Merchant William Saunders & Johane Spencer

237690. Merchant William Saunders & 237691 Johane Spencer

~1445, William Saundres born in Oxfordshire, England, d/o 475380. William Saunders. (S) Father named in his will.

~1450, Jane born in England, d/o 475382. John Spencer & 475383. Anne Empson.

By 1465, William married Jane.

1478, William’s father William died.

1478, William Saunders, wool merchant; devised lands in Grimsbury and Fenny Compton (Warws.) and a holding in Neithrop which was occupied by a tenant. [An early example of the successful trader or manufacturer who invested his profits in land as well as in town properties.]

10/17/1492, William wrote his will: William Saunders of Banbury in the countie of Oxford, merchaunt. To be buried within the parishe churche of Our Lady in Banbury aforesaid, that ys to say, in the Trinitie clos nere unto the burying place theire of William Saunders, my fadre, …. To Anne, my eldest daughter, to be delivered to hyr whene she commith to hire laufull age or marriage £100 and Goodes blessing and myn. To everich of my three other doughters, Isabel, Joyce, and Alice. . .when she commeth to laufull age or before at hire marriage 100 marke and Goddys blessing and myne. … And if it happen all my said doughters, as God defend, to decesse … the said L300 to them by me bequeithed shall justly and truly be disposed by myn executours … to such of my uncle's children as shalbe lyvyng, … Johanne, my wif, shall have the custody, ward, rule, and guyding of my said daughters and of all the money and lyvelod to them belonging unto the tyme they come to theyre lawful ages or manages as is beforerehersed. To Emme Scryvaner, my cousyn, to hir mariage 10 marke. The residue. . .to Johanne, my wif, she to do and disposse thereof at hire own fre wyll, trusting that she will remembre my soule and se the good guyding of my said childre and hers lyke as she wold that I shuld do in cas lyke. Executrix: Johanne my wif Co-executors : Hyr fadre and myn, John Spencer . . . . of Hodenhill, to whom I bequeith for his labour herin to be had 100s. Supervisor: the worshiphul Syr Edward Rawlyth, knyght, and I bequeith to hym for his labour to be had in that behalf 5 marks.

11/22/1492, the said William Saunders in the presence of William Councer, gentilman, John Herford, and John Gardyner, cytezens of London, ratyfied and comfermed the said testament and last wyll in all thinges according to the tenour of the same. And over that int he same presence he bequeithed to the infaunt in his wyfes wombe, yf it be a son all his taylled landes and 100 marke, and yf it be a doughter 100 marke. To the reparacion before the ffleshamels in Banbury 28s. … Johanne, my wif, shal have, hold, and occupie to hyre owne use all the same landes and tenementes unto the tyme that the foresaid Anne, my doughter, com to laufull age or marriage, and that incontynently I woll that all the said landes and tenementes shall holy remayne to the said Anne, my doughter, and hire heires in fe symple.

Bef. 1/29/1493, William died; Johane was pregnant.(S) Will proved by R. Asshwel, William Councer, and John Spencer.

1/29/1494, William’s will proved.

[––Jane––]

~1495, Jane married 2nd Sir William Cope of Grimsbury, s/o Alexander Cope; widower of Agnes Harcourt, heir & d/o Robert.

William was held in “esteem and favour” by King Henry VII.

1491–1505, William of Banbury had 5 treatises bound at Oxford. (S) The Early Oxford Press: A Bibliography of Printing and Publishing at Oxford, 1468-1640, Mandan, 1895, P254.

1495, Henry VII gave “William Cope, Esq.” manor Wormleighton which had been in the possession of the descendents of Simon de Montfort for generations. William “coferer of the household to the king, to be held in socage, paying 20 marks per annum into the exchequer.”

9/15/1496, In her father’s will ‘Jane, wife of William Cope.’. (S) Testamenta Vetusta, Nicolas, 1826, P427.

9/3/1507, William “of Hanwell” [in Oxfordshire] sold “his lordship” to his cousin John Spencer.

4/7/1513, William [Esq.] died. [5^th Henry VIII].

1525, Jane died in England.

(S) The Baronage of England, Edward Kimber, Publ. 1771. (S) American Shrines in England, Story, 1908, P49.  (S) The New York Gen. and Bio. Record, Greene, 1914, P26. (S) Banbury: Economic history, A Hist. of the County of Oxford: V10, 1972, pp. 49-71.

Children of William S. and Jane:

i. Anne Saunders, born ? in England.

ii. Isabel Saunders, born ? in England.

iii. Joyce Saunders, born ? in England.

iv. Alice Saunders (118845), born ~1488 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. [4^th daughter.]

Children of William C. and Jane:

i. Sir Anthony Cope, born ~1496 in England.

8/4/1518, Anthony married Jane Cruwys, d/o Matthew Cruwys of Pyne.

Sir Anthony, Chamberlain to Queen Catherine Parr.

1/5/1550, Anthony died.

ii. William Cope, born ? in England.

iii. Sir John Cope, born ~1500 in England.

~1486, Bridget born in Farnborough, England, d/o Edward Raleigh & Anne Chamberleyn.

John 1^st married Bridget. (S) A Gen. of the Wives of the Am. Presidents, P96.

John married 2^nd Margery Mallory.

John married 3^rd Margaret Tame, widow of Sir Humphrey Stafford; and d/o Sir Edmund Tame, Knt.

~1536, after the dissolution of the monasteries by Henery VIII, John made a house out of the buildings of the Canons Ashby priory. [This home is gone, but a building built by his “Dryden” granddaughter is still standing.]

7/2/1557, John “of Deanshanger and Helmdon”, Northamptonshire; “of Canons Ashby and Eydon”, Knt.; “of Helmdon, near Brackley, Northants”, wrote his will.

1558, John buried in Canons Ashby. (S) Will of his son Anthony.