Will of Lawrence Gillman of Caston, 1629

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

Gilman Wills

This is a transcription of the original will of Lawrence Gillman the Elder of Caston, Norfolk. It was written on 1 August 1629 and proved at the Episcopal Consistory Court of the Archdeaconry of Norwich on 8 December. ^[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 also good for the time. Many non-standard spellings and arcane words used.

Persons mentioned:

• Joane my welbeloved wife Testator's second wife Joan Spooner who survived the Testator by a year.
• my sonne Leonard eldest surviving son of Testator in 1629
• Edward Gillman my grandchild being a Lame Childe Testator made ample provision for Edward who may have been a child of Testator's deceased son Edward who had died in 1624
• my sonninlawe Henry Cocke and Roase his wife my daughter husband of Testator's daughter Rose Gillman
• my grandchild Marye Burrell
• Thom[a]s Burrell her father
• Rebecca Gillman and Martha Gillman my grandchildren may be daughters of Testator's deceased son Edward as Henry Cock is to be their guardian
• Lawrence Gillman Testator's godchild
• Edward Gillman Testator's godchild
• Edward Howse Testator's godchild
• Roase Turner Testator's godchild, daughter of Testator's sister Rose (Gillman) Turner
• Ed[m]ond Spenser Testator's godchild
• Francis Sponer or Spooner, Testator's godchild
• my brother Robt Gillman
• Roase Turner my Sister
• my brother inlawe Ed[m]ond Sponer or Spooner
• John Cocke my grandchild and Godsonne, sonne of the said Henry Cocke
• my Godsone John Smith
• George Sponer of Caston Yeoman overseer of the will
• John Smith of Stowbedon yeoman overseer of the will
• my Godsonne [blank] Gillman sonne of Edward Gillman of Hingham Edward Gillman of Hingham was Testator's brother, this godson was Testator's nephew
• Osmund Pyzane witness
• John Canham witness

---

In the name of god Amen the First daye of Auguste in the yeare of the Reigne of oure
moste gratious Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God kinge of England Scotland
France and Ireland Defender of the faith &c the First. And in the yeare of oure Lord
god 1629. I Lawrence Gillman thelder of Caston in the County of Norff[olk] and Dioces of
Norwich yeoman sicke in boddie but of good and p[er]fect remembrance praysed be god therfore
doe make ordeyne and declare this my pr[e]sent Last will and Testament in manner and
forme following Caleing to mynd the certainety of death and noe wayes knoweing any
certaine tyme thereof doe therfore First and principally I com[m]itt and comend my sowle into the
most mercifull hands and p[ro]tec[i]on of Allmightie god stedfastly hopeing by and through the merritts
death passion and resurrec[ti]on of Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer to have free
p[ar]don and forgiveness of all my sinnes and to inioye eternall life in his everlasteing kingdome of
heaven and I will my boddie to be buryed in the p[ar]ish Church of Caston and concerneing
that worldly estate wherwith it hath pleased allmightie god to blesse me withall I give
and dispose the same as followeth Imprimis I give and bequeath towards the reparac[i]on of the
Church of Caston Twentie shillings uppon Condic[i]on that my boddie and my wives maye be
buryed in the same Church. And whereas (uppon good considerac[i]ons) I have heretofore assured
unto Joane my welbeloved wife Lands to the value of Twenty powndes a yeare for her
joynture I will the same maye be truly p[er]formed and more I gyve and bequeath unto her
twoe of my neate beasts the-- the best shee can choose and the ether the th-- ox fourth of
my next best neate beasts fower of my beste Ewes and fower hogg sheepe and the one half
of all my howshold stuffe within my howse if shee will be therwith content and not challenge
to have that w[hi]ch was hers before I marryed with her but if shee will not therwith be content
then I will shee shall have those goods w[hi]ch weare hers before I marryed with her and none
of my other goods:

Item wheras I have conveyed some of my Lands and Tenements
Unto my sonne Leonard I further will and my mynd is that all the same Lands &
Tenements shall be come and remaine to my said sonne Leonard and his heires and more
I give and bequeath Unto the said Leonard my said sonne all such Coppiehould Lands as
I have in the arable Close next unto my howse : uppon the right hand of the Lane and
all such Coppiehould Lands as I have in my meadowes next unto my howse on -- side
of the Ryver and betwixt the River and the Lane Leadeing to the Ford bridge : and
more I give and bequeath Unto the said Leonard my said sonne and his heires my Tenem[en]t
called Joyes or howses my Close called birds Close my twoe little meadowes on the further side
of the Ryver my Longe meadow on this side of the Ryver to my howse warde and all
my meadowes call the Harle meadowes to have and to hould the same to him & his
heires forever uppon Condic[i]on nevertheless that hee doe and shall keepe and meyneteine
Edward Gillman my grandchild being a Lame Childe with meate drink Lodging clothing
and other necessaryes dureing his the said Edward his naturall life p[ro]vided of the saide
Edward shall dislike with his keepeing and that my Sup[er]visors hereafter named shall
think it convenient and so agree that my said grandchild shalbe kept else wheare with any
other fitting p[er]son then my mynd and will is that my said sonne Leonard shall pay to the
said Edward or such p[er]son as shall so keepe him the said Edward Tenn pounds a yeare
for his mainetenance and keping of him the same to be paid five pownds every half
yeare : and if my said sonne Leonard shall not keppe & mayneteyne my said grandchild
or otherwise paye unto him tenn pounds a yeare or such other p[er]son as shall keepe and
maineteyne him tenn pownds a yeare as I have before willed Then I will & my mynd
is that the said Edward my grandchild or such other p[er]son as shall keepe and maineteyne him
as aforesaid shall enter uppon have occupie use & inioye & the p[ro]fitts take of my said
Tenem[en]t called Joyes or howses my Close called birds Close my twoe Little meadowes
my Longe meadow and my harl meadows for and dureing such and so Long time as the
said Edward my said grandchild shall be so Long kept and further my will is and
I give and bequeath unto my sonnin lawe Henry Cocke 50^Li to be paid unto him by
my said sonne Leonard oute of those Lands w[hi]ch I have Last named with in 2 yeares
next after the decease of the said Edward my said grandchild by twoe payements
the first payement to be 25^Li w[i]thin one yeare next after the decease of the said Edward
and the other 25^Li w[i]thin 2 yeares next after the decease of the said Edward

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and my will and mynde is that if my said sonne Leonard or his heires shall not paye
Unto my said sonninlawe Henry Cocke his exe[cuto]rs or administrators the said some of 50^Li
by me to him given as aforesaid according to my true intent and meaneing in this my
will specifyed then I give and bequeath unto the said Henry Cock and his heires
my Close called Birds Close my Longe meadow my twoe Little meadows and my
harle meadowes to have and to hould the same to him and his heires for ever

Item I give and bequeath unto my grandchild Marye Burrell one hundred pownds of
good and Lawfull money of England to be paid unto her or Thom[a]s Burrell her father
for her use within one yeare next after my decease by my executor heretoafter named

Item I give and bequeath unto Rebecca Gillman ^[2] and Martha Gillman my grandchildren
to either of them one hundred pounds a peece of like Lawfull money of England the said
hundred pownds a peece to be paid to either of them att their severall ages of one and twenty
yeares by my executor hereafter named and my will is that my said executor shall bring up
or otherwise p[ro]vide for the breeding and bringing up of my said grandchildren Rebecca & Martha
Gillman Untill they be of fitting age to p[ro]vide for and governe them selves or have the porc[i]ons
by me to them given as aforesaid paid them

Item I give and bequeath unto my Godchildren Lawrence
Gillman, Edward Gillman, Edward Howse, Roase Turner, Ed[m]ond Spenser, and Francis Sponer
Twentie shillings a peece and to every other of my brother Robt Gillman and Roase Turner my
Sister their Children Tenn shillings a peece the same to be paid them within one yeare next
after my decease by my executor.

Item for and in considerac[i]on that Henry Cocke my sonninlawe shall
shall breede and bring up my said grandchildren Rebecca and Martha Gillman and paye such debtes
as I owe and allso paye all such Legacies as I have in this my Last will and testament
gyven and bequeathed and p[er]forme this my will I give and bequeath unto the said Henry Cocke
and Roase his wife my daughter my messuage or Tenement and Lands w[i]th their appurtenances
w[hi]ch I Lately purchased of my brother inlawe Ed[m]ond Sponer and my pightell called Slytes
To have and to howld the same to them the said Henry and Roase for and dureing their
natural lyves and the Longer Lyver of them: and I give and bequeath the same to
Edward ^John Cocke my grandchild and Godsonne, sonne of the said Henry Cocke to have and to howlde
the same pr[e]misses to him the said ^John Edward and his heires forever and for the considerac[i]ons aforesaid
(That is to saye) for and towards the payement of my debtes and Legacies and p[er]formance of this my
pr[e]sent Last will and Testament

I give and bequeath unto my said sonnin law Henry Cocke and his
heires All my earable Lands lyeing in the Fields of Caston in severall Incloses and peeces and
conteyneing in all twentye and Fyve acres or therabouts and my meadow lyeing in Stowe & Caston
called pulkie meadow and my half acres of earable Lande Lyeing in Stowe farrowes to have and to
howld the same to him and his heires for ever w[hi]ch pulkie meadow and such other my oute Lands as
he shall thinke fitt I wishe him to sell for and towards the payment of my debtes and Legacies if
he cannot otherwise conveniently pay them

Item all my goodes ^{Corne & th[a]t casse groweing} and Cattells Rights and creditts
howsehould stuff and implements of howshold in this my will not form[er]ly gyven nor bequeathed I give and
bequeath unto my said sonninlawe Henry Cocke whome I make sole executor of this my Last will and
Testament hee to paye my debtes and Legacies p[er]forme this my will and see my boddie decently buryed

Item I give and bequeath unto my Godsone John Smith Twentie shillings. And I desire
my welbeloved Freinds George Sponer of Caston Yeoman and John Smith of Stowbedon ^[3]
yeoman to be Spuervisors of this my Laste will and Testament and to be aydeinge to my excut[o]r
and all such as to whhome I have heareby gyven any Legacie that the said Legacies maye be truly
paid and my will truly p[er]formed and if any doubte or question shall arise concerneing any gyft
or Legacie or other matter concerneing this my Last will or the true performance therof I
will the same shall be heard ended and determyned by my said Supervisors or the Survivor
of them and so rest and be p[er]formed accordingly to w[hi]ch my said Sup[er]visors I give for
their advice and paines heerin to be taken Twentie shillings a peece In wi
It[e]m I give unto my Godsonne [blank] Gillman sonne of Edward Gillman of Hingham xx^s
In witness whereof I the said Lawrence Gillman have heerunto sett my hand and seale

These beeing wittnesses
Osmund Pyzane ^[4]
John Canham

Lawrence Gillmans mark

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Probate [abstract of the Latin] granted at Norwich 8 day of December AD 1629

Sources

1. ↑ Lawrence Gillman 1629 will, Probate Records for the Episcopal Consistory Court, Archdeaconry of Norwich, 1370-1858, Original wills [v.] 1629, no. 211; digital images, FamilySearch, FHL Digital Collection, DGS 8076512, image 702-03 of 821.
2. ↑ The letter c in Rebecca are written almost like t in all cases where the name is written
3. ↑ Stow Bedon, the parish immediately south of Caston
4. ↑ best guess, very neat