George Gage (16th-century landowner)

George Gage (born: unknown, died: 1557) was a substantial landowner in Northamptonshire.
Background and family
George Gage’s parents were Henry Gage and his wife Margaret Boyville. He married Cecily Wolston, who was a daughter of William Wolston of Burton Latimer. The couple had the following eight children, who are not necessarily all listed in order of age:
* Henry - married Anne Furtho
* John
* Robert - married Anne Pemberton
* Thomas
* William - married Anne Watts
* Mary - married Robert Sackville
* Elizabeth - married (1) Henry Freeman (2) Thomas Walker
* Allane or Alice - married Oliver Christopherson
Death and will
"George Gage, gent." was living at Raunds and "syke of bodye" when he made his will on 9 June 1557. He asked to be buried in the church there, but the surviving parish register contains no records relating to burials at Raunds earlier than 1583.
The will was proved at the Consistory Court of Peterborough on 15 September 1557. In this document, George mentioned his wife Cecily and all his children other than Thomas.
Property
When George’s parents married in 1505, his father had settled all his property at Raunds, Little Harrowden and Wellingborough on himself and his bride; then to the heirs of their body and in default of such heirs to the right heirs of Henry. It seems likely that George’s mother (who was evidently still living in 1548 when she was mentioned when Henry mentioned her in his will) had died by 1553, as in that year George and his wife Cecily conveyed the manor of Little Harrowden to Anthony Shuckborough, apparently without Margaret being involved.
When he made his own will, George allocated the following bequests of property that he still held:
* To his wife Cecily for life - The Manor place at Raunds and the associated lands along with the adjacent mill house and one house adjoining the churchyard in recompense for her jointure and dower.
* To his wife Cecily for ten years - Property including three messuages and other land, to enable her to pay debts and bring up their children.
* To his son and heir Henry Gage - The lands left to Cecily after the relevant terms expired.
An inquisition post mortem took place at Northampton on 12 October 1557 into the lands that George held direct from the Crown at the time of his death. It determined that these consisted of:
* The manor of Raunds known as Gage’s manor, which had formerly been held by Richard de Rawndes
* One close and free rents of eleven shillings in Wellingborough
* One virgate of land at Hargrave, which had also formerly been held by Richard de Rawndes.

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