Family History
1500-1600
History
16TH CENTURY RECORDS OF THE GENT FAMILY AT LEEK
These are the fragmentary records that have been traced that mention the Gent family in Leek during the sixteenth century.
[These first documents seem to make clear that the Richard Gent, Vicar of Leek, was in fact Richard Gwent, who was a welshman and no relation to the Gent family. He merits an entry in the Dictionary of National Biography as a career cleric.]
Typescript of Institutions to benefices (Copy in LJRO)
Date Name of benefice and type Presentee Patron Cause vacancy & predec. Notes
23/8/1531 Bebynton rect. Richard Gwent dec doc priest (?) A & C St Werburge D. Ralph Laughton £23 6s 8d pension to Nicholas Chauntrell continued
26/5/1534 Northwyngfelde rect Richard Gwente Jur Doc Ralph Langforth mil D. William Claybrugh mag
3/1/1535 Walton rect Richard Gwente … doc William Molyneux mil D. Edward Molyneux mag
1532&endash;3 Staffs Record Society
Families in Archdeaconry
Leekfrith
William Gentt, Emmot, uxor eius, Joan, Ellen, Agnes, Margery
Rocester&emdash;Denstone
William Gentt, Joan uxor eius, Alice, William, Jane, Elizabeth
1533 SHC 1915, p.146
Vicars of Leek
occ. 1533 ob.1546 Richard Gent
(paid tax of 16s in 1533)
1538? Dieulacres Rent Roll p.70
145N(M540) 34 Henry VIII
William Gent for Middlehulme 7s
Geoffrey Feirfield for Overhulme
(and Highfield in Bradnopp) 6/6
do for 1/4 part of Hulme-mylne 5/-
William Hulme for two messuages called Overhulme and certain lands 18/4
Thomas Gent for one do. 13/4
Robert Hulme of Wetwood…1/4 part of Hulme-mylne 5s
1539 Richard Gent vicar of Leek witness will of Hugh Malkin
1539 Muster Roll S HC VI N.S. pt I
Totmanslow Hundred
Thomas Gent a payre of splentes, a gorgett and a horse
Edward Gent archer
William Gent billman
Will of Hugh Gent of Leek 18th January 1541/2
Body to be buried in churchyard of St Edward's, Leek. To Margery my wife house and land as long as she keeps my name. At her death house and grounds to William my youngest son, except Thomas and Richard my sons come home again.* If Thomas my eldest come home again to have the tenement etc, if he die and not come home again Richard to have it To the son who hath house and grounds to have no more but the husbandry goods. My two saws to remain to that son that hath my house and William Clulow my son-in-law when he needs [to use] them. To William my son 26/8 and all my harness [armour?] more than his child's part of my goods. The rest to Margery my wife.
Executors: Margery, my wife, William and William Fowall. William Clulow and Richard Fowall of Broncote Supervisors. Signed by Thomas and Richard Middleton and Laurence Watson.
Personalty Inventory £11 15s 4d
*Were they involved in the Pilgrimage of Grace?
Administration of Margery Gent August 25th 1541
Son William sworn before Sir Richard Gent, Vicar of Leek, as the administrator.
1541/2 Will Hugh Gent=Margery&emdash; ssThomas Richard William dau=William Clulow
1541 Admin. Margery Gent s William Swore before Sir Richard Gent, Vicar of Leek
1543 deed William Gent Middlehulme
1543 Thomas Gent Upperhulme
1544/5 Will William Gent=Emmote&emdash; Middlehulme
Will of William Gent of Middlehulme 9th March 1544[?]
My body to be buried in the Lady Chapel Leek. Four priests to say Mass for my soul on the day of my burial in Leek. To the stock of St Anthony at Meerbrook &emdash;. To Margery Devall 4d. To Emmote my wife the residue of property. Wife and Richard Fowall executors. Richard and Thomas Midleton Overseers. Names attached: William Davenport, John and Thomas Hulme, John Clulow, Thomas Brindley, Richard Midleton, Robert Brough.
1546 SHC 1912 pp.347 +, L & P F & D Henry VIII vol.XXI, i & ii 1546 (1908)
'many grants of old Abbey lands, giving us the names both of old tenants and grantees.'
Lease for 21 years of abbey land:
William Gent of Tettesworth, a tenement and 1/4 of Holme Mill
1563 May SHC 1926
Thomas Gentt of Lyckparish granted i year pasture to Robert Lynford over 12 years c. 22 cattle = 12 marks. Robert refuses to pay.
1564 Trustees of Meerbrook Chapel: Edmund, Richard and Thomas Broughe, Thomas Gent, James Hulley, William Cundliffe, John Pillesbury, Thomas Holme [Sleigh, p. 152][Pillesbury a wiutness to will of:…]
1564 SHC XIII, p.229
Quindene of Easter, 5 & 6 Elizabeth
Thomas Gent complainant
Ralph Bagnall, kt, deforciant
2 messuages, a toft, 4 gardens, 2 orchards, 2 barns, 50 ac land, 10 ac meadow, 20 ac pasture, 10 ac wood, 40 ac furze and heath in Frithe Tettesworth
£40
1566 Indenture made between Sir Ralph Bagnal of Dieu le cross Co Stafford knight of the first part and Thomas Gent of the Frith Co Stafford yeoman of the other part
1569 26th February Deed Thomas Gent Leek Frith to Robert Hulme, Thorncliff
1571 (?) Chancery proceedings SHC
1. Raufe Nabbe paid
2. Thomas Gent and William Gent £6
to obtain his marriage to Ellen dau of Robert Tatton deceased and £38 left by her father, and also paid 37s as expenses to them.
Ellen refused, and married William Harrison. They also received indenture of lease from him of a messuage and land in Cadebridge, Staffs
1572 Deed Thomas Gent, yeoman, Overhulme and s Richard Gent, Overhulme husbandman of the one part and Thomas Brough of Middlehulme aforesaid husbandman of the other part
1585 SRO D1333/5 Old Rental c. 1585
Thomas Gente for moulte haull xijs
The hamlet of frythe
Hugh Gente iiijs iiijd
Thorncliffe and Eashynge [?]
William Gent xiiijs
1585 SRO D1333/4 Rental c. 1585
De Willelmo Gent pro uno Mess' apud Middulhulm vij s
vid in cap iiid on day …ort[?] iiid on day repe
de Thome Gent pro uno mess' apud Overhulm xiiis iiijd vid in cap iijd on day erth iij on day repe
[Thomas Tatton of Tittesworth; William and Margery Tatton of Lowe]
1586 Deed Concord between Thomas Doxsay complainant against Hugh Gent and Alice his wife deforciants of 30 acres of pasture in Leek. All rights remitted to Thomas for £40.
1597 Deed Indenture between Richard Gent Bosley, Co. Chester yeoman and Thomas Brough of Middlehulme yeoman
Tax
1598 Gent -?
1599 Gent -?
1600 SRO D1333/6 rental c. 1600
The Frethe
Thomas Gent for the moult hall xijs
Thomas Gent xiiijs iiijd
The same Thomas for Ryeland Jonson xijs
The same for widowe Stubbes house iiijs
The same for Edmund broughes house xiijs
The same for widow broughes house xiijs
The same for Robert Johnes house xjs
[William Nabbe xixs
Laurence Nabbe xjs]
The hamlet of Tessworthe
William Gent xiiijs
