“Further research into the family of John Tilley’s wife Joan Hurst revealed wills left by her father William Hurst and her grandfather Henry Hurst. Henry left ‘ffyve markes’ to his two grand daughters Joan and her sister Agnes.”
524“At the parish of St. Mary the Virgin in Henlow are the baptismal records of the Tilley’s back to the mdi 1400’s. Those, along with the burial records there and wills from Bedfordshire, prove Elizabeth Tilley’s line back to Henry Tilley, born c 1465, Henlow, will proved 1520. Joan Hurst’s line is proven to her grandfather Henrye Hurst will was dated May 30, 1569.”
363“Henry Hurst, born probably about 1505, first appears in the manorial records on 4 October 1535, when he was listed as a homage juror. That same year, he is listed in the manor rental rolls as owing rent of 20d per year, and that is referenced again in the rental of 19 January 1538/9. He was a homage juror again on 6 April 1540. At that court session, Michael Cooper (father of Edmund Cooper) obtained 30 acres of land in Henlow formerly in the tenure of John and Alice Edwards, for an annual rent of 10s, plus an additional 5s for ‘work silver.’ In the rental of the manor of Henlow dated 23 October 1542, Henry Hurst is listed as having ‘one close, containing one acre, and two acres of land,’ with a rental of 2s. The following year, on 24 April 1543, his rental is referred to as ‘two acres of land in the crofts between the land of the Prior of Lanthonye on both sides, paying 2s a year to the lord therefore.’ He was still in possession of this property on 29 march 1547, when the rental reports Henry Hurst had ‘two acres int eh Croftes, half several at hedges and ditches, valued at 4s a year, and pays 2s.’ “
516“Henry Hurst was a homage juror again on 4 October 1547, and at that session the jurors reviewed a 20-acre and 30-acre surrender of lands from Elizabeth Bath, widow, to William and Agnes Tilley - the parents of Robert Tilley. Two years later, on 8 October 1549, henry Hurst essoined William Tilley.”
516“Henry Hurst was a homage juror again on 5 October 1552, and at that session Michael Cooper essoined Alice Wakefield, widow. Michael Cooper also took rent for ‘one messuage, . .. one pightle called Normilles, 33 acres of arable land, one rood, and 34 doles of meadow with appurtenances in Henlow, for another 10s rent and 5s for the work-silver. Henry Hurst, Michael Cooper, and William Tilley continue their close association, when on 3 October 1553, they were all listed as homage jurors. At the court, Henry Hurst and William Tilley gave oath that Walter Cooper, one of the sons of Michael Cooper the elder, deceased, remised to Michael Cooper, his brother, the ‘right, title, estate, claim, possession, seisin, interest and demand, . . . in one tenement with appurtenances called Little Edwards in Henlow aforesaid.”
516“Henry Hurst was a homage juror, along with Michael Cooper and William Tilley, at several view of frank pledge sessions in 1555 and 1556, including the previously-referenced session of 22 October 1556 in which Michael Cooper’s son Edmund Cooper was admitted to the manor. And both Henry Hurst and William Tilley were homage jurors at the March and April 1557 sessions, at which session William and Agnes Tilley reaffirmed their ownership of Elizabeth Bath’s 20 acres and 30 acres they received several years prior. In the Henlow rental of 1558, Henry Hurst is listed as owing rent of 12d at Michaelmas (September 29), and another 12d on Lady’s Day (March 25). He owed the same amount in the rental of 1559.”
516“On 4 March 1565, Margery Pygot of Nether Gravenhurst, widow of Francis Pygot, leased to Henry Hurst ‘save acres of meadow in Henlow which are now held on a term of 21 years by Thomas Dawson,’ with a rent of 14s. This record appears to be the last reference to Henry Hurst. On 19 January 1587, however, ‘Henry Hurst the elder’ exchanged two and a half acres of property with Edmund Cooper for one acre and one rood of arable land. This could be an approximately 87-year old Henry Hurst, or possibly it is his son Henry Hurst, who was buried ‘an ancient bachelor’ at Henlow in 1608. Wiliiam Hurst, father of the Mayflower passenger Joan Hurst, and presumably also a son of Henry Hurst, named his second son Henry (baptized 10 June 1561), and this could be the younger Henry, whose presence necessitated the use of ‘the elder’ in this manorial record. At the same court session, this Henry Hurst also surrendered a messuage called Northmills ‘and divers lands, pastures, etc.’ to Arthur Cockett, gentleman, and John Marshe, yeoman. However, the deal appears to have gone awry, as the record notes that ‘John Marshe refused to have a court and to pay the said £20, as was agreed, and the he forfeited the premisses for this.’ Henry Hurst also surrendered ‘two acres and one rood of land called le crofts’ to Thomas Page, gentleman - possibly the nephew of Michael Cooper’s wife Elizabeth Page.”
516“The manorial records of Henlow Grey provide an interesting glimpse into the Cooper, Tilley, and Hurst families. From these records, the Coopers - especially Edmund Cooper - appear to be the most prominent tenant of the manor, with the largest landholdings and the largest rents. The Hurst family is perhaps a distant send, and the Tilleys are right up there as well. Unlike most Mayflower passengers, these families had significant lands, social status, and inheritances.”
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