WOODWARD, Thomas (c.1580-1624), of Peascod Street, New Windsor, Berks. and Lincoln’s Inn, London

The Woodwards had lived for at least four generations at Upton, within two miles of Windsor, as Crown servants at the castle. Woodward’s father, clerk of the works since 1579, sat for the borough in 1586. A younger son, Woodward, who should be distinguished from the 7th earl of Shrewsbury’s Nottinghamshire estate manager of the same name,4 For this man, see Cal. of the Shrewsbury Pprs. in LPL ed. E.G.W. Bill (Derbys. Rec. Soc. i), 4, 124, 171; Cal. of the Shrewsbury and Talbot Pprs. in LPL and Coll. of Arms ed. G.R. Batho (Derbys. Rec. Soc. iv), 169, 277, 280, 286. W.R. Prest, Rise of the Barristers, 405, has confused the two men. appears to have begun his education at his local school, Eton College. He subsequently went on to Cambridge and then to Lincoln’s Inn, where he qualified as a barrister, returning to Berkshire in 1613 to take up the recordership of Windsor. He was returned for the borough to the Addled Parliament but, so far as is known, he served on no committees and made no speeches. He did not stand for re-election in 1620.

In 1623 Woodward served as reader of his inn, and paid 22s. to have his arms painted on the great west window of Lincoln’s Inn chapel.5 LI Black Bks. 450. He was re-elected to the last Jacobean Parliament. On 28 Apr. he reported the bill concerning dairy produce even though he had not been named personally to the bill committee, whose membership had been left open. Two days later he was among those instructed to attend a conference with the Lords on the limitations bill and the bill to prevent the use of Exchequer process by private creditors.6 CJ, i. 693b, 695b, 778b. Otherwise he left no trace on the records of this Parliament. During the recess, on 23 Aug., he drew up his will, in which he declared himself to be ‘of good health’. He bequeathed Spital Farm and other property in Windsor, which he leased from Eton College, and also a messuage in Peascod Street ‘where I now dwell’, to his wife, who was to appoint a learned man to preach at his funeral at Upton. He remembered the poor and the vicar of Windsor, but was most generous to the corporation, to which he left 40s. ‘for a drinking’. His confidence in his state of health was evidently misplaced, for his widow proved the will only eight days later. No later member of the family sat in Parliament.7 PROB 11/144, f. 54v.