GARRARD, William II (by 1518-58/59), of Thornhill in Cliffe Pypard, Wilts.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

b. by 1518, 2nd s. of Thomas Garrard of Lambourn, Berks. by Elizabeth, da. of one Harman. m. Elizabeth, da. of one Roseer or Rosyer, 5s. 2da.2

Offices Held

Biography

Little has come to light about William Garrard, who is to be distinguished from such namesakes as Sir William Garrard, lord mayor of London. He may have studied at an inn of court, namesakes being admitted to Lincoln’s Inn in 1524, the Inner Temple in 1525 and the Middle Temple between 1524 and 1550, but if he did, he is not known to have practised law—although the Lincoln’s Inn man was called in 1529—and he had settled at Thornhill by 1538/39 when he appears as a tenant of Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford and later Duke of Somerset and Protector. He was not, however, to be returned for the neighbouring borough of Wootton Bassett, held by Somerset from 1548, until after the duke’s fall and its reversion to the crown. The well-connected Essex family of Lambourn, where Garrard obtained a lease of the corn tithes in June 1552, may have intervened in his favour, but Garrard’s only certain connexion was with his fellow-Member Gabriel Pleydell, also a local landowner. On his release from the Tower in December 1557 Pleydell went to the house of a London kinsman of Garrard and on 18 Dec. 1558 he witnessed the will that Garrard had made on the previous 25 Nov. Garrard, who asked to be buried at Cliffe Pypard, bequeathed his lease of Thornhill to his wife for life and that of the Lambourn tithes to his sons Roger and John. He left £66 13s.4d. to each of his daughters on marriage and other sums of money to his sons John, Edward and William. He named his wife and Roger (who was under age) executors, John and Edward supervisors. The will was proved on 6 Feb. 1559. William Garrard, the fourth son, married Pleydell’s only daughter.3

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: Elizabeth McIntyre

Notes

  • 1. C219/282/11.
  • 2. Date of birth estimated from first certain reference. Vis. Berks. (Harl. Soc. lvi), 93, 210; PCC 24 Welles.
  • 3. L. I. Adm. i. 42; Black Bk. L. Inn, i. 225; Cal. I. T. Recs. i. 82, 85; M. T. Adm. i. 55; HMC Bath, iv. 332; PCC 24 Welles.