The Will of John Hassard 1531-1612
There were a lot of John Hassards around Lyme Regis in the 16th and 17th centuries, and they seem to get frequently confused. Just for once we have something more concrete, or at least solid oak:
. . . in his 80th year he built at his own expense a handsome gallery in the church at Lyme, with carving in a debased roman style — which bears on the west end of the nave the following inscription, in capitals :— " John Hassard BVILT THIS TO THE GLORY OF ALMIGHTIE GOD IN THE EIGHTIETH YEAR OF HIS AGE, ANNO DOMINI 1611." On the south side appears:— John Hassard, SEVEN TIMES MAIOR, DECEASED THE SEVENTH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1612."
- the photo shows the inscription on the beam, click for a larger version:
- from Outlines of the History and Genealogy of the Hassards and their Connections (link to original book - PDF 9.4mb, 76 pages) - Rev Henry Short, 1858 (photo from the edited version by Henry Swanzy, 1903). Rev Short continues (emphasis added):
In the same year he made his will, which was proved in Doctors Commons. In the preamble, he first thanks Almighty God for his manifold mercies, then expresses his entire faith in His Son Jesus Christ, for pardon and reconciliation, &c. ; after which he requests that his body may be laid "within the Church of Lyme, under the Gallery which he had made." (There has long been a tradition that he had built the Church ; probably this good work may have been performed by one of his ancestors.) He then commences with some bequests to the poor : amongst others he leaves a house for the use of a " Widow man or widow woman," in perpetuity ; also an almshouse ; then he mentions sums of money for the poor in the different places in which he possessed property. To the Vicar of Lyme he leaves £1.
After which he bequeaths sums of money and plate to each of his children and grandchildren by name ; then he makes his eldest son, John, his heir to all landed property in Great Bridport, Allington, Parsons Holme, Waldich, Charmouth, and Axminster ; to him he also leaves a quantity of plate, two silver goblets, together with some furniture. In case of John's death, each of his sons and grandsons are mentioned in the entail. To his wife, Thomasine, he leaves the choice of an annuity or a dowry of a third, &c. In case of her accepting the former, he requests his son, John, to give her the two best rooms in his house at Lyme, and to provide handsomely for her and her maid. Mr. Hassard lastly requests that the sum of £20 per annum, which had been bequeathed to his wife by her father, John Parrot, Esq., may be paid to her by Mr. John Yonge, of Collyton, as executor of the will.
Unfotunately Rev. Short doesn't quote the will in full (if anyone reading this can get a complete transcript please forward it!), but he does go on to detail the next generations, and we must assume he got the next two generations right as he does seem to have read the will.
John, his heir, administered to his will as sole executor, A.D. 1612.
Mr. Hassard left issue, three sons and three daughters :
I. John, of whom we shall treat hereafter.
II. Robert. III. Richard.
I. Susan, II. Anna. III. Thomasine.
Short deals first with the younger children:
II. Robert. "What his profession was is unknown ; but from the absence of his name in the archives of Lyme, we conclude that he was amongst those who took up arms in his country's cause. . . we ... only know that Mr. Hassard married, and had a daughter named Ann, who received a legacy from her grandfather, John Hassard, Esq.
III. Richard. He is mentioned in his father's will, and received an equal share of property with his brother.
I. Susan, the eldest daughter, married Mr. Hardye, to whom was bequeathed by her father, certain monies, an emerald ring, &c. They left two sons, Walter and George.
II. Anna. She married — Torker, Esq., of Axminster, and also received from her father some monies and a ring.
III. Thomasine. She also is mentioned in her father's will, but we have no further trace of her. We now come to treat of the eldest son,
Then the eldest son:
John, Lord de Beer, M. P., &c. He married Josephine. To him was bequeathed by his father, lands in Lyme Regis, also in Great Bridport, Allington, Charmouth, Axminster, Waldich, and Parsons Holme near Lyme, together with a portion of plate, two silver goblets, &c., and some furniture. While his father mentions each of his sons and grandsons in the entail, he leaves his eldest son, John, his sole executor. And we find from the will in Her Majesty's Court of Probates that he accordingly administered to it within six months after his father's death.
. . . He left five sons :
I. John, Lord de Beer, &c. II. Robert. III. Samuel. IV. George. V. Matthew.
The last of these, Matthew, is of the most interest to the family tree on this website, but frustratingly Short makes no further mention of him in his book - though that could be consistent with him going a separate way from the family, probably ending up on the opposite side during the civil war..
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies states that Matthew Hazzard was b.1601, which seems about right from everything above, but also that he was the son of George Hazzard of Lyme Regis. If this is the same Matthew then George was his older brother not his father. ODNB doesn't give a specific source for their statement, but given all the confusion around this family it could be an easily understandable error.