One of my wills from the National Archives visit in 2010, Thomas Beard lived in St Mary Magdalene Parish but was buried at St Olave Bermondsey. I find that most interesting especially considering that my Christopher Buller and his family attended St Mary Magdalene Parish Church but burials for that family were also at St Olave. Thomas was buried 23 May 1689 at St Olave Bermondsey and the priest has identified him as a woolwinder. There was a baptism in March 1620 (Old Style) of a Thomas Beard to Thomas Beard brewer which I shall comment on later once again.
Thomas has identified his wife as Martha and there was a marriage of a Thomas Beard (pinmaker) 21 Sep 1661 at Holy Trinity Minories, London to Martha Pattison (widow) with both of Eastsmithfeld in the parish of Bottolphs without Algate, London. Interestingly there was a baptism of a Thomas Beard 20 Dec 1629 at Holy Trinity Minories, London with parents Thomas and Elizabeth Beard (Elizabeth is identified as the mother of Thomas in his will) but no further details. No marriage identified for Thomas Blake and Elizabeth (unknown) but later called by the surname Marritt. Thomas and Elizabeth at Holy Trinity Minories, London also baptized a daughter Elizabeth 9 Mar 1627, a daughter Ann 10 Feb 1630, a son John 27 Dec 1633, a son Alexander 24 Apr 1636, and a son Henry 21 May 1637 and the clincher is perhaps Lidia Beard baptized 21 Mar 1640. I shall check each entry to see if the occupation of the father Thomas is identified (it was not identified). Another Henery Beard was baptized son of Thomas Beard 4 Oct 1644 mother was not identified but also at Holy Trinity Minories, London.
Would one go from being a pinmaker in 1661 to being a woolwinder in 1680? I really have no ideas on that actually but do know that people often changed their occupation to suit the times.
This will becomes more and more interesting as Holy Trinity, Minories was a church within the Liberties of the Tower of London which is of course right across the river from St Olave and St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey! Also St Botolph's without Aldgate was united with Holy Trinity, Minories in 1899 (presumably these churches are very close together).
Amazingly the sister's names Elizabeth and Lidia occur in this family with a mother Elizabeth and a search to see if I can find a marriage of Elizabeth Beard and a Marritt. I did not find a marriage yet.
In all of this I keep in mind that Henry Beard was my 4x great grandfather at St Mary Magdalen where he was buried in 1795. The one hundred year gap is somewhat diminished by the work of Robin Beard (my cousin) and we have on the basis of the parish registers taken Henry back to his parents Henry Beard (baptized 28 Apr 1712 at St Mary Magdalen and Ann Margaret Cope who was buried 1 Apr 1797 at St Mary Magdalen). The parents of this Henry Beard were Edward Beard and Ann (unknown). Edward would likely have been born in the latter part of the 1600s but I have not yet investigated him. No Edward in the Thomas Beard family above though. Since there is already a second Beard family (Thomas Beard brewer) at St Olave the name may be too common to draw any thoughts on the potential of this being Henry's family.
I also have the will of Martha Beard which I shall transcribe next. Today feels like a transcription day and I would like to get through all of these wills that I have on hand.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 14 Apr 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/395, #122
Name of testator: Thomas Beard (Wool Winder) (buried 23 May 1689, St Olave, Bermondsey)
Place: St Mary Magdalene Bermondsey, Surrey, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 19 Nov 1680, probated 25 May 1689
Read: Electronic file
Condition: smudges, 17th century, bold copy, mixture of middle and modern English
[In margin] Tm
[In margin] Thome Beard
1 In the name of God Amen
2 The nineteenth day of November Anno D[omi]ni one Thousand six hundred
3 and Eighty and in the Two and Thirtieth yeare of the Raigne of our
4 Soveraigne Lord Charles the Second by the Grace of God king of England
5 Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith etc. I Thomas Beard
6 of the Parish of St. Mary Magdalen in Bermondsey in the County of Surrey
7 and Citizen and Woolwinder of London being at this time in health of
8 of Body and of sound and perfect minde and memory praise be given
9 to Almighty God In regard of the uncertainety of this Trancitory life
10 doe therefore make and declare this my last Will and Testament in man[n]er
11 following that is to say First and principally I commend and commit
12 my Soule into the hands of Almighty God my maker and Creator and
13 of his son Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer through the alone
14 meritts of whose most bitter death and passion I stedfastly hope to be saved
15 My body I comitt unto the Earth from whence it came to be in decent and
16 Christian like manner brought to the ground and buried at the discretion
17 of my loving wife Martha Beard and as touching and concerning my
18 Worldly goods and Estate which the Lord of his Mercy hath beene pleased
19 to blesse me with I doe give and dispose of the same (after my debts are
20 paid and my Funeral Expences discharged) in manner and forme
21 following That is to say Imprimis I doe give and bequeath unto my
22 Mother Elizabeth Marritt Twelve pence To my Sister Elizabeth Twelve
23 pence and to my sister Lydia Knight the like sum of Twelve pence (if the same
24 shall be by them my said Mother and Sisters severally and respectively demanded
25 and the same to be in full Barr and satisfaction to their and each of their
26 respective claimes unto or touching my Estate Item I give and bequeath
27 unto my cosen Margarett Lewis (by her Maiden name) the sume of Fifty
28 shillings of lawfull money of England Item I give and bequeath unto all
29 the rest of my kindred Twelve pence a peece that shall come and demand
30 the same of my Executrix to be in full Barr and discharge to their and each
31 of their claimes touching my Estate Item I give and bequeath unto my loving
32 Friend Mr. Francis Lea and Mr. Jeremiah Griffith ten shillings a peece in
33 remembrance of me The rest residue and remainder of all and singular
34 my ready moneys Goods Chattells and Estate whatsoever and wheresoever
35 not herein before disposed of and appoynted I doe wholly give devise and
36 bequeath the same unto my said loving wife Martha Beard and I doe
37 make and ordaine her my said wife Martha Beard full and sole Executrix
38 of this my last Will and Testament and for Overssers hereof I doe nominate
39 and appoynt my said loving Friends Mr. Francis Lea and Mr. Jeremiah Griffith
40 desireing their and either of their best care and assistance in the due
41 oversight
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42 oversight of this my Will to see the same in all things performed according
43 to my true intent and meaning And lastly I doe hereby Revoke all former
44 and other Wills whatsoever by me made or spoken and none to stand in
45 force but this my Will only In witnesse whereof I the said Thomas Beard
46 have hereunto sett my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written
47 Tho. Beard Signed Sealed Published and declared by the Testator as and for his
48 last Will and Testament in the presence of us Tho Cooke Mathew Hunsley
49 his Mark William Surflet Str living at St Margarett hill in Southwark
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