Person:Elsabethe Lamkin (1)

Elizabeth Lamkin was baptised 13 Jul 1561 in Bletchingley, a small farming village in Surrey, England. Her parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Lamkyn. She had four known siblings: her elder sister Katherine died as an infant, and her younger sister Ame also died not long after she was baptised. Her younger brother Richard also likely died as an infant - a probable burial record exists although it's possible this refers to another Richard Lamkyn who was living in the area at the time. As for her youngest known sibling, Herry, no further record has yet been found. It's not known when her parents died.

On 8 Jun 1590 when Elizabeth was about 29 years old she married Thomas Greenwood in Bletchingley. It's unknown whether Elsabethe was the mother of all of Thomas' children as no mother was named on their baptism records, but Thomas had two sons baptised in the parish of Nutfield which is around a mile from Bletchingley: Henry in 1590 and Thomas in 1593. They were followed by a daughter "An" baptised back in Bletchingley in 1595. Thomas also likely had a son Silvanus baptised in 1596 in East Grinstead, Sussex, (around 11 miles from Bletchingley). Although Silvanus' baptism record transcription doesn't give his parents names, Thomas' son Henry named his own son Silvanus in 1631, and the name Silvanus is uncommon enough to assume that they were related.

No burial record or any other record has yet been found for Elsabethe or Thomas.

Geographical and Historical Context

Bletchingley and Nutfield were predominantly farming villages while East Grinstead has been an important market town since the early middle ages. Bletchingley and Nutfield currently have populations around 2700, while East Grinstead is a larger town of around 25,000.

The earliest parts of St. Mary the Virgin's Church in Bletchingley date to the 11th century.

St. Peter and St. Paul's Church in Nutfield "is mentioned in the Domesday book and so is thought to be of Saxon or Norman foundation. The original church was rebuilt to consist of a nave and chancel in 1200-1225 with the lower part of the chancel wall remaining. The north aisle was added in 1230. The chancel was extended and the upper part rebuilt in 1300-1320. The tower was built in the 1400s and in 1450 the south transept was added."

St. Swithun's Church, East Grinstead was rebuilt after it was struck by lightning in 1772. Near the entrance to the church, stones mark the supposed ashes of three martyrs who were burned on 18 July 1556 during the reign of Mary I because they refused to renounce the Protestant faith.
Thomas Greenwood was likely born during the reign of Elizabeth I and lived during the reign of Elizabeth's successors James I and Charles I.

East Grinstead High Street, 2009

DNA Genealogy

If you are a descendant of Silvanus Greenwood and would like to compare autosomal DNA results please contact Jocelyn_K_B (at) yahoo.com for kit numbers

St. Mary the Virgin's Church, Bletchingley

1. ↑ England. Marriages, 1538-1973. (FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Findmypast)
   Thomas Grenewood m. Elsabethe Lamkin, 8 Jun 1590 in Bletchingley, Surrey.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Surrey, England. Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
   St. Mary (Bletchingley, Surrey, England), "1561," The 13 day of July Elyzabeth the daughter of Thomas & Elyzabeth Lamkyn was baptised.
3. ↑ Surrey, England. Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
   St. Mary (Bletchingley, Surrey, England), "1590," Thomas Greenwood & Elsabethe Lamkin were married the ...(illegible)... day of June.