John Hawkins

He had three marriages/partners. His first wife was UNKNOWN, who he married in ABT 1511. The place has not been found. Their two known children were William (c1512-?) and Nicholas (c1516->1551).

His third wife was Dyonice, who he married on 6 JUL 1538 in West Buckland, Somerset, England. Their only known child was Andrew (c1539-?).

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

John Hawkins (c1490-c1539)	Thomas Hawkins (c1450-c1541)	William Hawkins (c1420-c1483)	Thomas Hawkins (c1365->1460)	+
		William Hawkins (c1420-c1483)	Unknown1 (c1390-?)
		Julyan (c1425-1493)
		Julyan (c1425-1493)
	UNKNOWN (c1450-?)

Events

Attributes

Notes

Note 1

John Hawkins, a clothier based in Midhurst, Sussex, appears prominently in the 1524 Surrey Lay Subsidies for both Leatherhead and Battersea, where he was assessed at the typical £1 level for tradesmen, suggesting moderate means and regional mobility. His will, written in 1524 and proved in 1530/31 at the Chichester Consistory Court, confirms his residence and profession in Midhurst and outlines the likely window for his death. A separate burial record from Norbury, Staffordshire, dated 13 Jan 1538 , may reflect the same man relocated in later life—or a namesake relative, though no clear familial link has yet surfaced. If the burial is his, it would suggest a final move north following retirement or remarriage. He is now reasonably identified as the youngest son of Thomas Hawkins , a Kentish landholder whose will was last updated in 1513 while preparing to join the king’s wars. The estate plan in that will placed “son John” under age 24 at the time, consistent with a birthdate in the early 1490s—aligning well with this John’s activity and timeline. A separate 1528 will from Aston Abbots, Buckinghamshire—matching the place of his brother William’s 1513 will—likely reflects inherited family property.

Source Summary: Appears in the 1524 Surrey Lay Subsidies ; will written 1524 and proved 1530–1531 ; separate will filed 1528 ; burial recorded 1538 .

John Hawkins married three times. His first wife, name unrecorded, bore him a son, Nicholas Hawkins, around 1516. Nicholas later settled in Sussex, where his son, John Anthony, was baptized in Horsham in 1551.

His second marriage, to Agnes , produced at least three children: Anne, Alyce, and John Jr. . Agnes died in Ashley, Staffordshire, and was buried there—likely returning to her birth family during illness. There’s no indication John ever relocated there. His own property footprint included Leatherhead, Battersea, and Addington , Midhurst in Sussex, and Aston Abbots in Buckinghamshire—his northernmost and westernmost holding, inherited from the broader Hawkins family line dating back to Thomas of Kent .

His third wife, Dyonice of Somerset, probably met him through merchant circles in London. They married around 1537, likely in her home parish in Somerset, as was custom. Their son, Andrew Hawkins, was born posthumously in late 1539 and baptized in Rye, Sussex early the following year. With both parents deceased, the infant Andrew was probably raised by his adult half-sister Anne.

This period saw major disruption from the Dissolution of the Monasteries, which shuttered not just religious houses but also church-run hospitals, schools, and poor relief. The fallout from the Pilgrimage of Grace led to executions and heightened tension in the north. Combined with land seizures, Cromwell’s fall, royal instability, and sporadic disease outbreaks, the result was widespread displacement, hardship, and family fragmentation. These conditions likely explain the high rate of early deaths, remarriages, and child relocations during this time.

!Source: National Burial Index For England & Wales https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=BMD%2FNBI%2F00833302&tab=this

Note: Julian calendar year starts March 25 while Gregorian starts January 1. England officially used the Julian calendar until 1752.

!Source: Surrey Lay Subsidies 1524-1645 https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FSURREY-LAY%2F001891&tab=this https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FSURREY-LAY%2F004141&tab=this

!Source: Surrey Lay Subsidies 1524-1645 https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FSURREY-LAY%2F005540&tab=this

!Source: Surrey Lay Subsidies 1524-1645 https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FSURREY-LAY%2F003072&tab=this

!Note: “Will written in 1524 ; proved 1530 in Chichester Consistory Court. Indicates death occurred between these dates.”

!Source: Surrey Lay Subsidies 1524-1645 https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBOR%2FOR%2FCHICONSISTWILLS%2F00009668&tab=this

!Source: Hertfordshire Probate Records, Index, 1415-1858 https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBOR%2FOR%2FHERTSWILLS%2F12877&tab=this

Order copies http://purchasing.uk-plc.net/websites/product.aspx?CompanyID=481471&lngProductID=6472841

Document Document Type: registered will, Document Reference: 2AR207, Additional Information: , HRT Reference: 30704

!Source: Sussex, Chichester Consistory Court Wills Index, 1482-1800 https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBOR%2FOR%2FCHICONSISTWILLS%2F00009669&tab=this

!Source: Sussex, Chichester Consistory Court Wills Index, 1482-1800 https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBOR%2FOR%2FCHICONSISTWILLS%2F00009670&tab=this

John Hawkins

Personal and Family Information

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Attributes

Notes

Note 1