I found 4 Mountsorrel yomen and a sokeman with name Thurman in 1518, 1534, 1623 and 1658. Wm Thurman was one of just 6 Freeholders in Mountsorrel in 1530 and there were about 68 homes there at that time.
Also a Ralph Thurman, last ancestor I traced of murdered William Thurman.
Ralph Thurman is referred to in History And Antiquities of Leicestershire; in 1671 during a jury meeting of Mountsorrel, Barrow on Soar , Quarndon and Roathlye on checking that town rents, fraudments, misgovernment of lands and messuages, mentions that "one Ralph Thurman, hath not paid his town-rent of eleven fhillings and eight pence per annum, seven years and a half ending the four and twentyeth day of June last amounting in whole to fix pounds, fouteen shillings and two pence;the faid jurors doe further finde that allthe trees of oak, afhe,or elm, ftanding or growing , or hereafter fhall ft and or grow, upon all the faid parcells of land mentioned in the faid fcedule annexed, are, and ought to be, applyed to fome charitable ufes within the faid town of Mountforrel.
5. Ralf Thurman, for one meffuage and backside in Mountforrel aforefaid, in his owne occupation, pays town-rent p annu ~
Later in schedule of 1686 there were 36 people paying town-rent and Ralph is paying way more than any of the others listed.
WHAT WAS TOWN-RENT, WAS THIS WHAT WE NOW CALL COUNCIL TAX OR RATES?
It also mentions that "the faid rent have for several years employed the same part therof, in the firft place, toward the encouragement and better maintaining of the curate refideing within the faid town of Mountforrel".
In 1694 A Ralf Thurman and wife Grace Thurman stood trial in Middlesex on charges to do with money:
Reference: C 7/333/34
Description:
Short title: Tofield v Thurman.
Plaintiffs: Thomas Tofield.
Defendants: Ralph Thurman and Grace Thurman his wife.
Place or subject: money, Middlesex.
Document type: bill and answer
Date: 1694
A Ralph Thurman was buried at Barrow Upon Soar in 1695.
I also found references to a priest from Mountsorrel John Thurman ordained in 1534, another Robert Thurman born 1512 and a Canon at Erdbury in 1531 later rector of Ashby Pava 1556-1582 when he retired a bachelor,
Henry Thurman was rector of the hundred of Sparkenhoe 1560 - 1583.
Was William Thurman of Thurmaston who was murdered and was decended from Ralph Thurman related to my tree?
I think it is likely he was related. Right now I can't connect my tree to Ralph Thurman but the early Thurman records seem to start in the early 1500s and most of the early records show they were freemen, yoman, sokemen and priests (before and after the Reformation of 1537).
I can't prove it but I think we were all probably related back then.
Andy_T
