Item I gyve to the poore mens Boxe vid
Item I gyve to Alyce my wyef and to my fower yonger children unto the feast of St Mychaell next comynge, their
meate and drink suffycyent of my good[es] onlye to be founde?
Item I gyveto Alyce my wyef two kyen with the profett[es] To be kept wynter and So[m]mer uppon my two Tenement[es] the Terme of
fyve yeares from thefeast of Saynt mychaell next com[m]ynge
Item I gyve to Alyce my wyef three load[es] of wood yearlye to be caryed home to my howse
to her, the terme of fyve yeares from the feast of St Mychaell next comynge
Item I will that Wyllyam Sutton my Sonne, shall paye one of the three loades of wood everye of the yeares aforesayd.
Item I gyve to Alyce my wyef one fatt hogge everye of the fyve yeares aforesayd So longe as she dwelleth in my howse.
Item I will that Alyce my wief shall have my howse that I now dwell in, the terme of fyve yeares from
the feast of Saynt Mychaell for her to dwell in with free goynge and co[m]mynge to the oste and oven.
Item I gyve to Wyllyam Sutton my sonne one heaffer of three yeares olde, and one chest.
Item I gyve to Chr[ist]ofer Sutton my sonne one bed with the apparell, and one chest
The resydue of my howsholde I gyve to Alyce my wief.
Item I gyve to Ingrame Sutton my Sonne, three pound[es] of lawfull money of England To be payd to hym at the age of
twentye yeares by myne Executor.
Item I gyve to hym my lytle heaffer.
Item I gyve to either of my three daughters Joane Susanne and Agnes twentye
shilling[es] as either of them come to the age of eightene yeares and if eny of them dye before the age of eightene yeares, Then I wyll
that the onlyvers shall have her p[ar]te or p[ar]tes dyeinge before the sayde age of eightene yeares.
The resydue of all my moveable good[es] Cattell and Corne I gyve to Thomas Sutton & Christopher Sutton
my Sonnes To be equally devyded betwene them.
Item I will [th]at Thomas Sutton and Christopher Sutton my Sonnes shall occupye all the land[es] of bothe my Tenement[es] together
in the paryshe of Hawkynge, With the howse and barne that I bought of Robert Atstock
And I will that William Sutton my sonne Shall have one chamber here w[i]th free goynge and comynge
with the barne & all the out howsynge of my howse that I nowe dwell in the terme of Syxe yeares from the feast of St Mychaell
tharchangell next com[m]ynge.
Item I gyve to Alyce my wyef fyve pound[es] yearlye, to be payd to her quarterlye lawfull money of
England the terme of fyve yeares from the feast of St Mychaell Tharchangell next com[m]ynge to the keapinge and brynge upp of
my children To be payd to her out of my two Tenement[es] aforesayd by Thomas Sutton and Chrystopher Sutton my Sonnes.
Item I will that Thomas Sutton and Christopher Sutton my Sonnes shall paye to Alyce my wyef at the ende and terme of syxe yeares from
the feast of St michaell tharchangell next com[m]ynge tenne pound[es] lawfull money of England and then to departe.
Item I will that Thomas Sutton and Chrystopher Sutton my sonnes shall paye the
Rente and kepe the necessarye reparatyons of bothe my Tenement[es] and to paye al my dett[es] and legacies, the w[hi]ch is or shall
be due, w[i]th in the tyme of syxe yeares from the feast of St mychaell the archangell next com[m]ynge.
Item I will that if eny of my children do refuse any orders or gyfte of this my p[re]sent last will or Testament
then I will he shall enjoye no prophett nor gyfte of this my p[re]sent Last will or testament aforesayd
And as concernynge all my land[es] and Tenement[es] in the Countye of Kente, Fyrst I gyve my pryncypall Tenement that I nowe dwell in with all my land[es] therto belongynge, And the land[es] that I bought of Mr Wyllyam Gybbes, And the land[es] that I bought of Patt? of hythe, sett lyenge & beinge in the p[ar]ishes of Hawkynge Folkestone and Alkeham, I gyve to Thomas Sutton, my sonne To hym & to his heyers for ever.
Item I gyve unto William Sutton my Sonne, my Tenement and all the landes therto belonginge the w[hi]ch I bought of Robert At stocke sett lyenge & beinge in the paryshe of Hawkynge and Alkeham to hym and to his heyers for ever.
Item I gyve to Adam Sutton my Sonne my Tenement and garden with all the appurtenances sett lyenge & beinge in the Towne and porte of hythe To hym & to his heyers for ever.
Item I will that Thomas Sutton my sonne, whome I ordayne and make my sole Executor of this my p[re]sent last will and Testament, to sett out the sayde Tenement to farm and to bestowe the yearlye farme? therof uppon the necessarye Reparatyons untyll it be fullye repayred. And then I will that the yearlye profett of the sayd Tenement To be putt out to the best use for the profett of my Sonne Adame Sutton by myne Executor & he to be accomptable for the sayd Ten[emen]t & p[ro]ftt[es] therof to Adam Sutton my Sonne when he comethe to the age of twentye yeares.
Item I ordayne and make my overseer George Handbroke and I gyve to hym iij s iiijd
This is the last Will and Testament of me the sayde Wyllyam Sutton dated the day and yeare above wrytten.
wytnesses to this my p[re]sent last will and Testament
Robert Nethersole Wyllyam Nethersole the yonger Wyllyam Mercer with others
Probatum fuit (prius?) supra scriptum Testamentum � ultima voluntate eiusdem. Coram m[agiste]ro Roberto Bysshoppe leg� doctore Reverendi d� Arch� Cant officiale � deputato, Ultimo die mensis Octobris Anno d[omi]ni mill[ess]imo mill[ess]imo (sic) quing[ess]imo Septuagesimo primo [31 Oct 1571] Juramentis Will[ia]m Mercer et Will[ia]m Nethersole et Test.. � Ac app[ro]batu[m] � omn� executoris eiusdem �est Execut� in hui� testamento uviat? �mit� In forma in eis � dat �
Notes
The probate matches a burial at Hawkinge on 16 February 1570/1 � it would appear William
made his will on the 15th and was buried the following day � just feasible.
Bequests to his wife Alice and eight children show William SUTTON had properties and land in
Hawkinge, Folkestone and Alkham, some of which he had purchased, suggesting he was a
successful farmer. He had cattle and pigs (a fat hogge was bequeathed to his wife each year
for five years) and his dwelling house had an oast house for drying hops.
He made his son Thomas executor � presumably he was the eldest son � and also Thomas
inherited his father�s home or �principle tenement� and lands bought from Mr William Gibbes.
Thomas and another son Christopher - consistently named after Thomas and presumably
younger than him - were tasked with occupying and running the two tenements and their lands
and also a house and barn bought from Robert AT STOCK. Presumably Thomas and Christopher were adults.
Another son, William, was given responsibility for paying for a load of wood for his mother Alice
each year for five years and was given a room in the family home for six years. William also
inherited a tenement and lands in Hawkinge and Alkham.
Two further sons, Ingram and Adam received bequests when 20, Adam also receiving his
father�s tenement and garden in Hythe. Three daughters Joane, Suzanne and Agnes were all
under 18 in 1570/1. The will makes a bequest to Alice for keeping and bringing up the children,
suggesting the youngest were under (say) 12. As there is no age requirement placed on
bequests to Thomas, Christopher and William they may have been over 21.
The TYLER entries for Hawkinge include the tail end of the family baptisms, Ingram being
baptised 14 April 1566 and Agnes on 1 October � TYLER was unsure if the baptism was in
1571 or 1572 but as William�s will was proved in October 1571 following burial February 1570/1
it may be that the baptism of Agnes was actually in 1570 (alternatively this was a late baptism
in 1571 or � less likely � relates to a different family group).
The will of Giles SUTTON was made ten years previously and provides further insights into
William�s family.
Return to Kent GenealogyWill of William Sutton