Will of Matthew Markham, Clerk of Plumstead Magna, 1676

Date: 1676
Location: Plumstead, Norfolk, England
Surnames/tags: Markham Cocke

This is a transcription of the will of Matthew Markham, Clerk of Great Plumstead, 1676.^[1][2]

Transcription conventions

• Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
• Crossings through have been included struck out
• Bold text for names and italic text for places 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]
• Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period, which has been transcribed verbatim.

Persons mentioned

• Matthew Markham, testator, clerk of Plumstead Magna, Norfolk
• Mary English, tenant, widow
• [no first name] Witherells owner of purchased property (possibly that named in this conveyance Conveyance Wetherell to Markham of land in North Towne furlong and Makarr furlong inc. Damsells acre and land near St Edmonds way, some copyhold of the manors of Framingham Pigot, Framingham Earl, Whitlingham and Surlingham.
• Uncle Cocke
• Mother (not named)
• Barbara Markham, wife, executrix
• Daniell, son
• Charles brother (probably Charles George Markham, witness of this will and named in Matthew's mother's will ^[3]
• G Cock, witness
• Anne Wills, witness (maid mentioned in father's will of the same year^[4])
• Charles George Markham, witness

[folio 169 verso]

In the name of God Amen I Matthew Markham of
Plumstead magna in the County of Norfolk Cler[k] though sick in
Body yet of good and sound Memory & understanding praise be the
Lord Doe this sixth day of October in the Eight & twentieth year of
the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord King Charles the Second and of our
Lord God one Thousand Six Hundred Seventy Six 1676 make ordaine publish &
Declare this my last Will and Testam[en]^t: Revoking and annulling
all other and former Wills and writeings whatsoever purporting my
Will and Testam[en]^t: as followeth First I Bequeath my soul into the

[folio 170 recto]

hands of my gracious God & maker hopeing for and Expecting
Salvac[i]on by & through the alone merits & by the sole mediation
of my blessed Lord and Saviour the Lord Christ Jesus, and my Body to
the Earth from whence it was taken to be decently Interred
w[i]^the as little of the Vanity of the World as maybe by my Executrix
hereafter named And my mind & Will is that as I intended God
permitting me life to pay & see paid & discharged all my Fathers Debts
and Legacyes Soe I doe Will and my mind is that my Executrix doe
fully p[er]forme & make good that my Intention And to that End &
purpose I doe hereby Give and Bequeath to my said Executrix
my house called the Dye-house in the p[ar]ish of St Martin at Palace
in Norwich at the Foot of the North End of White-Fryers Bridge
& wherein the Widd[o]^w Mary English & one Foster now livesth w[i]^th
all thereto belonging to be Sold at the best Rate she can gett for
the Same within Eighteen Months after my Decease, And my
desire is after those Debts paid the Remainder may be Employed
for the purchasing of Lands some where adjoyning to the Estate where
I now live as my Uncle Cocke Shall advise And for my Estate at
Framingham hopeing & Expecting my Mother Will still live w[i]^th
my Wife, having no other Estate to make good my Fathers bequest
of thirty Pounds a year to her I give to my said Mother Anne
Markham my said Estate at Framingham Pigot & Framingham
Earle w[hi]^ch I bought it of [gap] Witherells during her life And
after her Death to my Wife to sell for raiseing porc[i]ons for my
younger Children be they more or but one, if there be more than
one the Same to be ^ ^equally divided betwixt them, but if there be living
but one, Then my Son to Have Equall part of what ariseth upon
the Sale with that one, be it Male or female; The House where=
=in I now live And all the Estate of mine there, I Give to my
Wife Barbara Markham for her life And after her Decease
To Daniel my Son In case he allow to his GrandMother the
Rents and proffitts of the Coppyhold Lands at Framingham
In case I live not to Surrend^er the Same to the use of my Will
as abovesaid, and to his Mother the Rents and proffitts of the Lands
w[hi]^ch are Coppyhold at Plumstead otherwise I give the Same to my s[ai]^d
Wife to be Sold to be divided among my other Children: For my
Leases at Plumstead and Surlingham I Give them to my Said
Wife for maintenance of my Children and to Increase their
any or every of their porc[i]ons as She see cause; All the Residue
of my Estate Goods Chattles household Stuffe & Implements
w[ha]^tsoever I Give to my Said Wife to pay my Debts and the
Residue to Enjoy during her life, and then to be disposed among
my Children according to her discretion; And that this is my Will
I hereto Subscribe my hand & Sett to my Seal as the Same is
Interlined by the same hand and written in one side of paper
the day and year first abovewritten:/: For my Brother
Charles I must leave him to my Wife as my Father did to me
to deale w[i]^th as he deserves and as She is able & Soe I
recomend him to her, I intend Dani^^ells Satisfaccon as a
Legacye of my Fathers out of the house in Norw[i]^ch to be
sold and for the Westcoats given by my Father and what
else is in his Will :/: Sealed Subscribed Published & Declared
in the p[re]sence of

Matthew Markham

G: Cock : Anne Wills
Charles George Markham

Research notes

This will was written on 6 October 1676. The will of Matthew's father was written in May of the same year.

Matthew Markham Senior's probate notice has mention of Barbara Markham, this Matthew's wife. Needs translating, but probably mentions the death of the son, and the wife taking over as executor.

"Uncle Cocke" is possibly Matthew's mother's brother. Some sources have Matthew Markham senior marrying twice - first to Mary Peckover, who died in childbirth, and second to Anne Cocke, daughter of Charles George Cocke. Note signature of witness as Charles George Markham - possibly Matthew's brother, named for his mother's brother, and G. Cocke, possible George Cocke. Southgate-301 22:16, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ Will - archival reference
   Markham, Mathew, clerk, of Plumstead
   Norfolk Record Office Online Catalogue
   Reference code: Item PRDC 1/2/6 fo. 170
   (accessed 1 Mar 2023)
2. ↑ Will - registered copy: "Probate records, 1572-1857"
   Catalog: Probate records, 1572-1857 Regd. Copy Wills, v. 3 1660-1686
   Film number: 008539534 > image 184 of 325
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C331-Z9RR-N (accessed 1 March 2023)
3. ↑ Will of Ann Markham, widow of Great Plumstead, 1681
4. ↑ Will of Matthew Markham of Thorpe next Norwich, 1676