During the next 20 years or so his wife gave birth to at least eight children, [2] John , R100 my direct descendant was baptised on the 24 January 1617 at Brettenham  Church. Second baptism involved Anna R132 on the 2 April 1620, next was Judeth R133 on the 7 November 1622.

The remaining five were Sarah R134, Marye R135, Susanna R136, Thomas, R137 and finally Mathew R138 all were baptised between 1625 and 1636. As with John all the baptisms were held at Brettenham  Church, of interest is the baptism of Mathew, in the Parish Register this clearly states that Mathew was Lawrence and Anne's daughter.

It is likely that the children John R100 and Judeth R133 were named after their grandparents.

From research carried out by Malcolm Marjaram [3] it would appear that Lawrence Raynham was residing at Ryece Hall according to the 1636 Glebe Terrier . This would indicate that his youngest children must have been born at the Hall. Ryece Hall is a very ancient farm and was formally part of the Abbey of St Edmund's estate, Lawrence would appear to have leased the farm for nine years, he was named as tenant from 1641 at an annual rent of ?73; today this would be around ?6800.

Ryece Hall farm extended to 200 acres and spread across the villages of Brettenham , Thorpe Morieux and Felsham , during the 17th century it was purchased by Sir George Wenyeve (1627- 1706).

Lawrence was no doubt relatively well off, the Ship Money Returns for 1639 confirms, for Brettenham  he paid 10 shillings and 6 pence, in Thorpe Morieux it was 8 shillings and in Felsham it was 2 shillings. However in 1647 the High Committee for rent arrears summoned him, on the 13 January, the outcome is not known and Lawrence left the farm shortly afterwards. These amounts are worth ?48, ?36 and ?9 respectively today.

This period was very turbulent, the Civil War covered the years 1642- 1646 with the declaration of a Commonwealth for England in 1649. What is known is that Ryece Hall was owned, at this time by Elizabeth Cutler, and was the subject of sequestration, as it was believed that Elizabeth's second husband Mathew Wren [4] was the legal owner. I assume that Mathew Wren was believed to be a Royalist and supported Charles 1, but it was established that he had no interest in Ryece Hall.

Given that Lawrence Raynham's lease expired in 1650 it is difficult to arrive at any conclusions for him leaving, but he does disappear from the scene and no details of his death or a will have been located. However by this time his family was well established within the community.

Of his children nothing is known at present with the exception of John R100 more of him in Chapter 4.

On the next page is an extract of the Raynham Tree  detailing Lawrence's family.