Henry Becher (abt. 1511 - 1571)

Born about 1511 in Penshurst, Kent, England [uncertain]

Husband of Alice (Heron) Becher — married about 1539 (to 1562) in London, England

Husband of Jane (Gittons) Pipe — married 16 May 1566 in St Christopher-le-Stocks, London, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died 15 Jan 1571 at about age 60 in London, Middlesex, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jenny Stiles [send private message]

Biography of Henry BECHER of 1511

Henry Becher was born in England.

Henry Becher was born about 1511 probably in Penhurst, Kent, England [his siblings resided in Kent & he left money to the poor on several Kent parishes in his will]. He was apprenticed to William Gessant and admitted to the Freedom of the Haberdashers company in 1532, when he would have been 21 years of age.

Henry Becher was one of several siblings and perhaps the youngest:

• Edmund Becher, only known from visitation pedigrees.
• Richard Becher, of Shorne, who died in 1563
• William Becher, who left Henry money in his will
• Jane or Joan Becher
• James Becher, Sr., born about 1509, husbandman of Penshurst, Kent, who married Elizabeth, had several children, and died in December 1567.
• Henry Becher, who was born about 1511, married, had children, and died 15 Jan 1570/71

Henry Becher was a haberdasher in London, became Sheriff of London 1569 to 1570 and was one of the original Merchant Venturers of England. Later, he was an importer of expensive goods, furs, and fabrics. He sold to royalty, nobility and landed gentry and even helped provide fabrics for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I in 1558.

Henry Becher was also Alderman for the Broadstreet Ward in London.

Henry Becher married before 1540 to Alice Heron, who was born about 1520 at Croydon, Surrey , the daughter of Thomas Heron and Elizabeth Bond and the maternal granddaughter of William Bond and Agnes Alphew. Alice Heron passed away in March 1562, after at least 22 years of marriage.

Henry Becher and his wife Alice Heron Becher had at ten children:

• Elizabeth Becher, born about 1540 married Clement Kelk and Thomas Harrison and passed away in 1612 in Finchampstead, Berkshire, England,
• Henry Becher, born about 1542 married Judithe Riche, had 8 children, and passed away in 1608 in Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire, England
• Edward Becher, born about 1544, in England, married Frances Brooke, had three children, worked as Esquire to the Bodyguard of Queen Elizabeth I [according to Burke's Irish Landed families, no contemporary evidence has been found] and passed away about 1607.
• Phane/Fane Becher., born about 1546 who received a land grant in County Cork, Ireland from Queen Elizabeth I, and founded the town of Bandon in southwest Ireland.
• William Becher, born 1548 in London, England, married Judith/Judithe Quarles, had ten children including Sir William Becher]], Knight and MP, and passed away October 1631 in London, Middlesex, England.
• Margaret Becher, born about 1551, married Sir Thomas D'Abridgecourt, had at least three children, and passed away October 21, 1621 in Hampshire, England.
• Mary Becher, born about 1549, who married Chidiock Wardour, and passed away September 19, 1600.
• Bartholomew Becher, born about 1550 in London, Middlesex, England, married Alice Miller, became an attorney, and passed away after 1589.
• Mabell Becher, born about 1553, who married Sir Richard Norton, MP, and had children, including Sir Richard Norton, First Baronet Norton of Rotherfield, and passed away before 1594.
• Dorothy Becher, passed away April 1558. It is not know when she was born or how old she was at death. Her nurse was left money in the will of Henry Becher.

Henry Becher lost his first wife Alice Heron Becher, the mother of his children, in March 1562. She was buried at St Christopher Le Stocks, London on the 31st March 1562.

Henry Becher remarried to Mrs. Jane Lovibond nee Gittons, the widow of Oliver Lovibond of London on the May 16, 1566 at St Christopher Le Stocks.

Henry Becher died January 5, 1570/1571, and was buried on the 29th January 1570/71 at St Christopher-Le-Stocks, London, Middlesex, England, leaving his second wife Jane Gittons Lovibond Becher a widow. Jane remarried for a third time on August 9, 1571 to Sir Richard Pipe, who was a draper and Alderman of London, at St John at Hampstead, London

Sources

• Records of the Haberdashers Guild.

• Register of St Christopher-le-Stocks, London. Scans of the relevant entries sighted.

• 1544 will of Thomas Heron referring to his son-in-law Harry Becher

• MI at St Christopher-Le-Stocks naming wives and number of children.It also gave Henry's date of death.

• Will of Henry Becher, Haberdasher & Citizen of London, proved PCC 1571. Details his children, some siblings & their children and other relatives and friends.

• Inquisition Post Mortem held on the 18th April 1571 at the Guildhall

NOTE: The sources below are online genealogies. If anyone has additional details on primary source documents, or photos thereof, please upload here.

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p27163.htm

• Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Irish Family Records. London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976.

• Rootsweb Freepages - Henry Becher & Alice Heron: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~becher/henry_becher%20and%20Alice%20Heron.htm

• Rootsweb World Connect - "Becher Family of Cork, England and Australia" - by J. Stiles http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=becher&id=I17

• Geni dot com - Becher Family Tree - https://www.geni.com/people/Henry-Becher/6000000010676771688

• http://fabpedigree.com/s004/f036067.htm

• Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, editor, Burke's Irish Family Records (London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976), Becher, page 100. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Irish Family Records

• Blaydes, alias Page-Turner, FA, ed: Visitations of Bedfordshire (1884), Harleian Soc. 21 (for 1885), page 81, Beechar (1634). Seems confused as to which Henry was the Alderman - it was the first. (Note - the book is bound together with two other books - index here):
• Hist. Parl. articles for his 3 MP descendants, all called Sir William
• Aldermen of the City of London, on BHO - 1567
  • Beecher (Vis. 1634),^[1]
  • St John (additional pedigrees),^[2]
  • Anscell (Vis. 1566 with later additions).^[3]

• Blaydes, alias Page-Turner, FA: Genealogia Bedfordiensis (1890) (Old Style dates):
  • Great Barford PR extracts,^[4]
  • Notes.^[5]

• History of Parliament:
  • Sir William Beecher MP (-1640),^[6]
  • Sir William Beecher MP (1580-1651), Clerk to the Privy Council,^[7]
  • Sir William Beecher MP (1628-1694).^[8]

• Wikipedia:
  • Sir William Beecher MP (1580-1651), Clerk to the Privy Council.^[9]
  • Sir William Beecher MP (1628-1694).^[10]

• Cambridge Alumni database (Venn):
  • William Beecher,^[11]
  • William Beecher,^[12]
  • Edward Beecher,^[13]
  • Oliver Becher,^[14]
  • William Becher,^[15] Confused: grandson not son of Henry, Alderman (d 1571). Not the 1614-28 MP.
  • William Beecher,^[16] Confused: this Sir William wasn't the one buried at Renhold in 1640.
  • William Beecher,^[17]
  • Howard Beecher.^[18]

• Richardson, Douglas: Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd edn. (2011), 4 vols:
  • St John.^[19]

Research notes

Hist. Parl. calls him a Devonshire man, but Burke wants to make him a Kent man.

11th of 11 sons. Went to London and made a fortune in haberdashery. Alderman of London from 1567. Sheriff 1570. Died 15 Jan 1571.^[20]

Married Alice Heron.^[21]

Numerous children including

• Henry, 1st son, husband of Judith Rich
• Edward, 2nd son, Esquire of the Body
• William, 4th son, husband of Judith Quarles
• Mary, wife of Chidiock Wardour
• Margaret, wife of Sir Richard Dabridgecourt ?
• Mabel, wife of Sir Richard Norton

Will, PCC (10 Holney), codicil 8 Dec 1570, proved 3 Feb 1571.^[20]

Summary of this Beecher family

• Henry Beecher-486, d 1571, from Devon, alderman of London, sheriff 1570, will ^[1]
  • Henry Beecher-174, of Fotheringay, 1st son, m Judith Rich-1564, dau of John Rich of London, son and heir of Thomas Rich of Marston, gent.
    • Sir William Beecher-487, b say 1573, d 1640, acq Howbury abt 1624, MP 1601, kntd 1619, m bef 1601 Elizabeth St_John-593, daughter of Sir Oliver, sister of 1st Earl of Bolingbroke. They had 8s 5d ^{[6][2][19][15]}
      • Oliver Beecher-489, 1st son, matric Camb. 1615, obscure, m Elizabeth Tate ^[14]
        • Sir William Beecher-490, 1628-1694, of Howbury, kntd 1660, MP 1667, m1 his cousin Frances St_John-595 ^{[8][10][2][17]}
      • William, 3rd son, d 1647. Matric. Camb. 1626, Fellow of St John's, will. ^[11]
      • Howard, 6th son ^[18]
    • Edward Beecher, of Peterborough, 2nd son ^[13]
    • Elizabeth Beecher-488, b say 1580, wife of Thomas Anscell of Great Barford ^[4][3][22]
  • Edward, 2nd son, m daughter of Lord Cobham
  • William Beecher-173, 4th son, of London, haberdasher and debtor, d aft 1613, m Judith Quarles
    • Sir William Beecher-170, 1580-1651, MP 1614-29, kntd 1622, Clerk to the Privy Council 1623-41, unmarried ^[7][9][16]
      • William Beecher-491, illegitimate, living 1650
    • John Beecher, bp 1594, not the immigrant
  • Mary, wife of Chidiock Wardour
  • Margaret, wife of Sir Richard Dabridgecourt
  • Mabel, wife of Sir Richard Norton
  • Elizabeth, wife of John Kelke
  • other issue

Research Notes

The evidence for John Becher of Roundrowan House being Henry Becher [1511-1570/71] Sherriff of London, Haberdasher etc. father is pretty weak. 1. Burke’s states it [& maybe one of the pretty unreliable visitation pedigrees] but offers no proof. 2. The inventory of Henry’s belongings after his death includes some silver with “JB” monograms.

Against; A will of another John Becher of Wickhurst in Leigh Kent written in 1593 comments that he lately purchased “Roundrownan House” from John Becher of Penshurst, deceased & his son James. “Lately” generally means fairly recent –if he had owned the house for a while there would be no need to bring it up. So John Becher was probably alive pretty close to that date and the James Becher son is still alive. Henry did have a brother James, but he was dead in 1568 when Henry wrote his will.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Vis. Beds, page 81,
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Vis. Beds, page 194,
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Vis. Beds., page 2.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Gen. Beds, page 14.
5. ↑ Gen. Beds, page 341.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Hist. Parl, William Beecher (-1640)
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Hist. Parl, William Beecher (1580-1651)
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Hist. Parl, William Beecher (1628-1694)
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Wikipedia: William_Beecher_(died_1651).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Wikipedia: William_Beecher_(died_1694).
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Venn, [1]
12. ↑ Venn, [2]
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Venn, [3] Grandson not son of Henry, Alderman (d 1571).
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Venn, [4]
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Venn, [5]
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Venn, [6]
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Venn, [7]
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Venn, [8]
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} Richardson, Vol. 2, p. 221.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Aldermen
21. ↑ Stirnet
22. ↑ Blaydes says she was daughter of Sir William, but that can't be right. Their respective eldest sons were born only a few years apart.