The Dispersal of the Eacotts

From the available records the following pattern emerges.

The Eacotts, Eycotts etc. with the exception of the very rare marriage did not leave the valley of the Churn river, north of Cirencester until well into the 1600's. The " Ea " spelling was rare but not unknown in Rendcomb and North Cerney. The "Ey" version was exclusive in Bagendon and Cirencester.

Just before and after 1700 several movements took place. One group originating from "Ecott" and becoming Eacott focussed on Cromhall and later Alveston area. Another group located in South Cerney and shortly after Purton and Warminster. Until the mid 1700's all of the Eacotts were living between Cheltenham and Warminster in Gloucester and Wiltshire. The only exception were a few after 1710 appearing in London and later in Surrey. After 1740 several appear in adjacent Berkshire and subsequent to that they appear in very, very few counties of England. Most of the Wiltshire branch is Eacott as is the Cromhall/Alveston branch.

At the time of the reformation some Eycotts possibly remained Catholic supporters. The Eycott version does not appear to exist today.

The Eacotts in Relation to Historic Events

1100 s - North Cerney church begun

1264 - Bishop of Worcester supports Simon de Montfort against Henry III

1337 - Hundred Years War begun, Edward III is king, the wool trade is good with a demand in Europe for the high grade wool. Flocks are now smaller. Villeins often pay cash rather than carry out feudal duties. It is the peak of the feudal times. Parliament is raising money from tax on wool and controlling the king who is spending much on French wars.

1342 - John Eycott signs petition as a townsman to get the Abbott out of medaling in their affairs, Also to keep town free.

1346 - Thomas Neel of Purton sub leases Eycote

1348 - plague arrives also 1361, 1374 and other times. Back of feudal system broken because labour is scarce and expensive. Labourers are at a premium, farms vacated population is cut in half. Cloth manufacturing is begun. Huge flocks of sheep are held by few landowners including the Thynnes and the Bishops. 2 rectors of North Cerney die in plague.

1362 - Norman French abolished in courts etc. English spoken in recognizable form, Chaucer writes

1370's - wills have come into fashion

1376 - Burgesses and gentry hold first Commons, Oxford University flourishing, clock built for Salisbury cathedral, Wycliffe preaches the reformation.

1377 - Richard II is king

1381 - peasants revolt and the poll tax rolls

1382 - company of weavers of Cirencester are given Bagendon but they give it to priests in Cirencester

1394 - John Eycott does Wardstaff at Berrefordbrugge

1413 - Henry V captures lands in France

1416 - John Eycott witnesses a grant

1421 - John and Thomas transfer land, John Warre gives Eycote to Winchcombe Abbey

1429 - Joan of Arc

1430 - knights loose voting rights given to all freeholders who are worth 40 shillings( a large sum)

1453 - English surrender last of French lands

1464 - John Eicote is curate of North Cerney church, War of Roses , Church is with Yorkists, Brick and Stone manor houses are in style. Eycote window placed in church.

1485 - Battle of Bosworth ends war of Roses, N. Cerney church new window has Yorkist badge

1509 - Henry VIII is king to 1545

1525 - Wyllyam Eycott witnesses will of Thomas Foxley

1540 - Edmund Tame of Fairford and wife Catherine Stafford acquire Eycote manor after dissolution it becomes part of Rendcomb Park estate.

1558 - Elizabeth I is queen, 1559 Anglicans rule

1564 - Berkeley family hold Eycote Manor

1569/79 - Ales and others born to John, Thomas, Robert. This is a time of great wealth because of weaving and sheep rearing, the start of enclosure of fields. Catholics are rebellious, Drake circles world. 1572 Thomas Eycott is churchwarden at Bagendon, only 7 families

1581/3 - wills of Thomas and Richard show them to have been very well off. The first Ecott

1588 - Spanish armada defeated, time of Shakespeare

1594/ 1605 - many Ecott references

1603/23 - James I is king, Barons and Abbots brought low the gentry and burgesses wield more power, a time of mansions in country, many are now Puritans and not Anglicans.

1605 - Gunpowder plot, state church

1608 - Thomas Coots fit for Militia Eycotts not included in lists so may have antigovernment feelings.

1611 - Marquis of Bath, John Thynne builds Longleat

1619 - Eacott of Rendcombe 3 brothers, 3 sisters in Joan's will

1630 - earliest Bagendon parish register

1632 - Charles I abolishes Parliament, Richard Ecut, roughmason dies at Bagendon

1635 - Guise family assumes ownership of Eycote till 1864

1638 - Long Parliament meets

1642/6 - Civil war leads to Kings overthrow, Cromwell takes over with a strong Puritan government. Gloucester a weaving town is a puritan stronghold. Many schools begun. Newton born

1646/60 - The Commonwealth under Cromwell, Ministers of Bagendon appointed by Cromwell and are Puritans

1653 - Thomas Vyner, goldsmith, mother an Eycott is Lord Mayor of London.

1661 - Eacott, Richard, Charles II is King, American colonies are growing rapidly,

1666 - Great fire of London, Pepys diary, Richard of Woodmancote is indicted for legal matter

1681/8 - James II leans to catholic restoration

1689 - revolution makes parliament supreme, religious toleration acts but only Anglicans can hold office. William of Orange made king followed by Anne

1696/7 - Eacotts now at South Cerney and Cromhall

1701 - act of Settlement

1703 - Eacotts at Warminster and Purton

1707 - Union with Scotland

1710 - Eycott and Eacott at London and on April 19, John Eacutt was a juryman at Southham Manor. A leet Court the business was to order some ditches cleaned and repaired.

1714 - George I

1715 - North Cerney Eycotts swear oath of allegiance as papists(Catholics), Thomas is made constable of Bagendon even though catholic. Must be influential person. Berkeley Eycott was sequestrator of Bagendon church, in 1714 an attempt to trade 5 acres of Berkeleys land for some church land was made to raise some money for repairs to church.

1719 - Richard of Tetbury charged with name calling

1727 - George II

1734 - rioters destroy toll booths at Cairncross house. F. Eycott of Oakfields rebuilds the gates.

1735 - John Eccutt and two others of Uphaven charged with stealing a furnace from Roger Jarvis.

1736 - William Ecott served as juryman at Westbury Wilts.

1740/50 - Thomas Eycott of North Cerney ends line there and John Eycott of Cirencester is a goldsmith both are catholic. The lordship of the Manor goes to "Diamond" Pitt father and grandfather of William Pitt Sr/Jr both Prime Minister of England for most of last half of century. They bring in the Closure Acts ending in 1792 the ancient field patterns.

1759 - Martha Eacott deported to America

1750 - Bath is a centre of culture and style

1760 - George III - Industrial revolution begins, migrations to Lancashire, Midlands and the welsh mines. Cottage industries in villages begin to die as factories grow. Sanitation and science improve life. population of 7 million in 1760 doubles in 40 years. Cotswold loses textile industry to northern mills, fields greatly enclosed

1776 - William Ecutt of Cromhall leaving to several sons an estate with Messuage, tenement and cottages. William born this year grows up and goes abroad to West Indies.

1778 - Thomas of Chippenham and brother John Eacott of Wooton Bassett are plumbers and glaziers.

1792 - Closure Act. Narrows strips of Saxon origin land holding eliminated along with the common pasture land. Fields are enclosed so they can be ploughed.

1797 - Henry Eycott appointed an officer in city of Gloucester, troop of gentlemen and yeomen, cavalry group to defend from Napoleon if invaded

1810 - William Eacott a weaver for two years with J & T Clark of Trowbridge

King and Commoner

William I 1066 -1087 - Alric

Edward III 1327 -1377 - 1342 petition

Richard II 1377 -1399 (minor until 1389, deposed 1399 -last of Plantagenets) Johannes Wardstaff duty 1394

Henry V 1413 -1422 (won Agincourt battle) - 1416 john witness grant

1421 John/Thomas land transfer

Henry VI 1422- 1471 (deposed 1461 died in tower) 1464 John Curate of Church

Edward VI - 1547 -1553

Mary I 1553 - 1558

Elizabeth I 1558 -1603

The Tudor rose is featured in the N. Cerney church Thus the local empathy was with Elizabeth I

1558 to 1603 - all Eacotts from 1569 to 1603 -Names- John, Robert, Thomas, Richard, William, Alice, Edith, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, Margett, Katherine, Eedie, Eleanor,

James I 1603 1625

In the record taken in 1608 for men fit for Militia duty a description is given of Thomas Coots, (eycott-Ekot) this is the only reference to males in Gloucester by this surname. It is obvious that there were others with the family name alive in the area. Therefor they were not considered fit for duty for religious, political or other reasons. Reign of James I - son of Mary Queen of Scots 1603 to 1625 - assumption they opposed the king

Names Thomas, William, Joseph, John, Elizabeth, Richard

Charles I 1625 - 1649 (beheaded Jan 30 1649)

Cromwell 1653 -1658 Thomas Vyner Lord Mayor London in 1653 mother was Anne Eycot

Bagendon church had Cromwell appointees as clerics.

Charles II 1660 -1685

James II 1685 - 1701 (deposed 1688)

William III /Mary 1689 - 1702

Anne 1702 - 1714

George I 1714 -1727

George II 1727- 1760

George III 1760 -1820

George IV 1820 - 1830

William IV 1830 -1837

Victoria - 1837 -1901