Will of William Wells, clerk, Norwich 1620

Date: 1620 [unknown]
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, England
Surnames/tags: Wells Force Hocknell

This is the will of the Reverend William Wells, prebendary of Norwich Cathedral and rector of the church of St Peter Mancroft, Norwich, Norfolk, England. The will was written on 6 May 1620 when he was about 54 years of age and proved at the Consistory Court of Norwich on 6 July 1602. ^[1]

It names his wife Elizabeth.
Children in birth order: Susan, William, Elizabeth, John and Anne.
Property in St Peter Mancroft (Norwich), St Peter Southgate (Norwich) and the parishes of Potter Heigham and Ludham (both in Norfolk, out towards the east coast).

The codicil names his wife's son (actually her step-son) Silvester Force, son of her first husband also named Silvester Force whose will is transcribed here.
Brother in law John Hocknell (Elizabeth's brother)
Silvester owed money to "Certeine Londoners" and both William Wells and John Hocknell had underwritten the bonds. Silvester had also mortgaged his own property in the parish of St George Colegate to William.

A misreading of this will had previously led to the belief by Hayes in his genealogy of the Wells family that William's eldest son was John rather than William. ^[2] Neither are referred to as the eldest. Although John is mentioned first, he would inherit his mother's property in the parish of St Peter Mancroft only after her death. William the son is bequeathed property in his own right, as is the eldest daughter Susan, both of them near their age of majority.

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The transcription below has spelling and line breaks as per the original.
The punctuation is more than usual for wills at this time and has been included.
Ligatures and abbreviations have been expanded in [square brackets].
Missing words are indicated by [italics in square brackets]
Breaks for new Items and bold highlighting are my own for ease of reading.

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In the name of God Amen
the twentie Daie of Maie in the yeare of our lord god one thousand
Sixe hundred and twenty I William Wells of
the Cittie of Norwich Clerke Consideringe the frayltie
of this lyfe And being sick in bodye yett whilst my
understandinge and memorie Contineweth, doe make
and ordaine this my last will and testament in man[ne]r
and forme Followinge,

First of all I com[m]end my Soule
into the hands of Allmightie God my mercifull Father
trusting and assuredlie beleivinge by the merritts of
the death and passion of Jhesus Christ my gratious
Redeemer, to obtain p[ar]don and forgiveness of all my
Sinnes, and inheritance of lyfe and happiness with
them that are Sanctyfied and my Bodye I Committ to
the earth to be buried in Christian Buriall:

Item I give
and bequeath to Elizabeth Wells my welbeloved
wyfe All that my messuage or tenemente with the
appurtenenaces Scituate Lying and being in the
p[ar]ish of St Peter of Mancroft in Norwich which I late
purchased of Thomas Quash of Norwich aforesaid to
have and to houlde the foresaid Tenement with the

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Appurtenances to the said Elizabeth my wyfe duringe
her natural lyfe uppon Condition that she or her
assignes shall keepe and mainetaine all the said
howses in good and sufficient Rep[ar]acons And after
the said Elizabeth my wyfe, I give and bequeathe
the said messuage or tenement with all the
appurtenances unto John Wells my Sonne and to his heires
for ever, provided alwaies that if John my sonne doe
dye and dep[ar]t this lyfe before his mother without issue
of his bodye lawfully begotten, then I will and bequeath
the said messuage or tenemente with the appurtenances
after the Death of my said wyfe unto William Wells my
Sonne to have and to hold to him the said William &
to his heires for ever

Item I give and bequeath unto
Susan Wells my daughter all that my messuage or
Tenements with the land and all other appurtenances
therto belonginge Scituate Lying and beinge in
Potter Heigham in the Countie of Norff[olk], which I
lately bought and purchased of one Edward Dawe and
seaven acres of land which I lately bought and purchased
of one Walter Baspoole of the said Potter Heigham gent.
which said seaven acres are nowe used and occupied w[i]th
the said ferme, to have and to hold the said howses lands
and appurtenances and also the said seaven acres unto
the said Susan Wells my daughter and her heirs
for ever, p[ro]vided alwaies that the said Susan my
Daughter shall paie or cause to be paid, unto Elizabeth
my wyfe, out of the Rents and p[ro]fitts of the said lands
and tenements to her given and bequeathed, the Sum
of tenn pounds a yeare of lawfull money of England
untill the said Susan shall accomplish the age
of one and twenty yeares

Item I give and bequeath

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Unto Elizabeth Wells my wyfe all that my messauge
or tenements with the lands and appurtenances there
to belonginge, Scituate Lyinge and beinge in Potter
Heigham aftoresaid and Ludsam which I late boughte
and purchased of Thomas Rase and Richard Colman,
To have and to hold unto the said Elizabeth my wyfe so
keepinge them in good and Sufficient Rep[ar]acons until
my daughter Elizabeth Wells shall come to her full age
of twentie yeares, And when she shall attaine to her
full age of twentie yeares, Then I give and bequeath
the said house and lands with the appurtenances therto
belonginge to the said Elizabeth my Daughter, to have
and to hold the same to her and her heires for ever
Providing alwaies and my will and meaninge is th[a]t
yf the said Elizabeth my wyfe shall dye and Departe
this lyfe before the said Elizabeth my Daughter shall
attaine to her full age of twenty yeares, that then the
said Elizabeth my Daughter or her heires, shall have
and enioye the foresaud bequest from and imediatlie
after the death of the said Elizabeth my wyfe.

Item I
give and bequeath to the said Elizabeth my wyfe, all
the my messuage or tenement with the appurtenances
and the lands therto belonginge, Scituate Lying
and beinge in the Potter Heigham aforesaid, which I late
bought and purchased of one Francis [blank space] Clerke and
Also sixe acres of Lands p[ar]cell of twelve acres w[hi]ch
I late bought of Walter Baspoole of Potter Heigham
aforesaid gent : w[hi]ch said sixe acres are nowe used &
occupied with the said ferme, All which Last recited
pr[e]missis, I give to the said Elizabeth my wyfe, to have
hold and enioye (she keepinge them in good & sufficient
Rep[ar]acons) until my Daughter Anne Wells shall
come to her full age of twentie years, and then and
from thence forth, I give and bequeath all the said

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Last before recited pr[e]miss[e]s, to the said Ann [inserted Wells] my daughter
to have and to hold the said pr[e]missis to her the said
Anne Wells and to her heires for ever, p[ro]vidid alwaies
that if the said Elizabeth my wyfe, doe dye and
dep[ar]t this lyfe before the said Ann my Daughter
shall attayne her age of twenty yeares, then my
will and meaninge is, and I give and bequeath the
said howses and lands last before recited to the said
Ann my Daughter and her heires to have and to hold
to her and her heires for ever from and Imediatlye
after the death of the said Elizabeth my wyfe
Provided alwaies, and my will and meaning is
that if any of my three Daughters, Susan Elizabeth
or Ann Wells shall Departe this lyfe without issues
of there Bodies Lawfully Begotten, or before they
shall attaine to there severall ages of twenty yeares
that then my Sonne William Wells shall have and
Enioy her or there p[art]s or p[or]cons of houses land or te[ne]m[en]ts
with the appurtenances before given and bequeathed
at such tyme or tymes And in such mann[er] and forme
as she or they the said Susan Elizabeth or Anne
shoule have had or enioyed the same yf she or they
had lived

Item I give and bequeath unto William
Wells my sonne, All that my messuage or tenemente
with the appurtenances Scituate lying and being
in Connyford Streete in the p[ar]ish of St Peter of
Southgate in Norwich, To have and to hold the s[ai]d
Tenemente with the appurtenances, to him the s[ai]d
William Wells and his heires for ever, And for the
Rest of my Goods and mouvables, I give and be=
=queath them in mann[er] and forme Followinge (vid[zi]t)

Impr[im]is I give to the poore to be distributed in bread
at my buriall xxx s

Item I give to the prisoners of
the Castle v s

Item I give to the poore prisoners

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Off the Guild Hall v s

Item I give towards the
Rep[ar]acons of the p[ar]ish Church of St Peters of
Mancrofte in Norwich [blank]

Item I give towards
the Rep[ar]acons of the p[ar]ish Church of Intwoode xx s

Item I give to my daughter Elizabeth Wells Twentie
pounds

Item I give to my daughter Ann twentie
pounds to be paid unto them both at such tyme and
tymes as they or eyther of them shall receyve there
former porcons, or legacies of land before bequeathed
unto them

Item I give to William Wells my sonne
Twentie pounds

Item I give to John Wells my
Sonne twenty pounds, to be paid them by my
Executor, at these severall ages of one and twenty
yeares, or at the Death of Elizabeth my wyfe, which
Comes soonest

Item I give and bequeath all my
books and wrightings to William Wells my sonne yf
he be a Scholler, but my will and meaninge is that
my Executor shall not Deliver them unto him untill
such tyme as he shall have taken the Degree of
Maister or Artes, or be chossen fellowe of A
Colledge or ells be instituted and inducted into a
Benyfice, And yf my Sonne William shall not p[ro]ve
a Scholler, then I give and bequeath the said bookes
and wrightings unto John Wells my Sonne to be
delivered by my Executor uppon the like Condicons
and not other wise
And if it shall soe fall out that
neyther of my Sonnes shall proves Schollers, then
my will and meaninge is that my bookes shalbe sould
and the monie to be Devided amongst my two sonnes
William and John Equally

All the rest of my goods
Chattells Cattells, moveables and my contents of
howshould stuff, whatsoever, not before given nor
bequeathed, I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth
my wyfe, whom I make and ordaine sole Executrixe

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Off this my last will and Testamente In witness
wherof I have sett my hand and seale teh daie and
yeare abobe written these being witnesses
Robert Debney
Richard Gammon
and George Mumford

Will Welles, testat[o]r

A schedule annexed to my last will and Testament

Item whereas I the first named William Wells
testator, stand bound in several bonds to sea[ver]all
p[er]sons, for Diverse somes of money for one Silvester
Force my wyfes Sonne, all which bonds are
forfegt. And the said Silvester Force hath
mortgaged his howse messuage or tenement
Scituate and being in the p[ar]ish of St Georges
of Collgate, unto me the said William Wells
For my securite and Dischadge which said
Messuage or tenement is forfegted to me to me as by
the said wrightaings or mortgage more at lardge
doth and may appeare. I doo therefore give and
bequeathe the said messuage or tenem[en]te w[i]th the
appurtenances therto belonging unto Elizabeth
my wife to be sould by her or her assignes to the
best prise and the money therof arisinge and
Comminge to be imployed by her or her assignes
for and towards the payment of such somes of
monie As I the said William stand bound w[i]th
the said Silvester, to paie and Dischardge as also
for the dischardge of such sumes of money as
John Hocknell my Brother in Lawe at my
intreatie standeth bound for the said Silvester
unto Certeine Londoners. And the overplus or
Remainder (yf there shalbe any) to be by my said
wyfe Elizabeth desbuesed in the hand of the said

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Silvester within one month after the said bonds and
Severall somes of monie shalbe fully satisfied
and Dischardged, In wittnes whereof I have sette
my hand and Seale this twentiesth daie of Maye
Anno D[o]m[ini]

William Wells

Witnessed Richard Garman
George Mumford and
Robt Michaell

Probate in Latin
Probate of the will and Schedule granted to Monsignor Richard Gamon
Clerke appearing for Eliz Welles the executrice on Sixth July Anno Domini

Sources

1. ↑ Will of William Wells 1620 in: Probate records for the Episcopal Consistory Court, Archdeaconry of Norwich Regd. copy wills volume 115 1620 Register: Williams, Folio 100 full images on Family Search Accessed 5 June 2021
2. ↑ Interpretation of the Will of William Wells in: William Wells of Southold and his Descendants AD 1638 to 1878 by Charles Wells Hayes, Canon of St Luke's Cathedral, Portland, Maine. USA Published Buffalo, New York, 1878 Internet Archive Accessed 5 June 2021