The Will of Sir Thomas Colepeper, 1428 From The Sus s e x C o lepepers
Moy Thomas Colpeper Chr le dymenge procheyn deuant l a f e s t e de lez apostelez Simon et Jude l'an nre syr l e Ro y he n r y apres le conqueste vj et de son regne vij o rdeyn e mo n t es tament.... En primez mon alme a dieu et m on cor ps de sir e se pelye en l'abbeye de Begghame p caus e que l' esgisl e es t d e l'annunciation nre dame en le li eu ou mo n sepult ure d 'Ale bastre est fait. Et ieo lis e a Nichola s mon fit z tout z me s chiualx. Et a Elizabet h sa femme me z paternos terez d e or . A Jouce Topemoye s i ele soit en v ie v marc . A John B ayhal le bastard x mar cz. a Thomas Pay ne mon cu c xls. a mo n Butil ler 13s 4d . mon
Bakere 13s 4d. Christianne Braylez 13s 4d. John Bosv y l e 1 3 s 4d. John Coppyng 13s 4d. mon parkcr 13s 4d, Jo h n De val e 1 3s 4d. a chescun garson 3s 4d, a chescun pa g e and h yn e 20s . a Malyme ma petite chaumberer a son ma ri age 20s . l' eglis e de Pepymbery 40s. al haute auter l a 13 s 4d. S r Joh n Tro t 20s. al Abbot de Begghame 20s . a ches cun Cano n de m esme l e lieu 3s 4d. To the Curate s of th e seven nea rest pa rishe s 6s 8d for masses and t o publis h my humble w ill. T o five o f the poorest of th e same pat ishes 5d. To t he Abbo t ard Con vent of Begham e 10s yearl y to keep my ann iversar y and the a nniversar y of Joyous e my wife. To Walte r my so n 200 marcs " condi cionel sil f ace lealement et nat urelemen t son devoi r e n lez ventez p ticions et liberation s de mo n chate l p tesmoi nage de le s autres compaignons e t assosse z . A Nicholas mo n fitz 20 0 marcs pour son bon sv ices. A T h omas mon fitz 20 0 marc s sur tiel condicion d'es tre pai e si l supporte bien e t n aturelement a mon volunt e de mo n testa ment et a mez exe c utours et enfeffeez. A Jo hn Co lpeper mo n fitz 140 (on s am e conditions as Thomas) . T o the Abbot an d Convent of B egham e 135. 6. 8. To the C h urch of Nonaigne z de Mallin g 40s. T o the Church of th e P riory of Tunbridg e 20s. Th e brothers o f Aylesford 20 s. A l freres austynes d e Rye p our tenir mon o bit et ann iversa rie 40s. A lumer le s Tape rez de la Shryne d e Cant erbury 2 0s. Et ieo prie et c harg e John Colpeper et to ut z mes autr es fitz quils ne dist ur bent mes executors ne m e s enfeffe z de fermez. Goods i n M anor of Bayhalle. If a ny pe rson fo rfeit the conditio n hal f his legacy shall g o "a me s fit z de moy et ioious e ma fem me" and of the ot her half, p arc el to the Abbot a nd Conven t of Beghme t o find a chapla i n to sing for th e souls of m e and Joyou se my wife at th e al tar where th e bodies lie, a nd remai nder to works of c hnrity . Executo rs, Sire John Lan gdo n leuesq de Roucester , John Ch ethm l e Abbot de Beghm , W alter et Nicholas mez f fitz, Willi a m Burgoyne, Roge r Honyt on, William Bernes, e t Thomas Fest y nden.
Ceste la condition et volunte de Monsr. Thoms Colpep e r c h i ualer fait en la feste de seint Margarete l'an n r e Sy r l e R oy Henry vj puis le conqueste tierce quil vo il e e t char g e q sez enfeffez William Bernes, Rics Ruyto n , Sir e Rober t C lerk, Robert Sprynget queux furont et s ou nt enf effe aue c au tres q sount mortz come p chrtr d e fe e simpl e de tout z se z terres et tenementz en les co unte z de Ken t et Susse x port ant la Chrtr date done a l a fest e de la n atiuite nr e dame l 'an nre Syr le Roy hen ry quar te apres l e conquest e viij ( 8 Sept. 1407). Et ap res es t un chartr e a Thomas lo ngle Ieue sq de Durhm, Wil liam Ch eyne justice , Walter et Ni cholas Cul peper mes ff itz, Wm . Bernes, Ric . Ruyton, et Rob ert Sprynge t portan t le dc t chre date Don e en la feste de l annunciatio n nr e dame l 'an nre Syr le R oy henry quinte x me (25 Marc h 1 422) De l a sit ct mesons d el manoir Bayhall e auec to utz le s terre s et tenementz qu e furont Auncien te mps do ne p fin e a io hn Colpeper mon pe re et a sez heires m asl ez en Pepymb ury , Tonbrigge et Tude le. The above feoffe e s are to recei v e the rents for two y ears to pay debts.
Touching the manor of Badeselle it is to remain to W a l t e r my son and his heirs male, with remainder to th e he i r s ma le of myself and Joyce my wife.
Touching the manor of Bernet in Leghe, Penserst, Bitt e b e r g and Tonbregge, writh the mill of Greenerssh and l an d s c al led Scottegrove in Asshe, Gatewicke mede in Ott efo rd , an d r ents and farms in Sele and Sevenoaks, to Th oma s m y so n an d his heirs, remainder to Nicholas his br othe r, r emain der t o the heirs of me and Joyce lately m y wife , rem ainde r to m y right heirs.
Touching the lands and tenements of Coluerdon, two win d m i l ls, Coluerdon mede, the lands and tenements of Boks te d e a n d Marsfelde, lands in Fernth and Wadehurst, th e mi l l of B ec keleghe, and 3 marcs of fee farm the Syr d e Pon yn gs pay s fo r hasylholte, to Nicholas my son and h is hei r s male, r emain der to the heirs of me aud Joyce l atel y m y wife, "e t voil e q'le dit Nicholas en annuatag e tout ez l es terres e t tenem entez rentez et seruiccs ap purtena n t a manoir de Ba yhalle q i fueront purchase p Wa lter Col pe per mon oncle, Jo hn Colpep er mon piere ou p m oy q soun t d epuis purchase q ' le fine d e Bayllalle fui t fait.
Touching the manor of Wyggesell and lands in Hernd e n i n S a ndherst and Newynden because Wyggesell was sett le d o n m e an d my wife Joyce and our heirs on our marria g e "p c hart r end ente," notwithstanding I have made anot ho r feoff ment , I wis h the original gift to stand good . "Mo y Thoma s Colp eper l e dymenge prochein le Purificat ion nr e dame l 'an d e nre syr . le Roy Henry vj-vije." Ni chola s my son t o mak e pilgrimage s with various specifie d offe rings to No rwic h and the shrin e of St Thomas of C anterbu ry. To the C hurc h of Pountose i n Normandy wher e the bod y of Richard m y so n lies a chalic e etc. To Mar yon Chambe rer mon hoplan d de s carlet and fur . To Aliso n another ho pland. To Nicho las m y son a suitabl e bed an d apparel suc h as my son Walt or ha d at his marriage . Ot her bequests-- Thomas Festynde n to hav e 110 to pay Chri s tian Brayley 20 s a year for lif e--Thoma s Pech farmer o f Wyg gsell to b e pardoned a debt o f 100s fo r last year.
Proved 8 March 1428 (viz 1428/9) at Slyndon, and admin i s t r ation granted to Walter Colepeper Roger Honyton an d T ho m a s Festynden executors, and afterwards administra tio n w a s gr anted at Lambeth to William Burgoyne and Nic hola s Co le peper .o me. There is no ambiguityabout Edwar d an d his t w o wive s however, nor about the (lengthy) li st o f their c hi ldren a nd their descendants, though of c ours e there's a lwa ys the p ossibility of an error. Inter estin gly, Edward' s ho me, whic h he left to his two daugh ters S ilence and Ab agai l in his 1 689 will, still stand s in Bra nford Conn. an d i s a state lan dmark. Jim
497668. King Robert STEWART II
Title:
King of the Scots
1st of the house of Stewart
Title:
Great Marischal Scot
