FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
THOMAS DODWELL AND
ALICE HALE
 

Thomas Dodwell was born in about 1550 of Souldern, Oxfordshire. He had a sister, Annis, who married William Judge of Hethe, Oxfordshire.


Thomas married Alice Hale 4 June 1573 in Bletchingdon, Oxfordshire, a parish about ten miles south of Souldern.


Thomas Dodwell marriage

Marriage record for Thomas Dodwell and Alice Hale in Bletchingdon:
"Thomas Dodwell & Alice Hale married June 4th"


A history of the area mentions the Dodwell family: "The family of Dodwell, yeomen, of good local position, were resident in Souldern through two centuries and more. The name first occurs in 1523-4, amoung the sub-collectors of the lay-subsidy of that year." (History of Bicester, Oxon, Volume 7)

Thomas is mentioned in the History of Bicester:

"5 May 1592. Thomas Norburie, clerk, was reallie inducted and admitted into the Church of Soulderne in the presence of these persons hereunder written:
Cuthbert Scott, James Balye, Richard (illegible), John Medcroft, Gabriel Chambers, John Penn, Thomas Dodwell, Willyam Baynard, Willyam Hogges"



Souldern

Souldern


Thomas died in about 1625, leaving a will written 20 September 1619, and proven in 1625:


Thomas Dodwell will

The will of Thomas Dodwell senior of Sowlderne, 1625


The twentieth of September anno dno 1619
In the name of God Amen I Thomas Dodwell of Soulderne the elder beinge sicke in bodie, but in good & pfect memory thankes be given to God doe make & ordayne this my last will & testament in manner & forme following, ffirst I beqeath my soule unto the handes of Allmightie God and my bodie to be buried in decent & convenient manner. Imprimis I give & bequeath unto Annis Judge my sister fourty shillings. Item I give unto the seaven children of John Tayler my sonne in lawe twenty shillings apiece. The saide fourty shillings to my sister and theise seaven childrens porcones to be paide within one yeare & a halfe after my decease. Item I give unto the three children of Richard Dodwell my sonne fourty shillings a peece to be paide unto them att the age of twelve years. Item I give unto the two sonnes of Thomas Wackefeild fourty shillings a peece, theise legacies to be paide within two years after my decease. Item I give unto Awdrye Wackefeild the daughter of the aforesaide Thomas Wackefeild my god daughter ten poundes to be paide by my executor unto her att the age of twenty years if she shall live soe longe but if she live not to the age of twenty years to receave her porcon, then fourty shillings of the saide porcon, shalbe paide to her brothers or brother then living, and the residue of the saide ten poundes to fall to my executor. Item I give unto the children of Martha my daughter the now wife of one Edward Griffin xiijs iiijd a peece to be paide unto them within five years after my decease. Item I give unto Thomas Newman my godsonne vs in money or two strikes of mill corne att the choyce of my executor. Item I give unto Thomas Dodwell and Richard Dodwell two other of my godchildren iiijs iijd apiece to be paide unto them within one yeare after my decease. Item I give unto William Bignell & his household one strike of millcorne this corne to be paide within an yeare after my decease. Item I give unto Richard Butcher, Simon Bates, William Parker, Hugh Hale, & Elizabeth Crafte vs that is xijd a peece. The remayder of my goodes & cattell no given nor bequeathed I give unto Richard Dodwell my sonne whom I make the sole executor of this my last will & testament. Item I make Richard Gough & William Baynard overseers that is my will may be pformed.

Thomas Dodwell mark

Thomas Dodwell his marke.

Memorand this if any of my childrens children shall decease before the tyme of the receipt of theire porcons that then the children of my saide child then surviving shall have the same porcon equally to be distributed amongst them (excepting the porcon of Audry Wackefeild which is to remayne as before the expressed in my will. Witnesses hereunto Thomas Norbery William Baynard  Richard Gough fferdinando Gough.


An inventory was created for Thomas:

Thomas Dodwell inventory

Inventory of Thomas Dodwell


A truw and pfet invetarie of all the goodes cattels credits dets of Thomas Dodwell off Soulderne late desesed
Item his waringe apparel – 4d
Item monny in his purse 5d
Item monny oing his upon land 30l
Suma – 32li 5d
Taken and praised by Richard Bigwill and Thomas Davis


Thomas left very few possessions and a little money, but had likely passed his estate on to his son by this time, and was living with their family. Richard, his son, was a yeoman farmer and left a comfortable estate at his death.


Thomas and his wife had the following children:


1. Richard, occupation - yeoman; died in about 1641, leaving a will mentioning sons Richard and John, daughters Jane, Joane, and Mary, with a request "to bee buryed in Soulderne Churchyard as neere the place where my mother and sisters are buried".


*2. Martha, born in about 1570 of Soulderne; married Edward Griffin 12 June 1599 in Bishops Itchington, Warwickshire.


3. (Daughter); married John Tayler; had seven children; died before 1619.



SOURCES: Will of Thomas Dodwell of Souldern, 1625, on www.findmypast.com; Bishops Itchington parish register, on www.findmypast.com; will of Richard Dodwell of Souldern, 1641, on www.findmypast.com; Bletchingdon Bishops Transcript; www.findmypast.com; will of William Judge of Hethe, 1611.
;

Earlier Dodwells in Soulderne

Thomas Dodwell was born in about 1550 of Souldern. The Souldern parish register doesn't start until 1667. Thomas was mentioned in the will of his step-father, William Collet of Souldern in 1570: "And to my first wyves children the thirde parte to be equally devided by indifferent men which childrens names be these following that is to saye James Dodwell Thomas Dodwell Wylliam Dodwell Agnes Dodwell everye one of theym to have a parte of this thirde parte".
William's will does not mention any children he and his first wife had during their marriage. Thomas was left a bequest along with his brothers James and Wylliam, and his sister Agnes (or Annes). No other Thomas Dodwells are mentioned in any Souldern wills in the right time period.

So, who were Thomas' parents? William Collet did not give the name of his first wife. Probate records show these family groups in Souldern in the early 1500s:


By the process of elimination, Thomas of 1552 is the most likely father, and then Alice would be our Thomas' mother, who married William Collet after the death of her first husband, with four small Dodwell children. John Dodwell of 1548 is probably the grandfather of our Thomas.

These family groups are speculative:


FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
THOMAS AND ALICE DODWELL


Thomas Dodwell was born in about 1520 of Souldern, likely the son of John and Alice Dodwell. He married Alice.

Thomas died in about 1552, leaving a will.



Thomas Dodwell will 1552

Will of Thomas Dodwell of Souldern, 1552


In the name of God amen the eight daye of July in the yere of our Lorde God 1552 I Thomas Dodwell in the parisshe of Suldren in the Countie of Oxford beynge of pfytte mynde and sick in bodie doo make this my laste wyll and testament in maner and forme follownge ffyrste I bequeath my sowle to Allmyghtie God to our blessed ladie and to all the holly companye of heaven y bodie to be buried within the churche yarde of Suldren. Item I gyve to the mother churche of Oxford ijd. All the reste of my goodes I gyve to my wyffe Alice and my children and I make my wyffe my hole exeecutorixe to paye my detts and brynge me on earthe. Wytnesse berers Mr Edmunde Gledwell Thomas Battes Richarde Wyllyams with others more.


Alice was left a widow with four small children. She married William Collet of Souldren, and died some time before 1570. William left a will in 1570, leaving a third of his estate to his first wife's children James, Thomas, William and Agnes Dodwell. William did not leave any bequests to children of his own, so William and Alice did not have any surviving children at that time.


William Collet will

Will of William Collet of Souldern, 1570
"And to my first wyves children the thirde parte to be equally devided by indifferent men which childrens names be these following
that is to saye James Dodwell Thomas Dodwell Wylliam Dodwell Agnes Dodwell everye one of theym to have a parte of this thirde parte"


Thomas and Alice had the following children:


1. James


*2. Thomas, born in about 1550 of Souldern; married Alice Hale 4 June 1572 in Bletchingdon; died in about 1625 of Souldern.


3. William


4. Annis (Agnes); married William Judge of Hethe, Oxfordshire; died after 1625.



SOURCES: Will of Thomas Dodwell of Souldern, 1625; will of Thomas Dodwell of Souldern, 1552; will of William Collet of Souldern, 1570; will of John Dodwell of Souldern, 1548; www.findmypast.com.


Souldern village

Souldern village



FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
JOHN AND ALICE DODWELL


John Dodwell was born in about 1490 of Souldern. He married Alice.


John died in about 1548, leaving a will.


John Dodwell will 1548

Will of John Dodwell of Souldern, 1548


In the name of God amen th vth daye of Apryll in the yere of our Lorde God a thousand five hundred fortie eight and the seconde yere of the reigne off our soferaigne Lorde Edwarde the vjth by the grace of God K ynge of England Frannce and Irelande defender of the faith and of the churche of England and also of Irelande the supreame heed I John Dodwell of Souldren in the Countie of Oxforde husbandman sick in bodie but whole in mynde and of good remembrance ordeyne and make this my laste wyll in forme and maner folowinge ffyrste I bequeth my sowle to Allmyghtie God my maker and redeemer and savoure and my bodie to be buryed in Christen buryell ate Sowldren. Item I gyve and bequeth unto the high altare of Souldren church a stryke of wheate. Item to the said churche a stryke of malte. Item to the box for poore people a stryke of malte. Item to everye one of my godchildren a stryke of barley. Item I bequeath to everye one of my sonne Thomas chyldren a bullock of five yere or of the laste yere. Item I bequeth to Thomas my sonne after the longer lyves of me and Alice my wyffe this my last wyll lawfully and truly prormmed the resydew of all my goodes not given nether bequeathed. Item I wyll that Alice my wyff shall make no other wyll after my decease but durying her lyffe have all things and to use them for her commaditie and my sonne Thomas and his chyldren provided always that it shalbe lawfull for the foresaid Alice to gyve at her pleasure her apparelL. Item I make & ordayne Thomas my sonne my executor of this my last wyll. Item I appoynte and ordeyne to be overseers of this my last wyll Wyllyam Wedon Thomas Hatys witnesses wherof be Richarde Wyllyams Wyllyam Beggnoll.


John and Alice had the following children:


*1. Thomas, born in about 1520 of Souldern; married Alice; died in about 1552.




SOURCES; Will of John Dodwell of Souldern, 1548; www.findmypast.com.