John Crouch (abt. 1519 - abt. 1606)

Born about 1519 in Barwick, Standon, Hertfordshire

Husband of Joan (Scott) Crouch — married 21 Sep 1560 in London, England

Descendants

Died about Feb 1606 at about age 87 in Corneybury, Layston, Hertfordshire, England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Christine Pike [send private message] and Fred Sheffield [send private message]

Biography

John Crouch was born in Hertfordshire, England.

John /Crouch/Crowch/Crowche ^[1] was born in 1519, at Barwick, a hamlet in the Parish of Standon in Hertfordshire. He was the son of John Crowche/Crouch of Standon, Hertfordshire. ^{[2] [3]}

Note: Layston Church's own web site has the name correctly spelled Crowch as it is on the monument.^[4]

John Crowch of Corneybury, Hertsfordshire, citizen and clothworker of London, married Joan Scott (daughter of Sir John Scot of London) on 21 Sep 1560, at St Margaret Moyses, Friday Street, London. ^[5] They had 10 (?12) children: ^{[2] [6]}

1. Thomas CROWCH (bur.1616, m. 1605 Sarah Gallard)
2. Nicholas CROWCH
3. William CROWCH (bap 1562 Dec 13) - ? plus another William shown (bap 1573 Nov 13, m. 1585 Thomasin Haughton)
4. Richard CROWCH (bap 1565 Jun 24) - ? plus another Richard shown (bap 1568 Aug 13)
5. Elizabeth CROWCH (bap 1566 Jan 4, d. 1633)
6. (2) Richard CROWCH (bap 1568 Aug 13) ?
7. Jane CROWCH (bap 1568 Aug 13, m. 1st 1589 Edward BURROWE, 2nd Edward BARKHAM)
8. Ann(e) CROWCH (bap 1570 Feb 11, d. 1648, m. 1st 1560 Robert WYNCOLL, 2nd Richard CHAMBERLAIN , 3rd Ralph HARE, 4th 1625 Edward MONTAGU)
9. (2) William CROWCH (bap 1573 Nov 13) ?
10. Joan (Johane) CROWCH (bap 1575 Jun 15, d. 1615, m. 1st 1596 Sir Ralph Freeman, 2nd Thomas Soam)
11. Margaret CROWCH (bap 1582 Aug 26, d.1653, m. 1st 1599 Allen ELVINE , 2nd John HARE, 3rd 1620 Henry MONTAGU)
12. John CROWCH (bap 1584 May 6, m. Anne Rolfe)

John Crowch died in Feb 1606, and was buried at St Bartholomews Layston, Hertfordshire, England. ^[6] His will requests that he is buried in the Chancel of St Bartholomews. A transcription of his will (dated 16-Aug-1605) is available on the Layston Church websire. ^[7] A number of family members and properties are mentioned in his will (some extracts of the transcription):

Item My will is that my said son John Crowche shall ... and to Anne his nowe wife and to the longer lived of them and to the heires of the bodie of the saide John begotten of the bodie of the saide Anne And for want of such issue to the righte heires of the said John my manor of Alswicke and Donnhall with all thereto belonginge nowe beinge in the occupacon of Richard Crowche...

Item I give unto my sonne Thomas Crowche and to his heires my mannor of Corneyburye ...

Item I give alsoe unto my said sonne Thomas and to his heires a tenement in Buntingford nere the Chappell ...

Item I give moreover unto my saide sonne Thomas and to his heires a litle peightell Called Bowndeswell ...

Item I give unto my sonne William Crowche my nowe house at Buntingford ...

Item I give unto my saide sonne William all the tythes app[er]teyninge to the personage of Layston throughoute the wholle p[ar]ishe of Layston ...

Item I doe give (unto) unto my daughters Elizabeth Freeman Jane Barkham Joane Freeman and Margaret Hare ...

Item I doe give unto my Syster Joane ?Hills …

Item I doe further make and ordaine my saide sonne Thomas Crowche myne onely and sole Executor ...

It appears that John Crowch (1519-1606) the father was being rather fussy about who received the Manors of Alswick & Downhall Ley - it had to be John + Anne (Rolfe) and whoever lived the longest and did not remarry or the children of that union ONLY. If Anne died & John took a second wife, then she (the 2nd wife) received nothing! ^[8]

Legacy

John Crowch of Corneybury, Hertfordshire had a large family of sons and daughters and there is a fine monument to him at Layston, in that county. ^[9]

Property

Corney Bury

The Manor of Corney Bury was situated approximately one mile to the north of Buntingford; the Domesday survey records it as being held by Earl Eustace. In the twelfth century the manor and its land came into the possession of Hugh Triket who granted it to the Church of the Holy Trinity, Aldgate, London. After the dissolution ofthe monasteries Henry VIII granted the manor to Sir Thomas Audley. In the late sixteenth century Corney Bury was bought by John Crouch ‘citizen and clothworker of London’, whose family came to own Alswick Hall. The current house at Corney Bury dates to the seventeenth century.^[10]

Alswick Hall

During the sixteenth and seventeenth century the spelling of Alswick became Arsick (1566), Alswick (1610) and Arlswick (1652). The Crouch family of Corney Bury bought the Manor of Alswick in the late sixteenth century. It is possible that they built part ofthe seventeenth century house currently located on the site, perhaps re-building a new manor house as any older and smaller building that may have existed and was not suitable for their needs. The Crouch family were residents at Alswick Hall until about 1713 when Pike Crouch sold Alswick to Jacob Houblon, whose family held the Manor of Alswick into the twentieth century. ^[11]

Memorial

The Church of St Bartholomew was the parish church for Layston, parts of which date to the early thirteenth century. It was granted to the Priory of the Holy Trinity, Aldgate, London, in the thirteenth century by Hugh Triket, along with the Manor of Corney Bury. Members of the Crouch family are buried in St Bartholomew’s Church and on the south wall of the chancel there is a fine monument to Johannis Crowch de Corneybury, dated 1605.

There is an imposing alabaster and marble monument to John Crowch and his family on the North Wall of the Chancel of St Bartholomew's, which specifically mentions his wife, and each of their children. Whilst the transcription is in Latin, there is a translation provided on the Layston Church website: ^[12]

Whoever you may be, whom piety has driven to this building, pause for a little while at the delayed memorial which you see here. It is sacred to the memory of John Crowch Esquire, once of London and then of this county, a man of no small distinction. After completing the 86th year of his life, he paid his debt to nature in the month of Febuary, 1605, having accomplished as many good works as the days of his life. Born in Barwick, in the parish of Standon, he took to wife Joan, the daughter and heir of John Scott, and by her he had five sons: John, Thomas, Nicholas and William, and likewise five daughters: Elizabeth, who married William Freman, a London merchant, and who has recently become his widow; Jane, the wife of Sir Edward Barkham, former Lord Mayor of London; Ann, betrothed to Edward, Lord Montagu, Baron of Boughton; Joan, wife of Ralph Freman, brother of William, who, having just been appointed as Lord Mayor of this same city of London, died while still in office, giving up his life more speedily than his duties; and Margaret, who is still married to Henry, Earl of Manchester and keeper of the Privy Seal.

This monument, Lady Margaret, Countess and wife of the Earl of Manchester and Lady Ann Montagu and Lady Jane Barkham, the only survivors of such a numerous family inscribed above, placed in respect and love.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:The_Victoria_History_Of_The_Counties_Of_England "The Victoria History of the Counties of England, A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE VOLUME IV," EDITED BY WILLIAM PAGE, F.S.A.,LONDON CONSTABLE AND COMPANY LIMITED, 1914. Page 78]
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Family of John Crouch: "Boyd's Inhabitants Of London & Family Units 1200-1946"
   FindMyPast Image -
   FindMyPast Transcription (subscription required, accessed 20 November 2023)
   First name(s): John; Last name: Crouch; Year: 1560; Person subject: P.
3. ↑ East Herts Archaeological Society, 1906 Vol III Part II edition of the East Herts Archaeological Society Transactions by W.B. Gerish
4. ↑ Memorial 11 - John Crowch East side: Blazon 2: Argent three pales Gules over all a chevron Or BARKHAM, Edward impaling CROWCH (Jane)
5. ↑ Marriage: "FindMyPast", Boyd's Inhabitants Of London & Family Units 1200-1946, 1560 Sep 21, Marriage of Joan Scott and John Crouche(Crowly), FindMyPast Image (subscription required, accessed 20 November 2023)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Layston Church, John CROWCH (1519-1606), http://www.layston-church.org.uk/FH%20Website/ind37.html
7. ↑ Layston Church, Will of John Crowch, Corneybury, Hertfordshire - died Feb 1606 buried 14th Feb 1606 in St Bartholomew's, http://www.layston-church.org.uk/Will%20John%20Crowch%2037.html
8. ↑ Layston Church, John CROWCH, Note on Marriage to Anne ROLFE, http://www.layston-church.org.uk/FH%20Website/ind39.html
9. ↑ "The Pedigree register" by Society of Genealogists; Sherwood, George F. T. (George Frederick Tudor), b. 1867 Topics Genealogy Periodicals, genealogy Publisher London The Editor Collection robarts; toronto Digitizing sponsor MSN Contributor Robarts - University of Toronto Language English Volume3 26 Bookplateleaf0008 Call numberAAO-6381 Pages 430 Possible copyright status NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT
10. ↑ THE HISTORY OF YOUR HOUSE Alswick Hall, Hare Street Road, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, August 2006
11. ↑ THE HISTORY OF YOUR HOUSE Alswick Hall, Hare Street Road, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, August 2006
12. ↑ Layston Church, Chancel North Wall, Memorial to John Crowch d 1605, http://www.layston-church.org.uk/memorial11.html

Acknowledgements

• Thank you to Frederick Sheffield for creating WikiTree profile Crouch-542 through the import of Buttrum Family Tree_2013-02-24.ged on Feb 24, 2013.