|
|
Dackombe
Daccom Dackham etc genealogy
|
13 August 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
view DACKOMBE family tree |
|
|
Dr G.M.W.Mann. Baytrees Burnhams Rd, Lt.Bookham Surrey, U.K. KT23 3AU |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15 John DACKOMBE c1435-1517 |
|
|
|
|
m Sybil POOLE c1455? |
|
|
|
age DATE JD SP |
EVENT |
|
?c1435 |
John born |
|
?c1455 20 |
married Sybil POLE of
Wilton |
|
?c1456 21 |
son Thomas born |
|
?c1460 25 |
2nd son also
named Thomas born |
|
?c1465 28 |
son John born |
|
?c1470 33 |
?son Henry born |
|
?c1475 38 |
dau Christian born |
|
1514 79 |
eldest son Thomas died |
|
20Aug1517 82 |
died |
John Dackombe-15 died on 20Aug1517 according to the inquisition post mortem held after his death (see DEATH below). His descendants were probably born around 1560/1570, though it is possible that the eldest son was born as early as 1456 (see DESCENDANTS below). If this is correct, then a birth date around 1435 is expected, giving an age at marriage of 25/35 and an age at death of 82. Although this is a good age, it is not exceptional, and it is known that he outlived his eldest son. According to the Visitations of 1565 and 1623 he was of Steepleton and headed the Steepleton pedigree
The parents of John-15 have not yet been positively identified, but three lines of enquiry are being followed:
1. Was John the son of John and Christian Daccombe of Chilworth in Hampshire?
2. Was John the son of William Daccombe of Steepleton?
3. John named both his first and his second son Thomas. Were they named after John’s father?
Several documents show that the Dackombes of Steepleton formerly held the manor of Chilworth in Hampshire. John and Christian Daccombe held Chilworth manor before 1471 and are presently believed to be the parents of John-15 of Steepleton
· The preamble to one of the Dackombe pedigrees in the 1623 Visitation of Dorset is as follows:
“The Dackombs claimeth to
come from Dackomb Castle in Normandie, from whence they came to Chelworth in
Hampsh: and possessed 10 or 12
Mannors there”
The pedigree was signed by John Dackombe-10 and
includes the Dackombes of Steepleton.
Thus there was a tradition that the Steepleton Dackombes and the branch
leading to John-10 were descended from the Chilworth family
1457 3
September: Commission to array and try all men at arms and lead them to the sea
coast to resist the king's enemies; to John DACCOMBE for hundreds of Tychefeld,
Mannesbrugge and Farham. (Patent Rolls
1452-1461 p400) [The hundreds
of Mannesbrugge, Titchfield and Fareham lay along the coast of Southampton
Water; Mannesbrugge included the parish of Chilworth a few miles north of
Southampton]
1471 will of
Christiana DACKOMB relict of John DACKOMB the elder gentleman of Chilleworthe
[PROB 11/5 p26 translated form Latin]
In the name of
God amen, on the 26th day of June in the year of our lord 1471, I
Christian Dackombe the relict of John Dackombe the elder gentileman of
Chilleworth in the County of Southampton, being of sound mind and a healthy
memory do make my will in this manner:
Firstly, I leave
my soul to God Almighty, to St Mary ever virgin and to all the saints And my body to be buried in the churchyard
of the chapel of Chilleworth aforesaid
Also I leave to the cathedral church of St Swithun, Winchester, 4d Also I leave to Edmund Paterdell, five
silver spoons Also I leave to Edith my
daughter one tabard [tunic?] of a crimson colour. The true residue of all my goods not bequeathed in this will I
give and leave to Sir David Taskar my curate and to William Toute in the parish
of Romsey whom I do make ordain and constitute my true and lawful executors that
having the eye of God upon them they will distribute the same for the health of
my soul just as it shall seem best to them to be advantageous to me and
pleasing to God
Thus John of Chilworth died
between 1457 and 1471; he must have been an active and senior man to lead men
at arms in 1457, so probably between 30 and 50 at this time, giving a birth
date c1410/1430, the lower range of which is not inconsistent with being the
father of John-15 of Steepleton bc1435.
· The manor of Chilworth passed into the hands of John’s eldest son, Thomas of Steepleton, who held the manor of Chilworth at his death in 1514, and bequeathed it to his eldest son. Thomas predeceased his father by three years so it is probable that John had already given the manor to Thomas, perhaps at the time of Thomas’ marriage. At some time between 1514 and 1517, John filed a chancery suite (see OTHER records below C1 402/59) that states the manor of Chilworth was settled on Thomas’ son at the time of his marriage, so this would not be an unusual practice. (But it is difficult to understand how Thomas could settle the manor on his son at marriage and still bequeath it to him in his will!) Another possibility is that John of Chilworth gave the manor directly to his grandson through a trust. Thomas was born c1460/70 just in the period when John of Chilworth died.
The above five factors, together with the consistent date assessment, support the hypothesis that the parents of John-15 were John and Christian Dackomb of Chilworth in Hampshire. The evidence may be summarised in this diagram:
16 John Daccombe-m-Christian
held manor of Chilworth | d1471
|
| ?
15 John = John of Steepleton-m-Sybil
living 1471 c1435-1517 |
dau named Christian |
|
14 Thomas
held manor of Chilworth
[John
of Chilworth was described as a gentleman, whereas John-15 is described in some
documents as Esquire. Strictly the
title of Esquire should be reserved for the male heir of a knight, whereas
gentleman is simply a man who does not need to work. However Esquire is also allowed for those who by long
prescription can show their lineal ancestors were so styled which suggests that
John may have been descended from Thomas Daccomb knt, patron of Steepleton in
1398 (see below). Undoubtedly however
many took the title Esquire without regard to such strict definitions, and it
is significant that in the 1565 Visitation of Dorset, John-15 of Steepleton was
described as a gentleman not Esquire.
His son Thomas was also called a gentleman, but Thomas’ son John was
described as Esquire, contrary to the strict definition above. Thus the description of John-15 as an
Esquire does not preclude his descent from John, gentleman of Chilworth]
At his death, John-15 held the manor of Steepleton in Dorset. According to a document in the Nat. Archives
(abstracted in Som.& Dor. Notes & Queries 1913 vol13 p220) the Daccombe
family acquired the manor before 1378 by the marriage of Thomas Daccomb to
Agnes Stupelton, daughter of William Stupelton and heir to the manor. . Hutchins’ History of Dorset is therefore in
error in stating that the Dackombe’s acquired the manor in the time of Henry VI
[1422-1461] but he names three successive Daccombe holders of the manor as
William, the earliest holding the manor in 1428. Manors normally passed from father to son, so it might be
expected that John was descended from one of these former holders of the manor.
A Thomas Dackombe acted as Escheator
in Somerset in 1391 [from inquisition
post mortem held before Thomas Dackombe; an escheator collected money on behalf
of the crown for escheated estates, ie estates for which there was no adult
heir and which therefore passed to the crown] and in 1398 Sir Thomas Daccomb
was sheriff of Wilts and Dorset and patron of Steepleton. It seems probable that this is the same man
that married Agnes, giving him a possible life span of c1350-c1420; in 1420 the
manor was held by William Daccomb, possibly son of Thomas. The following is a summary of events
relating to the manor of Steepleton:
1378 Thomas Daccomb married before this date to Agnes heir of William Stupleton and holder of the manor
1398 Thomas Daccomb knt, sheriff of Wilts and Dorset, patron of Steepleton [ref.A]
1431 William died, holding the manor of Steepleton etc which passed to his son and heir, William, aged 21 [so born1409] [H from inquisition post mortem?]
1452 William Daccomb of Steepleton, patron [A]
1461 William Daccomb of Steepleton died [A]
1470 William Daccomb patron [A]
1505 John Daccomb Esq patron [A]
[A] notes made by J.M.J.Daccombe who researched the
family c1900, the original references for the above statements are not known
[H] Hutchins’ History of Dorset.
Manors usually passed from father to eldest son, as in the
case above of the first and second William. So it is possible that Thomas and
the youngest William were also in line of descent:
Thomas c1350-c1420? acquired the manor by marriage before 1378 to Agnes
Stupelton
?
William ?c1380-1431 patron and held the manor
|
William 1409-1461 patron and held the manor
?
William patron in 1470
If the last William
were the son of the previous William he would have been born after 1430
and before 1450 (to hold the manor in 1470) so unlikely to have been the father
of John-15 who was born c1435. From these dates, John-15 could have been a
brother of this last William, but Hutchins does not make such a connection nor
do any of the Dorset Visitations.
Moreover John did not name any of his children William. It seems unlikely therefore that John-15 was
descended directly from the William Dackombes of Steepleton.
The method by which John-15 acquired the manor of
Steepleton remains unsolved. It seems
possible that the Williams line failed, and John-15 of Chilworth was the next
heir, naming his children Thomas after the man who first acquired the manor and
to whom he was related. Another
possibility is that his wife was wealthy enough for him to buy the manor (her
father was titled Esquire)
John named both his first and his second son Thomas. Using a Christian name twice is unusual but
not unknown in this period. Possibly the first Thomas was not expected to live
(he did in fact die before his father but lived long enough to marry and have
children). Were the children named
after John’s father or a family benefactor?
At present two Daccombe’s named Thomas living in the 15th C
have been found in the records, but neither are of the right age to be the
father of John.
1391 Thomas Dackombe acted as Escheator in Somerset [from inquisition post mortem held before
Thomas Dackombe; an escheator collected money on behalf of the crown for
escheated estates, ie estates for which there was no adult heir and which
therefore passed to the crown]
1398 Thomas Dackombe Knt, sheriff of Wilts and Dorset,
escheator and patron of Living of Steepleton [ref from JMJDackombe as above]
1413/1422 Thomas Daccombe commission to collect tax [from vol.5 calendar of Fine Rolls at Nat.Arch covering this date range]
If all these documents refer to the same Thomas discussed
above he would have a possible life span c1350-1420 and is very unlikely
therefore to be the father of John bc1435
1477 Thomas Daccombe was lord of the manor of
Chilworth [“Chilworth” by Jane Perry and David Wightman] – but as discussed
below, this Thomas was probably the eldest son of John-15
1482 Thomas Dackombe was appointed Ranger of
Cranborne Chase (see below); Cranborne Chase extends NE of Steepleton so this
again is almost certainly the eldest son of John‑15. Being at least of
age in 1482 and probably considerably older, he cannot be the 1398 Thomas knt
and sheriff above.
According to the pedigree in the 1565 and 1623 Visitations of Dorset, John Dackombe of Steepleton [John-15] married Sybell POLE of Wilton in Wiltshire, daughter of Henry Pole Esq. No dates are given, but it is shown below that their sons were born around 1456/1470, so a marriage would be expected at this time.
From the 1565 and 1623 Visitations of Dorset, John and Sybil had the following descendants:
Thomas, son & heir, married Anne dau of Henry MOORE of Witford, co. Southampton; died 1514 (see will below)
Thomas, 2nd son
John, 3rd son
The inquisition post mortem
shown below confirms that Thomas was John’s eldest son but he predeceased his
father, dying in 1514. From the inquisition, the eldest son of
Thomas was born in 1491. It is also
known that Thomas’ second son was born c1496.
Thomas’ marriage therefore probably took place c1490, so he was born
before 1470. At his death he held the
manor of Chilworth, but a Thomas Daccombe was lord of the manor there in
1477. The lord of a manor must be at
least 21, so if this were the same Thomas, he would have been born on or before
1456. It is possible therefore that he
acquired the manor when he became of age, giving him a birth date of 1456, a
marriage age of 34 and an age at death of 58, which are all reasonable ages.
The visitation of Dorset 1623 has a pedigree of the Dackomb
family of Corfe Castle, Dorset, headed by a Thomas Daccomb who acquired
property there by marriage to an heiress Elizabeth Clavell. The Corfe Castle arms quarter the arms of
the Steepleton family, and Hutchins, in his History of Dorset, states that the
Corfe Castle family were “said to be a younger branch of the Dackombes of
Steepleton”. Corfe Castle is some 20
mile from Steepleton, so could the Thomas Daccomb who started the Corfe Castle
family be the second son of the Steepleton family?
Hutchins states that Thomas of Corfe Castle died in
1541; he married Elizabeth Clavell who was born 1488 and their daughter Johanna
married John Stanter before 1529. Thus
the marriage must have taken place c1508 (if both Elizabeth and Johanna were no
younger than 20 at marriage). It is
believed the elder Thomas was born c1460, so if the second Thomas were born
c1465, he would have been aged about 43 at marriage and about 76 at death. These are plausible ages though errors of
several years are likely. Thus it is
quite possible that Thomas of Corfe Castle was the second son of John of
Steepleton. However, none of the
Visitations or Hutchins, and no other documents have been found to make such a
connection. And since the Dackombes
had been in Steepleton for several generations prior to John, a descent from an
earlier Steepleton ancestor remains a possibility.
The descendants of Thomas are shown on a separate Corfe Castle Tree
In the notes on John-14 it is concluded that he was the third son of John-15 born
c1470-1475
A number of records relating to a Henry Daccombe
have been found which reveal a close link with the Steepleton family, and in
fact suggest that he was a fourth son of John-15 of Steepleton:
2. The wife of John-15 was the daughter of Henry Pole. It is not unexpected that a fourth son could be named after him
3. The inquisition post mortem of John-15 (see below) shows that he had given his manors of Steepleton and Little Fontmell to five men in trust for his son and heir. The five included Henry Daccombe and also three members of the MORGAN family. Two of John’s grandsons married members of this family. Clearly these men were considered trustworthy (literally), and it is not inconceivable that the trust would include his youngest son to ensure that the trust did not fail because of the death of its members before it had achieved its purpose.
4. A foot of fine dated 1504 (see below) concerns land at Warminster, Tytherington and Chitterne in Wiltshire, sold by Henry Daccombe and his wife Christian. The MORGAN family mentioned above were all of Chitterne some 25 miles from Steepleton. No other connection between Steepleton and Chitterne is known, and it seems likely in view of the above paragraph that Henry’s wife Christian was certainly of Chitterne and probably a MORGAN. The sale may have been made on the marriage of Henry and Christian.
5. Two other known Dackombe families are believed to be related to the Steepleton family and they use Henry as a family name. It is suggested that they are in fact descended from 4th son Henry. More details are given in the notes to the proposed Henry Daccombe pedigree
6. Henry Daccombe was assessed for £2 in the Corfe Castle subsidy of 1525 and was named as an archer with 6 arrows in the 1539 muster of the Knoll tithing (Church Knowle 2 miles from Corfe castle) No Henry mentioned in the 1544 subsidy. It might be expected that these references are to a member of the Corfe Castle Daccombe family, but although well documented, no Henry of suitable age is known in the branch of the family. It seems that this Henry died between 1539 and 1544 which is consistent with a birth around 1475
There is no
confirmation that all these documents refer to the same man. On the other hand, the dates do not preclude
the possibility that they all refer to the Henry shown on the tree above, born
c1480 mc1504, dc1540 having connections with both the Steepleton and Corfe
Castle branches of the Dackombe family.
However,
Henry is not included in the Steepleton pedigree in the Visitations of Dorset,
and, although there is no doubt as to the existence of a man of this name alive
between 1504 and 1517, his position as fourth son of John-15 remains
unproved. He was already married in
1504, so a birth date around 1475 as required for a son of John-15 is
consistent with the data.
No information has been found concerning the
Baynpinne/Bampine family said in the Visitations of Dorset to be married to
Christian. No other reference to Baynpynne has been found, but Henry’s wife was
named Christian, which raises the possibility that the Christian of the
Visitations was a sister-in-law married to brother Henry rather than a
sister.
An inquition post mortem was held after the death of
John Daccombe (Nat.Arch. E150/905/15). The record is in Latin, but has been
translated. The following is an
abstract of the essential details:
Inquisition held at Sherborne Dorset on 31 October
in the 9th year of Henry VIII [1517] before John TURBERVYLL esq the
King’s escheator of Dorset after the death of John DACCOMBE the elder by the
oaths of Thomas NORMAN, John VEYSY, William WYNTRY, John OKE, William FROSTE,
John CLYFTON, Thomas JAK(ES), John BUKLER, John REP(ER)E, John BYRTE, William
KINGE, John HAKE, John BERDE.
Who say upon
oaths that John DACCOMBE held no lands in demesne of the said lord king on the
day he died.
But the aforeseaid John DACCOMBE was for a long time
before his death seised of the manors of Steepleton and Little Fontmell and the
advowson of Steepleton church and of 20 messuages, 200 acres arable, 300 acres
pasture, 60 acres meadow, 40 acres wood, 300 acres heath in Steepleton, little
Fontmell and Child Okeford.
And being so seised he gave the aforesaid manors etc
by his charter shown to the jurors in evidence, to a certain Peter STANTER,
Gregory MORGAN, John MORGAN, Edward MORGAN and Henry DACCOMBE to the use and
behoof of the aforesaid John Daccombe the elder, and after his death to the use
and behoof of John Daccombe the younger and heir of the John Daccombe the
elder, namely the son of Thomas Daccombe, the son and heir of the aforesaid
John Daccombe the elder. And after the
aforesaid Gregory died and Peter, John, Edward and Henry Daccombe survived and
succeeded him in the aforesaid manors and other premises.
The manor and advowson of of Steepleton etc are held
of Hugh Lutterell as of his castle of Dunster for fealty and yearly rent of
2s. And that the manor of Little Fontmell
etc are held of Thomas TRENCHARD knight for fealty and one pair of gloves worth
1d. And that the said manor and other
premises are worth yearly £14.
And that John DACCOMBE died on 20 August last
past. And that John the younger is his
nearest heir, namely the son of Thomas DACCOMBE, the son of John DACCOMBE the
elder. John DACCOMBE the younger is
aged 22 years and more.
John DACCOMBE of Steepleton and Little Fontmell: d 20Aug1517
Thomas DACCOMBE eldest son, died before his father
John DACCOMBE eldest son of Thomas, aged 22 [b1491]
Feoffees: Peter STANTER, John MORGAN, Edward MORGAN, Henry DACCOMBE all
living 1517; Gregory MORGAN d<1517
The granting of land to feoffees (in modern terms, a trust) for the use of someone else was a legal device to avoid paying feudal dues to the superior lord. The feoffees were regarded as the legal owners, so no payment was due to the superior lord on the death of the feoffor, because the legal owners were still alive. Note that the first item states that John Daccombe held no lands of the king. After his death, the feoffees would convey the land by a separate deed to the new owner, who again would carry out an enfeoffment of his own. Clearly the feoffees would be men he could trust. I cannot determine whether Henry Daccombe might be his own son in such a situation but it seems possible that the youngest son might be so used to ensure that the trust would not fail because of the death of its members before it had achieved its purpose.
The MORGAN family were from Chitterne, Wiltshire. Thomas DACCOMBE’s eldest son John married Eleanor MORGAN daughter of Gregory; his eldest daughter Elizabeth married Edward MORGAN. Gregory MORGAN died in 1530 and his will mentions his brother John and sons Edward, John and Harry/Henry. It seems likely that John, Edward and Henry mentioned above were the children of Gregory Morgan. Henry Daccombe also had connections with Chitterne. A foot of fine dated 1504 shown below proves that Henry Daccombe and his wife Christian sold considerable property in Warminster, Tytherington and Chitterne. Possibly the sale followed the marriage of Henry to Christian.
The STANTER family of Horningsham in Wiltshire was also
connected to the DACCOMBE family by the 2nd marriage of John STANTER
to Johanna DACKOMBE. According to
Hutchin’s History of Dorset, Johanna belonged to the Corfe Castle branch, but
according to the 1565 Visitation of Wiltshire, she was of Steepleton
13Oct1513 Thomas DACKAM of Stepleton
esquire; to be buried in chancel of Stipleton before our Lady; to son and heir
John DACKHAM and his heirs for ever my manor of Chylworth in County South; to
my daughter Isabelle 40 marks for her marriage; to my daughter Agnes 20 marks
when she marries; to my brother John DACKHAM 20 sheep; to my brother Thomas
Dackham my russet gown -- with fox and a doublet of Tarony? --- stoled with black velvet; to Henry
DACKHAM 20 sheep as they come out of the hurdle; to William H?YN?DE and Joane
his wife 3 quarters of wheat and 3 quarters of barley; to Master COKER 6 ewys;
residue to Joan my wife and Thomas my son executors; Robert HARRIS parson of
Shroton and Master COKER to be superseers 40s; to my wife and Thomas my son the
manor of Stepleton for term of my wifes life the manor of Fountmell and all
other lands for the term of my wifes life for the performance of this my will
and to pay £20 yearly to my father during his life; after death of my wife, the
remainder to my son John and his heirs except for £42 of land in Okeford and £8
of land in Manston which I give to my son Thomas and his heirs for ever; proved
21Oct1514
1504 Oct of Trinity. (Made quin of Hilary) plaintiffs Richard Elyot, serjeant at law, John Mompesson, John Marvyn and Robert Boweryng v Henry Daccombe and Christian his wife, defendants. 16 messuages, 1 dovecote, 110a land, 9a meadow, 30a pasture in Warminster, Tytherington and Chitterne. Right of Robert, plaintiff, by gift of defendant; remise and quitclaim to plaintiff. (Warranty against John Abbot of St Peters, Westminster, and his successors). Fine £40 [defendants are the sellers of the land]
Richard Elyot, one of the plaintiffs who acquired the land, was a Justice of the Common Pleas who in 1519 confirmed the right of John-14 of Horton to Littleton’s or Daccombe’s Manor in Mapouder (see extract in biography of John-14). It is now suggested that Henry was a brother of John-14.
from on-line catalogue: John, father of Thomas
Daccombe. v. ... feoffees to uses.: The manors of Little Fontmell and
Chelworth, the advowson of the church of Stapleton and lands there and in
Stonefield and elsewhere, settled on John, grandson of complainant, and
Eleanor, daughter of Gregory Morgan, deceased, at their marriage.
from printed
calendar: John DACCOMBE, Dorset, Hants. John son of
Thomas Daccombe. The manors of Little Fontmell and Chelworth, advowson of
Stapleton church and lands there and in Stonefield and elsewhere, settled on
John grandson of complainant, and Eleanor daughter of Gregory MORGAN deceased
at their marriage.
from original: difficult
to read because of fading: complainant John had a son Thomas;
Thomas had a son John who married Eleanor.
Isabel and Agnes DACCOMBE were other names mentioned [Steepleton tree confirms John-Thomas-John m Eleanor Morgan]
The Patent Rolls were open proclamations of Royal Grants etc.
18Jun1482 Grant
for life to the king's servant Thomas DAKHAM, yeoman of the king's chamber, of
the offices of ranger of the king's chace of Crambourne and keeper of the
king's lodge called "Russhemer" void by the death of Walter HARDYNG,
late yeoman of the crown with the accustomed fees and all profits as the latter
had