The Grigsbys Part Three - Tragedy Strikes

John Grigsby married well by all accounts.  Margaret was an heiress and a woman of means.  So he was surely handsome and charming.  And he was no slacker either, having worked for both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, queens of England.

So why on earth would he kill himself?  According to official records, that's exactly what he did.

From the Public Record Office, Chancery Lane, London, there is a document written in Latin.

INQUISITION POST MORTEM
15 June 1550
KENT: INQUISITION indented taken at Ayssshetisford [Ashford] in the county aforesaid the fifth day of the month of June in the fourth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord Edward the Sixth [15 June 1550] by the grace of God of England France and Ireland King defender of the faith and on earth supreme head of the church in England and Ireland.

Before John Toke Esq escheator of the said lord the king in the county aforesaid by virtue of the office of Escheator aforesaid upon the oath of John Taylor of Shadockesherst, Laurence Colman, Nicholas Hawke, Simon Fagg, Thomas Marshall, Robert Gransden, Thomas Hall of Wye, William Igulden, Stephen Affryth, John Ayssherst of Bever, Robert Cavell, and John Smert, good and lawful men of the county aforesaid. Who say upon their oathes that a certain John Grygby of Mersham in the county aforesaid, GENTLEMAN who on the nineteenth day of the month of January in the 3rd year of the reign of the said Lord King [19 January 1550] at Wyllesberough in the county aforesaid, voluntarily and feloniously committed suicide by drowning himself on the said nineteenth day of January possessed as of his proper goods of and in diverse goods and catties and other utensils written below to the value of sixty pounds and more. That is to say, of four quarters of wheat, ten quarters of barley, seven carucates of hay, one horse, two geldings, eight heifers, twelve cows, one bull, twenty and four draught animals  and bullocks, ten calves, nineteen lambs, eight pigs and ten piglets and four beds with their appurtenances. But of what other further cattle or utensils the said John had at the time of his drowning the jurors aforesaid are ignorant. In testimony of which thing to one part of this present inquisition indented remaining in the possession of the aforesaid escheator, the aforesaid jurors have put their seals to the other proper part to the same indented inquisition remaining with the aforesaid John Taylor, first juror, the aforesaid escheator has placed his seal, the day, place and year abovesaid.

Signatures: John Taylor, Robert Gransdyn, Thomas Hall, William Igulden,
various marks — [seals removed] 

All property was confiscated by the Crown if one committed suicide, hence the inventory of his property, valued at 60 pounds or more.  Luckily, Margaret's inheritance was not considered part of his goods, so she was able to live on in comfort for another 10 years or so.  We know that Margaret was buried under the chancel of the church in Loose, which was an honor reserved for important people.  So where was her husband John buried?

More in Part Four!