Will of Robert Norfolk 1620
In the name of god Amen, the foure and twentie daie of Marche, and in the yeare of our
Lord god, one Thousand Sixe hundred and Nyneteenth, I Robte Norfolke of Soham in the
Countie of Cambridge and dyoces of (Norwich?) yeoman, beinge but weake of Bodie yet
in pfect memorie thanks be given unto allmightie god, and knowinge myselfe to be
mortall doe therefore ordaine and make this my last will and Testament in manner and
forme as followeth, First and before all thinges I commend my sowle unto allmightie god
my maker hopeinge in Jesus Christ my Saviour to have all my synnes forgiven and to be
a most joyfull inheriter in the kingdome of heaven Imprimis I give and bequeath unto
Roger Norfolke my sonne sixe acres of land or pasture beinge freehould lyinge and
beinge in the feilds and tythe of Fordham and Soham duringe hus naturall lyfe and after
his decease to John Norfolke my sonne and his heires forever of wch said freeland one
three rood lyinge in Clipsall feild by the lands of John Tyler Senior Southe and west,
twoe acres of freeland in the same feild on the same furlonge by the land of ye said John
Tyler Sein on the Northe, and the land of Edward Spilman of the South one rood and a
halfe of freeland in the same feild lyinge by the land of the said John Tyler of the North
& Roger Thornton Esquire of the Southe, x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x One
acre of freeland lyinge in Nowditch feild between the lands of Roger Thornton Esquire of
the East Syde, and the North head abutteth uppon wicken waye, one halfe acre of
freeland lyinge in Mardall by the land late William Pechies of the west, and the Southe
head abutteth uppon a peece of land of myne the said Robert Norfolke beinge in the
kinges demeanes, one three rood of inclosed pasture free ground the East head abutteth
uppon the ground sometyme called Bancroft horse pasture, and the west head upon the
ground of dyverse men called Squeeres Butth One halfe acre of freeland lyinge in
Bancrofte by the land of Roger Smeth gent towards the west, and the land of Edward
Cropley of London full East, and the Northe abutteth uppon ye ground of John Tyler
Sein, Item I give and bequeath unto the said Roger Norfolke my sonne sixe acres and a
rood of demeane land for terme of yeares yett to come specified in the lease yf he be
longe lyve, and after his decease to John Norfolke my sonne of wch demeane land three
acres lyinge in the feild called Berrye Crofts abuttinge uppon the Mare Heath, One acre
of demeane land lying in Metleham waye the west head abutteth uppon Metleham
hill/hall lyinge by the land of Roger Thornton esquire of the North, Three halfe acres of
land demeanes lyinge in Reelinge Craftes the west head abutteth upon metleham waie
and the east head uppon the ground called myllo… meadowe, One three rood of land
demeanes lying in Bancroft feild by the land of Roger Thornton esquire of the west, and
the land of Edward Cropley at ye El….. of the North, And nowe st.. that the saide Roger
Norfolke my sonne is not of capacitie for the disposinge of the said land, my will is that
John Norfolke my sonne shall have all the said twelve acres of land in use to him his
execs and Administrators conditonally that he and they shall take and lodge the said
Roger Norfolke my sonne Sufficyentlie wth meate drink apparrell both of lynnen and
woollen hoose and shoes lodginge and washinge howse roome and fyre….. both in
illness and in healthe duringe his naturall lyfe and not to see him mysused nor wronged
by anye meanes, and alsoe paie suche rents and dues and charges as of right are to be
paid owte of the said lands, And further that wheras I have delyvered unto John Norfolke
my sonne the some of Tenne pounds of lawfull money of England to this effect that yf
the said use of the said lands will not be suffycient for the mayntenannce of the said
Roger, then the said John my sonne shall paie unto Roger my sonne or his Assynes the
some of twentie shillings of lawfull money of England everie yeare duringe his naturall
lyfe for and towards his mayntenance and keepinge unto whomsoever it be that shall
keepe him, But yf it shall fortune that the said John Norfolke my sonne shall refuse to
keepe the saide Roger Norfolke my sonne as I have here appointed by my will or if his
Executors or Administrators shall refuse to doe the like accordinge to the true meaninge
hereof, Then I will that Rose Bridgman my daughter and Edward Bridgman her husband
and their Executors and Administrators shall have the lands before bequeathed in use and
the money for and towards the keepinge of the said Roger my sonne and they and everie
one or some ….ye of them shall mayneteine and keepe him sufficyentlie duringe his
naturall lyfe in the same manner as I have above written in this my will, But yf it shall
fortune the said Rose Bridgman my daughter and Edward her husband to refuse to keepe
the said Roger my sonne as aforesaid, or that ther executors or Administrators shall
refuse to keepe him as aforesaid, Then I will ye the Churchwardens of Soham then beinge
shall have the use of the lands aforesaid and yf neede require the said XXs of money
everie year as aforesaid, and I will that they shall keepe the said Roger Norfolke my
sonne suffycientlie as I have appointed my sonne John to doe in this my will as ys above
written, Item I give and bequeathe unto Rose Bridgman my daughter the some of twentie
pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid by my executor unto her within one yeare
next after my decease, Item I will that wheras William Norfolke owe me Fortie shillings
to be paid at or uppon the …….eteene daie of September 1620, I will that he shall paie it
to my Exor and my Executor shall paie owte of that money to Willm Richardson tenne
shillings, and to my sister the wydowe Page tenne shillings and ..athe…e, ……Xs of
lawfull money of England wthin nyne moneths after my decease, and the other tenne
shillings to remayne to the said William Norfolke, Item I will that the wydowe Page my
syster shall have her dwellinge in the howse wherin she nowe dwelleth at the Crosse
greene and not to paie anye rent duringe her naturall lyfe, Ite I will that wheras I have
twoe Bullocks at Tho: Coopers and one bullock at John Clarks and one Bullock at
George Chapmans & three bullocks in the Fenn, wch at the springe 1621, shalbe three
yeare ould wch said seaven bullocks I give unto my daughter Roses seaven children to be
delyvered unto Edward Bridgman ther father by my Exer, and the said Edward Bridgman
shall enter bond unto my Executor that the said children shall make my Executor lawfull
…… …… as they come to be of lawfull age, but if yt shall happen one or twoe of the
said bullocks to dye or myskarred before they be delyvered, then I have one redd h….
steere of three yeare ould wch I will shalbe instead of them or one of them delived as
aforesaid; Item I give and bequeathe unto Robert Richardson my godsonne twentie
shillinges of lawfull money of England; and to Wynefryde Norfolke my goddaughter
tenne shillinges of lawfull money of England, and to my godchilde at Mayhewes three
shillinges foure pence of lawfull money of England, and to my godchilde at Brees three
shillinges foure pence of lawfull money of England, and to my godchild at ………es
three shillinges foure pence of lawfull money of England to be paid by my Executor; and
to my godchild at Thomas Caters three shillinges foure pence of lawfull money of
England to be paid by my Exor the said XXs to Robte Richardson; and the tenne
shillinges to Wynnefryd Norfolke and three shillinges foure pence to Robte Mayhew
wthin sixe monethes after my decease and to Brees as childe ……hes childe, and to
Caters childe to them as they come to be one and twentie yeres of age, Item I will that my
Executor shall distrybute at my buryall or wthin tenne daies after to the poorest sorte of
the Towne fortie shillinges of lawfull money of England; The residue of my moveable
goods not given nor bequeathed I gyve them unto John Nofolke my sonne whom I doe
ordaine and make executor of this my last will and Testamt to receyve my debts and paie
my debts and legacies and to see my bodie decentlie brought to the earthe and this my
will truelye and faythfully pformed as I am ……..ded he will doe, In wyttness wherof I
have here unto set my hand the daie and yeare fyrst above wrytten; In the presence of
Clement Betts Willm Richardson and me Thomas De….y, Robte Norfolke the marke of
Clement Betts a wyttnes the mke of William Richardson a wyttnes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Latin probatum dated 1620
Latin notes in margin dated 1639 with references to John Norfolk (Executor), Edward
Bridgman and Robt Norfolk