6. Thomas Middlemore, of Edgbaston, esquire, was born about the year 1479, being aged thirty in 24 Henry VII, and died aged about forty-two, in his mother's lifetime, 9 December, 12 Henry VIII, 1521, being entitled on her death to the reversion of the manor of Edgbaston, and also to the reversion of three socage tenements in the town of Birmingham.
The manor of Studley and certain premises in Solihull had been settled upon him and his wife by his father Richard Middlemore. Studley and Solihull seem to have been the only property of which hewas seized at the time of his death.
It would seem that in 1506 he was admitted, together with his wife, being then certainly of Edgbaston, to the confraternity of the Guild of Knowle[14].
He married Anne, daughter of Richard Littleton[15], of Pillaton Hall, esquire. She survived him, and many year: after, being then of Brayles, married, as her second husband, William Willington, of Barcheston, whose first wife, as mentioned above (p. 35), was Anne Middlemore, sister of her first husband Thomas Middlemore. She seems also to have survived her second husband, who bequeathed to her the substantial legacy of 600 marks and also all his cattle and household goods. As already mentioned, this will resulted in litigation after the death of Anne Willington.
The children of Thomas Middlemore and Anne Littleton appear to have been:
- Robert Middlemore, of whom next (7).
- Richard Middlemore, priest, who received under the will of William Willington, his stepfather, a legacy of L30. He is, perhaps, the rector of Birmingham who was inducted 7 July, 1536, and held that living till 1554, and is probably) the Richard Myddelmore who supplicated for the degree of B.C.L. at Oxford in June, 1539, and was admitted 4 July.[16]
- Alice, married William Barnes[17], of Talton, esquire, formerly of Barcheston, who died 8 May, 1561, and was buried it Tredington church, Worcestershire. He was son of John Barnes and . . . Willington, but how he was related to Willington of Barcheston does not appear. The brass of Alice Barnes yet remains with this fragment of inscription;
- Winifred, mentioned as 'a legatee for a girdle and a white piece of silver in Dame Margerie Middlemore's will in 1530 at which date she appears to have been unmarried. She married ' Francis Stanley, of West Bromwich, who died in 1557. The family was of visitation rank, and entered a pedigree at the Staffordshire Visitation in 1663-4.
- Eleanor, married Clement Agard[18], of Foston, co. Derby. Also, according to some authorities,
- Margery, also named in Dame Margery Middlemore's will, receiving a gilt goblet, being then unmarried. She is evidently the "cousin Margaret," a legatee in the
will, proved
Figure 11 Fragment of Brass to William Barnes and Alice Middlemore
1537, of Doctor William Throckmorton, who adds, "1 will that nothing be delivered to my cousin Margaret till she be divorced from her husband."
There seems, however, reason to suppose that she was the daughter of another Thomas Middlemore, probably (46), and her marriage with Edward Underhill will be dealt with in the account of the Hawkesley Middlemores.
- Godith, married (i) Henry Birmingham, of Nether Orton and Little Tew, who was born about 1496 and died in 1531. He was son of William Birmingham, lord of the manor of Birmingham, who died in 1500, by Margery Hall, his second wife, who remarried Walter Bulstrode. The only child of Henry Birmingham and Godith Middlemore was:
[Here lieth buried under this] tombe the bodies of Willm Barneis of [Talton and of Alice his wyffe daughter of Thomas Middelmor [of (Edgbaston Esq. which W]illm Barnes died the viii daye of Maye [1561] . . . I and whiche Alice his wyffe continu . . . her death died in the year of o' lord ... es god have mercye.
In the time of Nash this monument would seem to have been perfect, or nearly so, as he states that the figure of a gentleman and his wife then existed in the "south aisle of Treadington Church."
In 1882 a slab 7 ft. by 3 ft. remained in the south aisle, with matrix indicating the position of the brasses formerly thereon. In its original state it consisted of the effigies of husband and wife, standing on an inscribed plate of brass. Between them was a shield, and underneath the husband and wife were groups of sons and daughters. The fragments of the brass were loose, and were kept in the vestry. They left issue four sons and three daughters.
William Birmingham, of Shutford, Oxfordshire, who on the death, about 1537, of Edward Birmingham, lord of the manor of Birmingham, became the last male heir of that ancient family. William Birmingham (the son of Godith) died s.p. 10 August, 1553.
She married (a) James Bulstrode, evidently before 1555, as she is mentioned under the latter name in the will of William Willington.