Robert Oxenbridge (13ggfa) Esq., bailiff of Rye, JOP of Sussex, Constable of Pevensey Caste, Sheriff of Sussex & Surrey, Lt. & Constable of the Tower
1483–1574
BIRTH 1483 • Brede, Sussex, England
DEATH 17 NOV 1574 • Husbourne/Husborn Priors/Pryors, Southampton, England
13th great-grandfather
Family and Education
b. 1508/9, 1st s. of Sir Goddard Oxenbridge of Brede by 2nd w. Anne, da. of Sir Thomas Fiennes of Claverham, Kent. m. by 1543, Alice, da. and coh. of Sir Thomas Fogge of Ash, Kent, wid. of Edward Scott, 1s. 2da. Kntd. by 18 Feb. 1553.1Offices Held
Commr. musters, Suss. 1539, relief 1550; other commissions 1539-54; esquire of the body by 1541; bailiff, Rye 1541 (reversion)-64; j.p. Suss. by 1541-58/59, q. Hants 1561-2; constable, Pevensey castle, Suss. 1550-d.; sheriff, Surr. and Suss. 1551-2, Hants 1567-8; lt. the Tower 1556, constable 1557-8.2Biography
The Oxenbridge family had lived in Sussex since at least the early 14th century. Robert Oxenbridge’s grandfather Adam Oxenbridge sat for Rye in three Parliaments between 1484 and 1495, and his father was three times sheriff of Surrey and Sussex. Although Oxenbridge lived at Brede after his father’s death in 1531, the house was not his until his cousin William Oxenbridge bequeathed it to him in 1550; a dispute over William Oxenbridge’s goods was settled by the Council in his favour.3
During the first part of his career Oxenbridge was largely concerned with his own part of East Sussex, although he had a place in the royal household and afterwards in Princess Elizabeth’s. He does not seem to have served in war but his chief appointments were quasi-military, first the constableship of Pevensey castle and then the lieutenancy and constableship of the Tower. Pevensey belonged to the duchy of Lancaster, and it was for the duchy borough of East Grinstead that Oxenbridge was first returned to Parliament. That connexion apart, he was well befriended in the shire: he was related to the Pelhams of Laughton, the Gages of Firle and the Lords Dacre of the South, and the sheriff who returned him, Sir Anthony Browne, was the son of his predecessor at Pevensey. Oxenbridge had himself served as sheriff in the previous year and it was perhaps then that he had been knighted: these marks of favour look like attempts by the Duke of Northumberland to win over one who was to be a lifelong Catholic. In the event it was under Mary that Oxenbridge reached the height of his career with his three elections as knight of the shire and his appointment at the Tower: both indicated that the mantle of his kinsman Sir John Gage had passed to him. Of his role in the Commons it is known only that in 1555 he did not vote with the opposition against one of the government’s bills.4
Elizabeth did not reappoint Oxenbridge as lieutenant of the Tower and while his migration to Hampshire was followed by his transfer from the Sussex bench he was not to remain on that of Hampshire for long. He bought the manor and park of Hurstbourne Priors, near Whitchurch, in 1558 for more than £2,000, and during the next three years he parted with two Sussex manors and a London house in Trinity Lane; Brede he kept but let to the family of Devenish. The marriage arranged in 1565 between his heir Robert and a daughter of his fellow-Catholic (Sir) Thomas White II of South Warnborough helped to establish him socially in his new county, but even after serving as its sheriff in 1567-8 he was not restored to the commission; the bishop of Winchester had written to Cecil advocating his exclusion. He does not appear to have been further penalized but after his death his stepson William Scott and nephew Andrew Oxenbridge D.C.L. were to be imprisoned for their religious beliefs.5
Oxenbridge made his will on 21 June 1574. He left Hurstbourne to his wife and the rest of his lands and goods to be shared between her and the heir. He named his wife and son executors and as overseers his nephew Andrew Oxenbridge and William Lawrence, probably the Member for Winchester. He gave £20 to his nephew and smaller sums or rings to his sister Lady Tyrwhitt (widow of Sir Robert Tyrwhitt I), his daughter Catherine Tuck and daughter-in-law Anne Cheyne. Oxenbridge died on 17 Nov. 1574.6Ref Volumes: 1509-1558Author: R. J.W. SwalesNotes
- 1.Aged 65 at death. Suss. Arch. Colls. viii. 231-2; Vis. Hants (Harl. Soc. lxiv), 153; C219/20/133.
- 2.LP Hen. VIII, xiv, xvi, xx; CPR, 1547-8, p. 90; 1553, pp. 359, 376; 1553-4, pp. 24, 28, 37; 1554-5, p. 108; 1555-7, pp. 403, 531; 1557-8, pp. 106, 380, 462; 1560-3, p. 442; 1563-6, pp. 42, 91; APC, vi. 44, 78; Somerville, Duchy, i. 615.
- 3.Suss. Arch. Colls. viii. 213 seq.; PCC 9 Coode.
- 4.LP Hen. VIII, xiv-xvi, xx, add.; Suss. Rec. Soc. xvi. 38; CPR, 1553, p. 363; Machyn’s Diary (Cam. Soc. xlii), 108.
- 5.CPR, 1557-8, p. 462; 1560-3, p. 199; Harl. 608, f. 86; Suss. Rec. Soc. xix. 23, 172; VCH Hants, iv. 287-9; HMC Hatfield, i. 392 ii. 512; SP12/59, f. 162.
- 6.PCC 45 Martyn; C142/172/113.
From the History of Parliament website at: http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/oxenbridge-sir-robert-15089-74
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Robert Oxenbridge (died 1574)
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Sir Robert Oxenbridge (1508–1574) was an English Member of Parliament and Constable of the Tower.
Career
Robert Oxenbridge was the son of Sir Goddard Oxenbridge of Brede, Sussex, who was three times High Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex. Robert inherited the house at Brede from his cousin in 1550.
He was an Esquire of the Body by 1541. He was a Justice of the Peace for Sussex by 1541 until 1558, Constable of Pevensey Castle, Sussex from 1550 until his death and High Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex for 1551–52. He was knighted by 1553. He was also appointed a Lieutenant of the Tower of London in 1556 and Constable of the Tower in 1557–58.
He was elected MP for East Grinstead in March 1553 and elected Knight of the Shire (MP) for Sussex in April 1554, 1555 and 1558. He moved to Hampshire in 1558 where he bought Hurstbourne Priors, near Whitchurch and was appointed High Sheriff of Hampshire for 1567–68.
He died in 1574, leaving Hurstbourne to his wife and his other properties to be shared between her and his son.
Marriages and issue
Oxenbridge married Alice Fogge, widow of Edward Scott (son of Sir William Scott), and daughter and co-heiress of Sir Thomas Fogge of Ash, Kent, sergeant porter of Calais during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII,[1] by whom he had a son and two daughters.
Their son, also named Robert, married Elizabeth Cocke, though some sources claim that it is Robert Oxenbridge snr who married her. As the latter predeceased his wife Alice, this is obviously incorrect.
Notes
- ^ ‘Parishes: Ham’, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 10 (1800), pp. 37-44 Retrieved 17 September 2013.
Legend has it that in the 16th Century, a startlingly tall nobleman prowled around the village of Brede in East Sussex seeking out children to kill and eat for his dinner.
The cannibal was suspected to be Sir Goddard Oxenbridge (14th great grandfather) who lived in Brede Place, an imposing edifice that still stands today. Rumours concerning the knight’s taste for young flesh may have emanated from a servant who had incurred Sir Goddard’s displeasure and been dismissed from service. True or not, the story spread far and wide.
Now it so happens that Sir Goddard was actually a God-fearing man who regularly attended church; his friends in the Sussex landed gentry dismissed the awful accusations and blamed them on uneducated peasant minds.
Even so, the legend persists that fearful for their lives, the children of Brede felt they had no recourse other than to kill the alleged cannibal. The big problem was that Goddard was over seven feet tall and possessed of immense strength. Furthermore due to sorcery he could not be dispatched by weapons of metal and thus was immune to being murdered by swords and knives.
Artfully, the children devised an ingenious solution to the conundrum, one that would make Goddard’s death almost as grisly as the terrible fate that befell the young ones he supposedly killed.
The nobleman being very fond of a drink, one day a band of surprisingly bold youngsters met him out on the road and told him they had a keg of grog he was free to enjoy. The giant happily accepted the gift. Maybe he thought the children were currying favour in the hope they would not themselves become his curry!
In any event, the ploy worked. Gullible Goddard imbibed a copious quantity of exceptionally strong liquor and eventually collapsed in a drunken stupor. The children had hidden a huge wooden saw with very sharp teeth in the undergrowth. Retrieving this, they set upon the comatose knight and promptly cut him in half. The notorious Brede Giant would feast on infants no more.
It is said that Goddard still haunts the scene of his demise – the “Groaning Bridge” in Stubb Lane. Indeed, a tad over a century ago the Society for Psychical Research came to investigate unexplained noises in the vicinity. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a member of this body and was certainly aware of the Brede Giant legend. Given that Conan Doyle was well away with the fairies (literally – he was an ardent believer in the existence of tiny winged people!) the chances are he thought the tale to be true.
The real life Sir Goddard Oxenbridge was born in 1478 into a noble family with royal connections. Brede Place dates from 1350 but Sir Goddard had the house considerably improved in his tenure. He was Sheriff of Sussex in the years 1506, 1512 and 1519 and was created Knight of the Bath in 1509 on the occasion of Henry VIII’s coronation.
His first wife, Elizabeth Etchingham, bore him a son, Thomas. He and his second wife Anne Fiennes produced a daughter, Elizabeth, who became Catherine Parr’s lady-in-waiting. Another son served as Constable of the Tower of London. Sir Goddard Oxenbridge died in 1531. His impressive tomb in Brede’s St. George’s Church is topped by a splendid armour-clad effigy. His descendents lived in the Brede house until 1616.
Sir Goddard was Catholic and it’s possible that the stories of cannibalism were spread by Protestants wishing to discredit the family. However, I think there is a much more plausible explanation. Around 1700 a then uninhabited Brede Place fell into disrepair and it’s believed that local smugglers began using the building as a handy store for their contraband. To deter prying eyes, it would make perfect sense to spread tales of ghostly goings-on. Every plot of the cartoon series “Scooby-Do” revolves around a similar scenario!
The US author and war correspondent Stephen Crane rented Brede Place in 1898. His best-known book is “The Red Badge of Courage”, a tale of the American Civil War. Before he and his wife Cora even had time to move in the writer was commissioned to report on the Spanish-American War in Cuba where he met Teddy Roosevelt, leader of the famous “Rough Riders”.
Following Crane’s return, the couple lived in Brede Place. Though plagued by ill-health and chronic financial problems, Crane invited lots of fellow literary luminaries to the house; these included Joseph Conrad and H.G. Wells who came for a Christmas party in December 1899. Other guests were Rudyard Kipling and Henry James, author of the ghost story “Turn of the Screw”, who must have enjoyed the gruesome legend of the Brede Giant.https://21ff44893f2be847e06d795560dce915.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
“Peter Pan” creator J.M. Barrie also visited and apparently found inspiration for his Captain Hook character. A former parson of St. George’s Church was John Maher, who sported a hook in place of his left hand. He claimed he’d lost the hand in an accident but in fact he had once been a pirate. He was unmasked when a former shipmate tracked him down and spilt the beans after his blackmail attempt failed.
In the early summer of 1900, Stephen and Cora traveled to Germany’s Black Forest in the hope that the writer’s health would be restored by a stay in a spa. It wasn’t to be; Crane died on 5th June 1900, aged just 28.
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What is the symbolism of the rampant lion found on a coat of arms?
First,
the Symbol: The lion, with such repute of its noble nature and having the position and title of king of the beasts, is naturally one of the most common heraldic symbols on the continent of Europe. An emblem of majesty, strength, and justice, military might and deathless courage. The lion has always held a high place in heraldry as the emblem of deathless courage, and, hence, that of a valiant warrior. It is said to be a lively image of a good soldier, who must be ‘valiant in courage, strong of body, politic in council and a foe to fear’.
Next,
The position: you ask about a lion Rampant and there are in fact three Rampant positions all with their own meaning:
Rampant: Erect on his hind legs; in profile; emblematic of magnanimity.
Rampant Guardant: Erect on his hind legs; full face; emblematic of prudence.
Rampant Reguardant: Erect on his hind legs; side face looking behind; emblematic of circumspection.
These interpretations apply to the Lion ONLY! ( they will have different symbolic meaning then say a dragon Rampant)
Early Origins of the Oxenbridge family
The surname Oxenbridge was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, [1] indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Oxborough, held by Ralph de Limsey, a Norman noble who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. The lands contained 2 Mills, a fishery, and 180 sheep.
Early History of the Oxenbridge family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oxenbridge research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1316, 1572, 1642, 1634, 1537, 1508, 1574, 1595, 1638, 1621, 1624, 1616, 1604, 1611, 1638, 1608, 1674 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Oxenbridge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Oxenbridge Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Oxenbrig, Oxenbridge, Oxbrigg, Oxbridge and others.
Early Notables of the Oxenbridge family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Goddard Oxenbridge (d. 1537), who is buried in St George church, Brede, East Sussex; Robert Oxenbridge (1508-1574), English MP for Sussex; Sir Robert Oxenbridge (1595-1638),an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons (1621 to 1624)…
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oxenbridge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Oxenbridge migration to the United States+
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Oxenbridge Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- John Oxenbridge, who arrived in Bermuda in 1635
- Jo Oxenbridge, aged 24, who landed in Bermuda in 1635 [2]
- John Oxenbridge, who arrived in New England in 1669 [2]
Contemporary Notables of the name Oxenbridge (post 1700)+
- David Oxenbridge, New Zealand director
- Sarah Oxenbridge, Australian lecturer and researcher
The Village of Brede, home of the Oxenbridges
from: http://www.fairhall.id.au/resources/brede/brede.htm
The Village
The River Brede has carved out a shallow valley, with resulting beautiful scenery. The village of Brede is in East Sussex, about 8 Km (5 miles) north west of Hastings, and not far from the village of Battle where the famous Battle of Hastings took place.
There are two theories about the origin of the name Brede:
1. The Masters of the Mint at Hastings, founded in 924, were of the BRID family, and pennies bearing the name “Brid” still exist.
2. The Anglo-Saxon word “bred”, meaning broad, could have been used to describe the village’s position in the valley.
The first recorded mention of the name is in a Charter at the time of King Canute (1016 – 1035).
The Parish Church of St George
Centrepiece of this rural community is the church of St George, on a hill overlooking the Brede River valley. The building is mainly constructed of sandstone and ironstone, but some stone is from Caen in Normandy – reflecting the Norman history of this part of England.
The Manor of Brede was granted to the Abbey of Fecamp about 1031, and the Benedictine monks from Normandy occupied it until about 1416. Laurence, the first Parson of Brede, arrived from Normandy in 1190. The church has expanded since the first Norman church was built, but the pillars of the south arcade of the nave are still Transitional Norman work of c. 1180
The Oxenbridge family, owners of Brede Place for 250 years, and with close family links to Queen Elizabeth I, are commemorated in a beautiful Chantry which contains the tombs of many family members including Robert and Anne Oxenbridge and their son Sir Goddard, who acquired an unjust posthumous reputation as the cannabalistic ‘Brede Giant’! His recumbent tomb effigy is a feature of the church. According to local legend the children of East Sussex got their revenge by sawing him in half at nearby Groaning Bridge, where the ‘giant’s blood’ (actually iron staining) is displayed.
Throughout the church there are many monuments, special windows and artefacts with construction dates back to the fifteenth century. The small stone window at the west end of the north aisle, above the children’s altar, is thought to be from the late Norman Transitional period, making it the oldest window in the church. It has a modern dedication to St George.