| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. CAUTION: The original Austen couple, John and Joane Berry, had a son Benjamin who had a son John Austin, which is my line.
Of the second generation, Benjamin who died in 1637 left a will. His brother John, who died in 1650, also left a will. Each of these two wills mention each other with John also mentioning all of their other siblings with their children. John's will aligns to the same listing of the children Joan (Berry) Austen left. More wills would be helpful, and perhaps they will come forth in the future if they exist.
Constructing the second generation Benjamin's family is challenging. The wills prove he died with a wife named Susan and with six living children. A marriage to Susan and five children can be found in church records; however, he was married before Susan and had a son named John from that marriage, who survived and is most likely the John I follow my line through. Benjamin's first wife is most likely Joan Stringer who he married 24 Oct 1614. No record of her burial has been found thus far, but she would have had to die before 26 Jun 1626 when he married Susan Brattle.
There is another marriage of a Benjamin Austen to Margerie Chepfield 5 May 1617 in Horsmonden with Margerie's chr. being one of three circa 1590 in nearby Brenchley. Her burial is most likely the one recorded 27 Aug 1638 in Horsmonden as "Margery Austen wid." She could not be married to our Benjamin since his will proves his wife at the time was Susan. Who the other Benjamin is for now uncertain.
The original John who married Joane Berry had a brother named Benjamin, who is most likely the one married to Elizabeth Bysshope (Bishop) on 11 Oct 1596 in Horsmonden. This would make him the one chr. 21 Mar 1572 to Roberte Austin in Horsmonden. From this marriage there are six to eight children chr. or buried in Horsmonden or mentioned in his nephew John Austen's 1650 will. This same will mentions his wife Elizabeth as a widow in 1650 with at least two children surviving, Benjamin and Peter. This suggests Elizabeth Bishop lived until after 1650.
One problem exists with a record of an Elizabeth Austen, wife of a Benjamin Austen, being buried in Horsmonden on 20 Apr 1614 with no age given. She cannot be Elizabeth Bishop. Could she then be a first wife to the same unknown lineage Benjamin who married Margerie Chepfield in 1617? Or could she be a short-lived first wife to our Benjamin (b. 1591) who married Joan Stringer later the same year on 24 Oct 1614? Or perhaps even an earlier generation Benjamin who the same parish records show as being buried 21 Jul 1614 in Horsmonden--could this unlinked possibly be an unknown uncle to our John Austen who married Joan Berry. For now, I tentatively place Elizabeth bur. 1614 as the wife to Benjamin bur. same year.
This leaves the other Benjamin who married Margery Chepfield also unconnected. Here is more on that Margery/Margaret, with the surname Chepfield most likely being a phonetic variation of Cheksill or Chexsell.
Online Brenchley Church records shows a Margaret per https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-23569-46167-26?cc=1952887&wc=M62M-F29:252597701,252665801,252672901
"Chr. 3 Dec 1592, Margaret d. of Steven Cheksill."
Another entry in the same church record is for Margaret Chexsell, dau. of Solomon Chexsell, chr. 6 Oct 1594.
Another entry in Brenchley is 5 Nov 1589 d. of Edward Cheksill.
One of these entries is probably the same Margaret Cheksill who marries Azarias Higham in Brenchley 22 Jun 1618. Another may Marjorie Chepfield who married Benjamin Austen 5 May 1617 in Horsmonden.
A fourth entry in Brenchley is a Margaret Cheksill, illegitimate with no father or mother named; however, her chr. record of 7 Nov 1597 is followed quickly with a burial record 18 Nov 1597 with the same baby noted as illegitimate.
Now to descend one generation to our John Austin, son of Benjamin. Benjamin married two wives, Joan Stringer in 1614 and Susan Brattle in 1626. Burials for either wife have not yet been found. From Benjamin's 1637 will, we know his eldest surviving son was named John. It is assumed this is the same John who married Jane James 11 May 1647 and Margaret Mann 16 Aug 1675 both in Horsmonden. The problem is that there are four births of children born after the 1614 marriage to Joan Stringer; however, their christenings only give names of the father Benjamin Austen. Having already established there was another Benjamin Austen, the one who married Margery Chepfield 5 May 1617, then it is problematic as to which of the christened children belong to whom. These four and my assumptions are:
John chr. 22 Oct 1615 -- belongs to Joan since born before Margery's marriage. He would have had to die before 1620 even though no burial record exists.
John chr. 19 Mar 1617/18 -- assumed to belong to Margery.
Benjamin bur. 20 May 1619 -- birth would be too close to Margery's son of 19 Mar 1618, so would be Joan's born say 1617 to 1618.
John chr. 26 Mar 1620 -- assumed to be our John since he would have been 27 when he married, which is not far off the average age of 25. The earlier John belonging to Margery would incrementally older, but he cannot be ruled out.
There are no John Austens shown in the burial record in this period except for one who is buried 5 Mar 1620/1 and named as "John Austen Sen." He is the original John who married Joan Berry.
So our John who married 1647 and 1675 could be either the son of Margery or Joan. For now, I assume him the son of Joan, but there is no certainty with this. Additional proof is needed.
2. Father and son, both named John Austen, are distinguised in the records. John Austin who married Elizabeth West was called John Austin Jr. in his 1674 marriage record. The other John Austin, the father, was the one chr. in Horsmonden in 1620, son of Benjamin, who married Jane James in 1647, was buried in 1689 with the name John Austin Sr. in Brenchley (with probate), had his older children chr. in Horsmonden with the youngest being chr. in Brenchley, and his wife Jane buried 1674 in Brenchley. When Jane died, she was identified as Jane the wife of John Austin the brick-striker which is the same profession with which he is named in his 1689 will. The two villages of Horsmonden and Brenchley are less than two miles apart.
3. Probate of "Beniamini Austen" at https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/876737:5111
Citation: The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 174
Dated 20 Apr 1637 at Goudhurst and probated 17 May 1637. Names brother John Austen as executor and bequeaths to wife Susann, eldest son John, eldest daughter Mary, and remaining children Joane, Beniamin, Gefery, and William Austen. Friend John Horsmonden and loving brother George Besbech[?] to assist the executor.
DEATH:
1. Will in the Rochester Archdeaconry Court in Kent: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-23161-1593-54?cc=1949814&wc=M68J-FWG:250713201,250719201,250744301, images 266-67, John Austin, Registered Will DRa/Pwr 1.261; Original Will DRa/Pw 5:
John Austen of Brenchley, brickstricker.
Date of will: 14 Apr 1689
- Son John Austen as executor
- Four children John Austen, Ann Saros, Elizabeth Austen, and Lidea Austen split the estate equally.
- "My Daughter Joane Peirson" mentioned separately and only receiving one shilling.
Signed by mark.
Witnessed by Wm. Gibbons Senr., Mary Everdon, and Nich. Amhurst, Jr.
Probated 22 May 1689
A separate inventory is mentioned in the probate index which I did not look up. It has a reference number DRb/Pi 3/5 in the Rochester Archdeaconry and Consistory Courts.
MARRIAGE:
1. Second marriage is found in the Horsmonden Church records: "John Austin of Brenchly and Margarett Toart widdow were marryed Auguust ye 16th 1675." From Horsmonden records, she appears to be the wife of Thomas Toart, which makes her Margaret Smythe. Online image https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-23182-13529-68?cc=1952887&wc=M629-KMS:252597701,253126001,253129701
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
1620 - 1689 (~ 69 years)
