Default Woodhouse of Bretforton and Salwarpe
(Note, it is a good idea, when reading through parish registers transcripts, to see if there is any other information after the transcripts.)
I have been tracing my Woodhouse family of Salwarpe for some years now.
The earliest probable Woodhouse ancestor was William Woodhouse and his wife Katherine; his widow was mentioned in a document dating to around 1538 to 1544 and was mentioned in the 1560 will of her grandson Hugh Woodhouse.
Their son was Richard Woodhouse whose will dated to 1554. His eldest son was William. Other common family names included Alice and Katherine.
On to the Bretforton connection
I was looking through my Bretforton transcripts today, when I discovered a whole lot more information than I expected.
One was the transcript of the will of John Woodhouse, vicar of Bretforton, dated to 1530, and I immediately noticed he left a legacy to the church at Salwarpe. In his will he mentions his brother Richard's eldest son, his sister Joan, wife of Thomas Charlott, his sister Margaret, wife of William Ewens, his sister Alice, wife of ? Tandy, other brothers and sisters, and his parents, both unnamed.
The PDF also included family trees of these people but, alas, no name for the parents of John, Richard, Joan, Margaret, and Alice.
The timing looks right for this John to be the brother of Richard Woodhouse.
Other than checking for the wills of the near relatives , and I already know that they left some, can anyone think of anything else I can do to try and prove the connection (if any) between John and Richard?
(Note 2: I am really hating Henry VIII right now. In John's will he asked to be buried at Evesham, Abbey, and Henry VIII destroyed it 10 years later)
Woodhouse of Bretforton and Salwarpe, Worcestershire - 16th Century
