This is a transcription of the original record of the will of Henry Cooper (Cowper), mercer of Hingham, Norfolk.[1] The will was written on 14 January 1625/6 and proved 10 Nov 1626.
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document, with the exception of paragraph breaks at change of bequest, and bold text are my own for ease of reading.
Where present, the obsolete letter Thorn has been rendered as th
Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets]
The image quality was good and the writing very legible. Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.
Immediate family mentioned (in order of appearance):
- George Cooper son of Henry
- Agnes (Unknown) Cooper Henry's "now wife and his [George's] mother" therefore the mother of all the children
- Henrie Cooper son of Henry
- Agnes Cooper daughter of Henry
- Robert Coop[er] Henry' brother from whom he purchased land (daughter Agnes' bequest)
- Susann Cooper daughter of Henry
- Samuell Cooper son of Henry
- John Cowper Henry's father
- Amy Cooper daughter of Henry
- Robert Cooper Henry's uncle with whom Agnes will dwell after Henry's death
- Alice [Cooper] daughter of Henry who was born after original will was written, "Cooper" not in the will, just "Alice"
Other people mentioned:
- Addam Stacie Henry purchased a close from him (son George's bequest)
- Edward Gillman from whom Henry purchased land in the Church feild of Hingham (son George's bequest)
- Robert Long from whom Henry purchased three acres of land in Rockwoodfeild (son George's bequest)
- Thomas Jesopp from whom he purchased land in Deepham moore (son Henry's bequest)
- Edward Bucke from whom he purchased tenements and landes from (son Henry's bequest)
- Peter Cooper from whom he purchased land in Barrowe (daughter Susann's bequest)
- John Woodcocke from whom he purchased land in Norwood (son Samuell's bequest)
- William Springall from whom he purchased land in Hackford (son Samuell's bequest)
- Edward Lincolne from whom he purchased land (son Samuell's bequest)
- Thomas Harber from whom he purchased land (daughter Amy's bequest)
- Anthony Haber (tied to daughter Amy's bequest)
- Smith Robert James
- Mr Heines from whom he purchased land after the original will was written, that was to be given to his wife, Agnes (daughter Alice's bequest)
- Robert Perkes witness
[page 1]
In the name of God amen the
ffowertenth daie of Januarie in the yeare of our lord
god one Thousand sixe hundered twentie and ffive I
Henry Cooper of Hingham in the countie of
Norffolke mercer beinge in good health and p[er]fecte
memorie praised be god therefore calleinge to minde the
Certaintie of death and no waies knoweinge anie cer=
=taine time thereof doe therefore make declare and ordaine
this my pr[e]sent last will and testament in manner and forme
followinge ffirst and principallie I commend and comitt
my sowle into the most mercifull handes of Allmightie
god, my maker and Creatour assuredlie hopeinge by
and through the merritts death and passon and re=
=surection of Jesus Christe my onelie Saviour &
redeemor to have life everlastinge and to be made p[ar]taker
of eternall joye and happines with the rest of his blessed
Angells in the kingdom of heaven, And I will my
boddie to be buried in Christian buriall at the discretion
of my executrix where it shall please god to call me
and next concerninge that worldlie estate, wherewith
it hath pleased allmightie god to blesse me with all of his
greate goodnes, I give and dispose the same as followeth
Item I give and bequeath unto George Cooper my
sonne and his heires all my landes and tenements in
Deepeham and Morlie, and my coppihold shopp in
or neere Hingham marketscead and one closse in Riseing
called the Brickeclosse contaieinge by estimation ffowerten
A[kers?] be it more or less which Closse I latelie purchased
of one Addam Stacie, he to have and enter them after
my decease, Also I give and bequeath unto George
Cooper my said sonne, and his heirs my messuage or
Tenement wherein I now dwell in Hingham aforesaid
withall the howses and landes thereunto belongeinge
[page 2 - penciled with "76" in the top right corner of page]
he to have and enter the one halfe that I now dwell
in, when he shall accomplishe his full age of xxjtie yeares
and the other halfe thereof after the decease of Agnes my
now wife his mother, And more I give and bequeath unto
the said George my said sonne, and his heirs, my pightle[2]
of land in the Church feild of Hingham which I latelie
purchased of Edward Gillman, and three ackers of land
lyinge in Rockwoodfeild which I latelie purchased of Mr Robert
Long, he to enter and have the same after my said wives decease
Item I give and bequeath to Henrie Cooper my sonne and
his heirs, all my tenements and landes lyinge neere or against
Deepham moore, which I latelie purchased of Thomas
Jesopp and also all my tenements or landes which I latelie
purchased of one Edward Bucke, he to have and enter
the same, after my wives his mothers decease, And my will
minde and meaneinge is that the said Agnes my said wife
shall keepe and mainetaine all the howses thereof during
her naturall life, in good and sufficient rep[er]ations, And
further I will that my said wife shall paie to the said
Henrie Cooper my said sonne, for or out of those landes,
Tenne poundes a yeare, everie yeare after he shall accom=
=plishe his full age of one and twentie yeares duringe the
naturall life of her the said Agnes his said mother, Item
Item I give and bequeath unto Agnes Cooper my
daughter and her heirs my pightle of land or ground
which I latelie purchased my brother Robert Coop[er]
lyinge in Riseinge, And more I give and bequeath unto
her the said Agnes the full summe of threescore and
tenn poundes of good and Lawfull money of England to be
paid unto her by my said executrix when she the said
Agnes shall accomplishe the full age of one and twentie yeares,
[page 3]
Item I give and bequeath unto Susann
Cooper my daughter and her heirs my pightle of
ground or land lyinge in Barrowe w[hi]ch I latelie
purchased of Peter Cooper she to have and enter
the same after my said wives decease, And more
I give and bequeath to her the said Susann, thre
score poundes of good and lawfull money of England
the same to be paid to her by my said executrix when
the said Susann shall accomplishe her full age
of one and twentie yeares,
Item I give and bequeath
to Samuell Cooper my sonne and his heirs
my tenement and landes wherein John Woodcocke
latelie dwelt in Norwood, and my pightle of land
w[hi]ch I had of the guift of my father John Cooper
and my pightle of ground or land in Hackford, w[hi]ch
I latelie purchased of one William Springall
and my pightle of ground or land w[hi]ch I latelie pur=
chased of Edward Lincolne, he to have and enter
the same when he shalbe of the full age of one and xxtie
yeares,
Item I give and bequeath to Amy Cooper
my daughter and her heirs my tenements and landes
in Hingham, which I latelie purchased of one Thomas
Harber, she to have and enter the same, after the Deceases
of Anthony Harber and my said wife, And more, I
give and bequeath unto her the said Amy ffiftie
poundes of good and lawfull money of England, to
be paid unto her by my said Executrix, when she
the said Amy shall accomplish her full age of one
and twentie yeares,
Item all other my goodes cattells,
[page 4 - penciled with "77" in the top right corner of page]
Chatells landes tenements and hereditaments not before
by me in this my pr[e]sent last will and testament, given and
bequeathed, I give and bequeath unto Agnes my well
beloved wife and her heirs and assignes, to use and doe w[i]th
as pleaseth her, she to take and receive my debtes and
paie my debtes and legaries and bringe upp my children
which said Agnes, I make constitute and ordaine sole execu=
=trix of this my present Last will and testament Provided
my minde, will, and meaneinge is, That when my said
sonne George shall accomplishe his full age of one and
twentie yeares, my said wife Agnes shall dwell if she
will, in the howse w[hi]ch my unkle Robert Cooper dwelleth
in after my said unkles decease, and she then to have halfe
the yardes halfe the fruite, And all such easemente and
priviledges in the howses and yardes, as my said unkle
Robert Cooper have had before of me, In witnes
whereof I the said Henrie Cooper have hereunto sett
my hand and seale the daie and yeare first above writ=
=ten;/
Henrie Cooper :
Sealed and Delivered in the p[re]sence of us
John Smith Robert James
September 1626
The daie and yeare above written, the said
Testator Henrie Cooper, Beinge then sicke was demanded
by some of his friends, what he would give or doe f[or]
his youngest daughter, Alice who was borne since the
makeinge of this will and not thereby p[ro]vided for
answered and said that since the makeinge of his will
[page 5]
he had purchased and bought of one Mr Heines cer=
taine landes, which landes he intended and then willed
and gave unto Agnes his said wife and her heires
and then said and willed his said wife should paie out
of the same landes unto his said youngest daughter
Alice, one hundred pounds in such manner as he
had appointed his other daughters, to be paid their
severall legaries by him to them given, and willed
this to be [par]te of his will these beinge witnesses
Robert Perks /
Probatum [information to be added here]
Sources
- ↑ Court of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk, Regd. copy wills, v. 40 1625-1626, fol. 75 verso, will of Henry Cooper of Hingham, proved 10 November 1626; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 5 February 2022) DGS no. 8004647, image 85-87 of 535 (can be viewed at Family History Centres and Affiliate Libraries); Norfolk Record Office [Note: Norfolk Record Office reference incorrectly states fol. 93, the will actually starts at folio 75].
- ↑ a small piece of enclosed land, often by a hedge, near or surrounding a house or other outbuilding