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
- Arthey, Amy, widow of Hadleigh, 1818
- Arthey, John the elder, farmer of Lindsey, 1813
- Arthy, Joshua, gentleman of Stoke-by-Nayland, 1836
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.
Arthey, Amy, widow of Hadleigh, 1818
- Samuel Allen the younger of Hadleigh, cordwainer, executor
- Cousin Jane Whiting, widow; Jane her daughter, and Mary her granddaughter
- Elizabeth Allen, mother of the said Samuel Allen
- Thomas Spalding, nephew of Elizabeth Allen
Witnesses: Robert Offord, W. Bryer
Written 13 May 1818, probate 18 Dec 1818
PCC
Arthey, John the elder, farmer of Lindsey, 1813
- Son John Arthey
- Wife Alice Arthey
- Grandson William Waters, under 21
Executors: son John Arthey, brother Joseph Arthey
Witnesses: Benjamin Bouttell of Lindsey, farmer; Abraham Griggs of Lindsey, yeoman; Robert Offord of Hadleigh, attorney at law
Written 3 Aug 1810, probate 12 Jun 1813
PCC
Arthy, Joshua, gentleman of Tendring Hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, 1836
- John Gardiner, labourer of Stoke-by-Nayland: property in Lindsey, Suffolk
- John Arthy of Lindsey, farmer
- Sarah, wife of Taylor of Braintree, Essex, innkeeper
- The wife of Sherman of Melford, yeoman
- Sarah, wife of John Clifford of Lindsey, labourer
- Wife of William Worters of Groton, farmer
- John Smith of Kersey, blacksmith
- James Gardiner of Hadleigh Hamlet, labourer
- Ann Harris of London, formerly lady’s maid to Lady Rowley
- Ann Smith of Boxford, widow
- Thomas Smith of Boxford, shopkeeper
- James Mortimer of Stoke-by-Nayland, carpenter
Executors: Rev Joshua Rowley of East Bergholt, clerk; Henry Offord of Hadleigh, gentleman; Joseph Arthy of Lindsey, farmer
Witnesses: Dennis Goddard, Samuel Wood, John Huff
Written 14 Feb 1831, probate 17 Feb 1836
Codicil #1
- Susan Gardiner, sister of John Gardiner jnr of Stoke-by-Nayland, labourer
- Henry Parsons of Stoke-by-Nayland, farmer
- William Gardiner of Stoke-by-Nayland, an illegitimate child of Maria Gardiner, under 21
- Sir Joshua Ricketts Rowley, baronet
Codicil #2
- Joshua Gardiner, son of my kinsman John Gardiner, and brother of John Gardiner named in my first will
PCC