Thomas Williscroft was the oldest known son of John & Margery christened on the 22 Jan 1601/2 at St Michael's, Stone. On 27 August 1638 he married Anne Till the daughter of Thomas at the parish church in Stone. The couple lived in Aston by Stone but do not appear to have had surviving children. Thomas is listed on the 1640 Muster Rolls for Walton and Barlastone, Staffordshire as one of the 'trayned bond' (SRS XV 1894 p210). He wrote his will on the 10 March 1659. From a later document I think he died on the 16 March. His will was proved in London on the 20 June 1659.

Thomas' will was one of those gem's of genealogical information that enabled me to piece together odd bits of information. His wife was the main beneficiary and executrix of the will. He left his home in Aston and land in Eccleshall to Ann with the fee farm rent of 20s from his property in Podmore. On Ann's death this was to pass to his brother John but for lack of heirs the land was to pass to his brother James and his son John.

St Michael’s Church, Stone, Staffordshire.
The present church dates from 1758.

He also mentions the five children of John Botham and two children of John Bennet, these I later found were his nieces and nephew's. He also mentions John and Ann the children of James Wollascroft who was living at Coton near Milwich in 1665. James was made overseer of the will which was witnessed by John Bevington and John Till.

Thomas' sister Elizabeth married John Bennitt at Eccleshall in 1639 and his sister Ellena had married John Botham in 1636 at Stone. I assume that his other sisters had died by 1659 and not had issue as they are not mentioned.

His brother John most likely married Margaret Pole at Stone in 1628. On 31 December 1630 he was described as a husbandman leasing a cottage in Aston by Stone from the Hevingham family. I think that John was the John who was buried at Baswich in Staffordshire on 21 April 1664. His wife Margaret died in 1655 and was buried at Sandon, Staffordshire on 4 December. 

John does not appear to have had any surviving children and had passed away prior to Ann’s death. After the death of Thomas' wife, Ann, the property mentioned in his will passed to his nephew John, the son of James of Milwich, Staffordshire. Ann died Intestate in September 1683 and was buried at Stone on 29 March. An Inventory of her estate was taken on 26 September 1683 by Richard Younage, Jonathan Astbury, George Senton & Siemon Wright. It was valued at £3 16s 7d. Administration of her estate was granted to her brother William Tyll, yeoman, of Stowe two days later.

Coton, just outside Milwich, Staffordshire in 2013 where James Wollascroft was living on the Hearth Tax Returns of 1665. In 1665 there were 18 households in Coton. This isn’t so today.

Thomas' brother James married Joanne Wright, the daughter of Thomas & Margaret, on 4 November 1640 at Milwich, Staffordshire. The couple lived in Coton just outside Milwich, Staffordshire according to the Hearth Tax returns of 1665. They are known to have had five children christened at the parish church in Milwich. John b.1648, Margreta 1642-1654, Alicia 1644-1655, Anna 1647-1650 and Ann b.1652. Joanna died soon after the birth of Ann and was buried at Milwich on 2 April. James was buried on 23 January 1676 at Milwich. He didn't leave a will and the estate including the land at Podmore passed to his son John.

Jill Dixon
Member 1278
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~williscroftonename/index.html