The Family of KemmisThe Family of KemmisKemys of Croydon
XVI. James Kemys: second son of Jenkin Kemeys (XV) of the Vaendre, Glamorganshire, (see which branch) by his wife Juliana: of Croydon, Co. Surrey in 1483. Father of. 1. Thomas. ?2. James: of the City of London; administration London 15th. July 1562, (? and previously in 1559) by his widow Helen, daughter of .....Foster; her administration as "Elena Kemys alias Foster, late of Pochie Street, le Minories" was taken out in London 23rd. September 1609 by her grandson Thomas Barnes. ?3. John: living 1570; married Rachel daughter of ....; she was buried 23rd. March 1570 at St. Michael, Cornhill (293). 4. Katherine; married (295) Anthony Throckmorton of Cheston, Co. Hertford, second son of Wm Throckmorton of Crowsland, Co. Gloucester, by Margaret, daughter and heiress of Sir David Mathew of Radyr, Knt., who bore "Gules, on a chevron argent 3 bars-gemelles, sable". 5. A daughter; married ..... Amyce.
XVII. Sir Thomas Kemys, Knt. of Croydon; addressed as Sir Thomas Kemys" by the Earl of Devonshire in a letter dated Louvain 12th. November 1555 in which his lordship acknowledges the receipt of a letter from him with enclosures and desires to hear frequently from him (296): appointed 20th. January 1561 to be of the Council of the North, of which Henry Earl of Rutland was President, and to receive as Secretary of the same #33. 6s. 8d. yearly (297): September 1562 received and mustered certain soldiers at Rye, as he informed (298) Sir Wm. Cecill, Secretary of State, by letter dated 24th. of that month; in command of 105 men, with other troops, sailed 3rd. October same year to Newhaven and thence to Dieppe, which he reached 6th. of same month and served at the siege of that place; had returned to Portsmouth 10th. November following; at Newhaven 19th. of the same month when he wrote to Cecil that he should employ his wages in refurnishing his band which would take 7 or 8 months, and desired some further charge amongst such bands as should come over, whereby he might maintain himself (299): mentioned in a letter of the Queen's to the Earl of Warwick, dated 31st. May 1563, as if then alive; died at Havre of the plague during the siege when the town was defended by Dudley, Earl of Warwick; Will dated 27th. June 1563 and proved in London by his widow on 20th. August following; married Elizabeth, daughter of ..... Issue. 1. Richard. 2. Anthoney; under agge in 1563; of Hogesden in St. Leonard's Shoreditch, at the age of 24; served as a Captain under the Earl of Esses in Munster (300), and also served in Portugal. In the Acts of the Privy Council of 16th. May 1589 occurs a letter, addressed to Thomas Coxson, "Anthony Kemmis" and two others in reply to their letter written from Rochell in which they stated that they had ben driven there by the unskilfulness of their Spanish shipmasters, informing them that English Pilots would be sent to them at once "to conduct them to their Generall towardes Lisbone", whom they must rejoin at once. Died at St. Leonard's; Will dated 8th. September 1608 and proved in London 4th. October following; married Lucy, daughter of ...., she survived him and married secondly at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate on 28th. October 1608 Richard Disher, "Chandler" (301); father of (a) Richard, baptised at Hackney 20th. September 1601. (b) Mary; baptised at Hackney 11th. February 1600. 3. Agnew; married aet. 20 .... Barnwell; living 1611. 4. Mary; married Thomas Judkins prior to 1611.
XVIII. Richard Kemys: under age in 1563: of Andover, Hampshire, at the age of 24: had a house in Winchester and tenements in Southampton: defendant (302) with Tristam Skeate, John Pyttman, and Henry Skeate in a suit in Chancery, tempore Queen Elizabeth, respecting the Manor and farm of Grateley, Southampton, purchased by them of George, Lord Audley and Sir James Marvyn, Knt.: died 6th. October 1611; Will dated 25th. September 1611, and proved in London 8th. November following, under which he left #400 to be laid out in land of which the profits were reckoned at #200, of which sum #5 was to endow a lectureship at Andover, #5 to help the free school there, #5 to provide a weekly and #5 a Good Friday dole of bread, he further left #50 for the maintenance of the Church ornaments, #100 for paving Andover town, #40 for the poor of Andover, #10 for those of Winchester and #5 for those of Houghton, Stockbridge, Longstock and Upper Clatford (303): has a monument in Andover Church to himself, his wife and six children, all kneeling in due order (303); married Lady Anne de la Warre, widow (304). Issue, a daughter Katherine; living 1608-11; a witness to the will of her uncle Anthony Kemys; married prior to 1612.... Seye; she and her Aunt Mary Judkins unsuccessfully disputed her father's will in 1612.
Footnotes to Kemys of Croydon
(293) Harleian Soc. Register, Vol. VII.
(295) Vide "Visitation of Gloucestershire", 1623.
(296) "Cal. State Papers", 1555, p. 71.
(297) "Cal. State Papers, foreign", 1560-1, pp 511, 908.
(298) "Cal. State Paper", 1562, in which volume, as well as in that for the following year, are many of his letters.
(299) This and other letters of his are stated to have been sealed.
(300) Hist: M.S.S. Commission, Earl de La Warr's M.S.S. In the Marquis of Salisbury's M.S.S. occur two letters of Capt. Ant. Kemis to the Earl of Essix, dated 1595 and 1596.
(301) Vide "London Marriage Licences".
(302) "Pleading in Chancery temp. Queen Elizabeth", Vol. 1, p. 381. The purchase was made on the undertaking that the property whould be re-conveyed to the plaintiffs in separate parcels.
(303) Woodward's Hampshire", Vol. iii, p. 177.
(304) Widow of first .... Owen, and second (? Lord) De la Warre.
Beginning of Document
Table of Contents
Kemeys of Vaendre
Kemeys of Caldicot
John L. & Irene Kemmis
E-mail: john.kemmis@kemmisfamily.info