Emmet was the wife of Richard MASON Doctor of Physick. The only reference to her name was in Richard's will of 1668. Emmet was a name used rarely but there are several examples in Leicester during this period. No marriage record has been found.

Emmet and Richard lived in Leicester and probably baptized three children in St Mary de Castro in Leicester: Ann 1660, Dorothy 1663 and William 1667. Another Richard MASSON was baptizing children in the same church during this period, making a total of seven baptisms by a Richard MASON/MASSON. The above three children's records mentioned Richard's profession as a doctor (although even this was ambiguous in the case of Ann and William as later amendments had been made to the records) and so have been assigned to Richard and Emmet, while the others only referred to a Richard MASSON. These other four include: Uriah 1663 (which clashes with Dorothy) and John 1671 (2+ years after Emmet's husband had died).

Richard died in March 1668. He left her £300 and property, on the priviso that Emmet didn't remarry.

Emmet MASON, widow, was buried on 19 Feb 1706 in St Mary de Castro. Assuming she married aged 21 (ie born 1636), then she would have been 70 years old when she died. But she may have been several years older.

No marriage record has been found, but possible baptisms include:

• Emmet HEYFORD baptized on 6 Aug 1637 by Thomas and Dorothy in Ashby Magna (10 miles south of Leicester). Perhaps Emmet's daughter Dorothy was named for her mother? But Emmet would have been just 20 when she married.
• Emat RODLY on 21 Jun 1635 by Walter and Elizabeth in Wigston Magna. 4 miles south of Leicester. May have died a spinster in 1682 in Wigston Magna.
• Emat GOODWIN on 17 Jan 1636 by Edward and Ann in Newtown Linford (5 miles NW). Perhaps her daughter was named for her mother?
• (- Emmat HORSLEY on 12 Apr 1632 by William in St Leonard's, Leicester, but the child was buried a few days later.)
• Emmet ONEBY daughter of John ONEYBY of Hinckley as reported in the Cambridge University Alumni. It also reported that Richard was "probably the father of John (1670)" which may be correct, although John was baptized in 1668.

Other information:

A more complex theory for what happened after Richard died...

A license for a Thomas SAVIL to marry Em MASON was granted in 1675 by the Leicester Archdeaconry (Source: Boyd's 1st miscellaneous marriage index). The marriage at St Mary de Castro was recorded as "Mr Thomas Savill of Blabey and Mrs Emmet Mason of this parish" Was this a second marriage?

A burial for Emma SAVILE wife of Thomas SAVILE, Gent, buried 5 Nov 1683 in Blaby, 5 miles south of Leicester. Thomas died the following year but didn't leave any bequest to a stepchild called MASON - he only refers to three sons - so it's not possible to confirm whether Emmet did have this second marriage. But it is possible that he had sufficient funds to enable her to remarry without her suffering financial hardship. Her £300 inheritance from Richard would then pass to her daughters who would not then need an additional provision in Thomas SAVILE's will.