John 'the elder' Colman, of Little Waldingfield

Biography

John Coleman, the elder, of Little Waldingfield, was the son of Richard Colman and Agnes. He died between 19 December 1505 and 5 March 1505/6 (dates his will was made and proved).

His wife was Katherine Fulsnape, the daughter of Thomas Fulsnape of Hadleigh Suffolk.[1]

She married John Colman of Little Waldingfield about 1477. On 15 May 1477, John Roo challenged their marriage saying that though John Colman of Parva Waldyngfeld and Catherine Fulsnape of Hadley had contracted marriage, that he had also contracted marriage with Catherine and that he should be declared the lawful husband of Catherine. It appears that John Roo initially won his case, but John Colman appealed to the pope who assigned three Bishops to adjudicate the case.[2] John Colman apparently won for the will of Thomas Fulsnape in 1490 named "John Colman and his wife Katheryn my daughter."

Marriage and Children

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Fulsnape-1

Married: John Colman of Little Waldingfield about 1477 when their marriage contract was challenged.[2]

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

1. Thomas Colman. Born say 1478 (presumed first born son as the only grandson named by his grandfather). He was named in the will of his grandfather Thomas Fulsnape in 1490; he was not named in the will of either one of his parents.
2. Edward Colman. Born after 1484 (underage 21 in 1505).
3. William Colman. Born say 1486 (as the second surviving son).
4. Alice Colman. She married John Gurdon by 1505 when her father made his will.
5. Agnes Colman. She was unmarried when her father made his will in 1505. She was not named in the will of her mother.
6. Alice Colman (again). She was unmarried when her father made his will in 1505. She married ______ Raven by 1528 when her mother made her will.
7. Three more sons and four more daughters. The monumental brass found in the church of Little Waldingfield indicates they had a total of six sons and seven daughters. None of these other children are named in the wills of their parents or any other records and so are presumed to have died young.

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Will: of John Coleman the elder of Little Waldingfield.[1]
Dated 19 December 1505; proved 5 March 1505/6.

• Summary:
• To be buried in Little Waldingfield
• To the souls of his father and mother and three of his children
• To wife Katherine, and then to my two sons.
• To son Edward (under age 21)
• To son William tenement which was my brother Richard's in tail male
• To daughter Agnes at marriage
• To daughter Alice at marriage
• To each of my other daughters which are married
• If Agnes, Alice Edward and William die, then "Amongst my other daughters then alive."
• To Robert and Richard Coleman, sons of my brother Richard
• And to their (Robert and Richard) sister Katherine.
• Executors wife Katherine, Thomas Manser, and John Gurdon my son-in-law

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Monumental Brass of John Colman in Little Waldingfield Church.

References

1. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=priestfam... (dead link)
2. WikiTree contributors, "John Colman (-1506)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Colman-705 : accessed 02 January 2025). cites
   1. The will was abstracted in NEHGR 94:236-237 and more fully in NEHGR 175:81-82.
   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)