In the first quarter of the 16th Century the Bicknell family begins to emerge or reemerge in the arable lowlands around the River Isle and its tributary the Fivehead River. The area is approximately sixty square miles, bordered by the low hills surrounding Ilminster to the south, the marshes above Cury Rivel seven miles from Ilminster to the north, the edge of the Black Down Hills and Bickenhall to the west and the Parret River eight miles from Bickenhall to the east. (See, Ex. A, Map of Barrington Area)

The village of Barrington, which becomes the focus of our family study, lies just southwest of the geographical center of this homeland area. The village and its surrounding parish lie approximately six miles due east of Bickenhall in the South Petherton Hundred (252'N 5057'W). By current country roads the distance over fairly level terrain is seven miles. Therefore, it appears that, as freemen, the Bicknells could easily move from one parish to another, if opportunity arose.

Bickenhall and the lands surrounding the eastern portion of the Black Down Hills were once covered with a dense forest called the Neroche, which produced large quantities of hard wood timber (e.g. oak, ash, elm, and maple) that was progressively cleared prior to the 17th Century to provide house and building rafters, furniture, ladders and other equipment. The cleared land was converted into arable farm land such as that occupied by Bickenhall. The parishes just outside and surrounding the Neroche Forest were granted sections of it to provide for their timber, fuel and possibly hunting needs. Barrington parish held a small section of the Neroche, centered around Barrington Hill (330') and adjacent to the Bickenhall parish.⁽¹⁷⁾

Barrington, Somerset is listed in Domesday Book as follows:

Roger himself holds half a hide [60 acres] which is worth 10 shillings. During the reign of Edward the Confessor this land belonged to Barintone [Barrington] the King's manor. ⁽¹⁸⁾

The earliest Lay Subsidy Roll for Barrington that I have found is a transcription of a roll from 1327 which contains no listing for Bicknell households.⁽¹⁹⁾ However, given my limited time, I chose not to personally review any Lay Subsidy or Muster Rolls prior to 1524. Although, I must confess that the handwriting on Rolls prior to the mid 16th Century is far too archaic for my limited talents and relatively quick perusal.

A dedicated review of all available Subsidy and Muster Rolls for the entire South Petherton Hundred and the other hundreds adjacent to Bickenhall and Barrington between 1250 and 1640 should provide the best means of tracking the presence or movement of Bicknells in the area. However, since the Subsidy Rolls only account for the heads of taxable households and the muster rolls only for men eligible for military service, while neither provides details regarding family composition or information concerning any direct relationship between listed persons, such an exercise alone cannot provide clear evidence of lineage. Any further effort to determine lineage should also include a search of lease agreements, deeds and wills for the entire period as well. However, such legal records also provide no guarantee that all, or even most, family members will be documented. Everything fades with time.

As noted above, the earliest Lay Subsidy Roll I have examined for Barrington Parish is for the year 1524.⁽²⁰⁾ The Lay Subsidy Roll index at the Chancery Lane PRO, London⁽²¹⁾ indicates that incomplete portions of the South Petherton Hundred were contained on the roll. The writing for the roll is in latin. I was able to find the South Petherton Hundred, but was unable to confidently locate Barrington Parish or any Bicknell names due the poor condition of the parchment and/or perhaps the absence of the parish.

The earliest record I found regarding Bicknells in the South Petherton Hundred was the Muster Roll of 1539⁽²²⁾ which lists:

Richard Bicknell "able billman [pike or halberd carrier]"
Raff Bicknell "not able [old age?] billman with armor"

In 1544 the Speke's family, having acquired land in Barrington parish, leased part of the land to the Bicknell family.⁽²³⁾ The first name on the 1544 Lay Subsidy Roll for Barrington parish⁽²⁴⁾ is Raff Byconell (Bicknell). The parchment becomes mutilated after the fifty-fifth name. There are six Byconells listed. Each paid their tax in goods:

1. Raff Byconell
2. Roger Byconell
3. Richard Byconell
42. John Byconell
43. John Byconell
53. S[illegible] Byconell

By 1550, the Lay Subsidy Roll for Barrington parish⁽²⁵⁾ had been reduced to less than one dozen names. Raff Bicknell is second on the list and is the only Bicknell listed. His tax was ten shillings in goods on holdings valued at £1.

In conjunction with the dramatic decrease in the number of tax payers listed between the 1544 and 1550 Lay Subsidy Rolls, questions arise as to the relationship between Raff and the five other Byconells listed on the 1544 Lay Subsidy Roll and why those five were not listed on the 1550 Roll. It is worth noting that on the 1544 Lay Subsidy Roll there are approximately forty names separating the first three Byconells listed (i.e. Raff, Roger and Richard) and the two Johns (which in turn had ten positions separating them from the Byconell listed fifty-third). Perhaps this is evidence of distinction in their relationship (e.g., clusterings of brothers, with each cluster being cousins to the others).

In reviewing numerous 16th and 17th Century Lay Subsidy Rolls I found that taxpayers were listed in the descending order of the amount of tax they paid. However, with respect to the 1544 Lay Subsidy Roll, I neglected to transcribe the assessed value of the taxpayers goods and the amount of tax paid. Therefore, I cannot determine if the value of Raff's assessment increased or decreased between 1544 and 1550. An increase relatively equal to the combined assessed value of all the Byconell holdings in 1544 might be taken as evidence that the tax of 1544 was assessed on all males individually, while that of 1550 was assessed on the head of the family. It is also possible that the five other men died or left Barrington during the six year interim. Or perhaps Raff Bicknell personally leased all of the land from the Speke's family, then subleased it on a short term basis to relatives.

A search of wills filed with the Prerogative Court of Canterbury reveals no listing for Raff Bicknell. If he had a will, it was most likely filed with the archdiocese. Unfortunately, all record of such wills was lost in a 1942 German bombardment of a temporary storage facility at Exeter.

My search did uncover a 1552 Lay Subsidy Roll containing parishes in the South Petherton Hundred⁽²⁶⁾, but it was mutilated and illegible. The Public Record Office Index lists no Lay Subsidy Rolls covering South Petherton for the entire reign of Queen Mary (1553-1558), nor until 1571, the thirteenth year of Elizabeth's reign (1558-1603).

Therefore, a gap exists in the record between the listing for Raff in 1550 until the 1569 Muster Roll⁽²⁷⁾ which contains a list of nine names for Barrington, South Petherton Hundred, including:

1. Nicholas Bicknell, light horseman furnished own armor
6. Zachary Bicknell, archer
9. John Bachnol [Bicknell?]

On the Lay Subsidy Roll of 1571,⁽²⁸⁾ Nicholas appears again, but without mention of Zachary or John. His holdings are valued at £7 and the tax was set at 11s 8d. On the 1582 Lay Subsidy Roll⁽²⁹⁾, Nicholas is again listed as the only Bicknell and as the second of twelve names, this time paying only 7s tax on £7 of goods. As is always the case with the Bicknells, taxes listed were paid in goods, presumably agricultural, although possible diversity of family activity was quite possible and should not be overlooked.

In 1589/90 our known ancestor Zachary Bicknell was born at Barrington. Beginning in 1593 Nicholas and an 'elder' Zachary Bicknell run in tandem as tax paying heads of households in Barrington.

The 1593 Lay Subsidy Roll for Barrington⁽³⁰⁾ lists seven names, including:

2. Nicholas Bicknell
4. Zachary Bicknell

The 1594 Lay Subsidy Roll for Barrington⁽³¹⁾ lists seven names, including:

2. Nicholas Bicknell £7 value 18s 8d tax
7. Zacharie Bicknell £3 value 8s tax

A 1596 Tithing for Barrington was listed by T. Bicknell in his genealogical book.⁽³²⁾ I was unable to locate it on my search of the Subsidy Rolls Index. Only the portion of the roll listing the Bicknells was provided as follows:

Nicholas Bicknell £ 6 value 16s 5d tax
Zacharie Bicknell £ 2 value 7s 1d tax

The 1599 Lay Subsidy Roll for Barrington⁽³³⁾ lists ten names, including:

Nicholas Bicknell £7 value 17s 7d tax
Zacharie Bicknell £3 value 7s tax

The Victoria History of Somerset, Vol. 4 states that in 1601 "Farmer Bicknell" held 100 acres. During a search for the list I found that the record cite⁽³⁴⁾ was incorrect, but that another list bearing the dates 1601 and 1621 contains the same "Farmer Bicknell" accounting. (See, reference to this "1621" accounting at page___).

The 1602 Lay Subsidy Roll for Somerset⁽³⁵⁾ lists several Bicknells in three parishes in the South Petherton Hundred and in three parishes of the neighboring Hundreds of Abdick and Bulstone:

Abdick Hundred, Bickenhall Parish

Four names listed, including:
George Bicknell £3 value 5s tax

Bulstone Hundred, North Brandon Parish

Several names listed, including:
[illegible] Bicknell £3 value 5s tax

Bulstone Hundred, [illegible parish name]

Several names listed, including:
William Bicknell £3 value 5s tax

South Petherton Hundred, Seavington St. Mary Parish

Ten names listed, including:
2. Walter Bicknell £4 value 6s 8d tax

South Petherton Hundred, Seavington Abbot Parish

Five names listed, including:
3. William Bicknoll £4 value 5s tax
5. [illegible] Bicknoll £4 value 5s tax

South Petherton Hundred, Barrington

Eleven names listed, including:
2. Nicholas Bicknell £7 value 11s 8d tax

In his 1913 work, T. Bicknell assumes that Nicholas and Zachary of the 1569 Muster Roll are the same as the turn of the century tax payers. If so, they should have been in their middle years (approximately 35 to 60) in 1590. He also assumes that our ancestor Zachary Bicknell was the son of Zachary Bicknell (the aforementioned taxpayer) presumably due to the similarity of names.

However, I have uncovered further wills, Muster Roll listings, and Barrington's Poor Rates Book for the years 1625-1705 which leads me to conclude that our ancestor was not the son of the aforementioned Zachary Bicknell (i.e. archer of 1569 and/or tax payer of the 1590's). That, in fact, the number of Bicknell males living in Barrington in the 16th-17th Centuries was greater than accounted for on the Lay Subsidy or Muster Rolls, and that our ancestor was more likely descended from the John Bicknell listed on the 1569 Muster Roll [as John Bachnol] and/or the tax payer of 1544, or quite possibly another man whose name may never be known.

In 1611, between June 26th and October 31, Nicholas Bicknell, Yeoman of Barrington died. The above dates are those of his will and subsequent probate in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.⁽³⁶⁾ Those named in the will are:

Wife: Katherine
Sons: William, the Elder
William, the Younger
Henry
Nicholas
Ralf [Ralph, after Raff of c. 1550?]
Arthur
Daughters: Mary, Hester, Dorothea, Jane, Katherine, Elinor, Sabrina, and Sarah

The will of Zachary Bicknell, dated 11/15 1620 was filed with the archdiocese of Bath & Wells and probated 6/8 1621.⁽³⁷⁾ It was transcribed around the turn of this century and later lost during the previously noted bombing of Exeter during the Second World War. Those named on the will are:

Wife: Johan
Sons: Zacharie, John & Thomas
Daughters: Rebecca (Clarke), & Mellonie
Brother: Richard
Nephew: John Clarke
Niece: Margaret Clarke
and unnamed grandchildren

As noted above, genealogist Thomas Bicknell (1913) believed that the eldest son above, Zachar[y], is our ancestor. I will provide evidence which indicates that this eldest son, Zachar[y], remained in Barrington after the departure of our ancestor in 1635. Also, note that the will refers to a brother, Richard, for whom we have no previous record. The will therefore assists in developing an overall picture of the extended Bicknell family of Barrington.

As noted on page ___ above, a search for the 1601 accounting of land holders in Barrington revealed that the cite given by the Victoria History is incorrect. However, in the same archive box, under a different cite I found a booklet bearing the year 1601 on the inside cover, but the year 1621 at the top of an accounting of land holdings in Barrington parish listing 44 holders of 1150 acres.⁽³⁸⁾ As with the list cited by the Victoria History, the largest holding is attributed to the first person on the list, a "Farmer Bicknell" whose holding is given as 100 acres. No other landholder is listed by last name only. The next largest land holding is given as 60 acres. There are only five holdings between 40 to 60 acres. Of the remaining thirty-eight holdings, the average is 20 acres. Zachary Bicknell is listed 34th on the list as holding 28 acres. No other Bicknells are listed.

In 1622, Katherine Bicknell, Widow (undoubtedly of Nicholas) prepared her will at Over Compton near Yeovil, Dorset (ten miles east of Barrington). The will was filed with the Prerogative Court of Canterbury ("PCC") which denotes greater status than if filed with the archdiocese.⁽³⁹⁾ Also, given the length of the will and the fact that she had moved to Over Compton demonstrates she was a yeoman's widow with a large extended family and relatively considerable means. No bequest to any Zachary Bicknell is mentioned, although the PCC ledger notes the witness mark of a Zacharie Bicknell follows Katherine's on the original will. The original PCC ledger was unavailable for viewing within the time frame of my research. The microfilm copy is poor and therefore many names are illegible. Those named in the will are:

Sons: William Bicknell, the Elder [referred to w/o bequest]
William Bicknell, the Younger
Ralf [her son?]
Nicholas Bicknell
Henry Bicknell [referred to w/o bequest]
Daughters: Katherine Bicknell
Elinor Bettye, Daughter
Sara, Daughter
Grandchildren: Arthur, Son of William Bicknell,the Elder
Agnis, Daughter of Wm Bicknell, the Younger
[illegible], Son of Wm Bicknell, the Younger
Nicholas, Son of Henry Bicknell
Dorothea, Daughter of Nicholas Bicknell Mary Bicknell, Daughter of Ralf
Elizabeth, Daughter of Ralf
Katherine, Daughter of Ralf
George, Son of Dorothie Bicknell
Agnis, Daughter of Dorothie Bicknell
Alice, Daughter of Dorothie Bicknell
Johanne, Daughter 0f Elinor Bettye
Servants: Margaret & Sybill
Completely illegible: Seven Names
Others: Mary, Wife of Nicholas (Kathrine's son?) John [Stillan?] husband of Katherine Bicknell
Dorthea, Daughter of John Jefferie
Elizabeth, Daughter of John Jefferie
William Clark
Phillip
Magdalon
Nicholas [illegible]
[illegible] Bonett
Thomas [Illegible]
Thomas, Son of [illegible]
Elinor, wife of [illegible]
Jane, Daughter of Daniel [illegible]
Thomas [illegible] son of Robert [illegible]
John [illegible] and his sister

The 1623 Lay Subsidy Roll for Barrington⁽⁴⁰⁾ lists a William Bicknell (probably, the Elder) in second position of six listed tax payers, thereby replacing his father Nicholas who died in 1611.

In 1624 the will of Johan Bicknell, Widow of Zachary Bicknell was probated.⁽⁴¹⁾ The archdiocese transcription of this will was apparently lost along with that of Nicholas and Zachary Bicknell during the bombing of Exeter in 1942. Those named in the will, per Thomas Bicknell's turn of the century transcription are:

Sons: Zacharie, Thomas & John
Daughters: Rebecca Dilleings [nee' Clarke]
Mellonie
Nephews: John Clarke
John, Son of John Bicknell
Niece: Elizabeth, Daughter of William [Bicknell?]
Others: Ellen Bicknell
Zacharie Ward
Elizabeth

Note the reference to her nephew John, Son of John Bicknell. Barring that Johan's maiden name was Bicknell, the elder John must have been her brother-in-law, most likely through her marriage to Zachary (i.e. discounting a sister's marriage to a cousin or unrelated Bicknell). If so, then Zachary had at least two brothers, John (per Johan's will) and Richard (per Zachary's will).

Also in 1624, an Inquisition Post Mortem took place for John Bicknell of Barrington.⁽⁴²⁾ Presumably this was the elder John Bicknell referred to in Johan's will of that same year. Such inquisitions were carried out upon the death or incapacity of a royal tenant to determine status of the tenant's right. Of course, the question then is 'royal tenant' of what? While I have a copy of the inquisition, I unfortunately do not read archaic latin. But I do have a few clues.

In 1635, John Bicknell of Barrington (presumably for the moment the son of the John Bicknell who died in 1624 and the John son of John mentioned in Johan's will that same year), provided deposition testimony on several occasions concerning enclosure of the Neroche Forest.⁽⁴³⁾ Apparently, the basis of his testimony was information provided by his father and ancient men of the parish concerning forest rights. His signature is clear and evenhanded. At 58 years old, the year of his birth would have been approximately 1577, twelve years before the birth of our ancestor Zachary.

By the 1620's deforestation of the Neroche was almost complete. Charles I and other landholders were eager to enclose cleared lands. Traditionally, the parishes surrounding the Neroche had small holdings within it to provide fuel and building materials. Customary tenants made their livelihoods from the forest.⁽⁴⁴⁾ With deforestation and enclosure, this means of support would be severely curtailed or vanish.

In 1628, there was a survey of the Neroche.⁽⁴⁵⁾ Barrington Manor claimed an interest in 1,200 acres at Cleyhill and Barrington Hill. In 1631, those lands were divided between the Lord of the Manor and customary tenants. The crown retained some 200 acres until at least 1638. Claims for 'commonage' continued until the Restoration.⁽⁴⁶⁾

I have a microfilm copy of a portion of the deposition book containing the testimony of John Bicknell. Unfortunately, I am unable to read the testimony due to the illegibility of the copies and my own shortcomings with respect to archaic english. A complete translation of these depositions and the 1624 Inquisition Post Mortem might provide definitive answers to the following questions:

Was the elder John who died in 1624 the same man mentioned on the 1569 Muster Roll and/or Johan Bicknell's will of 1624? Was he the father of the John Bicknell who gave his deposition in 1635? If so, given the deposition of 1635 concerned John Bicknell's rights with respect to the proposed enclosure of the Neroche, was the subject of the 1624 Inquisition Post Mortem his father's rights with respect to the Neroche? John Bicknell, the only son of our direct ancestor Zachary, was born in Barrington in 1624. Was he named in honor of the man who died that same year? Perhaps his grandfather? So that our ancestor Zachary was a younger son of the John who died in 1624 and brother of the John who was deposed in 1635? With some reservations, I believe yes, due to the following:

1. Our ancestor Zachary Bicknell (b. 1589) is not accounted for in the wills of Nicholas (d. 1611), his widow Katherine (d. 1622), nor Zacharie Bicknell (d. 1621) or Zachary Bicknell's widow Johan (d. 1624).

2. We know that John Bicknell who was deposed in 1635 regarding enclosure of the Neroche Forest was probably the son of John Bicknell (d. 1624) and probably had rights, possibly as a carpenter or wood cutter, with respect to the Neroche.

4. That John Bicknell (b. 1624) was a carpenter by trade. Perhaps his father Zachary was as well. If so, then perhaps there was a family tradition with respect to carpentry.

5. The same year that John Bicknell was deposed regarding the enclosure of the Neroche, Zachary Bicknell emigrated with his family to New England. Did he solely seek religious freedom or also search for new economic opportunity?

I have previously referred to a copy of a Barrington parish ledger entitled Church Wardens and Overseers of the Poor.⁽⁴⁷⁾ Beginning in 1625, and most of the succeeding years through 1705, it provides an accounting of all persons paying the parish poor rate, as well as those who received a distribution. The individual rate payers are listed in a consistent order for each year. The amount of rates paid are also fairly consistent. As such, it provides an excellent means of following the Bicknell households (as well as about fifty others) with respect to relative prosperity, deaths, inheritances, and status. The following is an accounting of the Bicknell households for the years 1625 through 1643 per this ledger. Overseers and collectors for a given year are only noted when one or more were Bicknells. Only the first name is given for a Bicknell rate payer.

1625
Overseers: Wm. Bicknell, John Bicknell and Wm. Elliot
Rates: [no itemized collection given]

1627
Rates: William 2s 8d

1628
Overseers: Wm Bicknell and John Berryman
Collectors: [one other] & Zachary Bicknell
Rates: William 2s 8d; John 3d

1629
Overseers: William Bicknell
Rates: William 2s 8d

1630
Collector: John Bicknell
Rates: William 3s 6d; John 1s -

1631
Rates: [No itemized collection given]

1632
Rates: William 8s -; Zachary - 4d

1633
Rates: William 8s -; Zacharie - 3d; John 2s

1634
Rates: William 8s -; Zachary - 4d

1635 (the year our ancestor Zachary emigrated)
Rates: William 8s - ; Zacharie - 2d

1636
Rates: William 4s -; Zacharie - 2d; John - 1d

1637
Rates: William 6s -; Zachary - 3d; John 1s 6d

1638
Rates: William 8s -; Zachary - 3d; John 2s -

1639
[Zachary has died. His children are distributed throughout parish
and perhaps non-parish families who receive compensation for their efforts.]
Rates: William £1; John 5s

1640
Rates: William 20s; John 5s

1641
Arthur son of William the Elder inherits rights to farm.
Rates: Occupier of William's farm 20s; John 5s

1642
[ Arthur has died or left parish. No apparent heir to farm. This household becomes extinct. A widow Johnson is paid £2 8s 6d over the next year to care for Zachary's daughter Deborah.]
Rates: Occupier of Arthur's farm 15s; John 3s 3d

1643
Rates: John 4s 4d

Apparently, the farm held by Raff, Nicholas, William the Elder and then Arthur has passed from the family in 1642-43. This may be in part due to a 99 year lease on the land (1544-1643), a practice which was quite prevalent in Somerset during the 16th Century.⁽⁴⁸⁾

The 'poor rates' over the rest of the 17th Century demonstrate a decline overall for Bicknell families. For the next decade John Bicknell remains the sole Bicknell paying a poor rate. His contribution dramatically declines to 1d in 1652. In 1653 a second John is added paying on average 1s 3d for the next few years. A new Zachary joins the list in 1654 and pays an average of 3d for each year over the next decade. In 1658, both Johns died and are replaced on the list by their widows, Flower and Bridget. Bridget is replaced by Joane in 1674. Zachary dies in 1678. Joane disappears from the list the same year, while Flower continues beyond the last year of the accounting, 1705. (See, Ex. C)

However, the focus of our research, Zachary Bicknell, his wife Agnis Lovell Bicknell and their son John left England in March 1635 with a religious company founded by the Reverend Joseph Hull. To understand what motivated Zachary to pull up roots from his native land and make a perilous six week voyage across the North Atlantic we need understand the times in which he lived.