IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN the twenty third day of the month of January in the year of
the Lord one thousand five hundred and five.
I William Cooke senior of the parish of Smerden being in possession of a sound mind and
memory put together my testament in this manner In the first instance I bequeath my soul
to God omnipotent the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints in Heaven and my body to be
interred in the cemetery of Saint Michael the Archangel of Smerden aforesaid
Item to bequeath to the high altar there for my tithes and obligations forgotten 4d.
I bequeath to the light of the Blessed Virgin Mary there 1d.
Item I bequeath to the light of Dom. Thomas Woghope there 2d.
And I make ordain and constitute of this my present testament my wife Johanna to be my executrix to whom I give and bequeath the residue of all my goods not previously bequeathed my debts and legacies first paid And make Stephen Pell supervisor
These being witness Robert Ive, Johanna Moyne and Nicholas Wey
THIS IS THE LAST WILL of me the aforesaid William Cooke senior made and declared to Simon Cooke, William Cooke junior, Nicholas Wey and Stephen Pell the day and year above said and the twenty first year of the reign of king Henry the seventh after the conquest of England
In the first instance I wish that Johanna my wife have my messuage, one garden and one
piece of land with their appurtenances to have and to hold to her and her assigns for the
whole term of her life under the condition that she pay all my debts and legacies
And after the decease of the said Johanna my wife I wish that the said messuage garden and piece of
land with all their appurtenances to pass if the said Johanna be pregnant to the heir of which she is pregnant
if in fact she is not then I wish that after the decease of the said
Johanna the aforesaid messuage garden and piece of land with their appurtenances to be
sold by my feoffees for the best price which they are able And the money in respect thereof
and received I wish that a certain suitable priest have five marks to celebrate and sing for my
soul and the souls of my parents
Item I wish that it is distributed on the noxious ways between my messuage and the church of Smerden aforesaid 40s.
Item I wish that Thomas Cooke my brother have 20s. if the living
Item I wish that the church of Smerden aforesaid have 40s. to the use of the same church
Item I wish that Stephen Pell have 6s. 8d.
Item I wish that my next of kin if he should wish to buy and purchase it to him the said
messuage garden and piece of land with their appurtenances was to be sold to him
previously before any others yielding more
Item I wish that if three out of my feoffees depart before that said messuage garden and piece of land as previously after the decease of the said Johanna it happen to be sold then I wish that out them surviving to enfeoff to them another four
Item I wish that each of my feoffees by whom this selling and alienation of the said messuage garden and piece of land by them made to have 6s. 8d.
The right residue of the said money received if there be any residue to be divided between my next of kin
These being witness Simon Cooke, William Cooke junior, Laurence Marler, Nicholas Wey and Stephen Pell
PROBATE was granted of the aforesaid testament the twenty seventh day of the month of April in the year of the Lord one thousand five hundred and six and proved etc. Administration of all and singular the goods etc. are committed to the executrix named in the aforesaid testament first sworn in due form of law
Notes:
PRC 17/10 f.107 has a bequest to the light of Dom. Thomas Woghope.
This intrigued me and I wondered who he was � a Saint?. It transpires he had a cult following at Smarden. Smarden had the Light of Sir (also called Saint) Thomas Wohope, Whoope, or Woghope, who it seems was a former rector of the parish, for John Saunder of Smarden in 1510 gave 4d. to " The Light of Sir Thomas Wohope, sometime parson of the same Church."
A Dom. Thomas Woghope was Treasurer of Canterbury when on 22 May 1332 he was commissioned with others, by Archbishop Simon Mepham, to examine candidates for Ordination, in" Christ Church Register L," fol. 20, per Rev. T. S. Frampton, F.S.A.
This Thomas Woghope was probably the founder of the Light (perhaps in honour of St. Thomas of Canterbury), which was, however, known by his name, in the same way that the Hospital of St. Thomas of Canterbury in Sandwich was spoken of as the Hospital of St. Thomas Ellis, who was the founder.
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