Rev. Richard LIGHTFOOT

  Noted events in his life were:

• Biography. Originally of County Kent, Richard Lightfoot, who was Rector of Stoke Bruerne in Northhamptonshire, heads a pedigree of four generations of his family registered during the Herald's Visitation of London made in 1687. The registration is signed by William Lightfoot (Son of John I and Grandson of the Reverend Richard) of London, one of the Attorneys in the Lord Mayor's Court and Register of Sutton's Hospital, who was then aged 53.... The Coat of Arms accompanying the entry of pedigree may be blazoned, Arms: Barry of six and/or gules on a bend sable three escallops, or Crest: A griffin's head erased or beaked and gorged with a collar sable charged with three escallops. The pedigree was filed by Robert Lightfoot (brother of William) who was Apothecary to the Queen Dowager, Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II of England.

Richard (believed to be originally from London) was ordered a deacon and priest on 14 March 1582 by John, Bishop of Gloucester, and was licensed as preacher on 11 Dec. 1589 by John, Archbishop of Canterbury. The parish register reports that he was installed as Rector of Stoke Bruerne, England on 27 April, 1601 and was buried there on 28 November, 1625, after serving for 23 years. His tomb is marked by a small plaque bearing the Lightfoot coat of arms and the inscription [in latin]:

This tomb was placed here to the memory of Richard Lightfoot, minister of the gospel and rector of this church for twenty three years by J.L., his son and heir. Death quietly and unexpectedly overtook him while feeding his flock by word and deed. His life was short for it was a long meditation on death. Thus he taught others to live and himself to die. He died in the year of our Lord 1625, aged 63 years.

Little is known of Richard's wife Jane (Jones) save her death, as recorded by her will filed with the Church of England, in 1649. [Copy in files of M. Shaver. A copy of Richard's will is also included in an article entitled "The Lightfoot Family"]]

Stoke Bruene, Northhamptonshire is located in the middle of England 118 miles north of London. The thatched cottages climb up the hill. The lock-keeper's gardens are gay with flowers in season and the canal winds by until its waters vanish into a tunnel nearly two miles long. The Church on the hill above the village was begun by the Normans in 1066 and was completed with battlements in the 15th Century when the richly carved Cross was set above the east wall of the chancel. The Nave Arcades with four circular Clerestory Windows above are 14th Century. Beautifully lettered gravestones are all over the church and include the "Lightfoots" and "Jones". On the wall is a brass portrait of Richard Lightfoot with a pointed beard and wearing a ruff as he kneels at a prayer desk.
[Excerpted from Lightfoot Family Association Newsletter]

• Occupation: cleric, Church of England, 1587, London, England. Cleric Detail
Surname: Lightfoot
Forename: Richard
Event Type
Type: Licensing
Date:20/6/1587
Office/Status: Preacher
Clerical Status
Location: London diocese //

Source
LMA, DL/C/334 (Vicar-General's Book)

Ordinary / Jurisdiction
Aylmer, John/London 1577-1594

Description
fo. 160v. On commendation of Thomas Croo [sic], one of the bishop's chaplains.
[Clergy of the Church of England database
CCEd Record ID: 73021
http://eagle.cch.kcl.ac.uk:8080/cce/DisplayAppointment.jsp?CDBAppRedID=73021]

• Will, 1625, Northampton, ENGLAND. In the name of God Amen, I Ricahrd Lightfoot Clerke, Parson of Stoke Brewen in the County of Northton being in helth of bodie but of pafitt memory praised be God Doemake and declare this my last Will and testament ffirst I bequeath my soule into the hand of Almightie God assuredlie trustinge through the infinite meritts & mediacon of Jesu Christ my saviour & redeemr to have everylasting salvacon And my bodie to be interred in the chancell of the chancell of the parish church of Stoke aforesaid My Estate thus I dispose of ffirst of my lands & tenements by me purchased I give unto my eldest sonne John Lightfoote my ouse at Northton & all other things hereunto appertayninge purchased of Thomas Gutteridge Cordwiner And the gate house adionyinge purchased of Tobie Coldwell and all those lands and meadowe grounds which there appurtenances in the psh of Stoke aforesaid wch I purchased of Richard Wickens William Wickens & William Kingston and every or ainey of them and all writ- ings and evidence concernynge the same to have & to hold unto my sonne John and his heirs for ever Item I give unto my sonne Richard Lightfoote and his heirs for ever all those lands arable meadowe and pasture with their appurtenanaces wch I have bought or contracted for of Robt Wickens of Northton but if the bargaine goe not forwarde then I give unto my said sonne Richard Lightfoot so much as I should ahve given for the said lands Item I give unto my said sonne Richard & his assignes my house in the occupation of William Yorke and all the lands ground and other hereditaments which I bought of John Jackson together with the newe house ladie erected upon part thereof Item I give my twoe houses with all the lands thereunto belonging with there appurtenances wch I purchased of John Walke Esq and John Smith unto my well beloved wife Jane Lightfoote for and duringe the term of her naturall life and her decease unto my said sonne John Lightfoote & his assignes And my Will is that when my said sonne shall have possession of the last two mencened houses or either of them he shall pay unto his two sisters Sarah and Rose if they be then living five pounds apiece And I give all my bookes unto my said two sons equally to be divided between them And my Will is that the procon of my daughter Jane shall be so much as the best proson given in marriage with either of her sisters to be pd unto her at those daies and tymes upon and after her marriage as the porcon of her sister Rose was paid and touchinge anye wise those poore people at Stoke I doe for divers respects me inducinge forbeare to mencon any but leave the same to the discretion of my wife and sonne John to do therein hereafter (as the carriage of the parish to themward considered) they shall thincke meete And my Will is in respecte of the guifte hereby to my said wife that she release her dower and third in all my free lands & not doubting but that such love will rest in her towards her children and such dutie in them to herward that they would have made as equall if not more perfitt & indifferent distrubucon of my estate than I have done hereby.

The rest of all my good debts and estate not bequethed I give to my wellbeloved wife, Jane Lightfoote whome I make sole Executrix of this my last Will and I desire my dearly beloved brother Thomas Jones Esqr to be overseer hereof to see the same pformed in all things accordinge to my true meaninge hereby requestinge all the parties legatees before- named to make him judge and decider of all controversies which shall arise between them or anie of them.

In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seale the 5th daie of May Anno Dni 1625 And in the first yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord King Charles &c.


Richard Lightfoote.
Sealed published and declared by the said Richard Lightfoote as and for his last Will & Testamt in the presence of us Thomas Jones John Winterborne Thomas Marshe.
Proved 6th December, 1625.
[http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/schools/wmmary/quarterly/l2320000.txt]



The will of Rev. Richard Lightfoot (signed 5 May 1625 and proved 6 Dec 1625) mentions "my dearly beloved brother [ i.e. "brother-in-law"] Thomas Jones, Esq." and appoints him overseer. Thomas Jones was also a witness to the will (you will note, shortly before his own death.)

• Memorial, 1625, Northamptonshire, England. In Berry's History of [Page 92.] Northamptonshire, a list of ministers of that parish is given, and the name Richard Lightfoot appears in proper order. There was no other minister of Stoke Bruerne of the name of Light- foot. Berry, quoting the parish register, states that "he was installed 27 April, 1601, and was buried here 28 Nov., 1625." According to Berry there is in the church a small brass plate having the figure of a priest kneeling before an altar - dexter side, barry of six o, & G., on a bend s. three escallops of the first - Lightfoot; sinister, Lightfoot impaling o, three bars (q? az). Upon it is this inscription:

Memoriae
Richard Lightfoot, Hujus Eccl'ie per xxiii (?)
Annos Rectoris, Evangelii Preconis,
J. L. Filius et Haeres Suus Posuit.
Pascentum exemplo Populos Verboq, Ciboq.
Mors Subgressa Levi Est Non Inopina Pede
Vita Brevis, Nam Longa Fuit Meditatio Mortis.
Sic Alios Docuit Vivere Seq. Mori,
Dni 1625,
Obiit Anno Aet. Suae 63.

Which may be rendered as follows:
This tomb was placed here to the memory of Ricahrd Lightfot, minister of the gospel and rector of this church for twenty-three years (twenty-four?) by J. L., his son and heir. Death quietly and unexpectedly overtook him while feeding his flock by word and deed. His life was short, for it was a long meditation on death. Thus he taught others to live and himself to die. He died in the year of our Lord 1625, aged 63 years.

[http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/schools/wmmary/quarterly/l2320000.txt]

• See also. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/h/a/Michael-P-Shaver/FILE/0019text.txt

http://www.the-lightfoots.com/index.htm

The Lightfoot Family Association
http://www.the-lightfoots.com/LFA/lfa.htm

http://garthhagerman.com/fambly/phpGedView/individual.php?pid=I233&ged=fuqu2.ged&PHPSESSID=550bcc8baa8e198d81b33b999250cc5a

• Related: surname spellings. Lightfoot, Lightfoote, Lytfoote, Litefout, Leyfoote

Richard married Mary ASKE on 7 Feb 1593 in St. Bartholomew the Less, London, ENGLAND.

Richard next married Jane JONES, daughter of Thomas JONES Esq. and Priscilla ASKE, about 1595 in ENGLAND. (Jane JONES was born about 1570 in ENGLAND and died in 1649 in Stoke Brueron, Northhampton, ENGLAND.)