Fifty earliest English wills in the Court of Probate, London : A. D. 1387-1439 : with a priest's of 1454 / copied and edited from the original registers in Somerset House by Frederick J. Furnivall

SIR THOS. BROOK, [Son of Sir Thomas Brook, Knt. (see p. 26). Married Joan Braybroke, great-granddaughter and heiress of John of Cobham, 2nd Lord Cobham.—J. H. Round.] KNIGHT, OF COBHAM, 1438-9.

[To be buried in Thorncomb Church; 13 poor men to hold a torch each at the Obit; all poor blind or lame folk there to have 4d. each, and other needy ones 1d. Wife to defend Testator's Servants from prosecution by his Children and others. Residue to Wife, for herself and the true Servants, and to marry Testator's unmarrid Children with.]

(Luffenam, lf. 217, bk.)

[lf. 217, bk.]

Testamentum Thome Brook̘, militis.

In the name of the Fadyr & of the sonne & of the holy goost, so be hit now & evyr! the xij day of Februare, the ȝere fro the Incarnacion of our̛ lord̛ ihesu cryst M^o cccc^mo xxxviij^o. I. Thomas Brook̘, knyȝte & lord of Cobham, [Cobham Hall, Kent, 3 miles W. of Rochester, now the seat of the Earls of Darnley.—J. H. Round. (At Cobham in Surrey, on the river Mole, 19 miles S. by W. of London, I once saw a friend pull out a 41b. perch.)] beyng̛ yn hole mynde & goode witte, make my testament in this wyse. Fyrste I by-seche the most blessid Trinyte to haue mercy on me, And that thorow the prayer of the blessid Virgyne Marye, the moder of oure lord̛ ihesu cryst, & of aƚƚ the sayntys that ben in hevyn̛, that I, wrechid synner, myȝt the rather to haue grace worthily to be-wayle my synnys or that my sowle departe owte of this world̛, so that hit may be fownde clene & worthy, thorow trwe repentaunce & contynuaƚƚ for-thenkyng̛, to be resseuyd in to the blysse that euyr shaƚƚ last. More-ouer hit is my wiƚƚ that my body be buryd̛ yn the nortℏ yle of the chircℏ of Thornecoumbe. [Thorncombe, Devonshire, N.E. of Axminster.—Walker. It is locally situated in Dorsetshire, in an insulated part of Devonshire, and is 8 miles W. from Beaminster. (See also p. 26.)] And that at the day of my buryng̛ ther be saide iij masses, And aƚƚ-so that þer be xiij pore men̛ clothid in white,

holdyng̛ eche of hem a torghe brennyng̛ at the dirige & at the masse yn the day of my obyte. And afterward̛ the torgis to be dalt .iij. of hem to the Chircℏ of Thornecombe, & the remaynande of the torgis to x of the nedyest paryschirches yn the Cuntre by sidys. Aƚƚ-so it is my wiƚƚ that euery pore blynde, or lame man̛ or woman̛ that cummytℏ to myne obite, haue iiij d. Aƚƚ-so it is my wiƚƚ þat euery pore nedy man̛, woman or child̛ that cummytℏ to my obyte haue .I.d Aƚƚ-so it is my wiƚƚ that euery man̛ or woman̛ that commytℏ home to Holdyche [See p. 27.] yn the day of my obyte after the masse is do at Thornecumbe, that thay haue sufficiante mete & drynke. Aƚƚ-so hit is my wyƚƚ, that if þer be eny of myne owne childryn̛, or eny other man̛, that wiƚƚ trouble, disese, or pursew of my trew seruandys, & yn speciaƚƚ, Iohn̛ Battiscoumbe, Wiƚƚ Tavern̛ or Iohn̛ Corbrigge, that my wyff, with alle the lordeshipe and frendshipe that she may gete, socour hem, helpe hem, & defende hem, from the malice of myne owne children̛ & of aƚƚ oþer, whiles she hatℏ eny gode wherwitℏ to withstande her [her = their.] [Summoned to Parliament as "Edwardo Brooke de Cobham, Chiv," 13 Jan.1445.—H. Round.] Ivyƚƚ wyƚƚ. Aƚƚ-so hit is my wiƚƚ that Clowys haue .v. mark̘. And the residue of aƚƚ my godys that be not be-qwedyt yn this my testament, I ȝeue and by-qwetℏ to my wyf, to helpe hir witℏ, & my trwe seruandys a-foresaide, And̛ aƚƚ-so to helpe for to mary my children̛ that ben noȝt maryd̛. And that this my testament may truly be executyd̛, I make and ordeyne my wyfe myn executrice / and yf she wiƚƚ, Edward̛ my sone,3 sir Iankyn Byschope witℏ hir / Probatum fuit. [In margin] acquietati sunt vere.

[[The other English wills in "Luffenam" are those of

• Thomas BURTON of "Lughtburght," 27 March 1447, (mixt English and Latin, and imperfect,) leaf 222, back.
• Robert SAYKYN, draper, of London, 20 Septr. 1444, leaf 230, back.
• Sir Wauter LUCY, knight, 18 July, 1444, lf. 231, back (2 pages long).
• William WHARPLOD of Chalfhunt Seynt Gyle (? Berkshire or Bucks), proved 27 November, 1447.
• John THROCKMARTEN (of Fladbury in Worcestershire?), 12 April, 1445. leaf 248.
• Richard SHIPLEY, 26 Jany. 1444 ("Also y wille and charge that myn exequies be not outragely done in expenses of vanites of Candilstikkes, torches, and suche other, but deuoutely, And the coste that shal be doo thanne, be yeue to pouere men̄, and that [so] that haue nede"), leaf 250, back.
• Joℏn̄ WYNTER, Squyer, of the shire of Sotheray, 20 May, 1445: leaf 252, back. ("Also to Herry Perreur a new gowne of Russet furred with blak lambe, that y had new at Crystenmesse, and also my wode knyf, and a lyned gowne of russet of my maistre Fastolf liuerey," lf. 253.)
• William BABTHORP, Baron of the King's Exchequer, 26 Oct. 1442. leaf 258 (bk: "Also I wille that the kirkerevys of the parish chirch of Clerkenweƚƚ haue xiij s' iiij d̛ for to spend on the onourmentȝ of the same kirke").
• John MALTON, gentleman. 6 Aug. 1447, lf. 274.
• Richard KETRYCH, Grocer, of London. 4 Oct. 1447 (26 Hen. VI).
• Richard ALRED, Squire, of Boreham, Essex, 8 May, 1446, leaf 275, back.
• Roger LOVEDEN of Bristol, Merchant, 18 July, 1447, leaf 279 (back: "Also I bequethe to my wyfe all my store of howsold̛ of beddyng, helyng Costurs of hallys and chambrys and kechyn,").]

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