The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.48 No.1 | June 2021

Member’s article

been elected as one of two members for Midhurst, in 1555 and 1559. He is stated to be the son of Edmund Heighes and the servant of Anthony Browne, 1st. Viscount Montagu, The record states that Viscount Montagu and Sir Thomas Chamberlain were appointed as Ambassadors to King Phillip of Spain; the party left Plymouth at the end of February, reaching Toledo on 18 March, starting their return journey at the end of June. The report concludes that, “Heighes died shortly after his return, his will being proved in March 1561”.

We have found no will for Henry, his heir. He and his family are fitted into the family tree through a memorial plaque dated 18 November 1595, in the bay of the north window of the chancel of Binsted church and a record published by The Harleian Society, of the Visitation to Hampshire made in 1575, naming three sons. The plaque confirms that Henry was the son of Richard Heighes, gentleman and husband of Thomasina, daughter of Geoffrey UPTON , knight and that they had nine sons, “of whom Nicholas, Edward and John are living” and six daughters. Although Henry had nine sons, no evidence has been found that any of the sons gave him surviving grand-sons. This seems to be confirmed by the will of Henry’s son, Edward, who left his property to his “sister’s, daughter’s eldest son”, Samuel WOODFORD , great grandfather of Parson Woodforde the

Memorial in Binstead Church

diarist. Reference to A Short History and Description of the Town of Alton, by William Curtis, reveals that Edward was a J.P., particularly active during the Commonwealth. He conducted marriages and on 1 October 1653, Robert Bushell was sworn in by Edward as the Register (sic). Of the six daughters of Henry, we may have the names of three of them; Susanah who married Robert HAUNCH , the grandmother of Samuel Woodford, the principle beneficiary of Edward’s will of 1652, Mary, the wife of Laurence GALE of Alton and Thomasine who married John KITCHENER of Binsted.

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