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From: "Phillip Southby" <>
Subject: [ILSLEY] PCC Wills
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 12:58:11 -0000

I visited the Society of Genealogists library in London yesterday and looked
at the F S Snell collection. He was a genealogist of about a hundred years
ago, who made an extensive study of the families of Berkshire. Included in
his collection are extracts from every Berkshire-related will submitted to
the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) between 1391 and 1737. I found
fifty-seven references to Hildesley, Ilsley, and similar. The notes were
handwritten and he used his own shorthand, but I can vouch that it is a lot
easier than reading the originals. I have shown my interpretation in
brackets as I could be wrong in some instances. The date is when the will
was made, usually on the deathbed, and it can be much earlier than the date
of death, as they sometimes recovered.

Many of the references are minor, including being a witness, and tell us
nothing as genealogists except that the person was alive when the will was
written. I am therefore listing only the main ones, but am happy to answer
any questions as to whether other individual names occurred. The numbers are
Snell's own reference numbers.

1235: May 1585. Johane ILLESLEY of Reading w(idow) - bu(ry) in St Giles -
pr(operty) Mortimer, Burghfield - 3 ch(ildren) Robert I, Willm I, and Eliz
PETTYE - 2 d(aughters) of Eliz P(ettye) - s(on) Robert's w(ife), Robert the
younger - Eliz I d(aughter) of Willm I - d(aughter) Alice (?).

1305: 6 October 1595. Walter Drake HILDESLEY of East Hildesley, gent -
b(rother) W(illia)m - w(ife) Dor(othy) - Wm Hildesly, gent dec(eased), my
f(ather) - Wit(nesses) Francis Englefield, Thomas Vachell, Wm Hildesley,
John Boltame, Wm Piper

2009: 26 July 1622. William HILDESLEY of East Hildesley - intercession of
Bessed Virgin, Mother Of God ( unusually Roman introduction - my own
comment) - s(on) W(illia)m - f(ar)m in E(ast) H(ildesley) - h(ouse)hold
stuff (to) Fryares at Chichester Sussex - f(ar)m at Pamber Hampshire - s(on)
Fr(ancis) H - s(on) W(illia)m H - sis(ter) Kath(arine) H - sis(ter)
Williamson - sis(ter) Byggs - c(ou)s(in) Henry H

2091: 9 March 1624. Marry HILDESLEY of Pamber Hampshire, w(idow) - W(illia)m
H of Chf(?) Ilsley Berks, gent dec(easd) - s(on) W(illia)m - Anne w(ife) of
s(ai)d s(on) W(illia)m - g(rand)ch(ildren) Fr(ances) H and M(ary) H eldest
s(on) and d(aughter) of s(ai)d s(on) W(illia)m - An(ne) H d(aughter) of
s(ai)d s(on) W(illia)m - g(rand)c(hild) W(illia)m s(on) of s(ai)d s(on)
W(illia)m, g(rand)c(hild) Kath(arine) d(aughter) of s(ai)d s(on) W(illia)m -
s(on) Fr(ancis) H, other goods to him to increase his small means.

6705: 1 June 1688 William HILDESLEY of Little Stoke O(xfordshire) -
c(ou)s(in) T Crompton of Lane End Bu(ckinghamshire) - b(rother) M(arti)n H
of Inner Temple London Esq - l(and)s in Checkham - wife M(ary) - d(aughter)s
by the s(ai)d M(ary), J(a)n(e) H, F(ranc)e(s) H, Agnes Teresa H, Emerita
Let(itia) H, all u(nder) 10. - b(rother) F(ranci)s H - Pet(er) H
(relationship not clear - my comment) - April 1705 addendum, M(ary) H the
w(idow) now wife of J Grimsditch.

Phillip Southby
Bromley, Kent, England

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