Robert Littlepage 2 was born in 1644 near Aston Rowant, England to parents Robert Littlepage 1 (1610-1672) and Anne Bennett (d 1676).
Robert was baptised incorrectly under Page, not Littlepage on 12 February 1644 in Aston Rowant.
Robert was a maltster of Kingston Blount.
The maltster selected cereals, mainly barley, from the growing fields, most likely his own, for malting. The barley could also be grown on a brewers premises.
The maltster would then modify the barley, using nature as part of the process,to allow the brewmaster to be able to make beer from it.
Robert married Ann Grevet around 1675. Ann was born in Heston, Middlesex (according to her will), the daughter of Richard Grevet, and granddaughter of William Grevet (according to the bequests in husband Robert Littlepage’s will to his father in law, and wife’s grandfather).
They had at least two surviving children –
- Robert b 1676 & d 1725 Kingston Blount, marr Martha Smith, 9 children.
- William b 1678 Kingston Blount
Kingston Blount, Oxfordshire
Robert Littlepage’s will was written on 23 December 1679 while he was ‘sick in body’ and aged only 29 years, and included the following bequests –
- £5 to the poor of Kingston Blount
- £20 to my eldest son Robert Littlepage
- £500 to my son William Littlepage
- 5s each to my five godchildren
- If my wife Anne is pregnant at the time of my decease I give all my woods and woodgrounds called Prior Hill and Crooks Coppice, with all my hedgerows and waste etc in Kingston Blount, to the child, whether male or female, and its heirs forever, But if my son Robert or his heirs etc will pay £200 to the child at age 21, that legacy is to be void.
- so my wife Anne can pay my debts and legacies more easily, I give her all my lands, tenements, tithes, woods, woodgrounds and other hereditaments, to enjoy them with all their profits until my son Robert reaches 21.
- I give all the rest of my estate, goods, household stuff, catells and chattels to my dear and loving wife Anne,
- I appoint my grandfather William Gravet, my father-in-law Richard Gravet and my loving friend Richard Chitch of Kingston as overseers, and give them 2s 6d each for their pains.
The witnesses were Thomas Thones, Robeart Witney, Anne Gravet and William Goldfinch, and his wife Anne was the sole executrix.
His inventory includes wearing apparel, money, furniture, linen, pewter, cellar and milkhouse, brewing vessels, 3 acres of wheat, 1 parcel of peas, a malthouse, malt and barley and all implements, a horse, a cow and three pigs, hay, wood and poultry. The total value was 111 pounds.
St Peter and St Paul, Aston Rowant
Robert died the following year in February 1680 (wrongly indexed under baptisms) in Kingston Blount and was buried in Aston Rowant on 6 February 1680.
His will was probated on 12 May 1680.
Robert’s wife Ann Littlepage made her own will the following year on 29 August 1681 being ‘sick and weak of body’.
She mentions her deceased husband Robert, and her father Richard Grevett, and son Robert Littlepage. Crucially she also mentions her birthplace of Heston, Middlesex! Her bequests were as follows –
- the lease of my parsonage, messuage, arable lands, meadow, pasture and wood ground in Aston Rowant, with all their rights etc, whoever occupies them and however many acres are included, to my dear father Richard Grevett
- all my goods, chattels, rings, plate, household stuff and personal estate to my son Robert
- £5 to be equally divided between the parishes of MDX Heston (where I was born) and Aston (where I now live), to be disposed to several poor people in those parishes
She doesn’t mention her son William, so perhaps he had died? Ann made her ‘dear and loving father’ Richard Grevett sole executor, and the witnesses were William Blewett and John Johnson.
Ann died in January 1683 in Aston Rowant, and was buried on 12 January 1683 at Aston Rowant. The burial is wrongly indexed under baptisms (they are all mixed up together).
