Will of John Gillman of Caston 1639

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Gilman Gillman

This is a transcription of the register copy of the will of John Gillman a carpenter of Caston, Norfolk.
It was written on 14 April 1639 and proved at the Archdeaconry of Norwich Court sitting at Watton on 14 June 1639. ^[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 (used extensively in this will) 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 also good for the time.

Persons mentioned:

• Anne my wife Anne Gillman formerly Lingwood. Executrix of the will. Was pregnant in April 1639
• Thomas Freeman late of Griston Testator bough land from him
• Margarett Gillman the eldest daughter of Lawrence Gillman my brother
• John Gillman the son of Leonard Gillman late of Caston
• Edmund Barker the son of Thomas Barker of Griston
• Thomas Barker nominated to be executor if Anne Gillman dies, witness to will
• Margarett Vincent my sister
• Elizabeth Barker my Goddaughter
• Elizabeth Thirkettle my Goddaughter
• Francis Barker witness to will
• John Canham witness to will

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In the name of God Amen The 14 day
of Aprill Anno D[omi] 1639 I John Gillman
of Caston in the County of Norff Carpenter
beinge weake of body but of p[er]fect mynd & re
mmbrance thanks be unto Almighty
God doe make & declare this my last will &
testam[en]t revoaking & disannulling all my former
wills by me formerly made first I comitt &
comend my soule into the mercifull hands
of the Almighty God my maker trustinge
assuredly by the birth & passion of o[u]r savior
Jesus Christ to have free forgivenes of all
my sins & my body to the earth from whence
it came & concerning such worldly goodes
where with it hath pleased God to lend me
I give & bequeath as followeth

Item I give
and bequeath unto Anne my wife my tenem[en]^t
wherein I now dwell together with all those
lands which I lately purchased of Thomas
Freeman late of Griston duringe her na[tu]all
life & after her decease to the child w[hi]ch is
in her wombe & for want of such issue I give
& bequeath the ten[emen]t & lands unto Margarett
Gillman the eldest daughter of Lawrence
Gillman my brother uppon Condition th[a]^t she
shall pay or cause to be paid unto John Gill
man the son of Leonard Gillman late of Cas
ton & unto Edmund Barker the son of Thomas
Barker of Griston to either of them five pounds
a peice in manner & forme following viz^t unto
John Gillman thirty three shillings & four
pence within one yeare next after the decease
of Anne my wife & unto Edmund Barker three
& thirty shillings & four pence within two
years next after the decease of Anne my wife
& unto John Gillman three & thirty shillings &
four pence within three yeares after the de
cease of Anne my wife & unto Edmund Barker
three & thirty shillings & four pence within
four years after the decease of Anne my wife
& unto john Gillman three & thirty shillings &
four pence w[ith]in five years after the decease
of Anne my wife & unto Edmund Barker three
& thirty shillings and four pence within five
years after the decease of Anne my wife

[page 2]
untill the whole sume of ten pounds be fullie
payd but if it shall happen th[a]^t be any defect of
the s[ai]d paym[en]t as afores[ai]d unto John & Edmund then
I will & my minde in th[a]^t he or they shall enter pos
sesse & inioy the s[ai]d ten[emen]t & lands before bequeathed
unto Margaret Gillman untill they be fully sa
tisfyed their sev[er]all gifts of five pounds apeice

Item I give & bequeath all the rest of my lands
unto Anne my wife for to be sold within one yeare
after my decease for & towards the paym[en]t of my
debts & legacyes but if it shall happen my wife to
dep[ar]t this life afore such time as the debts be paid
then I will & my[nd] is th[a]^t Thomas Barker shall have th^e
lands for & towards the paym[en]t of my debts & legacyes

Item I give and bequeath unto Margarett Vincent
my sister twenty shillings to be paid within two
years after my decease

Item I give & bequeath
unto Elizabeth Barker my Goddaughter five shil
lings to be paid within two yeares after my decease

Item I give & bequeath unto Elizabeth Thirkettle
my Goddaughter five shillings to be paid within
two years after my decease

Item I give & bequeath
unto Margarett Gillman the daughter of Lawrence
Gillman twenty shillings if it shall happen th[a]^t my
wife to be with child & not otherwise

Item I give &
bequeath unto Anne my wife all my goods corne
& Cattell whatsoever uppon Condic[i]on th[a]^t she shall
pay all such sums of money which I stand bound
for Lawrence my brother & I doe appoint Ann my
wife to be sole Executrix of this my last will & testam[en]t
In witness whereof I have sett my hand & seal the day
& yeare above written in the p[re]sence of Thomas
Barker Francis Barker & John Canham

John Gillman his marke

Probate [abstracted from the Latin] granted at Watton the xiiij day of June AD 1639 to Anne Gillman his widow, the executrix named in this Testament

Sources

1. ↑ Will of John Gillman of Caston, 1639 Archdeaconry Court of Norwich ANW, will register, 1638-1639, folio 352, no. 286. Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, Norfolk, England Regd. copy wills, v. 46 1638-1639 Images on Family Search Film 008472749 image 402 Accessed 6 February 2022