The Wealthy Flory Family of Suffolk, part 2

The Wealthy Flory Family of Suffolk The monumental inscription for the family in Tattingstone records Thomas and his two wives, Elizabeth who died in 1777 and his wife of 25 years, Elizabeth Garrod who died in 1835. It also records his mother who died in 1799. Thomas had two children from his first marriage. It becomes apparent from reading the Will of his mother and his will that he had a son Thomas. There is no record of where he is living, nor is there a baptism entry in the Tattingstone Parish registers. There is an entry for Elizabeth’s baptism in 1777. The marriage bond records that Thomas married Elizabeth Southgate in Bacton in 1774. Upon looking at those records I find a Thomas Flora baptized 6 Dec 1774. This is the second time I have come across the Flura, Flora, variant spelling of the surname.

We find a Thomas and Ann Maria Flory having 3 children in Martlesham; Thomas Smith, Ann Maria, and Robert. Then there is, Thomas Flory, a wealthy farmer living in Witnesham with numerous children. The monumental inscription in Witnesham has Thomas Smith Flory, and Robert Flory recorded on it. This tells us that the children in Martlesham and Witnesham are part of the same family. He died in 1835 and left a will that notes some key relationships. His estate was valued at 3000 pounds.
It is the Wills of both Thomas Flory of Tattingstone who died in 1812 and Thomas who died in 1835 in Witnesham that link them together. Thomas of Tattingstone leaves 100 pounds for his daughter Elizabeth Davey. The Thomas of Witnesham leaves money to his sister, Elizabeth Davey, a widow. Without that common relationship between the two wills it would only be a calculated guess. Without the wills we only have his age and the name Thomas mentioned in the wills. There is no mention of Tattingstone or where the Thomas of Witnesham was born.
Interestingly enough we find the marriage of Elizabeth Flory to Richard Davey in Bacton in 1795. No Wills can be found for Richard or Elizabeth Davey.
If you want to read the will of Thomas who died in 1835 it is online. It was probated in the Consistory Court of Norwich. (select Probate - type in Flory in the search box) It is 22 pages.

The Wealthy Flory Family of Suffolk

I recently added a new line branching off of  Richard Flory and Mary Gildersleeve. Thomas their youngest son born in 1724 had remained a mystery like many of these early ancestors. Come to find out Thomas’s line could be considered the millionaires of the Flory line. Richard never mentioned Thomas in his will of 1756, nor did any of the other siblings in their wills. There appears to be no marriage record of his marriage to Mary Broom other than a marriage bond found in the Archdeaconry of Suffolk’s records. It says, “Thomas Flura in the parish of Clopton, age 22 “ also “Mary Broom of the parish of Debach.” The marriage was to take place in Saxmundham some ten miles east of from Clopton in 1749. No record of the marriage can be found in Saxmundham.
Fast forward to the Thomas Flory found in Tattingstone who was a wealthy land owner with many children who was born about 1752. When he died in 1812 he had nearly a 1000 pounds in wealth. There was also another Thomas Flory in Tattingstone that died in 1810 and he left no will. Then we have, Thomas’s mother, Mary Flory who died in 1799 who left a will. Her will was made in 1795 and probated in 1802 in London at the Preprogative Court. She mentions her son Thomas and grandson Thomas and daughter Mary Emmerson. Also her daughter Elizabeth Smith the wife of John Smith of Tattingstone.
There was no way to connect Thomas Flura of Clopton and married in Saxmundham in 1749 to a Thomas Flory in Tattingstone as there are numerous Thomas’s in the records. I decided to check the Broom will’s. I found a will for a Henry Broom in 1780 in Debach. It said, “I give and bequeath unto Mary Flory of Tattingstone.... widow the sum of eighty two pounds.” That one sentence ties the marriage of Thomas Flory and Mary Broom to the wealthy farmer in Tattingstone. Henry Broom was a wealthy farmer in Debach. (check out Henry Broom’s will) As Mary was a widow in 1780 I find the burial of Thomas Flory in Hemingstone in 1770 where his daughter, Mary, married James Emmerson in 1772. It appears that Henry Broom set up his grandchild, Thomas, in the farming business after his father died.
From this point on we find that there is a lot of wealth in the next generations of this family, but it does appear that the Surname Flory was not carried on into the twentieth century through this line.