Will of Geoffrey Cowper, 1567

Herts RO 6AR301

The right edge of the document is damaged in places. Original line-breaks have been preserved in the text below. The text is from the registered copy of the will; the original has not survived.

In the name of god [deletion] so be yt I Jefferye Cowper of
Shippton in the p(ar)ishe of Saint Laurance in Wynslowe in the
countye of Buck’ husbandman beinge wholl of sole and mynde do
truste[?] to Almightie god do ordayne and make this my laste will and
Testament Firste I will that when yt shall please god to take me
[page 2]
out of this vale of myserye to his great m(er)cye then I will my bodye to be buryed
in the churcheyarde of the saide p(ar)ishe where I nowe dwell nyghe wher as
my frends and kinsfolke were buryed before me Item I geve to
Thomas Cowper my sonne mye teame[?] wholl withe the plowghe and the carte and
all[?] the furnyture therto belonging with the harrowes and mucke carte
Item I geve to the saide Thomas my mult[?] quarne and the cobborde standing no[w?]
in the halle the standing bedstead from[?] the chamber with the featherbed bolster
ij pilowes a cov(er)let and all other furnyture as it nowe standethe Also I geve
unto him my longe coffer standing in the saide chamber Item I geve to the
saide Thomas mye sonne my blacke pyede cowe and ij bulloks of the laste
yeres weaning them beinge a stere bulloke wether[?] a cowe bullocke and x
weathers[?] Item I give to Maryan Cowper my daughter v li in money to be payde her when yt
shal please god yt she come to the age of xvj yeres also I geve to the sayde Maryan
a blacke hornles[?] cowe and a hecfard withe a whit backe of the age of thre ye[ars]
iiij platters and a brasse pott the gret reade coffer standinge in the chamber iiij
payre of shetes and my beste shet and x shepe beinge [deletion] Teggs and ewes
Item I geve to Agnes Cooper my daughter mye blacke cowe that I hade of
father[?] Hurles[?] a red cowe bullock that was wayned this yere and a payre of
shetts iiij [deletion?] platters a brasse pott and x[?] shepe beinge ewes and teggs
and also I geve to the sayde Agnes v li in reddye monye to be paide her
when she shall come to the age of xvj yeres Item I will that Thomas Coop(er)
mye sonne shall have iiij payre of shetes and the beste ketle my beste b[rass?]
pott my gret[?] spitt mye beste brasse panne and the pott honge the hang[ing?]
in the Chimnye in the halle mye beste table withe the pewter[?]
therto belonginge and ij ioyned stowelles P(ro)vided that yf anye of my saide
childerne dye before the come to the age of xvj yeres then his p(ar)te or portion
to remayne equallye amongste the reste also I will that mye wyffe shall in
considerac(i)on of thos yeres yt she shall inioye in my howses and lands un[til]
my heire come to xxi yeres paye unto my saide heire at the ende of the said
yeres v li of good and lawfull monye of England The Resydewe of all
mye goods and cattals unbequethed I geve unto Jone mye wyfe w[hom]
I do ordayne and make my full and soll executrix of this mye last
will and testament Also I will that she shall have and take the p[rofits?]
of all my howses and lands where I nowe dwell untill suche tyme as [mye]
heire shall come to the age of xxj yeres painge no rent but the lords re[nt]
and kepinge the howsses in rep(ar)ac(i)on so that the maye be in good repare when [ - - ]
myne here shall come to inioye the same Also whereas I do stand bonde
to Isabell Mores s(u)ntymes wyffe to John Mores of Preston and also to Davy[?]
Mores in an obligac(i)on of xl li uppon condicion that I sholde make the saide
Jone mye wyffe an estate[?] accordinge to the same obligac(i)on my mynd is that[? ]
and I will that yf the sayde Isabell and Davy[?] or anye other for them do
vexe serve or troble myne heires for the same obligac(i)on, then my wyffe to be my full [and]
sole executrix and to have my lande as I have gevne her otherwise she to be utte[rly]
voyde of anye thinge geven unto her by this my laste will and testamente And I make
myne ov(er)seers of this my laste will and testament John Lane and Michael Wendov(er)
and they to have for ther paynes xij d In wittnes whereof I have sett mye h[and]
the xxiij daye of december 1567 in the presence of John Lane John Miller Richard
Sno Robert Elyot and Mychaill Wendover

[Latin] Probatum fuit presens testamentum coram magistro David Kempe Archidiacono [ - - ]
secundo die mensis Junii 1568 Juramento Richardi Edmonds proc(uratoris)[?] Joanne
relicte et executricis in huiusmodi testamento nominate Ac per eundem archi[diaconum?]
approbatum et insinuatum necnon pro vero valore eiusdem legitime pronunciatum [concessa?]
fuit Administratio dicte executrici primitus in forma Juris Jurat’ in persona dicti
Richardi Edmunds Salvo Jure cuiuscumque exhibitum est Inventarium

[translation] The present will was proved before Master David Kemp, Archdeacon, on 2[?] June 1568 on the oath of Richard Edmonds, proxy[?] of Joan the widow and executrix named in this will, and by the same archdeacon it was approved and filed and also lawfully pronounced for the true value of the same. Administration was firstly granted to the said executrix in form of law, having been sworn in the person of the said Richard Edmunds, not infringing anyone’s right. The inventory was presented.

Inventory of Geoffrey Cowper, 1567/8

Herts RO A25/648

The Inventory of all ye goods, cattles & detts late Jeffery Coup(er)s of Shipton deceased in the p(ar)ishe of Winslow taken & p(ra)ced the 25 of January 1567 by John Graunt al(ia)s Myller, Rob(er)t Eliatt Richard Sno & Thomas Mors[?]

In primis xx payr of Shetes prc:	xl s
Itm iiij table Clothes prc:	iiij s
Itm iij table napkins & iij towells	iij s
Itm one fetherbed, one bolstar, ij pillowes one cov(er)lettt, one blanckett w(i)th ye bested & ye testonour & iij curtens of buckirome	xx s
Itm ij bolstars 4 pillowes 3 cov(er)letts and ij blancketts prcd at	x s
Itm vj cofers[?], iij bedsteads	ix s
Itm ij robes, one old dublett of wosted, a paire of hosen[?] a clok a fatt & ij sheets	xiij s iiij d
Itm xj yeards of keyrsye	xiiij s iiij d
Itm a table w(i)th a frame, ij yoyned stoles one forme & a Cupboad	xviij s
Itm one litle square table	ij s
Itm 4 litle brasse potts, 3 old pan(n)es, v old ketles one litle posenett & a litle skyllett	xxvj s viij d
Itm xviij platters & dishes, 4 porringe(r)s ij sawcers 3 salts 2 ca(n)dlesticks & a chafingdish	xxx s
Itm ij spitts, ij paire of potthange(r)s, ij paire of potthokes, a tryvett, a grydyron, one pair of cobyrons & one old frying pan	viij s
Itm ye coper ware a bushell and a bultinge hutche	vj s viij d
Itm certayne bordes	vj s viij d
Itm a mault querne	x s
Itm the plough & plough geres, ii paire of harrowes and certain plough tymbe(r)	xj s
Itm one longe carte, one muck carte and carte goods	liij s iiij d
Itm in wheat and barlye	vij li
Itm in peason and haye	iij li
Itm xxxviij Shepe;	iiij li vj s 8d
Itm vj keyne	v li
Itm iiij yerlings pc’	xxvj s viij d
Itm iij horse and ij mares	iiij li
Itm xviij Shewtes	xiij s iiij d
Itm vj gese	ij s
Itm the pultrys	iij s iiij d
Itm the wood	xvj s
Itm iij stocks of Bees	iij s
Summa omnium bonorum xl li xvij s
Detts due and owinge unto ye saide Jeffery Coop(er) at the tyme of his death
In primis S(i)r Rob(er)t Dance Vicar of Winslow oweth for fallowinge of iij acres of land	iiij s
Itm the same for a calf	iiij s iiij d
[page 2] the same for one bushell of mault	xxij d
the same for a bushell of barlye	xx d
the same for ij bushells of maulte	ii s viij d
Itm Richard Scott of Adstock oweth for certayne shepe	viij s
Itm William Garland oweth	ij s ij d
Summa debit’ xxiiij s viij d
Summa totalis bonorum et debitorum xlij li xx d

Exhibitum 2^do die mensis Junii
Anno domini 1568 per Richardum
Edmonds procuratorem Executricis
in **** Jura’ per **
a*** dct’ exec’ prestiti’[?]
[signed] J Easte

Notes

hecfard (or hecford – reading unclear), i.e. a heifer (see various spellings in OED)

bonde, i.e. bound

testonour, i.e. tester (spellings in OED include testorne)

shewtes, i.e. shoots, a litter of pigs