Some wills have been transcribed in full, whereas others are a paraphrased transcription. If they are paraphrased, they contain the names of all those mentioned in the will, with the gist of what they were (or were not!) bequeathed, but to find the full details, such as the names of property, requests as to how they were to be buried etc., please contact the relevant archive. The wills are either from the Suffolk Record Office (ERO), the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC), or the Norfolk Record Office (NRO).
Alefounder, Robert the elder, clothier of East Bergholt, 1639
Wife Elizabeth
Property in Walton, Essex, including the Manor of Grose. Occupied by John Cole. Properties occupied by Thomas Whiting and John Coke, house in Kirby occupied by Robert Cope. House in East Bergholt occupied by James Barker and Thomas Greene.
Eldest son Robert, executor
Youngest son John Alefounder
Eldest daughter Elizabeth Trenham, wife of John Trenham
Daughter Anne Alefounder, under 20, unmarried
Daughter-in-law Mary, wife of son Robert. Her sons George White and Robert White.
Sister Sara Braminge and her husband [unnamed] [note this is Browning in his father’s will]
Brother John Alefounder and Mathe his wife
Brother-in-law Ezekiell Sherman and my sister sister Rachell [Ezekiell’s wife]
Brother Henry Fenne and my sister his wife
Brother-in-law John Alderman
Brother Thomas Wood and his wife
Nephew Robert Braming
The poor of East Bergholt
Mr William Jones, Mr John Long, Mr Cornelius Fisher, Mr Thomas Wyten, Mr Rewes of Bentley
Three servants
Mr Thomas Bucke of Sibton and his wife
Friend Mr Samuel Ward of Ipswich
Witnesses: Robert Michell, John Benn?
Written 10 Feb 1635/6, probate 18 June 1639
PCC
Transcriber’s notes: The testator’s memorial brass can still be seen at the church in East Bergholt. See the will of his father, Robert Alefounder of Dedham.
Morant’s Essex vol 1 shows Robert Alefounder of Dedham owning the manor of Grove House in Kirby at his death on 5 April 1630, along with “a messuage called Faytes, and 126 acres of land therewith occupied, in Kirkeby; holden of this manor.” His son Robert – this testator – was then 40 years old.
The testator’s aunt Emme married George White in 1572 – perhaps his son’s wife, Mary, is the widow of George and Emme’s son?
See the will of Thomas Branston of Flowton, 1641 – he mentions his brother-in-law Robert Alefounder and “my sister his wife”, as well as his nephew Robert (Robert’s son), and his cousin Elizabeth Trenham wife of John Trenham – who was his brother-in-law’s sister.