The Jecks and Jex of North Norfolk
The early Jecks of North Norfolk appear to be the first of the Jecks name to exist in Norfolk and England from about 1350, often in other forms such as Jekkys. They predate the Jecks of South Norfolk who lived within parishes in and around Wymondham from about 1475 or earlier.
The "North Norfolk" region inhabited by the earliest Jecks includes parishes situated in the north of the county, northwest of Norwich. Farthest north is Hunworth (incl. Stody), and stretching south from there are Saxthorpe, Corpusty (incl. Irmingland), Heydon, Wood Dalling, Guestwick, and Reepham with Kerdiston. John and Thomas were common given names among these Jecks.
While the aforementioned family at the places mentioned were almost all "Jecks", later generations mostly converted to the spelling "Jex". These families settled almost exclusively across North Norfolk, including in and around such parishes as: Lynn, Fulmodeston, Buxton, Repps, and just east of Norwich, in Thorpe.
The Earliest Jecks in Norfolk (14th & 15th centuries).
Before many church registers in England commenced between 1538 and 1560, a number of references to the Jecks name can be found, many likely relating to the Jecks family of North Norfolk. The earliest is in 1345 when Robert Jeckes of Stody mortgaged for 13s his land in the same place.
By an intriguing deed written in 1386 John de Fyncham and his wife Catherine grant manumission (freedom) to Peter Jeckes, son of Geoffrey Pers of Hunworth and to Peter’s sons John Jeckes senior and John Jeckes junior, and Peter’s daughter, Johanna. Peter and his family were set free forever from any claims by John de Fyncham and his heirs based on servitude or villeinage against any goods, profits, chattels of Peter, his family and heirs wherever they may be now or in the future. For whatever reason, the same deed of manumission was written a second time, with the only difference being the family name “Jeckes” was omitted in all cases.
In 1401, doubtless the same Peter Jecks appoints an attorney to transact in his land situated at Hunworth and Holt. A year later, another reference to this Peter, almost certainly as a consequence of his death, comes from Blomefields, volume 9 page 401. Peter was certified to hold a quarter of a knight’s fee in the Parish of Hunworth:
“In the 3d of Henry IV (l402) the heirs of Peter Jecks were found to hold the fourth part of a fee of the Lord Mowbray”.
In 1412, Guy, the son of John of Fyncham and his mother Kathryn, confirmed the original deed of manumission for John Jeckes, both senior and junior, the sons of Peter Jeckes, formerly the son of Geoffrey Pers of Hunworth. Only two years later, and probably with the benefit of the confirmation, John Jecks junior of Hunworth was given lands in Hunworth by charter. At about the same time, John Jecks senior, also of Hunworth, was enfeoffed with lands in Hunworth and Stody.
Thomas Jeckes of Hunworth, likely a son or even a grandson of one of the Johns, in 1461, together with John Wolmer of Hunworth, released to Peter Wolmer lands and tenements in Hunworth, Stody and just north, in Letheringsett. Seven years later, Thomas Jeckes of Hunworth enfeoffed another individual with lands in Hunworth. The will of Thomas Jeckys of Hunworth probated in 1474 marks the death of this Thomas. As the supervisor of his will he appoints John Fyncham, probably the son of Guy. In 1475 and 1476 lands in Hunworth are enfeoffed to a John Jeckys, almost certainly Thomas’s son. Another feoffment in 1475 of lands in Hunworth, Stody, and Holt or Letheringsett to Joanna Jeckys, Thomas’s widow, is revoked in 1485 and then enfeoffed again in the same year to three individuals who resided at the same places.
The Jecks of North Norfolk, parallel in time with the Jecks of South Norfolk (16th century).
A leap through time takes us to a relatively modern period with further Jecks references and after many church registers had commenced. While there is no clearly documented connection from the early Jecks to these 16th century Jecks, there are some potential links. Closest in proximity is Thomas Jecks of Saxworth and Corpusty, whose influence seemed to have extended as far as Guestwick, where another Thomas Jecks lived in a similar time period (see below).
Blomefield's Norfolk (volume 6 page 365) refers to Thomas Jecks of Saxworth: The Advowson of the Vicarage of Corpusty came to Sir Christopher Heydon Knt, and later “it was sold by Heydon to Thomas Jecks and John Shackle ...”. Norfolk Archaeology volume 2, page 230, contains a note from a description of lands in Guestwick sold by Sir Christopher Heydon. Sir Christopher II died in 1579 so the sale must have taken place before that date. “The said Knight sold to John Athill of Guestwick 3 acres called Fleshgap, and other lands (specified) to Jeffrey Baniard, Edmund Sherningham, Thomas Jecke, and John Athill of Guestwick”. Again, in volume 6 page 322: Among the Rectors of Irmingland was: “1577 Robert Greene was instituted to the perpetually united Rectory of the Churches of Mannington and Irmingland, and the Vicarage of Corpusty, at the presentation of Sir Christopher Heydon Knt, but in 1589 Mannington was disunited and John Coates and Thomas Jex presented William Olyot to Corpusty and Irmingland”
In July 1581, William Heydon of Beaconsthorpe, son and heir of Sir Christopher Heydon and Ann his wife, executed a 7 year lease to Thomas Dey and John Shackle both of Saxthorpe as well as Thomas Jecks alias Tanner of Saxthorpe, yeoman, with annual rent of £5 12s, of the site of Mykelhall manor with messuages, lands & tenements in Saxthorpe. Thomas Jeckes alias Tanner of Saxthorpe in 1590 gave his quitclaim regarding land in Corpusty to Robert Russell. Two years later Sir William Heydon, knight, of Baconsthorpe, issued his bond to Thomas Gexe, husbandman, for the payment of £5. Thomas Jecks christens 5 children in Saxthorpe between 1579 and 1590. John Shackle died there in 1609. Unfortunately, so far no record of the death/burial or probate of this Thomas Jecks has been found.
On the other hand, early Guestwick parish register entries record the other Thomas Jecks’s marriage to Alice Cuttynge in 1558, which is the second entry at the very beginning of the register. The entry was written as “Thomas Isbelson, alias Jeckes”, while in the years following Thomas and Alice christened their many children simply: “Jecks”. Thomas Jecks, a butcher, died and was buried at Guestwick in April 1595, leaving a detailed will.
The Isbelson connection begins at neighbouring Kerdiston thirty years before Thomas married Alice. By his will in 1528 a John Jeckys of Cardeston (Kerdiston) left his house and lands, presumably in Kerdiston, to Thomas Isbelson, conditioned on Thomas paying the church at Reepham ten marks. The Reepham registers (beginning 1538) record many Jecks and some Isbelson entries. Thomas Isbelson christens five sons in the 1540s, including Thomas Isbelson in 1540 and Richard Isbelson in 1544. An elder two sons seemingly missed registration – John and William – born therefore before 1538. Thomas Isbelson the father died in 1549. In 1560 a William Jecks alias Isbelson is born a son of John Isbelson, and Nicholas Jecks alias Isbelson is born a son of William Isbelson in the same year. John Jeckes also baptizes sons Thomas in 1565 and Edward in 1568 and two daughters who survived. John Jecks died in Kerdiston in October 1577, also leaving a lengthy will. Two of the very few other Isbelson references in this part of Norfolk are found in 1539 and 1541 in the parish register of Heydon.
The Jecks of Reepham with Kerdiston and Whitwell.
Reepham was one of a rare few places to have three churches on the same site, although only two remain standing today. The chapel of St Mary's Kerdiston has long since ceased to exist, abandoned probably by the 14th century, and the parish was annexed to Reepham before Church registers commenced. One of the three, the ancient church of Reepham St. Mary is joined by its choir vestry to the second church, St. Michael's in Whitwell. The third church (All Saints') belonged to Hackford but burned down in 1543 and now only a fragment of the tower wall remains on the left of the path leading towards the market place. Originally, the three churches were built directly against the point where their parish boundaries joined. Reepham church contains the tomb of Sir Roger de Kerdiston, 1337.
This Jecks family eventually lived in all three parishes and with the assistance of probate records, can be traced back to the 15th century. The following details a continuous line of the Jecks family in these parishes.
William Jecks of Reepham (pronounced "Reefum"), (abt 1445 - 1519). William was married to Maude (a form of Matilda), and in his will named his wife as well as his daughter, Marion, who was married to Thomas Style senior. He also named Thomas Jecks and John Jecks, the latter of whom seems to have inherited William's lands.
John Jecks of Kerdiston (formerly "Cardeston"), (abt 1475 - 1528). In his will he mentions Marion and Thomas Style junior, deceased. He leaves his lands to Thomas Isbelson, presumably his son.
Thomas Isbelson of Reepham, (abt 1500 - 1549). An acre of land in Kerdiston, formerly of Marion Style, widow, was transferred by the Wooddalling manor lord to Thomas Isbelson and his daughter Johanna in 1530. Thomas appears to have had eight children, the first four before the registers commenced and the next four appearing among the early baptismal entries in the church register. Thomas's will mentions his mother (without name), still alive, and his wife Alys (Alice), and "Thomas and William my brothers" - without surname, but must be either Jecks or Isbelson. He leaves bequests to sons John, William, Thomas, Richard, Francis, and daughters Johanna and Anne. One son had predeceased him. Thomas's "brother" William is likely the William Jecks who lived at Whitwell and died there in 1597/8, leaving sons, among others, Thomas and Martin, who established families at Horstead. This son Thomas married Alice Pightling and is included, with mention of his kiln, in the History of Horstead.
John Jecks alias Isbelson of Kerdiston (or John Isbelson alias Jecks), (abt 1532 - 1577). He was Thomas's eldest son therefore born before the registers began. Some of his children were baptised as Jecks alias Isbelson and others, the reverse. He was a prominent citizen of the parish, and married Dorothy Baldwin, daughter of a well-known local landlord. John was executor of his father-in-law's estate in 1558. For his own will, John Jecks appointed his brother "Thomas Jecks" as the supervisor; this was the Thomas who married and lived in Guestwick and died there in 1595. John Jecks, by his will, left properties to his sons John, Thomas, William and Edward. Plus legacies to each of three daughters. Eldest son, John, died 1617 in Kerdiston without Jecks heirs. Third son Thomas died in the same parish in 1626 leaving a son, John, who married Cecily Playford and died in 1661 at Hoveton. Youngest son Edward died young leaving three children - one of whom was Robert, whose son William appears to be the father of Thomas, born 1669 in Burgh next Aylsham, in turn the progenitor of a large family in Buxton who adopted the variant spelling, Jex, continued for generations thereafter.
William Jecks of Kerdiston (1560 - 1630). He was the second son of John Jecks alias Isbelson. William travelled to the parish of Heydon to marry his wife, Elizabeth. He also left a will when he died. This mentions all seven of Wiliam's children, and makes his 4th son, Christopher, his executor. Christopher was given William's lands on condition he gave cash legacies to each of his brothers and sisters. Another son of William was Edward, who made his home in Wood Dalling, and had a son, also Edward, who died at the same place in 1669.
Christopher Jecks of Kerdiston (abt 1601 - 1641). His wife, Katherine, was made sole executrix of his will. Christopher left his estate to the surviving five of his seven children, at the time of his death aged between 14 and 3. His third child and eldest son was William, born 1630 in the parish of Hackford with Whitwell.
William Jecks of Kerdiston (1630 - 1709). He and Cecily his wife had seven children, the baptism of, so far, only one has been found. All seven were named in his will. His primary beneficiary was his eldest son, John Jecks of Kerdiston.
This John Jecks of Kerdiston was recorded in the Electoral Register as a resident of Kerdiston in 1714 and again as a resident of the same place for the purposes of his marriage license in 1724.