Middlemore Family Genealogy

Hawkesley Family

53. William Middlemore, of Hawkesley, esquire. In 1647 he conveyed, evidently by way of settlement, to Daniel Greives, of King's Norton, gent., and Richard Preist, ofSt. Clement Danes, Middlesex, yeoman, the site of the manor house of Hawkeslow, and lands belonging to the said manor in King's Norton and Cofton Hacket.

In a deed, 27 October, 1640, he was described as William Middlemore, of Hawkeslowe, gent., son and heir apparent of John Middlemore, son and heir of William Middlemore, of Hawkeslowe, esquire; he sold for £150 to Richard Fulford, of King's Norton, his house in which the latter lived, and land which his grandfather, William Middlemore, had devised to him.

About 1654 he appears to have been building a house in King's Norton, which perhaps indicates the rebuilding of Hawkesley House. A dispute about the payment, ,£98, 4s. 6d., of the timber for this house, which he bought from Richard Fulford, of King's Norton, and John Smith, of Northfield, led to a lawsuit in 1659.

In 1637 his father, John Middlemore, and he became bound to John Trowte for ,£60, and twenty-five years after Trowte sued him, alleging that John Middlemore, being seized of lands worth at least £100 a year, and personalty of ,£500, devised the same to William, who neglected to prove his father's will or to exhibit an inventory, and now refused to discharge the bond. It will be remembered that his mother, Bridget, took out letters of administration, and that John Middlemore died in distress in Worcester gaol. William Middlemore was also sued by the gaoler on a bond he had given to secure the cost of his father's maintenance there.

William Middlemore was buried as William Middlemore, of Hauksloe, esquire, at King's Norton, 29 December, 1663, and as his widow, Susan, renounced administration on 25 January, 1663-4, while on 5 Apri1, 1664, William Davenport, a principal creditor, took out letters of administration, we may assume that, like his father, he died in impoverished circumstances, which is not very surprising when we. remember the losses they sustained in the Civil Wars, the siege of Hawkesley House, which occurred during this William Middlemore's possession of it, and the heavy penalties imposed upon them for their adherence to the Roman Catholic faith.

Figure 35  Signature of William Middlemore the younger

He married Susannah, daughter of George Middlemore (21), of Haselwell, esquire, by Frances, daughter and heir of Robert Stanford.

She remarried John Savage, and by him had a second family of, certainly, three daughters, (I) Elizabeth, (2) Eleanor, (3) Anne, all mentioned in 1680 in the will of their half-sister, Susannah Middlemore.

William and Susannah Middlemore had issue:

  1. John Middlemore, of Hawkesley, of whom next (54).
  2. Mary, born 9 November, 1653 ; mentioned in will of aunt Margaret, 1686, living 4 September, 1725, named in will of brother George, 1705.
  3. Susannah, of Bettill, in Alvechurch, co. Worcester, entered in King's Norton register as born January, 1665, buried there as "Mrs. Susan Middlemore," 25 January, 1680-1.
    4. Will, 10 January, 1680, proved at Worcester, 16 February, 1681, "weak and frail in body," to be buried at King's Norton. She named her brothers John (eldest), William, George; sisters Elizabeth, Eleanor and Anne Savage, her mother, Susannah Savage, Mrs. Ann Middlemore, wife 0f John, and her loving aunt, Mrs. Anne Walker, and her daughter, Elizabeth Walker.  Executrix, loving sister Margaret Middlemore.
  4. William Middlemore, of Hawkesley, of whom hereafter (55).
  5. George Middlemore, of Hawkesley, of whom hereafter (56).
  6. Margaret, executrix of sister Susannah, 1681, mentioned in wills of aunts Elizabeth and Margaret, and of brother John, in 1705.