Thomas Hotchkiss

Personal and Family Information

Thomas was born about 1428 in Shropshire, England, the son of William Hotchkiss and Elizabeth of Donwich.

He died about 1518 in Wymmyswould, Leicestershire, England.

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Notes

Note 1

!StyleName: Hotchkiss, Rector Thomas of Monks' Foriet, Salop [~1426 - ?]

Note: Rector Thomas Hotchkiss and William “Nesse” Hotchkiss, merchant, appear be brothers and live together at Monks’ Foriet.

Keeper of the church means:

1. custodian of church property

2. responsible for rents, buildings, land

3. very often a layman paired with a cleric

Note: Origin of the Hotchkiss Name

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The Hotchkiss name appears to have originated in Shropshire, England during the Norman times. The history of the Hochkys surname weaves together linguistic evolution, medieval spelling conventions, and connections to important religious sites, all centered around a piece of family land known as "Holy Cross Wood."

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Originally, the land was referred to as HoXwode, with the X serving as a medieval scribal abbreviation for "Cross" or "Christ." The Chapel of Holy Cross was likely located in or near the wood which extended across the family's holdings in Northwode. Over time, the name of the land shifted, moving from "Holy Cross Wood" to "Hawkes Wode," reflecting both linguistic drift and pronunciation changes.

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Ownership of the land eventually passed to a man named Roger of Hawkeswood. The name Rodgers itself originated from those who went to war armed only with a rod. In early times, when men were called to war, their society came with them. Their officers were the same lords and knights who ruled them in peace time, and when the lords were called to bring their men, they brought all their men who could carry a weapon, from young teens to old men. If a battle were lost, the village could be without men. When the men were called, they brought their own weapons. If they had armor or a shield, or a horse, they brought them. If they had no weapon, they were told to go into the "forest" and cut a rod to make a weapon, such as a spear, pike, staff, or bow and arrow. These were the rodgers. In addition, at that time in England, men were also required to practice daily with the longbow.

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In Old French Norman, Roger would have been pronounced "Hrodgé" with "Hr" representing a Parisian "R" sound. This sound was difficult for Anglo-Saxons to pronounce, causing it to soften into something closer to an "H."

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Roger, as a personal name, developed the diminutive form "Hodge," which became a popular pet name, so that alternatively, you get to the same place with "Hodge's Wood."

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Once Roger owned the woods, it would have been called "Roger's Wood," or in the likely Old French Norman pronunciation, "Hrodgé'ss Wod," with a deliberate double "s" to preserve the final "s" sound, something that French pronunciation often dropped, or Hodge's wood if you like.

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Additionally, the -ys or -is suffixes in medieval naming practices served both as diminutives and possessives. In many surnames originating from Norman, like Atkiss, Tompkiss, and Watkiss, endings "Kiss" or "Kins" were used to mean "son of".

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The first recorded reference to the name appears in Norman Church Latin as "Johannis filius Rogeri Hochkys" or " John, son of Roger Hochkys"

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Adding even stronger confirmation to the theory, historical records mention Thomas Hochekys of Monks' Foriet in Salop . Thomas served as a keeper of the Church of Holy Cross and the Chapel of St. Giles in the Foriet. His association with "Holy Cross" solidifies the familial and place-based connections underlying the surname's origin. I would suggest that the name "Church of Holy Cross and the Chapel of St. Giles in the Foriet" likely disappeared during the Reformation, but "St Giles Ter, Bridgnorth, UK" is 6 miles from "Hawkswood House, Billingsley, Bridgnorth".

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Through the careful tracing of land names, linguistic transitions, and historical roles, the evolution of "HoXwode" to "Hochkys" emerges as not just plausible, but deeply rooted in the real social and linguistic transformations of medieval England.

!Source: Britain, School And University Students https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBOR%2FSCHOOLREG%2FSDE%2F131255&tab=this

First name[s] Thomas

Country England

Last name Hawkins

Publication title Register of the Rectors, Fellows, Scholars etc of Exeter College Oxford

Year 1442

Year range 1318-1878

Boarded year 1442

Publication year 1879

Boarded date 22 Oct 1442

Record set Britain, School And University Students

Institution Exeter College Oxford

Category Education & work

Town Oxford

Subcategory Schools & Education

County Oxfordshire

Collections from Great Britain, England, Scotland

!Source: Shropshire Archives https://www.shropshirearchives.org.uk/collections/getrecord/CCA_XP250_B_23_11

Lease

System Reference: XP250/B/23/11

Document Reference: P250/B/23/11

Finding Aids: Former reference L19

Date: 7 May 1451

Level: Item

Description:

Friday next after Invention of Cross 29 Henry VI

1. Robert Scryven of Salop, and Alice his wife

2. >>> Thomas Hochekys [his brother] <<< and >>> William Nesse <<< of Monks' Foriet, Salop, keepers of the church of Holy Cross and the chapel of St. Giles in the Foriet.

of 2 houses in the Foriet between the tenement late of John Wyke and the high road leading to the grange of the Abbot of Salop, extending from the king's way, which leads to the chapel of St. Giles, to a garden late of John Wyke and 12½ landes of ground in the Foriet, lately held by William Balle and Christine his wife [by a lease naming Richard Paston, rector of Hanwode, Richard Minton, rector of Atton Burnell, Roger Skyle, rector of Worthyn, Reginald Scryven, rector of Froddesley, John Willy of Froddesley, John Scryven junior, lord of Froddesley]

For an annual retn of 10s., in 4 equal instalments.

Provisions for maintenance, distraint [after 1 month arrears] and re-entry [after arrears of 1 year and a day]

Witnesses: Thomas Otley, Richard Huse, John Waren, John

Madeley, John Mason.

Held At:

Shropshire Archives

Related People:

Scryven, Robert, Paston, Richard, Scryven, Alice, Minton, Richard, >>> Hochekys, Thomas [his brother] <<<, Skyle, Roger, >>> Nesse, William <<<, Scryven, Reginald, Wyke, John, Huse, Richard, Sryven, John, Mason, John, Madeley, John, Waren, John, Otley, Thomas, Willy, John, Balle, William,

Access Status: Readers Ticket

Creator Name: Scryven, Robert

Creator Name: Paston, Richard

Creator Name: Scryven, Alice

Creator Name: Minton, Richard

Creator Name: Hochekys, Thomas <<<< his brother

Creator Name: Skyle, Roger

Creator Name: Nesse, William <<<<

Creator Name: Scryven, Reginald

Creator Name: Wyke, John

Creator Name: Huse, Richard

Creator Name: Sryven, John

Creator Name: Mason, John

Creator Name: Madeley, John

Creator Name: Waren, John

Creator Name: Otley, Thomas

Creator Name: Willy, John

Creator Name: Balle, William

Physical Description: Seal missing

!Source: Shropshire Archive https://www.shropshirearchives.org.uk/collections/getrecord/CCA_XSB_C_1_1_1_199

Admissions to the Merchants' Guild

Place: Shropshire Archives

System Reference: XSB/C/1/1/1/199

Document Reference: 3365/67/100

Date: [1466]-1515 <<< List is in date order starting in 1466 and the William Hochkes is just before the entry for 1468, so the date is limited to 1466-1468.

Level: Piece

Description:

2 lines partially lost at the head of the page, including Session of the merchants guild ...

Jur' or sworn is written on the left of each entry.

Nich[olas?] Mynton also Nicholas Furbour son of Simon Mynton, once of Ruythyn? is made a free burgess and on his oath has issue, John.

John Grym' merchant or grocer is made a free burgess and has issue, Robert and the said Robert was made free just as is within.

Thomas Buclton, barber, alias Thomas Barbour son of William [Boulton?] of Clive is made a free burgess and has no issue

John Lloyt, brother of John Lloyt alias John Guttyns of Shrewsbury, draper son of Jenn' Lloyt recently of Longnor' is made a free burgess and has no issue

Robert Harres of Shrewsbury recently servant of John Lloyt son of Henry Cook of Nesscliffe is made a free burgess and has no issue.

William Bronerryg of Shrewsbury hewster, is made a free burgess and has issue, William and Richard.

John Walsch alias John Writer is made a free burgess and has issue, Richard.

Richard Phelypps of Shrewsbury heuster son of Richard Felypps of Blythebury, Staffordhsire has issue, Richard, Hugh and Margery.

Geoffrey Chyck alias Geoffrey Mathone of Shrewsbury draper, is made a free burgess and has no issue.

Robert son of the abovesaid John Grym' is made a free burgess and has no issue.

>>> William Nesse, alias William Hochkes of Abbey Foregate <<<, and has no issue. Memorandum that the Friday next after Michaelmas 8 E IV [30 Sep 1468], John Aldescute of Shrewsbury and Thomas Aldescote brothers, of Shrewsbury corvisor sons of Richard Aldescote before John Trentham and Thomas Otteley, bailiffs and all the freemen and said that they were conceived within wedlock and ought to have access to the Merchants' Guild, whereupon John and Thomas were admitted with all their families. Thomas has issue, Adam and Richard and Reginald.

Memorandum that the Friday the feast of St Dunstan, martyr 6 HVIII [1514-1515], Richard Aspley, burgess came before Thomas Kinchyt and William Janyns, bailiffs, Robert Dudley, alderman, George Hazebrowne [juror?], Thomas Cowpper town clerk and many others and delivered to John Bradley son of John Arundell of Helland in Cornwall one .... of his part of evidences strengthened with seals and three written papyrus rolls which conceded the right and inheritance to the heirs of Humphrey Calwodley of Cornwall.

Held At:

Shropshire Archives

Related People:

Mynton, Nicholas, Furbour, Nicholas, Mynton, Simon, Mynton, John, Grym, John, Grym, Robert, Lloyt, John, Guttyns, John, Lloyt, Jeuan, Harris, Robert, Cook, Henry, Bronryg, William, Bronryg, Richard, Walsch, John, Walsch, Richard, Phillips, Richard, Phillips, Hugh, Phillips, Margery, Chyck, Geoffrey, Mathone, Geoffrey, >>> Nesse, William <<<,

>>> Hotchkis, William [his father]<<<, Aldescote, John, Aldescote, Thomas, Aldescote, Richard, Trentham, John, Ottley, Thomas, Aldescote, Adam, Aldescote, Reginald, Jenyns, William, Knyght, Thomas, Dudley, Robert, Hazebrowne, George, Bradley, john, Arundell, John, Calwodley, Humphrey,

Access Status:

Readers Ticket

Creator Name: Mynton, Nicholas

Creator Name: Furbour, Nicholas

Creator Name: Mynton, Simon

Creator Name: Mynton, John

Creator Name: Grym, John

Creator Name: Grym, Robert

Creator Name: Lloyt, John

Creator Name: Guttyns, John

Creator Name: Lloyt, Jeuan

Creator Name: Harris, Robert

Creator Name: Cook, Henry

Creator Name: Bronryg, William

Creator Name: Bronryg, Richard

Creator Name: Walsch, John

Creator Name: Walsch, Richard

Creator Name: Phillips, Richard

Creator Name: Phillips, Hugh

Creator Name: Phillips, Margery

Creator Name: Chyck, Geoffrey

Creator Name: Mathone, Geoffrey

Creator Name: Nesse, William <<<< his brother

Creator Name: Hotchkis, William <<<< his father

Creator Name: Aldescote, John

Creator Name: Aldescote, Thomas

Creator Name: Aldescote, Richard

Creator Name: Trentham, John

Creator Name: Ottley, Thomas

Creator Name: Aldescote, Adam

Creator Name: Aldescote, Reginald

Creator Name: Jenyns, William

Creator Name: Knyght, Thomas

Creator Name: Dudley, Robert

Creator Name: Hazebrowne, George

Creator Name: Bradley, john

Creator Name: Arundell, John

Creator Name: Calwodley, Humphrey

Note: Thomas isn’t actually in this source, but it has his father and brother both named.

!Source: Leicestershire Wills And Probate Records, 1500-1939

https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FLEICS%2FWILLS%2F00030444&tab=this

First name[s] Thomas

Year range 1515-1526

Last name Hochynson

Archive reference PR/I/251

Year 1518

Archive Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland

Residence Wymmyswould

Record set Leicestershire Wills And Probate Records, 1500-1939

Death year -

Category Birth, Marriage & Death [Parish Registers]

County Leicestershire

Subcategory Wills & Probate

Country England

Collections from England, Great Britain

Description Wills and inventories

Note: https://search.findmypast.com/record?id=S2%2FGBPRS%2FLEICS%2F102538929%2F00200&parentid=GBPRS%2FLEICS%2FWILLS%2F00030444

Image is a page plus of household good inventory.

Note: Thomas Hochynson of Wymmyswould [1518] is likely Thomas of Monks' Foriet [b. 1428], as both the name and his residence in a woodland village align with his lifelong association with forest management.

Note 2

keepers of the church of Holy Cross and the chapel of St.. Giles in the Foriet.