Person:Thomas Whitebread (1)

His parents are sometimes given as Christopher Whitebread and Maud French, but they were married decades after he was born.

It would appear that several decades ago, someone put together a family tree based on common surnames (Wright, Whitebread, Hunt and others) with little regard for when the people actually lived, and this family tree has been widely copied, with dates made to fit the false family tree.

1. ↑ College of Arms (United Kingdom), and Walter Charles Metcalfe (ed.). The Visitations of Essex by Hawley, 1552; Hervey, 1558; Cooke, 1570; Raven, 1612; and Owen and Lilly, 1634: to which are added, miscellaneous Essex pedigrees from various Harleian manuscripts: and an appendix containing Berry's Essex pedigrees. (London: Harleian Society, 1878–1879)
   page 520.

   'Whitbred. ... (Certified by W. Hervey al's Clarenceux, 24 July, 1561.)
   Thomas Whitebred of White Notley in com. Essex. [married] Agnes d. of Will'm Hunt of Gosfield in com. Essex 2 wife.' Their son was John Whitebred and his son was also John Whitebred and 5 of his children are listed.

   Assuming that the youngest child was born shortly before the visitation (1561), her father's birth can be estimated to about 1528, his father's to about 1500, and Thomas's to about 1470.

2. ↑ A birth year in 1470 is consistent with an LDS record (which I saw at one time but did not make a note of and cannot currently locate) that made it clear from the dates of wills it cited that Thomas and Agnes lived in the mid 1500s.