Suffolk wills – M

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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).

Maddocke, Thomas, merchant of Ipswich, 1567

  • To be buried at St Nicholas’, Ipswich
  • Six sermons to be made at the charge of my wife: four at St Nicholas’, and two in Debenham, Suffolk
  • Poor of Ipswich: 24 loads of wood at Christmas
  • Wife Thomasin: all messuages, lands, free and copyhold in Debenham and Winston, Suffolk, until my eldest son Simond Maddock is 21
  • Wife Thomasin: messuage in Ipswich where I now dwell (except tenements in St Mary Elms, Ipswich, bought from Payne) for life, for the education and upbringing of my children. After her death, to my son Simond.
  • Wife Thomasin: all tenements in St Mary Elms, Ipswich
  • Moveable goods, chattels etc:
  • Son Simon: a silver salt with a cover that belonged to my father Simon Maddockes, when 21, and £10, and silver goblet left him by my father in his will, when 21
  • Son William Maddocke: £100, on top of the money left him by my father’s will, when 21
  • Sons Thomas Maddocke, James Maddocke, John Maddocke, and Robert Maddocke: £100 each when 21
  • Daughter Margaret Maddocke: £50 and a silver salt with a cover that was my father’s, on top of the £10 left her in his will, when 20 or married
  • Daughter Thomasin Maddocke: £20 on top of the money left her by my father in his will
  • Daughters Joane Maddocke, Elizabeth Maddocke and Susan Maddocke £50 each when 20 or married
  • Robert Nottingham, merchant of Ipswich, to have the use of £60 for ten years without interest
  • Servant Elizabeth Wood £3 6sh 8d.
  • Nephew, the son of Richard Rankinge and his wife, my sister: 40sh
  • Servants Thomas Knapp, Samuel Smythe, Elizabeth Thorne: money
  • Wife and executors to occupy children’s portions until they are entitled to receive it
  • Wife to ensure my father’s will is performed where it is lacking
  • Rest and residue to wife Thomasin

Executors: wife Thomasin; John More of Ipswich, merchant; Robert Cutler of Ipswich, merchant

Supervisor: Roger Kelke, Doctor of Divinty

Witnesses: John Gardener, Jeffrye Gilberte, John Hawes

Written 19 July 1564, probate 25 Oct 1567

PCC

Transcriber’s notes: presumably buried at St Nicholas’, Ipswich, as Mr Madock on 10 Sep 1564. It is likely that his son William married Dorothy Cutler, the widow of William Cutler. Dorothy’s husband had a brother called Robert Cutler, who might be one of the executors named in this will, or the Robert Cutler of Ipswich who her aunt Parnell Barker had married who lived in the parish of St Nicholas’ too. It is possible that the testator’s son Thomas is the Thomas Maddock who lived in Harwich.

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Maltyward, Robert of Rougham, 1689

  • Worldy estate not already “settled and assured upon my oldest son.”
  • Son Jeffery, sole executor
  • Copyhold in Buxall and Bury St Edmunds
  • Youngest son John, who lives in the house in Buxall
  • Some land was purchased by Robert in the name of his sister-in-law Bridget Cracherode before her marriage to Dr Houghton
  • Thomas Camborne of Drinkeston
  • Daughter Coke/Cooke, administrix of her late husband
  • Children of his niece Benjamin?

Written 5 Dec 1689

PCC

Transcriber’s note: Suffolk Hearth Tax 1674, Mr Maltwood of Rougham had eleven hearths. In Toppesfield in 1635, Robert Maltiward married Elizabeth Crachrode (1613-1676), the daughter of Thomas Crachrode (1578-1665) and Susan Godbold (d 1636). Five of Robert and Elizabeth’s children were baptised in Toppesfield.

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Mannock, Francis, of Stoke-by-Nayland, 1591

  • To be buried in “Stoke chapel”
  • Wife Anne
  • Son William, executor
  • My house called Gifford’s Hall
  • Son John
  • Roger Martyn son of Richard Martyn, gent
  • Francis and John, sons of William Mannock, gent
  • Son-in-law Thomas Gawde Everedes: his children, all under 21
  • Daughters: Audrey, Frances and Bridget Mannock
  • Edmund Mannock, gent
  • Brothers: Giles and William Mannock
  • Kinswoman: Audrey Mannock
  • Kinsman George Cornewall
  • Humfrey Sager and Elizabeth Sager his sister, both under 21
  • Many servants mentioned.

Supervisor: friends Edmund Church, gent; Henry Smyth, gent

Written 26 Oct 1590, probate 29 Nov 1591. Buried at Stoke-by-Nayland 4 Nov 1590, aged 67.

PCC

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Mannock, Sir Francis, of Stoke-by-Nayland, baronet, 1634

  • To be buried in the church at Stoke-by-Nayland with his ancestors
  • Mother-in-law Mrs Saunders
  • Friend Mr George Allecocke
  • Brothers: Mr John and Mr William Mannock
  • Sister: Mrs Elizabeth Mannock
  • Sons: John, Francis and William Mannock
  • Mr John Smith of Middle Temple, London
  • Thomas Mannock son of old Thomas Mannock of Ardleigh, Essex [“old” Thomas was indeed old and died aged, allegedly, 105 in 1637]
  • Son Francis’ godfather: Mr Henry Forster deceased

Executors: cousin Charles Paris of Little Linton, Cambs; brother-in-law William Saunders of Welford?, Northants; friend Bestney Barker of Monkwick, Essex; Mr Francis Saunders, brother of William aforesaid.

  • Had land in Cambs and Northants, and the rectory of Stoke-by-Nayland
  • Aunt Mrs Bridget Sullyard
  • Cousin Mrs Francis Nobbs wife of Mr William Nobbs
  • Father Mr William Mannock, deceased.
  • Servants: Christopher Wright, John Ram (his butler), Jeffrey Boreham
  • Rose Green (possibly his servant?)
  • Memorandum: he made verbal bequests in the house of Mr Downings on The Strand, London, where he died on 20 November 1634.

Written 6 Oct 1632, probate 1 Dec 1634. Buried in the church at Stoke-by-Nayland on 23 Nov 1634.

PCC

Transcriber’s notes: The Mannocks were recuscants, as was Bestney Barker. His sister, Margaret, mentions Sir Francis and John Mannock in her will.

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Mannoke, George of Sudbury, 1541

  • To be buried in the parish church of St Gregory’s in Sudbury, with a marble plaque showing his coat of arms.
  • Money to the high altar of Stoke-by-Nayland and St Gregory’s.
  • Sons Thomas and Edward
  • Thomas Danyell esqr and his servants
  • “My keeper” Elizabeth Grene [housekeeper?]
  • Servants: Edmund Cober? [Coker, as per his son’s William’s will?], Robert Hervy, Richard Betts

Executor: son Thomas, residual legatee

Supervisor: William Sidey

Witnesses: Sir Thomas Legat clerk, Thomas Hunte gent, Thomas Elice, John Innold, John Hervy, John Banaster, John Walford, William Sidey the younger, Robert Hervy & others

Written 8 Aug 1540, probate 12 Feb 1540/1

Transcriber’s note: The History of Sudbury written in the late 1800s mentions that there was a monument in St Gregory’s which has “now disappeared” to George Mannock, armiger, who died 22 August 1541. It showed three coat of arms: Mannock impaling Brakely, Mannock impaling Waldegrave (George was married to Catherine Waldegrave in about 1494), and Mannock and Brakely quartered. Brakelys aren’t mentioned in the Suffolk Visitation for Mannock.

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Mannock, John of Fornham All Saints, 1538

  • Wife Isabell: his universal legatee and executor
  • Money to the friars of Babwell to sing for his soul

Supervisor: Thomas Boroghdale

Witnesses: Roberte Baraclyffe clerk, Sir Peter Brynklaye, Thomas Ransolde, John James, Thomas Fullar of Sudbury

Written 23 Nov 1537, probate 27 Sep 1538

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Mannock, William, of Stoke-by-Nayland, 1558

  • To be buried in Stoke church
  • Eldest son: Francis
  • Daughter: Mary Cornewall
  • Sister: Margaret Allington, wife of John Allington
  • Servants: Richard Haselwood, Lauraunce Pickes, Growse, Elizabeth Tawye
  • Beneficiaries (Servants? unclear): Edmonde Coker, Agnes Coker
  • Niece: Dorothy Hall
  • Sons: Giles and William

Executors: sons Francis and William

Witnesses: William Brigges, William Buller

Written 4 July 1558, probate 9 July 1558.

PCC

Transcriber’s notes: William had bought Martell’s Hall in Ardleigh in about 1558, and Morant, quoting from William’s inquisition post mortem, gives William’s date of death as 8 June 1558. Either this is an error and William died on 8 July, or the date his will was written has been put down wrong and it was written on 4 June 1558. William was one of three sons of George Mannock, who had lived in Gifford’s Hall in Stoke-by-Nayland but was living in Sudbury towards the end of his life.

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Martin, Benjamin, shopkeeper of Bentley, 1827

  • Wife Emily [correction on front of will: “Emily Martin should be Elizabeth Martin”] – messuages and tenements in Ipswich St Peter’s occupied by: John Girling Simpson, William Henry Nunn, John Chittock, James Jeffery, Thomas Rauston, Francis Frost
  • Rest and residue to wife, executrix

Witnesses: Joshua Nunn, John Brown

Written 21 May 1827, he died 31 May 1827. Probate 30 July 1827

SRO

Transcriber’s notes: Joshua Nunn might be his wife’s nephew (son of his wife’s sister Sarah, who married William Nunn). William Henry Nunn was a boatbuilder, born in Harwich in 1793. On the 1841 census, he and his wife Susanna and their daughter were living in Green Yard in St Peter’s parish, Ipswich. He may or may not be related to the Nunns in the testator’s wife’s family.

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Martin, Elizabeth, widow of Bentley, 1828

  • Executors Benjamin King, farmer of Stutton, and John Long, baker and merchant
  • All messuages and tenements in Ipswich (as per her late husband’s will) – to be sold
  • All personal estate, household goods etc – to be sold
  • 19 guineas each to: John Martin, Oliver Martin, Elizabeth Griffen: the sons and daughter of John Martin, brother of my late husband
  • £10 to niece Mary Nunn
  • Rest and residue to be divided between my siblings: Henry King, Benjamin King, William King, Rebecca wife of John Long, Sarah wife of William Nunn, coal seller of the City of London

Witnesses: S B Jackam, George Hare, Rose Keable

Testatrix lived at Holbrook, and died there on 22 Feb 1828.

Written 29 August 1827, probate 10 March 1828

SRO

Transcriber’s notes: widow of Benjamin Martin, whose will is just above.

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