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PARISH CHURCH, GREAT BOWDEN, LEICESTERSHIRE, ENG. |
In the early settlement of the English colonies in America, there were at least eight individual immigrants, bearing the name of Fish, who settled themselves during the seventeenth century, in different localities, and became the progenitors of the numerous families of that name which at the present time are widely scattered through many states of the Union.
These eight were Jonathan, John and Nathaniel Fish, among the first comers, in 1637, to Sandwich on Cape Cod, and who received grants of land there in the first distribution in 1640: Thomas Fish who received a grant of land in Portsmith, R.I., in 1643, and who died there in 1687: William Fish who was of Windsor, Conn., in 1642, and as late as 1675: John Fish, who was living in Connecticutt in 1651, probably at Wethersfield or Stratford, and who was afterwards of Mystic, in the Town of Stonington, where he died about 1689: Joseph Fish of Stamford, Conn., as early as 1651, and a soldier in the Great Swamp fight at Kingston, R.I., in 1676: and Edward Fish, of Talbot County, Md., prior to 1669, and who died 1696.
There was also a Gabriel Fish of Exeter and Boston, Mass., between 1638 and 1646, engaged temporarily in the fisheries. But, it is believed that he did not take root in this soil. Several children were born to him in this country, who died at an early age, and he returned to his native land.
The three earliest comers of the above, Jonathan, John, and Nathaniel Fish, were brothers, and scarcely more than boys. Jonathan, the oldest, was only about twenty-one years of age in 1637. They were sons of Thomas Fish of Wedgnock Park in Warwickshire, and the grandchildren of John and Margaret Fish of Great Bowden in Leicestershire. William Fish of Windsor, Conn., was a cousin of the three above named, being a grandson of John and Margaret through their oldest son Augustine. He was of about the same age as Jonathan, but seems to have come to this land at a later date. Two other cousins, grandsons of the same John and Margaret of Great Bowden, through their daughter Alice, who had married Robert Fish of Market Harborough, probably of a related collateral branch of the family, were Thomas Fish who settled in Portsmith, R.I., and John Fish of Mystic, Conn., (Stonington). These six cousins were of a family which for several generations had lived in the parish of Great Bowden in Leicestershire, and in other near by parishes in that county and in Northamptonshire.
The parish of Great Bowden, having an area of about 3120 acres, and a population in 1901 of 7735 souls, is located almost in the centre of England, in the midst of a fertile farming district. It lies on the south-easterly border of Leicestershire, separated from Northamptonshire by the River Welland. Its chief community or town is called Market Harborough, which is a thrifty business centre where dwell at least three quarters of the inhabitants of the parish. Leicestershire is separated on its south west border from Warwickshire by the ancient Roman Road, Watling Street, which forms the boundary line between them. This Imperial highway, extending from Dover, through London, to the border of the Empire on the Welsh coast, was constructed, as it was the Roman custom to do in every province, soon after their occupation of Britain in the first century.
In 1645, King Charles I. fixed his headquarters at Market Harborough immediately previous to the battle of Naseby where on an adjoining field he had his last contest with the Parliamentarian army and was decisively defeated.
In the days of the Roman Catholic Church, and of Popish supremacy in England, this ancient parish bore the Latin name of Bowden Magna; and a tablet in the porch of the present parish church contains a list of priests and rectors of the parish commencing with the year 1215, and coming down continuously to the present time. among them was one who became an Archbishop of York, and another who was the celebrated early English historian, Polydore Vergil.
There are three church buildings belonging to the parish. The church of old Roman catholic days was dedicated to St. Mary-in-Arden, and a portion of the old structure still remains, surrounded by a large burial ground containing many ancient stones. about the middle of the seventeenth century this church was badly wrecked by the falling of the spire, but it was subsequently rebuilt.
The present parish church standing on the north side of the public green in the little village of Great Bowden, is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. It is a long, low and picturesque building of stone, with a square tower at the west end surmounted by a short octagonal spire. Its chief entrance is through a south porch which is reached over a path fenced in on either side by a row of old and elaborately carved tomb-stones, their inscriptions being now almost undecipherable. Inside, on the north wall of the chancel, is the Fish tablet, erected to the memory of Henrietta, wife of Augustine Fish, hent., and daughter of Sir edward Farmer of Middlesex, kinght, who died in 1703. Upon this monument are the arms of husband and wife impaled: -- Farmer, "Sable, on a chevron between three lamps argent buring with flame proper, three mulets sable": Fish, "A chevron engrailed, between three owls." This Augustine Fish was a cousin twice removed of the Cape Cod immigrants, and a great-grand nephew of William Fish of Windsor, Conn.
The more numerous and important community of Market Harborough has only a chapel of ease, which is dedicated to St. Dionysius. This chapelry, however, is very ancient, being mentioned as early as 1344, in an ecclesiastical record, as "a parcel of the Rectory of Bowden Magna." Its present chapel is a large and handsome edifice.
It was not until after Henry VIII had thrown off the yoke of Rome, and had re-established the independence of the Anglican church, that, in 1538, the king ordered the adoption throughout the kingdom of the system, of parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, which is in use up to the present time. In many places this order was not promptly complied with. the registers of Great Bowden commence only with the year 1559, and from this period only can we clearly and certainly construct the family pedigree.
Although the records of consecutive generations are lacking previous to the introduction of the parish registers, it would seem that the Fish family were numerous in Yorkshire for three and a half centuries at least, prior thereto. The earliest record we have found a person of the name of Fish in England is that of Yvo Fisch about the year 1200, when he was a tenant of lands and meadow "in the territory of Huntewick" in Yorkshire, which Hugh de Towleston at that time, according to the Nostell priory Coucher, "for the health of his soule and of all his ancestors and successors", granted and "confirmed to God and the Church of St. Oswalds of Nostell, and the canons of the same place."
In 1310, John Fische was one of the Alderman of the city of York. In 1317, John Fishe, doubtless the same person as aforesaid, was one of the Bailiffs of York. In 1323, Alice, late the wife of John Fish of York, is mentioned, and in the same year, Alice Fisshe and her son William. Between 1333 and 1337, William Fish appears several times on the records as Bailiff of York. In 1332, Will Fische was an Alderman of York, and again in 1367, Will Fyssh was Alderman. The spelling of the name varied constantly, but never beyond recognition.
In 1444, Edward Fisshe, a "Tailliour", was admitted to citizenship in York. He was apparently prosperous, and a loyal adherent of King Henry VI, who bestowed upon him knighthood. He became Sir Edmund Fyssh. At the battle of Hexham, in 1464, between the followers of Henrt VI and Edward IV, which terminated the struggle between the houses of Lancaster and York, while King Henry and his consort secired their lives by flight, very disastrous indeed was the fate of their adherents. The Duke of Somerset and four of his retainers were captured after the battle, and were immediately beheaded, one of them being Sir Edmund Fyshe. The first Parliament of King Edward IV forfeited to the king, "all the messuages, lands and tenements late of Edmund Fyssh, late of York, taillour"; and King Edward in 1465, granted them "to Elizabeth Gyrlington, late wife of Nicholas Gyrlington, and the heirs male of the body of the said Nicholas, for his good service to the king and the king's father."
By this time, the Fish family had spread into several other counties. In 1496, the Latin records of the Sanctuary of Durham tell us that Richard Fysh of Braybrook in the county of Northampton came to the Cathedral on September 15th, and plied the great brass knocker, seeking sanctuary for himself, because he had in self defense struck and wounded Jacob Yreson also of Braybrook, with a stick commonly called "a clubb," from which Jacob had died. Braybrook is a parish distant only about four miles south-east of Great Bowden. Here follows the record in the old priestly Latin.
"Sanctuarium Dunelmense
LXXIX. Ricardus Fysh
Ricardus Fysh de villa de Bradebroke in Comitatu Northampton venit ad Ecclesiam Cath. Dunelm. XV Septembris MCCCCLXXXXVI et ibidem, pulsatis campanis, instantissime peciit immunitatem pro eo, ipsi in insulto super eum facto, ut asserit, in defensionem sui corporis, quemdam Jacobum Yreson de eadem villa de Braybroke, in Septimana Pentecostes et ante festum S. Trinitatis hodie ad duos annos elapsum, eumdem Jacobum in anteriore parte capitis cum uno baculo, vulgariter vocato le clubb felonice percussit, et vulneravit; ex qua idem Jacobus obiit; Pro qua peciit immunitatem.
Hiis testibus, Thomas Hardgill de Shirburn, Johanne Bekley de Dunelm, Milone Wilson de Shotten. Dunelm. Dioc. Testibus."
Rothland Fysshe of this same parish of Braybroke, being apparently an unmarried man, under date of 22 Novem. 1529, made his testament and last will, in manner following, it being written in Latin, doubtless by the parish priest.
WILL OF ROTHLAND FYSSHE OF BRAYBROOK
"To be buried in the church-yard of all Saints in Braybroke.
Legacies to the rector of that Church; to the church of Lincoln for a
trentall of masses, and for the reparation of the bells. To the
daughter of John Haughyn, 6 s. 8 d. To Sir Martyn Hulley to pray
for me, 12 d. To each man and woman of the aforesaid town a penny
worth of bread. The rest of my goods I leave to William Haculton,
to dispose for the health of my soul, and him I make my executor.
Witnesses, Sir Martin Hulley, John Page, William Deken."
We are now brought down to the beginning of the sixteenth century, at which time we find Edward Fyshe of Harborow, the first member of the family residing in the parish of Great Bowden of whom we have record. He was contemporary with Richard Fysh and Rothland Fysshe of braybrook, only four miles distant. Whether he was related to them, or not, we can only conjecture. In September 1508 the location of the tenement of Edward Fyshe is mentioned in a parish record as lying on the northerly side of a messuage in Haverburgh belonging to William Marchall. This Edward Fysh died in 1518. His willdated Novem. 6, 1518, was proved January 9, 1518-9. The following abstract of it, taken from the Northampton wills, furnishes all the information we have concerning his family. How many children there were is not stated, nor are their names given except in the case of Richard who was probably the oldest son. There was at least one other son, and two of more daughters. Most of them were still minors and we may assume that Edward Fysh himself had not gotten beyond middle age.
WILL OF EDWARD FYSH OF HARBOROW, LEICESTERSHIRE.
"6. Novem. 1518. I, Edward Fysh of Harborow, make my testament
and last will: -- To be buried in the church yard of St. Maries of
Much Bowdon. For my mortuary my best horse. To the church of
Lincoln, 8 d. To the high altar of Harborow church, 8 d. To the
bells of St. Maries, 6 s. 8 d. To the bells of Harborow chapell,
10 s. I will a trental of masses to be done in the Blake Freres
(Black Frairs) in the Horse Market in Northampton, 10 s. To
Robert Matoke, a folding table and a cappe. To my children twenty
marks to be devyded evenly among them by even porcions, and if any
of them depart, then I will that Agnes my wife have all their parts
and dispose of the same at her pleasure. To Richard Fysh, my son,
5 marks, 6 s. 8 d., and if he departs without issue, then his child's
part shall retorne to his other brother and systers. To Richard
Matoke, my best purle. also I will that my executors do cause
a trental od masses to be sung for my soul wheresoever they
please, and for the same I bequeath 10 s. To my gostly fader,
Sir Thurston, 20 d. The residue to Anne my wife (elsewhere Agnes)
whom sole executrix, and Robert Matoke overseer.
Witnesses, Richard Metley, Robert Matoke, Margery Jopper, wt. oder moo.
To every Gode chylde that I have, 4 s.
Proved January 9, 1518-9."
here comes a gap of two,or perhaps even three generations between "Edward Fysh of Harborow" and the earliest certainly known and identified ancestor of the early immigrants to New England, "John Fyshe of Great Bowden." But, there doubtless were, dwelling in the parish in the interim, some of Edward's children and grand children who constituted the missing links.
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PARISH CHURCH, GREAT BOWDEN, LEICESTERSHIRE, ENG. |
As a rule, in the old Catholic days, the Fishes were loyal and faithful supporters of the Roman Church, and many of them entered the Priesthood, and became members of the religious houses. After the establishment of the English Church on the protestant basis by King Henry VIII, the Fishes easily adjusted their religious life to the new conditions, and in the parish of Great Bowden every generation furnished its due share of Church wardens and officials. The parish registers began in the year 1559, and contain more than two hundred entries of baptisms, marriages and burials, relating to more than six generations of the family, coming down to the latter half of the nineteeth century. The present vicar of Great Bowden church told recent visitors that he had never been acquainted with any of the family, as the last one bearing the name had died a few years before he came to the parish in 1888. There are also many Fish records in other neighboring parishes, where members of the family had overflowed.
The earliest of these records on the Great Bowden registers are of five burials as given below. They doubtless relate to the disappearing second or third generation, between Edward and John, of whom we have no positive knowledge. We may surmise, however, that Augusttine Fyshe, buried 26 Jany. 1579-80, may have been the father of John, and that the other four may have been his youthful brothers or cousins.
BURIALS, GREAT BOWDEN
1560 Augustine Fyshe, 7 May. 1560 Edward Fyshe, 30 May. 1563 Tobye Fyshe, 8 October. 1570-1 Thomas Fyshe, 4 Jan. 1579-80 Augustine Fyshe, 26 Jan.
The ancestral line as known begins with John Fyshe of Great Bowden, who was probably born not far from 1555, and may have been the son, as suggested above, of Augustine Fyshe who was buried 26 Jan. 1579-80. He was of the yeoman class, and he married Margaret whose maiden name, there is some reason to think, may have been Cradock. The record of their marriage is not found in the parish, but all of their children were baptized there. Most of the children reached maturity and married, and they and their families are well accounted for in the wills of John and Margaret.
BAPTISMS, GREAT BOWDEN, LEICESTERSHIRE.
1578 Augustine Fyshe, son of John, 11 June. 1580-81 William Fyshe, son of John, 9 March. 1582 Katheryne Fyshe, daughter of John, 15 April. 1584 Thomas Fyshe, son of John, 8 May. 1586 Sara Fyshe, daughter of John, 11 April. 1587 Ambrose Fyshe, son of John, 6 July. 1589 Mary Fyshe, daughter of John, 20 Dec. 1591 Elizabeth Fyshe, daughter of John, 15 Nov. 1593 Francis Fyshe, son of John, 29 Octo. 1596 Anne Fyshe, daughter of John, 2 June 1597 Alice Fyshe, daughter of John, 6 Nov. 1599 Mary Fyshe, daughter of John, 8 Dec. 1601-2 John Fyshe, son of John, 26 Jan.
MARRIAGES, GREAT BOWDEN
1604 John Johnson and Sara Fishe, 6 Aug. 1616-7 Edward Marston and elizabeth Fishe. 6 Feby.
BURIALS, GREAT BOWDEN
1590-91 Mary Fyshe, 27 Feb. 1622-3 John Fish, 19 Feb. 1630 Margaret Fish, 28 April.
LEICESTER WILLS
WILL OF JOHN FYSH OF BOWDEN MAGNA.
2 January 1623 (sic) I, John Fysh of Bowden, Magna, co. Leic., yeoman, being sick of body, do ordain and make, etc, etc:-- To William Fish, my second son and his heirs one old cottage with two cow pastures and ten shepes commons adjoining unto his dwelling house, which I purchased of Sir Thomas Gryfin. To Francis Fish my fifth son one cottage house with a close and orchard now in the occupation of Richard wilmant laborer. To Robert Fish of Harborow, my son-in-law, one piece of meadow in little Bowden field, called Stony Holme. To Thomas Fysh, eldest son of Robert Fysh, five arable lands in Lubnam brook, now in his occupation. To Elizabeth Ashton my neice one cottage with two cow pastures and ten sheep commons, she payng yearly for the same, unto John Fysh, my youngest son, 6s. 8d. during her natural life, provided that John shall have power to cut and lop and carry away wood. To John Fysh my youngest son and his heirs three closes which I purchased of my kinsman William Cradock of Farndon, one lying in west end of town betwixt the land of John Fish and Richard Kirbie, another in the middle of the town, next the land of Jeffrey Parsons and John Marson, and one in yeast and next the lands of Francis Fish and Thomas Wells the younger; also the old cottage after the death of Elizabeth Ashton my neice; and all my timber except one taylltre and a squared piece for my myll, which I give unto my eldest son Austin Fysh. I further except the myllne post, and give it unto Austin Fysh my eldest son, he paying his mother 40 s. Residue to Margaret my wife, whom executrix. Signed: John Fysh. Seal, I.F. dived by a spray of roses.
Witnesses:--Augustine Fish, William Halick.
Proved 9 March 1622-3 (sic) by the relict and executrix
(File 1622, No. 102)
WILL OF MARGARET FISH, WIDOW.
1 MARCH, 1629-30. I, Margaret Fish, widow, late wife of John Fish late
of Bowden Magna, yeoman, deceased, being sick in body, do make and ordain
this my last will, etc.: -- To be buried in the church of Great Bowden, near
unto my husband. To Augustine Fish my eldest son and his children 12 pounds,
which he oweth me for sheep. To William Fish my second son, one silver
beaker now in the use of Mr. John Warde of Little Bowden, being lent unto
him by my husband. To Thomas Fish my third son one acre of peas and one
acre of barley. To my son Francis Fish 12 d., and to his eldest daughter a
trunk. To my daughter katherine garvoise 40s. to buuy her a gown. To my
daughter Sarah Johnson 40 s. To my daughter Alice Fish 40 s. To my
daughter Mary Dix 40 s. To my son Ambrose, his wife, one brown cow, being
the best of my kine, and to her son John, being with me at this time, a ewe
and a lamb. To my son John Fish's son John the bed I lie in. To my son
John's youngest son Joseph my greatest brass pot. To Robert Fish's children
an aker of barley and an aker of peas. To my son Ambrose, his children, 40 s.
which Thomas Fletcher late of Bolsdon oweth me. To my son John Fish
my whole team with carts and gears, ploughs, etc. To Lawrence Willmore
an old short legged cow. Poor of Bowden 40s. Rest to my son John Fish,
whom executor, and my son John Johnson and my son Maurice Dixe to see my
will performed. Mark of Margaret Fish.
Seal:--A goat. Witnesses: Robert Smith, scriptor, William Willmore
Proved 23 July 1630, by the executor.
(Register 1630-31. f. 106).
Augustine Fish, the eldest son of John and Margaret, continued to live at Great Bowden,as indeed did the eldest of the male line of his descendants for several generations. His wife was Christian. There is no record of their marriage found at Great Bowden, but all their children were baptized there.
BAPTISMS, GREAT BOWDEN 1602-3 Anne Fyshe, daughter of Augustine, 27 Jan 1604-5 John Fyshe, son of Augustine, 6 Feb 1607 Thomas Fish, son of Augustine, 15 Aug 1609 Margaret Fish, daughter of Austin, 10 Sept 1611 Jarvis Fish, son of Augustine, 13 Octo
Continues iin John Dean Fish's research part 2