65674William Bettenham
Key Facts
Snapshot:lived in 15th-century Kent, England
Parents:131348John Bettenham
131349Alice ___
Born:by 1448
location unknown
Died:between 13 January 1492/3 and 2 December 1493
presumably Cranbrook, Kent, England
Buried:unknown

Note: I'd like to extend special thanks to researcher Jared Nathan for sharing his work pertaining to 65674William Bettenham.

65674William Bettenham is the son of 131348John Bettenham and 131349Alice ___, as proven by 131349Alice's will.1 In addition to her will, another record explicitly states that 131348John was 65674William's father.2 131349Alice's will is dated 26 December 1468, and it implies that 65674William was an adult (since she appoints him as executor),1 so 65674William was probably born by 1448 at the very latest.


"I Alicia Bettenham widow relict of John Bettenham" (translated from Latin). Full page.1


"William Bettenham my son" (translated from Latin). Full page.1

65674William married 65675Agnes Sandes sometime after 18 November 1473, as explained below.

Problem: Resolved
Who was 65674William's wife?

65674William's will plainly shows that his wife's name is 65675Agnes.3


"Agnes my wiff." Full page.3

An informant for the 1574 heraldic visitation of Kent reported that 65674William's wife's name was 65675Agnes Sandes:4

Although heraldic visitations aren't necessarily reliable, other "nearby" claims in the above pedigree are supported by contemporary evidence: Benedicta was in fact married to Richard Martyn.5 Elizabeth Sandes did in fact have a son Robert and grandson Anthony.6 William Sandes did in fact have children named Benedicta, Agnes, and Reginald.7 In light of these substantiated claims, the informant's other claims (most importantly, that 65674William's wife is 65675Agnes Sandes) seem more trustworthy.

Also for the 1574 visitation, a different informant reported that 65674William's wife's last name was Sandes (but doesn't provide her first name).8


Again we see that some of the other claims from this pedigree are proven by contemporary evidence (e.g., that 65674William's father is 131348John,1 who was the son of 262696Stephen Bettenham and 262697Helewys Baker as explained on 131348John's profile page).

65674William and 65675Agnes named their eldest daughter Elizabeth and their (apparently) second eldest daughter Alice.3 This is consistent with a once-popular European naming pattern by which a couple's eldest daughter would be named in honor of the mother's mother, and the second eldest daughter in honor of the father's mother. This naming pattern helps to confirm 65675Agnes' identity.

Lastly, we know that 65672William Fisher had a longterm working relationship with 65675Agnes' brother Reginald.9 Therefore, it's not especially surprising that 65672William's son 32836John Fisher and Reginald's niece 32837Thomazine Bettenham would later marry. Although 65672William's and Reginald's professional connection is admittedly circumstantial evidence, it does help to prove that these families were in close, intimate contact and thus provides further weight to the hypothesis that 65672William's wife is 65675Agnes Sandes.

65675Agnes' father's will, dated 18 November 1473, makes clear that 65675Agnes had not yet married but was of marriageable age.10 Therefore, we know that she and 65674William married sometime thereafter.

65674William Bettenham's will, dated 13 January Henry VII 8 (i.e., 1492/3) and proved 2 December 1493, shows that he was from Cranbrook, Kent and had daughters Elizabeth (who's insinuated to be the eldest), Alice, and 32837Thomazine. A transcription of the will is below (or see the register copy here: 1, 2).3 Important phrases are highlighted yellow.

Image 1:

This is the last wille of me William Betynh[a]m of Cranebroke
made the xiijth daye of January the yere of the Reigne of Kyng Harry the vijth
the viijth of alle my landis and tenementis lying and beyng w[i]t[h]in the shire
of Kent First I wille that Agnes my wiff have and enjoye my maner or
Tenement of Bettenh[a]m in the shire Aforesaid w[i]t[h] alle other landis

Image 2:

and Tenementis Accordyng to the graunte therof to hir made terme of her lyff And
Also A Tenement callid s[ir] Hues duryng the said terme etc Also I wille that the
Issues and p[ro]fytes of all my other londis and Tenementis be Imployed be discrecion
of my feoffeis in fourme folowyng that is to saye x marke yerely therof to A
prest to syng for my soule by the terme of x yere that is to saye the first yere
at Cranebroke the Secunde yere at Tenterden the iijde at Bedynden the iiijth yere
at Frethynden And so from place to place and yere to yere duryng the said t[er]me
of x yere And of the said Issues and p[ro]fytes Abovesaid I wille that ev[er]y yere
duryng the terme of the said x yere next ensuyng after my decease be delyv[er]id
unto the p[er]sones beyng in the Jayll of Maydeston uppon good Frydaye xxd
And the Residewis of the seid p[ro]fites to be kepte to the behowght of the fyndyng
and maryages of my doughters my dettis and byquethis fully payed and co[n]tent
Also I wille if god it fortune Agnes my wiff at the makyng of this p[re]sent
my last wille be w[i]t[h] Child w[i]t[h] Issue male than I wille the said male have
to hym and his heyres my man[or] of Bettenh[a]m w[i]t[h] all the p[re]misses aforesaid
after the decease of the said Agnes my wiffe Also I wille that ev[er]yche of
my doughters Elisabeth Alis and Thomasyn have to her maryages L
marke and if the foreseid Issues and p[ro]fytes wilnot content ther said maryages
that then I wille my feoffeis to selle londe where lest hurte shalbe And for
the fulfyllyng of ther said maryagis And if it fortune the said Agnes
my wiff to be w[i]t[h] child w[i]t[h] Issue female than I wille that after the decease
of my said wiff my maner and Tenement of Bettenh[a]m And all my
other landis and tenementis w[i]t[h]in the said shire of Kent be devyded yevynly
by the discrecion of my seid feoffeis bytwen my doughters Elisabeth Alis
Thomesyn and heyre female Provided Alwaye that the said Elisabeth have my
man[or] of Bettenh[a]m After the Rate And if Any of my said doughters dye w[i]t[h]oute lawfull Issue
then I wille that eyther of them to be others heyre Also I wille that if all my
Childryn deceas w[i]t[h]oute laufull Issue than I will that my wiff have all
the p[re]missez A foresaid terme of her lyff And after her decease I will that
John Bettynh[a]m Harry and Willyam Sonnes of Thomas Bettynh[a]m And Stephyn
Bettynh[a]m sonne of Harry have all my landis and tenementis And other p[re]misses
Aforesaid evynly bytwen them to be devyded w[i]t[h] condicion that they p[er]fo[ur]me
my wille Afore Rehersid And Also to paye my bequethis as folowith
that is to saye for a sute of vestmentis to be w[i]t[h]in the Chirche of Cranebroke
xlli and in lykewyse to the Chirche of Tenterden xlli And Also in
lykewyse to the Chirch of Bedynden for a Sute xxli And Also to the
Chirche of Frethynden for a Sute xx marc Also I wille that sir John
of ?Goghrane now my prest and Chapleyne have the said s[er]vice and syng
for my soule be alle the said terme of x yere under co[n]dicion of his good
Aberyng

The present last will was proved before us, Henry Cooper, etc, on the second day of the month of December in the year of the lord 1493 and by us approved, etc. Dated the day, etc.

A later record shows that 65674William also had owned land in Halden, Rye, and Iden.11

Sources Cited:

1: Kent History and Library Centre archive reference CCA-DCb/PRC/17/2/341a (Canterbury Cathedral Archives / Diocese of Canterbury / Probate Court Records / Archdeaconry Court Wills [Registers] / Registers of Wills, 1469-1476), the will of Alice Bettenham of Cranbrook, dated 26 December 1468. FamilySearch (FHL microfilm 188918, images 379 and 380 of 523). FamilySearch restricts access to these images, so see copies here: 379, 380. For the small excerpts illustrated above, I used a color copy of the will, which I obtained privately.

2: East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office archive reference SAS-CO/1/531 (Archive of Courthope Family of Whiligh in Ticehurst / Documents Listed by William Courthope, Somerset Herald, in 1836 / Highfields, in Marden / Gift of 10 June 1476). I haven't seen the original record and merely used the index entry, the description of which reads, "William Bettenham of Crambrook, Son and heir of John Bettenham of Cranbrook, deceased, to Robert Kent aforesd.; Gift of a rent charge of 23s. 8d. on the said 17 pieces."

3: 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. For the small excerpt illustrated above, I used a color copy of the will, which I obtained privately.

4: W. Bruce Bannerman, ed., The Visitations of Kent, Taken in the Years 1530-1 and 1574, Part 2 (Publications of the Harleian Society, volume 75, London, 1924), page 33.

5: UK National Archives reference C 1/34/109 (Records Created, Acquired, and Inherited by Chancery, and also of the Wardrobe, Royal Household, Exchequer and Various Commissions / Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Pleadings and Proceedings, Richard II to Philip and Mary / Chancery Pleadings Addressed to the Archbishop of York as Lord Chancellor). I have not seen the original record and merely used the abstract at the URL provided. As you can see, the abstract mentions "Richard Martyn and of Benett his wife, daughter of William Sonde."

6: UK National Archives record PROB 11/18/474 (Prerogative Court of Canterbury / Wills and Letters of Administration / Will Registers / Holder / Will of Elizabeth Sondes, Gentlewoman of Thurleigh, Bedfordshire). UK National Archives, accessed 17 March 2022. You can see a copy of the document here.

7: Kent History and Library Centre archive reference CCA-DCb/PRC/32/2/275b (Canterbury Cathedral Archives / Diocese of Canterbury / Probate Court Records / Consistory Court Registers of Wills / Registers of Wills, 1459-1484), the will of William Sondds of Throwley, dated 1473. I have not seen the original record and merely used the abstract from: Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Testamenta Vetusta: Being Illustrations from Wills, of Manners, Customs, &c. as well as of the Descents and Possessions of Many Distinguished Families from the Reign of Henry the Second to the Accession of Queen Elizabeth, Volume I (Nichols and Son, London, 1826), pages 332-334.

8: W. Bruce Bannerman, ed., The Visitations of Kent, Taken in the Years 1530-1 and 1574, Part 1 (Publications of the Harleian Society, volume 74, London, 1923), page 29.

9: Sir John Baker, The Men of Court: 1440 to 1550: A Prosopography of the Inns of Court and Chancery and the Courts of Law, Volume I, A to I (Selden Society, London, 2012), page 674.

10: Kent History and Library Centre archive reference CCA-DCb/PRC/32/2/275b (Canterbury Cathedral Archives / Diocese of Canterbury / Probate Court Records / Consistory Court Registers of Wills / Registers of Wills, 1459-1484), the will of William Sondds of Throwley, dated 1473. I have not seen the original record and merely used the abstract from: Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Testamenta Vetusta: Being Illustrations from Wills, of Manners, Customs, &c. as well as of the Descents and Possessions of Many Distinguished Families from the Reign of Henry the Second to the Accession of Queen Elizabeth, Volume I (Nichols and Son, London, 1826), pages 332-334.

11: UK National Archives reference CCA-DCc-ChAnt/M/477 (Canterbury Cathedral Archives / Dean and Chapter Archive / Chartae Antiquae M), an acquittance dated 29 June 1496 pertaining to the estate of William Bettenham, deceased. I have not seen the original record and merely used the abstract at the link provided.