William Parmenter (1563-1617)

William Parmenter was baptized 7 Jan 1563 in Ovington, County Essex, England, the 9th child and youngest son of George Parmenter and Alice. He is my son-in-law’s 11th great-grandfather. His father was a well-to-do yeoman, his will mentioned quite a few landholdings; and William inherits a number of them. He died in Little Yeldham (see map)

The family must have been very healthy; the will of father George in 1591 lists all children, except the Elizabeth, the youngest daughter; the will of William’s brother George in 1612 lists the remaining brothers and sisters, except sister Alice and eldest brother Robert, but the last one is mentioned in William’s will in 1617.

William married Marjorie Gerald in 1683. They had six children, all of whom are mentioned in his will, so all survived to adulthood.  All but two are known to have married. Son John came to Massachusetts in 1639 and left much progeny.

So for a change this is a family without much loss. Owning land would certainly contribute to the general well-being of the family; in contrast to many of our ancestors who lived in crowded cities, or were very poor. Still William’s son John found it necessary to take the hazardous trip to Massachusetts, presumably for more opportunity. Under English law, eldest son Robert would have gotten the bulk of his father’s real estate, so John had to find his fortune elsewhere. But that’s a story we will explore some other time.