Key Facts

Snapshot:	lived in 16th-century Kent, England
Parents:	65672William Fisher 65673Elizabeth Friar
First known record:	20 October 1506
Last known record:	1548 appointed to a committee in Maidstone, Kent, England
Buried:	unknown

I'd like to extend special thanks to researcher Jared Nathan for sharing his work pertaining to 32836John Fisher, especially evidence to prove his marriage to 32837Thomazine Bettenham.

32836John Fisher was the fourth son of 65672William Fisher and 65673Elizabeth Friar, and is identified as such in their wills.1,2 (Confusingly, their wills also show that their first son was named John, too, and that he survived to adulthood. However, we can be confident that our 32836John was the fourth son, since both wills leave Horsepull in Detling to him, and a later record describes 16418Alexander, i.e. the son of our 32836John, as being from Horsepull in Detling.3)

From 65672William Fisher's will, dated 20 October 1506: "John Fyssher my fourth sonne shall have my man[or] of Horpull wt all the londs ⁊ Rents longyng to the same in D[e]tlyng [...]." Full page.1

From 65673Elizabeth Friar's will: "John Fissher my fourth sonne shalhave my manor of Horspull wt the londes and rents longing to the same in Detling [...]." Full page.2

32836John married 32837Thomazine Bettenham by 27 October 1508, as explained below.

Problem: Resolved Whom did 32836John Fisher marry? 32836John Fisher's and 32837Thomazine Bettenham's marriage is explicitly stated in a 1592 heraldic visitation.3 Although heraldic visitations aren't necessarily reliable, this particular claim is supported by other considerations from the visitation itself and certain external evidence. This body of evidence is particularly important for proving that 32836John and 32837Thomazine are the parents of 16418Alexander Fisher, so I present a more thorough discussion in 16418Alexander's profile. See his profile since that information won't be repeated here. Further evidence of their marriage comes from a court record dated 27 October 1508.4 The parties named therein are: • Nicholas Deryng and his wife Alice • [32836]John Fyssher and his wife [32837]Thomasina • William More and his wife Elizabeth The court record also mentions various properties in Cranbrook, Frittenden, and Biddenden. Compare the above information to the will of 65674William Bettenham: His will names daughters Elisabeth, Alis, and [32837]Thomasyn as heirs. The will also makes clear that 65674William owned land in Kent but doesn't specify where; however, 65674William left money for churches in Cranbrook, Frittenden, Biddenden, and Tenterden, so he likely owned properties in those places.5 As you can see, comparing the two documents strongly suggests that 32836John Fisher's wife is 32837Thomazine, daughter of 65674William Bettenham.

Around 29 September 1541, 32836John and 32837Thomazine sold some lands in Frittenden and Biddenden to their son 16418Alexander.6

In 1548, 32836John was appointed (along with his son 16418Alexander as well as 32838Peter Maplesden) to a committee to help fund the new Maidstone Grammar School.7 To learn more about the committee's activities, the school itself, etc., see the description in 32838Peter Maplesden's profile, since that information won't be repeated here. The record showing 32836John as a committee member is the last contemporary record I've found of him.

Sources Cited:

1: UK National Archives record PROB 11/18/319 (Prerogative Court of Canterbury / Wills and Letters of Administration / Will Registers / Holder / Will of William Fyssher or Fisher, Gentleman of Maidstone, Kent). UK National Archives, accessed 20 February 2022. You can see a copy of the document here.

2: UK National Archives record PROB 11/22/223 (Prerogative Court of Canterbury / Wills and Letters of Administration / Will Registers / Porche / Will of Elizabeth Fissher or Fisher, Widow of Maidstone, Kent). UK National Archives, accessed 24 February 2022. You can see a copy of the document here.

3: Robert Cooke, "The Visitations of Kent Taken in the Years 1574 and 1592, Part 2," The Publications of the Harleian Society, Volume 75 (London, 1924), page 98.

4: UK National Archives record CP 25/1/117A/352, number 527. I obtained an image of this record from: Anglo-American Legal Tradition, O'Quinn Law Library, University of Houston; <http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/CP25no1/CP25_1_117a/IMG_0640.htm>, accessed 4 March 2022. As you can see, the original record is in Latin, so this abstract is helpful and comes from: Some Notes on Medieval English Genealogy, <https://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/fines/abstracts/CP_25_1_117A_352.shtml>, accessed 4 March 2022.

5: Kent History and Library Centre archive reference CCA-DCb/PRC/32/3/361 (Canterbury Cathedral Archives / Diocese of Canterbury / Probate Court Records / Consistory Court Registers of Wills / Registers of Wills, 1484-1493), the will of William Betynham of Cranbroke, dated 13 January Henry VII 8. FamilySearch (FHL microfilm 188834, images 395 and 396 of 410). FamilySearch restricts access to these images, so see copies here: 395, 396.

6: UK National Archives record CP 25/2/22/140/33HENVIIIMICH/25 (Records of the Court of Common Pleas and other courts / Feet of Fines Files, Henry VIII - Victoria / Feet of fines for 33 Henry VIII Mich). I have not seen the original record, but instead used abstract #1831 from this index. The abstract reads, "Jn Fysher, gent & wife Thomasine to Alex Fysher, gent. 80a land, 12a mead & 6a wood in Frittenden & Biddenden. £60."

7: Frank Streatfeild, An Account of the Grammar School in the King's Town and Parish of Maidstone in Kent (Cowley St. John Press, Oxford, 1915), pages 9-11.