Bench Families Pre 1600

Thomas Bench (the younger) was baptised on 11 June 1565 in Lillington, Warwickshire County, England.

He was mentioned in the will of his grand-father, also named Thomas Bench (the elder).  The will was written at least by 16 day in 1565, and was probated on 19 March 1565, so it would be safe to say he was born on or before 16 March 1565.

Attached is the 1565 Lillington baptism record for Thomas Bench (the younger).

The 1565 will of his grand-father is listed in his forum record.

Humphrey (Humfrey/Humfrye) Bench was baptised on 22 Apr 1593 in Lillington, Warwickshire, England.  He was noted on the baptism record as the son of Thomas Bench and Dorothy.  

Attached is Humphrey's baptism record.

Thomas Bench (the younger) was baptized on 11 Jun 1565 in Lillington, Warwickshire County, England.  In the baptism record it was noted that he was the son of  Phillip Bench and Joane.

We also know from the will of his grandfather (Thomas Bench - the elder), that he was born before 16 March 1565 in Lillington, in which he was mentioned in this will, which was probated on 19 March 1565 and actually written on 16 ? 1565.  This would place his birth at least on or before the will was drafted on the 16th, and when it was probated on the 19th.

Attached is his baptism record.   

His wife was Dorothy, likely Dorothy Holmes, daughter of John Holmes and Anne

Thomas and Dorothy had 3 known children, Humphrey (Humfrey) Bench, Sybil Bench, and Susanna Bench.

The attached .PDF Family Group sheet is of the Known (and proposed) children of Thomas Bench (the Elder) and his wife Elizabeth.

Of the 4 listed children, Phillip Bench was positively listed as a son of Thomas (the elder) and Elizabeth in his 1565 will.

Margery was listed as the wife of Richard Nicoll(s) in the 1565 Thomas Bench (the elder) will, and since they were noted as married in 1546 in Lillington, it is safe to list Margerye Bench as a daughter of Thomas Bench (the elder).

The other two (proposed children), Isabel and William fit the time-frame, but more needs to un-covered to be sure.

Isabel Bench is a "proposed" daughter of Thomas Bench (the elder).  Isabel Bench married Michael Robbins on 29 September 1541 in Lillington Parish, Warwickshire, England.  I have placed her birth year circa 1522, based on her marriage date.

The will of Thomas Bench (the elder) has not been completly decyphered yet, but Michael Robbins is mentioned, along with a child. Isabel may be listed, but have not been able to make out all names as of yet. There is a Isabel Bench who was buried in 1543, and I believe if she is not listed in the will (as believed), she may be the same Isabel Bench listed here.  Normally a wife is listed with the last name of her husban after marriage, but this may have been a clerical omission.  I not we have yet another Isabel Bench to find parentage with.

I have placed Margerye (also spelled Marjory, Marjori) as a daughter of Thomas Bench (the elder), since her husband Richard Nicoll(s) and Marjori were named in the 1565 will of her father, Thomas Bench (the elder).  For this info, see the will of Thomas Bench (the elder), which can be found under his Forum topic area.

Lillington parish records list Richard Nicoll(s) and Margerye Bench as married on 3 November 1546.  I have placed her birth year as an estimate of circa 1525, based on when she was married. 

Richard Nicoll(s) died in 1573, and Margerye Bench re-married to a Robert Creese on 27 January 1574 in Lillington. She was listed as a widow on the marriage record.

William Bench left a will in that was dated 12 March 1560, and probated 14 October 1560. I have not been able to make out much with it.  I do not believe he had any children yet, but may have been married, as I see the word wife in the records, but cannot make out much more.    I have placed his birth year before his "proposed" brother Phillip Bench, since this William Bench died before Phillip.

This is only a "proposed" child of Thomas Bench (The Elder).  No firm proof yet, and if the probate record can be decyphered, it might help. William Bench is placed as a proposed son of Thomas Bench (the elder) for a few reasons. He would have been an older person, because normally a will is written by someone well established in the community, with property to disperse.  Another William died in 1565, which appears to be Phillip Bench's son, and likely named in honor of his brother.

Phillip Bench and wife Joane are mentioned as the parents of Thomas Bench (the younger) in his 11 June 1565 Lillington, Warwickshire, England parish baptism record.  Of interest is that a William Bench, a likely son of Phillip Bench and Joane was buried the same year, less then a month after Thomas Bench was baptised.  

We also know from the will of his grand-father, which was written on 19 March 1565, that this Thomas Bench (the younger) was already born, since he was noted as a son of Phillip.  So we can say for certain that Thomas Bench (the younger) was born before 19 March 1565 (and we also know that he lived in Lillington).

Attached is the Baptism record of son Thomas Bench which links Phillip Bench and Joane as his parents.

See the will of Thomas Bench (the elder), which links Phillip Bench as a son. 

The Will of Thomas Bench is very hard to interpret, so any help with the attached .pdf file is welcome.  

The will is found in the Registered wills and original wills, administrations and inventories, 1494-1860, and, act books, 1532-1638 for the Diocese of Lichfield Episcopal Consistory Court.  This will was specifically found in Staffordshire, Dioceses of Lichfield and Coventry wills and probate records of 1565.  

The will of Thomas Bench was probated on 19 March 1565, but was torn on top, and the month the will was written is unknown, only the day (16th) and year (1565).   At the beginning Thomas Bench bequeaths his soul to allmighty god, his maker, and it appears that he desires to be buried in the churchyard parish in Lillington.

He then bequeaths to Pholop (Phillip) his son, and Thomas Bench (Phillips son) each something?   Whatever he was bequeathing to both of them, the writing/letters appears the same.