In 1538, Beaulieu went into hands of the Montague family, about five years after death and burial of Thomas Pace, the abbott, with Henry VIII's dissolution of the Monasteries. It's still with the Montague family today, a famous motorcycle and auto museum. I'm on their mailing list. http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/family-fun/Beaulieu/462 Beaulieu's steam power revival: http://www.wave105.com/Article.asp?id=1744243&spid=32354 Dissolution of the Monasteries: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUDmonasteries.htm says: In August 1535, Thomas Cromwell sent a team of officials to find out what was going on in the monasteries. After reading their reports Henry VIII decided to close down 376 monasteries. Monastery land was seized and sold off cheaply to nobles and merchants. They in turn sold some of the lands to smaller farmers. This process meant that a large number of people had good reason to support the monasteries being closed. Thomas Pace of Southampton, Holbury and Beaulieu c. 1500 - 1559 or later Notes from The Waterside Association (no references given) In 1533 the manor of Holbury, east of Beaulieu, and belonging to the Abbey, was leased to the Pace family. Thomas Pace of Southampton (there were Paces living in the Bitterne area of the town around 1500) may have been a nephew of Thomas Skevington, Abbot of Beaulieu and Bishop of Bangor. http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/tourist-attractions/Cathedrals_and_Minsters/Wales7655.htm He was known in the Waterside area, having become Keeper of the Abbey’s Deer Park in 1521 and he became sole lessee of Holbury in 1537. After receiving legal training, he acted as an intermediary between Cardinal Wolsey and the Bishop of Bangor re: a Richard Pace, possibly another member of the family. Richard was a leading scholar used by Henry VIII in diplomatic missions, but had unfortunately become mentally ill and put in the Bishop’s care by Wolsey. Thomas Pace leased the manor of Cadland [S/E of Holbury and Beaulieu] in 1546, which was sold to his daughter Alice, wife of George Powlett, after the death of the owner, the 1st Earl of Southampton in 1550 (he also owned Beaulieu). He became a burgess of Southampton and owned a house in the town by 1550. Pace’s will, dated 10th September 1559, refers to his “new house at Holbury”, suggesting he carried out building work. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitterne Bitterne derives its name, not from the similarly-named bird, the Bittern (as some believe) but from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words byht and ærn together mean "house near a bend", Your question: He could be the Thomas Pacy, father of Alice, if one allows for a change in the spelling of his name. Then the date of Alice’s birth and wedding licence would fit nicely into a genealogy. Seems answered in Waterside notes above: Thomas Pace leased the manor of Cadland [SE of Holbury and Beaulieu] in 1546, which was sold to his daughter Alice, wife of George Powlett, after the death of the owner, the 1st Earl of Southampton in 1550 (he also owned Beaulieu). He became a burgess of Southampton and owned a house in the town by 1550. Pace’s will, dated 10th September 1559, refers to his “new house at Holbury”, suggesting he carried out building work. The said Richard Pace, likely: Richard Pace Dean 1519-1524 On a brass plaque I had seen the brass plaque in St. Paul's (1965 visit to London - GTPace) It would be great if someone could take a photo of it for the Pace Society. Gord Pace in Ontario http://www.pacefamilyhistory.info/ ...working again