William BROOKE [6520]

  General Notes:

Will of William Brooke. 4 October 1659.
In the name of God Amen the fourth day of October in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fifty and nine I William Brooke of the parish of St Swithins in the City of Norwich gent being sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect memory blessed by God doe make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following : first I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my heavenly father hoping to obtain remission of my sins and everlasting life by and through the only merits and in.ei ien ?] of Jesus Christ my most gracious and blessed Redeemer: my body I commit to the earth out of which it was taken to be buried in Christian burial at the discretion of my executor: And for that worldly estate that God in his mercy hath blessed me with I give and bequeath unto the poor the sum of twenty pounds of lawful English money to be given and distributed amongst them as my executor shall think fit.
Then I give and bequeath unto my son Jeremy at his age of one and twenty years all those my lands messuages tenements and hereditaments whatsoever lying and being Wymondham in the County of Norfolk or in any town or towns there near adjoining - now in the several tenures or occupations of William Durson and John Shipper or either of their assigns to have and to hold to him the said Jeremy to his heirs forever; And I further give and bequeath to him the said Jeremy immediately from and after the death or decease of his mother All those my lands messuages or tenements and hereditaments lying and being in the town and parish of North Walsham in the said county or there near adjoining now in the tenure or occupation of Thomas [H.aws] or his assigns to have and to hold to him the said Jeremy and his heirs for ever;
I hereby give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Brooke at her age of one and twenty years All those my lands messuages tenements and hereditaments whatsoever both free and copyhold as also leasehold lying and being in Earlham and Costessey or any other town there near adjoining which I late purchased of Nicholas Martin Esq. and are now in the tenure or occupation of John Plunkett or his assigns, as also all the [ferny feney ?] lands messuages tenements and hereditaments with their appurtenances which late I purchased of William Alsham (Alston?) and [Hanery Chursh..gen ?] and others and are or lately were in the occupation of Edward Smyter or his assigns to have and to hold to my said daughter Mary and her heirs for ever. I here give and bequeath unto my daughter Thomasine Brooke at her age of one and twenty years all the [ferny feney ?] lands, messuages and tenements and hereditaments whatsoever both free and copyhold with their [appurtenances lying and being in Welborne in the county of Norfolk or in any other town or towns there near adjoining now in the several occupations of William Chapman William Wake or Francis Chacker or of any of them or of any of their assigns As also all those my lands messuages tenements and hereditaments with their appurtenances lying and being in Kimberley and the towns there adjoining in the County of Norfolk which I late purchased of Richard Freeman and are now in the occupation of the widow Read or her assigns to have and to hold to her my said daughter Thomasine and her heirs for ever
Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Rose Brooke at her age of one and twenty years all those my lands messuages tenements and hereditaments whatsoever both free and copyhold with their appurtenances lying and being in Costessey in the County of Norfolk and the town or towns there near adjoining which I had of the gift of my late father John Brooke dowaged As also all those my lands and tenements with their appurtenances which I late purchased of Edward F?ernegan ] [ "Fermingham" crossed out] gent together with all other my lands and hereditaments in the said town of Costessey all which are now in the several occupants of Henry [Aptnis ?] and Thomas Howes or either of their assigns to have and to hold to the said Rose Brooke and her heirs forever And I do hereby give bequeath and devise unto my dear and loving wife Thomasine and her executors or to such other person or persons as she shall by writing under hand and seal attested by two credible witnesses nominate and appoint All the rents profits and revenues of all my [force.ienoiert ?] lands messuages tenements and hereditaments herein formerly bequeathed to my said son and daughters and every of them for and during their minority and until they shall attain their full several ages of one and twenty years respectively for and towards the maintenance and education of my said son and daughters for keeping and maintaining [.chersex ]and edifices belonging to [thcpccmitted in good and sufficient reparations and paying all public taxes and impositions Lords Rents and all other charges and payments issuing out of the same or any of them; And if it shall please God that my said son or any of my daughters shall die or depart this natural life before they shall have attained their said several and respective ages of one and twenty years whereby to enjoy their several estates or lands herein bequeathed unto them by this my last will and testament, then I give and bequeath unto my said dear and loving wife Thomasine all the lands messuages tenements and hereditaments whatsoever with their appurtenances of such child or children so dying (which by virtue of this my last will and testament should same come to him and or them had they lived) to have and to hold to my said wife Thomasine and her heirs forever; In hope and confidence nevertheless that she my said wife will dispose of and leave the same unto and amongst the rest of my children surviving as she shall think fit and they deserve.
Item I give and bequeath unto my loving mother Mrs Sibilla Brooke the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful English money to be paid unto her within one year next after my decease
Item I give and bequeath unto my brother John Brooke (over and above the twenty pounds a year that my father gave him) the sum of twelve pounds a year to be paid unto him quarterly by my executrix for and during his whole life And I further give him the sum of ten pounds of lawful English money:
Item I give and bequeath all those my houses and [ unreadable] and [ unreadable] appurtenances lying and being in Gorleston in the County of Suffolk/Norfolk which late I purchased of [Cechiell?? ] Dowe to that [ma….] [ ersse] [unreadable] and commonalty of the City of Norwich to have and to hold to them and their successors for ever for and towards their maintenance of the girls or maid children in the late [enectred?] hospital for girls or maid children in Norwich forever;
Item I give and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife Thomasine all those my [houses] grounds and tenements whatsoever lying and being [in] the parishes of St Swithins St Margaret and St Benedict in the City of Norwich with their and any of their appurtenances And also all that my close or enclosed ground or land lying without the walls of the said City and between St Giles and St Stevens gates which my late father purchased of Mr. [ Huntingham??]; And also all my copyhold lands in Catton and all other my lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever (not formerly herein bequeathed) with their and every of their appurtenances; to have and to hold to her my said wife Thomasine and her heirs forever And I do hereby wish and ordain the said Thomasine my wife sole executrix of this my last will and testament; And for the payment of my debts and of such legacys as I have given bequeathed and of all such legacys or sums of money as I shall hereafter in a particular note under my hand give or appoint for any other person or persons I give and bequest to my said wife all my debts credits mortgages and all my plate jewels and every gold stuff and all other my goods chattels and personal estate whatsoever : In witness whereof revoking all former wills and testaments by me heretofore made [.h..] to this my last will and testament written in two parts and agreeing verbatim each with the other (each present written in three sheets of paper and filed together) set my hand or name to the first two sheets and my hand and seal to the third and last sheet of either of the said parts the day and year first above written. I William Brooke signed sealed and published as the last will and testament of the above named William Brooke in the presence of William Brooke William Yeats William Pinchin and W: Younger This will was proved at London before the judges on the fourteenth day of December 1659 by the oath of Thomasine Brooke[…..] relict of the late dowaged and sole executrix named in the said will to whom [ad..ted ] [maybe abbreviation for "administration"] she was permitted being in one form of law sworn and well and truly to administer etc.
Transcribed by Susan Perrett 2002.

William married Thomasine GOOCH [6521] [MRIN: 2181] about 1642 in Norwich. (Thomasine GOOCH [6521] died in 1676.)