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Facts and Events
John Males' origins have yet to be established. He appears to have had a brother, Joseph Males, as John's son Joseph referred to the elder Joseph as being his uncle in 1782.
John's first confirmed sighting is on 1st October 1737, when he was married at Cottered in Hertfordshire to Mary Dearman. His marriage record describes him as "John Mailes Junior Batchelor & Farmer", implying that there was an older John Males living in the area at that time as well.
John and Mary went on to have eleven children baptised at Cottered between 1739 and 1757.
Some time between 1757 and 1762 the family appears to have left Cottered, moving about nine miles south-west to Codicote. Several of their children married in the Codicote area from 1762 onwards, and John's first known grandchild was baptised at Codicote in 1763.
In 1774, John took a lease of Shaw Green Farm in the parish of Rushden, back near Cottered. He was described at the time of taking the lease as being a yeoman of Codicote. John and Mary moved to Rushden and appear to have lived at Shaw Green Farm for the rest of their lives. Some of their adult children stayed behind in the Codicote area, whilst some came with them to Rushden.
In 1774, shortly after moving to Rushden, John's daughter Elizabeth had an illegitimate daughter called Mary. Elizabeth died five years later in 1779, aged 23, and it would appear that young Mary was then brought up by her grandparents, John and Mary.
John's eldest son, William, died in 1790, aged 50. Later that year, John wrote his will. He described himself as a farmer of Shaw Green in the parish of Rushden. He left his estate entirely to his wife Mary, but with provision that after her death £100 was to be given to his granddaughter Mary.
John died in 1793, being buried at Rushden on 23rd October 1793. He and Mary had been married for 56 years. At least 64 grandchildren had been born in his lifetime. Mary survived John by thirteen years.
References
- Discovery. The National Archives.
Reference: DE/Ru/74466
Title: Counterpart Lease
Description:
Gratiana Spence of Hertford, widow. John Males of Codicote, yeoman.
Term 9 years. Rent £79.
Farm at Shaw Green - 144 acres occ Humphrey Field.
Endorsement - Memo of reduction of rent because Field has so unlawfully impoverished the farm
Date: 19 Mar 1774
Needs to be confirmed at Hertfordshire Archives.
- ↑ Church of England. Rushden Parish Registers, 1607-1975. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).
Buried at Rushden / 1793 / Mailes / John Mailes Farmer Oct[obe]r 23d
- Wills (1413-1857), in Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies. Hertfordshire Names Online
93HW63.
This is the last Will and Testament of me John Males of Shaw Green in the Parish of Rushden in the County of Hertford Farmer, First I give and bequeath unto Mary Males natural Daughter of my late Daughter Elizabeth Males deceased the sum of One Hundred Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid her within six Months next after the Decease of my dear Wife Mary Males, And I give and bequeath unto my said Wife Mary Males All and singular my ready Money, Security and Securities for Money Debts to be owing Stock in Trade of a Farmer Goods Cattle Chattles and Personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever of what nature or kind soever the same be (my Just Debts, the aforesaid Legacy and my Funeral Expences being thereout first paid and discharged) And I do hereby nominate and appoint my said Wife Mary Males sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said John Males the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in one Sheet of Paper set my Hand and Seal the second day of December in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety.
John Males [seal]
Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said John Males the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses thereto,
Tho[ma]s Barns
H.O. Roe
Proved &c. at Baldock 31 Oct[obe]r 1793 Before the Rev[eren]d Caleb Hill A.M. Surro[gate] of the Worsh[ip]f[u]l Jo[h]n Hodgson A.M. Com[missary] in & thro[ugh] the whole Archd[eaconr]y of Hunt[ingd]on And also Mich[ael] Tyson A.M. Archd[eaco]n in & thro[ugh] the same Archd[eaconr]y both lawfully Constituted by the Oath of Mary Males the E[xecu]trix &c. [one illegible word] was granted Ad[ministra]tion &c. being first sworn &c. saving &c.
31 October 1793
The within named Mary Males was sworn to the due Execution of this Will in form of Law & she verily believed that the Goods Chattels & Credits of the deceased did not at the time of his Death amount to the Sum of one thousand Pounds
before me Ca[leb] Hill Surrogate
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