1653 and 1656. Both had banns displayed in the church but the wedding contracts were made, according to the commonwealth law, in South Molton. Henry was not present when either contracts were signed perhaps he resented the marriages not being allowed in church.
In October of 1662, the same year as the restoration of the Monarchy and Church Sacraments, Edmund, Henry's eldest son, married Elizabeth Parking to be followed by his son Hugh to Mary Eame (alias Zeal) in 1670.
Henry Loosemore died in 1680, four years before his son Hugh who died in 1684. It was necessary for affidavits to be signed declaring that their bodies had been buried in a wollen shroud; the result of a law insisting upon this. It was to encourage the production of wool to assist sheep farming which was depressed at that time. Both Henry and Hugh left wills which were destroyed in 1944 and regretfully we have no copies.
We have no record of Elizabeth's death. It may have occurred before Henry's during a time of missing registers.
HEARTH TAX- DISMANTLE OF FIRE HEARTHS
that whereas Thomas Chapple had formerly in his house in Bishops Nympton wherein HENRY LUSEMER dwelt ONE CHIMNEY or FIRE HEARTH is now totally demolished My hand this 11th day of July 1687
The mark of John ( )
The significance of this was that a tax was imposed upon the number of hearths in a dwelling. Henry and Elizabeth were survived by five married children and also Agnes whose marriage has not been located.. The eldest Jane married William Govier and their offspring come outside the story of the Loosemore name.
Edmund married Elizabeth Parking on 19th October 1662, Thomas married Thomazin Eame(alias Zeal) on 8th April 1656, Hugh had married Mary, sister of Thomazin, on 2nd June 1670 and John was married to someone whose Christian name only is known (Sibilla) and the date of whose marriage is not known.So the Loosemore family proliferated. In this story we shall continue with the families of Edmund(1)
There was a custom to name the first born male child of a family from the father's father. Accordingly we have two young Henry's born about the same time; Henry the son of Samuel born C1605 and another Henry born before 1611 (?). It is the latter who presents the problem., Who was his father? John, who was disinherited by old John, died in 1592 and there is nothing to suggest that he ever married, nor had a son. William, Henry's second son, William, lived in Twitchen where we know only that he had three daughters from the records of their deaths, and John, Henry's third son who married Katherine in the circumstances mentioned above.
We have been unable to find the date of the marriages of John to Katherine nor can we find the record of the baptism of the problem Henry. We do know that this Henry married an Elizabeth, though the record of the marriage cannot be found, but we do know that the first child of the marriage was Jane, baptised on the 30th September 1627.
From this we may reason that Henry was born before 1611. At that time it was legally possible for a youth to married at 14 years. So it is possible for the wedding date of John and Katherine to have been C1610. However in John's father Henry's will in 1621, the young Henry is not mentioned though his sister born in 1613 is left twenty shillings. We know too that Henry died 21st February 1680\1. We are left with three possibilities:
1. Henry was the son of William of Twitchen and returned to Bishop's Nympton to raise his family
2. Henry was the natural son of John, but for some reason was excluded from his grandfather's will.
3. At John's marriage to Katherine, she was already pregnant, by Richard Crocker or even by John, which would account for the marriage taking place without delay. This may have accounted for old Henry not recognising him in his will as had happened nearly 40 years before, in John's will dated 1583 and referred to above.
It is the third possibility that is accepted in this record
Henry became very important for the survival of the Loosemore line in Bishop's Nympton
We have no record of Henry's marriage nor the surname of his wife Elizabeth, in spite of a thorough search in neighbouring parishes. Again deficiency in Parish Records may be a reason.
The reduced circumstances of the family can be gathered for in the Hearth Tax return of 1664, Henry was taxed at 2s on one hearth. It must have been a humble dwelling. This record also shows a second Henry taxed for 2s on a dwelling with one hearth. This is the only mention of the second Henry - he may have been a son of the first Henry but there is no record of any marriage or offspring. He is not included in the Protestation Return of 1642 - though perhaps that was because he was then too young. If he was the son of Henry then he could have been born in 1631 as there is a break in the births of offspring to Henry and Elizabeth between 1629 and 1633. We have a record that an Henry Loosemore was an immigrant to Maryland America in 1667.. This could be our Henry, but so far we have been unable to follow his story in Maryland.
So in Henry's dwelling, with only the one hearth, between 1627 and 1638 there were five or possibly six children with Henry and Elizabeth. Jane ba 1627, Agnes ba 1629, Henry ba 1631?, Edmund 1633, Thomas 1635 and Hugh 1638. In the family tree we have included a John Loosemore who married a Sibilla (-----) whose first child was born in 1672 in Bishops Nympton. He could well have been the youngest son of Henry and Elizabeth.
The only other glimpses we have of Henry's family were the occasions of the marriages of Jane and Thomas in 1653 and 1656. Both had banns displayed in the church but the wedding contracts were made, according to the commonwealth law, in South Molton. Henry was not present when either contracts were signed perhaps he resented the marriages not being allowed in church.
In October of 1662, the same year as the restoration of the Monarchy and Church Sacraments, Edmund, Henry's eldest son, married Elizabeth Parking to be followed by his son Hugh to Mary Eame (alias Zeal) in 1670.
Henry Loosemore died in 1680, four years before his son Hugh who died in 1684. It was necessary for affidavits to be signed declaring that their bodies had been buried in a wollen shroud; the result of a law insisting upon this. It was to encourage the production of wool to assist sheep farming which was depressed at that time. Both Henry and Hugh left wills which were destroyed in 1944 and regretfully we have no copies.
We have no record of Elizabeth's death. It may have occurred before Henry's during a time of missing registers.
HEARTH TAX- DISMANTLE OF FIRE HEARTHS
that whereas Thomas Chapple had formerly in his house in Bishops Nympton wherein HENRY LUSEMER dwelt ONE CHIMNEY or FIRE HEARTH is now totally demolished My hand this 11th day of July 1687
The mark of John ( )
The significance of this was that a tax was imposed upon the number of hearths in a dwelling. Henry and Elizabeth were survived by five married children and also Agnes whose marriage has not been located.. The eldest Jane married William Govier and their offspring come outside the story of the Loosemore name.
Edmund married Elizabeth Parking on 19th October 1662, Thomas married Thomazin Eame(alias Zeal) on 8th April 1656, Hugh had married Mary, sister of Thomazin, on 2nd June 1670 and John was married to someone whose Christian name only is known (Sibilla) and the date of whose marriage is not known.So the Loosemore family proliferated. In this story we shall continue with the families of Edmund(1)
Edmund Loosemore 1633 – 1704 and Elizabeth Parking 1633 - 1704
So far the name of the eldest male child has followed the name of his grandfather. There has been a John, then Henry, then John, then a Henry, but now we have the first Edmund and the name John seems to have been the youngest of Henry's sons
Little is known of Edmund and his wife Elizabeth. Only one child's baptism is recorded in the Parish Registers, Edmund born on the 5th July 1664 but we have placed a Henry born about 1665, Elizabeth 1668 and George born about 1670 as their offspring; Henry, later travelled south to Silverton, and married Margaret Saunders there 18th September 1691. This Henry was to play a prominent part in family in the future. George married Judeth Saunders in Bishops Nympton and his family moved to North Molton and Washfield., outside the limits of this story. Were Margaret and Judeth Saunders sisters? Did Henry and Margaret elope together to travel and marry in Silverton or did Margaret find leave to go to Silverton and Henry travel to Silverton to marry her? This is conjecture, the move of one member of the Bishop Nympton family to Silverton a journey of approximately 30 miles was unusual in the 17th century/
Records relate just one mention of Edmund. All we know of the life and character of Edmund (1) or maybe his son Edmund (2) is a note written in the Parish Registers.
John Tapp, Parish Clerk, 1675 - 1719 records, The well that was digged by Elizabeth Rowden's door was digged by three of us, that is to sat John Tapp, Clerk, Elizabeth Rowden and Edmind Loosemor.
There is no date on which this well was dug. It is a sad reality that a man who lived for 71 years is remembered only because he once helped dig a well.
Edmund and his wife Elizabeth both died in May 1704 and were buried in Bishops Nympton.. They left, to our knowledge, three families, Edmund and Elizabeth still in Bishops Nympton, Henry who had moved South to Silverton His third son George had married Judeth Saunders in 1692 and had died when 28 years of age leaving his wife with two young children, George and Thomas.
So far the name of the eldest male child has followed the name of his grandfather. There has been a John, then Henry, then John, then a Henry, but now we have the first Edmund and the name John seems to have been the youngest of Henry's sons
Little is known of Edmund and his wife Elizabeth. Only one child's baptism is recorded in the Parish Registers, Edmund born on the 5th July 1664 but we have placed a Henry born about 1665, Elizabeth 1668 and George born about 1670 as their offspring; Henry, later travelled south to Silverton, and married Margaret Saunders there 18th September 1691. This Henry was to play a prominent part in family in the future. George married Judeth Saunders in Bishops Nympton and his family moved to North Molton and Washfield., outside the limits of this story. Were Margaret and Judeth Saunders sisters? Did Henry and Margaret elope together to travel and marry in Silverton or did Margaret find leave to go to Silverton and Henry travel to Silverton to marry her? This is conjecture, the move of one member of the Bishop Nympton family to Silverton a journey of approximately 30 miles was unusual in the 17th century/
Records relate just one mention of Edmund. All we know of the life and character of Edmund (1) or maybe his son Edmund (2) is a note written in the Parish Registers.
John Tapp, Parish Clerk, 1675 - 1719 records, The well that was digged by Elizabeth Rowden's door was digged by three of us, that is to sat John Tapp, Clerk, Elizabeth Rowden and Edmind Loosemor.
There is no date on which this well was dug. It is a sad reality that a man who lived for 71 years is remembered only because he once helped dig a well.
Edmund and his wife Elizabeth both died in May 1704 and were buried in Bishops Nympton.. They left, to our knowledge, three families, Edmund and Elizabeth still in Bishops Nympton, Henry who had moved South to Silverton His third son George had married Judeth Saunders in 1692 and had died when 28 years of age leaving his wife with two young children, George and Thomas.
The Seventeenth Century
The seventeenth century contains the most difficult years for family historians. Many records were very badly kept and they have been badly preserved. In Bishop's Nympton records for the following periods are missing: Marriages from 1618 - 1621, and 1628 - 1631. Burials 1617 - 1622` and Baptisms, parts of each year from 1600 to 1640. Then during the Commonwealth period there were no Baptisms between 1638 and 1662 or Church Marriages between 1632 until 1662. There were just two Contracts of Marriage recorded, in accordance with the Commonwealth Law and officiated by the Mayor of South Molton. So to establish the Family Tree with absolute certainty was like completing a jigsaw puzzle with many missing pieces..
The only records available for Bishops Nympton , apart from the incomplete parish records during the 17th century, are the Lay Subsidies (Taxes) in which in 1620-1622 and 1624 John Loosemore paid £5 and £6 and the Protestant Declaration in 1642 and the Hearth Tax in 1664. The Protestant Declaration shows Henry, John and Peter Loosemore in Bishops Nympton, Christopher and John in Molland, Hugh and William in North Molton and Gregory and Roger in Twitchen villages close to Bishops Nympton. The Hearth Tax shows Henry -1 hearth and a further Henry - 1 hearth .
In 1621 Henry (1552-1621) had died leaving insufficient assets to cover his legacies. Except for his marriage to Katherine and the dispute that later followed we know very little about John(1584- 1630). We know that he was Churchwarden for Bishops Nympton for the year 1613 at least. The records show just two baptisms of children of John and Katherine, namely Ellen 30/10/1613 and Katherine 4/9/1625. It is very unusual for there to have been such a gap between the birth of children. It very likely that there were further children born, but no record remains of their birth or the death of any of them though names of Hugh and William appear later in the Protestation Return of 1642 for North Molton who could have been the sons, of missing children.
John died on 8th December 1630 and on 13th January 1631 Katherine was freed by Litigation in Chancery PRO C2/Chas1/L2/2 ,from an obligation to provide for the base child of whom Peter, brother in law, was the reputed father and her husband John previously had continued to pay. So Katherine with her daughters Ellen and Katherine and possibly more children between the ages 5 and 17 must have been eager to remarry in order to provide for her family . So Katherine was married to a Bartholomew Courtney on 18th August 1632.
No record has been found of when the tenancy of Kerscot was lost to the family. It is reasonable to suggest it may have been at the death of John. Certainly Kerscot was occupied by John and Ann Tapp who are mentioned 'of Kerscott' in the parish records at the baptism of their daughter, Elizabeth.
The seventeenth century contains the most difficult years for family historians. Many records were very badly kept and they have been badly preserved. In Bishop's Nympton records for the following periods are missing: Marriages from 1618 - 1621, and 1628 - 1631. Burials 1617 - 1622` and Baptisms, parts of each year from 1600 to 1640. Then during the Commonwealth period there were no Baptisms between 1638 and 1662 or Church Marriages between 1632 until 1662. There were just two Contracts of Marriage recorded, in accordance with the Commonwealth Law and officiated by the Mayor of South Molton. So to establish the Family Tree with absolute certainty was like completing a jigsaw puzzle with many missing pieces..
The only records available for Bishops Nympton , apart from the incomplete parish records during the 17th century, are the Lay Subsidies (Taxes) in which in 1620-1622 and 1624 John Loosemore paid £5 and £6 and the Protestant Declaration in 1642 and the Hearth Tax in 1664. The Protestant Declaration shows Henry, John and Peter Loosemore in Bishops Nympton, Christopher and John in Molland, Hugh and William in North Molton and Gregory and Roger in Twitchen villages close to Bishops Nympton. The Hearth Tax shows Henry -1 hearth and a further Henry - 1 hearth .
In 1621 Henry (1552-1621) had died leaving insufficient assets to cover his legacies. Except for his marriage to Katherine and the dispute that later followed we know very little about John(1584- 1630). We know that he was Churchwarden for Bishops Nympton for the year 1613 at least. The records show just two baptisms of children of John and Katherine, namely Ellen 30/10/1613 and Katherine 4/9/1625. It is very unusual for there to have been such a gap between the birth of children. It very likely that there were further children born, but no record remains of their birth or the death of any of them though names of Hugh and William appear later in the Protestation Return of 1642 for North Molton who could have been the sons, of missing children.
John died on 8th December 1630 and on 13th January 1631 Katherine was freed by Litigation in Chancery PRO C2/Chas1/L2/2 ,from an obligation to provide for the base child of whom Peter, brother in law, was the reputed father and her husband John previously had continued to pay. So Katherine with her daughters Ellen and Katherine and possibly more children between the ages 5 and 17 must have been eager to remarry in order to provide for her family . So Katherine was married to a Bartholomew Courtney on 18th August 1632.
No record has been found of when the tenancy of Kerscot was lost to the family. It is reasonable to suggest it may have been at the death of John. Certainly Kerscot was occupied by John and Ann Tapp who are mentioned 'of Kerscott' in the parish records at the baptism of their daughter, Elizabeth.