Will of John Cooper, the Younger, of Hingham, 1617

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of John Cooper of Hingham, Norfolk, here styled as "The Younger".
John made his will on 22 November 1617 and it was proved on 31 December 1617 at the Consistory Court of the Diocese of Norwich sitting at Norwich. ^[1]

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Paragraph breaks at change of bequest, and bold text are my own for ease of reading.
The obsolete letter Thorn has been rendered as th, and ff has been rendered as F
Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets]
The image quality was good and the handwriting was legible.

There was a liberal use of the breviograph for "per" throughout the document, including for the terminal syllable of Cooper. This makes the surname appear as Coop in several places, and it has been transcribed elsewhere as Coop.

Persons mentioned:

• Anne my welbeloved wife
• my Brother Henrie Cooper
• my Brother Robert Cooper
• my Brother Anthonie Cooper
• the Children of my aforesaid three Brothers Robert Henrie & Anthonie beinge nynetene in all
• my Father & mother still living
• my brother Anthonie Arbor
• Thomas Arbor his sonne son of Anthony Arbor
• my Brother Richard Cooper
• John Cooper the Sonne of my Uncle Anthonie Coop[er]
• my Cozen Elizabeth Tuthill of Deepham widdowe
• my uncle Robert Cowp[er]
• my uncle Peter Cowp[er]
• Henrie Elvye my servant
• Frances Pitcher my maide servante
• my other two maides Anne Bishopp & Ruthe Coop[er]
• unnamed godchildren
• my Brother Thomas residuary legatee and Executor of the will
• my welbeloved Freind Robert Constable of Hingham witness and supervisor of the will
• Robert Peck Witness
• Anthony Cooper

---

T. Johis Cooper iunious

In the name of God Amen
The two and twentith Daie of November 1617
I John Cooper the younger of Hingham in the
Countie of Norff Butcher beinge sick of bodie
but of good & p[er]fill memorie thanked be god
therefore Doe make and ordaine this mu pr[e]sent
Last will & Testament in manner & forme
followinge viz First I comende & com[m]itt
my soule into the handes of Allmightie god my maker
& Creator hopinge most assuredlye of Free
p[ar]don of my sinns therowe the onely merritts of
Jesus Christ my alone Saviour & Redieemer
and to be made p[ar]taker of life everlastinge
and my bodie I com[m]ende to the earth From
whence it came to be buried in Xρian ^[2] burul
at the charge of my Executor where it shall
pleases god to call me.

Item I will
& bequeath to everie poore people younge
and ould that shalbe pr[e]sent at my Buriall
two pence apeece to be then paid & given
them by my Executor or his assignes

Item
I will further that my Executor shall cause
one of my fattest Bullocks to be killed
against my Buriall and the same to be
spent kindlie amongst my Neighbours at my
house in the Day of my Buriall

Item
I give and bequeath unto Anne my welbeloved
wife the some of two hundred poundes of
lawfull English money to be paid hir by
my Executor in this manner Followinge Vizt
within one Moneth next after the Feast of
St Michaell the Archangell the Annunciac[i]on
of the blessed Ladie the Virgin Marie

[page 2]
next Fiftie poundes and within one Moneth
next after the Feast of St Michaell the
Archangell next followinge one hundred
poundes and within one Moneth of the Feast
of the Annunciac[i]on of the blessed Ladie the
Virgin Marie which shalbe in the yeare of
o[u]r Lord god 1618 Fiftie poundes residue
of the said CC^Li
Item I doe give
unto my said wife all my houshold stuffe
and Implements of houshold and all her apparell
both linnen & wollen whatsoev[er] imediatelye
after my decease

Item I doe give more
unto my said wife Fower of my best Milch
Neate and my browne Meare and soe much
haie as shall well winter the same And
I further will that the same Five beastes
shall be kept in good & convenient pasture
at the Charge of my Executor untill the Feast
of the Annunciation of the blessed Ladie the
virgin Marie next And my wife to take the
whole profitt of the same beastes

Item I
give and bequeath to my said wife Five
Combes of Meslin ^[3] and six combs of Barlye
good and sweete Corne to be paid and
Deliv[er]ed her betweene this and the Feast
of the Annunciac[i]on of the Blessed Ladie the
virgin Marie next as her occasion shall serve
to use the same

Item I give unto my said
wife soe much wood as she shall spende
with her necessarie ocasions betweene this
and the afforesaide Feast of O[u]r Ladie of the
wood in my garden and at the said Feast
I will all the wood in the yard remayninge
and my Blocks in the Closse to be equallye
devided betweene my said wife & my Executor

[page 3]
Item I give unto my Brother Henrie Cooper
tenn poundes of lawfull money of England to
be paid by my Executor within one yere next
after my decease

Item I Give unto either
of my Brothers Robert Cooper & Anthonie
Cooper Fortie pounds a peece to be paid
them by my Executor within one yere after
my decease

Item I give to ev[er]ie of the
Children of my aforesaid three Brothers
Robert Henrie & Anthonie beinge nynetene
in all to ev[er]ie of them Five markes of
Lawfull Englishe money a peece to be paid them
within three yeares next after my decease
And yf it shall happen anie of the said Children
shall not be of age at the time of payment
aforesad to give my executor there sufficient
Acquittances for their said legacies then my
mynde & will is that my Executor shall
the same into the handes of the Fathers or
mothers or such p[er]sons as shall have the bringinge
up of anie the aforesaid Children beinge not
of age as to be imployed for the best profitt
of the said Children

Item I will & bequeath
unto my Father & mother and the longer
liver of them one Annuall some of Fower
poundes of lawfull money of England to be
paid them yerelye During their naturall
lifes in their nowe Dwellinge house in the
Feast of St Michaell the Archaungell and
the Annuciac[i]on the blessed Lady the virgin
Marie by even partition for the payment
whereof I will my Brothers Robert and
Anthonie shall give my Father and Mother

[page 4]
good assurance uppon the receipt of
their legacies of Fortie poundes a peece
and to Discharge my Executor of the same

Item I give unto my brother Anthonie
Arbor and Thomas Arbor his sonne
to either of them Five poundes a peece
to be paid them by my Executor within one
yeare next after my Decease

Item I
give unto my Brother Richard Cooper xl ^s
to be paid him within one yere after my decease

Item I give unto John Cooper
the Sonne of my Uncle Anthonie Coop[er] xl ^s
to be likewise paid him within one yeare
next after my decease

Item I give
unto my Cozen Elizabeth Tuthill of Deepham
widdowe the some of xx ^s of lawfull Englishe
money to be paid her within one yeare
after my decease

Item I give to my
uncles Robert Cowp[er] and Peter Cowp[er] x ^s
a peece

Item I give to Henrie Elvye
my servant xl ^s to be paid him within one
yeare after my decease

Item I give
unto Frances Pitcher my maide servante
Five poundes

Item I give to my other two
maides Anne Bishopp & Ruthe Coop[er] xx^s a
pece to be paid them within one whole yeare
next after my decease.

Item I give to
anie of my godchildren xij^d a pece

Item
I give unto my Brother Thomas for terme
of his life all such Landes that I have
p[ur]chased in Hingham and after his Decease
I give into my nephew Thomas Cooper
his sonne and to his heires for ever all the
said Landes And I will my said Nephewe

[page 5]
shall paie to ev[er]ie of his said Brothers
and Sisters then Livinge within one yeare
after the decease of his said Father xx^s a
pece

Item I Further will & my mynde
is that my wife shall have her Dwellinge
Rent free and the Insett howses & backhowse
as I nowe use them and the yardes untill
the Feast of the Annunciac[i]on of o[u]r Lady next
All the rest and Residue of my goodes
Chattells Cattles leases & Debts owinge unto
by bandes or other wise heretofore not bequeathed
I give and bequeath unto Thomas Cooper
my Brother whom I doe hereby make
& ordayne sole Executor of this my last
will & Testament puttinge him in Full
trust hereby to see this my will in all
thinges truelie & faithfullye p[er]formed
And I doe name & appointe my welbeloved
Freind Robert Constable of Hingham aforesaid
Sup[er]visor hereof prayinge him to be aidinge
& assistinge yo my Executor to see this
my will p[er]formed And I give him for
his paines xl^s to be paid by my Executor
And hereby I revoke & Disanull all former
& other wills by me made

In Witnes whereof I have hereunto put my hand
& seale These beinge witnesses Robert
Peck Anthony Cooper Robert Constable

Probate [abstracted from the Latin] granted at Norwich the last day of December AD 1617

Sources

1. ↑ Will of John Cooper the Younger of Hingham 1617 Diocese of Norwich, Consistory Court, NCC will register 1617 Trotter Folio 51. Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, Norfolk, England. Family Search: Regd. copy wills vol. 112-113 1617-1618 Film 94935 Images on Family Search images 65 onwards Accessed 3 February 2022
2. ↑ Chr Rho for Christ, suffix -ian
3. ↑ A mixture of wheat and rye that is sown and harvested together is known as meslin. In trade it is usually classified with wheat. "Meslin - a forgotten cereal and its usage in baking (2005)" Accessed 3 February 2022