The FISKE Family of Laxfield, Fressingfield and St. James South Elmham, in co. Suffolk, England and Watertown in Massachusetts

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Fabulous Fiske website with lot more information: Fiske Family Papers: 1000 years of Fisks and Fiskes in Britain

Some of the information we have on the early Fiskes comes from a 17th century genealogist and relative of the Fiskes, Rev. Matthias Candler. His work is referred to as the Candler manuscript.

First Generation

HUGH FISKE (living 1345/6) of Laxfield

Parents: Unknown, but Hugh was probably descended from Daniel Fisc of Laxfield who was living in 1208, during the reign of King John. [Ref] Fiske [Ref] points to an even earlier record of a man named Fisc, who had about 180 acres of land in Wood Dalling [co. Norfolk] before 1066. He suggests the name Fisc is, thus, pre-Norman and possibly Danish. [Ref]

Hugh Fiske was a juror in Laxfield in1340/1. [Ref] He is mentioned in a Laxfield charter in 1345/6. [Ref]

Children or grandchildren of Hugh Fiske:

1. Hugh Fiske was born about 1370.

Second Generation

HUGH FISKE (b. abt 1370) of Laxfield

Parents: Hugh Fiske was probably the son or grandson of Hugh Fiske [Ref]

Hugh Fiske was born about 1370. [Ref] He lived in Laxfield. [Ref]

Hugh and his son Simon are mentioned in charters of 1421 and 1435. [Ref]

Children of Hugh Fiske:

1. Simon Fiske was born about 1399. [Ref] He died after 22 Dec 1463. [Ref] He married first Susannah Smyth. [Ref] He married second Katherine Crispe. [Ref]
2. William Fiske was born about 1400. [Ref] He died between 6 Mar 1462, when he signed his will, and 21 Apr 1463, when it was proved. [Ref]
3. Unknown daughter Fiske may have married John Noloth of Laxfield. [Ref]

   Third Generation

SIMON FISKE (abt 1399 - aft. 1463) of Studhaugh

Parents: Hugh Fiske [Ref]

Simon Fiske was born about 1399. [Ref] He died after 22 Dec 1463, when he wrote his will. [Ref] He married first Susannah Smyth. [Ref] He married second Katherine Crispe about 1433. [Ref]

Simon was a wheelwright. [Ref] He was of Studhaugh. [Ref]

In his will, Simon mentions sons William, Jeffrey, John and Edmund and daughter Margaret Dowsing. [Ref]

Children of Simon Fiske:

1. William Fiske was born between 1420 and 1425. [Ref] He died after 1476/7, when he is mentioned in a Laxfield deed. [Ref] He is buried at All Saints church in Laxfield. [Ref] He married Joan Lynne of Norfolk. [Ref] She died after 15 Jul 1504, when she wrote her will. She is buried at All Saints church in Laxfield. [Ref]
2. Jeffrey Fiske was born between 1420 and 1425 in Laxfield. He died between 3 and 13 May 1504. He married Margaret unknown.
3. John Fiske, the elder, was born about 1428 in Laxfield. [Ref] He died after 1488, when he wrote his will. [Ref] He married Elizabeth Unknown. [Ref] He was of Diss, Norfolk. [Ref]
4. Edmund Fiske was born about 1430 in Laxfield. [Ref] He died after 7 Aug 1494, when he wrote his will. [Ref] He married Margery Unknown. [Ref] He is referred to a fish trader in a 1472/3 deed. [Ref] He probably lived in Eye, Suffolk. [Ref]
5. Margaret Fiske was born about 1432 in Laxfield. [Ref] She married Unknown Dowsing. [Ref]
6. John Fiske, the younger, was born about 1440 in Laxfield. [Ref] He died between 18 Jan 1507, when he wrote his will, and 5 Feb 1512, when it was proved. [Ref]
7. Simon Fiske was living in Diss, Norfolk in 1478. [Ref]

Fourth Generation

JEFFREY FISKE (1420/5 - 1504) of Laxfield

Parents: Simon Fiske [Ref] and Susannah Smyth

Jeffrey Fisk was born between 1420 and 1425 in Laxfield. [Ref] He died between 3 May 1504, when he signed his will, and 13 May 1504, when it was proved. [Ref] He married Margaret unknown. [Ref] Margaret died in 1504, when she signed her will, before 4 May, when it was proved at the same time as her husband's. [Ref]

Jeffrey's will mentions his sons Jeffrey, Master John and Simon and his daughters Joan and Maryon. [Ref] Margaret's will mentions son Master John and his brother Jeffrey. [Ref]

Children of Jeffrey Fiske and Margaret Unknown

1. Jeffrey Fiske was born about 1460. He died after 1536.
2. Master John Fiske was born about 1465. [Ref] He died after 1505, when he supervised his brother Simon's will. [Ref] John was a priest. [Ref]
3. Simon Fiske died after 25 Jun 1505 when he wrote his will. [Ref] He was of Friston, Suffolk. [Ref]
4. Joan (Johane) Fiske was born abut 1467. [Ref] She died after 1504, when she was mentioned in her father's will. [Ref]
5. Maryon Fiske was born about 1469. [Ref] She died after 1504, when she was mentioned in her father's will. [Ref] She possibly married Thomas Thrower. [Ref]
6. Margaret Fiske was born about 1472. [Ref] She probably married Geoffrey Crispe, wheelwright, although her father mentions a Margaret Kempe in his will. [Ref]

Fifth Generation

JEFFREY FISKE (abt. 1460 - 1536)

Parents: Jeffrey Fiske and Margaret Unknown [Ref]

Jeffrey Fiske was born about 1460. [Ref] He died after 1536. [Ref]

Jeffrey was of Laxfield and or Stradbroke. [Ref] He is mentioned in his parents' wills. [Ref]

Children of Jeffrey Fiske:

1. John Fiske [Ref]
2. Richard Fiske was probably born about 1493.

Sixth Generation

RICHARD FISKE (prob. b. abt 1493) of Laxfield

Parents: Jeffrey Fiske [Ref]

Richard Fiske was probably born about 1493. [Ref] He was of Broadgates, Laxfield. [Ref]

Children Richard Fiske:

1. John Fiske of Tittleshall or Tivitshall, co. Norfolk [Ref]
2. George Fiske was born about 1516. [Ref]
3. Nicholas Fiske was born about 1517. [Ref] He died between 20 Aug 1569, when he signed his will, and 28 Sep 1569, when it was proved. [Ref] He married, probably second, Johane, the daughter of William Crispe of Laxfield. [Ref]
   Nicholas was of Laxfield and Dennington.
4. Geoffrey (Jeffery) Fiske was born about 1519. [Ref] He was buried on 29 Apr 1591 in Laxfield. [Ref]
   Geoffrey was a "cowper" of Laxfield. [Ref]
5. Robert Fiske was born about 1521. He died between 10 Apr 1590 and 28 Jul 1602. He married first Sibilla (Gold) Barbor. He married second Joan Unknown.
6. Jeremie Fiske was born about 1523. [Ref]
7. William Fiske was born about 1525. [Ref] He died between 2 Jan 1578/9, when he signed his will, and 30 Jan 1578/9, when it was proved. [Ref]
   William was a wheelwright of St. Michaels South Elmham. [Ref] According to the Candler manuscript, "he fled for religion in the days of Q Mary". [Ref]
8. Richard Fiske was born about 1527. He died between 7 Sep 1572, when he signed his will, and 5 Nov 1572, when it was proved. [Ref] He married Agnes, the daughter of Edmund Crispe. [Ref] She was buried on 16 Jan 1597/8 in Laxfield. [Ref]
   Richard was a "sevemaker". [Ref]

Seventh Generation

ROBERT FISKE (abt 1521 - 1590/1602) of Fressingfield and St. James South Elmham

Parents: Richard Fiske [Ref]

Robert Fiske was born about 1521. [Ref] He died between 10 Apr 1590, when he signed his will, and 28 Jul 1602, when it was proved. [Ref] He married first Sibilla (Gold) Barbor. [Ref] He married second Joan Unknown. [Ref] She was buried on 3 Aug 1587 in St. James South Elmham. [Ref]

Robert was a wheelwright. [Ref] He was of Fressingfield. [Ref] He moved to St. James South Elmham. [Ref] The Candler manuscript says that he "fled for religion in Q. Maries dayes". [Ref]

According to the Candler manuscript, Sibilla had two brothers and a son, Nicholas Barber. [Ref] . She "was in great danger in Q. Maries time". Her sister Isabella (Gold) Phillips "was taken and imprisoned in the castle at Norwich for her religion in Q. Maries" time. [Ref]

Children:

1. William Fiske died between 25 Nov 1616/7, when he signed his will, and 17 May 1620, when it was proved. [Ref] He married first Anna, the daughter of Walter Austye of Tibbenham, co. Norfolk. [Ref] Anna was buried on 13 Feb 1600/1 in St. James South Elmham. [Ref] He married second Alice Unknown. [Ref]
   The Candler manuscript says that he "fled with his father in Q. Maries days." [Ref] He was a churchwarden of St. James in 1601. [Ref]
   some descendants of William Fiske
   
2. Geoffrey Fiske was probably born about 1552. He died between 11 May and 23 Jul 1629. He married Mary Cooke.
3. Richard Fiske was baptised on 16 Jul 1554 in Fressingfield. [Ref] He died young. [Ref]
4. Eleazer Fiske was baptised on 31 May 1556 in Fressingfield. [Ref] He died between 3 Jun 1613, when he signed his will, and 4 Jul 1615, when it was proved. [Ref] He married Elizabeth Unknown. [Ref]
   Eleazer was a wheelwright of Metcalf, co. Suffolk. [Ref]
   
5. Elizabeth Fiske married Robert Barnard of Custrich Hall in Warley, co. Essex. [Ref]
6. Thomas Fiske [Ref]

Eighth Generation

GEOFFREY FISKE (prob. abt. 1552 - 1629) of St. James South Elmham

Parents: Robert Fiske and Sibilla Gold [Ref]

Geoffrey (Jeffery) Fiske was probably born about 1552. [Ref] He died between 11 May 1629, when he signed his will, and 23 Jul 1629, when it was proved. [Ref] He married Mary Cooke. [Ref] She was buried on 16 May 1614 in St. James South Elmham. [Ref]

Geoffrey was a yeoman of St. James South Elmham. [Ref]

Geoffrey was an executor of his father's will. [Ref]

Children of Geoffrey Fiske and Mary Cooke:

1. Samuel Fiske of Weybread, co. Suffolk, was the eldest son. [Ref] He was living on 11 May 1629. [Ref]
2. Nathaniel Fiske was buried on 13 Sep 1601 in St. James South Elmham. [Ref]
3. Mary Fiske married first Unknown Brame. [Ref] She married second John More of Wissett, co. Suffolk. [Ref]
4. Nathan Fiske was probably born about 1592. He died on 21 Jun 1676, probably at Watertown. He married Susanna Unknown
5. Clara Fiske was baptised on 10 Mar 1593 in St. James. [Ref] She probably died young. [Ref]
6. Lydia Fiske [Ref]
7. Anne Fiske was baptised in Oct 1596 in St. James South Elmham. [Ref] She married William Bird of Kirsey, co. Suffolk. [Ref]
8. Elizabeth Fiske was baptised on 22 Apr 1599 in St. James South Elmham. [Ref] She married Unknown Pygott. [Ref]
9. David Fiske died between 10 Sep 1660, when he signed his will and 22 Jan 1661/2, when it was proved. [Ref] He married Sarah Smythe, the daughter of Edmund Smythe of Wrentham, co. Suffolk. [Ref]
   He was of Wesley, co. Essex. [Ref] He was of Watertown as early as 1636. [Ref]
10. Martha Fiske was baptised on 9 Sep 1602 in St. James South Elmham. [Ref] She died on 6 May 1684 in Watertown. [Ref] She married Martin Underwood. [Ref] Martin was born in 1596. [Ref] He died on 7 Nov 1672 in Watertown. [Ref]
    In Apr 1634, Martin, age 38, and Martha, age 31, went to New England on the Elizabeth.

Ninth Generation

NATHAN FISKE (prob. abt 1592 - 1676)

Parents: Geoffrey Fiske and Mary Cooke [Ref]

Nathan Fiske was probably born about 1592. [Ref] He died on 21 Jun 1676, probably at Watertown. [Ref] He married Susanna Unknown, probably in England. [Ref]

Nathan was admitted freeman on 10 May 1643. [Ref] He bought land in Watertown on 10 Sep 1643. [Ref] He was a selectman in Watertown in 1676. [Ref]

His sister Martha Underwood, who lived with him at Watertown after her husband died, testified that he was "very crazy in his memory" before he died. [Ref]

Nathan signed his will on 19 Jun 1676; it was proved on 10 Jul 1676. [Ref] He names his sons Nathan, John, David and Nathaniel and his daughter Sarah Gale. [Ref]

Children of Nathan Fiske and Susanna Brown:

1. Nathan Fiske was born on 17 Oct 1642 in Watertown. [Ref]
2. John Fiske was born on 25 Aug 1647 in Watertown. [Ref]
3. David Fiske was born on 29 Apr 1650 in Watertown. [Ref]
4. Nathaniel Fiske ws born on 12 Jul 1653 in Watertown. [Ref]
5. Sarah Fiske was born about 1656. She died on 14 May 1728. She married Abraham Gale.

Tenth Generation

SARAH FISKE (abt 1656 - 1728)

Parents: Nathan Fiske and Susanna Unknown [Ref]

Sarah Fiske was born about 1656. She died on 14 May 1728, age 72. [Ref] She married Abraham Gale on 3 Sep 1673. [Ref]

References

Fiske, Hugh, Fiske Family Papers: 1000 years of Fisks and Fiskes in Britain, www.fiskes.co.uk.

Gale, George, "Gale Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 18, 1864, 189-197.

Moriarty, G. Andrews, "The Fiske Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 87, 1933, 367-374; 88, 1934, 142-146, 265-273.

Paige, Lucius, R., "List of Freemen, " New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 3 1849, 89-; 348-9.

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