Will of Thomas Cooke

of Westbere, Kent

And I bequeith to the High Aultr [altar] there xvjd
And I bequeith to the crosse light halfe a seme* of barley [* I think it�s 8 seames = a bushel?]
And I bequeith to Saynet James light there ij busshells of barley
And I bequeith to the monastery of Synete Augustyne beside Cantbery [Canterbury] xijd
Item I will have yn the churche above named yn the day of my [burial] x masses And like wise at my monthes mynde & at my yeres mynde vj masses

Item I bequeith to Isabell my Wiff�s daught(er) iij shepe besides theym that I have nowe yn my kepyng of his
Item to Margery a cowe
Also to evry of thaym two That is to saye Isabell & Margery A brasse pott
Item to Johan my daught(er) x shepe & a bullokke [bullock] of xij monethes olde
Item to every of my ij sones Thomas & John a calff
Item to evry of my godchildren A lambe

The Residue of all my goods movable my detts & bequeths paid I holy give and bequeith to my wife

And I ordeyne and make Richard Nott & Petr [Peter] Baker executors of this my p�sent testament & last will And I give to evry of thaym for their labrs [labours] ijs viijd

And I ordeyne and make Sr John Gybbes of Westbere Overseer of the same
Item I bequeith to hym for his labrs [labours] xvjd

These Witness Sr John Agoine ? Clerke p�sonne [parson?]
Willim Osmund the elder John Bavell? Richard Alend Willm Stephenson and others

This is the Last Will of me the said Thomas Cooke made the day& yere abovesaid & yn the xxiij yere of the Reign of Kyng [Henry] the viijth As touching the disposition of all my lands tents. [tenements] & woods whiche I have yn the pysshe [parish] of Westbere aforesaid or els wher withyn the countie of Kent

First I will that John Cooke my sonne have my thre Acres of Woods And that not to be felled untyll by the suffrannce of God he com to the age of xxj yeres At whiche tyme I will he shall have it
Item I will that he have half an Acre of grownd lyeng next Sir Gylberts place

Item I will that Thomas Cooke my sonne have ij Acres of medow which I bought of Edward Frende

Item I will that one of my sonnes by [be] the others heire And for lack of thaym both my daught(er) Johan have it And if all them iij dye wthout lawfull heires that all it to be sold by myne executrs [executors] And the money thereof comyng to be bestowed yn the churche of Westbere And yn other charitable deeds for my soule helth att the direction of myne executrs [executors] & oversear

Item I charge my executrs [executors] with the p�formance of my mothers will & testament

Item I give to the use of the pishe of Westbere An Acre & a yard of lande lyeng yn Westbere feld to them that I may have an obite doone yerely yn the saide churche with dirige & two masses Also I will my fathers name my mothers & myne be evermore yn the bederoll And the curate to have for that iiijd by the yere

Also I will my wiffe to have all the p�fitte of my houses with the Apptennes [appurtenances] yn Westbere Strete by the space of vij yeres she kepyg thereof sufficent reparations [repairs]

Also I will that halff an Acre of lande whiche I bought of Edward Frende lyeng betwene Gylberts land & Manes And an other half Acre betwene the lands of Gylbert and an hole Acre of land betwene Hewett & Gylbert And a yard of land lyeng beside the drove way to be sold if nede be att the discrtion of myne Oversear to the p�formannce of this my testament And last will

Also I will that two Acres yn the marshe be sold yn like wise a manr as itis beforesaid

Concordat originalis
Probatum fuit: xxiij die Decembris Anno Dini [1531]

Notes:
Parish registers for Westbere do not commence until 1577 � some 46 years after the date of this Will.

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 2nd April 2019. All rights waived for personal use � BUT please quote source and reference.

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