Family Origins
The Mortimers of Kennett in Avebury may have come from an obscure origin, but by 17th century were recorded as having their own coat of arms. These Mortimers were the only branch of the Mortimer family to be recorded in the Heraldic Visation of Wiltshire in 1623, which records Andrew Mortimer as the earliest known ancestor of the family. They were presumably related to other Mortimer families in Wiltshire. These Mortimers resided in the parish of Avebury, principally at West Kennett, and at Calne, Wiltshire.
Andrew Mortimer of Kennett (c.1510-1563)
Andrew Mortimer was probably born about 1510, and was first recorded in the lay subsidy of 1545 at Kennett (West Kennett), near Avebury, when he paid 13s. 4d. in the tax. Very little is known of his life, though he was perhaps a yeoman farmer. His descendants later gained distinction as local landowners. He married Agnes, and had six children, although their order of birth is unknown. In his will he appointed wife Agnes and son Richard as executors. Agnes also had a son named Walter Nasse (Nash?). Henry and Joan were named in the will as the children of both Andrew and Agnes. The other children may have been children by a previous marriage:
- George Mortimer (c.1538-1613)
- Thomas Mortimer c.1542
- Richard Mortimer c.1546-c.1590, at Avebury, mentioned in the will of of Richard Brown of Avebury in 1570, he was assessed at £3 in the Wiltshire Lay Subsidy in 1576.
- Alice c.1547, m. Roger Lansyer 27 Jan 1568/9 Calne
- Henry Mortimer c.1550
- Joan c.1553
George Mortimer of West Kennett (c.1538-1613)
George Mortimer was born about 1538, the son of Andrew Mortimer. He was an adult at the time of his father’s will in 1563, as in the will Andrew mentioned goods in his son George’s hands. The visitation of Wiltshire shows he married Jane Smith, this marriage may have been around the year 1560. They had at least five sons. George Mortimer was listed in the lay subsidy roll of 1576 in Kennett, Avebury, his income was assessed at £12, showing he was one of the more wealthy parishioners. He also owned property in Calne, Wiltshire, as seen by an indenture of sale 14 Jul 1587, by George Mortymer of West Kennett and his son George Mortymer, to John Lovell of Marlborough, of a messuage or tenement in Calne, with courts, gardens, orchards, houses, edifices, buildings, barns, stables, waters, fishing, woods, under-woods, meadows, pastures, arable lands, commodities, profits and hereditaments, for £150. George Mortimer’s will was dated 1 Aug 1613. He gave lands in West Kennett, Wiltshire to his eldest son John Mortimer, and after to the said John Mortimer’s sons George, Richard, Andrew, John and Anthony Mortimer. He gave his household goods to his son John and after to John’s son George.
George Mortimer and Jane his wife had the following issue:
1. John Mortimer of West Kennett (c.1563- ), eldest son.
2. George Mortimer of Marsh Gibbon, Bucks., gent. (c.1565-1626), the second son, m. Alice, died in 1626, Marsh Gibbon, Bucks.
3. Ambrose Mortimer of Calne c.1567- , m.1. Ann Archer (c.1568-1597), they had three children. Ann his wife was bur. 6 Feb 1596/7 Calne. He m.2. Mary (surname unknown). Ambrose and Ann had issue:
i. Ann 1590, bapt. 8 Apr 1590 Calne, m. Edward Duck
ii. Roger Mortimer of Calne (1594-1641), bapt. 17 Nov 1694 Calne, m. Elizabeth Say 21 Oct 1619, Wootton Bassett. He died in 1641. They had issue:
1. Edmund Mortimer 1622-1649, bapt. 12 May 1622 Calne, bur. 23 Nov 1649
2. Elizabeth 1624, bapt. 5 Dec 1624 Calne, m. James Welche 6 Jun 1644 Calne
3. John 1627-1627, bapt. 1627, bur. 2 Dec 1627 Calne
4. Joan 1629, bapt. 29 Mar 1629 Calne
5. Ann 1632, bapt. 1 Feb 1631/2 Calne
6. Roger 1635-1635, bapt. 2 Feb 1634/5 bur. 5 Feb 1634/5 Calne
7. Mary 1636, bapt. 12 Dec 1636 Calne
8. Patience 1639-1688, bapt. 1639, bur. 1 May 1688 Calne
iii. Susan c.1596, was unmarried at the time of the Visitation of Wiltshire in 1623.
4. William Mortimer of Calne c.1673-1653, clerk and vicar of Calne, born about 1577, the youngest son of George Mortimer. William m. Sybil Stepley, 2 Jun 1603 Calne, Sybil his wife was bur. 29 Apr 1640, William Mortimer died before 1653, his will was dated 1646, and proved 13 Feb 1653/4. They had nine children:
i. William Mortimer II 1608-1662, of Calne, clothier, bapt. 20 Oct 1608, eldest son of William and Sybil Mortimer, m. Sarah Stevens 25 Jun 1632 Devizes; William Mortimer died in 1662, Sarah his widow died in 1668; both made wills which mentioned their surviving children, Sarah, Mary, Robert, Martha, John and Moses.
1. William Mortimer 1633-1658, bapt. 4 Jul 1633, bur. 2 May 1658, Calne
2. Roger Mortimer 1635-1657, b. 25 Jan 1634/5, bur. 27 May 1657 Calne
3. Sarah 1637, b. 26 Apr 1637, m. John Keye 20 Apr 1663 Calne
4. Abigail 1639-1648, b. 6 Oct 1639, bur. 4 Feb 1647/8
5. John 1641-c.1644, b. 7 Sep 1641, d. before 1647
6. Mary 1642-1680, b. 25 Dec 1642, bur. 24 Sep 1680 Calne
7. Robert 1645, b. 20 Aug 1645
8. John 1647-1650, b. 11 Jun 1647
9. Martha 1650-1670, b. 9 Aug 1650, bur. 20 Nov 1670 Calne
10. John Mortimer 1653, b. 1 May 1653 Calne, fl. 1668
11. Moses Mortimer 1654, b. 23 Jan 1654/5 Calne, fl. 1668
ii. Philip Mortimer 1611-1654, bapt. 7 Oct 1611, bur. 18 Sep 1654 Calne
iii. Martha 1613-1627, bapt. 27 Jul 1613, bur. 27 May 1627 Calne
iv. Joan 1614-1674, bapt. 7 Dec 1614 Calne, m. Gilbert Pinkney
v. Robert 1616-1621, bapt. 28 Apr 1616, bur. 12 Jul 1621 Calne
vi. Deborah 1617, bapt. 3 Dec 1617, m. Edward Blandford 25 Mar 1639 Calne
vii. Ann 1619, bapt. 28 Sep 1619 Calne
viii. Sybil 1621-1621, bapt. 10 May, bur. 2 Oct 1621 Calne
ix. Temys 1624-1625, bapt. 22 Dec 1624, bur. 18 Apr 1625 Calne
John Mortimer of West Kennett (c.1563 – )
John was born about 1563, the eldest son of George Mortimer and Jane his wife, of West Kennett. He lived in West Kennett, was made executor of his father’s will in 1613. John married twice; the name of his first wife is unknown. He m. secondly Katherine daughter of Henry Rogers, 19 Feb 1603/4 Heddington. John Mortimer was named overseer in the will of his father in law Henry Rogers of Heddington in 1614.
John and his first wife had issue:
1. George Mortimer of West Kennett (c.1595-c.1644), presumably the eldest son, named after his paternal grandfather George Mortimer d. 1613. He m. Dorothy Gould 24 Feb 1623/4 Avebury. George died before 1651, when Deborah made her will as a widow at West Kennett. She mentioned her children in her will:
i. George Mortimer c.1626
ii. Elizabeth c.1628
iii. Anthony Mortimer c.1630
iv. Henry Mortimer c.1632
v. Deborah c.1634
vi. Francis Mortimer c.1636
2. Richard Mortimer c.1598- , perhaps the same Richard Mortimer m. Margaret Larie, 1 May 1625, Wells Somerset. They had one son:
i. John Mortimer bapt. 30 Apr 1626
3. Andrew Mortimer of Bromham c.1600-1646, m. Dorothy Rogers, 20 Jan 1622/3 Heddington; Dorothy his wife was bur. 1 Aug 1641 Bromham. Andrew Mortimer made a will in 1646 and died in the same year. Andrew Mortimer and Dorothy his wife had issue:
i. Ann 1624, bapt. 8 Oct 1624 Bromham; m. Benjamin Webb, 26 Jun 1662, Bromham.
ii. Katherine 1627, bapt. 7 Jan 1626/7 Bromham
iii. Andrew Mortimer of Calne (1629-c.1690) bapt. 2 Dec 1629 Bromham
iv. George Mortimer 1632- perhaps the same George Mortimer of Lacock d.1684
v. Sarah 1634- , bapt. 6 Nov 1634 Calne
vi. Elizabeth 1637- , bapt. 13 Dec 1657 Calne, m. Thomas Smith 7 Nov 1659 Calne
John Mortimer and his second wife Katherine Rogers had issue:
4. John Mortimer II c.1605- , presumably a son of John and his second wife, Katherine, perhaps the same John Mortimer of Frome (c.1605-1677)
5. Mary c.1607- , m. _ Bromham; mentioned as sister in the will of her brother Anthony Mortimer
6. Anthony Mortimer of Binegar c.1609-c.1666, presumably the youngest son; made a will 14 Aug 1666, which mentioned his wife Elizabeth, sons George and Anthony Mortimer, and his son Anthony’s daughter Ann Mortimer. No marriage record for his marriage to Elizabeth or baptism records for his descendants have been located.
Andrew Mortimer of Calne (1629-c.1690)
The Mortimer family tree continues in Calne, with Andrew, son of Andrew Mortimer and Dorothy Rogers. He was bapt. 2 Dec 1629, Bromham.
Andrew m. Alice Jeffrey (1632-1685) 6 Jul 1651, Calne. They had issue:
1. Ann 1653-1680, bapt. 11 Nov 1653 Heddington, bur. 12 Feb 1679/800 Calne
2. James Mortimer 1655, bapt. 29 Jul 1655 Heddington
3. Alice 1657, bapt. 30 May 1657 Calne
4. Mary 1659- , bapt. 18 Mar 1658/9, m. Thomas Selwood 20 Jul 1685 Calne
5. Edith 1660, bapt. 16 Dec 1660, bur. 10 Aug 1695 Calne
6. William Mortimer of Calne (1662-1699)
7. Andrew Mortimer (1664-1713?)
8. Edward Mortimer (1666-1732)
9. Robert Mortimer of Marlborough (1670-1729)
William Mortimer of Calne (1662-1699) bapt. 3 Dec 1662 Calne, m. Elizabeth bef. 1690; had issue. He was bur. 9 May 1699, Calne. William and Elizabeth Mortimer had the following children:
1. John Mortimer of Calne
