HERE is the latest in our series of features on local history from Sue Yates, chair of Thurrock Local Historical Society

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The Poyntz family were lords of the manor of North Ockendon and the manor house stood next door to St. Mary Magdalene Church, North Ockendon. The church has a chapel dedicated to the Poyntz family by John Poyntz Lord of the Manor of North Ockendon until 1547 when it passed to his wife Anne until her demise in 1558 when John's younger brother Thomas inherited the estate and title.

John and Thomas were the sons of William and Elizabeth Poyntz of North Ockendon. Thomas became famous as he was a friend of William Tyndale.

Until the time of Henry VIII all church services and bibles were in Latin. Tyndale amongst others felt this was wrong and he began to translate the New Testament of the bible into English, which was published in November 1534.

William utilised the works of Desderius Erasmus, a Dutch Scholar as a basis for his bible. This led to him being hunted down by the authorities as it was considered heresy. Not deterred by this after finishing the New Testament he began translating the Old Testament from Hebrew.

In 1517 Thomas Poyntz was a merchant with premises in Ironmonger Lane off Cheapside in London and he could have met William Tyndale there but there is no evidence to support this.

By 1532 Thomas was living in Antwerp and married to Belgian Anna von Calva. He was a merchant in Antwerp as there was a considerable trade between England and Antwerp. Thomas and Anna had four children. Gabriel, Ferdinando, Robert and Susannah.

William Tyndale arrived in Antwerp in the summer of 1534. William had been ordained in 1515 and gained a Masters' degree at Oxford. He believed in the teachings of Martin Luther whose works had been burned at St. Paul's Cross by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1521.

Little did he know that five years later in 1526 his own writings would be burned by Wolsey at St. Paul's Cross. In 1534 he came to Antwerp to revise his English version of the New Testament. It is believed this is where he met Thomas Poyntz. William became a frequent visitor to the Poyntz household dining there and staying overnight on a number of occasions.

All was well until the arrival of a mysterious man, Henry Phillips from Charborough in Dorset. Thomas was suspicious of Henry from the start but William who had befriended Henry said he was 'an honest man, and learned'. William dined with Henry and introduced him to Thomas and brought him to dine at Thomas's house on several occasions.

In 1535 Henry Phillips engineered the arrest of William Tyndale. He waited until Thomas was away at a fair in Bergen. He went to William's house having invited him out to dinner. They walked down the road with Henry, the taller of the two men, at the rear pointing out William to two men who were waiting.

They arrested William and took him to Vilvoorde Castle. William was brought back to England where he was tried and found guilty. Thomas wrote to his brother John for support for William but this was not forthcoming. Thomas even petitioned Henry VIII but all to no avail. This course of action led to Thomas being branded as a heretic too and placed under house arrest in Antwerp.

From here he somehow managed to escape and find his way back to North Ockendon.

His life and his business were now in ruins as he was constantly watched by the King's spies. His wife Anna was left in Antwerp to look after their business affairs and their family. Thomas's brother John was a member of the household of Queen Catherine of Aragon and had been at 'The Field of the Cloth Gold with Henry VIII' and had declined to help Thomas.

William Tyndale was sentenced to death and his execution carried out on 6th October 1536. He has been sentenced to be burned at the stake. This was commuted to being strangled at the stake and his body then being burned.

Two years later Thomas felt vindicated in his support of William when Henry VIII gave his support to Miles Coverdale's English bible which was largely based on William Tyndale's work. None of this however helped Thomas's situation. In 1547 his brother John died but left the estate to his wife Anne only passing to Thomas and his sons if she predeceased them.

All Thomas got in 1547 was a length of black cloth for a gown and hood. In 1558 Anne died and the estate passed to Thomas who became Lord of the Manor of North Ockendon. He was so poor by this time he couldn't afford to live there and died in 1562. He is buried in St. Dunstan's in the West, Fleet Street, London.

Thomas's son Sir Gabriel Poyntz restored the family fortunes twice becoming Lord Lieutenant of Essex under Elizabeth I. The memorial and tomb of Gabriel and his wife survive in St. Mary Magdalene Church today.