Will of William Sumpter late of Cullompton, Clothier
Proved 31 March 1642
© Crown Copyright
National Archives Catalogue Reference PROB 11/188/397 Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Campbell Quire Numbers: 1 – 42
Transcribed by Art Ames
In the name of God Amen
I William Sumpter of Colompton in the county of Devon clothier being weake of bodie but of good and perfect memorie praised be God for the same well knowing that death is imminent to every mortall man but the tyme and place uncertaine doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following
First I bequeath my soule to Almighty God hoping by a lively faith believing by the death and only merritts of Jesus Christ to be saved and by noe other meanes
And my body I comitt to be buried in the churchyard of Colompton in the South thereof neare unto the place where my deceased father and mother lye buried if it will please God that I dye in or neare Colompton aforesaid
Item I give to the poore of Collompton aforesaid forty shillings to be distributed by the discretion of my executrix hereafter named
Item whereas I have heretofore granted unto Marie Seaward of Bradninch widdowe one annuity or yearly rent charge of six pounds during her life to be yssuing out of all those lands and tenements called Brownscoombs place and certaine closes of land meadoweland and pasture could Turnett situate in Colompton afore said my will and meaning is that my executrix hereafter named shall satisfie and pay the said annuity and rent charge out of my personal estate which I shall leave to her dureing all the life of the said Marie Seaward and the said messuage land and tenement nowe chargeable with the payment thereof to be discharged or saved harmless of and from the payment thereof
Item I give to my son Giles Sumpter this sum of fouer hundred pounds to be payd within one yeare next after my decease soe as he do before that tyme make a inst account and satisfaction to my executrix of all such goods and estates of myne which he hath in his handes
Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne William Sumpter and his heires forever the fee simple and all my estate right and interest which I have of and in the fourth part in the foure parts to be divided of the farme of Whyteheathfield in the parrish of Colompton and also of and in the fourth part in foure parts to be divided of a tenement called [ ] which I lately purchased of Roger Hill and also all the writings deeds and evidence of or concerning the same premises
Item I give and bequeath unto my said sonne William Sumpter all my rights interests and terme of yeares which I have of and in those six closes of land meadowe and pastures conteyning by estimation twenty foure acres or thereabouts being parcell of the land which I bought of Mr William Skinner and whereon I have a lease for moyety nyne yeares determinable by the death of my children Thoma Sumptor William and Johan Sumpter the said William and his assigns paying and discharging the one moyety of the yearly rent of fortie shillings payable out of the same
Provided that Elizabeth my now wife shall have and enjoy the said six closes during her life
Item I give and bequeath weave unto my daughter Johan Sumpter the summe of five hundred pounds to be payed unto her in manner and form following that is to saye one hundred pounds within one yeare next after my decease and one other hundred pounds at the end of two years next after my decease yf the said Johan shall be then living and the other three hundred pounds residue of the said five hundred pounds to be payed by the severall payments of one hundred pounds att the end of every year then next following yf she the said Johan soe longe live
Provided nevertheless and my will and meaning is that yf the said Johan shall happen to marry with the consent and good liking of my executor hereafter named within the tyme or tymes before limitted for payment of the said five hundred pounds £500 and that my stocks of goods and debte which I have or shall have in London at the tyme of my death or the greatest part thereof shall be recovered and come to the hands of my executrix hereafter named within the said tyme or tymes before limitted that then all the said five hundred pounds shall be payed or made upp unto the said Johan my daughter within six months next after her marriage
Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Marie Sumpter the summe of five hundred pounds to be payeid unto her in manner and forme following that is to say one hundred pounds at her age of one and twenty yeares yf she shall live soe long and the other four hundred pounds residue to be payed by the severall payments of one hundred pounds at the end of every yeare then next following yf the said Mary shall live so long
Provided nevertheless and my will and meaning is that yf the said Mary shall happen to marry with the consent and good liking of my executrix hereafter named within the said tyme and tymes limitted for payment of the said five hundred pounds to her as aforesaid and that my stocks of goods and debts which I have or shall have in London at the tyme of my death or the greatest part thereof shall be recovered and come to the hands of my sayd executrix within the tyme or tymes before limited that then all the said five hundred pounds shall be paid or made upp unto the sayd Mary within six months next after her marriage
Item I give and bequeath unto my cosin Thomas Pearse sonne of my brother Humfrie Pearse fortie pounds of lawfull English money and also all the ymplement of house and household stuff which now are in my house at Potteshaies which my dear father and mother gave to me by their last Wills
Item I give to my cosin Marie Pearse daughter of the said Humfrey Pearse the summe of forty pounds to be payed unto her at her age of one and twenty yeares yf she shall so long lyve but yf she happen to dye before she shall attaine to the age of one and twentie yeares then my will is that the said forty pounds soe given to the said Mary shall remaine and be payed to the said Thomas Pearse her brother
Item I give unto my sonne Thomas Sumpter the use of my dyeing furnace my brewing furnace and of my [ ] with all things thereunto belonging and now being in the house wherein the said Thomas now dwelleth during the life of the said Thomas Sumpter uppon condition that he doe suffer his brother William Sumpter to make use thereof for the occasions of dyeing at convenient times
And after the decease of the said Thomas Sumpter then the said dyeing furnace brewing furnace and [ ] and all things thereunto belonging to remaine to the said William Sumpter to his only use and behoofe forever
Item I give to my loveing daughter in law Margaret Sumpter fortie shillings
Item I give to my cosin Richard Yeate the elder of Silferton forty shillings
Item I give to my loveing brother in law Humfrie Pearse my best tawny suit and cloke of the same
All the rest of my goods and chattles debts stock plate and ready money my debt and legacies being payed I doe give and bequeath unto my loveing wife Elizabeth Sumpter whom I doe also make and ordaine to be my sole executrix of this my last Will and Testament
And I doe desire her that yf any things in this my Will conteyned shall be ambiguous or not soe fully and plainly expressed as it might or ought to be whereby any [ ] of difference or strife may arise betweene our children that my said executrix doe in the best manner she can compose the said differences and settle all things right according to my true intent and meaning
Item I doe intreat an appoint my loveing friends Mr Abraham Turner and William Hart of Uffculme to be my overseers of this my last Will and Testament and to be assistant to my executrix in the performance thereof and for their paines therein I give to each of them forty shillings
In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the eight day of Februarie in the seaventeenth yeare of the raigne of our sovereign lord King Charles over England etc Anno Domini 1641 William Sumpter
Memorandum uppon the eight day of February 1641 the above named William Sumpter did declare and acknowledge this writing conteyned in three sheets of paper to be his last Will and Testament and in testimony thereof did sett his hand and seale to each of the said sheets and att the head of the first leafe thereof in the presence of us George Cockram John Cole William Goodhinde
Probate in Latin