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).
- Veysey, Johane, widow of Hintlesham, 1590
- Vesey, Robart (Robert), clothier of Hadleigh, 1561
- Veysey, William of Hintlesham, 1577
- Vesey, William, gentleman of Bradwell, 1645
Veysey, Johane, widow of Hintlesham, 1590
- Son Thomas Walton: property in Hadleigh and elsewhere in Suffolk
- Daughter Glede, deceased.
- Grandchildren, the children of deceased daughter Glede: Thomas Glede, Samuel Glede, William Glede, Robert Glede, John Glede, Mary Glede, Sarah Glede, Abigail Glede (daughters under 18, sons under 21)
- Son Thomas: household stuff in his house at Hadleigh Bridge, and the table in the parlour “at my house in Hintlesham Priory”.
- Linen and apparel to be divided among the Glede granddaughters when they’re 18.
- All other household stuff to be divided among Glede grandsons when they’re 20.
- Brother Robert Cutler: gold ring with a diamond
- Son Thomas Walton: plate given in the last will of late husband William Veysey
- Son William Veysey: plated given him in his father’s will
- Brother Robert Derehaugh: a goblet
- Dorothy wife of William Maddocke of Ipswich: a gilt bowl
- Sister Colman: diamond ring which was my brother’s
- Remainder of plate to granddaughter Jane Walton, daughter of son Walton
- Money to the poor of Hadleigh and Hintlesham
- Rest and residue to son Thomas Walton, exec
- Witnesses: Thomas Glede, Mary Glede
- Written 5 Oct 1586, probate 27 May 1590
PCC
Transcriber’s notes: According to the additional pedigrees in the Suffolk Visitation, Joane was the daughter of Robert Cutler. Her sister Ann married Edward Cutler of Waldingfield, and her brother Robert Cutler of Ipswich and Sproughton married Alice, daughter of Thomas Gardner of Glemsford. Their son Thomas married twice – one of his wives was Ursula daughter of Robert Gosnold of Otley. Joane was the widow of John Walton of Hadleigh, who died in 1551. Joan’s sister-in-law Mary Vesey married Robert Gosnold of Otley, so Ursula was the granddaugther of Joan’s sister-in-law.
Vesey, Robart (Robert), clothier of Hadleigh, 1561
- The children of William Vesey by his first wife and his second wife £80 “which is paid to William Vese out of hand who hath promised me faithfully to pay his said children when they come to their full age.”
- To the sons of Lawrence Vesey: Abram, Isaac, and Laurance: £40 when 24
- To the daughter of the said Lawrence Vesey: Rose, Dorothy, Margaret, Anne, Alice and Mary: £10 when 20
- This £180 is in the hands of Robert Cutler, and land assured to me, William Vesey and John Smith for the payment of the said legacies.
- If Abraham Vesey dies under 24, his legacy to John Vesey, son of William Vesey
- If Isaac Vesey dies under 24, his legacy to John Smith son of John Smith of Hadleigh
- If Laurence Vesey dies under 24, his legacy to Anthony Gosnold, late son of Robert Gosnolde late of Otley
- If Rose or Dorothy Vesey die under 20, their legacies to Dorothy Vesey daughter of William Vesey
- If Margaret Vesey dies under 20, her legacy to my maid, Alice Gosnolde
- If Anne Vesey dies under 20, her portion to Judith Gosnold daughter of the said late Robert Gosnolde
- If Alice Vesey dies under 20, her legacy to Elizabeth Smith dwelling with me, daughter of John Smyth of Elmsett
- If Mary Vesey dies under 20, her legacy to Roger Ball of Hadleigh, my kinsman
- Katherine Cole daughter of Rose Cole £20 when 20 or her day of marriage
- Prestone, my apprentice, £6 besides his apprenticeship money to be paid him when he finished his apprenticeship
- 12d to every poor household in Hadleigh, and £100 to be spend on wool and linen for the poor, over five years
- 20sh to each prison house in Bury, Melton, Ipswich and Colchester
- My maid Elizabeth Benall £5, and my former servant John Bruges 20sh
- Mending of highway against Pond Hall Farm £10, and mending of highway from my house to Alham mill £10
- Son William Vesey: land in Leigham called Denbys. Elizabeth Cooper to have pasture on the land for six years for her beasts. And to her, the best of my milk that she will choose.
- Isabell: the press in the cheesehouse
- Godson Felaloge [Philologus] Forth £10 when 21
- Son Arthur: my house that I dwell in, for life, and after his death to his son Robert Vesey (my godson) and his male heirs. For lack of male heirs, to Laurence Vesey, son of my late son Laurence Vesey. For lack of male heirs, to Isaac Vesey and his male heirs. For lack of male heirs, to my next male heirs.
- Land bought from Edward Rouse called Brodstiches to Arthur Vesey for life, and after his death, to his eldest son Robert and his heirs.
- Dorothy Vesey daughter of William Vesey £5
- To Arthur Vesey: land in Roydon called Wheat Croft for his life, and after his death to his second son and heirs.
- Laurence Smith son of John Smith: land in Roydon called Morys
- Anthony Gosnold £20
- Former maid Margaret Smith £5
- Roger Balle: £6 besides what he owes me
- Maid Alice Gosnold £20 and twelve silver spoons
- Maid Elizabeth Smith £5
- All silver and gilt plate to be divided among my children and my late wife’s children “as it doth appear in a certain paper written with my own hand.”
- If Roger Waren pays me £27, the plate I’ve bequeathed to him to be delivered to him. If he doesn’t pay, he won’t receive the said plate.
- Judith Gosnold and Alice Gosnold: one feather bed each
- I have certain lands in Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex, assured to me and other from Robert Cutler of Ipswich for the sure payment of the legacies to Laurence Vesey’s children, and to receive the profits until Laurence Vesey’s youngest children come of age. The profits I bequeath as follows:
- John Vesey, William Vesey, Henry Vesey, sons of William Vesey: £9 10sh to John and Henry, £19 to William
- Ingilbright Smith, Robert Smith, Edward Smith (my godson), Robert Smith (the eldest brother), Lawrence Smith, sons of John Smith of Elmsett: £9 10sh each
- John Gosnolde, William Gosnolde, Edward Gosnolde, the sons of Robert Gosnolde late of Otley: £9 10sh each
- John Smith (my godson) son of John Smith of Hadleigh: £9 10sh each
- Robert Vesey (my godson) son of Arthur Vesey: £9 10sh
- The children of Arthur Vesey: £80 when they reach 21
- Seams of wheat and rye to: William Cowper and his wife, Edward Skarpe, John Preston, all the maids in my house (Alice Gosnold, Judith Gosnold, Isbell Smyth, Anne Birkitt), former servant Thorne, John Humfry.
- Robert Gosnolde the younger: a cup with a cover and a knop of silver
- William Vesey son of William Vesey: a gilt pot with a cover
- John Smith of Hadleigh, my godson, one goblet with a cover
Executor: son William Vesey, rest and residue.
Witnesses: John Smith, William Cowper, Edward Skarpe
Written 11 Oct 1558, probate 7 May 1561
PCC
Transcriber’s notes: Robert Vesey of Hadleigh sits at the top of the Vesey tree – a family whose descendents spread through Suffolk and Essex. Although none of the Veseys are my ancestors (as far as I know), they are related to me by marriage.
First of all, here’s a summary of Robert’s grandchildren mentioned in the will:
- Children of Lawrence Vesey: Abram, Isaac, Lawrence, Rose, Dorothy, Margaret, Anne, Alice, Mary
- Children of William Vesey: John, Dorothy, William, Henry
- Children of John Smith of Hadleigh: John, Lawrence? (the will says “son of John Smith”, but doesn’t state which)
- Children of Robert Gosnold: Robert, Alice? (a maid in the will, but appears in her father’s will), Judith, John, William, Edward
- Children of John Smith of Elmsett: Elizabeth, Lawrence? (the will says “son of John Smith”, but doesn’t state which, then “Lawrence son of John Smith of Elmsett appears later), Ingilbright, Robert the younger, Edward, Robert the elder
- Children of Arthur Vesey: Robert
William, his son, is William Hintlesham, whose will is below. Robert doesn’t mention William’s son Robert, who married Joan, the daughter of William Cardinall of Great Bromley and his first wife Joan Gurdon.
However, this will mentions William’s daughter Dorothy, who isn’t mentioned in other sources. It seems to me that she must be the Dorothy who is “Dorothy Cutler daughter of my daughter Faysses” mentioned in the will of Parnell Barker. And the Barker tree in the Suffolk Visitations’ Additional Pedigree mentions a Margaret Barker who married William Vesey of Hadleigh. Presumably William lived in Hadleigh, where his father did, before moving to Hintlesham. Joseph James Muskett’s “Suffolk Manorial Families” has a section on the Veseys but he doesn’t mention Dorothy, even though she’s in Robert’s will and in Joan Cutler/Walton/Vesey’s will (above) too, because Dorothy Cutler went on to marry William Maddock of Ipswich (her uncle Reginald Barker mentions his niece Dorothy, wife of William Maddock of Ipswich, and her Cutler sons mention her as William Maddock’s wife).
Given all that, it appears that we can now identify William Vesey’s mystery first wife. She was Margaret Barker, the daughter of Robert and Parnell Barker of Bildeston, Suffolk. Dorothy was mentioned in Joan Cutler/Walton/Vesey’s will because she was Joan’s stepdaughter, although Joan doesn’t give any relationship when she mentions her. A link between the Barkers and the Hadleigh/Hintlesham Veseys isn’t surprising: while Robert Vesey jnr married Joan Cardinall, daughter of William’s first wife, his second wife, Lettice Knightley, had a niece called Margaret Coke who married Margaret Barker/Vesey’s nephew Robert Barker of Monkwick! Which is all a bit complicated, I know…
The identity of Robert’s deceased wife is suggested by the conditions surrounding Roger Warren’s receipt of the plate immediately following the mention of plate to his children and his late wife’s children. According to the Suffolk Visitation of 1561, Roger Warren’s parents were John Warren and Dorothy, the daughter of Robert Forthe of Hadleigh. According to the section on the Foorthes in Muskett’s “Suffolk Manorial Families”, Dorothy’s brother Robert Forth jnr had a grandson, and a great-grandson called Philologus Forth, and Robert Vesey mentions his godson, Felaloge Forth. So it would appear that Robert Vesey was married to Dorothy, widow of John Warren, and daughter of Robert Forth senr. Further evidence comes in the shape of a bond at Suffolk Record Office in Ipswich (ref HA247/1/13), between Roger Waren (sic) of Newbourne and William Byham of Sudbury, from 1552. Roger was bound to protect William from any claim to property in Sudbury by his mother Dorothy Veysye, and his wife Barbara. Putting both the clause in the will, and the bond, together, we have Roger Warren as apparently Robert Vesey’s stepson, and Dorothy Vesey, Roger’s mother.
Veyseye, William of Hintlesham, Suffolk, 1577
- Rachel wife of Richard Abbes of Hadleigh 40 per annum
- Raiment and books to be divided among his three sons
- Plate and household goods to be divided between wife Jone and sons William and Charles
- Son William: Hintlesham priory manor and other properties in Hintlesham. To pay Jone £40 per annum.
- Son Charles: Cockerells manor in Buxhall and Rattlesden, and house in Hadleigh
- [Verbatim, concerning his property in Essex]
- I will that all my manor and lordshipp called Wikes Hall & aforetime Wikes Abbey lyinge in Wykes or ellswhere in the county of Essex with all and singular theire appurtenances therto belonginge and all other my lands tenements and hereditaments in the saide countie of Essex shall goe discende and remaine as hereafter followethe.
- That is to saye my fearme in Tendringe called Pilcocks I give to John Veysey my sonne and his heires forever.
- Item. I will and full intente and meaning is that all those lands and tenements now next named shall descende as a full thirde parte of all my hereditaments after my decease accordinge to the statue of Willes unto my heire, that is to saye all those landes in Wikes called Edmunds Landes and tenements nowe lette to the widow Hedge for £6 6s. 8d a yeare, and all those landes and tenements called Windmill Lande withe the windmill in Wikes nowe in the fearme of Thomas Munson for the yearely rente of £15 and all those my landes and tenements called Witchells in the tenure of James Lucas worthe £6 a yeare, and all those landes and tenements called Freshmill lyinge in Bradfeilde and Wikes in the tenure of Gilbert Wyer and Jone Veysey my daughter-in-lawe worthe £18 a yeare all whiche landes dothe amounte to the somme of £45 a yeare cleare whiche I will shall discende as is forsaide.
- And whereas my saide daughter-in-lawe by reason of an aware or agreament betwene her and me by my writinge made by Mr Roberte Gurdon and William Cardinall hathe to her assigned the windmill and parte of Freshmell lande for terme of her life by which awarde or agremente not intereste in the sayde mell and lands dothe by lawe veste in my saide daughter-in-lawe yet my entente and meaning is, and I doe will and devise by theis presente in accomplishing of the saide awarde or agremente that in leiw and steade of the saide windmill and landes whiche is but £8 a yeare of there abowte my saide daughter-in-lawe shall have all the copye holde rents and all my free rentes of my saide manor of Wikes for the terme of her lyffe whiche dothe amounte to £18 a yeare and above, and after the decease of the saide Jone Veysey my daughter-in-law I give all the forsaide manor and lordshipp in Wikes called Wikes Hall aforetime Wikes Abbey withe all and singular the rentes, services, houses, mesuages, gardeins, orchards, landes and tenements nowe in the tenure and occupation of my sayde daughter-in-lawe or of her fermors of assignes to the said manor belonginge or in the occupation of any other by her or her late husbande demised before not declared to be let to discende to my sayde heire unto William Veysey and Charles Veysey aforsaide my sonnes, to have and to holde thoue moytye therof to the saide William and to his assignes for terme of his life, and to have and to holde thothe moytie therof to the said Charles and his assignes for terme of naturall life, the remainder thereof after there decease unto the heires males of the bodye of Roberte Vesey my eldest sonne deceased and to the heires male of theire bodye lawfully begotten, and for lacke of suche issue the remainder therof to the sayde Charles Vesey and to the heires males of his bodye lawfullye begotten, and for lacke of suche issue the remainder therof to John Veysey my sonne and to the heires males of his bodye lawfullye begotten, and for lacke of issue ye remainder therof to the nexte heires of me the saide William Veysey forever.
- I give unto William Veysey my sonne so muche of the profits of the courte within my manor of Wikes, herriotes fines releves oscheates and other rialties whatsoever belonginge unto me unto the saide William Veysey my sonne for terme of his life, and after his decease unto the righte heires males of me the saide William Veysey forever. Provided always that if William Veysey sonn of Robert Veyseye aforsaide beinge now my heire apparante shall happen to survive my said daughter-in-lawe his mother, then I will that if the saide William Veysey my saide heire apprante will paye unto every of my forsayd sonnes William and Charles that then shal be alive £20 of lawfull Englishe monye yearly duringe the natural lives of every of them, that then uppon good and sufficient assurance in lawe made to them for the same by my saide heire apparante I will if they and every of them shall relingquishe release or assure to my saide heire all there right tytle and intereste which I have given them in the saide manor landes and tenements in the saide county of Essex my gifte before notwithestandinge
- Provided always that if Jone Veysey my daughter-in-lawe or anye of her children or any other in theire name or in the name of the prince shall at my time after my decease moleste or trouble my wife or children for anye of my landes in Suffolk or in Essex so that all the saide manners landes tenements and hereditaments shall not goe be and remaine to every suche person and persons as is by this my laste will declared according to the plaine and true meaning of me here specified, that then I will and bequeath all the saide manor and lordship called Wikes Hall with all and singular the landes tenements rents and rialties and hereditaments nowe in the occupation of my saide daughter-in-lawe or her fermors of assignes or of the fermors or assignes of her late husbande unto William Veysey and Charles Veysey my sonnes and to theire heires forever, any thinge or gifte before made to the contrary notwithstanding.
Written: 3rd June 1575, proved: 18th November 1577
PCC will.
Transcriber’s note: Jone’s second husband was Robert Suckling of Norwich and they became the ancestors of Horatio Nelson.
Vesey, William, gentleman of Bradwell, 1645
- Wife Alice (not mentioned in body of will, but she is named in the probate)
- Son Richard: a diamond ring, according to the desire of his mother
- Three daughters: Alice, Anne, Elizabeth, all under 19
- Son William
- Brother Charles Vesey
- Nephew, son of brother Charles, and nephew’s wife [both unnamed in the will]
- Sister Bragg
- Sister Bragg’s sons: William, Nicholas, John, and her daughters: Taylor, Creemer, Kerington, Joanes, Elizabeth [in other words, four of her five daughters have married and are named by their married name in the will]
- Father-in-law Robert Bragg, and his son
- Aunt Mistress Melburne
- Fatherer Richard Jenkinson, gent, and his brother Edward
- Uncle Henry Jenkinson, gent
- Kind cousin Charles Gosling, and his children
- Money to the poor of Flowton, Suffolk, where my uncle Robert Derehaugh is buried
- Mr James Aldrich of Bradwell
- Money to poor of Bradwell, Gorleston, Belton, Hopton and Beccles
- William Baker and Elizabeth his wife
- Richard Carr and Elizabeth his wife
- Friend Mr William Browne of Belton Hall
- Uncle Francis Reynolds, gent
- Money to servants
- Robert Flower
- The child my wife is pregnant with
Written 14 Jan 1644/5, probate 25 Feb 1644/5
PCC
Transcriber’s notes: According to his memorial in the church at Bradwell, the testator died in 1644, aged 63. From the date of his will being written and probated, we know that he died in either January or February 1644/5.
He was the son of William Vesey and Elizabeth Reynolds; the grandson of William Vesey of Hintlesham (d1577) and Joan Cutler/Walton/Vesey. His mother was half-sister to Robert Derehaugh, who is mentioned in this will, and he’s also mentioned, along with his sister Elizabeth Bragg in Robert Derehaugh’s will.
In the Vesey section in Muskett’s Suffolk Manorial Families, we are told that the testator married twice – his first wife was Anne Bragg of Hatfield Peverel in Essex (presumably a relative of the testator’s brother-in-law, John Bragg), and his second wife was Alice, the daughter of Richard Jenkinson. Muskett says that the testator’s son, Richard, married Anne Jenkinson of Norwich – perhaps a relative of Alice’s. NRO holds the 1647 will of Richard Jenkinson of Oulton, Suffolk, and the 1661 will of Henry Jenkinson of the same place.
Note that Sir Thomas Jenkinson had a son called Richard by his wife Anne Gawdey – they might be same family. Anne’s grandmother, Audrey Knightley, was a sister of Lettice, the wife of William Clippesby and secondly William Cardinall of Great Bromley. William Cardinall and Lettice’s daughter Julian married Edward, brother of Robert Derehaugh mentioned above. William Cardinall’s daughter Faith, by his first wife, married William, another of Robert Derehaugh’s brothers, and Joan, another daughter by his first wife, married Robert Vesey, brother of the testator’s grandfather William Vesey.