The Earliest Known Eacotts

From 1100 to 1500

It can only be guessed at as to whether or not the manor of Eycot had any residents who actually assumed the name. When the use of surnames came into vogue in the 1200's it would be likely that one would go by the name " de Eycot - of Eycot ". It can not be established either that ownership rather than tenancy indicated a name choice. However, the manor seems to have had strong church connections from Saxon times. It is most likely the de Eycots were folks who at Domesday who were one or more of the 2 villagers, 4 smallholders or 2 slaves. Alternatively it could have been Ordric and or Alric who sub let from the church. Alric however controlled other lands, some presumably more desirable. In the 1300's the Eycots seemed to have some modest rank in the order of things so it is likely they would have come from the ranks of the villagers a century or so earlier.

At the time of Domesday there were 367 settlements in Gloucester. Eyot or Eycott, or Aicote was one. There were about 8,000 people in Gloucester. In the Churn valley the population was relatively high at 10 per square mile.

In 1327, the following persons were listed for Eycote as being on the subsidy roll: John Acton, Richard Walker, Richard Geffrey, Richard Cave, Simon Dauwe, Agnet Drois, Richard Page, Richard Dygon. There were no Eycotts.

1342 is the first known recorded Eycott. Johannem de Eycote was a signer of a petition to King Edward III on 15 March 1342 given at parliament at Westminster. This information comes from documents of the Abbey at Cirencester known as the Cartulary of Cirencester. The records of the Abbey began in 1131 and ended in 1539 and were in latin or french.

In 1169 King Richard gave the Abbey considerable land holdings. In the 1200's the Abbey made deals with others holding land in the vicinity to come before the Cirencester court for a fee. Both the king and the church held courts.

In the 1300's a bitter dispute broke out between the townsmen and the church officials which eventually involved the king. The town was a prosperous wool trading center and the Abbot got involved with taxing the wool trade and claimed the right of tallege over his tenants, whenever the king himself levied a tallege. In 1214 the barons compelled king John to recognize that he could not take tallege in Cirencester because it was the right of the church to do so. By 1312 the king was again taking tallege and so was the church. The townsmen got the king to charge the Abbot with wrongly collecting the tallege. The matter was resolved after discussion in Parliament and the king recognized the churches claim on the land.

The dispute between the Townspeople and the church continued. The townsmen wanted to have a measure of self rule and argued that the church had never legally been entitled to own the town. In 1342 resentment broke out and a group of men drew up a petition to take to the king. At first they appealed to his own self interest by suggesting that past and present abbots had wrongfully taken revenues belonging to the king. They also accused the Abbot of moral turpitude, and malversation of endowment intended for the poor.

The dispute with the Abbott of St. Marys with the prosperous wool men of Cirencester who wanted a guild was a standoff because the Abbot did not need to borrow funds from them as did the king so the merchants were not able to force him to grant a charter giving them a mayor and council. This close knit group of weavers, the Cirencester Weavers Guild existed for centuries. They were a wealthy group and had various land holdings. The Weavers obtained Bagendon for a brief time but turned the church holding over to the control of the church at Cirencester. Johannem de Eycote was one of those who wanted a guild and therefor was a Cirencester merchant of some means.

Ref: Cirencester Weavers Company - W.S. Harmer

        Guise Diary - Barker

        History of Gloucester - Bigland

        History of Weavers Company of Cirencester - St. Clair Baddeley

In a revision these charges were dropped and when 42 townsmen including Johannem de Eycote were called before the king and council the main purpose of their complaint was to make the point that the Abbot had suppressed the borough and had illegally enclosed the sixty acre pasture called the Crundles which had been the common pasture of the borough. They said the Abbot had suppressed their Reeves court, hounded his critics and had by means of trickery obtained and destroyed a charter given them by Henry I which made them a free town.

Robert Barbast accompanied by 42 others including John Eacott appeared before the king with their petition. In April the Abbot was summoned to appear and make answer to some of the grievances which were listed in the summons. There was considerable evasiveness on the part of the Abbot who did not produce all of the required documents. The evidence today seems to indicate the Abbot and the Abbey did not have a good claim to owning Cirencester. However at the time the wealthy Abbot was able to make a deal with the king.

REF: [ Vol I Cartulary of Cirencester by C.D. Ross, Oxford University Press 1964, items before and after # 125.]

From this we learn that Johannem de Eycote was a townsman of Cirencester and that he must have been a fairly prominent person in the community in order to be in a position to make a petition.

Some years later, 1394, we learn of another John Eycote. He appears on a duty list for persons who had to serve wardstaff, an obscure custom in which persons were appointed to stand guard duty. This list of names, their village and place of duty is listed

REF: [ Cartulary of Cirencester item # 741] under a "View of Wardstaff in the Seven Hundreds of Cirencester 1394".

"visus baculi vocatus wardstaff apud Cirencestr' tentus

die sancti Michealis anno regni regis Ricardi secundi KVIII

(examples)

Daglynworth Johannes Sleye (Peryscroys)

Stratton Johannes Shepherd (Crowethorne)

Bagynden' Johannes Eycot (Berefordebrugge)

Wyggewolde Henricus Ameneye (Wyggewolde)

Hundredum de Respigate

Northserneye Johannes Muleward (apud TresCruces

This means that John Eycote of Bagendon had to stand guard duty at Bear ford bridge (Perrot's Brook). It shows how names got rearranged - Bearridge or Bearford became Perrot.

A little later in 1421-37 [Cartulary of Cirencester # 740] in a list of suitors in land transactions. Listed under Bagendon for this time " To Thomas Eycot for the term of his life the house and land of Johannic Eycot lately of Hunfridi atte Mere of Boyndene - presented in writing." This meant that John left his property to Thomas. John owned his property with the permission of his lord Humphry More of Boyndene. This may have been the same John Eycote who had to stand guard duty 20/30 years before.

[item # 740 pg 628]

Bagyndene

" Thomas Eycote ad terminum vite sue pro terra et tenemento

Johannis Eycote nuper Hunfridi Atte More in Bagyndene per

scriptum. "

From a view of frankpledge in the seven hundreds of Cirencester (probably early 1400's). Frankpledge was a system where ten people were responsible for each other and a system of tithes was used for raising money. In this instance there is a memorandum that the hundred of Respigate is owed payment twice a year from the place beside the wood of Eycote called Respigate.

" Hundredum de Respigate"

Memorandum quod visus hundredi de Respegate debet teneri bis

per annum in quodam loco juxta boscum de Eycote vacato

Respegate, videlicet, ad terminum sancti Martini et ad

terminum de Hock', per summonicionem ballivorum abbatis de

Cirencester per eosdem ballivos. Ed ad eundem visum venient

omnes decennarii villarum subscriptarum bis per annum cum

eorum decenis ad presentanda omnia que ad visum pertinent,

videlicet"

The next reference to an Eycote is to be found in the North Cerney church window placed by John Bicote (Eycote) in 1465. He was the assistant minister (curate) of the church and may have been the son of Thomas who acquired land from John (his father ?). We also connect Eycots to Cirencester, Bagendon, and North Cerney. This is the information we have before 1500.

-Note- There are documents available which may provide more information. Subsidy Rolls etc 1327, 1381,

The Years 1500 to 1600

1342 Johannem de Eycote of Cirencester -a petition

1394 Johannem Eycote of Bagendon - bridge duty

1416 John Eycott of Rendcomb - witness grant

1430? Johannem Eycote of Bagendon - land to Thomas

1430? Thomas Eycote  of Bagendon - inherits farm ?

1465 John Eycote of North Cerney - minister

1525 Wyllyam Eycott of Bagenden, - witness to a will

1569 Ales Eycot of North Cerney-baptized -John?

1572-83 John Eycot of North Cerney - 7 girls born

1575 Robert Eycot of North Cerney - girl, Ellen

1578 Thomas Ekot of Bagendon - girl Alse(Alice)

1581 Richard Eycottof North Cerney - his will

1583 Thomas Ekott of Bagendon -his will

1588 Mary Ecott of Elkstone - her will

1589 Robert Eycott of Rendcomb -wife Christian

1589 Thomas Eycott of North Cerney - son John

1590 William Eycott of North Cerney - son Richard

1594 Thomas Eycott of Brimpsfield -will

1599 Edward Ecott of Winstone wife Margery Eacoot

Edward Ecott died in 1612 and his wife Margerie died in 1630 she left a will giving her property to son William Eacoot and her daughter Mary.

Several of the persons named above for 1580 - 90 have more children than are indicated above.

There now follows the wills of Thomas Ekott of Bagendon and Richard Eycott of North Cerney. These wills provide important family connections and information about the times.

From the will of Thomas Ekott of Bagendon 1583 we learn that he had six daughters by his wife Elizabeth. Their baptisms are recorded at Bagendon. He makes reference to his brothers:

Robert who may have been the father of Ellen in 1575 and whose will may have been the lost will of 1629 of Robert Eacott ; John the elder who may have had 7 daughters, John the younger, Richard who may have been the Richard of the other will noted here but more likely is not since the family names do not match; Edward is probably the Edward of Winstone who became Eacoote. William is likely the father of Richard 1590 who may have become the Richard Eacott Sr. and father of Thomas etc. We know that Thomas lived at Bagendon and more specifically likely at Woodmancote (field reference). He was a fairly well to do person. He was a farmer and at that time farming was prosperous especially for those in the sheep and wool trade. This man was also very well connected by marriage. His sister( Anne?) had married Thomas Vyner of North Cerney. She was the mother of Thomas Vyner 1588 - 1665 who became Sir Thomas Vyner a wealthy goldsmith of London and Comptroller of the Mint. He was knighted by Oliver Cromwell and in 1653 was Lord Mayor of London. It was a time when the Eacotts generally did very well economically. They seemed to develop some sort of relationship with the Berkeleys and they may have been in the goldsmith business in Cirencester during the 1600's. Samuel was listed as a goldsmith there. Because of the relationship with Vyner and his with Oliver Cromwell the Eacotts may have had strong links with the roundheads in the revolution. In later years there were at least some of the Bagendon Eycotts who were Roman Catholic in early 1700's. There seems some linkage between Thomas and the use of the Eacott version of the name. There is little to link it with the continuing Eycott version. However nothing is conclusive.

The will of Richard Eycot 1581, of North Cerney is also printed here. His children are John, William, Anthony, Elizabeth, Katherine and Thomas. He has a mentally incompetent brother Phillipe who will be the responsibility of Thomas. Thomas may have signed the will as a witness. What is the relationship between Thomas and Richard? Father and son - no, Thomas has other brothers than in the will. Brothers - not likely, since Richard entrusts his brother to his wife and son and does not mention other family. Richard must be uncle or cousin to Thomas. These wills tell us that Thomas had a son Joseph who was a minor. Richard had 4 sons.

Thomas has several brothers one of whom may have lived at Winstone.

After the time of these wills there is much data on births, marriages etc. Prior to 1619 all names are Eycott, Ecott or Ekott. All data is for Bagendon, North Cerney, Winstone, Rendcomb. Attempts to link family lines at this point is very difficult. Sections can be created for certain families. The two wills not only indicate two branches they point to two different evolutions. The Eycott will points to the Eycott line and the Ekott will seems to point to to creation of the Eacott name.

Wills are also available for Mary Ecott, Elkstone 1588; Joan (Jane) Ecott Rendcomb 1619; Robert Ecott Bagendon 1629 (missing); Margerie Ecott (Eacott) Winstone 1630. There is also an administration of Aug. 31. 1605 where Thomas Ecot committed to Anne his relict. Another administration Jan 26 1606 John Eycote of Awre committed to his mother Alice of North Cerney.

The Will of Thomas Ekot of Bagendon,1583

In the name of god Amen,the nineth day of Julie 1583,I, Thomas Ekott of Bagendon in the countie of Gloucr,husbandman,being sicke and weake in bodie but of perfect memorie doe make this my last will and testament in manner following.

I geve my bodie to be buried in the churchyarde of Bagenden

Aforesaid.

I geve to my daughter MARGETT twenty shepe and one cowe.

I geve to my daughter MARIE twelve sheepe and one cowe.

I geve to my daughter KATHERINE fyfteen shepe anf a heyfer or a bullock of three years olde.

I geve to my daughter ELIZABETH fyfteen shepe and a heyfer or a bullock of three years olde.

I geve to my daughter EDITH tenne yewes and one cowe in the keeping of Hugh Cowles of Winston.

I geve to my daughter ALICE tenne yewes and one cowe in the keeping of John Cherington of Winston

To everyone of my forenamed daughters a flock bedd a bolster a pare of sheets a pare of blanketts. My will is that these my goods be delivered to them either at their day of marriage or at the tyme of their mothers marriage or her decease.

To every one of my daughters a brass pott, a brass pan, and a half dozen of pewter to be delivered at the time above named.

To my sonne JOSEPH twenty sheep one yoke of bullocks and ten pounds of current money, to be delivered to him when he reaches the age of twenty years.

Itm yf yt shall happen that my wief to be with child I do geve unto it ten pounds of currant money

Unto my brother ROBTE myne yron bounde waine as yt standeth a yoke of bulls and four acres of barley in Woodmancote.

To my brother JOHN the Yonger two acres of barlie in Bagendons field.

To my brothers EDWARD and RICHARD two acres and a half of Barley.

To my brother JOHN the Elder my modley coate my jerken, my workdaie lether dublett.

Unto his children one shepe. Unto my brother WM. ten pounds that is in his own hands.

To every godchild I have xi jd.

Unto THOMAS BIDLE of wodmancote the money that he oweth me

I forgive RICHARD ELDER of WINSTON the debt he oweth me.

Itm EDMUND CAWDLE of Bagendon oweth me six shillings and eight pence, half of which I forgive him, and the other half I give to his brother JOHN CAWDLE of the parish of Winston.

All the rest of my goods I give unto ELIZABETH my wief whom I make my sole executrix.

I make my brother THOMAS VYNER of North Cerney, RICHARD BURTON

parson of Badgendon and HENRY BALDEN of wodmancote mine overseers

and give to every of them ten shillings.

(no witnesses named)

By me THOMAS EKOTT

proved 6th August 1583

The Will of Richard Eycott, North Cerney, 1581

In the name of god Amen, the xxiii th daie of aprill in the year of our Lord god 1581, I Richard Eicott of Woodmancote being of whole mind and of good remembrance i make and ordain this my last testament in manner following.

ffirst I commende my soule unto Almighty god and my bodie to be buryed in the churchyard of North Cerney.

I bequeath to the reparacons of the churche two bushells of barley.

I will that my deptes be discharged by my wieff whom I make mine Executrix.

Unto my sonne JOHN ffortie shillings.

Unto my daughter ELIZABETH six pounds thirteen shillings fourpence.

Unto my Daughter KATERIN a like sum.

Unto my sonne ANTHONY four pounds.

Unto HENRIE BALDEN the younger ffoure sheepe.

Unto my sonne WILLIAM ffortie shillings.

Itm I will by this last my last will and testament that my brother PHILLIPPE shalbe kepte during his Lief at the cost and charge of mine Executrixe during her Lief and after Executrixe

deceasse I will that my sonne THOMAS shall kepe him beinge an Inocente, In Consideracon wherof I geve my sonne THOMAS after my Execitrix decesse my hole teme and the hole Crops of corne in the barne or on the grounde Payinge out the same to my Children Twenty

pounds within the space of two yeares thence next ensuinge, at the discrecons of my overseers to my children then lyving.

Itm I will that mine executrix shall geve to every of my god children xi pence. And to RICHARD BAULDEN one shepe and also I will that if my wieff shall marrie after my decesse that she shall lose the haulfe of all her goods. And the remaining haulfe to be divided amonge my children in manner and forme aforesaid besides the payinge of the legacies.

I make mine overseers of this my last will and testament

William Walker

Thomas Eycott

Henry Balden and to every one of my overseers I geve a bushell of barley a peece.

I do owe to John Teritt xx shillings.

I do owe to Thomas Hawkins of the mill at Cirester townes end

xxxvi shillings vii pence.

Richard Eycott his mark

proved 29th January 1581

Eacotts from 1600 - 1800

There are numerous records of the Eycotts - Eacotts from 1600 onward. However in 1608 in his" Men and Armour " Smith who took a record of all men in Gloucestershire age 20 to 60 fit for military service recorded no Eycotts in Rendcomb, North Cerney, Bagendon or Woodmancote. Yet less than twenty years earlier there were several grown Eycott men. There is listed one Thomas Coots as age about 40, a fairly short man who was suitable to be a cavalier. At this time Lady Mary Stafford was the Lady of Woodmancote and Lady Eleanor Berkely was the Lady at Rendcomb. In the absence of any Eacotts we must assume the name Coots was in error. Of course there may be other reasons they were not listed such as the holding of beliefs that would not make them suitable for military duty for the crown.

At this approximate time, 1603 Thomas Ecott baptized two daughters at North Cerney, a Thomas was buried there in 1604. There were no children living with that name at that time.

Wiiliam Eacoote was baptized at Winstone in 1607, son of Edward and Margerie. Thomas Ecott was born in 1607 as was Joseph Eycot. In 1610 John Eycott married and John Ecott died. None of these people appeared in Smith's book. Why?

From 1619 we have the Rendcomb will of Joan (Jane) Ecott whose brothers were William, Thomas and Richard Eacott. In 1623 John Eicot was churchwarden at Bagendon. We know of a will of Richard Eacott 1619 and his son Thomas. In 1630 John Eacott was born to Richard, a rough mason, at North Cerney. At this time name interchanges were quite common. Parish and Bishops registers were even at variance with the same person and event. Alse and John Eycot lived at the Moor in the 1630's From 1430 until the late 1700s there were 141 Eycot and variations recorded at North Cerney, 15 at Rendcomb, 56 at Bagendon. From after 1683 there were 46 Eycots (only Eycots) at Cirencester. Records went back in most places to just before 1600.

The Eycots did not leave the Churn valley until after 1680. Their first appearance outside the upper valley was at Cirencester in 1683, then South Cerney 1696 and Cromhall 1697. Up to 1700 no records were from outside Gloucestershire. In early 1700's they spread into Wiltshire and a few a few other areas such as London. The Eacott name as such became common at Cromhall and the parishes which adjoin to the south.

Family connections of note from this group include William Ecott of Cromhall who married Sarah Guy, daughter of Philip Guy of Gloucester. He was a descendant of John Guy the colonizer of Newfoundland. From his will of 1625 we find that this Governor of Newfoundland and former mayor of Bristol (1618 - 19) had a farm at Gauntesearthcott in Almondsbury Parish, a tenement in Bristol, land known as Seaforest in Newfoundland and 1/16 part of the prisage wines of Bristol.

William and Sarah had a son William who married Mary Drew in 1767. their son William born 1776 reportedly went to the West Indies.

All told the Eacott records for Cromhall 1697-1849 include 90 persons, with another dozen at Wickwar and Charfield. At Alveston there were 47.

In Wiltshire the Eacotts (by that version) appear in Warminster and Purton in 1703. At Warminster it is possible to suggest a connection with nearby Longleat whose owners had a connection with Woodmancote. The Warminster line continues for many years and 54 are recorded over 150 years. The Purton connection may relate to persons living at Wooton Bassett and Swindon at total of 36 persons.

In Berkshire at Tilehurst (1742-1812) a line of Ecket names occur. The same occurs derived from Eycott at Ampney Crucis (1709-49). At Yattendon Berks. Eacotts are listed (1745-48) and later at Brightwalton (1775-1824).

Eycotts and Eacott occur in London from 1710 in small numbers. There are a number of Marriages occurring in different places without any additional entries.

There are a few personal notes available apart from statistics of births, deaths and marriages.

In 1632 Richard Ecot of Bagendon, a roughmason died. In 1710, April 19 John Eacutt was a juryman at Southam Manor, Court leet. The business was to order some ditches cleaned and repaired. In 1715 Thomas Eycott was appointed constable of Bagendon. This is interesting in that the Eycotts living at Woodmancote were considered Papists (Catholics) and could not hold such an office at the time. They were registered as persons whose loyalty could be in question. In 1734 rioters destroyed the toll booths of Cairncross House (near Stroud) and F. Eycott of Oakfields was hired to rebuild the gates.

In 1735 John Eccutt; Thomas Goodall, baker; Phillip Moor all of Uphaven were charged with stealing a furnace belonging to Roger Jarvis. Tried in Wiltshire. In 1736 William Ecott served on a jury at Westbury Wilts. John Eycott was a goldsmith in Cirencester in first half 1700's Martha Eacott alias Bryant was sentenced in March 1759 to 7 years banishment to America. She was taken from jail in Wiltshire directly to the boat where she was shipped out by shipping contractors. She would have to work off her transport as a semi slave. The crime is not known but theft would get such a sentence. In 1797 Henry Eycott was appointed an officer in the city of Gloucester, Troop of Gentlemen and Yeomanry, a cavalry group organized to defend England against an invasion by Napoleon. He was not listed in an 1803 reorganization.

In 1810 William Eacott worked for two years as a weaver with J&T Clark of Trowbridge Wilts.

Most of the Eacotts were probably farmers as was most of the population before industrialization.

The dispersal of the Eacotts was not very extensive. There are only very casual entries for all areas of England except Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. A few in Berkshire and a few later on in Surrey. All of the rest are a single marriage or a family with one or two baptisms. Many counties have no Eacotts or variant in the records. Most of the entries are after 1750 and particularly 1800. Only one or two are before 1700 and are marriages.

Of the dozens of parishes in Gloucester and Wiltshire, only 12 in Wiltshire and 25 in Gloucestershire record Eacotts or variants. Most but not all parishes have been documented to 1600s or earlier. Only 27 parish records contain 5 or more entries.18 contain more than 10 and 8 contain more than 15. From all of this evidence it is hypothesised that all Eacotts can trace themselves back to North Cerney and Woodmancote, and the name to the manor.

These are the most important sites and the number of names listed and the number of years people lived there.