Will of Anthony Cowper, wheelwright of Hengham 1598

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Hingham, Norfolk, England
Surnames/tags: Cowper Cooper Bliss

Contents 1 Introductory Notes 2 Transcription conventions 3 Probate 4 Sources

Introductory Notes

Anthony Cowper Wheelwright 1598^[1]

The will is a register copy, written in English over four pages. The text is fairly easy to read. apart from in one or two places where the ink has bled through from the other side.The paper/parchment is in good condition.

Transcription conventions

• spelling, punctuation, line breaks and capitalisation are recorded as in the document, with the following exceptions to aid readability:
• capital I is silently modernised to I or J as appropriate (eg "Joan", rather than "Ioan")
• ff at the start of a word is silently modernised to F (eg "First", rather than "ffirst")
• additional paragraph breaks may be included to increase readability of large amounts of text
• superscript letters are silently lowered, except where these relate to money (eg li s d), dates (eg th) or titles (eg Mrs)
• abbreviations/breviographs are expanded with the additional letter(s) in square brackets, except symbols for money (li s d) and the ampersand (&)
• the letter thorn is recorded as "th" in square brackets (eg "[th]e", rather than "ye")
• short series of missing/illegible letters are recorded with a period for each letter thought to be missing/illegible in square brackets; longer gaps are described with an editorial note
• editorial notes are italicised and in square brackets
• names and relationships are highlighted in bold
• footnotes are used to clarify archaic terms, difficult text and discrepancies
• u/v and i/j are recorded as they appear; even where modern usage would dictate one over the other (eg "haue", rather than "have" if the third letter is clearly a "u"; "vnto", rather than "unto" if the first letter is clearly a "v")
• the virgule, signifying a pause (comma, semi-colon, colon or full-stop), is recorded using a forward slash /, but only when such intent is obvious (the virgule is often indistinguishable from various check marks and otiose flourishes that are of no significance)

Persons mentioned

• Anthony Cowper testator
• Frances Cowper wife of testator
• John Cowper son of testator
• Robert Cowper Brother of testator
• George Cowper brother of testator
• Thomas Cowper the younger nephew of testator, son of John Cowper
• Robert Cowper the younger nephew of testator son of John Cowper
• John Cowper brother of testator
• PeterCowp[er] the sonne of Peter Cowp[er] nephew of testator
• Anthonye Cowp[er] the sonne of John Cowp[er] nephew of testator
• Elizabeth Pitcher niece of testator
• Peter Atdam nephew of testator
• Anthony Atdam nephew of testator
• Richard Cowper brother of testator
• 'Margaret Blysse my mother in lawe mother in law of testator
• John Blisse father in law deceased of Hengham

In the name of god Amen
the xij^thy daye of Aooguste Anno D[o]m[i]ni 1598
and in the Cl^ty yeare of the Reigne of our most
gratious Sov[er]eigne Ladye Elizabeth by the grace of
God of England France and Ireland Wueene
Defender of the Faithe etc I Antonye Cowp[er] of
Hengham in the COunty of Norff wheelewrighte
and within the dyoces of Norwhiche beinge whole
of mynde and of p[er]fect remembrance thanks
be given unto God doe ordayne and make this my
...... Testament and Last Will in manner and forme
followinge but refusinge? setting voyde & disannullinge
all other Testaments and Last wills in by mee paste by
me made
First and primarally I commend my soule
into thandes of Allmightye God my maker & Jesus Christe
my Redeemer and God the hollye ghost my sanctifier
trusting

[page 2]
Trusting [illegible] the glorious ........ of the true
and immortall God amongste the Saints in heaven
and my bodye to be buryed in the churchyarde of hen
gham aforesayde

Item I will that my executors shall
doe suche goode of charytie as thee shall thinke good
in the daye of my buryall

Item I will and my full
entent and meanynge is that my executors w[i]th the
consent and assent of my sup[er]visor within one yeare
next after my decease shall put out fyve? poundes
of lawfull money of Englande only to the profytt
and use of John my sonneuntill he come to the age
of twentie yeres And the he to have stocke and
profyght All all the meane tyme that is to saye
during the saide yeares I will and my myne is
that Robert Cowper George Cowp[er] my brethren and
Thomas Cowp[er] John Cowp[er] the younger and Rob[er]te Cowp[er]
the younger my neavies the sonnes of John Cowp[er]
my brother shyall have the government & forefyght
of the said stocke and the profyghts thereof with
Frances my wyfe provyded allways and my
will and meanyng is that if it shall
please God to call the saide John my sonne out of
this worlde before the above lymitted tyme that
then I will and my mynde is that the said fyve pounds
with the profitts thereof shall remayne unto Peter
Cowp[er] the sonne of Peter Cowp[er] and to Anthonye
Cowp[er] the sonne of John Cowp[er] my neavyes And to
Elizabeth Pitcher my neace and to Peter Ardam
and Anthony Atdam my neavies & my .....
equall portions

Item I give and bequeath unto the
saide Elizabethe Pitcher my neace fower shillings
of lawfull money of England

Item I give and
Bequeathe unto Richard Cowper my brother my
graye mare

Item I give and bequeathe unto the
foresaide Peter Atdam my neavye all my tooles
whatsoever and as whiche good and sufficient
Timber

[page 3]
Tymber as will make a payer of wheels

Item I
give and bequeathe unto Frances my wyfe All
that my messuage called Mores with all those my
Landes and pastures with all & singular those Appur
tenances Lying and being in Hengham to her and to her
assignes during the whole terme of her naturall
lyfe with improchment? of waste And if it shall
please God John my sonne to depart this lyfe before
he dowes b one and twenty yeares of age the I
will the aforesaide messuage and all other my
landes shall legallye remayne untoFrances my
wyfe her heyres & assignes for ever provydyed
allways and my wyll and my mynde is that Mar
garet Blysse my mother in lawe shall have the
goeing and feeding? of one mylige?do...? uppon
the above saide premysses gyven unto Frances my
wyfe during the lyfe of the saide Margarett&
furthermore I give and bequeathe unto the sayde
Frances my wyfe All those my goodes cattells
chattells debtes anduntensills of househould by
what tytle or name soever they be called not
before given in this my Testament & Last wyll
whome I make soale executrix of this my Testa
ment and Last will I herento this shall truely
provydyed allways I will my full entent and
purpose is that if it shall soo happen the saide
Frances my wyfe to make hir ..... and
marrye with anye man that then the saide p[ar]tye
who shee shall marrye with or shall enter bonde
with .... suffycient suretyes in the penaltye of
& two hundreth markes of lawfull monye of Eng
land unto Thomas Cowp[er] and Robert Cowp[er] my
bretren and to the saide John Cowp[er] my sonne with
condition thereuppon I indorsed? This all sure
payed &

[page 4]
payments as are conteyned in a certaine ...
of feoffment indentid made between John Blisse
late of Hengham aforesaide deceased & Margaret
his wyfe and me the saide Testator if all be
timely p[er]formed at the dayes tymes and place
therein limitted And if the saide Frances and the
saide p[ar]tye whome she shall happen to marrye
shall refuse and omytt to p[er]forme my true entent
and meanynge abovesaide that then All my me
ssuage aforegiven to the said Frances And all
my Landes with thappurtenances, and with all my
goodes whatsoever before gyven unto her shall who
lie remayne to the use of the foresaide John my
'sonne his heyres and assignes for ever Soo as I will
that the next of bloud shall syne the government
of the saide p[ro]mysses and of anye p[ar]t thereof And
of the saide goodes to his use & anye thinge abovesaid
in this my Testament and Last will to the contra
eye then notwithstandinge

Item I ordayne and make
the saide Thomas Cowp[er] my brother Sup[er]visor' of this
my Testament & last will whome I give for his
paynes x^s besydes his charges intravell aboute the
same

In witness whereof therunto I have sett my
seale upon the daye and yere firste above written
There being wytnesses Walter Barraclowe
Robert Cowp[er] thelder and me Will[ia]m Mallowes?

Probate

• From the Latin:

This testament was proved at Wymondham before the Venerable Man Master Richard Spake Cleric in the laws at The Archdeaconary Court of Norfolk on the 28th day of September AD 1598 by and by himself informed and approved Adminstration of the goods and chattells to the executors named in the said Testament

Sources

1. ↑ ANF will register Liber 33 (Bradfield) fo. 249 - Cowper, Anthony, wheelwright, of Hingham 1598

• Image obtainable at a FHC/FHL images start at 256 until 258. Film number DGS008045773.