Family and Education

b. by 1522, s. and h. of John Goodwin of Plymtree by 1st w. Elizabeth, da. of William Mallock of Axmouth, Devon. m. by 1565, Anne, da. of Thomas Paycock of Coggeshall, Essex, wid. of one Butler, 1da. suc. fa.1

Offices Held

Biography

Thomas Goodwin’s fellow-Member for Lyme Regis on each occasion was his uncle John Mallock, the customer of Poole, whose jurisdiction extended to Lyme. It was presumably his uncle who also secured his return for Poole in 1558. In promoting Goodwin’s Membership Mallock was perhaps obliging Secretary Petre, whom Goodwin was to call ‘sometime my master’ in his will. On the indenture for Poole, Goodwin was described as ‘of the parish of Boldwolde’, an unusual form of St. Botolph without Aldersgate, where he occupied a house on Aldersgate Street not far from Petre’s. Unlike his uncle Goodwin was not one of the Members of the Parliament of November 1554 who quitted it prematurely without leave.2

Goodwin, who married the daughter of a famous Essex clothier, was a speculator in monastic lands. He inherited from his father a small estate at Plymtree, to which he added between 1543 and 1546 the manors of Cokesputt, Tale and Payhembury, and Uggaton, all within the parishes of Plymtree and Payhembury; the rest of the monastic property which he bought at this time he re-sold, much of it very quickly. Lands which he acquired in Lyme in September 1544 he was licensed in November to alienate to John Hassard, a merchant of Lyme; and the manor of Ashclyst, in Devon, which Goodwin bought in August 1543, went in the same month to John Petre I, elder brother of the secretary. He finally bought the manor of Plymtree itself from the 3rd Earl of Huntingdon.3

By his will, dated 12 Dec. 1565, Goodwin left all his lands in Devon in trust to his only child, a daughter, born earlier that year. His London house he left to his wife, with remainder to his daughter; his lease of a house in the Poultry he directed to be sold. He bequeathed a gold ring to Sir William Petre, a gown to his uncle John Mallock, and numerous small sums of money to his relatives, servants and friends. He gave 10s. each to the churches at Payhembury, Plymtree, and Thornton in Devon, and 20s. to the church of St. Botolph without Aldersgate, where he wished to be buried ‘without any pomp ... but honestly according to my degree’. He died in London on 27 Jan. 1566 and his will was proved on the following 20 Mar., his wife being the executrix and three lawyers the overseers.4

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: Helen Miller

Notes

• 1. Date of birth estimated from first reference. Vis. Devon ed. Vivian, 417; PCC 6 Crymes.
• 2. C219/25/34.
• 3. LP Hen. VIII, xviii, xix, xxi; Plymtree Par. Reg. (Devon and Cornw. Rec. Soc. xix), x.
• 4. PCC 6 Crymes; C142/144/166.