The Waters' Family History
Introduction
The Waters family were a wealthy family from King's Lynn, Norfolk, who also owned a substantial amount of property in Swaffham Prior. Their first record in the parish is in a 1491 terrier for Shadworth Manor where Richard Water is mentioned. He died in 1515 and a brass commemorating his death still hangs in St Mary's Church. Richard's will details his property holdings in Kings Lynn and Swaffham Prior. Richard's eldest son William died soon after him in 1521. He too has a brass in St Mary's Church.
During the sixteenth century the Waters split their time between Swaffham Prior and King's Lynn. Some letters held in the British Library indicate that their money may have come from selling the King's navy with supplies. As the trade in King's Lynn grew, so the family spent less and less time in Swaffham Prior. The big break came with the death of Thomas Waters in 1564. While Thomas' elder sons got the big houses in King's Lynn, his younger son William was given the Swaffham prior property. William moved to Swaffham Prior permanently, founding the Waters dynasty there. The Waters remained in the parish as gentleman farmers until the nineteenth century when, like many Swaffham Prior farmers, they sold up and moved off to Australia. At least one branch of the Waters are still extant in Australia.
Wills Relating to the Waters Family
Rychard Water, 1515, Public Records Office (PRO)
William Water, 1521, PRO
William Waters, 1551, PRO
John Waters, 1546, PRO
Thomas Waters, 1564, PRO
Edward Waters, 1572, PRO
William Waters, 1590, PRO [Transcript courtesy of John Waters]
Richard Waters, 1617, Cambridgeshire County Record Office (CCRO)
Ann Waters (nee Tothyll), 1618 (CCRO)