Ancestors of Mandy Willard

John HEPDEN (c1520-1583)

and Joan WENHAM (c1522-1591)

John Hepden and Joan Wenham were my 12x Great Grandparents.  (Click here to see their place in my pedigree chart.)  They may have married in the 1540's.

John Hepden was the son of Thomas Hepden.  He was buried on 27 December 1583 in Burwash.  In his will he mentioned wife Johan, sons John, Thomas and Goddard.  He also left money to the poor of the parish.  He named Thomas Stelyon of Warbleton and John Wenham of Moorehall as executors.  The witnesses to his will were John Huggett and John Glasyer.  He added a codicil leaving real estate to John Wenham of Moorehill and Henry Collins of Burwash and this was witnessed by John Haye.

Joan Wenham or Jane Wenham may have been born about 1522 in Laughton.  She was the daughter of John Wenham (?-1558) and ? Gravesend.  She was buried on 18 November 1591 in Burwash, when she was described as widow Hebden.  She left a will dated 1587 in which she was named as Johane Hepden of Burwash.  Her will named sons John, Thomas and Goddard and daughter Johane Hayes and son in law John Hebden [should this read Hayes?] and their daughter Elizabeth.  She also named the children of her son Goddard:  Elizabeth, Returne, Godgift, John and Hopestill; and the children of her son Thomas:  Johane, Mary, Thomas, Martha, Constance and John.  She named Thomas Stollyon as her executor and the will was witnesses by Thomas Hepden and Henry Collen.

John Hepden and Joan Wenham had 5 known children:

1. Johan Hepden married John Haye on 6 November 1572 in Burwash.  They had 1 known daughter:

   1. Elizabeth Hay was baptised on 6 September 1579 in Burwash.  She was mentioned in her grandmother's will of 1587.  By 1594 her father was dead and her uncle Thomas Hepden was appointed as her co-guardian.

2. Thomas Hepden may have been born in about 1548 in Burwash.  In 1594 Thomas was named as the co-guardian of his niece Elizabeth Haye.

   Thomas married Mary Harmer by licence dated 11 June 1575.  He was then of Burwash and she was a spinster.  Their marriage was not recorded in the Burwash parish register.

   Mary was the daughter of Richard Harmer.

   Thomas and Mary had 10 known children:

   1. Johan Hepden was baptised on 1 November 1576 in Burwash.  She was named in her grandmother's 1587 will.  She married John Pilcher.

   2. Mary Hepden was baptised on 8 August 1578 in Burwash.  She was named in her grandmother's 1587 will.  She married George Overy.

   3. John Hepden was baptised on 4 September 1580 in Burwash.  He was buried on 16 August 1581.

   4. Thomas Hepden was baptised on 19 May 1583 in Burwash.  He was mentioned in his grandmother's will of 1587.

   5. Martha Hepden was baptised on 27 February 1585/6 in Burwash.  She was named in her grandmother's 1587 will.  As a spinster of Burwash did she marry John Avery a yeoman of Warblton by licence dated 4 January 1608/9?

   6. Constance Hepden was baptised on 27 March 1587 in Burwash.  She was named in her grandmother's 1587 will.  Did she marry John Brett on 19 September 1616 in Ninfield?

   7. John Hepden was baptised on 14 September 1589 in Burwash.  He was mentioned in his grandmother's will of 1587.

   8. Elizabeth Hepden was baptised on 8 October 1592 in Burwash.  She married Nicholas Maunser on 12 September 1609 in Rye, Sussex.  He was of Hightown in Sussex.

   9. William Hepden was baptised on 15 December 1594 in Burwash and buried there on 5 November 1595.

   10. Dennis Hepden (daughter) was baptised on 3 July 1597 in Burwash.  Her surname was recorded in a transcript of the Burwash registers as Wenham.

       The 1633/4 visitation of Sussex also records that Richard and Mary had 10 chldren, but the names differ:  Joane, Mary, John, Thomas, Herbert, Pelham, Judith, Martha, Constance and Elizabeth.

3. Goddard Hepden, my 11x Great Grandfather, married Anne Frye.  (They have their own page.)

4. John Hepden may have been born about 1552 in Burwash and buried there on 22 January 1562/3.

5. William Hepden was baptised on 1 March 1559/60 in Burwash and buried there on 20 February 1580/1.

Were John and Joan also the parents of:

1. Mildred Hepden who married Nicholas Startetop on 30 October 1565 in Burwash.

The Hepden's bought Mount House in Burwash in 1584, which had been built in about 1550 by the Wicks family.  The brothers Thomas and Goddard may have lived at Mount House until about 1594 when the property was sold to Thomas Roper.  (From "Burwash - Domesday to Millennium" by John Barkshire.)

HEPDEN          WENHAM

This page was reviewed on 10 April 2012