Cook Will 1687

Will of Richard Cooke

of Dover, Kent


Source: Prerogative Court of Canterbury TNA Ref.: PROB 11/389/286
Submitted by Shelagh Mason
In the name of God Amen This fifteenth day of October Anno dini one Thousand Six hundred eighty seaven and in the third year of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord James the second by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith etc.
I Richard Cooke of the Towne and Porte of Dover in the County of Kent Esqr. [Esquire] being weake of body but of sound and perfect memory and understanding, praised be Allmighty God
First I comend my Soule to Allmighty God through the meritts of Jesus Christ my Redeemer by whose interseson [intercession] I hope to be made partaker of eternall life As to those Worldly goods wch God hath blesses me with I Will give devise and bequeath as followeth

Whereas I the said Richard Cooke doe now owe unto John Row deced [deceased] in and by one Mortgage on fourty acres of Marshland in old Romney of whome I heretofore purchased the same the Sume of one Hundred pounds togeather with the interest thereof I doe hereby Will and order that the money shall be first paid to the Executors of the said John Row imediatly after my decease by my Executors hereafter named

Item I will give devise and bequeath unto my well beloved sonne Thomas Cooke his Executors Administrators and Assignes to his and their proper use and behoofe for ever All my Estate right title and interest whatsoever of and in all that Messuage Brewhouse outhouses Stable yards and backside togeather with the Copper Backs Tunn and brewing vessells to the same belonging with theire appurtenances scituate lying and being in lower Deale in the said County late in the occupacon of Thomas Clarrenboll [Claringbould] and John Austen or theire Assignes heretofore purchased of John Pratt

I will give devise and bequeath unto my said sonne Thomas Cooke his Executors Administrators and Assignes all my Estate right Title interest and terme of years yet to come of and in all that Messuage outhouses yards garden and backside to the same belonging with their appurtences lying alsoe in Lower Deale aforesaid now in the occupacon of the said John Pratt and heretofore Mortgaged by the said John Pratt unto me for Thirty foure pounds nine shillings

Item Whereas Nathaniel Drew? of Dover aforesaid Esqr. is by Obligacon bearing date the Thirtieth day of June one Thousand Six Hundred eighty three Bound unto me in two Hundred pounds with Condicon for payment of the same one hundred and three pounds on the eleaventh day of July then next following
And Whereas Thomas Cooke and Richard Britten Esqr. are by Obligacon bearing date the nineteenth day of November one Thousand six Hundred eighty three Bound unto me in two Hundred pounds with Condicon for payment of one Hundred and thirty pounds on the Twentieth day of May then next following
I doe hereby give devise and bequeath the said Bonds and all moneys thereby Secured and thereupon due unto my said Sonne Thomas Cooke

And I doe hereby further declare my Will to be that my Executrix hereafter named shall within one moneth next after my decease deliver the said Bonds to my said sonne Thomas Cooke and permit him in her name but to his owne proper use and behoofe to demand and receive the moneys or otherwise at the charges in the Law of the said Thomas Cooke to put the said Bonds in suite

Item Whereas James Golder of Northbourne and Jeffry Boys Esqr. are by Olbigacon bearing date the three and Twentieth day of Aprill one Thousand six Hundred eighty six bound unto me in one Hundred pounds with the Condicon for payment of fifty pounds and fifteen shillings on the eight and twentieth day of July then next following
And Whereas my brother in law Henry Marsh is by Obligacon bearing date the six and twentieth day of Jannuary 1686/7 bound unto me in one Hundred pounds for payment of fifty one pounds and tenn shillings on the four and Twentieth day of June then next following
I doe hereby give devise and bequeath the said Bonds and all moneys thereby secured and thereupon due unto my well beloved sonne Richard Cooke

Item I Will give and bequeath alsoe unto my said sonne Richard Cooke the sume of one Hundred and fifty pounds more of wch soe much shall be laid out as shall be thought necessary by my Executrix for his putting out as an Aprentice and disposeing of to in Law or otherwise

And I Will and appoint my said Executrix to be his guardian untill he shall attaine the age of one and Twenty yeares not onely for the receiving the interest and profitt of the said Bonds but alsoe all other rents and profitts wch I have lately settled on him the said Richard and in and amongst thereof within one moneth after he hath finished his Aprenticeship
But in case my said Executrix shall marry before the said Richard shall attaine the age of one and Twenty yeares that then the said guardianship shall cease

Item Whereas Walter Brames Esqr. and Edward Franklin of Folkestone are by Obligacon beareing date the fourth day of November one Thousand six Hundred eighty one bound unto me in one Hundred pounds with Condicon for payment of fifty three pounds on the fourth day of May then next following
And Whereas the said Walter Brames is by Obligacon beareing date the tenth day of June one Thousand six Hundred eighty pound unto me in eighty pounds for payment of forty pounds and twelve shillings on the tenth day of September then next following
And Whereas the said Walter Brames is by Obligacon beareing date one Thousand six Hundred seaventy nine bound unto me in one Hundred and Twenty pounds for the payment of sixty one pounds and eighteen shillings on the six and Twentieth day of August then next following
And Whereas the said Walter Brames is by Obligacon beareing date the nineteenth day of Aprill one Thousand six Hundred eighty foure bound unto me in one Hundred pounds for payment of fifty one pounds and tenn shillings on the nineteenth day of October then next following
And Whereas Thomas Terry and Thomas Terry Junr [Junior] of Lydd are by Obligacon bearing date the one and Twentieth day of September one Thousand six Hundred eighty five bound unto me in one Hundred and Twenty pounds for payment of Threescore one pounds [�61] and sixteene shillings on the nine and Twentieth day of September one Thousand six Hundred an eighty six whereof is paid Twenty pounds soe remains due Fourty pounds and interest for the same from the fourteenth day of Aprill one Thousand six Hundred eighty seaven
And Whereas Anthony Rooke of Lydd William Hogben of Brookland and William Wing of Lydd are by Obligacon beareing date the seaventeenth day of March one Thousand six Hundred eighty two Bound unto me in two Hundred pounds for payment of one hundred and three pounds on the eighteenth day of September then next following whereof is paid fifty pounds and the interest thereof to the three and Twentieth day of September one Thousand six Hundred eighty six soe remains due Sixty pounds and tenn shillings from the eighteenth day of March
And Whereas Nicholas Cullen Senr. and Nicholas Cullen Junr. are by Obligacn beareing date the first day of May one Thousand six Hundred eighty four bound unto me in one Hundred pounds for payment of fifty one pounds and tenn shillings on the third day of November then next following
And Whereas Nicholas Cullen Senr. is by Obligacon beareing date the third day of May one Thousand six Hundred eighty four bound unto me in Thirty seaven pounds for payment of eighteen pounds and six shillings on the nine and Twentieth day of September then next following
And Whereas my Uncle Thomas Marsh and James Marsh are by Obligacon bearing date the Second day of October one Thousand six Hundred eighty two bound unto me in Sixty pounds for payment of thirty pounds and eighteene shillings on the second day of Aprill then next following
And Whereas the said Thomas Marsh and James Marsh are by Obigacon bearing date the Twentieth day of October one Thousand six Hundred eighty two bound unto me in Sixty pounds for payment of Thirty pounds and eighteene shillings on the fifteenth day of Aprill then next following whereof is paid nine pounds and remaines due the four and Twentieth day of January 1686/7 Twenty one pounds and interest of the same
And Whereas the said Thomas Marsh is by Obligacon bearing date the third day of May one Thousand six Hundred and eighty two bound unto me in Ninety pounds for payment of fourty six pounds and seaven shillings on the nine and Twentieth day of September then next following Whereof is paid Twenty nine pounds and rmeaine due for principall and interest of the same from the nine and Twentieth day of March one Thousand six Hundred eighty six Eleaven pounds Seaventeene shillings and three pence
Wch said eleaven severall Obligacons herein above mentioned I doe hereby Will give devise and bequeath and all moneys on the said Bonds thereby assured and thereupon due unto my well beloved daughters Silvestra Cooke and Elizabeth Cooke to be equally divided betweene them

and I Will and appoint my said Executrix to be guardian unto my said daughters Silvestra Cooke and Elizabeth Cooke untill each of them shall attaine the age of one and Twenty yeares or be married with her consent and shall receive the rents issues and profitts of all Sums Securityes and Bonds as I have settled and given unto them rendering unto them an accompt thereof But in case my said Executrix shall marry that then the said guardianshipp shall cease

But if it shall happen that either of my said Daughters doe marry before the age of one ad Twenty yeares without the consent of my said Executrix that then my said Executrix shall not be lyable to give to such daughter or daughters any accompt of the interest benefitt and profitts of what I have settled and given unto them either by deed or by my Last Will and Testament

And in case any of my said Children shall departe this life before marriage or before they shall attaine the age of one and Twenty yeares That then I Will and bequeath all and Singular the Estate and interest and the rents profitts and Sumes of money belonging unto him or her soe dying unto the Survivor or Survivors of them to be equally divided

Item I Will and give unto my well beloved Brother Thomas Cooke the sume of eight pounds to buy him Mourning
Item I Will and give unto my loveing brother Henry Marsh my bald guelding Whome I direct to be Overseere of this my last Will and Testament and to be assisting unto my said Executrix in the execucon thereof

Item I Will and give unto one and fifty poore Housekeepers or the Widdowes of such of each of the paryhes [parishes] of St. Maries and St. James [St. Mary the Virgin, Dover and St. James the Apostle, Dover] in Dover aforesaid to each of them two shillings and six pence to be paid unto them by my Executrix within one moneth after my decease at her discrecon

Item I Will and give unto my said sonne Thomas Cooke all my Anchors Cables and other moveable goods that shall be in the parish of Deale at my decease and alsoe my silver Gilt Bell wch I had at the Coronation of King James the second
Item I Will and give unto my sd [said] sonne Richard Cooke my Silver Chast [chased] cupp with a cover

Item I Will give and bequeath unto my loveing Wife Silvestra Cooke whome I doe hereby make ordaine and appoint to be my Sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament One third parte of all my plate not allready bequeathed to dispose of att her pleasure And I doe Will and appoint that my said Executrix shall have the use of the other two partes of my plate soe long as she continues a Widdow and that when my said Executrix shall marry the two third partes my plate shall be equally divided by weight amongst my foure children hereinbefore named or soe many of them as shall be then liveing

Item as for my household goods properly belonging to my dwelling house I Will give and bequeath them all unto my said Executrix to be disposed of amongst my Children if she shall think fitt

As for the rest and residue of my goods Chattells Debts and Estate not all ready disposed of and settled I Will shall goe for the payment of my Debts legacies and funerall charges and that my said Executrix take care to see the same performed and that my funerall charges Legacyes and Expences exceed not one Hundred pounds and for the Overplus of what remains after my Debts legacies and funerall rights are performed at the end of two yeares after my decease I Will give and bequeath two Thirds thereof unto my eldest sonne Thomas Cooke his Executors Admors and Assignes and the other third thereof unto my said Executrix

Item It is my Further Will order and desire that my said Executrix whome I have appointed Guardian unto my Children shall call in all such Debts or sumes of money wch I have given and bequeathed to my said sonne Richard and daughters Silvestra and Elizabeth as she in her discrecon shall thinke fitt And that whatever moneys she shall doe call in It is my Will and order that she dispose and put out to the best profitt and advantage of my said children upon such securities as she in her discretion shall thinke fitt

And I doe hereby revoake and make void any Will or Wills by my formerly made
In Wittnesse whereof I the said Richard Cooke have to each sheet of paper being three in number sett my hand and Seale the day and yeare above written Rchd : Cooke

Signed sealed published and declared to be his Last Will and Testament of the said Richard Cooke after the interlining of the words �before marriage or before they� betweene the fourty third and fourthe lyne in the second sheet in the presence of
Thomas Cooke Anthony Flinders Miles Broome Tho : Raworth

Probatum fuit: xijth die Decemberis [1686]

Notes:
Mr. Richard Cooke was buried at St. James the Apostle, Dover on 23rd November 1687.
Richard Cooke aged 28, Bachelor, Apothecary of St. Mary the Virgin, Dover married Sylvester Marsh, 19, Widow of Kingston (next Barham), on 18th June 1666 at Womenswold.
This gives a birth date of approx. 1638 for Richard, but this has not (as yet) been found.
Children of Richard and Silvester (all christened at St. Mary the Virgin, Dover):
11-Jul 1667 Thomas; 14-Oct 1669 Silvestra; 18-Apr 1671 Elizabeth; 25-Dec 1672 Richard.
Son Richard Cooke married Ann Ladd 19th September 1694 at St. Mary the Virgin, Dover.
What happened to the remaining children or his widow is not known.

Transcribed by Shelagh Mason 6th November 2019. All rights waived for personal use � BUT please quote source and reference.


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Will of Richard Cooke
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