Will of William Cooke

of Gillingham, Kent

Item I give and bequeath unto my onely Sonne Richard Cooke after the death of my loveing Wife Alice Cooke The house and land called by the name of fifeldans in Gillingham with all the houses that I have built on the same land, to him the said Richard and Anne his nowe wife dureinge theire naturall lives and after theire deaths I give the said houses unto theire eldest sonne William Cooke to him and his heires lawfully begotten for ever But for want of such an heire; That then the said land and houses be devided amongst the surviveing sonnes of the said Richard Cooke or sould, and soe the money then equally devided amongst them

More I give unto William Cooke towards the fittinge him in his Trade; Twentie pounds

Item I give and bequeath unto my said sonne Richard Cooke and Anne his nowe wife, the house and lands that I nowe dwell in dureing theire natural lives, and after theire deaths, my Will is that theire second sonne Richard Cooke have that house and land for him and his heires lawfully begotten amongst them for ever But for want of such an heire Then that house and land come unto the surviving brothers, vidlt., Thomas and James Cooke and to theire heires for ever

Item I give unto my said sonne Richard Cooke, all that my Eight part of the Quicke Speedwell, with all the Stocke and profitt to her belonginge to have it imediately after my death

Item I give unto my said sonne Richard Cooke and his nowe wife Anne Cook the house they nowe dwell in for their natural lives And then my Will is that theire two daughters Mary and Jane Cooke have the said house for them and theire heires dureinge the Lease Allwaies provided that my sonne and the heires do from time to time, repaire not only the house and halfe the well and fences accordingly with the wall paneing [painting], and payeing halfe the Lords rent which is Five shillings yearely for one house Widdowe of my sonne John Cooke, Thomasine Cooke, all that my house and land called Blackedall to her untill her sonne William Cooke come to the age of Twentie and one yeares; And the said William Cooke have the said house to him and the heires male of his body for ever

Item I give unto my daughter Thomasine Cooke dureinge her naturall life, The House and land that Henry Mons nowe dwelleth in at Dranth nor [near?] Blackdall; And after I give the said house and land unto her nowe daughter Jane Cooke to her and her heires for ever lawfully begotten, but for want of such an heire, Then that Mary Cooke have that house and land for ever.

Item I give unto my said daughter Cooke The house that one Pulman liveth in, on the wall, dureing her naturall life, and after her death, I give the said house unto her sonne William Cooke, and to his heires for ever Allwaies provided that they pay halfe the Lords rent, and find the halfe reparations of all things as the other house must doe;
Alsoe I give unto my said Daughter Thomasine Cooke, my fourth part of the Barque Marygold, with all the Stocke and profitts thereto belonging

Alsoe I give unto the foure daughters of my two sonnes Richard Cooke’s daughters Mary and Jane Cooke; And of my sonne John Cooke Jane and Mary Cooke, I give each of them Fortie pounds each of them;
And I give alsoe toward the putting out of the Boyes apprentice; Richard, Thomas and James Cooke, sonnes of Richard Cooke; And for William Cooke, the sonne of John Cooke, each Twenty pounds to be paid them out of two hundred pounds that Thomas Benson of Chatham is to pay when he doth bringe in the money that I lent him of his houses in Chatham

Item I give unto the poore of Gillingham Five pounds and Twentie douzen of Bread to be delivered out unto the poore on every Sunday from my buriall untill the Twentie shillings be out, by the Overseers of the poore

Item I give unto a poore kinswoman in London Elizabeth Buram by her first husband called I give Five pounds
Item I give unto the Children of Elizabeth Sewell each of them foure pounds
Item I give unto my Brother James Cooke my silver whissell, And to his two daughters each Five pounds

Item I give unto my man servant Robert Vitules? Twentie shillings and an ould suite of Cloathes and Cloake
Item I give unto my maide Servant Margaret May Twentie shillings
Item I give to my kinsman John Cooke that lives in the Sontrame, the sume of Three pound;

Item my will is that my loveing Wife Alice Cooke be my sole Executrix and that she my said Wife have and enjoy all the estate of lands and houses, shippings, monyes, plate, household stuffe whatsoever dureinge the time of her widowhood, but if that she marry, then my will is that have only out of my estate of lands The Sume of Thirtie pounds ayeare and the hosue and land that I nowe dwell in for her life but after her death that my sonne Richard Cooke have all the estate, and to see that all legacies be faythfully paid unto the parties bequeathed; and that all my debts beinge paid, which is little

My will is that my sonne Richard Cooke be the Overseer of this my last Will and Testament; Allwaies provided that my loveinge wife my Executrix, doe pay all these legacies at or before the end of Sixe monthes And that she have the disposeinge of my goods unto my sonne and daughters in lawe, and theire Children borne unto my Sonnes and not elsewhise Not doubting but as my sonne Richard hath this Trust imposed in him soe that I hope he will be carefull to obey his loveing mother in all obedience And alsoe that he be carefull to see that the Widdowe of my sonne John and those Fatherlesse Children be not wronged in theire part bequeathed unto them, knowing that he that doth wronge unto the widdowe and Children the Lord ill avenge theire cause

But as for my household stuffe and plate I leave to my wife to dispose of to my Childrens Children at her pleasure And soe the Lord blesse them Will : Cooke Witnesses unto this is my loveing friends

This Will was proved at London the fifth day of February in (English stile) in the yeare of our Lord God One thousand sixe hundred Fiftie and fower Before the Judges for Probate of Wills and granting of Administrations lawfully authorized by the Oath of Alice Cooke the relict and sole Executrix named in the said will To whom Administration of all and singular the goods Chattles and debts of the said deceased as Committed She being firste sworne by Commission faithfully to Administer the same

Notes:
“The Speedwell” was one the ships that took the Pilgrim Fathers to America.
A William Cooke married Alice Williams at Strood 15 Jan 1606/7

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 24th December 2019. All rights waived for personal use – BUT please quote source and reference.

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