Alice Walwyn (c.1444-1518)
Born: c.1444 at [Bickerton Court?] in Gloucestershire
Parents: William Walwyn and his wife Elizabeth
Married: c.1468 to Thomas Baynham and before 1503 to Sir Walter Denys
Died: 1518 at Mitcheldean
Alice was born, at [Bickerton Court?] in Gloucestershire by 1444. She was the daughter and sole heiress of William Walwyn and his wife Elizabeth.
Alice married Thomas Baynham in around 1468, when she was around 24 and he was around 46.
They had six children: Anne, Elizabeth and Isabel, before 1471; Christopher in c.1472; then Agnes / Susanna and Jane.
Alice died at Mitcheldean on 22nd October 1518, aged about 74.
Alice was the daughter and sole heiress of William Walwyn and his wife Elizabeth.
William’s father was also William Walwyn who had inherited the manor house at Clearwell when he married Johanna, Robert Grendour’s sister. Robert had built the original manor house, but had no male heir.
[ add details of inheritance of Isabella de Dene ]
After Thomas’ death, Alice married Sir Walter Denys of Alveston, Gloucestershire. He too was Sheriff of Gloucestershire, in 1481 and 1492; he died in 1505.
She survived him too and, as ‘Alice Denys —[ Thomas] — Baynam, esq., co. Glouc., widow‘, was included in a royal pardon by King Henry VIII on his accession in 1509.
Alice died on 10th October 1518, aged 66.
Three IPMs were held for Alice Denys – in 1518, 1519 and 1574.
[ NA IPM refs ? ]
Alice left a will, proved on 4th February 1519.
[ NA PROB ref ? ]
Notes:
The IPM of Alice’s father William Walwyn found that he died on 1st October 1471 (Tuesday next after the feast of St. Michael 11th Edward IV) and that Alice wife of Thomas Beynam, Esq. is daughter and heir of the said William, and is aged 27 years and more. So, if Alice was at least 27 years of age in 1471, she must have been born by 1444.
A later IPM, of Joan Barre, in 1486 referred to Alice Beynam, aged 30 and more, now wife of Thomas Beynam, esq; this would suggest a birth year of no later that 1456.
However, given that she had produced three daughters by 1471 and had therefore probably married Thomas before 1468, it appears more likely that she was born around 1444 than 1456.
Also, in the IPMs, an age of 27+ years is more precise and probably more accurate than an age of 30+.
Some sources record the wife of William Walwyn as Elizabeth Lanks, daughter of William Lanks II (1415-1471) and his wife Elizabeth.
Others show her as Elizabeth Leakes.
Acknowledgements:
- 1509 – General pardon granted to Alice Denys by Henry VIII – National Archives, C 67/56
- 1518 IPM of Alice Denys – National Archives, C 142/33/69
- 1519 IPM of Alice Denys – National Archives, C 142/34/123
- 1574 IPM of Alice Denys – National Archives, C 142/169/78