Descendants of Richard Colles

The family of Colles was an ancient one of County Worcestershire and probably descended from the family of Cole/Colles of Somerset and Devonshire. They dwelt in Powick, Suckley, and Leigh which are a little south and west of the city of Worcester, County Worestershire. They owned estates in many parts of County Worcestershire and other shires. The Colles name has appeared since 1400 and was of 400 years in continuance in the county. Nash, in the history of Worcester- shire, 1799 notes concerning the hamlet of Suckley “Another capital farm in this hamlet is named Colles Place, which is mentioned in the leger of the priory of Malvern, in the reign of Henry III, as belonging to the family of Colles”.

Richard Colles, the earliest documented member of this family, was of Powick and was born maybe about 140x/141x. There are two versions of his death. In “Edmund Hawes of Yarmouth by James W. Hawes we find that “Richard Colles was buried in the Church of Powick in 1440" versus “The Harleian Society Publication #41 has Richard Colles living in 1447/1448". He married, maybe about 143x, Margaret Hall who was the daughter of Thomas Hall, Esq of Suckley which is located about seven miles west of Powick. She is assumed to be born abour 141x; her death date is unknown.

References:FH33:Colles:104-106; FH258:Gen13:7-8.

William Colles(1), son of Richard and Margaret Hall Colles, was born about 144x in Powick and resided in Bransford which is about two miles northwest of Powick. He died 1506 in Bransford but was buried in Powick. William Colles(1) was married twice. His first marriage, assumed to be about 146x, was to Isabell daughter of Richard Turberville. His second marriage, assumed to be about 148x, was to Alice, daughter of William and Margery Burghill Rompeney. There is disagreement as to which wife was the mother of our lineage, i.e., William Colles(2) of Leigh who was born about 1495. In “Edmund Hawes of Yarmouth” it is stated that Isabel Turberville was the mother while Henry James Young in “George Eldridge, Hydrographer etc” 1982, makes a strong case for Alice Rompeney being the mother. In that the son, William(2), was born about 1495, logic would indicate that Alice Rompeney was the mother.

References:FH33:Colles:104-107; FH258:Gen12:9-10; FH258:Pg.85.

William Colles(2), the son of William(1) and Alice Rompeney Colles, was born about 1495 in Bransford and resided in Leigh, Worcestershire which is about one mile northwest of Bransford.. In the church of Leigh we find the following inscription “In the southe Ile, beeinge our Ladye’s Channcell, on a playne stone with the Armes of Colles” is written “Here lies William Colles in the county of Worcester, a gentleman, who died August 1558 in his 63^rd year”. The stone is now built over by a modern organ. William Colles(2) left a will dated 21 May 1558 which was proved 30 Sept. 1558 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. William (2) Colles married about 152x Margaret, sister and coheiress of John Hitch of Gloucestershire, a family with their own Coat of Arms. Margaret Hitch Colles survived her husband and was buried at Leigh on 19 July 1572.

The extent of William Colles(2) will reflects a person of much land and the position associated with same. He left to his wife, Margaret, his house called the Rock, with the pastures belonging to it, which he bought of Thomas Rock; also an adjoining pasture which he bought of Richard Cave plus the tithes of Branford, then in the occupation of William Lynton. If she married she was to have 100 L in ready money and no more. To his son Michael he gave his lease and interest in the house or parsonage of Chocknell, a hamlet in Leigh, with all of the glebe land, meadows, and pastures belonging to it plus his lease and terms of years of a certain pasture in Grimley, Worcestershire, which he had of the demise and grant of the Bishop of Worcestershire; further for Michael, his lease and term of years of tithes within the parish of Claines, which he had of the grant of Roger Crump. To his son, William, he gave a lease of certain houses in London, which he lately had bought of Edmund Blacknell plus 100 marks “when he shall set up his occupation, or at the age of 21 years, as he will”. To his son, John, he gave all the leases that he had of the Prior and Convent of Much Malvern, i.e., Great Malvern; further for John, his lease and terms of years of the parsonage of Tewksbury, Gloucestershire, which he had of the grant of the late King Edward VI and certain lands in Herefordshire, which he purchased of Robert Winter. “I will my executors shall take all of the profits and rents of the above lands during the minority of my son John, towards his bringing up.

To his daughters Ursula and Elizabeth he gave L100 each, to be paid upon their respective marriages. To Eleanor Hitch, William Pytcher, son of Richard and Anne Colles Pytcher, and Alice Rudding, daughter of Edmund and Jane Colles Rudding, he gave L5 each to be paid upon the day of their marriages. To his son, Sir Edmund-Knight, he willed all of his lands, tenements, leases, and “Takes”, not before disposed of. To Mistress Anne Wythey he gave 10 shillings yearly during her life with meat and drink at the charge of his executors. He made bequests to all of his servants plus a bushel of grain to every poor man and woman dwelling in Leigh. There were quite a few other misc bequests. In summary, William Colles (2) was a man of very much property and a fair degree of wealth. His sons achieved positions of distinction and his daughters married well.

References:FH133:Colles:104-107; FH258:Gen11:8-9

Ursula Colles, the eighth child and fourth daughter, of William and Margaret Hitch Colles, was baptized 21 June 1540 at Leigh, Worcestershire and died prior 26 October 1610 at Solihull, Warwickshire. She married, in 1562 at Solihull, William Hawes-Gentleman who was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Brome Hawes.

References:Gen:V7-8:131-133; FH33:Colles:104-107; FH258:Gen10:10-11.