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In the Name of God Amen on the twenty eighth day of April in the year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred and sixty eight I William Collett yeoman of Blythburgh in the County of Suffolk first and principally I bequeath my soul unto our Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ trusting by his death and passion to have pardon and forgiveness of all my sins. Secondly as touching my body I will it be buried in the Church yard of Blythburgh aforesaid and unto the poor people of the said parish I will that my executrix shall distribute yearly in every year at the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord God the bread that may be made of two bushels of wheat meal during the whole term of six years next after my decease. And thirdly as concerning all my tenements and lands and all other my goods what soever they be I bequeath them as follows
Item I will that Agnes my wife shall have the occupation and profits of all my tenements and lands called Britains lying and being in Westleton in the County of Suffolk until Erasmus my son shall or may accomplish and be of the age of twenty-one years, doing no strip nor waste and keeping the necessary reparations thereof and also paying the rents and services thereof due and accustomed. And after the same time I give and bequeath all the foresaid tenements and lands with all and singular the appurtenances unto Erasmus my son and his heirs forever
Also I will that Agnes my wife shall have the occupation and profits of all my tenements and lands called Dranis lying and being in Westleton aforesaid until my said son Erasmus reaches the age of twenty-one making no waste and paying the dues as before stated and to Erasmus and his heirs forever after that
Item I give and bequeath all my tenements and lands lying and being in Blythburgh aforesaid and all those my copy hold lands which I lately purchased off Sir Owen Hopton knight, lying and being in Westleton aforesaid unto Agnes my wife and her heirs forever, upon condition that Agnes my wife her executors or assigns shall pay or cause to be paid unto Agnes and Rachel my daughters 20 li. apiece when my said daughters reach twenty-one. If either of them dies before that without issue her share is to go to the survivor. If both die without issue before becoming twenty-one then I will that Agnes my wife, her heirs, executors or assigns shall pay or cause to be paid the forty pounds before bequeathed, that is to say, five pounds yearly unto such persons as here after followeth, viz:
Unto Erasmus my son 5 li. and unto Agnes Aldred the daughter of Thomas Aldred of Westleton aforesaid, my wife’s god daughter 5 li
Unto the children of John Youngs my brother-in-law of Westleton aforesaid, which children are now at this present alive 5 li
Unto William Collett my godson the son of Thomas Collett my brother of Westleton aforesaid 5 li
Unto Robert Farror of Bramfield my brother-in-law his executors or assigns 10 li
Unto Nicholas Vise of Haddingham my brother-in-law
his executors or assigns 5 li
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And the other 5 li. being residue of the foresaid 11 li. I will it shall be paid unto Mathew Collett my nephew his executors or assigns, provided nevertheless that if any of my said two daughters shall happen to depart this world before they shall accomplish and be of the age of twenty-one years and shall have issue of their bodies or body lawfully begotten, that then the issue or issues so lying shall have the 20 li. before given to his, her or their said mother, at such time as their, his or her said mother should accomplish the age of twenty-one years, anything in this my Last Will before mentioned to the contrary not withstanding
Item I give unto the foresaid Mathew Collett my nephew 11s. to be paid him when he shall be of the age of twenty-one years
Item I give unto Margaret 6s. 8d at the day of her marriage, and unto Marion Bottright my servant 3s. 4d
The residue of all my goods chattels dettes and all other things I have by what name or names so ever it or they may be called being movables or not movables I give all the same unto Agnes my wife upon condition that if Agnes my wife shall at or before the next court to be held after my decease for the manor of Bramfield in the County of Suffolk and also shall at or before the next court to be held for the manor of the late priory of Blythburgh aforesaid next after my decease make or cause to be made at either of the said courts a good sewer sufficient and lawful estate by surrender and surrenders in all those heir tenements and lands meadows pastures and feedings with all and singular the appurtenances lying and being in Bramfield and Thorington in the County of Suffolk in to the hands of the lords of the said two several manors to the extent that the said lord or lords shall regrant all the said lands and tenements, meadows etc unto the said Agnes and her assigns during all her natural life and after her decease unto Erasmus Collett my son and his heirs for ever to the only use of the said Erasmus and his heirs forever
Upon condition that the said Erasmus his heirs or assigns shall pay or cause to be paid unto the child which that Agnes my said wife is with all now the sum of twenty pounds to be paid unto the said child within two years next after his entry into the said lands and tenements. And also shall pay or cause to be paid unto Agnes and Rachel my said daughters five pounds apiece, to be paid them within two years next after the payment shall be ended of the foresaid 20 li. And for the default of the payment of the said 30 li. to be paid by the said Erasmus unto my said children that then the right and title of inheritance of all the foresaid tenements and lands with all and singular the appurtenances to be unto the use of all my said children and their heirs forever
Provided always that if Erasmus my son, Agnes and Rachel my daughters and the child that my wife is withall shall depart ought of this present world before their said mother, having no issue of their bodies lawfully begotten, that then all the foresaid premises with all and singular the appurtenances to remain to the right heirs of the said Agnes my wife forever
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Item I will that Agnes my wife her executors or assigns shall find Erasmus Collett my son to school until he can read and write and well understand the Queen majesty’s grammar if it shall please god to continue him in life so long
Also I will that Agnes my wife her heirs executors and assigns shall be bound within eight days next after my decease by her lawful obligation unto Robert Coppin of Dunwich, gentleman and Harry Hind of Bramfield, yeoman, their executors and assigns in the sum of hundred pounds to be paid unto the said Robert or Harry their executors or assigns endorsed with condition that the said Agnes my wife shall by surrender or otherwise assure all her estate right title and interest which she hath after her decease of and in all her tenements and lands with all and singular the appurtenances lying and being in Bramfield and Thorington aforesaid to the use of Erasmus my son and unto his heirs for ever, upon condition for the payment of the 30 li. aforesaid and shall lawfully prove this my last will and testament and shall pay and do all manner of payments assigned her to do in this my last will and testament
And if Agnes my wife shall refuse to be bound with condition as is aforementioned unto the foresaid Robert and Harry that then I will that the said Agnes my wife shall have no part nor parcel of any manner of gift legacy or bequest in all this my last will and testament given or bequeathed to her anything before in this my present last will and testament to the contrary in any wise not withstanding. And then I will that Thomas Aldred of Westleton my brother-in-law shall immediately after such refusal have and take all the profits of all foresaid tenements and lands both free and bound until Erasmus my son shall reach the age of twenty-one, doing no strip or waste and keeping up the repairs and paying rent, as previously
And I will that the said Thomas Aldred my brother-in-law shall find Erasmus my son to school in every manner as I had before assigned Agnes my wife to do. And also I will that the same Thomas my brother-in-law shall immediately after such refusal of my said Will have and take all my goods chattels dettes and all manner of other things that I have etc until Erasmus my said son shall reach twenty-one
And I will that the same Thomas Aldred my brother in law his executors or assigns shall make a true account with Erasmus my son when he shall be of the age of twenty-one years of and for all the profits of all my lands and tenements and also of and for all other goods and debts allowing unto him self for all manner of charges that he have been at in the performance of this my last will and paying the remainder to Erasmus as soon as he becomes twenty-one saving I will that my brother-in-law Thomas Aldred his executors or assigns shall be allowed ought of the same account for his good will and true dealing herein 5 li
If Erasmus should die before reaching twenty-one Thomas Aldred his executives or assigns are to have the profits of all the lands and tenements and the occupation of all goods, chattels and debts etc. until the other children reach twenty-one making them a proper account and sharing the proceeds equally among them
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For the true executing and performing of this my present last will and testament I do ordain and make Agnes my wife my sole executrix, she to perform and fulfil all things in it according to my good hope and trust that I have in her. And also I constitute the foresaid Robert Coppin of Dunwich gentleman and Harry Hind of Bramfield to be my supervisors to this my last will and testament and that they may be assistant and helping unto my said wife about anything in this my last will and testament and for their good wills there in I give them 20s. apiece
These being witnesses of
this my last will and testament:
Thomas Goodwin, William Allen, William Chelston, Al. Crowe and Richard Knights
Will proved at Blythburgh on
(1) William Collett (may have been the son of *William Collett) was married to Agnes and died in late 1568 or early 1569
The children of William and Agnes were:
Erasmus Collett, Agnes Collett, Rachel Collett
All of the children were minors at the time of their father’s death
and therefore probably all born during the 1560s. In addition, Agnes was carrying William’s fourth
child at the time of the making of his Will
(2) Thomas Collett of Westleton was the father of William Collett (god son in Will) and possibly Mathew
Collett (nephew in Will)
(3) William’s sister married Thomas Aldred (brother-in-law in Will) and had a daughter Agnes Aldred (god daughter in Will)
(4) Robert Collett of Westleton may have been a brother of William - see footnote and his Will for details of his children. Robert, who was the son of *William Collett, was married to Beatrix and died in June 1559
Footnote: It is interesting that the supervisor of this
Will, one Robert Coppin, was also a witness to the
signing of the 1559 Will of (4) Robert Collett of Westleton
who seems likely to have been a brother to (1) William Collett