Thomas Pope was born in about 1540 of Banbury. He married Jane (or Jone) Berdiswith 16 October 1569 in Banbury. Thomas' occupation was butcher.

Marriage record for Thomas Pope and Jane Berdiswith in Banbury:
"Thomas Pope & Jone Berdiswith were maried the same daye"

Jane was most likely the daughter of Richard Beardesworth and Joane Wood, born in about 1550 of Alveston, Warwickshire, a parish about 18 miles northwest of Banbury.

Thomas was one of the signers of a petition supporting the vicar Thomas Brasbridge in 1590:

"To the Right Honorable and our very good Lord the Lord Treasurer of England one of her Majesty's most honorable Privy Council etc.

Right honorable whereas Thomas Brasebridge many years a preacher of the word of God, allowed by the university of Oxford, was by the presentation of her majesty placed amongst godly conversation was for our pastor, of whome we are all witnesses; where also he hath painfully laboured in his vocation, teaching us our duties toward God, her majesty, and of one towards another; So it is (Right Honorable) that the said Mr Brasebridge is either altogether or very like to be deprived of the small living he had amongst us, some matters of ceremony being prosecuted against him by such his adversaries of whome violence and wrong toward him the whole county has heard. In tender consideration whereof, and for that the maintenance in this place is so small that no learned man will undertake the same, whereby we are like to be led by an unfit guide; May it please your honour if upon his relation of the matter it shall seem reasonable to vouchsafe us the inhabitants of Banbury your honorable favour to be a means that he may continue amongst us in his painful function, and as all shall make prayers for so honourable a personage, by whom we have received so great a blessing as is the ordinary winning of our souls unto God. 

16 June 1590. The inhabitants of the town of Banbury in number 95 having subscribed this petition, humbly pray your lordship's honourable favour for the continuance of their minister and a preacher, on Mr Bracebridg, amongst them, who is like to be reproved for matters of ceremonies.
...
Robert Pope
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Thomas Pope
with 93 others

The petition was unsuccessful." (Banbury Corporation Records: Tudor and Stuiart)  Robert Pope may be Thomas' brother, as he had a young son buried in Banbury in 1565.

Jane died and  was buried 22 December 1611 in Banbury.

Burial record for Jane Pope in Banbury: "Joane Pope was buried the 22th day"

Thomas died as a widower and was buried 11 November 1614 in Banbury, leaving a will.

Will of Thomas Pope, butcher of Banbury, written 1602

Thomas Pope, butcher, of Banbury, Deed of Gift dated 14 January 1602/3, buried 11 November 1614.

To all Christian people to whom this psent writinge undouted shall come Thomas Pope of Banburie in the countie of Oxon butcher sendeth greeting in our Lord God our lay kinge knowe yee that I the saide Thomas Pope as well for and in consideration of the natural love which I beare unto Seth Pope my sonne as also for diverse other good causes and consideratons use and bringe have given granted remised released and quite claymed and by these parts doe give grant remise release and for ever quite clayme unto the sde Seth Pope my sonne his heires & assignes for ever all my right title claime demandes or interest whatsoever which I the saide Thomas Pope nowe have or hereafter may have of and in all my messuage & tenements with all and singular their apprenances whatsoever scituate lyinge & beinge in Banburie aforesaide and of three leyes of pastures lyinge & beinge in Nethropp in the pishe of Banburie aforesaide  and allso of one messuadge or tenement scituate and being without St Johns Barre in the saide countie of Oxon as are in the occupacon of one Richard Hewes; So that neither I the saide Thomas Pope nor the heires executors or administrators of mee our any other by mee for mee or us my named may or ought ever hereafter so clayme or challenge any right title clayme demande or interest of in or concerning the sde messuage & tenement and other the before menconed premises with their apptenances or of any other pte or piece of them as at I doe for ever hereafter exclude any fees my heires executors administrators & assignes & any of us of and from all right title demandes or interest of and in the same for ever by these parties. And further knowe yee mee the foresaide Thomas Pope for the consideracons aforesaide to have given and granted and by this my past writing to have confyrimd unto the saide Sethe Pope his executors adtors and assignes all my goodes cattells and chattells moveable and unmoveable of what nature or kinde soever they be and in whose hands soever they or any of them at them sealinge of these partes as remayne and be in any place or places or in any mans hands within this realme of England to have and to hould all my aforesaide goodes cattells and chattells before given and granted and only pte and pcel thereof unto the saide Sethe Pope his executors administrators and assignes to the soulue use and behoofe of the saide Sethe Pope his executors administrators and assignes for ever provided allwaies & upon this condicon that it shall and may be lawfull to and for the saide Thomas Pope from tyme to tyme at his will and pleasure & att all tymes dureinge his natural life to use for himself and to his alone onlie use all the aforesaide goodes and cattells or any pte or pcell thereof without the let trouble denial molestacon evicon or interruption of the saide Sethe Pope his executors administrators or assignes and allso that the saide Thomas Pope shall and may at his will and pleasure give unto any pson or psons to whome hee shall thinke good the somme of forty sixe poundes thirteene shillinges and fower pence of good and lawfull money of England notwithstandinge any thinge continued in these path to the contrarie. And I the saide Thomas Pope doe promise for me my executors administrators and assignes by these psents that I shall not nor will not sell give or grant any of the goodes or cattells before mentioned or all of them unto any pson or psons whatsoever without the good will and consent of the saide Sethe Pope my saide sonne. In witnesse whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seale the xiiijth daie of Januarie in the five and fortieth yeare of the raygne of our Sovaigne Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God of England Frannce & Ireland Queene Defender of the faithe

Sealed and delivered in psence of Edward Wisedowne and Willim Bell

Signed Thomas Pope

Thomas and Jane had the following children:
 

1. Richard, christened 26 November 1570 in Banbury.
 

2. Seth, christened 3 March 1572 in Banbury; married Alice Cowlye 31 October 1603 in Banbury.
 

3. Anne, christened 8 January 1575 in Banbury.
 

4. Mylicent, christened 8 January 1575 in Banbury.
 

5. Richard, christened 11 March 1578 in Banbury; married Anne Ladkyns 25 April 1604 in Banbury; buried 17 November 1644 in Banbury.
 

*6. Elizabeth, christened 16 January 1581 in Banbury; married Thomas Neal 30 April1604 in Banbury; buried 18 May 1632 in Banbury.

Baptism record for Elizabeth Pope in Banbury: "Elizabeth Pope the daughter of Thomas Pope was christened the 16th daye"

SOURCES: Banbury parish register; IGI; Banbury Wills and Inventories; Banbury Corporation Records: Tudor and Stuart, JSW Gibson and ERC Brinkworth.

Thomas Pope was likely the son of Richard Pope of Banbury. Richard was mentioned in a document for Banbury in 1547, about the time Thomas was born. Thomas' firstborn son was named Richard.

In a history of Banbury, Richard Pope was mentioned as his landlord was changed: "Near the close of the reign of Henry the Eighth (1546) an Act was passed for the dissolution of all chantries, free chapels, guilds & c.; the manors, lands and hereditaments of which were placed at the King’s disposal. The commissioners for carrying the Act in execution in these parts were appointed on the 6th Feb 1547 (1st Edward VI); and under the various heads of inquiry, they certified as follows concerning the chantry of the Blessed Mary at Banbury – Names of the parishes with “the nombre of Howselying People. The P’isshe of our Lady in the towne of Banbury in the said Countie where ar howselying people iiic lx. Further, the Ministers’ Accounts in the Augmentation Office include the accounts of Symon Parratt, collector of all the possessions of the Chantries &c. within the county of Oxford. The account is rendered for one year, ending at the feast of St. Michael, 3rd Edward VI. (1549)…The rent resolute were…also Edward Chamberleyn Esq., under letters patent, for a moiety of the rent of Hugh Sley 4s., of Richard Pope 3s., of William Davy, 3s...". This shows that Richard was of adult age in 1547.

Richard died and was buried 12 January 1568 in Banbury.

Burial record for Richard Pope in Banbury: "Richard Pope was buried the 12 daye"

Richard and his wife had the following children:

*1. Thomas, born in about 1540 of Banbury; married Jane (or Jone) Berdiswith 16 October 1569 in Banbury; buried 11 November 1614 in Banbury.

2. Robert, married Margaret; occupation: skinner; buried 20 August 1592 in Banbury.

SOURCES: Banbury parish register; www.ancestry.com; History of Banbury, Alfred Beesley.