Alice Gurdon

Children of John Colman and Katherine Fulsnape:
Birth order is uncertain and dates are very rough guesses.

4. Alice (not Anne) Colman. She married John Gurdon by 1505 when her father made his will.

Biography

Alice Colman was the daughter of John Colman of Little Waldingfield and Katherine Fulsnape.[1] She has long been identified and called "Anne" Colman, daughter of John Coleman of Lynes Hall in Suffolk. However, it has recently been shown that Anne is a long standing error and she is in fact Alice Colman.[1] She married John Gurdon and was the mother of at least six children.

The will of her father John Colman named "John Gurdon my son-in-law" as an executor of his will in 1505. The will of her mother Katherine (Fulsnape) Colman named "daughter Alice Gurdon." The will of her brother Edward Colman included Alice's children, namely Mr. Robert Gurdon of Assington, niece Anne Butter, niece Alice Thorpe, and "cousin" Richard Lawrence (husband of sister Katherine).[1]

Marriage and Children

Married: John Gurdon before 19 December 1505 when her father made his will.[1]

Children of John Gurdon and Alice Colman:[1]

1. Robert Gurdon.
2. Anne Gurdon.
3. Anne Gurdon (again).
4. Alice Gurdon.
5. Elizabeth Gurdon.
6. Joan Gurdon.

Death

Died: After 9 January 1537/8.

She was last known living when John Gurdon and Alice were involved in a land transaction on the Wednesday after Epiphany, 29 Henry VII.[2][3]

Common Errors to Avoid

• Given name: She was called by Moriarty "Anne" Coleman, daughter of John Coleman of Lynes Hall in Suffolk. This is incorrect. Moriarty was relying on the will of John Coleman who named John Gurdon as his son-in-law, and on Muskett's Suffolk Manorial Families which indicated that John Gurdon had married Anne, daughter of John Coleman of Lynes Hall. Muskett was relying on even earlier but non-contemporary pedigrees. This was corrected by Robert Battle in 2021 who used the will of her mother to show that her name was in fact Alice.
• Second wife: Given that Moriarty thought the name of the wife of John Gurdon was "Anne" and that later records called her Alice, he supposed that John Gurdon must of had two wives, Anne Colman and Alice Unknown. Since her name has now been shown to be Alice, there is no longer any reason to think John Gurdon had two wives. He should only have one wife, Alice Colman.
• Death date: She was said to have died 1537-1538 by Moriarty. This is incorrect. The date is based on the incorrect conclusion that John Gurdon had two wives and that he had married the second wife Alice by 1538. Since we now know that John Gurdon had only one wife Alice.

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References

1. WikiTree contributors, "Katherine (Fulsnape) Colman (-bef.1532)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Fulsnape-1 : accessed 02 January 2025).
2. Battle, Robert. The Colman and Cutler Ancestry of John¹ Thorndike of Essex County, Massachusetts, with the Colman Ancestry of John¹ Coggeshall, Muriel¹ (Gurdon) Saltonstall, and Jemima¹ (Waldegrave) Pelham, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 2020) Vol. 174, Page 320-321. < AmericanAncestors >. (2021) Vol. 175, Page 79-93. < AmericanAncestors >; (document attached)
3. WikiTree contributors, "Alice (Coleman) Gurdon (abt.1485-1538)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Coleman-5667 : accessed 02 January 2025). cites
   1. NEHGR, vol. 175 (2021): 79-93. "The Colman and Cutler Ancestry...
   2. NEHGR, vol. 93 (1939): page 229. "The Gurdon Family."
   3. Epiphany is celebrated in January 6 and fell on a Sunday in 29 Henry VII (1538).
   4. Moriarty, G. Andrews. "Genealogical Research in England: The Gurdon Family," in New England Historical and Geneaological Register, volume 93 number 3. (July 1939): pages 222-229. AmericanAncestors.org < AmericanAncestors >
   5. Moriarty, G. Andrews. "Genealogical Research in England: The Gurdon Family," in New England Historical and Geneaological Register, volume 94 number 1. (January 1940): pages 74-78. < AmericanAncestors.org >.
   6. Moriarty, G. Andrews. "Genealogical Research in England: The Gurdon Family," in New England Historical and Geneaological Register, volume 95 number 1. (January 1941): pages 69-72. < AmericanAncestors.org >. Note: incorrectly names her as Anne Colman.
   7. Battle, Robert. "The Colman and Cutler Ancestry of John1 Thorndike of Essex County Massachuestts with the Colman Ancestry of John1 Coggeshall, Muriel1 (Gurdon) Saltonstall, and Jemima (Waldegrave) Pelham (continued)," in New England Historical and Geneaological Register, volume 174 number 4. (Fall 2020): pages 315-321.
   8. Battle, Robert. "The Colman and Cutler Ancestry of John1 Thorndike of Essex County Massachuestts with the Colman Ancestry of John1 Coggeshall, Muriel1 (Gurdon) Saltonstall, and Jemima (Waldegrave) Pelham," in New England Historical and Geneaological Register, volume 175 number 1. (Winter 2021): pages 79-93.