Will of Robert Cowper of Hingham 1509

Date: 1509 to 1509
Location: Hingham, Norfolk, England
Surnames/tags: Cowper Cooper

Contents 1 Introductory Notes 2 Transcription Conventions 3 Persons Mentioned 4 Will 5 Probate 6 Footnotes

Introductory Notes

The will of Robert Cooper of Hingham, Norfolk, England was written on 5 May 1509 and proved in the Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk on 10 July 1509.^[1]

The will is a register copy, written in English over 3 pages. The first page is in a different (and much neater) hand than the second and third. The second and third pages can be difficult to read in places, even where the page is undamaged. There is significant moisture damage to the top-right of the register, which means that some text has been lost as it is on a part of the page which no longer exists. Additionally, the part of the parchment that is close to the missing area has significant staining, making the text very faint and difficult to read. The will starts two-thirds of the way down folio 202 verso and the probate statement ends just over halfway down folio 203 verso.

Transcription Conventions

The conventions used in this transcription are:

• spelling, punctuation, line breaks and capitalisation are recorded as in the document, with the following exceptions to aid readability:
  • capital I is silently modernised to I or J as appropriate (eg "Joan", rather than "Ioan")
  • ff at the start of a word is silently modernised to F (eg "First", rather than "ffirst")
  • additional paragraph breaks may be included to increase readability of large amounts of text
• superscript letters are silently lowered, except where these relate to money (eg ^{li s d}), dates (eg ^th) or titles (eg M^rs)
• abbreviations/breviographs are expanded with the additional letter(s) in square brackets, except symbols for money (li s d) and the ampersand (&)
• the letter thorn is recorded as "th" in square brackets (eg "[th]e", rather than "ye")
• the letter yogh, which often appears like a "z", is recorded as "gh" or "y" (depending on the context) in square brackets (eg "[y]ellow", rather than "zellow")
• short series of missing/illegible letters are recorded with a period for each letter thought to be missing/illegible in square brackets; longer gaps are described with an editorial note
• editorial notes are italicised and in square brackets
• names and relationships are highlighted in bold
• footnotes are used to clarify archaic terms, difficult text and discrepancies
• u/v and i/j are recorded as they appear; even where modern usage would dictate one over the other (eg "haue", rather than "have" if the third letter is clearly a "u"; "vnto", rather than "unto" if the first letter is clearly a "v")
• the virgule, signifying a pause (comma, semi-colon, colon or full-stop), is recorded using a forward slash /, but only when such intent is obvious (the virgule is often indistinguishable from various check marks and otiose flourishes that are of no significance)

Persons Mentioned

The will mentions the persons below. Modern/alternative spellings for names have been included where appropriate, to help ensure this page is listed in relevant web searches.

• Rob[er]t Cowp[er] of hengh[a]m: Robert Cooper of Hingham, testator
• kat[er]yne my wyfe: Katherine Cooper, wife
• Thomas my son: Thomas Cooper, son
• Roger Neve of wymondham: Roger Neve of Wymondham, to pay a legacy to Thomas Cooper
• John Cowp[er] my broder: John Cooper, brother
• my too Chyldyrn petir & Alis: Peter Cooper and Alice Cooper, children
• John Cowp[er] my godson: John Cooper, godson
• Margar[et] Cok my Sister: Margaret Coke, sister
• John Elyngham: John Ellingham
• Ser herry heydon Knyght: Sir Henry Heydon, knight, bought land from him

Will

[folio 202 verso]

In Dei No[mi]ne Amen The v^th Day of Maye in the yer of owr lord god m^t D ix I Rob[er]t Cowp[er]
of hengh[a]m hoole of mende & in gode remembrance beyng make thys my testament & last wyll[e]
in thys man[er] folowyng Fyrst I bequethe my sowle to god allmyghty owr lady saynt mary And to
All the holy cu[m]pany in hevyn my body to be buryed in the chyrche yarde of hengh[a]m forseyd
of saynt Andrew un to the wyche hyghe Awlter ther I bequethe for my tythys & offeryng[es]
forgotyn & w[i]tholdyn vj^s viij^d It[em] I bequethe to the reperac[i]on of the seyd chyrch xxs It[em]
I bequethe to the lyghte of corpis cristi Saynt Andrew Saynt petyr the hyghe Rode the
browne Rode owr lady in the chapell[e] owr lady pyte to yche of thes lyght[es] ij^d And to eu[er]y
ov[er] lyght kepte of Custom w[i]t[h] in the seyd chyrche j^d It[em] I gyff to the gylde of seynt petyr
in hengh[a]m xij^d It[e]m I gefe to kat[er]yne my wyfe xvij Acrez of ereabyll lande As they lyhe

[folio 203 recto]

in the F[eld] of hacford I [rest of line illegible]
exect[or] And of sobe the seyd kat[er]yn [rest of line illegible]
for the p[ri]ce of xx^ti marke that than I will the [rest of line illegible]
haue xx^ti marke in mony to be payed as it may be [rest of line illegible]
good[es] It[e]m I will[e] my mesuage edifis & on edifis no[?] all my
inclosez pastur fedyngs w[i]t[h] thappertenancez as thei so leyd in he[ngham]
& hacford be sold be my exec[utor] to pay my dett[es] & p[er]formac[i]on of
this my testame[n]t and last will[e] It[em] I will[e] haue on honest p[re]ste to
Syng for my sowle & my ben[er]fact[or] Sowlez in the churche of hengh[a]m
be the space of on hole yer It[em] I gyf to Thomas my son v marc
As it may be payed of my good[es] & xx^s that shall[e] cum ferm
Roger Neve of wymondham my blew gown a falte tabyll[e] It[e]m I
will[e] that John Cowp[er] my broder haue the rewle & kepyng
of Thomas my Son unto the tyme he shull[e] come at laughfull[e]
Age It[em] I gyff Kat[er]ine my wiff v marc to the kepyng of
my too Chyldyrn petir & Alis It[em] I giff Kat[er]ine my wiff my
vtencell[e] & necessar of howshold except my grete brasse potte the
whiche I will[e] besold be my exec[utor] It[em] I giff John Cowp[er]
my godson my tawny gown It[em] I gyff to Margar[et] Cok
my Sister the best hedkerche saue on the whiche wer
my other weves It[em] I geve John Elyngham my best
Dobelet of wursted It[em] I gyve to Thomas my sone
All[e] Sveche land[es] as I late Bowth of Ser herry heydon
Knyght as thei lyght in hacford feld to gyff & sell[e]
for eu[er] It[em] I gyff to Kat[er]yne my wiff a Mylche
Cow nexte the beste & a twelmonetyng color Rede
It[em] to petyr Cowp[er] my son xxvj^s viij^d And to
Alic my Doughter xx^s to be payed when thei
cume At lawfull[e] Age It[em] I will[e] Kat[er]yn my wiff

[folio 203 verso]

[missing] my mesuage be the space of
[missing] of her nete in the pasturs
[missing] wode It[em] I geve to Kat[er]yn my wiff ij Combe whete
j co[m]be malte & a lytill[e] mere Color white & grey w[i]t[h] all[e]
my Fowlez gesse he[n]nes & Dokys It[em] I ^will[e] Desyer & requere my
cofeffey & eche of them infeffid in Mes lend[es] pastur incloses
fedyng[es] & in eche p[ar]cell[e] of [th]em as is befor rehersid shall[e] geve
a state to my execut[or] or to eny other be them assyned at all[e]
tymez when they shalbe then desiered or requested The residue
of my good[es] not geve nor assyned I put them in the hand[es]
of my execut[or] whom I ordeyn & make my execut[or] John Cowp[er]
my broder & Margar[et] Cok my syster whom I gif for ther
labor this my test[ament] & last will[e] fulfill[e] & p[er]formyd the residue
of my gode at ther will[e] to be disposid wretyn day & yer a
bove sed

Probate

[folio 203 verso continued; translated from Latin]

The above testament was proved at Hingham before etc, the tenth day of July in the year of Our Lord 1509 etc.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Court of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk, Registered copy wills, v. 2 (Shaw), 1460-1509, fol. 202 verso, no. 99, will of Robert COWPER of Hingham, proved 10 July 1509; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 25 April 2022) DGS no. 8004746, image 122 of 289; Norfolk Record Office.