Our Frost Family History

He was a clothier as we can infer from his will. On 29 January 1558/9 at Glemsford, he married Ann Scott. She was the daughter of Richard Scott of Glemsford, also a clothier. Sometime after the birth of their last child, they moved to Hartest, the next village. There, on 30 July 1588, Anne, wife of John Frost, was buried. John Frost remarried, for when he died, he left a widow named Ellen. He died and was buried at Hartest 6 February 1609/10. His will, apparently a nuncupative one, was dated the same day he was buried, so we can assume he also died that day. An abstract of his will follows.

"6 February 1609/10 - the will of John Frost of Hartest, Senior.

To Ellin my wife all household stuff and £10 out of two broad cloths now at the weavers whereof one cloth is in the custody of John Cawston of Stanstead, weaver, and the other cloth is now in the custody of one Permefy of Hartest, weaver.

To my son John Frost one russett broad cloth & one dozen & a half of twill now lying at the house of Thomas Hardy, shearman, in Glemsford.

To Alice my daughter the wife of John Hayward £8 which is now in the hands of my son Edward Frost of Stanstead.

To Elizabeth my daughter the wife of William Pratt 50s out of the £3 which Ambrose Graygoose owes me.

To Francis my son 50s. of which 10s is in the hands of the said Ambrose Graygoose and 40s in the hands of Bartholomew Woolward. Residue as follows: 50s to Elizabeth my daughter the wife of said William Pratt, rest to Ellin my wife, John Frost my son, Alice my daughter, the wife of John Hayward, to he divided equally among them. Son Edward Frost executor.

Memorandum that the testator did give 20s to the children of William Boram who was the son of William Boram late of Glemsford & 6s 8d unto D. Andrews his now man servant. Witnesses: Robert Galt, Rychard Holwell,Thomas Cronshaye."

Children, baptized in Glemsford:

[i] JOHN, prop. b before April 1564; living in 1610.

[ii] EDWARD, bapt. 13 March 1560/61, "son of John"; m 26 Sept. 1585 at Glemsford, Thomasine Belgrave, dau. of John & Joan (Strutt) Belgrave; 8 ch.; he was buried 3 Aug. 1616.

[iii] ERASMUS, bapt. 10 June 1564, "son of Thomas & Anne Frost", but this may be a mistake as there is no other record of a Thomas Frost at that time; if so, Erasmus died before 1610 as he was not named in John's will.

[iv] HENRY, bapt. 27 March 1568, "son of John Frost junior''; apparently d.y.

[v] ELIZABETH, bapt. 8 Oct. 1570, "dau. of John Frost junior"; buried 21 Sept, 1579. "dau. of John & Ann".

[vi] ANNE, bapt. 7 June 1572, "dau. of John Frost junior"; apparently d.y.

[vii] AMBROSE, bapt. 6 March 1574/5,"son of John Frost junior & Ann"; m 17 Nov. 1601 at Glemsford, Margaret Hayward; he was buried 1 May 1604.

[viii] ALICE, bapt. 13 Oct. 1577, "dau. of John Frost junior"; m 30 July 1696 at Glemsford, John Hayward.

[ix] FRANCIS, bapt. 6 Nov. 1580, "son of John Frost junior"; living 1610.

[x] ELIZABETH, bapt. 24 Jan. 1584/5, "dau. of John Frost"; m 10 Nov. 1607 at Stanstead, William Pratt; ch: Ann bapt. 1 May 1608, Elizabeth bapt. 7 Jan. 1609/10 - d.y., William bapt. 18 March 1610/11.

A list of the leading clothiers of Glemsford in this period (1558 - 1640) were John Howe, John Gueret, John Frost, Thomas Fyrman, John Allen, William Abbitts, John Biggs, George Howe, Ambrose Brage and Abraham Kenington. They were makers of Suffolk Broadcloth and there was a cloth known as "Gleynforth" which took its name from Glemsford.

John Frost is the next ancestor in our lineage.