Information submitted by Betty Harris, Priscilla McElvein and Dennis Partridge

The ancestry of the Medfield Partridge’s has been listed incorrectly over the years (including by me). Too often it seems that good honorable researchers are simply replicating what has been listed as the ancestry of a person instead of actually conducting the research for themselves. As with the ancestry of George Partridge this appears to have happened with this branch of the family as well.

The most popular ancestry reported has come from the publication of the Partridge Genealogy by George H. Partridge. Page 3 states the following:

It may be well, however, for the benefit of those who desire to extend their researches to England, to call attention to the fact that in the Visitation of Essex ^[1]Harl. Soc. Pub., xiii., part 1, p. 465, which was made in the year 1634, the children of Captain John Partridge of Navestock, were John, aged about 14 years, William, Jane and Margarett. From information obtained from the vicar of the parish of Navestock, in 1899, by Mr. Frank Harvey Partridge, of New York, it appears that of the foregoing children, William was born in 1622, and Margarett in 1628.

There was then made a comparison of William’s age as stated in his will made in 1692 as “about seventy years” ^[2]Suff. Co. Prob. Rec., vol xiii., p. 75, and the will of Margery Stacy, of Medfield, relict widow of Thomas Mason, made in 1695, as “about sixty and seven years.” George then goes on to write that:

These coincidences, while they prove nothing, should, it seems to the writer, be given consideration in clearing up the mystery of the English origin of the Medfield Partridge’s.

How ill-fated those words appear to be now… Historians and genealogists (such as myself) have transposed this to be that this is indeed the ancestry of the Medfield branches. The following information will refute this.

I should state that I am indebted to two individuals for their help in ascertaining that this branch of the family does not descend from the Navestock branch. First, to Priscilla McElvein, who sent me information in 1993 and 1994 concerning the Navestock Parish including photos of some of the Partridge markers inside the rectory. I also am indebted to Betty Harris for supplying the ammunition to disprove this ill-fated theory.

Reading the St Thomas’s Navistock Parish Records [FHL film # 1472587] the following Partridges and their relations were found: [Caution-As expected, the film was difficult to read and some entries are probably missed because they were illegible; also the entries from 1640 to 1650 were few indeed.

[Legend: bp=christened; m= married; bur=buried; all dates Julian]

Year Day Month Event Name

• 1539 Mar bp Elizabeth d/o John Greene
• 1541 12 Sep bp Pernell d/o John Greene
• 1541 20 Oct bur Parnell Greene
• 1543 23 Sep bp Elizabeth d/o Gabriel Partridge
• 1541 20 Oct bur Elizabeth Greene
• 1544 21 Mar bp Bartholomew Partridge
• 1545 28 Sep bp Parnell d/o John Greene
• 1567 22 Jan m Bartholomew Partridge m Parnell Greene
• 1573 23 Dec bur John s/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1575 3 Jan bp Pernell d/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1575 13 Feb bur Pernell d/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1576 Mar bp Catherine d/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1576 Nov bp Mary d/o William Partridge
• 1578 Oct bp Johannes s/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1580 11 Jan bp William s/o William Partridge
• 1581 10 Aug bur Margaret, wife of William Partridge
• 1583 Sep bp Bartholomew s/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1586 16 Aug bp Pernella d/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1590 22 Apr bp` Gabriel s/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1590 Jun bur Pernella d/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1597 Aug bur Pernella, wife of Bartholomew Partridge
• 1598 7 Aug bur Bartholomew Partridge
• 1605 Feb m Maria Partridge and [?]
• 1620 26 Jul bur Gabriel s/o Gabriel Partridge
• 1621 17 Aug bur Marie d/o Gabriel Partridge
• 1622 24 Oct bp Jane d/o John Partridge
• 1623 20 Jun bur Bartholomew s/o Gabriel Partridge
• 1625 19 Apr bp William s/o John Partridge
• 1629 Jun bur Edward Partridge, widowman
• 1629 25 Jan bur William s/o Mr John Partridge
• 1629 4 Mar bp Ann d/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1630 8 Feb bp William s/o Mr John Partridge
• 1636 11 Sep bur William s/o Mr John Partridge
• 1653 23 Jun bp Thomas s/o John Partridge
• 1666 24 may bur Jan: Partridge, widow

The following are taken from markers in the floor of St Thomas, Navistock Parish, Essex. England. [report of visit to church by P M McElvein]

On same marker:

1-John Partridge, gent, dyed 24 mar 1653 at age 34. [b 1619]

John Partridge [WI] son dyed 18 dec 1671 age 23. [b 1648]

2-John Partridge gent late of Drake’s Hill in Navestock, son and heir to John Partridge Citizen and Cutler of London, who dyed the 25th of Oct 1683 age 29. [b 1654]\

An entry in IGI led to reading the St Gregory by St Paul Parish records, London, [FHL # 0375028]:

• 1573 2 Feb m George Partridge m Agnes Cowdry
• 1602 3 Oct bp Margaret d/o Robert Partridge, Bellringer at St Paul
• 1619 21 May m John Partridge m Jane Hogg
• 1623 12 Jan m John Partridge m Anne Stockwell

Listed in parish records of St Bride Fleet Street [FHL # 0574366] was the burial of Rose d/o Harrye Partridge on 12 oct 1592.

St Brides Fleet St [FHL #0574353] had the following christenings:

• 1588 29 Oct bp Elizabeth d/o Bartholomew Patricke
• 1589 24 feb bp Jane d/o Henry Patryche
• 1591 14 Sep bp Mary d/o Henry Partricke
• 1594 16 May bp Anne d/o Henry Partridge
• 1595 20 Jan bp Isabel d/o Henry Partridge
• 1598 7 Apr bp John s/o Henry Partridge
• 1620 20 Jul bp Martha d/o Edmund and Jarman Partridge
• 1622 22 Jan bp Thomas s/o Edmund and Joanne Partridge
• 1625 22 Apr bp John s/o Edmund and Jo—- Partridge
• 1625 8 May bp William s/o John and Joane Partridge
• 1627 27 Dec bp Margaret d/o John and Joane Partridge
• 1640 4 Nov bp Philip s/o Thomas and Judah Partridge.

Also read was the St Martin Ludgate of London parish records: [FHL 0374476]

• 1576 4 Nov m James Partridge m Dorothy Water, maiden
• 1588 28 Nov bp Bartholomew s/o John Partridge, schambler
• 1589 21 May m John Partridge m Elizabeth Fou[?ts], maid
• 1590 21 Feb bp John s/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1592 8 Oct bp Thomas s/o Bartholomew Partridge
• 1593 7 Sep bp Elizabeth d/o Bartholomew Partridge, haber’dhr
• 1593 11 Sep bur ——- d/o Bartholomew Partridge. haberdasher
• 1593 20 Sep bur ——, wife of Bartholomew Partridge
• 1601 4 Feb bp William s/o Henry Partridge
• 1608 21 Mar bur Bartholomew Partridge, haberdasher

The IGI shows that John Partridge of St Martins Ludgate had: Martha b 1550; James b 1552; Bartholmew b 1553; Joys {Joyce] b 1555; and Bartholomew b 1557.

Little Ilford, Essex parish records [FHL 0857062] lists:

• 1547 25 Sep bur Joane Partridge
• 1557 Nov bur Gabriel Partridge
• 1567 28 Feb bur Mary Partridge
• 1584 18 Oct bp Gabriel s/o William Partridge

Kelvedon Hatch, Essex parish records [FHL 1472455] has one entry:

• 1581 15 Jan m William Partridge to Elizabeth ?Hager

The Essex Manor Abstracts [FHL 0091162-D/DLTi 168] state “In June 1357,William Partriche and Agnes his wife, wid of Richard Laurence of Aveley, to John, s&h of Richard Laurence, of a tenement with curtilage and garden in Aveley, formerly of Richard Laurence.”

The Essex Manor Abstracts [FHL 009163] show that on 3 may 1484 Roger Partridge of Navistock and Thomas Rukke of Havering transfered to William Glassier and John Samane, both of Figerith, and John Reynold of Stondon, land in Stondon.

The Essex Manor Abstracts [FHL 0091165 D/Du126] states that at Mickelmas 1635 Final Concord, Gervase Partriche v. Nicholas Webbing, gent, Trainor Sparks, and wife, Joan-one messuage and garden and one orchard in Barking Essex.

In an article in “Footprints of Our Past” [vol 4-4-81] the will, written 22 jun 1560; probated 12 Oct 1560 [83 ER 10], of Olive Wright, widow of John Wright of Kelvedon Hatch, mentions, among others, daughter Katherine,wife of John Greene and their daughter, Pernell. Olive Hubbard, d/o Samuel,was christened 22 feb 1486 Dagenham, Essex where she married John Wright 17 Mar 1509. They had at least 7 children; three of her sons were named John; ie, John of Kelvedon, John of Bridge Street and John of Wealdside, Essex. All of these plus son, Robert, lived to produce many offspring, as did Olive’s 3 daughters; Katherine, Alice and Elizabeth.

An Email note from a Britisher referred me to the Childerdich parish wills: [FHL 0091217]. The will of Margery Wallis [16 ER 17] written on May 11 1591; probated 10 Sep 1 1591, mentions: son, William Partridge and his son Gabriel and Gabriel’s daughters; Joan/Jane and Margery; son, Bartholomew Partridge who had John, Bartholomew, Gabriel, Robert, Mary, and Parnell. Both sons were executors.

The will of William Partridge of Stamford le Hope, Essex [FHL 0091217]; written and probated in 1598, mentions: wife, Johan, former wife of John Hammond of Puttingham; son, Gabriel and daughter, Johan and her daughter Mary Spenser; son-in-law Christopher Wilson; stepchildren Richard, John, Ann, Susan nd Parnell Hammond; and William’s siblings: Bartholomew, Gabriel, Katherine, Mary, and John.

The will of John Partridge of Navistock was written 1 Oct 1652 and probated 27 Jun 1663 [FHL ]. He mentions wife, Jane; son, John, and daughter, Margaret; and grandchildren Thomas and Jane Lake; son in law John Lake and cousin, John Comber. [Possible will of John who married Jane Hogg.]

The Medfield MA records show that Margery Partridge married Thomas Mason on 29 Apr 1653 [p429]. This data indicates that the 3 Partridges that came to Massachusetts in 1650 were not the offspring of Captain John Partridge. His sons, named William. both died young and his daughter, Margaret, was married by 1652. Both the son, John, and daughter, Margaret, appear to be living in England about the same time that Margery Partridge married Thomas Mason in Massachusetts.