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Vailes Vails Vale Vales Vals Vayles Veales family
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21 April 2008 |
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Dr Geoffrey Mann
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9 Zeccariah VALE c1640-?1693
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m Elizabeth NORRIS 1667
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Zecchariah VALE was probably born around 1640 in Witham
or a nearby parish, though no record of his birth has been found. He became an agricultural labourer and
married Elizabeth NORRIS at Heybridge in 1667. Some time after, they lived in Lockram Lane in Witham. They baptised three sons at Witham between
1668 and 1683, though by the latter date they had left Lockram lane, probably
to live in the parish of Gt.Leighs. In 1675, Zecchariah was in trouble with the law for keeping poaching equipment, and for killing partridges in nearby Boreham. In 1694 he was again in trouble, but this time for theft. He was accused of stealing 60 lbs of beef and then breaking into two houses and stealing malt, hens, boots, peas, and wheat, all in one night; he was also accused of stealing chickens, turkeys, and geese just two weeks later. With his accomplice, John CLEERE, he was found guilty at Chelmsford Assizes in March 1694 and sentenced to be hanged. The burial of Zecchariah was not recorded at Witham and it is assumed that the sentence was carried out. Some three years later, a Zecchariah VALE of Colchester was also sentenced to be hanged for theft of waistcoats and cloth etc. and was sent to Brentwood gaol for execution. It seems likely that this was Zecchariah’s son born 1672 and following in his father’s footsteps. |
click here to read the story of the
two Zacchariah’s both sentenced to be hung, published in the Essex Family
History Journal
C=Christened
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age DATE ZV EN |
EVENT |
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?? c1640 1Aug1667 27 13Sep1668 28 27Sep1672 32 5Oct1675 35 15Sep1675 35 1680 40 30Aug1683 43 ??? 1685 45 26Jan1694 54 5Feb1694 54 12Mar1694 54 |
Zecchariah born Zacharie VAIL & Eliz
NORRIS m at Heybridge son John C at Witham son Zechariah C at
Witham Zacharias VAILE & Wm
WARD of Gt Leeze labourers indicted for having “sheete nets and trannels”
[poaching equipment] Zachary VAILE and Wm
WARD of Much Leeze labourers indicted for stalking and killing partridges at
Boreham house in Lockram lane,
Witham, previously rented by Zachary VALE now occupied by William DARBY son Thomas C at Witham ?son William born? Zach VAYLES & John
CLEERE, Witham labourers accused of stealing 60lbs beef, malt, hens, a pair
of boots, gray peas and wheat Zach VAILS and John
CLEER of Wickham Bishops labourers accused of stealing geese, turkeys and
hens Zach VAILS found gulty
of theft and sentenced to be hanged |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
Zecchariah
baptised his children at Witham, after his marriage in 1667 at nearby
Heybridge. So he was probably born
around 1640, but the registers of Witham commence in 1650 so his baptism will not
be found there. However he was a labourer of Gt Leighs in 1675 when he was
caught for poaching, so possibly he came from there (registers commence 1560
but have not yet been examined).
Although
the mother of John VAILES 8 was not named in his baptismal record, later
baptisms to Zecchariah at Witham give the mother's name as Elizabeth. There is a suitable m at nearby Heybridge:
m 1Aug1667
Zacharie VAIL & Eliz NORRIS
C 13Sep1668 John s Zecharie VALE
C 27Sep1672 Zechariah s Zechariah & Elizabeth VALE
C 30Aug1683 Thomas s Zechariah & Elizabeth VALES
another
likely descendant is William who married Ann WOLECAR at Braintree in 1700 and
baptised children at Witham from 1701
In 1693,
Zach VAILES, labourer of Witham was found guilty of thieving chickens, beef,
boots, malt etc and sentenced to be hanged
In 1696,
Zech VALE of Colchester was found guilty of thieving shirts and waistcoats etc
and sentenced to be hanged; he was delivered to Brentwood gaol in 1697 to be
hanged.
Do these
refer to the same man who escaped hanging on the first charge? If so, is he Zeccariah 9 or his son born in
1672? Or were both father and son
hanged? This seems at present the most
likely as the first was a labourer of Witham; the later theft was by Zachariah
of Colchester of shirts and waistcoats etc.
No burial record found for either of them at Witham
Elizabeth's
burial is probably given by: B 30Jul1712 Elizabeth VAILES at Witham, though this
could refer to Elizabeth (PULLIN) wife of John VALE 8
1680 rental: house in Lockram Lane occupied late by Zachary
VALE now by William DARBY (History of Witham 1500-1700 p39 by Janet Gyford)
15Sep1675 Rich TURNER, Tho HAWKINS carpenter, John
PERREY thatcher all of Boreham to indict Zachary VAILE and Wm WARD of Much
Leeze labourers for stalking partridges in corn of John GREENE of Boreham,
yeoman, on Sunday 12 Sep (ERO Q/SR
430/55)
5Oct1675 Zacharias VAILE & Wm WARD of Gt Leeze
labourers kept sheete nets and trannels for catching partridge and pheasants
and killed many 12Sept; wit Rob TURNER, Tho HAWKINS, John PERRY ignoramus (ERO Q/SR 430/30)
17. Zach VAILS and John CLEER of Wickham Bishops labourers there stole 5Feb5Wm&Mary [1693] 4 geese, 3 turkeys, 4 cocks, 7 hens belonging to Chris WRAGG clerk; pleaded guilty; wit: Chris WRAGG
18. Zach VAYLES & John CLEERE of Witham labourers stole 26Jan5Wm&Mary 60lbs beef belonging to John MILES; pleaded guilty; wit:John MILES
19. the same 26Jan 5Wm&Mary about 1am broke into house of Sam NEWTON and stole 2 bushels of malt, 2 hens, & a pair of boots belonging to John HARRISON; both guilty, to be hanged; wit Sam NEWTON, Jas TROTTER, John MILES
20. the same 26Jan5Wm&Mary about 1am broke into house of Eliz MAYHEW and stole 4 bushels and a peck of gray peas and a bushel of wheat; wit Jas TROTTER; to be hanged
Zach VALE of St James Colchester labourer 6Feb7WmIII {1696?} about 2am broke into home of Chris FISHER and stole 24 prs shoes, stockings, waistcoats, shirts, sheets etc; pleaded guilty; to be hanged; wit: Chris FISHER.
18Mar 8WmIII [1697?] gaol delivery at Brentwood; Zach VALE to be hanged