In November 1558, "Good Queen Bess" came to the throne and soon after this the Anglican parish registers were started. In fact, the Boxford registers contain entries from 1557 with lists of Christenings, Marryings and Buryings for each year. This register contains entries for the LUFFKYN family, who may or may not be related and whose details have not been collected. The first entry concerning Simon’s family appeared in 1562 when “Elizabeth Lafflynd, daughter of Symon” married William Coe, son of John.

Since his first marriage and the baptisms of his older children occurred before 1560, when the surviving parish registers started, much of the information has been deduced from his will (probated on 10th October 1597). This mentions sons Jasper, Thomas and Richard and daughters Mary, Elizabeth Coe and Katherine Reeve, as well as a grandson Christopher (son of Richard) and some other un-named grandchildren. Marriage records have survived for some of his children and birth dates have been estimated by assuming they were about 20 years old when they married and that they were born before 1560.

This reconstruction assumed that the eldest child was Elizabeth Lafflynd, born around 1542, who married William Coe in 1562. She was still alive in April 1596 when her father made his will and he left her twenty shillings.

The next child was assumed to be Richard Laughlin whose son Christopher was also mentioned in the will. No records of his marriage or of the baptisms of his children have survived. This may imply that he was living in a parish whose registers have not survived - for example Edwardstone where the registers before 1645 were lost.

The next child may have been Alice Laughlinge who married William Grymwade in Boxford in January 1569/70 and so was probably born around 1550. She was not mentioned in Simon's will.

Then came Jasper Laughline who married Agnes Coe in September 1571 and was probably born around 1551. Seven of their sons were baptised in Boxford over the next twenty three years and Agnes was buried in Boxford in 1597. Jasper was mentioned in the will and his children would have been included among the un-named grandchildren.

Katherine Laughline married George Reve in Boxford in June 1573 and so would have been born around 1553.

The next son was Thomas Laughlinewho moved to Rattlesden where he married Elizabeth Waller. Thomas was mentioned in Simon's will.

Then there was Mary Laughline, who was unmarried in 1596 when the will was written. A date of around 1558 has been suggested for her birth, making her 38 when the will was written. This is consistent with the fact that the will makes no provision for her being under 21 as it does for her younger sister Bridget who was only 17 in 1596.

The youngest of this family was John Laughlinge who was baptised on 4th August 1560 and buried on 24th September 1630, at the age of 70. He was not mentioned in Symon’s will, but presumably lived in Boxford throughout his life. He was probably married twice and two daughters were baptised in Boxford.

In November 1574, "Rose wife of Symond Laughlinge" was buried in Boxford. On this reconstruction, Simon's daughter Mary was unmarried and presumably still at home and about 16 years old. She would have been able to run the household for Simon for the next four years or so.

Then on 14th August 1578, the Orford parish registers showed the marriage of Simon Lafflyn, a widower from Boxford, and Margaret Loone, a widow. She was probably the Margaret Sawer who married John Lone in Orford on 23 September 1567. They had one son, John, who was baptised on 16th september 1571. John was buried on 14th December 1576 when his son John was only 5 years old. Then two years later, Margaret married Symon Laflin and went to live in Boxford - she probably took her son (now 7 years old) with her.

Simon and his new wife returned to Boxford and three more children were baptised there over the next ten years. These were:-
Bridget Laughlyn baptised in Boxford in July 1579. She was only 17 when Simon wrote his will and so he made provision for her to receive her inheritance when she reached the age of 21 or when she married, which ever was the sooner. In fact she married John Piper alias Waynefleet in August 1601 when she was 22. One of the witnesses of her mother's will, written in August1613, was a John Pyper who was probably Bridget's husband.

Peter Laughlyn was baptised in Boxford in February 1584/5. Simon's will had left his wife a life interest in two messuages in Boxford with all their appurtenances and said that Peter should inherit them after her death. No records have been found for Peter's marriage or burial.

The youngest son was Simon Laughlyn who was baptised in Boxford in August 1590. He was left five shillings and a feather bed in his father's will, to be given to him when he reached the age of 21 (in 1611). His mother's will (written in 1613 when he was 23) left a few specified items (including a feather bed) to his elder brother Peter and everything else to Simon. He left Boxford and married Mary Wilkins some time in 1627 - the place was either Long Melford or Bury St Edmunds.

Simon was buried in Boxford on 6th December 1596 and his will was proved in 1597. It mentions nine of his children, described above. On 4th September 1613, “widow Laughlyn”, presumably Margaret, was buried at Boxford and her will was proved on 21st September 1613.

Sources for this section

Suffolk Subsidy Returns -1327, 1524 & 1568.
Boxford Parish Registers - available in Ipswich Record Office.
Orford Parish Registers - available in Ipswich Record Office. Suffolk Wills - Symon Laughlyn written April 1596, probate October 1597.
Suffolk Wills - Margarett Laughline, widow. written August 1613, probate September 1613.

Page maintained by Susan Laflin. Last updated in December 2007.