Amados Hill

William Amadas bought Whitefriars from Gregory and Charles Isham 'London speculators in monastic property' who had bought both Plymouth friaries back in 1546 (Crispin Gill 1979). Gill describes Amadas as a Hawkins cousin and following his death in 1560 it would appear that the friary passed, through marriage, to the Sparkes family in 1600.

One of William's fifteenth century ancestors was another William Amadas who had been born in Launceston and who had married Margaret Hawkins and had a daughter Joan (Amados/Amadas/Amydas) who had also married a Hawkins – John Hawkins. They had a son, William Hawkins, 'old William' the first of three generations of great English seamen. He married his cousin, Joan Trelawny, another Launceston maid and their son was William Amadas Hawkins who would come to serve as Governor of Plymouth, and Mayor (in 1567, 1578 and 1587) – he commanded the Griffin against the Spanish Armada.

The name Amadas (or Amados) would appear, originally, to come from Spain or Italy and as well as Amados Hill we have Amados Close, Drive and Rise in Plympton.