Thomas Packer (bef. 1563 - bef. 1607)

Born before 4 Sep 1563 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Thomazine (Westwood) Packer — married 1591 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Descendants

Died before 28 Dec 1607 at about age 44 in Alstone, Gloucestershire, England

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Biography

Thomas was named as a son of Edward Packer and Joan Drinkwater in the Visitation of Gloucester. ^[1] He was baptised at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire on 4 Sep 1563. ^[2]

On 20 January 1588, Thomas was admitted to the Middle Temple in London as the son and heir of Edward Packer of Alston, Gloucestershire.^[3] Alston was a hamlet in the parish of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

He was not named in the 1599 will of his father ^[4] so it is possible he had already received his inheritance.

At the time of the Visitation (1623) he was described as being of Alston, Gloucestershire and married to Thomazine Westwood, daughter of Robert Westwood. They had at least six children:

• Thomas
• Robert
• Edward
• Joan (1601)
• John (1603)
• William (1604)

i.Thomas ‘Parker’ bp 2 May 1591, father Edmond of Alston, belongs with this group determined after studying the records of the parish. The Thomas Packer who was born about 1595 in Bibury, Gloucestershire and who was buried on 31 Jul 1613 St. Mary of Cheltenham his father was identified on his records as Thomas of Roidons.

ii.Robert Packer born about 1593 in Alstone, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, married Anne Moscall. Robert was buried on 23 Apr 1643 in St. Mary of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England)

iii. Edward (or Edmond) Packer born abt.1599, burial/death 22 Jun 1626 in (not in St. Mary) Cheltenham, ‘gentleman for Alstone’. (review if bp for Edmond) RN: The parish transcript is in error for the year, incorrectly listed as 1624 for year.

iv.Joan Packer bp. 11 Aug 1601 St. Mary of Cheltenham (daughter of Thomas ‘gent’ ‘of Altstone’, died in 1601 about age 4, and was buried on 25 Aug 1601.

v. John Packer bp. 26 Jun 1602 in St. Mary of Cheltenham, and was buried on 3 Nov 1640 ‘of Alstone’. There is a John Packer marriage to Ann Packer on 16 Jul 1633, he was John ‘the Leighe’.

vi. William Packer bp. 18 Nov 1604 St. Mary of Cheltenham. This individual is the only possible match for the burial record of a William Packer buried 1 Apr 1625 St. Mary of Cheltenham ‘of Alstone’ adult.

Alice Packer b. abt. 1610 m. Thomas Kendall 8 May 1628 in St. Mary of Cheltenham. There is no information on who her father was but I suspect she fits with this family group. (Name of a great grandparent and the family did use family names.)

Thomas died in Dec 1607 and was buried 28 Dec 1607 in St. Mary of Cheltenham. The register described him as Thomas Packer, gent, of Alston. ^[5] In 1613 his wife Thomazine was described in the Cheltenham parish registers as a widow, confirming that this is the Thomas who died 1607.

Research Notes:

• Other researchers have used the date of 27 May 1608 for his death in London, England for this individual. This date and location might relate to dates of his will. I don’t know the source. It could belong to another individual. But there is a burial in his parish that matches him which occurs 6 months prior to this record.

• There is another Thomas Packer buried on 31 Jul 1613 St. Mary of Cheltenham but his was a different father (f. Thomason, Roidons).

• In the parish there is a marriage for a Thoams Packer 7 Jul 1593 to a a widow Agnes Holder. This record does not fit with this individual and best fits his father Edward’s generation, perhaps that of a cousin.

Sources

1. ↑ Chitting, Henry, d. 1638; College of Arms (Great Britain); Philipot, John, 1589?-1645; Camden, William, 1551-1623; Heane, William Crawshay, 1849- joint ed; Maclean, John, Sir, 1811-1895 The Visitation of the county of Gloucester, taken in the year 1623; 1885 Visitation
2. ↑ Parish Registers of Cheltenham. Cheltenham Local History Society
3. ↑ Packer, Donna Smith (Donna Edith Smith), On footings from the past : the Packers in England pg 29 Family Search
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 . Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.The National Archives; Kew, England; Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers;PROB 1193Ancestry Record 5111 #941925
5. ↑ Parish Registers of Cheltenham Cheltenham Parish Registers

For the baptisms of their children:

• Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, Gloucestershire; Gloucestershire Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: Gdr/V1/58.
• Bishop's Transcripts for Cheltenham, 1606-1812 DGS 8080980 https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/317321?availability=Family%20History%20Library