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CONEY FAMILY OF BURWASH, SUSSEX

There are numerous documents in the National Archives relating to the above. This is an attempt to set out the family tree from extracts of the documents which have not been read in detail. It also includes information from parish registers online and a specific search at Chedzoy in Somerset. More detailed information has been provided by Sylvia Rowe in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia.

In 1594 SIMON CONEY( born abt 1541 and married 1562) is noted as owning property adjoining Mount House, Burwash. He died in December 1609 and in his will dated 25th February 1608 he left an annuity of Ł6 to his wife ELIZABETH( born abt 1545, died December 1628) and all his land to ?son/grandson MARK CONEY. Believed to have had 5 children - Mary (ch 30/08/1563); Judith christened on same day and married Goddard Gruttenden 1st Dec 1584;Stephen(see below); Mark(see below) and Joyse ch. 12th Dec 1574.

There are also other Coney families in the area at this time - JOHN whose wife Alice was buried at Newhaven 26th Jan 1583 and probably had children Joan bur. 10 Sept 1563, Harry bur. 19th Feb 1573, two Johns bur 17th Feb 1566 and 19th Feb 1573, Pheliss bur 11th Aug 1566 all at Hastings. There is also another JOHN CONYE bur 15th Feb 1559 at Bexhill and wife Margaret Bur 19th Sept 1563 at Hastings. Then there is THOMAS at East Dean bur 28th Nov 1592 who had buried wife Joan 9th jan 1567, wife Joan 7th Mar 1577 and left widow Eleanor bur 14th Jan 1596.

STEPHEN CONEY was son of Simon and was executor to his father's will. Probably born abt 1568 he married ANN MERCER 22nd October 1593. Son SIMON born 1598 and christened 31st December as well as Mark bapt 14th March 1595/6. Also daughters Agnes bapt 15th Sept 1594 and Mercy bapt 16th Feb 1600

MARK CONEY married ELEANOR BYNE( still alive in 1680 as widow). He died in 1648 and in his will dated 6th May he left his estate to his sons JOHN, STEPHEN(possibly buried 30th June 1719 aged 91) and daughters ELIZABETH( wife of THOMAS JARVIS), MARY( wife of WILLIAM BAKER), JUDITH and ANN( wife of ABRAHAM AUSTIN). He also had a son SIMON who married ELIZABETH AVERY of Tonbridge in 1640. They may have had a son MARK. Other children are SUSANNA bapt 25th July 1613 and Ellen ( 1618-1628).

JOHN CONEY the elder of Burwash was also the nephew of JOHN CONEY of Wadhurst. He acquired significant land in Burwash including Mount House, Chillies Mead and Parsonage House as well as Biggs Place , Ticehurst. He died in 1712(buried 19th December) and in his will dated 22 January 1711 he left all his property to his eldest son JOHN with bequests to his wife CATHERINE(buried 14th January 1725) and daughters MARY(buried 17th December 1728/9) and ELIZABETH( died 1757).

JOHN CONEY the younger of Burwash purchased more land and in 1701 married MARY LOVELACE. In his will dated 20th July 1715( he was buried 14th August) mention is made of son JOHN(baptised 12th November 1704 and died abt 1775- probably buried 2nd May), daughters MARY(bap 9th February 1706 and an earlier Mary bap 10th September 1702) and possibly DAMARIS(bap 1st January 1709) who married first Mr SMERSALL and then in 1753 JOHN JEFFERY of Battle. There is also evidence of an earlier son John - bap 28th November and buried 23rd December 1703 and daughter Elizabeth - bap 6th March 1714 and possibly died 1717.

John's brother was REV. THOMAS CONEY DD who married ELIZABETH BICKNELL of Bridgewater( she was buried 1st June 1720). Children were JOHN(born16th June 1704), WILLIAM(born 19th February 1705), THOMAS(born 10th June 1708), JONATHAN(bap 18th December 1715 and had died by 1758 leaving widow SARAH), ANN , MARY and BICKNELL. Also CATHERINE(born 18th September 1709) and ELIZABETH( bap 17th July 1713). He secondly married CATHERINE who died 8th October 1737. He was Rector of Chedzoy in 1698 then canon of Wells from 1716 until his death in 1752. He was also Chaplain to Queen Anne.

BICKNELL CONEY was a druggist in Leadenhall St, London; a director of the Bank of England and Secretary of the Corporation of Sons of the Clergy. We know of two sons - REV. THOMAS CONEY who died at Batcombe Rectory, Somerset in 1840 aged 81 and WILLIAM CONEY curate at Batcombe from 1790 to 1795.

A number of other names are also mentioned including SAMUEL CONEY of Burwash who married MARY ELLIS in 1719. STEPHEN CONEY named as son and heir of Samuel in 1750 and the will of possibly the same Stephen in 1752 naming him as barber and peruke maker. he left his estate to wife MARY and son SAMUEL and daughter MARY(both under 21 at the time). There is later mention of a SAMUEL in 1798 and WALTER JOHN CONEY at both Batcombe and Maidenhead in 1875.

Does anyone have further information regarding these or associated members of the family?