Lady Anne Heydon

Anne Woodhouse was born in 1541 at Waxham, Norfolk, the daughter of Sir William and Anne Woodhouse, nee Reppes of Hickling, Norfolk. They married about 1533.

 

Anne was the sister of,

Lady Mary Wodehouse, Baroness, b. 1534, d. 1565

Thomas Woodhouse, b. 1535

Henry Woodhouse, b. 1544, d. 1624

 

At Baconthorpe, Norfolk in 1560 Anne married Sir William Heydon, born about 30th. October 1540 in Baconsthorpe castle. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 3 daughters,

Sir Christopher Heydon, b. 1561, d. 1623

Sir John Heydon, b. 1563, d. 1614

Edward Haydon, b. 1566, d. 1615

Miss Heydon, b. 1566

William Heydon, b. 1570, d. 1614

Miss Heydon, b. 1581

Miss Heydon, b. 1588

 

In the Tudor era the Heydon family became very rich, due to their part in the lucrative wool trade, which was then the basis of much of England’s, and especially East Anglia’s, wealth.

 

The Haydon's prosperity peaked in the 1560's, when Sir Christopher Haydon had 80 servants and 30 head shepherds of his own flocks, which suggests that there were 20,000 to 30,000 sheep on his lands. However, he and his successors were not shrewd businessmen like the earlier Heydon's, and when Sir Christopher died in 1579 he had £23,000 of debts.

 

On his fathers death William inherited an extensive portfolio of property in Norfolk but also more widely distributed around England. These properties included,

Baconsthorp Hall, and Woodhall, Norfolk

Lound Hall and Michel Hall at Saxthorpe, Norfolk

Nowers alias Estes at Saxlingham, Norfolk

Salthouse in Norfolk

Thorp's and Ests at Reepham, Norfolk

Thursford in Norfolk

Letheringsett in Norfolk

Booles and Walcots, alias Snoring Parva in Norfolk

Netherhall, and Loosehall at Hempstead, Norfolk

Loverds in Heydon, with Cockford's Averbeck's in Norfolk

Creping and Lewes at Saxthorpe, Norfolk

Leches and Olton Hall at Oldton, Norfolk

Bodham in Norfolk

Kelling in Norfolk

Cley in Norfolk

Holt in Norfolk

Hackford Hall at Reepham, Norfolk

Gunners at Cromer, Norfolk

Wiveton in Norfolk

Blakeney in Norfolk

Waybourne in Norfolk

Corpusty in Norfolk

Threxton in Norfolk

The reversion of La Viles at Letheringsett, Norfolk

Waybourne and East Beckham rectories in Norfolk

The site of Waybourne priory, with the advowsons of East Beckham, Waybourne, Holt, Cley, Kelling, Salthouse, Bodham, Snoring Parva and Magna in Norfolk

St. Dunstans free chapel at Saxthorpe, Norfolk

West Wickham manor in Kent

Kent Baston manor in Kent

Keston manor in Kent

Southcourt manor in Kent

 

Also inheriting his fathers debts, William tried to balance the books by engaging in several projects with certain citizens of London, but he too contracted a large debt, to add to those of his father, and he was probably forced to sell much of his paternal estate.

 

Sir William Haydon died, in debt, on 19th. March 1593 and was buried in St. Mary's church at Baconsthorpe. There is no record of the date of Anne's death.

 

Their alabaster memorial, seems out of scale. It has been suggests that it was ordered from a London workshop and arrived in Norfolk by sea. That William and Anne are facing south and not east, seems to point to the fact that the memorial was made for the chancel, but proved to be to large and was subsequently moved to the south aisle.

 

 

 

Done