1444 A Thomas Wakefeld was a witness to a deed dated at Notton, Yorkshire. "Witnesses, Thomas Wakefeld, John Wilkynson, John Cusworth, and many others. Dated at Notton, Wednesday the feast of Saint Katherine virgin. 23 Hen. VI. (1444)." [1]
1452/53 On February 15, Maud, wife of Thomas Wakefeld of Newark, quitclaimed a property transaction he had made. [2]
[Notts.] C. 4227. Quitclaim by Maud wife of Thomas Wakefeld of Newerk, esquire, without coercion or procurement of her said husband, to Robert Scotte and William Caleys, chaplains, John Turnbull, Thomas son of Richard Couper of Newerk, 'barbour,' Robert Whyte son of Whyte (sic) of Balderton, and John Othehall of Screveton, of her right in a messuage and burgage (placea terre que extat burgagium) in Appultongate, Newerk, which they had by the gift of the said Thomas Wakefeld. 15 February, 31 Henry VI. Seal.
1458 Thomas Wakefeld was a witness to a land transaction in Newark. [3]
Stephen Marshall, of Northmuskham, to William Marshall merchant his brother, his heirs and assigns. Charter with warranty of all his tenements in Newerk upon the 'Brigge,' a toft and a dovecote there in the 'Potterdyke,' all late of John de Bildesthorp, all his tenements in 'Barnebygate' sometime of Roger de Codyngton, and in 'Stodmerstrete' sometime of Ralph de Bykerstath, all which he had jointly with other feoffees now deceased by feoffment of Thomas Willyngham the younger, and William Ripper of Newerk. Witnesses: Thomas Wakefeld, Thomas Wyntryngton, John Deuyas, Hugh Padeley, Alexander Williamson of Newerk. Dated Newark, 31 July, 36 Henry VI.
Memorandum of acknowledgment at Newerk, 20 June this year [1464], before Thomas Nevyl of Newerk, by virtue of a dedimus potestatem which is on the chancery file for this year.
1459 "On August 8, Thomas Wakefelde, of Newark, Esquire, granted to John Spelsbe, lyster, and Richard Rothewell, baker, a messuage and a burgage and two acres of land and meadow in Newark and its fields, of which the burgage lies in Mylnegate, and one messuage in Potterdyke, and one acre in le clyff, and the other in Honay." [4]
c 1461 "Grant by Thomas Wakefield of forty shillings rent out of his part of Saracen's head inn and other messuages in Newark to the Lord Abbot of Welbeck; first of Edward IV." [5]
1472 In Hilary Term in the Court of Common Pleas in London, "Robert Wakefeld de Newark Gentilman" sued Thomas Wakefeld nuper de Newark" in the county of Nottingham "Armiger" concerning a debt. [6]
1472 On October 9, Thomas Wakefeld was a juror in an inquisition for Godfrey Hilton at Newark. [7]
Godfrey Hilton
Inquisition taken at Newerk on the Friday after the feast of St. Faith the Virgin, [12] Edw IV [9 Oct., 1472], before John Fraunces, exq., Escheator in co. Not., by the oath of Thomas Wakefeld, Henry Fauconer, Andrew Kelum, John Bunney, John ...
1475 In Hilary Term in the Court of Common Pleas in Nottinghamshire, plaintiff William Kamme or Cam, of Newerk, baker, sued Robert Tonman, of Newerk, yeoman, John Benet, of Newerk, gentleman, Thomas Wakefeld, of Newark, armiger, and Henry Pye, of Newerk, smith, concerning debts. [8]
1477 In Hilary Term in the Court of Common Pleas in Nottinghamshire, plaintiff William Kamme or Cam, of Newerk, baker, sued Thomas Wakefeld, of Newark, armiger. [9]
1484 In Hilary Term in the Court of Common Pleas in Nottinghamshire, John Barton of Holm, merchant, sued Thomas Grymesdyk of Cromwell, yeoman, Thomas Wakefeld of Newark, armiger, William Gelston of Newerk, gent, and John Peertre, of Kellum, husbandman. concerning debts. [10]
1475-1480 or 1483-1484 A case in the Court of Chancery identifies Thomas Wakefeld as the son of Richard Wakefeld. [11] [12] [13]
Research Notes:
A series of deeds suggests that several generations of the Wakefield family, and then the descendants of Thomas Wakefield, held shares in Saracen's Head Inn in Newark, Nottinghamshire, England:
c 1341 A release to William Burnack of the Saracen's Head Inn; fourteenth of Edward III. [14]
c 1399 Deed of feoffment of part of the said inn by William de Leek, Simon de Leek, John de Leek, and Richard de Wakefield to Thurlby and Aylston; twenty second of Richard II. [15]
c 1399 Another [deed] by Thurlby and Aylston to Sir John Leek and Richard Wakefield; twenty second of Richard II. [16]
c 1399 A release from Roger Bildesthorpe to Richard Wakefield of his right in part of the Saracen's head inn; twenty second of Richard II. [17]
c 1404 Deed of feoffment by John de Bildesthorpe and Emma his wife to Sir John Leek, John de Wakefield, and Richard de Wakefield, of the same premises; fifth of Henry IV. [18]
c 1405 Lease from Sir John Burnack to John Green of his great inn from the market place to Potterdike, rent eleven marks sterling; sixth of Henry IV. [19]
c 1442 "Deed of feoffment by Richard Wakefield of his part of Saracen's head inn to certain feoffees; twentieth of Henry VI." [20]
c 1461 "Grant by Thomas Wakefield of forty shillings rent out of his part of Saracen's head inn and other messuages in Newark to the Lord Abbot of Welbeck; first of Edward IV." [21]
c 1485 "Lease by A. Frecheville to Richard Botteral of the Saracen's head inn for ten pounds yearly rent; first of Henry VII." [22]
1490 "Deed of exchange: lands in Burbage (Leicestershire) for lands in Aston (Leicestershire) Thomas Wakefield and Hugo Hunt" [23]
"Conveyance by Ann Frecheville of the Saracen's head inn to Revel of Oggston; Henry VII." [24]
c 1564 "Lease from John Revell of Shirland lodge to Hugh Byrkit and Elizabeth his wife of two parts of the Saracen's head inn and some land for twenty one years, except a certain shop, part of the same, in possession of John Twenty man; sixth of Eizabeth." [25]
c 1584 "Conveyance of two parts of Saracen's head inn, by John Revell of Mansfield, to Peter Lucas, eldest son of Richard Lucas before mentioned; twenty sixth of Elizabeth." [26]
The Drakes pedigree in the Visitation of Yorkshire states that "Thomas Wakefield of Newarke in Notynghamshyre" was the husband of Kateren, daughter of Robert Drakes by his first wife "Elenor doughter of Robert Rokeley of Rokely." [27] [28]
Turbutt states, "The fourth quartering [of John Revell's arms in 1562] represents his father's [Robert Revell's] marriage to Eleanor Frescheville, who was daughter and co-heiress of Anker Frescheville (who was the fourth son--hence the martlet for difference) by Isabel, daughter and heiress of Thomas Wakefield of Newark, whose arms are in the fourth quarter." [29]
Cox reports that Anker Frecheville, son of Peter and Maud Frecheville, married Isabel, daughter and heiress of Thomas Wakefield, of Newark. [30]
If Katherine Drax was the mother of Thomas Wakefeld's daughter Isabel who married Anker Frecheville, then it appears that 17th century New Jersey immigrant Anne (Revell) Curtis would have the following descent from King John of England:
John = a daughter of Hamelin Plantagenet and Isabel de Warenne
Richard FitzRoy = Rohese de Dover
Lorette de Dover = William Marmion
John Marmion = Isabel
John Marmion = Maud Furnival
Joan Marmion = John Bernake
Maud Bernake = Ralph Cromwell
Maud Cromwell = William Fitzwilliam
Elizabeth Fitzwilliam = Robert Rockley
Robert Rockley = Agnes Duckenfield
Eleanor Rockley = Robert Drax
Katherine Drakes = Thomas Wakefeld
Isabel Wakefield = Anker Frecheville
Eleanor Frecheville = Robert Revell
John Revell = Mary Comberford (descendant of Henry II)
John Revell = Mary Beighton
Robert Revell = Anne Knowles
Anne Revell = John Curtis
1457 The will of a Richard Drax includes a bequest to a Johanni Wakfeld. [31] [32] According to the Drax pedigree, Katherine Drax had an uncle Richard Drax [33]. Richard, the writer of the 1457 will, requested to be buried in the church of St Nicholas in Thames Ditton in the diocese of Winchester and made a bequest to every household having need in the parish of Thames Ditton. Thames Ditton, in Surrey, is a long way from Yorkshire, where the Drax/Drakes family in the pedigree lived, suggesting that this Richard may not the be the Richard who was a brother of Robert Drax in the pedigree.
[1] John William Walker, Abstracts of the Chartularies of the Priory of Monkbretton, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record series, Vol. 66 (Leeds, 1924), 157, [GoogleBooks].
[2] H. C. Maxwell Lyte, ed., A Descriptive Catalogue of Ancient Deeds in the Public Record Office, Vol. 6 (London: HMSO, 1915), 57, [HathiTrust].
[3] C.T. Flower, ed., Calendar of the Close Rolls, Edward IV, Vol. 1, 1461-1468 (London: HMSO, 1949), 311, [BritishHistoryOnline], [FHLBook].
[4] Cornelius Brown, History of Newark-on-Trent: being the life story of an ancient town, Vol. 2 (1907), 162, citing Corporation Deeds, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[5] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 32, [GoogleBooks].
[6] Court of Common Pleas, CP40, The National Archives, UK, Anglo-American Legal Tradition, University of Houston, [AALTImage].
[7] Maurice Willmore Barley, Thoroton Society Documents Relating to the Manor and Soke of Newark-on-Trent, (1956), [URL].
[8] Court of Common Pleas, CP40, The National Archives, UK, Anglo-American Legal Tradition, University of Houston, [AALTImage].
[9] Court of Common Pleas, CP40, The National Archives, UK, Anglo-American Legal Tradition, University of Houston, [AALTImage].
[10] Court of Common Pleas, CP40, The National Archives, UK, Anglo-American Legal Tradition, University of Houston, [AALTImage].
[11] The National Archives of the United Kingdom Catalog, C 1/50/76, [UKNationalArchives].
[12] Court of Chancery, C1, The National Archives, UK, Anglo-American Legal Tradition, University of Houston, Bill of William Gilibrond of Newerk and Elene his wyfe, [AALTImage].
[13] Court of Chancery, C1, The National Archives, UK, Anglo-American Legal Tradition, University of Houston, Answere of Thomas Wakefeld to the bill of William Gelybrand and Elene his wyff. Also see adjacent images for the answers of the other defendants and the replications, [AALTImage].
[14] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 31, [GoogleBooks].
[15] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 31, [GoogleBooks].
[16] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 31, [GoogleBooks].
[17] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 31, [GoogleBooks].
[18] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 32, [GoogleBooks].
[19] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 32, [GoogleBooks].
[20] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 32, [GoogleBooks].
[21] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 32, [GoogleBooks].
[22] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 32, [GoogleBooks].
[23] The National Archives of the United Kingdom Catalog, Sm 79, [UKNationalArchives].
[24] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 32, [GoogleBooks].
[25] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 32, [GoogleBooks].
[26] William Dickinson, The History and Antiquities of the Town of Newark, in the county of Nottingham (1806), 33, [GoogleBooks].
[27] William Flower, The Visitation of Yorkshire in the years 1563 and 1564 (London: 1881), 103 in the Drakes pedigree (102-104), [InternetArchive].
[28] Janet and Robert Wolfe, Genealogy Page for Katherine Drax, daughter of Robert Drakes and Elenor Rokeley, [JRWolfeGenealogy].
[29] Gladwyn Turbutt, A History of Ogston (1975), 49, [GoogleBooks].
[30] J Charles Cox, Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire, Vol. 1, "the Hundred of Scarsdale" (1875), 357, [InternetArchive].
[31] Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858, [AncestryImage].
[32] The National Archives of the United Kingdom Catalog, [UKNationalArchives].
[33] Janet and Robert Wolfe, Genealogy Page for Richard Drax, [JRWolfeGenealogy].