Will of Simon Cowper, Wheelwright of Attleborough, 1580

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Attleborough, Norfolk, England
Surnames/tags: Cowper Cooper

This is a transcript of the register copy of the Will of Simon Cowper, Wheelwright, of Attleborough, Norfolk, England. It was written on 12 May 1580. It was probated on 17 June 1585 .^[1]

The image quality was good. There was some bleed-through on pages but the handwriting very legible.
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.
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]

Persons Mentioned:

• Simon Cowper - Wheelwright, Testator
• Agnes (Unknown) Cowper - testator's wife
• James Cooke - testator's farmer
• John Cowper - testator's son
• Johane Cowper - testator's daughter
• Thomas Cowper - testator's son
• Andrew Rowsse - owner of land abbutting testator's
• Thomas Smithe - owner of land abbutting testator's
• Valentine Davie - testator's grandchild
• Sarah Pullham - testator's grandchild
• John Cowper - testator's former servant
• John Raynolds, Gentleman - Supervisor of testator's will
• Peter Cowper of Hingham - Supervisor of testator's will

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In the name of god Amen
The xii^th day of May in the two & twentie
yeare of the Reign of our sov[er]aign Ladie
Elizabeth by the grace of God Quene of
England France & Ireland Defender of the faith
&c I Simond Cowp[er] of Attilburgh in the
Countie of Norff[olk] wheellwright beyinge in good
& hole minde praysed be God, make & declare
this my p[re]sent Testament and last will in mann[er]
& forme followinge refusinge settinge voyde &
adnullinge all other testatm[en]ts & wills by me made
in times past First I bequeath my soule unto the
M[er]cie of allmightie God and my bodey to be buried
in the Churchyard of Attilburghe aforsaid

Item
I will that ther shalbe bestowed on day of
my buryall to such use as shalbe thought most
Expedient by my Sup[er]visors to the valew of
tenne shillinges

Item I do give and bequeath into the
pore mens boxe beyinge w[i]thin the p[ar]ishe
Churche of Attilburghe aforsaid to the use of
the pore of the same towne vj^s viij^d to be
paid in the two yeares next Ensuynge after
my decease by Even p[or]c[i]ons

Item I will & my
minde is that Agnes my wife for & in steade of
sutch dowrye or thirde p[ar]te as she might
lawfullye have of and in all and singular those
landes tenementes medowes pastures & hereditrm[en]tes
w[hi]ch at any time I have and shall be siesed of
whersoev[er] they lie or be shall have hir Dwellinge
not onely her selfe but allso for hir ma^yde or
girle if she will kepe any in that kytchinne
of my messuadge wher James Cooke my fermor

Page 2

do nowe dwell with the use of the Chamber ov[er] the
same kitchinne the use or occupyinge of my hempe
landes at Portmans, Rowmth Convenient in one
of the houss of the said messuadge to lay in her
hempe, Romth convenient for her fuell in the
yarde of the same messuadge, the one halfe of
all those Apples, peares, Wardens wallnutts
and plumbes as shall growe w[i]thin the grounds
belonginge unto the same messuadge w[hi]ch shalbe
Collected at the gatheringe tymes and lib[er]tie
to Fetch &^or take the water at the well of the same
messuadge with ^free Ingate and Outgate for and
duringe the whole tearme of the naturall life of
the same Agnes my wife

Item I will do give &
bequeath allso my full Intente & minde is, if
John Cowp[er] my sonne shall survive my said wife, or shall
have issue of his body that he the said John
Cowp[er] my sonne his heires & ass[igne]s shall have all & singular my messuage lands Tenem[en]ts
& hereditam[en]ts both free and Coppihold wher=
=soev[er] they lie or be w[i]th all & singular thapp[er]te=
nances allwayes excepte & Reserved to & for
my said wife for & during the hole tearme
of her naturall life all & singular the
Comodities herein afore to her devised. And
allso upon Condic[i]on that the same John his
heires or ass[igne]s into more fuller satisfact[i]on
& for and insteade of my said wifes dowrie
or thirde p[ar]te shall yearely ev[er]y yeare from
the day of my decease duringe the hole tearme
of the naturall life of the said Agnes

Page 3

my wife well & sufficiently kepe w[i]th winter
meate and somm[er] meate two neate of my said
wifes allso one hogge of the said wifes the
same neate and hogge to be accompted as
Cow th[er]namit upon my said messuage. And shall
allso yearly ev[er]y yeare duringe all the same
tearme of her naturall life deliv[er] at & w[i]thin
my messuadge unto the same Agnes my wife
for her only use three Combz of good sufficient
mixtlynne three Combz of good sufficient malte
one hundred and a halfe of good & sufficient
faggots of woode, and allso well & sufficiently
maynteyne and Repayre all the said kitchynne
and Chamber ov[er] the same kitchynne by &
duringe all the same tearme And that he the
said John Cowp[er] my sonne his heires & ass[igne]s of
his or ther onely Chardgs shall yearely ev[er]y
yeare from the day of my decease duringe the
whole tearme of the naturall life of the said
Agnes my wife at all expedient & Convenient
tymes well & sufficiently till Arrye sowe w[i]th
hempe seede and harcowe all the saide hempe
lande lyinge at Portmans (the same Agnes
finding the seede and the hempe thereof beyinge
pulled the said John my sonne his heires or
ass[igne]s shall not onely Carry unto the water ther
to be rotted, but shall allso Carrie the same
home for & to the use my said wife And if
my said sonne John Cowp[er] his heires or ass[igne]s
shall settingely obstinately ^& willingely make
defawlte of^{in the} deliverye of any p[ar]te or p[ar]cell of
the said Greyne, deliv[er]ye of any of the said
faggots of wood in the keepinge of the said

Page 4

two neate and one hogge or swyne, tilladge of the
said hempeland Carriadge & recarriadge of the
hempe, that shall at any time duringe the life of
the said Agnes my wife growe upon the same
hempe grounde, or in the Reparinge of the said
kitchynne and Chamber I will & my minde is that
then from thenceforth after sutch defawlte, so therin
or in any of them happeninge to be made my said
wife & hir ass[igne]s to her onely use shall Enioy the
occupyinge of somutch of my said tenem[en]te medowes
pastures and hereditamentes as is onely free or Chartyr
holde w[i]th the app[er]tenances for and duringe the hole
tearme of her naturall life, Any thinge aforsaid to
the Contrary in anywise notw[i]thstandinge. And
moreov[er] upon Condic[i]on that the then said John Cowp[er]
my sonne his heires or ass[igne]s shall pay or cause to
be paide unto Johane Cowp[er] my daughter or to hir
Executors administrators or ass[igne]s at w[i]thin my
messuadge tenne pounds of lawfull money of England
in mann[er] & forme followinge, that is to say, in three
yeares next ensuinge my said wifes decease by
equall and Even porc[i]ons. And unto Thomas
Cowp[er] my sonne or to his Executors administrators
or ass[igne]s twentie poundes of lawfull money of
England at or w[i]thin my my said messuage in fower
sev[er]all yeares next & ymediately followinge those
said three yeares by equall & Even porc[i]ons. And
if defawlte shall Chaunce to be made in the
payment of any p[ar]t or p[ar]cell of the saide tenne
pounds devised as is aforsaid unto my said daughter
to her executors administrators & ass[igne]s by the
space and^or tyme of one moneth next after any
time at or in w[hi]ch as is aforsaid it oughte to be
paide, beyinge before that tyme resonablye

Page 5
demaunded at my said messuage I will & my
minde is that then the same Johane my daughter
hir heires & ass[igne]s shall have hold and Enioye
my three halfe acres of lande free lyinge in one
peece betwene the lands of Andrew Rowsse on both
sids abbuttinge upon Portwey towards the Easte
and upon [blank space] towards and all one acre of lande
lyinge in the longe fu[r]longe betwene the lands of
Thomas Smithe gent on the south & northe
p[ar]ts from thenceforth for ev[er]. Any thinge aforsaid
too the Contrary in any wise then notwithstandinge
And if defawlte shall Chaunce to be made in the
payment of any p[ar]te or p[ar]cell of those twentie
pounds w[hi]ch I have before devised or lymitted
unto the same Thomas Cowp[er] my sonne his
Executors administators and ass[igne]s by the space or
tyme of one moneth next after that ought to be
paid beinge before that reasonablie demandid at
my said messuage. I will my full Intente & minde
is, that then from thenceforth the said Thomas
Cowp[er] my sonne his heires & ass[igne]s shall have
hold & Enioy to ther onely us[e]s all and singular
those my lands meddowes and pastures that be
onely free or Chartyrholde that do lye in my
Inclos[e]s w[hi]ch be called littell Croste w[i]th ther
app[er]tenances for ev[er] (any thinge afore specifyed to
the Contrarye then notw[i]thstandinge). Provided
allwayes I will and my onely Intente & minde
is that if it shall happen the said John Cowp[er]
my sonne to dep[ar]te from his naturall life before
the said Agnes my wife and shall not have issue
of his bodey lawfully begotten w[hi]ch shall survive
the same my wife, That then all my my said
messuags lands tenements meddowes pastures
hereditam[en]ts both free & Coppie holde shall

Page 6
hollye remayne unto the said Thomas Cowp[er]
my sonne his heires & ass[igne]s forev[er] savinge
unto my said wife all and singular the said
Comodities us[e]s & p[ro]fits as is afore specified
And allso upon & under all the Condic[i]ons and
penalties afore specified and not any otherwise

Item I do give and bequeth unto the said Agnes
my wife my two best mylche neate, my best
horse best or meare all my swinne geece and
pullerye all my stuffe and Implementes of household
beynge wheare I nowe dwell, savinge my best
brass potte and my best Cawdron with potte &
Cawdron, and allso all my goods & stocke remayninge
in James Cooks handes I do give I do give and
bequeath unto John my sonne

Item I do give and
bequeath unto the said Agnes my wife to her
Executors & ass[igne]s all my winter corne, growinge
upon my lands and five combz of barlie

Item I
do give & bequeath unto Valentine Davie my
Graundchilde tenne shillings to be paid at his
age of xx^tie yeares if he shall live so longe
and to Sara Pullh[a]m my graundchilde other
tenne shillings to be paid at her age of xviij^tene
yeares if she shall so longe live and to John Cowp[er]
late my servaunte tenne shillings and to ev[er]y one
of my other Godchildren xij^d a peece,

Item all
& singular the Rest of my goods Cattells and
debts not before nor hereafter given nor bequeathed
I do fully & holy give & bequeath them unto
the said John Cowp[er] my sonne his executors
or ass[igne]s payinge all sucth debts as I do owe and
allso p[er]forminge this my p[re]sent Testam[en]t and
last will w[hi]ch John my sonne I do Constitute ordayne

Page 7

and make the sole Executor of this my p[re]sent testam[en]t
and last will. And I will and desyre John Raynolds
of Attilburghe aforesaid gente[man] and Peter Cowp[er]
of Hingham to be sup[er]visors of this the same
my Testam[en]t & will unto whom I do give and
bequeath for ther paynes herein to be taken vj^s
viij^d a peece. In witnes wherof hereunto I have
sette my seale given the day and yeare first above
written

Probate
This will was proved at Attilburghe sworn to Master Rob[e]rto Coney Bachelor of Sacred Theologysurrogate to the venerable Master William Pritherghe Doctor of Laws under the Commissary of the Arch[deconry?] of Norfolk, the seventeenth day of the month of June Anno Domini 1585. And adminstration of the goods &c given to the executor named in the said Testament they having been sworn (Translation by Jo Fitz-Henry

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Simon Cowper, Wheelwright, of Attlebourogh 1580, Episcopal Consistory Court, Archdeaconry of Norwich Wills and Adminstrations, Register copy wills, v. 28 (Sherwood), 1582-1586; digital images, [Register copy wills, v. 28 (Sherwood), 1582-1586 FamilySearch], FHL Digital Collection, DGS 80452739 images 480-483 of 642.] Accessed 9 April 2022