Cooke Will 1568

Will of Chrystofer Cocke

of Godmersham, Kent


Source: Consistory Court of Canterbury PRC 32/30/539
Submitted by Shelagh Mason
In the Name of God Amen The xxixth daye of Aprill in the xith yere of the Reigne of our Soverayne Lady Elizabethe etc. [1567]
I Chrystofer Cocke of the parryshe of Godmersham in the Countye of Kent Husbandman beinge sicke in body but of good and perfyt Remembrnce, praysed by god make this my last wyll and testament in maner and forme followinge
Fyrste I bequethe my Soull to Almyghty god my only maker mistyfyer and Redemer and Saviour, and my body to be buryed in the Churche yarde of Godmersham a foresayd

Item I gyve to the poore ine us boys there to the life of the poore of the same parryshe to be imployed vjd

Item I will gyve and bequeth to John Cocke my sonne twoo laboring geldyngs one mare one mare Stagg one Carte wyth a payer of Shedd wheels wyth all the harnes and furniture thereto beolngynge and appertying [appertaining] one kow one two monthing budd vj ewes fyve lambes and al the wheate now growing and standinge in a peece of ground alled thereby to the use of the said John to be held and imployed for his brynging upp tyll hys age of twentye one yeares and the same and every parcell thereof to be delyvered to thuse aforsayd to John Chapman of the pishe of Crundall in the County aforsayd yeoman

Item I wyll that the said John Chapman shall make a just accompt to the aforenamed John Cocke my sonne at hys age above mentioned of all and singular suche acerage and Surplusage yf any suche shall happene to bee of all and singular the premisses and every part and parcell thereof

Provided that my wyll and meaninge ys That yt shalbe at the dyscretion of the same John Chapman to putt oute for the moste behove of my sayd sonne John Cocke moreover I wylll and myne entent ys That ys yt shall fortune the sayd John Cocke my sonne to dye at any tyme before hys full age of twenty one yeares That then the thyngs and every one of them to John my sonne before wylled and bequethed shall remayne to Willm Cocke Moyses Cocke Buckler Cocke and Antony my sonnes equaly betwene them to be devyded at theyre severall ages of twentye one yeares

Also I wyll gyve and bequethe to every of my sayd sonnes Willm Moyses Bucklet and Antony three pounds of sterling money of Englande and they and every of them to be the others heyres at other an every of theyre ages of twenty one yeares
The same to be levied of which the monye shall aryse of the sale of my podware (e.g. peas), barley and ottes now growinge and the service of my house and landes in Godmersham aforsayd, which I wyll to be putt forth for the moste profite at the dyscretion of John Chapman aforsayd and Lawrence Lull of Godmersham aforsayd Taylor for the tearme and space of seaven yeares from the feste of Seynt Michaell tharkangell next after my decease fully to b expired and ended

and then I wyll that my sonne Chrystofer shall enioy to hym the sayd Chrystofer my sayd house and landes aforsayd and to the heyer male of hys bodye lawfully begotten And for defaulte of suche yssue I wyll yt shall remayne to Willm my sonne and the heyres male of hys bodye lawfully begotten And for suche defaulte I wyll yt to Moyses Item he also lacke further yssue then I wyll yt to remayne to Buckler Cocke my sonne and the heyres male of his body lawfully begotten Item yf yt shall fortune the sayd Buckler to dye wythout yssue Then I wyll yt to remayne to Antony my sonne and the heyres male of his bodye lawfully begotten And for default of such yssue I wyll it shall remayne to John my sonne and his heyres for ever

All other things not before wylled nor bequethed my debtes legacys beqests and funerall expenss fullfylled performed and kepte I wyll gyve and bequethe to John Chapman aforsayd and Lawrence Lull of Godmersham above wryten Tayler, whome I make myne Executors of this my laste Wyll and Testament to the use profite and comodytye of William Moyses Buckler and Antony my sonnes to be ymployed

And Antony Deale of Bempstone in the parryshe of Westwell in the Countye aforsayd yeoman Averseer [Overseer!] of the same

Probatum fuit: xvth die July 1568

Notes:
The forename Buckler is given as a result of a Mr. �Bucler� being Lord of the manor at Godmersham at least 100 years prior to this date. (See Vol. 7 of Hasted.)
See Moyses Will: PRC 32/32/23 Moses Cooke or Cocke of Godmersham, dated 5th May 1573 and Proved the same year.
See also William�s Will: PRC 32/30/381A William Cooke of Godmersham, dated 5th October 1563 and Proved 14th July 1566
See also Buckler�s Will: PRC 32/42/48a Buckler Cocke of Godmersham, dated 20th December 1612


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Will of Chrytofer Cocke
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