This will be long winded, so just warning you in advance 
That said, I do really need help, and am incapable of making a decision myself. Well, settle in...I have traced the Lake ancestry, who are direct ancestors of mine, back to the 1500s. This is where it becomes complicated. This story revolves around three brothers, two of which lived at Great Fanton Hall in North Benfleet, Essex. Their names are John, Richard and William Lake, all apparently born around 1530/1540.
Now, my earliest Lake ancestor is one William Lake of Theydon Garnon, Essex. This is where his descended family lived until 1800. I can find no baptism for William, or his son, Richard, for that matter, but given the small scale of the village and the name, two wills of William and Richard strongly suggest father and son with the dates.
Background filled in, here's the main problem. This family, John, Richard and William and some other apparent siblings, have been well documented all over the world. They appear to have originated from Lincolnshire which may account for the lack of records in Essex. The problem lies in establishing a link between my William and the mysterious William of this family. Here are the facts that I think point strongly towards my William being him:
The dates - my William died in 1591. The aforementioned Richard and John died in the mid and then late 1590s also. This would suggest they are siblings to me.
The wealth - my William in his will left three houses, one which was the White House (formerly Grosvenor House) in Hornchuch, which didn't sound cheap. Included in his will are various other bequests of horses and farming stuffs (he was a yeoman) and he was certainly well-to-do. This suggests that he came from this family as they owned Great Fanton Hall and were descended from Lords, Sirs and Earls.
His status - although a yeoman is slightly lower down than his brothers might have been, or you would expect from such a family, it might have been because he was the younger sibling and I have read younger siblings being described as 'inferior family members'. So perhaps he inherited something which accounts for his moderate wealth, but the majority went to his older brothers.
His will - leading on from the former, I noticed that he divides his wealth between his two sons, Thomas and Richard, really rather equally. This may be very contrived, but could this be because perhaps William was on the receiving end on the primogeniture way in which his father's will was made? And that he doesn't want the same for his sons?
Here's what puts me off:
In Richard's will, after my Williams death, he makes a bequest to his 'brother William' However, it is followed by an illegible word which looks like 'widow' in the same sentence it mentions his 'sister Greene' and someone has suggested that the bequest is to his brother William's widow which puts the theory back on track.
If you've made it this far, then well done. Just one more thought - I have found various William Lakes leaving wills in Essex, most are too early or too late. One that is in 1582 and also seems to have a son called Richard still puts me off. This is in Hornchurch, and given that he had land there it worries me that this could be him. However, having viewed the will he doesn't seem very wealthy and is not a yeoman (if memory serves me right). The Richard who I know definitely is directly in my tree is also a yeoman and this is carried on down through the generations.
What I need you opinion on is whether you think there is ample evidence to conclude that he is the William of Richard and John. There are no baptisms as I think it's too early - I have tried. Nor can I find a marriage for William.
So, your opinion?
Ryan
