Will of John Cowper, the Elder of Hengham, 1538

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

This is a transcript of the registered copy will of John Couper of "Hengham" (Hingham) Norfolk, a yeoman. He wrote his will on 24 November 1538. The will has no probate for some reason

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.
Where present, 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 writing very legible. Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.

Persons mentioned

• John Couper testator
• Elizabeth wife of testator
• William Couper son of testator
• Raff Couper son of testator
• John Portman Tanner, witness to will
• John Rouse the elder witness to will
• Richard Carte witness to will
• John Newton masyn, witness to will
• Rychard Sharppe witness to will

In the name of god Amen the xxiiij^ti daye off
Novemb[er] in the yere of o[ur] lord god the m^t ccccc xxxviij^th I
John coup[er] of hengh[a]m in the dioc[ese] of norwiche thelder
beyng in good and hole mynde as thanks be to god make
my testament & laste will in this man[er] and forme folowyng
ffyr I bequethe my soule to Almyghty god and my body to be
buryd in the aleye before the trinite in the churche of Hengham
aforeseyd unto the whiche hye ault[er] I gyve & bequethe for tithes
and offerings forgoten & nott payd v^s
It[e]m towards the
Rep[er]ac[i]ons of the seyd churche xx^s It[e]m I bequethe towards
the light kepte before the blissyd sac[r]ament in the seyd churche
xij^d
It[e]m I gyve to yche of [th]e lazar howses p[er]teynyng unto
Norwich gats to yche of them iiijd
It[e]m I will at [th]e day
of my buryall have a solempne dirige & messe of Requie[m]
done for me & ev[er]y preste beyng at my dirige have iiij^d
clarkes ij^d & child[er]ne in the quere half pense yf it may be borne
and afte[r] messe I will th[a]t myne neyb[or]s shall have brede chyse
and drynke to praye for my soule and all good cristen soulis
and my vij^th daie & xxv^ti daie I put it unto the discrec[i]on of
myne executix
It[e]m I gyve unto Elizabeth my wyffe
all myne movabills goods as corne cattells of ev[er]y nature
what so ev[er] it shalbe at that daie yff any therof maye
be sparyd I will that it shall be equaley devidyd be
twyn Will[i]am coup[er] Raff Coup[er] the sonnes of the sayd

[page 2] John & Elizabethe
It[e]m I gyve unto the sayd Elizabethe my wyffe
all myn utensells ymplements & stuff of myn howse as
bras pewter laten wollen lennen bedds bedding w[i]t[h] all other
necessars unto my sayd howse & to me p[er]teynyng to be to the use
of my said wyff and yff any therof maye be spared I will
that it be equaly devided betwyn the sayd Will[i]am coup[er] &
Raff coup[er] my sonnes & hyr sonnes/ the Reste of my goods
not gyvyn nor bequethed I put them unto the discrec[i]on
of myn executryx whiche I have ordeyn and made
Elizabethe my wyffe that she shall dispose them & fullfyll
my will in suche wise that it maye be unto the pleasure
of god & for the will of my soule & her soule Also I gyve
unto the said Elizabethe my wyffe & myn executrix all
my full power titill & strengthe & to the executors & assignes
of hyr for to Receyve & to take all my detts whiche is
dewe & owyng unto me owther by Indentures or by
obligac[i]ons or bills or otherwise to the fullfylling of this
my said testament & last will & trewly to content
and paye a my dettes to all men of Righte Theis wittnes
John Portman tann[er] John Rouse theld[er] Richard Carte
John Newton masyn Rychard Sharppe and other moo
the daye and yere abovn said<br/

John Cowp/Cowper of Hingham https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSGJ-ZD56?i=249&cat=278818 Possibly this is the will for the man National Archives calls John, the elder, of Henghm, Item NCC will register Mingaye 255 - Cowper (Couper), John, the elder, of Henghm