Lord Thomas Windsor1,2,3

M, b. 1440, d. 29 September 1485
     Thomas was born in 1440 in Stanwell, County Middlesex, England. He was 11 years old when his father Miles Wyndsore died while on pilgrimage in Ferrara, Italy in 1451/52.4 He was the son of Miles Windsor. Thomas married Elizabeth Andrews, daughter of Elizabeth Stratton, circa 1459.5 Thomas made his will on 13 August 1479.

Thomas Wyndesor, Esquire, of the parish of Stanwell, in the county of Middlesex, August 13th, 1479, 19 Edward IV. My body to be buried in the north side of the quire of the Church of our Lady of Stanwell before the image of Our Lady, where the sepulture of our Lord standeth ; whereupon I will that there be made a plain tomb of marble of a competent height, to the intent that it may bear the blessed body of our Lord and the sepulture at the time of Easter, to stand upon the same, and with mine arms and a scripture convenient to be set about the same tomb, by the advice of mine executors and overseers under written ; item, I will that I have burning at my burying and funeral service four tapers and twenty-two torches of wax, every taper to contain the weight of ten pounds, and every torch sixteen pounds, which I will that twenty-four very poor men, and well disposed shall hold, as well at the time of my burying as at my month's mind, and that every of the said twenty -four men shall have for his labour for both times VIIId. and a gown of frize; the poor men of the parish of Stanwell to be thereto preferred before all other parishes ; Item, I will that after my month's mind done, the said four tapers be delivered to the churchwardens of the said Church of Stanwell, two of them to burn yearly as long as they will endure, about the sepulture of our blessed Lord at the time of Easter, and the other two to help the light that standeth upon the branch before the image of our Lady in the quire there, as long as the same wax will endure, to the intent that the five candlesticks may burn at the anthem of our Lady in the quire, and at all other times convenient as aforetime hath been used; Item, I will that there be three priests and three clerks, after the discretion of my executors, to sing by note in the Church of Stanwell placebo and dirige and mass of requiem every day during thirty days next after my decease, and to pray for my soul and for all Christian souls ; of the aforesaid twenty torches, after my funeral service, I bequeath four to the Church of Stanwell and the other sixteen to sixteen churches within the county of Middlesex, next adjoining to the said Church of Stanwell, the Chapels of Woxbridge and Houndeslow having each of them one. Item, I will that there be one hundred children, each within the age of sixteen years, at my month's mind, to say our Lady's Psalter for my soul in the Church of Stanwell, each of them having iiiid. for his labour; and that before my month's mind the candles burnt before the rood in the said Church, with all other lights burnt before our Lady, the Trinity, or any other Saints, in the said Church, be renewed and made at my cost; Item, I will that at my month's mind, my executors provide twenty priests besides the clerks that come to sing placebo, dirige, and mass of requiem, on the morrow, and that they be rewarded after the discretion of my executors, because some of them may come further than others ; also I will that a convenient dinner be provided, to the pleasure of God, and the comfort of my lovers and friends whom it shall please to be there at that time, with all my tenants at Stanwell; Item, I will that £ x be distributed amongst my poor tenants, who are householders in Stanwell and other towns adjoining, viz. to every poor householder of Stanwell 1s. viiid., and of the other towns xiid. as far as it will go; also I desire and charge my executors to satisfy and pay all such debts and duties as of right I ought to pay to any person or persons at the time of my decease; Item, I will that they provide an honest and well disposed priest to sing and say divine service in the said Church of Stanwell, or in my Chapel at my manor of Stanwell, during the term of twenty years next after my decease, and to have for his wages £VI XIIIs. iiiid. and find himself; or else that my wife or my heir to give him meat and drink and xxxvs. iiiid., in money and a gown, to the intent to pray for my soul, the souls of my said father and mother, the soul of Dame Alice Wyche, and all Christian souls; Item, I will that such of my servants as dwell with me be kept together at Stanwell, where my wife is, with meat, drink, and wages, during a year next ensuing my decease; Item, I will that Elizabeth my wife, or Andrews my son, or who at my decease may be my heir, ordain and keep solemnly my obit by note with six priests and three clerks in the said Church of Stanwell yearly, during the space of forty years next after my decease, to pray for my soul, the souls of my father, mother, of John Andrews and of Elizabeth his wife, and of Dame Alice Wiche, and my friends' souls, and all Christian souls; the said priests to be found out of the issues and profits of my purchased lands; also I will that my feoffees stand seised of my estates until Anthony Windesore, my youngest son, come to the age of twenty-one years, if he so long lives. Provided that if my son Andrews, or other of my sons that shall happen to be Lord of Stanwell and next heir of all my lands, find my priest and my obit, that then my feoffees suffer my heir to receive the profits thereof, and make estate of the said manors and lands to the said Andrews my son, or to him of my said sons that shall be alive after twenty-one years ; Item, I will that Elizabeth, my wife, have the rule and oversight of my lordship and manor of Bailham, in the county of Suffolk, during the nonage of William Windsor, my son, if God fortune she lives so long after my decease; and if she die I will that John Catesby, Serjeant at Law, and John Holgrave and my executors have the rule of the said manor, and I pray them to be aiding to my said son William; Item, I will that after twenty years past every one of my said sons shall, beside what I have bequeathed to them, have £xx; to Ann, my daughter, c marks towards her marriage ; also I will that my daughters Elizabeth and Alice be contented with such goods as I delivered to their marriages; and I desire that to my children not named in my will, my executors give and deliver to them part of the issues of my purchased lands, to their marriages according to their discretion; Item, I will that there be paid £c in performing of such articles as be not finished in the last will of Dame Alice Wyche, which appeareth in the great ledger, of such debts as be due to her, as soon as they can be recovered, and all such dues as I owe to the Lady Fowler and to William Puttenham by my daughters' marriages, that such lands as I have of them for their jointures shall rest in their hands until they be content and paid ; to the Lady Abbess and Convent of Burnham XX marks, in contentation of what she claims of me, if it be her due, and if not, that she and her convent pray for my soul and all Christian souls ; the residue of my goods, &c. not bequeathed, I give to Elizabeth my wife, whom I constitute my executor, together with Sir John Tokett, Priest, and Edward Cheeseman, to each of whom I bequeath £xx. And I appoint my cousin John Catesby and John Holgrave overseers of this my will, and they to have £x each for their labour and advice.6

Thomas departed this life on Tuesday, 29 September 1485 in Stanwell, County Middlesex, England, at Manor of Stanwell. He was buried there in Church of Our Lady. His will was probated on 15 February 1486.

Children of Lord Thomas Windsor and Elizabeth Andrews

Citations

  1. [S506] Note: [In a few different sources it is stated that Thomas had a son John who married Ann Fiennes. No prove has been found to verify this. - KLM].
  2. [S1384] Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, page 536.
  3. [S2488] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem - Henry VII Volume I, page 6-7 - Andrew is 18 years or more - 24 Jan 1484.
  4. [S2484] Andrew Windsor, 1st Baron Windsor.
  5. [S2484] Andrew Windsor, 1st Baron Windsor, round 1465, Thomas married Elizabeth Andrewes, daughter of John and Elizabeth Andrewes of Baylham, Suffolk, and Andrew, the eldest surviving son, was born c. 1467. Several children of Thomas are enumerated in the wills of Elizabeth Andrewes senior and her sister Dame Alice Wyche, both of whom died in 1474. Having made his own will in 1479, Thomas was advised to prepare himself to receive the Order of Knighthood at King Edward V's Coronation in June 1483, but those honours never materialised. In 1485, Richard III appointed him Constable of Windsor Castle.[24] Following the Battle of Bosworth, his lands were forfeit, but immediately restored to him by Henry VII. He died a week later; his will naming Andrew his heir was proved on 14 February 1485/6.
  6. [S2485] Esq. By Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Testamenta Vetusta, Volume I: pages 352-356.