Descendants of John/Robert Noyes (1269) - Gulbangi.com

a jury of inquiry at Collingbourne Kingston on 20 April 37 Henry VIII [1546] with Thomas Corderoy and William Sotewell,
both of Chute.
Thomas Noyes was mentioned with his cousins, the children of his uncle Robert Noyes, in several suits concerning the
entail of the manor of Littleton in the parish of Kimpton. In a suit before the Court of Requests, it was recorded that "Jone
Noyes, widow [of Robert, Sr.], Robert Noyes [Jr.], Wyll[ia]m Noyes, John Noyes the brother of the said Robert, Nych[o]las
Noyes, Thomas Noyes, Emma wife of the said Robert, John Noyes son of the said Robert, Jone Noyes and Anne Noyes
daughters of the said Robert" leased the manor of Lytleton with appurtenances from the Abbot of the Monastary of St.
Peters of Gloucester. This transaction took place 4 April 15 Henry VIII [1524] and was for the term of 61 years. The record
goes on to say that Thomas Noyes and all but the children of Robert were of majority. On 16 July 24 Henry VIII [1532],
another deed was drawn up leasing the manor to "joan Noyes the widow, Robert Noyes, Emme, John Noyes the son, Jone
the daughter and Anne Noyes, and Margery, Agnes, Mary, Ede and Cecely, daughters of Robert and Emme [born since
the previous contract]," to hold for a period of 70 years so long as they should live. Nicholas St. John countered that Joan
Noyes, widow, and Robert meant to defraud William, John, and Nicholas Noyes, "the brethren of Robert," and Thomas
Noyes. Nicholas Seyntjohn had purchased the rights from various parties to the first lease. Nicholas Noyes and Thomas
Noyes granted their interest to him at "Remrygge" [Ramridge], Hampshire. It was after purchasing those rights that
Nicholas Seyntjohn attempted to enter the manor forcibly. The suit in question was apparently dated 22 June 6 Edward VI
[1552]. Robert Annetts, of Vyfylde [Fifield], Hants., husbandman, aged 52, deposed that he knew Robert Noyes, "father of
Robert Noyes," who had taken a lease of the manor of Lytylton long before the above mentioned leases. He leased the
manor as "Robert Noyes the father," with Jone his wife, Willm Noyes, John Noyes, Nicholas Noyes, Robarte Noyes now
Complainant and to Thomas Noyes cousin of Roberte Noyes the father." This deposition proves the relationship of
Thomas Noyes to the others.
At the time of the suit, the term "cousin" meant an uncle/nephew relationship as readily as it would mean cousin in the way
we now interpret the term. Chronology forces the conclusion that Thomas must be the elder Robert's nephew. If the
relationship were further distant, it is very unlikely that Thomas would have been included in the entail of the manor with
Robert and his children, or that he would be included after Robert's death when his widow Jone renewed the lease. The
most logical conclusion is that Thomas was the only surviving male issue of Robert's deceased brother, and that Robert
had been protecting his nephew's interests as his guardian. Robert's brother William and his family were already well
provided for, so there was no reason to include them. Thomas was the male heir of the family.
Thomas Noyes and his descendants acquired both the manor of Ramridge and the manor of Blissmore Hall in the parish
of Weyhill (also known as Penton Grafton). The manors were important because it was on their grounds that the annual
fair was held. Weyhill Fair, "one of the largest and most celebrated in England," was held for three days, from September
28 through 30. It brought the "lord of the manor of Weyhill and others...substantial profits... In the great days of the fair
140, 000 sheep were sometimes sold in a day... It drew folk from all parts of the country, insomuch that in 1665 it was
deemed expedient to forbid its being held for fear of spreading the plague.
The manors of Ramridge and Blissmore Hall appear in later records to be distinctly separate, but the Fair was held partly
on Blissmore Hall Acre, partly on lands belonging to Ramridge, and partly on the parish glebe. Thomas Noyes was farmer
of the manor of Ramridge by 1552/3, by which time his son Robert occupied Blissmore Hall. It was in that year that
Thomas conveyed "goods, chattels and household stuff" to his grandson, John, son of Robert, who was then "about some
dozen years of age." John made a deposition stating these facts on 31 May 42 Eliz. I [1600], and listing the specific goods
that had been conveyed to him by his grandfather. Those goods were given to his father Robert and carried in a cart from
Ramridge, where his grandfather Thomas was "then farmer," to Blissmore Hall, where John's father Robert "then dwelt,"
along with cattle Thomas had given both Robert and John. Thomas charged Robert that John should receive the goods at
age twenty, but John had never received them (John stated that the goods, chattels and household stuff were worth £40).
At Roberts death, John "did fully and absolutely give" his right in these things to Peter Noyes, his son. Peter discharged
and acquitted his uncle, William Noyes, John's brother, who was Robert's sole executor, in consideration whereof William
conveyed the remainder of his estate in Blissmore Hall to Peter after William's death. Peter was also to give William's two
daughters 24 marks when he received the farm.
Alexander Bolton, as Master of the Almhouse or Hospital of Ewelme, Oxford, brought suit against Thomas Noyes' son
Robert, trying to regain control of the manor of Ramridge and Weyhill Fair. Master Bolton claimed "the manor of Ramryge
otherwise called Weyhill" to be theirs, including "one parcel of ground containing one acre in Weyhill together with the
profits of one certain fair there kept yearly by the space of three days, that is to say, the day of the feast of St. Michael the
Archangel, the day before and the day after the same feast." He claimed they had been seised of it until 8 Henry VIII
[1517/18], when John Rogers of Bryanston, Dorset, Esquire, fought for right of the manor with the Master of the Almhouse
at that time. Master Bolton claimed they won the dispute, but had to admit that "one Robert Noyes claiming and pretending
__________________________________________________________________________
Page 4