|
Robert of Girsby in Burgh-upon-Bain, Lincolnshire, was born probably about 1490, and mentioned as "neve" in the will of his uncle Robert who leaves him lands in Lowick, Oldwyncall, Islip, Denford and Boygstoke. Robert married Katherine Williamson, who was born about 1508, the daughter of John Williamson and Jane Angevine. On January 26, 1518, "...the aforesaid jurors further say that the aforesaid John Williamson died on the 24th day of March in the fourth year of the present lord King (1512/13) and that Katherine Williamson is the daughter and next heir of the same John Williamson and is of the age (at that time, i.e., 1517/18) of this inquisition of nine years and above, and is now committed by the lord King to the wardship to Thomas Hennage, esquire..." It is possible that Katherine (Williamson) Marbury died in childbirth, as she died on August 11, 1525 at the age of about seventeen years, leaving her husband Robert Marbury and a son William, three-quarters of a year old in 1525. The jurors of the inquisition into the estate of Katherine Marbury, taken at Horncastle on June 12, 1526 said that Katherine had died on August 11, 1525 alone seised of and in..."the messuage, five acres of pasture and forty ares of arable land...called Northorpe in Hemingby...and of and in two tofts (also in Hemingby)...and...one messuage and five acres of pasture...in the town and fields of Boston next to the stream called Old Fen Dike...and one messuage, 23 acres and 3 roods of land lying in Gattoft in Leake in a certain place called "the Hungate" next to the church of Leake..and in ten acres of land...in Wrangel..." As extended, these lands were worth together £2, 14s, 10d. yearly. "...and the aforesaid Katherine; being so seised...took as her husband Robert Marbury esquire, whereby the aforesaid Robert and Katherine were seised thereof in the right of the same Katherine; and the said Robert and Katherine had issue, lawfully procreated between them, a certain William Marbury and...the aforesaid Katherine died seised...and the aforesaid Robert Marbury survived her, and is still living, and remains entered as tenant, by the law of England by reason of the aforesaid offspring...and that the aforesaid William Marbury is the son and next heir of the same Katherine Marbury, and is of the age at the time...of this inquisition of three quarters of a year and above." This record confirms that Katherine Marbury and Katherine Williamson are the same person, for her lands in Hemingby, Boston and Leake correspond to the tenements held by her grandfather, Alexander Williamson or his son John, her father. Robert Marbury was present at the English Court. In the funeral of Henry VII in 1509, he was a yeoman to the King's Grandame (that is, Henry VIII's grandmother, Lady Margaret Beaufort). In 1510, as yeoman usher of the Queen's Chamber, he had a grant to be feodary (i.e. one who holds land of an overlord on condition of homage) of the duchy of Excester within county Devonshire, during [the King's] pleasure. In 1513, as Robert Marbury Jr. he was a feofee, along with Robert Marbury Sr. (his uncle), John Lenton (father of his son's future wife), and John Marbury, clerk. In 1514, his cousin William Blount, Lord Mountjoy, was the Queen's Chamberlain. In the same year, Robert Marbury, yeoman usher of the Queen's Chamber, was feodary noted above, for life. In 1517, he was appointed to be sergeant at arms, with 12d. a day in consideration of his services to Queen Catherine. In 1526, his yearly wage as serjeant at arms in the Royal Household was £18 5s., i.e. still 12d. a day. In the Lincolnshire Rebellion of October 1536, Robert Marbury appears as follows: In the examination of Sir Edward Madeson before the King's Council...Madeson, with his brother John Madeson and both his sons, then went up into Castrefeld to see the number of rebellious and there met Sir Wm. Askew and Marbery the serjeant and one Boneteene of the Exchequer. The rebels took them all except Boneteyne and Marbury... In a letter from Sir Robert Kyrkham to Richard Cromwell: ... "Yesterday night late" he was at Stanforde with Sir William Parre and others when Marbery and Madyson, the King's servants came in, having escaped from the rebels who they say are 20,000..." Robert died on August 5, 1645. His will made July 28, 1545 was proved on September 28, 1545 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. His executors were "my brother Thomas Merbury, my cosyn John Merbury, my well beloved mother in law mistress Jane Woodfurth and my son William Merbury...and my son William is to have all my goods and land moveable and immovable." There were many bequests. A curious feature of the will is the reference to his first grandchild: "Item. I will that Robert Merbury the first begotten son of my son William Merbury shall not inherit no part parcell or portion of my rent lands within the counties of Lincolnshire, Darbyshire and Northamptonshire. Item. I will that if my son William Merbury have hereafter issue lawfully begotten that they shall inherit the aforesaid lands, that in nowise the aforesaid Robert Merbury the son of the said William Merbuy shall not inherit any...portion of the foresaid lands...Robert Merbury was born in the month of June in the 37th year of the reign of our sovereign lord king Henry [1545, the month before the date of the will] at Old Wynkle in the house of his grandfather, John Leynton, gentleman. I bequeath to (this?) Robert Merbury forty pounds to be paid to him at the age of 21 years. Item. I will that if my son William Merbury has no issue lawfully begotten as god forbid then I will that my brother Thomas Merbury shall inherit all my foresaid lands and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. Payment to the said Robert Merbury if he lives to the said 21 years other fourty pounds of sterling money and he to make to the said Thomas and his heirs a release of all such lands as he can make any title to of inheritance." Probably the unfortunate infant Robert had some obviously incapacitating birth defect, mental or physical, that would make his inheriting land impractical. Two inquistions into the estate of Robert Marbury were taken, one in Lincolnshire, the other in county Northampton. In response to the writ dated October 15, 1545, the inquisition into the estate of Robert Marberye who held lands of the kind in chief was taken at the Castle of Lincoln on (15?) October 1545. The jurors said that Robert Marbery had died on August 7, 1545 and that William Marbery was the son and next heir of Robert Marbery his father and also the son and next heir of Catherine his mother, the wife of the aforesaid Robert, of all the aforesaid lands. The other inquisition into the estate of Robert Marburye calls him of Girsby, county Lincoln, esquire. It was taken on October 28, 1545 at Wellingborough, county Northampton. The jurors said that Robert Marburye had died at Girsby on August 7, 1545, at which time William Marburye, the son and heir, was of the age of twenty-one years and more. Robert died seised of three tenements in Lowick, county Northampton, and five in Slipton, Dentford, Woodford, Aldwinkle and Islip, as extended, with a total yearly value of £8 16s. The lands in Northampton were willed to him by his uncle Robert Marbury. Please send e-mail to Sam Behling.  See lineage of Marbury Family Read the Biography of Robert's grandfather, John Marbury Read the Biography of Robert's father, William Marbury Read the Biography of Robert's son, William Marbury Read the Biography of Robert's grandson, Rev. Francis Marbury Read the Biography of Robert's famous Great Granddaughter, Anne Marbury Hutchinson Return to Story Page
|
