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 (SRO), the Essex Record Office (ERO), the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC), or the Norfolk Record Office (NRO).
- Kemball, Eleanor, widow of Combs, 1804
- Kemball, Elizabeth, widow of Hadleigh, 1716
- Kemball, Elizabeth, widow of Monks Eleigh, 1794
- Kemball, Elizabeth, widow of Hitcham, 1813
- Kemball, John, yeoman of Hitcham, 1720
- Kimball [Kemball], John, farmer of Hintlesham, 1761
- Kemball, John, farmer of Monks Eleigh, 1773
- Kemball, John, farmer of Hitcham, 1803
- Kemball, Margaret, widow of Combs, 1756
- Kemball, Mary, widow of Hintlesham, 1782
- Kemball, Otowell, of Polstead, 1615
- Kemball, Richard the elder, yeoman of Hitcham, 1793
- Kemball, Richard, farmer of Stoke-by-Nayland, 1838
- Kimball (Kemball), Thomas, farmer of Hitcham, 1716 (admon)
- Kemball, Thomas, yeoman of Hitcham, 1719
- Kemball, Thomas, of Kersey, 1846
- Kemball, William, yeoman of Hitcham, 1702
- Kemball, William, yeoman of Hitcham, 1748
- Kimble [Kemble/Kemball], William, yeoman of Little Stonham, 1784
- Kemball, William, farmer of Dalham, Suffolk, 1792
- Kemball, William, gentleman, of Lavenham, 1810
- Kemball, William, farmer, of Hitcham, 1818
- Kembould, Gatteren, widow of Rattlesden, 1653
- Kembould, Stephen, yeoman of Bildeston, 1634
Kemball, Eleanor, widow of Combs, 1804
- Grandchildren: Thomas and Ann Eastick
- Grandson William Kemball, son of testator’s son William Kemball
- Son William Kemball
- Children of deceased son Thomas Kemball
Executors: William Rosher of Combs, farmer. Sons William and John.
Witnesses: Jonathan Thurlow, John Thomas Read.
Written 1 Jan 1804, probate 21 Aug 1804.
PCC
Transcriber’s notes: marriage at Combs, 11 Feb 1752: Mr Thomas Kemball and Mrs Elinor Cock.
Kemball, Elizabeth, widow of Hadleigh, 1716
- Grandson John Hobart
- Daughter Spells
- Owns a tenement in the parish of Ipswich St Mary-at-the-Quay
- Granddaughters Elizabeth Hobart and Mary Hobart, both under 21 and unmarried
- James Hobart, under 21 (relationship not stated)
Executor: cousin John Marvin
Witnesses: Edmund Cock, Philip Symondes, Matt. Isaack
Written 5 Nov 1709, probate 19 May 1716
NRO
Kemball, Elizabeth, widow of Monks Eleigh, 1794
- Daughter Elizabeth Ansell
- Sons John, William and Thomas Kemball
Executor: son Thomas Kemball
Witnesses: John Ansell Hicks, Luck White, Robert Offord
Written 21 June 1792, probate 10 Feb 1794
ERO
Kemball, Elizabeth, widow of Hitcham, 1813
- Sons Richard Kemball and William Kemball
- Daughter Elizabeth wife of Joshua Elsy of Hitcham, wheelwright
- Daughter Sarah wife of Jacob Webb of Hitcham, farmer
Executors: son Richard, Samuel Ward of Needham Market, gentleman
Witnesses: Sarah Ward, Henrietta Hunt, Richard Mudd
NRO
Kemball, John, yeoman of Hitcham, 1720
- son William Kemball
- wife Rachel (William’s mother)
- daughter Elizabeth Norrice? Morrice? (seems to be entered as Norrice and changed to Morrice – unsure)
- daughter Rachel now wife of William Little
- daughters: Esther, Winifred, Ann, Margaret, Hannah
Executor: wife Rachel
Supervisor: friend Mr John Boggas of Finbrow [Great or Little Finborough]
Witnesses: Jeremiah Hall x, John Deekes x, Matt. Isaack.
Written 18 June 1720. Probate 13 July 1720.
SRO
Transcriber’s notes:
Possible marriages of two of John’s daughters: by banns at Hitcham, 21 Dec 1721, Esther Kemball, single woman, married Samuel Mootham, single man. By banns at Hitcham 17 July 1722 of Winnifred Kemball, single woman and John Offord, widower.
Rachell Kemball, single woman of Ipswich married William Little, single man, a yeoman from Harwich, Essex, at Ipswich St Stephen’s on 12 Nov 1710.
Kimball [Kemball], John, farmer of Hintlesham, 1761
- Daughter Mary wife of Samuel Clarke of Crowfield
- Daughter Elizabeth wife of Abraham East of Monks Eleigh
- Daughter Ann wife of Joseph Lott of East Bergholt
Executor: wife Mary
Witnesses: Ann Clarke, Henry Hayward jnr, John Heath
Written 8 May 1761, probate 27 June 1761
NRO
Kemball, John, farmer of Monks Eleigh, 1773
- Daughter Elizabeth wife of Thomas Ansell
- Sons John, William and Thomas
- Wife Elizabeth
Executors: wife Elizabeth, son Thomas
Witnesses: Susannah Chamberlain, Charles Squire
Written 24 Feb 1773, probate 18 May 1773
ERO
Kemball, John, farmer of Hitcham, 1803
- Sons William and Richard (and possibly other children, unnamed, under 25)
- Copyhold in Felsham
- wife Elizabeth
- brother Richard
Executors: brother Richard Kemball of Hitcham, farmer; Samuel Ward of Needham Market, limeburner
Written 20 Feb 1803, probate 29 April 1803
PCC
Kemball, Margaret, widow of Combs, 1756
- Bonds in the hands of Mr Thomas Moore, attorney at law in Stowmarket
- son Thomas Kemball
- sister Jane Whiting of Offton
- sister Mary Wayman of Petistree
- sister Susan Clenche, widow of Woodbridge
Witnesses: Jno. Harrison, Jno. Wood, Elizabeth Wood.
Written 20 Nov 1753. Probate 16 June 1756.
SRO
Transcriber’s notes: Margaret seems to have had only one child by her husband Thomas: a son called Thomas, baptised at Combs on 17 Oct 1731. He married Eleanor Cock in 1752, had a son called Thomas the following year, and then died in 1762. Eleanor’s will (see above) mentions other children, and headstones recorded in Combs show they had other children besides Thomas.
There was another Kemball couple in Combs at the time. John and Mary baptised two children there: Mary in 1736 and John in 1738. Mary Kemball, a widow from Combs, was buried in Hitcham in 1756, and could be John’s wife.
Where was Margaret’s husband from? Could he be the son of William Kemball and Elizabeth Burgess who was born in Hitcham in about 1701, just before his father’s death? Or was he from the Felsham branch?
Kemball, Mary, widow of Hintlesham, 1782
- Son William Kemball
- Daughter Mary wife of Samuel Clarke of Hintlesham
- Daughter Elizabeth wife of Abraham East of Monks Eleigh, farmer
- Daughter Ann wife of Joseph Lott of East Bergholt, farmer
- The children of son John Kemball: John, William and Thomas Kemball, Elizabeth wife of Thomas Ansell of Wenham, farmer
Executors: son William Kemball; Thomas Vesey, gentleman of Hintlesham
Witnesses: Henry Hayward, Thomas Kemball, ? D’Oyly junior
Written 14 March 1782, probate 4 June 1782
SRO
Kemball, Otowell of Polstead, 1615
- Non-cupative will
- son John
- daughter Jane
- Joan Wiseman [relationship not stated]
- wife Hellen
Executor: wife Hellen
Witnesses: William Wheeler, James Glover
Written: Aug 1615, probate 1615
NRO
Transcriber’s note: Marian wife of Ottowil Kembolde – possibly the testator – was buried in Hitcham in 1610.
Baptisms at Hitcham, children of Ottowell Kembould [forenames Anglicised here as the register is in Latin]. Mother’s name not recorded. Burials don’t begin in Hitcham’s register until 1607.
- Henry, 30 Aug 1578
- Edward, 12 March 1580/1
- Jane, 24 Feb 1581/2
- Barbara, 27 Feb 1583/4
- “Kembould”, a son, 28 Sep 1585 (presumably an error and there should be a forename here – perhaps John, as mentioned in the will)
- A daughter (name not in register), 9 Apr 1587
Kemball, Richard the elder, yeoman of Hitcham, 1793
- wife (unnamed in the will)
- son John: property in Felsham
- daughter Mary Chaplin
- son Richard: property in Preston
Executors: John and Richard
Witnesses: Joseph Leaver Robert Rush, Christian Ranson
Written 13 March 1788, probate 24 Apr 1793
Transcriber’s notes: Mary Kemball married James Chaplin at Hitcham on 11 May 1762.
Presumably one of the executors of William Kemball of Dalham in 1792, below.
SRO
Kemball, Richard, farmer of Stoke-by-Nayland, 1838
- four children U21 of nephew George Kemball Webb of Ipswich, miller
- housekeeper Elizabeth London
- niece Mary Elizabeth Eley of Hitcham, spinster
- Sarah wife of Jacob Webb of Bradfield St Clare, farmer
- Elizabeth wife of Joshua Eley of Hitcham, wheelwright
- brother William Kemball of Ipswich
Executors: Thomas Dyer of Stoke-by-Nayland, farmer; Jacob Webb of Bradfield St Clare, farmer.
Witnesses: Richard Kemball, Henry Rodwell.
Written 2 March 1838. Probate 25 Sep 1838.
PCC
Transcriber’s notes: Richard was 58 when he was buried at Hitcham on 16 March 1838. This means he’s likely to be the son of John and Elizabeth Kemball who was baptised at Hitcham on 25 Feb 1780. His father’s will could be the 1803 will of John Kemball of Hitcham above.
Joshua Eley married Elizabeth Kemball, and Jacob Webb married Sarah Kemball – both weddings took place in Hitcham in 1804.
Kimball (Kemball), Thomas, farmer of Hitcham, 1716 (admon)
Thomas Kimball, late of Hitcham, farmer, dated 19 June 1716.
- Administration to Sarah Kimball, his widow.
- Bondsman: Thomas Ranson of Hitcham, farmer.
NCC
Kemball, Thomas, yeoman of Hitcham, 1719
- son John Kemball
- daughter Mary Howes
- daughter Grace Rowland
- son William Kemball
- grandson Thomas Kemball
- wife Grace
Executor: son John.
Witnesses: Thomas Edger, James Corrie, Jeramey Hall x.
Testator signs his surname “Kimball”.
Written 26 May 1716. Probate 30 Sep 1719.
SRO
Transcriber’s notes: Possible baptisms of testator’s children at Hitcham – made difficult as names are mostly Latinised, and the mother’s forename isn’t recorded:
- Mary dau of Tho. Kemball, 24 May 1674
- Gratia filia Tho. Kemball [Grace daughter of Thomas Kemball] 30 May 1686
- Guliel. filius Tho. Kemball [William son of], 20 Jan 1693/4
Possible marriage of his daughter Mary: 26 May 1703 at Coddenham, John Howe, husbandman of Willisham, and Mary Kemball.
Grace Kemball married Samuel Rowland in Hitcham in 1707 and had a couple of children there.
Burial at Hitcham 22 May 1719: Grace wife of Thomas Kemball. Grace is mentioned in his will, but pre-deceased him. This would mean Thomas’s burial is likely the one of Thomas Kemball at Hitcham on 11 Aug 1719.
John and Rebecca Kemball baptised their daughter Grace at Hitcham on 2 Aug 1719 – could the father be Thomas’s son, John?
Thomas son of Thomas Kemball jnr was baptised at Hitcham on 3 Aug 1707. There is a burial in Hitcham on 16 May 1716 for “Thomas Kemball”. Could Thomas jnr be son of the testator, and died before his father? See administration above, from June 1716, for Thomas Kimball. His burial is only ten days before Thomas wrote his will, so it could be his son’s which triggered the writing of the will. Then the grandson, Thomas Kemball, named in the will, would be Thomas’s grandson by his late son?
Kemball, Thomas, of Kersey, 1846
- Dorcas Kemble
- Zillah Kemble
Executors: Mr Edward Bouttell, Mr Edward Smith, of Kersey
Witnesses: the executors
Written 9 Sep 1845, probate 4th and 18th Feb 1846
NRO
Kemball, William, yeoman of Hitcham, 1702
- eldest son William Kimbull, U21
- son John Kemball, U21
- wife Elizabeth
- son Thomas Kemball, U21
- daughter Elizabeth Kemball, U21
Executor: wife Elizabeth.
Witnesses: Joseph Carter x, John Gorbull x, Tho. Folkerd.
Written 2 June 1702. Probate 22 July 1702.
SRO
Transcriber’s notes: “Gulielmus Kemball” was buried in Hitcham on 6 June 1702 – presumably the testator (names are Latinised in Hitcham’s register until 1715).
Marriage at Hitcham on 24 Sep 1702 of Joseph Cooper, and Elizabeth Kemball, widow [I’ve Anglicised the names here, but they’re Latinised in the register). This could be the testator’s widow.
Kemball, William, yeoman of Hitcham, 1748
- All land and property in Hitcham to be sold by executors, and divided equally between:
- Wife Elizabeth, and four children: John Kemball, Thomas Kemball, Elizabeth Ranson, Mary Kemball
- Son William Kemball to have only £5 as he has already been provided for.
Executors: wife Elizabeth, son John
Witnesses: Thomas Kemball, Henry Hayward, Edward Coldham
Written 27 Sep 1748, probate 19 Oct 1748
NRO
Kimble [Kemble/Kemball], William, yeoman of Little Stonham, 1784
- nieces and nephews, children of brother Thomas Kimble of Hitcham: Ann Kimble, William Kimble, John Kimble, Sarah Kimble, Mary Kimble, Elizabeth Kimble, Susan Kimble
- nieces and nephews, children of sister Sarah wife of Edward Sewell: Edward Sewell, Mary Sewell, William Sewell
- children of Robert Smith of Barking, yeoman: Robert Smith, Deborah Smith, George Smith, Margaret Smith, Martha Smith, Mary Smith
- Martha Saxby, whose maiden name was Martha Parker, formerly of Creeting St Mary
Executors: Robert Smith of Barking, Edward Sewell of Monks Eleigh
Witnesses: Esther Cockerell, Martha Warren, Thomas Warren
Written 16 Aug 1775, probate 21 June 1784
NRO
Kemball, William, farmer of Dalham, Suffolk, 1792
- of Dunstall Green in Dalham
- son John Kemball
- daughter-in-law Ann, wife of son John
- grandchildren: John (U21), Susan, Mary, children of John and Ann
- son Thomas Kemball
- son Edward Kemball
- daughter Lucy Kemball
- daughter Damaris Kemball
- son Richard Kemball
- son Robert Kemball
- daughter Ann wife of Albert Smoothy of Carlton, Cambridgeshire
- daughter Mary wife of James Smoothy of Carlton, Cambridgeshire
- daughter Elizabeth Hines
- grandson Edward Turner (U21), son of daughter Elizabeth Hines
- daughter Frances wife of George Fisher
Executors: brother John Kemball of Bildeston, brother-in-law Richard Kemball of Hitcham
Witnesses: Richard Cartwright, Edward Clift
Written 8 March 1792, probate 29 June 1792
SRO
Kemball, William, gentleman, of Lavenham, 1810
- daughter Mary Kemball
- daughter Alice Jonas
- daughter Elizabeth Garrard
- grandchildren, all U21: William Kemball Jonas, John Jonas, Samuel Jonas, George Jonas, James Jonas, Harriet Jonas
- grandchildren, all U21: William Kemball, Mary Kemball, John Kemball, Maria Kemball, James Kemball, Ann Kemball
- grandchildren, all U21: Robert Kemball, Joseph Kemball, Lucy Kemball
- Children of testator’s late son William Kemball
- daughter-in-law Elizabeth Kemball and her daughter Elizabeth Kemball, U21 [from codicil, dated 24 April 1809]
Executors: grandson William Kemball Jonas, friends William King of Lavenham and Joseph Lott of Burstall.
Witnesses: Roger Deacon, Robert Frost
Written: 24 March 1809, probate 5 Dec 1810
SRO
Transcriber’s notes: William appears to be one of the sons of John Kemball and Mary Talbot of Hintlesham. His son William was married three times (Mary King 1767-1798 in 1788; Lucy Lott 1778-1805 in 1799; Ann Wilkin 1785-1828 in 1806). The codicil which states that William had a daughter-in-law called Elizabeth Kemball appears to be a mistake and it should say Ann Kemball. William and Ann had a daughter called Elizabeth who was born in about 1808. Their daughter Ann was born around the following year. Baptisms for William and Ann’s daughters haven’t yet been found, but they appear in the will of William Wilken senior, their maternal grandfather.
Mary Kemball married James Raynham of Thorpe Morieux in 1810, 11 days after her father’s will was probated. Elizabeth Garrard had firstly been married to Thomas Cardinall D’Oyley, a surgeon. They married on 15 Feb 1792, he wrote his short will in September that same year, leaving everything to Elizabeth, then he died in March 1793. Thomas’s mother was Ann Cardinall, daughter of Mr John Cardinall of Wivenhoe (born in Tendring), brother of my 7 x gt-grandfather William Cardinall. Ann’s brother was the infamous Clarkson Cardinall of Tendring. Elizabeth, only 26 when Thomas died, married in James Garrard, a widower, in October 1793.
Kemball, William, farmer, of Hitcham, 1818
- wife Rhoda Kemball
- son William Kemball
- Anne Bacon, spinster: daughter of wife’s sister Deborah, now wife of Samuel Tillam by her former husband, Thomas Bacon
- Margaret wife of Joseph Hunt: wife’s sister
Executors: wife Rhoda, Robert Luckey of Hitcham, farmer
Witnesses: Ephraim Ward of Hitcham, shopkeeper; Robert Rawson, clerk to Mr Ranson, attorney at law, Stowmarket
Written 24 Nov 1817, probate 16 Dec 1818
SRO
Transcriber’s notes: William Kemball, widower of Buxhall, married Rhoda Spurgens, spinster, at Hitcham on 30 April 1807. The bondsman on their marriage licence was Thomas Kemball of Monks Eleigh.
The testator is likely to be the William Kemball buried at Washbrook on 23 Sep 1818, of Buxhall, aged 68.
Kembould, Gatteren, widow of Rattlesden, 1653
- Noncupative will. She died on 19 Jan 1652/3.
- She was at the house of Hugh Smith in Bildeston. Her sister had died not long before, and Hugh’s wife encourage Gatteren (Catherine) to make a will.
- Gatteren said she’d made one, which “one Scott of Rattlesden” knew about. But that if she made a will that didn’t leave everything to him, “she should never live in quiet.”
- Gattern was told she could make a will privately, so she said she would leave everything she had to a poor kinswoman of hers who lived in Stansted, called Widow Lilly, and her several children.
Present: Anna wife of Hugh Smith, Anna Smith single woman, William Rivett.
Adminstration to Benjamin Lilly and Charles Lilly, named in the noncupative will.
Written 8 Jan 1652/3. Adminstration granted: 28 May 1653.
PCC
Kembould, Stephen, yeoman of Bildeston, 1634
- daughter Anne wife of John Furley
- grandson Stephen Furley, their eldest son
- grandson Jonathan Furley, their second son
- granddaughter Anne Langley
- Isaac Annis and wife Mary are bound to hand over a house to the testator.
- son-in-law Henry Tanner of Great Cornard
- grandson Stephen Tanner, U21
Executor: son-in-law John Furley
Witnesses: John Cole, Henry Clarke, Thomas Andrewe
Written 6 Mar 1633/4. Probate 9 May 1634.
PCC
Transcriber’s notes: there’s a sentence later in the year, written in Latin. I’m not sure what it says, but it might be a challenge made by other legatees because the testator left his land (which he had a great deal of) to John and Anne Furley for life, to be inherited by their son Stephen after their deaths. If he died without issue, it was to go to their son Jonathan, and if he died without issue, to Anne Langley.