Henry Gage (16th century landowner)

Background and family

Henry Gage was a son of John Gage and his wife Margaret Tawyer.

On 30 September 1484, Richard III granted to Thomas Metcalfe, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, wardship and control of the marriage of Henry, a minor who was the son and heir of John Gage, a gentleman who had held land direct from the Crown.

Henry married Margaret Boyville, a daughter of Richard Boyville. Under the marriage agreement which was made on 12 June 1505, Henry agreed to marry Margaret before the next 29 September and to settle his property on Richard and others beforehand. Richard agreed to give the couple certain stuff worth 100 shillings when they set up their household plus 20 marks; George Boyville also agreed to provide them with 100 shillings (£5). By the associated feoffment which was made on 29 July 1505, Henry (who was then described as a gentleman of Little Harrowden) granted all his property at Raunds, Little Harrowden and Wellingborough to Richard Boyville, John Muscote, George Boyville, Richard Whelewright, clerk and Thomas Catelyn of Raunds. In accordance with the terms of the marriage agreement, these trustees were to hold the property to the use of Henry and Margaret; then to the heirs of their body and in default of such heirs to the right heirs of Henry. The marriage itself presumably took place on the same day or very soon after.

Records included in “The Visitations of Northamptonshire in 1564 and 1618-19” list three children of the couple:

The Lay Subsidy list of 1523-24 for Burton Latimer includes “Henry Gawge, gent.”, whose lands were assessed at a value of £22; this was the second highest figure in the parish.

In 1529, Henry was recorded as the tenant of a messuage at Burton Latimer that was owned by his brother-in-law Richard Boyville.

Death and will

“Henry Gage, gent.” was still living at Burton Latimer when he made his will on 11 May 1548. He asked to be buried in the churchyard there; his burial is recorded in that parish register as taking place on 15 January 1551/52. The will was proved at the Archdeaconry Court of Northampton on 10 February 1551/52. In this document, Henry mentioned his wife Margaret, son George and daughter Mary.

Property

The property at Raunds, Little Harrowden and Wellingborough included in the 1505 marriage settlement was held in trust, so it was not mentioned in Henry’s will. However, the will does confirm Henry’s bequest of the house in which he lived at Burton Latimer.

Land at Raunds that had formerly been held by the de Raundes family appears to have passed by the marriage of Margaret Raundes to John Tawyer and then to John's daughter Margaret, who married John Gage. It was through that couple that the property then descended to Henry Gage and became known as "Gage's Manor".

The manor of Little Harrowden evidently remained in Henry's ownership until the end of his life and it was not until 1553 that his son and daughter in law George and Cecily conveyed it to Anthony Shuckburgh.

The property at Wellingborough may have been some or all of the lands held as a manor by William de Raunds in 1329-30, which apparently passed to the Gage family in the 15th century.