Fletcher, Thomas, of Mockerkin in Loweswater (-1658)

A younger son of Lancelot Fletcher (died 1635), Rector of Dean and Lamplugh.

It seems likely that he married into the Mockerkin property (though there is no record of his wife's name) and that this property was reasonably prosperous. When his son died the probate bond was set at £200 (usually double the value of the chattels), and such a valuation would be consistent with the level of legacy that Thomas made in his own will.

He was in the Protestation in Loweswater, where he was listed as Overseer for the Poor.

He had three sons (William, Thomas, Lancelot) and three daughters (Janet, Margaret, and an unknown married to a John Pearson).

The first son, William, inherited the Mockerkin property and was old enough to be in the Protestation. Lancelot was baptised 7-01-1629/30, so was too young to be the Protestation. Thomas may be, in position 132 (right at the end of the list); but, if so, would have been away in Thackwaite (unless pinned to the end as an afterthought). More likely, he was too young to be listed.

[there is a will for a Thomas Fletcher of Thrushbank in 1700 - which I haven't seen]

The named daughters were unmarried in 1658. The other was married to John Pearson and had a child Janet. As there is no mention of her, she may have died by 1658.

The PCC shouldn't be taken in this case as an indication of social or wealth status, as it might be in other periods. The only probate court available in the Commonwealth 1653-1660 was PCC. There was no other choice.

It is worth noting that, although William inherited and worked the farm, his brother Lancelot continued working as a shoemaker in Mockerkin until at least 1671. There's no reason to suppose that Lancelot had any legal share of the property [its value didn't diminish in the next generation] - he may have worked from anywhere in the village, including the Fearon shop of his apprenticeship.