Item I bequethe to the highe altar there for my Tithes and oblacons negligantly forgotten or wyth holdyin [withholden] xijd
Item I will there shalbe bestowed at my buryall in without the monethes mynde and yeres mynde in
dirige masses and other charitable dedes for my soule and all xpian [Christian] soules to the value of
iiiil [4 pounds] to be devyded and had out of the handes of my Brother John Essheherste [Ashurst] *
and John Mychall of my sonne Thomas pte or porcon [part of portion] as hereafter to hym is assigned
[* He leaves money to the Cooke family in his Will.]
Item I bequethe to Johanne my wif one fetherbede iij payres of shetes resonable for a bede one blanket one coverlet of the beste ij pilloughwes and a boulster as yt hath apperteyned one matteras ij payre of coarse Sheetes a bolster a coverlett thereunto belonging for her Servants? foure kyne one halfe dozin of Silver Spones of the best wth rounde knobbs and if any of theym doe lacke I will she shall have theym of the maydens heddes my beste harness and all my best Carpett and Twentye pounds of money uppon condicon That she shall make a release of all her right of Dower in all my landes and Tenements in the Countie of Kent
Item to eche of my children a fetherbede a bolster ii pillowes yf they will wche thereto yf not one pillowe to eche of them And also to eche of theym an payer of shettes
The residue of all my beddynge concerning my Servantes bedding and shetes wythall the hanginges in the same chambres shall remayne to Thomas Coke my sonne and in the howse where I dwell in to remeyne
Item I will all my brasse and pewter shall remayne to Johann my wif and to all my Children amongst theym equally to be devyded Provided always that the child that is to be born wthin my wif body shalhave one equall porcon with his foresaid mother and children of the foresaid brasse and pewter before rehersed
Item to John my sone my too gownes a dublett of Chamlett a Jackett of Russette my beste gelding Tenne poundes of money my lease that I have of John Bodde and all the howesing wch I bought of the said John Bodde one halfe dozen of Silver Spoynes of the best wyth the postells [apostles] on the ends
The residue of my Spones brokyen and hole I will they be devyded between Andrew and suche childe as is yet to be borne by my wifes� body and myne
I will to Cicyly my daughter one sylver salte with the covering wch salte I will yt shall remayne in the custodye of Johanne my wif untill the tyme of mary [marriage] of the said Cicyly and that the said Johanne do kepe her selfe sole wydowe And if the same Johanne my wif do mary before Cicyly my daughter then I will the said Silver Salte shalbe delyvered to John my sone sayfley to be kepte for Cecilys marriage vj of my mylke kyne for the fynding of the said Cicyly till she be maryed and then the said six kyne or the value of them shalbe delivered unto the said Cecily for ever
Item I will to Thomas my sonne my seconde carpett and my bibell [bible] booke alwayes to remayne in my howse
Item I will that all my tabelles formes tresseles and bedstedles shall remayne in my howse to the use
of the said Thomas my sone
Item lykewise I will that all my malte quernes shall remayne into my said howse to the use of the saied Thomas my sonne
Item I will to the saied Thomas my sonne all my Tann Tonnes wythall manner of Lether and all
other thynges thereunto perteyninge to the occupacon (of tanning) *
* Nicholas, like a lot of his siblings and predecessors, was a tanner by trade.
Item I will to the said Thomas my son Twentye pounde of money wch is in the hands of Hobbys of Canterbury of the wch Twentye poundes there is eight hydes one dozen and halfe of Calves Skynnes delyvered Upon this condicon that he paye or cause to be paide to his Sister Cecilye at her mariage The said Twentye poundes or at the age of xviij yeres And if she die before the said mariage or tyme of xviij yeres then the saied Twentie poundes to remayne to the said Thomas forever
Item to the saide Thomas Coke my sonne thre of my geldinges and to the saide Thomas my sonne my greane [green] Cote and one other of my best Cotes
Item to my brother John Essheherst [Ashurst] my Jerkyn of Spannyshe the lether Provyded alwayes and also I will that the hole occupacon that is to say Tanne Tonnes and lether shalbe putt out for Thomas my sonne by my brother John Essheherste and John Melhall of Essheforth [Ashford] to the most value that they canne for the space of iiij [4] yeres next after my deceasse And at the said iiij yeres ende I will to the said John Essheherst and the said John Melhall shall yelde and render to hym a sufficient Accompte of the revenues and profetts of the said occupacon before my Brother John Barrowe and Nycolas Pyers To the which John Essheherst and John Mellhall I bequethe to every of theym for their labor and paynes taken therin yerely Twentie shillinges
Item I will that the said Thomas Coke shall dwell in Servyce wyth the saied John Mellhall the said iiij yeres
And if he will not be ruled and dwell wth the said John Melhall the saide iiij yeres Then I will
the p�fettes [profits] of the saied yerely occupacon shell remayne amonge all my other children
Item I will Marye my daughter at the age of xviij yeres or ells at the tyme of her maryage Twenty poundes And if the saied Mary fortune to die before the saied age or mariage Then I will the saied Twenty poundes shall remayne betwene Andrewe my sonne and the child that is to be borne betwene my wife and me And if the saied childe that is to be borne dye before the saied tyme Then I will that yt shall remayne to Andrewe and Mary yf they be then lyving
Item to Johane my daughter when she comethe the aged 18 yeres or ells at the tyme of her mariage
20l [�20] And if the said Johane fortune to dye before the said age or mariage Then I will the said 20l
shall remeyne betwixt Andrew my sone and the child that is to be borne betweyn my wife and me
And if the said child that is to be borne dye before the said tyme; then I will it shall remayne to
Andrewe and Mary if they be then lyving
I will to that child thate is to be borne if it be a maden childe Then I will to her at the age of xviijth yeres or at the tyme of her mariage Twentie poundes And if she die before the saied age or mariage Then I will it shall remayne to Andrewe and Mary
The Residue of all my movable goodes not bequethed first my debtes and legacys truley contented and paide I will it shall remayne between John Andrewe Mary and the childe that is to be borne betwene my wife and me equally to be devyded
And to this present Testament I ordeyne and make my Brother John Barrowe and John Essheherst my
trewe and faithfull executors of this my present Testament to do and p�forme [perform] for me in
everyy behalfe as my speciall and faithfull trust is in theym
And I bequethe to my saied Brother John Barrowe my best stone horse
Theis being Witness Nicholas Fayers Willm Castleford Sampson Foull and Willm Shottforde etc.
This is the Laste Will of me the foresaid Nicolas Coke made the day and yere of making hereof above Wrytten
First I will that Thomas Coke my sonne shall have my principall Messuage wch I dwell in wyth all the howsings thereunto belonging a Close to ley wode in an Appyll [Apple] garden a fielde thereunto belonging contenyning by estimacon iiij Acres more or lesse And at the other side of the streete where my barne standeth a Close one garden and one fielde of lande called Sprotts with all the tymber therein felled one parcell of Lande called Sharons one fielde called Walmey conteyning by estymacon xv acres in Staple iij acres and one yarde more or lesse in Brodfelde vij Acres more or lesse ij parcells late bought of William Burdon one Felde bought of John Beverley v acres bought of John Coke 3 acres bought of the said John Coke called Redefield and Clerkes croftes and ij acres and a halfe in myddlemede ij other parrcells called Willows and Ingramsmede as the markes and bounds in every place thereof devyde and shewe to hym and to his heires for ever
And if he die before the age of xxj yeres wythout heires of his body lawfully begottyn Then I will his
parte shall remayne to the Residewe of my sonnes and to their heires for ever
And also I will that he shall releasse unto his other Brothers all suche right and Title of all suche lands as I have by Thomas
Coke my Father in Smarden or ells he to paye and forfeitt to his other Brothers fortye poundes of lawfull money of England
The residue of all my landes and tenements lyeing in Wy Broke [Brook] Mersham and Smarden I will yt evenly to be devyded to all my other sonnes nowe borne or to be borne To have and to theym and to ther heires for ever And yf any of my sonnes dye before the age of xxj yeres Then I will his parte so deceassinge and wythout heires of his bodye begotten shall remayne to the residue of them and to their heires for ever
Item I will to Johane my wif my parlour and the occupacon of the hangings Tabull formes and Tresselles for the terme of her wydowhod and also my greate chamber over the parlour wyth with free goynge and comynge thereunto at all tymes
Item I will that every one of my said sonnes shall pay their parte and porcon of the Annuytie [annuity] of iiiil [4 pounds] by yere wch Johanne my wif hathe out of my landes as yt appearethe by a dede indented thereof by me made by even portions And if my said sonnes refuse so to do and pay Then I will his parte of landes so refusing shall remayne to the residue of my said sonnes
Item I will that my Brother Assheherst and John Mellhall shall lette to farme all the premisses of lands before to Thomas my sone assigned and bequethed for the space of iiij yeres next after my deasse [decease] And at the said iiij yeres ende they to render and yield and surrender a sufficient Accompte of the p�fites thereof as above rehersed
Probatum 17th day of January Anno dini 1541/2 (Canterbury)
& probatum 28th August 1557 (PCC London) to Johis Barrowe & Johannis Esshherste
Note: He was buried at Wye on 19th August 1541
Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 31st October 2019. All rights waived for personal use � BUT please quote source and reference.
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of Nicholas Coke