Will of Sir John Hobart 1612

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Hobart Will

This is a transcript of the register copy of the will of Sir John Hobart of London, son of James Hobart of Hales Hall, Loddon, Norfolk and Frances Drury. Sir John held the office of surveyor to the 4th Marquess of Winchester and 1599, and was the member of parliament for the consituency of Corfe Castle in 1604.

The will was written on the 18th of December 1612. It was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on the 7th of July 1613, the same day that Sir John was buried at St Botolph Bishopsgate. The register copy of the will is now catalogued with the Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills at The National Archives at Kew, Surrey, England.

The will is followed by two 'Probatum' written in Latin which have not been transcribed here.

Spelling and punctuation are as the register copy. Abbreviations have been expanding in square brackets. Capital 'f' has been transcribed as 'F' rather than 'ff'.

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Persons mentioned

• John Hobart's wife, Barbara Hobart nee. Blount, daughter of Walter Blount of Tittenhanger, Hertfordshire, Esq.
• John's son, John Hobart, of Waybread, Esq. Born 3 of July 1605, baptised 13th July 1605 at St James' Clerkenwell, London. 7 years old at the time the will was written.
• John's close friend, William Cecil (aka. 'Lord Burghley'), 2nd Earl of Exeter.
• William Cecil's wife and John's cousin, Elizabeth Cecil nee. Drury (aka. Lord Burghley's 'worthy lady').
• William Cecil's daughter and John's goddaughter, Anne Cecil.
• John's cousin, Sir Henry Hobart (aka. 'his Majestie's Attorney generall'), of Blickling, Norfolk.
• John's brother, Edward Hobart.
• John's brother, Robert Hobart.
• John's close friend Thomas Plumsted of Lincoln's Inn, Middlesex.
• Witnesses of the will, Robert Berney, Andrew Thomson, and John Edwards.

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The 18th of December 1612,
In Nomine Domim, First I most humbly beseech my eternall and mercifull Creator to vouchsave to accept into his bosome of grace my sinfull soule greivously spotted and degenerate from the puryty of his holy Creation, yet I hope and pray for mercy and salvation thorough the meritts passion and intercession of his deere sonne our Lord Jesus Christ our only saviour and redeemer to whom w[i]th father and the holy Ghost be all prayse honor and glory for ever and ever Amen. My bodie I leave to be buried at the discretion of my Executors in private manner w[i]thoute any pompe or Ceremony other then necessarie Christian decency and w[i]th distribution of io£ to the poore of that parish where I shall happen to be buried. I leave my sonne John to Gods good blessings and to his mothers sole care tyll his age of Twelve Years, after w[hi]ch age I desire and apointe her to educate and dispose of him by her advise and discretion of my honorable frinds the Lord Burghley and his worthy lady and of my worthiest and most esteemed Cosen his Ma[jest]ies Attorney generall to whom and the survivors of them under God I Comiss[ion] my said sonne to be governed and educated tyll he attains his age of 21 yeeres ernestly desiring he may be brought up in the feare of God and good learning especially in the Comon Lawes of this land to the w[hi]ch I hope in God he wilbe apt and thereby be the better inabled to serve the Church his prince and Contry and to increase the poore fortunes that I shall leave him. I allowe such maintenance for him in his minoritie as my said worthy freinds or the survivors of them shall thinke fitt, prayeng them that his allowance may not be for vanyties and I desire my said Wife not to urge maintenance for my said sonne tyll my debts be paid w[hi]ch I trust in God shall not be long. I will that my beloved and honored good Goddaughter Mis[s] Anne Cecill my Lo[rd] Burghleys daughter shall have at her mariadge a iewell or iewells A hundred poundes price the same to be bought to her owne liking w[hi]ch I desire her to weare in token of the love I beare her and the honor and dutie I beare her noble parents. I give to all that shalbe my servants at the tyme of my death a quarters wages besides there wages dewe to them. I make and ordeine my welbeloved brother on[e] Edward Hobarte and my good brother Mr Robert Hobarte and my verie loving freinde Mr Thomas Plumsted of Lincolns Inne Midd[lesex] gent to be Executors of this my last Will and Testament giving to everie of them that shall undertake the paines and Care to be my Executor Fiftie pounds 4 penc as sone as my debts be paid or w[i]thin two yeeres after my death, prayeing them to take that paines for me and myne w[hi]ch I would willingly have under taken for them and theres if it had pleased God I had survived them. Laus deo^[1]. Jhon Hobarte. Witnesses Rob[er]t Berney, Andrew Tomson, John Edwards. ^My will written all w[i]th my owne hand John Hobarte.

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Sources

1. ↑ Latin phrase meaning 'praise be to God'.

• Reference: PROB 11/122/60, Description: Will of Sir John Hobarte, Date: 07 July 1613. The National Archives online.

• The visitation of Norfolk in the year 1563, taken by William Harvey, Clarenceux king of arms. Ed. by the Rev. G. H. Dashwood, Hathi Trust page 73 and page 81, (accessed 18 August 2021)

• HOBART (HUBBARD), Sir John I (c.1567-1613), of St. Mary Spital, London and Clerkenwell, Mdx, Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604-1629, ed. Andrew Thrush and John P. Ferris, 2010. History of Parliament online Accessed 18 Aug 2021