User:Leyweobley

The will of Bishop Edward Foxe.

Reference: PROB 11/27/436 Description: Will of Edward Fox Bishop of Hereford Date: 20 March 1539 Held by: The National Archives, Kew

The references in the will of Edward Foxe help clarify that he was indeed of Dursley. In his will he refers to his 'brother' John Bridges (d. 1597) who was without question the clothman based at Nend or Nynne, Kingswood, Wiltshire [recte Gloucestershire]. Foxe calls Joane Austen sister who was clearly from the family Austen alias Carver who lived at Dursley but how she fits in is not clear. What can be proved is William Carver alias Austen (d.c 1521) of Dursley married Alice the daughter of wealthy clothman and mill owner Robert Baker (d.c 1513) of Kingswood. Just how Joane Austen became sister and John Bridges became brother to Edward Foxe is far from clear.

John Bridges heads the pedigree in the Visitation of Somerset 1623. This John was no stranger to the clergy, Paul Bush the Bishop of Hereford who set forth in 1554 an exhortation to one Margaret, the wife of John Burges (otherwise Bridges) clothier of Kingswood in the County of Wilts, printed by one John Cawood. It seems John came to Kingswood with his mother Joane the widow of William Burges or Bruges (d.1526) of Batcombe to marry as her second husband William (d.aft 1545) Thorpe alias Spicer merchant and clothier.

A curiosity to add is the poosible connection to the Three Martyrs of Salisbury. "John Maundrel left his own house, and departed into the county of Gloucester, and into the north part of Wiltshire, wandering from one to another to such men as he knew feared God, with whom as a servant to keep their cattle he there did remain with John Bridges or some other at Kingswood." It seems a bit of a coincidence that the Spicer family residedin the same location as John Bridges, i.e. at the End of Kingswood.