Relationship to: Steve Wakely of NSW Australia - Paternal 16th Century Ancestor

Forenames : WILLIAM

Date of Birth: Early 1500's

Place of Birth : Probably Phillyholme, Hawkchurch, Dorset

Father's Name: William Wakely of Phillyholme

Mother's Name: Daughter (?) of John Rockett

Married (Spouse): Unknown

Date of Death: Possibly before 1553

Issue:

1. Robert Wakely alias Rockett c. 1520

2. Nicholas Wakely alias Rockett (?)

3. Richard Wakely alias Rockett (?)

Siblings:

1. John Wakely alias Rockett

Other information:

This generation marks a name change - from this point, at least up to the 17th century, the name Rockett is used interchangeably with Wakely.

William Rockett or Wakely was joint richest subsidy payer in Phillyholme together with Thomas Balstone, the father-in-law of his son Robert. This was in 1545 and he was assessed on goods valued at twenty pounds. In the muster of 1542 (which included all adult males below the rank of baron) William was also the man charged with finding the most military hardware: armour, a sheaf of twenty four arrows, and a bow. This was not because he was richer than the lord of the manor, but because Hawkchurch was an ecclasiastical manor with no resident squire. William was possibly the bailiff of the manor. His brother John did not have to provide armour but his sons Robert, Nicholas and Richard each had to provide a bow and six arrows valued at some three to four shillings.

Thomas Balstane's will was proved in London in 1553 and the fact that he did not have William (who was a neighbour and connected by marriage) as a witness suggests that William died before him. William, evidently was wealthy, it is odd that there is no record of him making a will.