Reaching back to last year for a topic, I found Peter Worden, I. His lineage takes us back to Kings and Queens etc! But Peter was a draper and in 1627, was named a deputy Aulnager (cloth inspector), This was a salaried position. The Aulnager certified the fabric with the Queen Highness' seal. Here is the story of Peter that I have discovered so far!
PETER WORDEN, I
Peter Worden was born in about 1569, probably in Clayton, Lancashire, England to Robert Werden or Worden and Isabel Worthington. His ancestors had acquired the burgess rights and they had been passed down to their children. Burgess rights were a valuable asset and much needed for trading purposes.
Peter Worden appears in the 1582, 1602 and 1622 Guild Rolls of Preston:
1582: William Werden of Clayton, son of Robert Werden; James Werden, his brother; Peter Worden, his brother
1602: William Werden, of Clayton; Peter Werden, his brother; James Werden, his brother; ? Werden, his son
1622: William Worden of Claton, Gent. ; James Worden, his son; William Worden, his brother; Richard Worden, his brother; Peter Wearden, Peter Wearden, his son. Peter Worden was listed as being a "Foreign Burgess" in the records of the town of Preston, just five miles from Clayton. Foreign referred to the fact that he was not a native of the town, but an outsider.
Peter attended school while living on the family farm. After finishing school, he chose to go to Preston to earn a living.
Peter had an acquaintance, Anthony Wall, who lived at Chingle Hall with his wife, Margaret Grice and children, William, Thomas, John , Alice and Mary. Anthony had served as mayor of Preston in 1592, and was also involved with the textile business.
Peter married Margaret Grice Wall after Anthony died in 1601. He and Margaret would have been guardians of William, his stepson, until he turned 21 and inherited his father's estate. Peter and Margaret lived in Chingle Hall with her five children and the 3 they had together, Elizabeth, Bridget, and Peter II.
(In 1260 Adam de Singleton built a small manor house known as Singleton Hall. It was surrounded by a moat and the studded oak front door was accessed via a small wooden drawbridge, which was replaced in the 16th century by a brick-built bridge. The door and bridge have survived to this day, although some of the moat has now dried up. The hall, renamed Chingle Hall, remained in the possession of the Singleton family until Eleanor Singleton, the last of the line, died in 1585. The house then passed to the Wall family through the marriage of William Wall with Anne Singleton. Their son Anthony Wall, once mayor of Preston, died there in 1601.)
1607; Per British National Archives, DDKE/3/30 3 Aug. & 8 Oct. 1607. These documents are held at Lancashire Record Office: "Contents: Writ of elegit and inquisition: Peter Werden and Margaret his wife, widow of Anthony Wale, v. Anthony Barton - for £14 7s. in payment of dower of Margaret Werden's in one burgage and four acres of land in Preston, formerly occupied by Anthony Wale"
23 January 1609, Peter Worden, Roger Langton, Thomas Ryley and Richard Charnock were witnesses to the will of Elizabeth, widow of John Orrell of Turton.
1609; Lawsuit: "PLAINTIFF: Richard Werden of Preston, mercer; William Addison of Preston, yeoman, executors of Thomas Addison of Preston, deceased DEFENDANT: Leissaugh O'Connor of Staining, esquire, and Mary his wife; Peter Werden and Mary his wife PLACE: Preston; Staining Date: 1609 Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives"
Before 1610, he was elected to the town council of the Borough of Preston. On 26 August 1612, a signature of Peter Worden was found.
From 1609 to 1613, Peter Wereden, gent., appears as a juror at 9 inquisitions (the title, Gent., is probably a courtesy one as was done with all jurors.
In 1611, Peter and Margaret were due to make a payment of 4 pounds to the Crown, along with other occupiers or "tenants" of the Chingle Hall Lands. He took the money to London (a 210 mile trip.)
At the same time he is employing someone to plough eight acres of land (part of Margaret's inheritance) for the sum of 4 pounds.
Margaret died in 1612, leaving Peter to raise their 3 children and also to care for his 5 step children as William was only 19 at the time.
1616 Land deed, Peter (the seller) is listed as Gent., (L 100 - land on the outskirts of Preston.)
In 1616, Peter made claim that Margaret should have received 20 pounds from her father's estate. The Grices countered that Margaret had received more than that as her dowry. Peter replies that as her administrator (She died intestate) he was owed her share and the share for his children who had died before reaching age 21. The Grices refused to pay and the outcome is unknown.
Sept. 1616 Peter sells his rights to properties that had belonged to Margaret, inherited as her part of her former husband's estate.
He became a merchant, dealing in fabric and textiles, commonly known as a draper. Peter Worden had his shop in the Moothall of Preston, England. The Moothall was a two-story building, approximately 35' by 70', housing the town Council chamber and offices on the second floor and businesses on the first. Peter's shop was next to the stairs at the north end of the building. on the ground floor There were a vaariety of other shops (potter, leather, yarn, meat, dairy, etc.) and we can assume that Peter was selling finished cloth goods. Early archives list the following mention of Peter's lease from Preston Township,. "Item of Elizabeth Weren widdowe for on shop on the east side of moothall next adjoyning to the staires at the north end of the hall with a standing (open stall) at the south end of the hall formerly demised to Peter Werden by lease dated Primo Oct XVth Jac ye improved yearly rent of L01-15s-00d" This date would indicate that Peter Worden held a lease on the aforementioned shop and stand on 1iOct 1617.
1622 - Peter, along with his son, Peter, is listed as a Foreign Burgess of Preston. (A freeman qualified to participate in town government.) His son, Peter, aged about 13, was entered on the rolls of the Preston Guild, for the first time.
In 1625, Ralph Eyves of Fishwick filed a complaint stating that Eyves and William Wall of Chingle Hall were bound to Peter on William Wall's behalf in the sum of 40 pounds. William in 1613 would only have been 20 years old. He was the eldest son of Margaret Grice Wall and her first husband. The claim stated that they had both paid Peter and had not gotten receipts. Then claimed that Peter (for his own personal gain) had filed a writ which resulted in Eyves being arrested. He paid a surety of about 50 pounds in goods to assure that he would turn himself in. Eyves asked that Peter be brought before the Chancery Court to produce records. (No outcome is known.)
In 1625 his daughter, Elizabeth, had an illegitimate child, John Lewis. His father, John Lewis, Senior, was reportedly a "King's Preacher" who "fledd out of the country." She then married Hugh Swansey and had another son, Robert Swansey.
In 1627, Peter was named a deputy Aulnager (cloth inspector), which was a salaried position. The Aulnager certified the fabric with the Queen Highness' seal. Peter would receive part of the fee for this certification. The County Aulnager was Roger Langton. Peter retained this position until 1634.
The alnage was first ordered in 1196, during the reign of Richard I, that "woollen cloths, wherever they are made, shall be of the same width, to wit, of two ells within the lists, and of the same goodness in the middle and sides." This ordinance is usually known as the Assize of Measures or the Assize of Cloth. Article 35 of Magna Carta re-enacted the Assize of Cloth, and in the reign of Edward I an official called an "alnager" or "aulnager" was appointed to enforce it. His duty was to measure each piece of cloth, and to affix a stamp to show that it was of the necessary size and quality. If faulty, the cloth was forfeit to the crown.[
In 1628, a professional organization of drapers and mercers was formed and Peter was certainly a member and possibly one of the founders.
November 1628- Peter's daughter, Bridget died at about age 21 and was buried in the Preston parish churchyard.
21 January 1629/30 It appears that when the town needed money the councilors and burgesses loaned money to be repaid at a specific date. 29 men lent money to help with a project in the common lands of Fulwood. One of these entries read: "Item to Peter Werden viij.s. (8 shillings) "Paid in Full." (Giving proof that the Wordens were still in Preston.) This is the last mention of Peter in Preston records.
In 1629, Peter moved back to Clayton. It is probable that Elizabeth left John Lewis with Peter when she married Hugh Swansey later that year.
(Interesting side note- in this White Book of Orders of the Preston Records, appears mention of Captain Ralphe Standish, Thomas, Richard, Alexander Standish)
1629-30 Peter loaned money to his brother, William, receiving a mortgage on the Worden Property. (He was probably never repaid as his will mentions this property.)
1630 marked the start of the "plague" striking Preston. By November 1631, over 1000 people died. (1/3 of the population at that time.) n the winter of 1630 Preston suffered a …”visitation of almighty God, the plague”. The parish registers for the town, record the grim progress of the disease. By the summer of 1631 almost 400 people a month were succumbing to a disease similar to Anthrax. That was when the population of the town was only about 4000. Anthrax is carried by spores and can be spread by textiles. Parcels of cloth were particularly feared and the disease spread rapidly amongst weaving families. Winter is not normally when plague strikes, but 1630 saw the first victims in Preston. The parish register records that whole families were wiped out in a few days. A 17th century version of lockdown was attempted, with parish officers ordered to keep a watch for people escaping from Preston. All markets had been stopped and with no income, they had to set up a relief fund. I can't help but wonder if Peter was really suffering here as he dealt in cloth and that was believed to be the source of the plaque.
In 1631, Peter purchased wine from William Barfield and failed to pay the 40 pounds by the due date. Barfield took him to court and on 20 February 1632, a warrant was issued requiring Peter to put up a house and 5 acres in Clayton. (No information on the disposition of the case.)
On 12 March 1636, Peter filed a complaint in the Palatine Chancery Court. - Stated that in 1631, Peter had bought the wine mentioned above and that Barfield had not considered any offers to settle this dispute.
25 March 1636 Peter filed court charges against Hugh Swansey, his son-in-law. He alleged that Hugh had been given money for his daughter's marriage portion. Swansey was to leave land and hereditatments to his oldest surviving son, and was not living up to his bargain. Swansey also failed to pay for goods sold, and return items that had been loaned; "1 trunk, 1 desk, 1 chair, 6 pewter dishes, 1 pewter salt, 2 pewter candlesticks, 3 brass candlesticks, 4 table napkins, 1 feather bed, 1 bolster, 1 pillow, blankets, 2 pairs sheets, 1 pillow beare (case), 6 ashens (milk pails) or collocks; 2 barrels, 1 trough, 1 brass posnet (a boiling pot with feet); 1 pewter flagon, 1 buffet stoole, 1 chest, 1 framed table, 1 little table, 1 pewter bowl, 1 quishion (Cushion) and 6 boards, " And he charged Swansey for the theft of "2 table carpet, 1 frying pan, curtains for a bed, 1 quilt, 1 brass pot, 3 pewter dishes, 2 earthen mugs, 1 pair satten breeches, 1 pair brass weighs (Scales) and weights, 1 stand, 2 pewter candlesticks and 1 pewter flagon, valued at 3 pounds. Again, no information on the disposition of the case has been found. This is the last mention of him in Clayton.
By 1634, a Chancery bill of complaint relating to Peter's tenure as aulnager names him "Peter Worden of Clayton, gent."
Another case in 1636 directly describes a "messuage and dwelling house in Clayton" where Peter "now laieth and inhabiteth". This case, recorded in March 1636, is the last known record of Peter Worden in England.
Soon after filing this case, something pushed Peter to take his family elsewhere. He was not the eldest son and didn't receive enough of an inheritance to live on. Also at that time farmers were experiencing bad crops and even worse economic returns. And of course, the political issues of more taxes being added to the working people. Given the offer of independent farming and self determination by the Puritans, he found his way to the colonies to find a future for his family. (at this time, his son Peter II, and his 2 grandsons, John Lewis and Robert Swansey)
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was established in 1630. Peter was not one of the Plymouth Rock arrivals in 1621- the "avid" Puritans but he may have been influenced by the success of the Plymouth Rock persons. Old reports state that he came on board the ship "Ann." However, his name does not appear on the passenger list. Peter Worden likely was one of those who came "On Their Perticulers" (not belonging to a group of emigrants from England who shared a common sectarian religion--such as the Pilgrims who settled in the Plymouth Colony.) This may account for the statement In "The History of Old Yarmouth," by Charles F. Swift, that "At the extreme easterly part of the Town, Peter Worden [sic] the elder and younger have established themselves, in spite of the opposition of some of their associates, and here the former died the first year of settlement."
In the spring of 1638, 22 men were identified as interested in settling in Yarmouth. Among them is Peter Worden, Sr. from Plymouth. Also Giles Hopkins, Rev. Marmaduke Matthews, Nicholas Simpkins, and Hugh Tilley. Interestingly, Peter has been there long enough to be identified as being from Plymouth. When they again asked the Plymouth Court for permission to leave, only Peter was 'excepted against.' (He may have refused to take the oath of allegiance and fidelity.) This didn't matter to Peter, ... when the group left, Peter joined them anyway. ("Hist. of Old Yarmouth, Mass." says "the elder Worden was one of those excepted to by the court, but was here early in 1638, and died that year; probably the first white man who died in the town. He came from Clayton, England where he owned an estate")
In September 1638 and on 7 January 1639 at Plymouth Colony Court meetings- Twelve settlers were awarded land and the Wordens were not among them. In fact Burnell, Wright, and Wat Deville along with the Wordens- showing that the four families for some reason were not welcome.
He is included in a reference of 7 Jan 1639 by the General Court of assistance which listed him as being one of the four men already at Yarmouth and lists names of men to whom grants have been made.
Arriving in Yarmouth, Peter looked for land on which to settle. They either purchased land from the Indians or simply found a spot they liked and settled down. (Neither is acceptable to the Plymouth Courts.) Peter's 12 acres of land was very near that of Stephen Hopkins who had arrived in Plymouth aboard the Mayflower. Stephen built the first home in Yarmouth and his son Giles moved into it.
When their house was finished, Peter, Sr., Peter Jr. with his pregnant wife, Mary, and John Lewis moved in. Who is Mary, where did she come from? History has supposed that Mary was either a Seares or a Winslow. But there is no proof as yet. She is almost certainly NOT a Winslow.
There is no documentation of how Peter gained his land- some indicate that he may have bought it directly from the Indians, others that perhaps he was a squatter. But his 12 acres of land were identified as the West Fields- which in the past had been the Indian planting grounds.
Peter's land was located in the area later known as Yarmouth Port, Barnstable, Massachusetts", and he was probably buried there. (Modern Route 6A, Yarmouth-Dennis-Brewster Road; now part of East Dennis.)
By 9 February 1639 when Peter wrote his will, his place of residence is given as Yarmouth. He summoned his friends N. Sympkins, Hugh Tilley and Giles Hopkins. They recorded the first will in the Plymouth Court Records. After this, John Lewis disappears from the records and we do not know where he went or what happened to him. At some later date, a note was added to the Plymourth Court Meeting records: "Old Worden - Dead."
Peter Worden's will was probated on 5 March 1639. It is the first will printed in the Plymouth Court Records. A copy of the will remains in the Barnstable Probate Court (Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. I, part I, page 33.) . He and Peter Junior and wives are believed to be buried in the Worden Cemetery, overlooking Cape Cod Bay.
The last will and Testament of Peter Werden of Yarmouth ye elder deceased proved at ye genrall Court held at Plymouth the fifth day of March in ye 13th Yeare of ye Raigne of our Sovraigne Lord Charles I King of England &c 1638 by the oathes of Mr. Nicholas Sympkins Heugh Tillie & Giles Hopkins as followeth viz."
Be it knowne unto all men to whom this doth or may concerne that I Peter Worden of Yarmouth in New England in Plymourth Patten being very sick in this yeare of our Lord 1638 and on the ninth day off february do make my last will to testyfy unto all that I Peter Worden do give and bequeath unto Peter Worden my onely sonne and sonn & heire... all my lands leases tennements with goods moveable and unmoveable in the Town of Clayton in the County of Lankestar. Likewise I doe give unto Peter my sonne all my goods which I have at this present in New England."
My will is that my sonne is to give John Lewis one Nate Goat, also my will is my grandchild such money as is due for the keeping of Goates and Calves until this day, and that my son is with the mony to buy John a kid or dispose it otherwise for his use. Also 1 bed or bolster, 3 blankets, also my sonn is to have the tuition of my grandchild until he be at the age of one and twenty years of age. also my will is he shall fynd him with meate, drink and clothes, and at the last three years of the 21 years also to have 40 shillings the year after and above, for to add to his stock with a sowe pigg whne the sowe pitts."
In witness we present set our hand Nicholas Sympkings, Hugh Tillie (his mark), and Giles Hopkins (his mark.)
The will was deposed 5th March 1638-9
"Mr Nicholas Sympkins Heugh Tilly and Giles Hopkins weer all deposed (in Open Court) to this will the fift day of march 1638 xiiij Caroli Rs
CHILDREN
Elizabeth,died in July 1635 in Kirkham, Lancashire. She married Hugh Swansey
Bridget, died 19 November 1628 in Preston, according to the Preston Parish records. She was not married.
Peter, born in about 1609 and died in 1680/1681 in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, married Mary - probably in England.
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