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Nicholas Babbs |
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Helen Parkhurst |
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George Parkhurst |
Nicholas Babbs was perhaps born about 1515 and married Helen Parkhurst about 1539 TH46. He was the father of Henry, Margaret, Ellin, Nicholas, and Edward Bab EN4, and he may have been the father of Richard TH46. He was probably related to Elisabeth Babb and Henry Babb. Elisabeth Babb married “Wbt Gyffen” at St. Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England on October 5, 1549 SU10. Henry Babb married Bridget Foster on August 31, 1572 (“The last day” of August) at St. Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England SU10.
A 1539 Guildford Borough record (located between the court leet record dated January 20, 1539 and a guild merchant record dated October 6, 1539) described the armor of the residents: “THES BE THE harnes Appoynted within the Towne of Guldeford” DA23. Some men owned a “harnes” (harness, which was armor or a suit of armor), a “byll in his own handes” (a bill was a long pole which usually had a curved blade, a spike, a hook, or some combination of these), or other weapons DA23. Midway down this list of men with their weapons was an entry which stated “Item Robert Waterer Symon Lyne Nicholas Babbe and John Wren A harnes in the handes of Symon Lyne with A bowe & Arrowes sworde and Dagger” DA23.
A court leet record for Guildford Borough dated January 17, 1541 (the court leet was on the Monday after St. Hilary, 32 Henry VIII) included the results of the election, which showed that Nicholas Babbe and John Merest were both sworn as constables DA23. The court leet on January 16, 1542 (the Monday after St. Hilary, 33 Henry VIII) recorded that Nicholas Babbe and John Merest were both sworn as flesh and fish tasters DA23.
He was a member of the jury in a court held on Monday, November 3, 1544 (36 Henry VIII) before the mayor (John Fallett) and the approved men (William Hamond, Sr., John Daborne, Sr., and John Mongar, Sr.) DA23. There were twenty-five men whose names appeared in the jury list in the case of Alice Champion and Richard Compton vs. William Hamond, Sr. and William Hamond, Jr., and it appears that fourteen of those men, including Nicholas Bab, were selected to serve DA23. This case was described as a “plea of taking and unjust detention of chattels” DA23.
The view of frankpledge for Guildford Borough held on the Monday after Hockday (indicating this was shortly after Easter), 37 Henry VIII (April 27, 1545) included the names of approved men DA23. The name “Nicholas Bab” was struck out, but then written again in the margin DA23. John Brooks Threlfall stated that this likely indicated that he had previously been a bailiff TH46. Probably on that same day, or before May 1, 1545 (the next date which appeared in the records), James Hill, Thomas Chercher, John Stoughton, and Nicholas Bab were called affeerers DA23. The Century Dictionary defined affeeror as a person who was “sworn to assess arbitrary fines to what seems a reasonable amount” WH21. Nicholas Babbe was sworn as the bailiff in the record of the elections for Guildford Borough held on October 5, 1545 (the Monday after Michaelmas, 37 Henry VIII) DA23. At a court held on Monday, November 16, 1545 before the mayor, John Daborn, Sr., and approved men who included John Monger, John Parvishe, and William Sackfyld, Nycholas Bab was mentioned in his capacity as the bailiff DA23. Enid Dance provided a transcription of this record with her amendments in brackets; ellipses indicate that one or two words were missing, and the abbreviation Md probably meant “memorandum” DA23:
(payd in the court) Md that at this day & Corte yt ys Agreyd on the beha[lf] of Nycholas Bab baylyve that he shal paye unto… Wright widow at the Feast of Saynt Mighell next comyng xx s sterling or elles the sayd xx s… levyed on the goodes of the sayd Nycholas & also… Byrchall ys becom suerty to discharge the sayd [Nicho]las agaynst all men & to that byndith hym Self [his] heyres executors & assignes by this Present Recorde.
The view of frankpledge for Guildford Borough held on the Monday after Hockday, 38 Henry VIII (May 17, 1546) included the names of the approved men and jurors for the king; Nicholas Babb’s name was included but he was not a sworn juror DA23. Probably on the same day, a list of the men who were permitted to be fishmongers for the duration of Lent included Nicholas Bab, for which he paid six pence, but his name was struck through DA23.
A tax list dated May 2, 1546 (“the ij ° day of May anno Regni Regis H. viijvi xxxviij °”) indicated that Nycholas Bab resided in “Saynt Mary parishe” and he was assessed for goods and for lands and tenements DA23. Because there were three distinct amounts in four unlabeled columns, it is unclear which amount was meant for which assessment (goods or lands and tenements). The record as transcribed by Enid Dance stated “xij d Nycholas Bab v d ij s j d” DA23. The amount in the first column which preceded the column for names was twelve pence, and the amounts in the third and fourth columns which were after the name column were five pence, and then two shillings, one pence DA23. Most likely, the third column represented the value of his goods or possessions, and the fourth column represented the value of his lands and/or tenements, which would be worth more than goods, and the first column represented his assessed tax on his goods and lands. If this is correct, he was assessed twelve pence for his goods and lands. An additional entry indicated that he and two other men, John Monger and John Courtnes, were assessed for a mill (“Nycholas Bab for the myll iiij s ij d”) DA23. John Monger’s entry for the mill had the same amount, but John Courtnes’ entry for the mill was two shillings and six pence DA23. It is possible that these three men owned stakes in the mill or had a three-way partnership, with Nycholas Bab and John Monger owning more shares than John Courtnes.
C.A.F. Meekings wrote abstracts for the Surrey Fines during the reign of Edward VI (from 1547-1553), and Nicholas Babbe was mentioned in Surrey Fine Number 620 which occurred on the octave of St. Hilary, or eight days after the feast of St. Hilary, which would have been about January 21 during 3 Edward VI (in 1550) ME13. In this fine, the plaintiff and and rightful owner of the property was Nicholas Babbe and the deforciants (by definition, those who were withholding or keeping the property from its rightful owner by force) were Henry Alby (gentleman) and his wife, Elizabeth (an heir), along with Christopher Parkeherste, who was the son and heir of George Parkeherste ME13. This Elizabeth Alby was probably a daughter of George Parkhurst TH46. John Brooks Threlfall believed that Christopher Parkhurst and his sister, Elizabeth Alby, had sold land that they had inherited from their father, George Parkhurst, to Nicholas Babbe, likely after their mother died TH46. The property was a messuage of forty-two acres of land and eight acres of pasture in “Guldeford’, Stoke next Guldeford’ and Merrowe” which had a value of forty pounds ME13.
The parish records for St. Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England stated that Nicolas Babb was buried on October 4, 1550 (“October… The 4 day was buried Nicolas Babb Maior”) SU10. This may indicate that sometime before his death, he was the mayor of Guildford.
Helen Parkhurst (George) was the daughter of George Parkhurst TH46. She was probably the mother of Henry, Margaret, Ellin, Nicholas, and Edward Bab (or Babb) SU10, EN4, and she may have been the mother of Richard TH46.
The baptism of Richard Babb was not recorded at Saint Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England. John Brooks Threlfall believed that Richard Babb may have been the father of Joane and Elizabeth Babb TH46, who (according to Ira Peck) were mentioned in the will of Robert Peck (the son-in-law of Nicholas and Helen Babbs), which was dated March 22, 1592/3 PE19. However, the version of Robert Peck’s will seen by me in 2025 had a torn right edge and only the name “Elizabeth babb” was present WI58.
Henry Bab, the son of Nicolas Bab, was christened on August 18, 1543 at Saint Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England SU10, EN4 and was buried on August 29, 1543 SU10.
Margeret Bab, the daughter of Nicolas Bab, was christened on February 27, 1544/5 at Saint Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England SU10, EN4. Margaret married Richard Crampton, the register and collector to the Archdeacon of Suffolk from about 1553 until his death TH46. He wrote his will in 1580, in which mentioned his brothers-in-law, Richard and Nicholas Babbs TH46. Richard Crampton died in or before 1581, because Margarett Crampton was called the executrix of his will in a deposition given by Nicholas Pecke, the son of Robert and Hellen Peck, on October 4, 1639 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England PE33:
To the ninth interrogatory he saith that he hath seen certain notes importing accounts which he, this deponent, knoweth well to be [in] the handwriting of Robte Pecke, deceased, this deponent’s late father, of which one was an account of Margarett Crampton, executrix of the last will and testament of Richard Crampton, deceased, written in the handwriting of this deponent’s said father for the year ending 1581, wherein she did charge herself with the receipt of all the procurations then due to John Maplerden, then Archdeacon of Suffolk…
Ellin Bab (the daughter of Nicholas Bab EN4) was christened on September 15, 1546 at Saint Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England (note that she was not referred to as the daughter of Nicholas Bab in the original parish record) SU10, EN4.
Nicolas Babb (the son of Nicholas Bab EN4) was christened on November 9, 1549 at Saint Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England (note that he was not referred to as the son of Nicholas Bab in the original parish record) SU10, EN4.
Edward Bab (the son of Nicolas Bab EN4) was christened on February 16, 1550/1 after the death of his father at Saint Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England (note that he was not referred to as the son of Nicolas Bab in the original parish record) SU10, EN4.
A marriage record for Ellin Babb and “Tho: [Thomas] Backingham” at St. Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England was dated April 18, 1551 SU10. She was probably the person named Helen, the wife of Thomas Bekyngham, who was mentioned in a fine dated from the Morrow of Candlemas in 1558 (probably on February 3, 1558) during the reign of Philip and Mary ME13. This fine stated that Thomas Coxe, Thomas Russell, William Coxe, and Thomas Churcher were the plaintiffs against the deforciants, who were Thomas Bekyngham and his wife, Helen, along with Richard Dawe, who was the son and heir of Nicholas Dawe ME13. It showed that Thomas Coxe was the rightful owner of three messuages, two barns, three gardens, sixty acres of land, three acres of meadow, ten acres of pasture, and two acres of wood in Guldeforde, Stoke next Guldeforde, Merowe, and Shalford, which was worth 140 pounds ME13.
She was still alive on February 1, 1573/4 when John Parkhurst, Bishop of Norwich, wrote his will which made a bequest to his sister: “my Sister Helene may have a sommer gowne a winter gowne and twoo Peticotes readye made to her back and then delivered to her withe Clothe for smockes kercheffes sufficient” WI53. His will also mentioned “the Towne of Guilforde where I was borne”, “my twoo Brotherne Chrofer [Christopher] Parkhurst and Nicholas Parkhurst”, “my yongest Sister Elizabethe”, “my Sister[s] Agnes and Alice”, “my brother Beckingham”, and “my Cosin Margarett Crampton… and to Richarde Crampton her husbande” WI53.