FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
THOMAS AND JONE GYLL

Thomas Gyll of Cropredy was born in about 1510 of Cropredy. He married Jone. Both Thomas and his brother William were mentioned as copyholders of land in Cropredy in 1552: "Thomas and William Gill had been copyholders on the episcopal manor in 1552, when William was tenant of Walkers ground." (A History of the County of Oxford)

Thomas and Jone had the following children: Richard, Elizabeth, Margery (christened 13 December 1539), William (buried 9 February 1556/7), Edith, Alice, Em, and an unnamed son buried 9 February 1556.


Thomas died and was buried 28 August 1557 in Cropredy. 


Thomas Gyll burial

Burial record for Thomas Gyll in Cropredy:
"Thomas Gyll & Jone Bleke whas buryd the xxviij day of August"


He left a will written 21 August 1557, and proven 1558. The will mentions his wife Jone, daughters Elzabeth, Avys (Alice), Margerie, and brother William Gyll.


Thomas Gyll will 1557

Will of Thomas Gyll, 1557

Testamentum Thomae Gyll paroch' de Cropredye

 In the name of God Amen the xxj daye of August Anno d'ni 1557 I Thomas Gyll with a parfette memory and sicke in body doo make my wyll in this maner and forme ffyrst I betake my sowle to God all myghtie and to his blessed mother Saynte Marie and to all the holly cumpanye in Heaven my bodye to be buryed in the churche yarde of owr Ladie in the parisshe of Cropredye. I doo gyve unto the hye alter for foregotten tythes iiijd And to the reparac'ons of the same xijd And to the sepulcre light iiijd And to the roodelight iiijd And to the bells xijd And to the sowe Bridge iiijd And to ev'y godchilde ijd apece.

 And I doo gyve unto Margarett Lynton the croppe of a quartern lande called Cowpers lande for the space of one yere And I doo gyve unto Elzabeth my dawghter my greate brasse potte and my greate spytte and a quartern Lande and my Wyll is that Jone my wyffe shall have the occupying of it so longe as she dothe lyve. And I doo gyve unto Elzabeth my dawghter my best Iron bounde carte And to Jone my wyffe and Elzabeth my dawghter my hole teeme as it is nowe, And I doo make Jone my wyffe and Elzabeth my dawghter my full executrices they to bringe my bodye honestly to the grounde perfourmyng my wyll and to paye my detts they to have the resydew of my goods unbequested These goods to be departed betwyxt theym two by the discretion of my overseers and other honest men. And when these goods be departed in even porc'ons then my wyll is that Avys and Margerye my dawghters shall have halffe of my goods with their syster Elzabeth. And my wyll is that Avys and Margerie my dawghters shall have ether of theym a colte of three yeres olde bred up betwyxte theym two beyng my executrices. And to Richarde Gyll tymber to make hym a plough with all. And I doo make Wyllyam Gyll my brother Thomas Plantte and Hugh Sabyne my overseers they to have for their Labors iijs iiijd apece. And yf that Avys my dawghter and Margerie her syster be not contente that Elzabeth my dawghter shall have my greate spytte my greate potte and my quartern Lande as they dyd promisse me that they wolde be contente therwith or els they shall have no parte with Elzabeth my dawghter and this is my my wyll that it shalbe ordered. These bering wytnesse here-of Richarde Denze John Russell with certen other. Thus Jhesu reste my sowle at his pleasure amen

 
Jone died and was buried in 1559. (The Town of Cropredy)


A will was written by Jone Gyll in 1559 - Johane Gill left a will written in 1559, mentioning daughters Elizabeth, Marjerie, Alice, and Em, sons Thomas and Richard. William Gill was one of the overseers for the will.
Jone Gyll will 1559

Will of Jone Gyll, 1559


Testament Johane Gill, poche de Cropredie
In the name of God Amen, the xth daye of Apriell anno dei 1559, I Johane Gill, sicke of bodie but pfect of mynde do make my last will and testament as folowithe: first I bequethe my soule to God and my bodie to be buried in the church yard of Cropredie. I geve to the aulter for forgotten tythes ijd, and to the reparations of the church ijd, and to the saye pawlecloth ijd. And to the bellys ijd. I geve to Alys Gynton my best violet kertell, my cappe and my gyredell. And I geve to Elsabeth my daughter my best russet kertell & an apron and a cather. I geve to Margerie my daughter my best peticot, a napron and a smock and my beades with arrings collaryd. I also geve to Alys my daughter my second russet kertell aprons and a pewter dishe. I geve to Jone Gobbyn a peticot with fustian, on bodytt and to my sister a wolle apron, and to Aves Wilkins a aprone of leeve. I geve to Katherine my best aprone. I geve to Jone Sabin a aprone. I geve to my daughter Em a smocke and a carchev. I make Ric. my sonne my full executor of this my last will and testament. And so have the rest of my goodes not bequeathed and I make Thomas Gill my sonne my overseer and to have for his labors iijs iiijd. And I make Thomas Plante my overseer and he to have for his paynes xxd. Wytnes Willm Gill, John Russell, Richard Densey et al.



Thomas and Jone had the following children:


1. Richard


*2. Elizabeth, married Thomas Densie; left a will dated 16 June 1596 in Cropredy.


3. Margery, christened 13 December 1539 in Cropredy


4. William, buried 9 February 1556/7 in Cropredy.


5. Edith


6. Alice


7. Em


8. Thomas



SOURCE: Cropredy parish register, www.ancestry.co.uk; will of Thomas Gyll, 1557; will of Johan Gill, 1559.



Other early Gylls in Cropredy and Great Bourton:


Thomas and William may be the son of John Gyll of Cropredy, who was buried 20 April 1545 in Cropredy. John was mentioned in a land deed in October 1512: "Roger Lupton and Rich. Skipwith grant to Thos. Ffrench, Rob. Lumbard, Rich. Howse, Hugh Page, Will. Lumbard, Rog. Truste, Rob. Burman, Will. Grene, Tho. Smyth, Tho. Dalton, Will. Newman, Rob. Osborne, Peter Lumbard, John Shereman, John Gubbys, Tho. Hall, John Gyll, Tho. Plant, Will. Walker, Tho. Gobyn, Valentine Jamys, Tho. Colyer, John Jefkyns, Thos. Browne and Tho. Bacheler, of Cropredy, our two tenements in Wardington, two crofts appertaining, and a quarter of a yardland; one tenement and croft between Hugh Tynkok, north, and Rob. Mathew, south; the other tenement and croft between Joan Sabyon, widow, east, and Juliana Collys, west; which tenements lately were Thos. Besonds’, of Wardington." (Historical Notices of Cropredy) 

John may be the son of Richard Gill, mentioned in A History of the County of Oxford. Richard paid an assessment in 1523: "By the 16th century, however, the Bourtons were relatively more prosperous, and in 1523 35 people in the two villages were assessed at £4 11s. 8d., more than the total for Wardington and Coton. This was partly due to one man, Richard Gill, who was assessed at 32s. on goods; nine others were assessed at between 2s. and 4s., 23 at less than 2s. but more than the landless labourers' rate of 4d., at which only two were assessed...Richard Gill had had the highest assessment in Bourton for the 1523 subsidy." This Richard would have been born in the late 1400s.


SOURCES: Cropredy parish register on CD; A History of the County of Oxford, vol. 10; “The Town of Cropredy”, Pamela Keegan; will of William Gill, 1557; Thomas Gyll, 1558, wills on http://wills.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk and www.findmypast.co.uk.