Will of Robert Cooper Senior, 1626

Date: 1626 to 1627
Location: Hingham, Norfolk, England
Surname/tag: Cooper, Cowper, Coop

This is a transcription of extracts of the original record of the will of Robert Cooper (Cowper), of Hingham, Norfolk. The will was written on 14 January 1625/6 and proved 6 Mar 1626/7 to Robert and Anthony Coop[er] executors. Clemens Corbett was the Doctor of Laws in the Commissary Court.^[1]

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document, with the exception of 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
Abbreviations and breviographs have been expanded in [square brackets]
The image quality was good and the writing legible. Non standard spelling as per usual for this time period.

Family relationships gleaned from the will: Robert Cooper's wife was Marie (Unknown) Cooper (abt.1575-bef.1630). They didn't seem to have any children (or at least none who lived to an age to have children of their own) as no children or grandchildren are named in this will or Marie's will. Robert's brothers were Peter (who had sons Peter and John, and a daughter Elizabeth), William (who had a daughter Marie Harrold), John Cowper (1554-bef.1621) (who had sons Robert Cowper (abt.1576-bef.1641), Henry Cowper (abt.1587-bef.1626), and Anthony Cooper (abt.1584-bef.1636)) and a sister Bridget (she died before 1625/6 and had a daughter named Elizabeth).

Immediate family mentioned (verbatim, in order of appearance):
[page 2]

• Marie my nowe wife - Marie (Unknown) Cooper
• Peter Cooper, the sonne of my brother Peter - brother: Peter (Cowper) Cooper
• Elizabeth Cooper my brother Peter Coopers Daughter
• John Cooper the sonne of my said brother Peter

[page 4]

• Marie Harrold of Ailesham daughter of my deceased brother William Cooper - Marie (Cooper) Harrold, William (Cowper) Cooper
• Elizabeth the daughter of my deceased sister Bridgitt
• Addam^[2] Tuthill [Tuttell] my nephewe sonne of Elizabeth Raynolds[?] of Deepham
• Jeremye Cooper sonne of Anthonye Cooper my nephewe

[page 5]

• my brother Richard and his late wives children -0 Richard Cooper
• Robert Cooper Henrie Coop and Anthonye Coop sonnes of my brother John Coop - Robert Cowper, Henry Cowper, Anthony Cooper, John Cowper (1554-bef.1621)
• I make the said nephewe Henrie Coop sole executor

Other people mentioned:

• to the wife of Richard Pollard of Norwich
• Henrie Newarke the sonne of John Newarke
• old ffather Barnes
• old Mother Garrard
• John Baldwyn
• Bradburye Hardie daughter of Robert Hardyie deceased
• Alice Atkinson
• Robert Wright of Attleborghe
• William ___ of Hingham
• Robert Wright - possibly: Robert Wrighte

Page 1 of the will begins (verbatim):

I Robti Cooper Seniori

In the name of God Amen

the ffourtenth daie of Januarie in the yeare

of the Lord god 1625 I Robert Cooper the

elder of Hingham the countie of Norfk

yeoman beinge in good health and p[er]fecte

memorie thankes be given to god therefore

Doe make Decsaine and ordeyne this my

p[re]sent last will and testament in name

and forme following...

Sources

1. ↑ "Cooper, Robert, senior, yeoman, of Hingham," Item NCC will register Mittings 435, Online Catalogue Norfolk Record Office. Probate Records for the Episcopal Consistory Court, Archdeaconry of Norwich, Regd. copy wills vol. 121, 1626; film 94939, DGS 8219670, film # 00821967, images 482-84 of pp. 435-39, FamilySearch.org.
2. ↑ Anthony, possibly—there is a source for Elizabeth's son nd his name was Anthony, not Adam. However, her husband, Anthony's father, was Adam.