Henry MANNING

Born: BET 1500/1510, Downe, Kent, England

Died: BET 1582/1594

Father: John MANNING

Mother: Agnes PETLEY

Married: Catherine KIRKENER ABT 1531

Children:

1. Thomas MANNING (b. 28 Mar 1556 - d. 20 May 1563)

2. Henry MANNING (b. 29 May 1557 - d. ABT 1614)

3. Anne MANNING (b. 3 Nov 1558)

4. Margaret MANNING (V. Bindon) (bapt. 30 May 1559 - d. 14 Dec 1635 / 1643 - bur. Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire) (See her Biography)

5. Dorothy MANNING

6. Mildred Fortune MANNING (b. 1560 - d. 1 Sep 1627)

7. Catherine MANNING


Henry lived in Downe and East Greenwich, Kent and London. He worked for a while as a young man as an armor maker, probably in the shop of his father in law, Erasmus Kirkener, at East Greenwich. Under the expenses of Henry VIII for Sep 1531 is an item of £8.19 to 'Henry Maynering for making the king's arms'.

Symon is the earliet known ancestor of the Manning family of Kent. The Mannings are said to be descended from an ancient and noble family which took its name from Manning, a town in Saxony, from whence they came into England before the Norman Conquest. Also, some of them are said to have settled in Friesland. John Silvester of Westerham demised land to Simon De Manning in the 14th year of King Richard I (1202). Simon De Manning is supposed to have been engaged in the holy war against the Saracens under King Richard I, that is, the Third Crusade, 1189 to 1192. Simon De Manning died in the time of King Henry III (1216-1272).

The Visitation pedigree of the Manning family has Henry's grandfather, Hugh, married to the aunt of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, that is, a daughter of Sir William Brandon. No documentary evidence of this marriage or any relationship can be found. Probably there was some more remote relationship that gave rise to the legend. If true, she would have to have been one of the two Margarets, daughters of Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Wingfield, and there would have been a royal lineage thru the Wingfields. Hugh and his wife died early and that helps explain the lack of records for them.

His father, John Manning was the eldest son, and is said to have first married Thomasina Trady by whom he had one son; and second to Agnes Petley, who gave him four sons and one daughter, Joan. He is the first of the Mannings who, in the several deeds relating to land transactions, is specified as of Downe. He is also styled YOEMAN.

Immediately after the death of his father in law, he succeeded to the office of Queen's Brigander, (Chief Armourer, thereby keeping the office in the family. About 1566 Dame Anne Parry, widow of Sir Thomas Parry, knight, assigned to Henry Manning, gentleman, the office of Keeper of the Royal Park at Greenwich, in Kent. She held this benefit for the term of the life of Sir Henry Fermingham. For this, Henry Manning agreed to pay Edward Thomas £11 per year in four installments to be paid at the feasts of the Birth of Our Lord God, The Annunciation of Our Lady, The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Michael the Archangel. For this rent he was to have the fees, commodities, herbage, use and other benefits of the park as long as he so continued. Henry made his payments as agreed until the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel in 1570. About 12 days before this feast day Fermingham died, ending the patronage apparently originally granted to him. She quickly sought to have the office regranted to herself, but failed in the quest. The office was then granted to Sir George Howard, knight, who must have agreed to continue the lease with Henry Manning, for he thereafter made his payments fo Sir George. Edward Thomas demanded his rents and eventually about 1578 brought suit in the Court of Requests. The outcome of the suit is not recorded (Court of Requests, 26:149) Henry Manning is styled in the Visitation pedigree as 'Marescallus Hospitii' Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Queens Mary and Elizabeth. The Knight Marshal, called MARESCHALUS HOSPITII REGIS, had jurisdiction and Cognizance of all crimes within the royal palace, whereunto one of the partied is the King's servant. He is one of the Judges of the court called MARSHALSEA or MARSHAL-SEAT of Judicature, which is held in Southwark, and had there a prision belonging to the same. Upon solumn occassions he rides before the King with a short Baston tipt at both ends with gold, and had six Provosts Marshals or Virgers in scarlet coates to wait on him, and to take care of the Royal Palace, that no beggars, vagabonds, common women that prostitute their bodkies, malefactor, etc. come within or near the court.

Henry and his brother George were granted arms and a crest on 20 Apr 1577. George Manning married Joan Walls, on 13 Aug 1540 in Downe, Kent, England. His will, written 30 Apr 1583, proved 16 May 1583, mentions his wife, Joan, and sons, Thomas, John, George, William and Peter. George and William "Should be sent to writing school for one year, then apprenticed for eight years and then receive 50 pounds each". Thomas and John "should be given 50 pounds when their apprenticeship expires". He mentions his daughters, Elizabeth Greene, Anne Brownhall, Catherine Underhill, Joan Welch, Dorothy and Phebe. Dorothy was to get £30 when she married. Phebe was to be sent to school under the tuition of Dorothy during the term of six years and was to receive £30 when she married. He mentions brothers, John and Henry. The overseers of the will were Richard Brownhall, Hugh Underhill, and Griffin Greene.

Henry's daughters were well married. Margaret married first to Thomas Howard, first Viscount Bindon and secondly to Edmund Ludlow. Anne married Joshua Aylmer, who was steward to Thomas Howard, his wife's brother-in-law. Dorothy married Edward Heydon of Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire, Gentleman. Mildred married Thomas Whitfield.

Sources:

Brooks Threlfall, John: “The Ancestry of Reverend Henry Whitfield (1590-1657) and His Wife Dorothy Sheafe (159?-1669) of Guilford, Connecticut”

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