Family and Education

b. c.1530, 1st s. of Roger Bostock by Felice, da. of John Heaton of Bletchingley. educ. St. John’s, Camb. 1545; I. Temple 1551. m. (1) Katherine, da. of one Field, s.p.; (2) 1605, Jane, s.p.

Offices Held

Escheator, Surr. and Suss. 1566-7; j.p.q. Surr. from 1579, sheriff 1585-6.

Biography

Bostock was a local man, on good terms with the Howards of Effingham, who owned land in Tandridge, a manor Bostock had purchased from Thomas Bradshaw in 1555. Bostock also owned the manors of Oxted, Gaston, Wathamsted and Westhall, and acquired the site and lands of Tandridge priory and park. Two years before his death he created a trust giving himself a life interest in these properties, after which they were to go to his nephew, Bostock Fuller.2

In 1590 he was involved in a lengthy dispute with one Foster following his part in the trial and hanging of two of Foster’s servants for highway robbery. In his rebuttal of an accusation of forgery, he thanked God that he hated and abhorred

all wilful lying especially to the hurt and hindrance of any person, knowing that all lying is abominable to the Lord, and that the liar, by God’s holy word, is accounted amongst the worst people, as idolators, sorcerers and such like, and that they shall not enter into the city of the Lord, but shall have their portion in the lake that burneth continuously.

Bostock was assessed on 256 acres at Tandridge in 1600. His will, made 17 Apr. 1605 and proved the following 4 Apr., shows that he possessed a large number of works on divinity, including the Book of Martyrs.3

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: W.J.J.

Notes

• 1. Did not serve for the full duration of the Parliament.
• 2. C219/283/11; Surr. Arch. Colls. ix. 161-2; xiv. 21; xix. 45; VCH Surr. iv. 323; Manning and Bray, Surr. ii. 373-6.
• 3. Surr. Arch. Colls. ix. 229; St. Ch. 5/17A/22, 4B/24, 6B/24, 20B/6, 21B/34; PCC 100 Stafforde; C142/438/t 122.