NINTH GENERATION
Golding CURTIS was the son of John & Mary Curtis. He was born about
1694 going by his age on his marriage licence. To understand the
origins of Golding Curtis one must first consider the rarity of this
name. It appears to only occur in this line of the Curtis family.
Secondly is the mention of four children as beneficiaries in the wills
of Hellen Warner and Mary Lucking as follows :- The Will of Hellen
Warner of Newport Pond, Essex, made in 1699 and proved in 1701.
[Essex Record Office - D/ABW 77/65] :-
"Item, I give and bequeath unto John Curtis, Mary Curtis, George Curtis,
and Golding Curtis - the four children of John Curtis (late of Matchin
[sic. Matching] in the County of Essex Farmer deceased) the sume of
forty shillings apiece ...." This will names many beneficiaries
across Essex and into Cambridge showing the network and mobility of
families there. Modern days researchers often think people didn't move
far in previous times, however I have several examples of wills showing
extended mobility in families in the 1600 and 1700's,
the will of William Slater being a good example.
This will doesn't name the relationship between Hellen Warner and the
Curtis family, however more on Warners below. Next the Will of Mary
Lucking of Upminster, Essex, made in 1708 and proved in 1714.
[Essex Record Office - D/ABW 81/148] :-
"Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my brother George Cortice of Lathen
Roding [sic. Leaden Roding] in the County of Essex servant the sume of
twenty shillings ..., Item I give and bequeath unto John Cortice and
Golding Cortice sones of John Cortice late of Little Laver in the County
of Essex husbandman deceased ..... I give and bequeath unto my kinsman &
kinswoman George Cortice and Mary Cortice now living with me .... (also
named as executors)" This will takes a little deciphering. Mary names
George of Leaden Roding as her brother, but she does not name John,
Golding, George or Mary as siblings. Therefore I believe she and her
brother George are relations of and most likely cousins to John,
Golding, & kin George & Mary, they all being siblings as named in the
will of Hellen Warner. Note Matching and Little Laver are adjoining
parishes and farmers / husbandmen often had multiple land holdings, I
think the deceased John snr mentioned is the same person as the family
do not appear in the Matching registers. Mary Lucking of Upminster,
her will links the Curtis family from the area further north, Matching,
Little Laver and the Rodings. Aveley where we next see the four
siblings, is adjacent to Upminster, hence the links and progression of
the four siblings are established. Unfortunately there is a
gap in the Aveley Parish Registers from 1647-1717. But the above can be
ascertained from the two wills. In the Aveley register the surnames
Warner and Lucking also appear perhaps indicating further close
connections and common movements within these related families. In
addition Golding's probable father-in-law, John Lovell a blacksmith of
Aveley was found guilty of poaching in 1703 together with a Simon
Lucking a yeoman of Aveley, again the connection to the Lucking family.
The four siblings are recorded in Aveley as follows :-
- Mary
2 Nov 1714 - Upminster - Marriage of Joseph Hunphreys
widower & Mary Curtis spinster both of Aveley parish with a licence.
[Upminster Parish Register]
- George
12 Jan 1714/15 - Saint Benet Pauls Wharf,London -
Marriage of George Curtis of Aveley, Essex, batchelor and Mary
Wibrow of the same spinster. [Saint Benet Pauls Wharf,London
Marriage Register]
- Golding / Golden
Marriage Licence of Golding Curtis :- 21
July 1720 - George Curtis, yeoman of Aveley, batchelor aged about 26
yrs & Mary Lovell of Aveley, spinster aged upwards of 21 yrs. To be
married in St. James Dukes Place London. [Bishop of London Marriage
Licences] The marriage does not appear in that church's marriage
register, so whether they just got the licence and went from there
without actually marrying, or got married in another yet to be
ascertained church is unknown at present.
- John
1719 - Will of Mary Curtis widow of George Curtis (see
marriage of George above in 1714 to Mary Wibrow) :- "It is the desire of Mrs Mary Curtis [of Aveley]
the widow of George Curtis deceased to have William Cox and Golden
[Golding] Curtis to be trustees to her two sons George and John and if
Golden should die her brother John shall succeed him in his room
(substitute)" She says John "her brother" but as she is not a Curtis
but originally Mary Wibrow she must mean brother as in brother in
law. Will follows further :- "And if the children both die John
and Golden Curtis and Elizabeth Bragham (Bingham)2 to divide it
equally among them." John is mentioned in conjunction with Golden /
Golding. [Essex
wills - 1720 Curtis, Mary, widow, Aveley 91/BR/18]
It is this accumulation of information that follows the trail of
these siblings from Matching / Little Laver, to Upminster, to Aveley.
See a graphical map of these movements. He was buried on
12 Dec 1728 in
Aveley. Golding Curtis "married" Mary
LOVELL as above. Due to the gap in the Aveley register if
Mary was christened there then there is no longer a record of it. Her
father was most likely John Jovell.
Children were:-
- Golding CURTIS was christened on the 20 Sep 1721 in Aveley,
Essex.
- John CURTIS was
christened on the 20 July 1724 in Aveley, Essex.
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