William Sackett

William Sackett, husbandman, maltster, son of Robert Sackett and Faith Norwood, was born in St John, Margate, Kent, in 1577. He was baptized at St John's Church on 1 January 1577/78.¹ He died at about 63 years of age in Ash next Sandwich in March 1639/40. He was buried at Ash next Sandwich, Kent, on 12 March 1639/40.² He married, probably at St Margaret's Church, Canterbury, Kent in 1599, Joan Parker, having obtained a licence at Canterbury on 21 September 1599.³ She was buried at Ash next Sandwich, Kent, on 18 March 1636/37.⁴ William described himself as a husbandman on the marriage licence. He subsequently became a maltster, having his own malthouses at Ash.
     William Sackett was named as a beneficiary in his father's will made in October 1622 St John in Thanet.⁵ He received £5 from the will as did his brothers Robert and Edward and sister Bennet, while Paul, the youngest brother, received the residue of money, goods and chattels, and was appointed executor of their father's estate.
     William made his will on 27 June 1639 Ash. Named as beneficiaries were his sons William, John, Paul, Jeffery, Robert and Thomas; his daughters Elizabeth, Mary and Joan; and his granddaughters Joan Philpott and Mary Philpott.⁶ In addition to his house and malthouses, the monetary sums left in William's will amounted to some £85, worth perhaps £10,000 in today's terms. But he would appear to have effectively cut son Geoffrey out, leaving him just one shilling. He also expressly excluded Geoffrey from benefiting from an annuity which was the subject of a legal action. It is interesting to conjecture on why he might have done this. Perhaps he had already provided for Geoffrey – Geoffrey had married the previous year. Perhaps he thought Geoffrey incompetent to handle his own finances – although it is later seen that Geoffrey followed in his father's footsteps, pursuing the trade of maltster in Sandwich. It would seem more likely, however, given the derisory bequest, that William and Geoffrey had seriously fallen out and this was the father's death-bed insult to his son.
     It is also noted that when William's son Robert made his will 19 years later in 1658, he referred to an amount of £3 owing to him by his brother Geoffrey, perhaps confirming that Geoffrey had indeed suffered financially after being disinherited. The will was proved on 31 March 1640.⁶
     LAW SUIT TO BE ADDED.