1. Agnes Prowse,
born April 14, 1576 in Tiverton, Devon,
England; died June 06, 1622 in Taunton, Somerset, England. She was the
daughter of 2. John Prowse and 3. Elizabeth Colwick. She married (1)
John Trowbridge July 31, 1597 in St. Peter's Church, Tiverton, Devon,
England. He was the son of Thomas Trowbridge and Joan Lawrence alias
Hutchin.
Notes for Agnes Prowse:
When Agnes Prowse married John Trowbridge, the marriage was preceded by a
settlement made by Thomas Trowbridge (Sr.) which granted Agnes an annuity
of L30 for life issuing from all his lands at Rowbarton, occupied by his
mother-in-law, Alice Hutchings, for her life. On the same day, John was
admitted to a life interest in his father's properties at Obridge and
Staplegrove and Pyrland, partly occupied by Thomas' wife Johane (nee
Hutchings). Agnes' marriage took place at St. Peters, Tiverton, July 31,
1597, 13 1/2 months before her father's death. (The Gen., op. cit., p.13,
Appendix G p. 25).
Agnes Prowse Trowbridge's ancestry has been proven back to the Emperor
CHARLEMAGNE. Her lineage is attached.
Notes for John Trowbridge:
John Trowbridge was even more prominent than his father. He was a wool
merchant and had a shop next to his father on Fore Street. Monies
collected in 1611 for the relief of plague victims at Minehead and
Dunster were brought to his house, and in 1625 he supervised the repair
of the Taunton House of Correction, and provided a field at West Monkton
for tents to quarantine travellers suspected of bringing the plague from
London to Taunton. He was regularily churchwarden of St. Mary Magdalen,
twice mayor of Taunton (1629-30 and 1637-8), and traded with London and
Bristol.
ABSTRACTED DETAILS OF THE WILL OF JOHN TROWBRIDGE
The will of John Trowbridge of Taunton, woolendraper, published by word
of mouth on 1 July 1649 in the presence of George Serle, esq., and Thomas
Trowbridge, his son, and John Trowbridge, his grandchild. He left to his
eldest son Thomas Trowbridge his messuage and tenement near Barthpoole
Bridge in the parish of West Monkton, occupied by Henry Beale, to hold to
Thomas for the remainder of his term therein after the deaths of the
testator and Alice his wife. To his son Thomas his land in Stogursey,
viz., certain tenements from which the testator received high rent. All
his goods and chattels he left to his son Thomas whom he made sole
executor. The will was proved on 25 Feb. 1649/50.
The will of John Trowbridge is found at the Public Record Office in
London. The complete text can be found under ref. P.C.C. 32 Pembroke,
Prob. 11/211.
Proof: (The Gen., op. cit., p. 13; "The Trowbridge Ancestry in England"
by Donald Lines Jacobus," THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST", 18:3, pps. 129-137)
2. John Prowse,
born Abt. 1547 in Tiverton, Devon, England; died
September 11, 1598 in Tiverton, Devon, England. He was the son of 4.
John Prowse and 5. Alice White. He married 3. Elizabeth Colwick June 01,
1567 in Tiverton, Devon, England.
3. Elizabeth Colwick,
born Abt. 1546 in Tiverton, Devon,
England; died Aft. 1576 in Tiverton, Devon, England.
Notes for John Prowse:
John Prowse, II, gentleman of Tiverton, who, according to his father's
Inq. p.m.., was 59(?) at his death, received from feoffees the large
Plymouth manor of Western Peverel, worth by the year, L18.7.2., with
Chevythorn and Tiverton property worth a further L5.10. But at John II's
own death, September 11, 1598, his Inq. p.m., taken in 1601, showed that,
by then, all the property was tied by entail upon descendants and
relatives with tenure for life. John married, June 1, 1567, Elizabeth,
heir to her father Robert Colwick, merchant taylor and clothier, lord of
the manor of West Mere, Tiverton, whose wife and mother of Elizabeth, his
heir, was Richarda Gover, a widow, whose first husband and parentage has
not been established. Robert was buried at St. Peter's, Tiverton, on
August 8, 1564. His long PCC will revealed property in Devon and London.
(The Gen., op. cit., p. 12).
4. John Prowse,
born Abt. 1502 in Tiverton, Devon, England; died
September 03, 1585 in Tiverton, Devon, England. He was the son of 8.
Robert Prowse and 9. Christian. He married 5. Alice White 1536 in
Tiverton, Devon, England.
5. Alice White,
born Abt. 1520 in Tiverton, Devon, England; died
August 13, 1583 in Tiverton, Devon, England.
Notes for John Prowse:
John Prowse, clothier, son and heir, inherited copyhold land in the manor
of Chevythorn, Tiverton, from his father, which he granted to his
brother, Robert, of age in 1524 when he was taxed on L2 worth of goods;
by 1546, he paid tax in Tiverton on over L40. At his death he left five
manors in Devon and Cornwall with much of his other property, by fine,
entailed for his five sons. His wife, Alice White, was given as an
heiress in Tiverton; she was perhaps the dau. of Christopher Whyte, taxed
on L10 of goods in 1546. His memorial slab in St. Peter's Church,
Tiverton, reads: "Here lyeth John Prowse, Merchante, who departed the
third daye of September 1585. And Alice his wyfe which he had in marriage
47 years, who departed the 13th daye of August ano dni 1583". (The Gen.,
cit., ibid.).
8. Robert Prowse,
born Abt. 1475 in Tiverton, Devon, England;
died August 06, 1529 in Tiverton, Devon, England. He was the son of 16.
John Prowse and 17. Joan Orchard. He married 9. Christian.
9. Christian,
died Aft. 1516 in Tiverton, Devon, England.
Notes for Robert Prowse:
Robert Prowse was founder of the Tiverton , Devon, branch. He was named
as younger son of John and Joan Orchard in Pole's "Description". His
Prowse shield of Arms, with 4th son's martlet for difference, hung in St.
Peter's Church, Tiverton, where he and Christian are buried, according to
the will of his younger son Robert. Henry VIII's general pardon, at his
accession, named Robert, Sr. as of Chevithorn Manor. The lord of this
until 1475 was Phillip Champerown, whose daughter mothered Sir Walter
Raleigh and Sir Humphrey Gilbert. The overlord was the Earl of
Westmorland. Robert was feoffee of a Tiverton charitable trust, which
revealed his death before 1529. He paid tax on "goods" totaling L70 in
Chagford, Tiverton and Kenton in 1524.
Robert's granddaughter was Richarda Prowse Gifford, Lady of Tiverton
Castle. A deed to a Chevythorn parcel of land, 1589, revealed that her
grandfather was "Robert, son of John Prowse of Chagford". Richard's
brother, George Prowse, of Wellington, Somerset, signed the Visitation
pedigree with Prowse quarterings down to Orchard, inclusive. (Cal. Pat.
R. 8 Hen. 8.; The Gen., cit., p.ibid.).
16. John Prowse,
born 1436 in Chagford, Devon, England; died
September 24, 1526 in Tiverton, Devon, England. He was the son of 32.
Richard Prowse and 33. Margaret Norton. He married 17. Joan Orchard Abt.
1467.
17. Joan Orchard,
born Abt. 1438 in Chagford, Devon, England.
She was the daughter of 34. John Orchard and 35. Agnes Crouche.
Notes for John Prowse:
John Prowse, Lord of Chagford, m. abt 1467, Joan Orchard, dau. of John
Orchard, d. 1480, 'custos rotularum' for Devon under Edward IV. Three
published Inq. P.M.'s cover his heritage, and that of his other wife,
Joan Calwoody, and son, William, who d.s.p. The ultimate heir to N.
Devon holdings in Northam, Bydeford, Abbottsham, and Dedescombe in
Bampton was John Prowse's son and heir Lawrence. (The Gen., cit., pp.
11-12).
Notes for Joan Orchard:
Dau. and heir of John Orchard of Combe Martin, Devon.