Summaries of registered wills in PCC and Peculiar Court of Corfe Castle
by Richard Wiltshire made using
Ancestry.com
The National Archives PCC Will Index and PROB 11 microfilms at the Family
Records Centre, London.
Peculiar Court of Corfe Castle
CC/W/287
CC/I/287
Inventory taken 21 February 1652
Appraised by: [not stated]
See original for details. Household goods. Includes 7 cows, 3 beasts, 50 sheep,
colt, various grain
Total: £94 10s 4d
Exhibited 6 April 1652 by Margery Toope, relict and executrix
PROB11/322
Henry Toope
of St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey in Southwark, Surrey
Will dated: 24 April 1665
- 'in good and perfect health of body'
- Poor of St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey: £10
- Poor of St Olaves, Southwark: £5
- Poor of Swanwich [Swanage], Dorset: £50 to be paid by Henry Toope (son) out of rents and profits of Steeple Farm in Isle of Purbeck with two years of decease, to Churchwardens
and Overseers of Swanwich to put out at interest to buy bread to distribute to poor 'every Lords Day proportionately throughout the year forever'
- John Wilson (son-in-law): £50
- Henry Wilson (gchild): £50 when 21
- 'Hanna Dolling and Joane Angell my sister in law their two daughters': £26 equally divided, which sum William Norman (my father-in-law) has in his hands of the portion I was to have
of him with his daughter Elinor (my late wife)
- Micaiah [Michdiah] Toope (brother): £4, to his wife £3 to buy each of them mourning
- Edward Meeres (brother-in-law): £4 and his wife Sarah £3
- Abraham Story (brother-in-law): £4 and his wife Elizabeth £3
- Mary (sister) wife of Christopher Page: £4
- All to each of them buy mourning.
- Mary Toope (cousin), dau of John Toope (my brother): £10 in 6 months after my decease
- John Toope (cousin), son of John Toope (brother): £10 to be paid by Henry Toope (my son) 'within one month next after his life shall be put out of the living by my said son that
belongs to the College of Ilminster, Somerset whose life I put into the same living in trust for myself when I bought the same'
- Margery Toope (mother-in-law): £3 to buy mourning
- Richard Wilson (son-in-law) and to [blank] his wife and to Thomas Chipman (cousin) [note: Chipman is often Chepman or Chapman] and his wife: gold ring of 10s each
- Mr Edward Harvey in the Isle of Purbeck: £5 to buy mourning
- Mr Richard Mounthey and his wife and Edward Harvey ('my late servant') and Gilbert Crane and his wife and Symon Dryves and his wife: ring of 10s price
- Maid Servants and my man at time of my decease: 20s each
- Brother Story his son: 10s to by him a ring
- Sister Page's two daughters and her son Henry Page: £10 each to be paid by Henry Toope (son) when 21 or marriage
- Henry Wilson (son-in-law) and Margaret his wife; and to Peter Wilson, John Wilson and Elizabeth Wilson children of Martha (my wife): £4 each to buy mourning
- Henry Wilson (son-in-law) and Margaret (my daughter) his wife: houses, yards, sheds in St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey now or late in tenure of Nicholas Erford; if deceased then to Henry (my son)
- Henry Toope (son): after decease of Martha (my wife) who has jointure the farm called Bucknell Farm, Isle of Purbeck with houses and buildings belonging; goods household stuff and furniture
belonging to same house; also Steeple Farm in Isle of Purbeck; if deceased then to Margaret Wilson (daughter); also wharf with houses, out houses and buildings in St Mary Magdalen
Bermondsey now or late in tenure of Thomas Mewes and all other lands and tenements; if deceased then to Margaret Wilson (daughter).
- Martha ('dear and loving wife'): executrix
- In case Henry Toope (son) and Margaret Wilson (daughter) die without issue, then as follows:
- Bucknell Farm to John Toope (cousin) son of John Toope (my brother) or heirs male forever;
- Houses and yards in tenure of Nicholas Erford to John Wilson (son-in-law)
- Steeple Farm to Michdiah Toope (brother), my sister wife of Abraham Story, my sister Mary wife of Christopher Page and to my sister Sarah wife of Edward Meeres, equally divided.
- Houses and yards in tenure of Thomas Mewes, to Henry Wilson (son-in-law)
- Mary Page (sister): £5 a year in quarterly payments by Henry Toope (son) or other persons who enjoy the premises in occupation of Thomas Mewes; she to live rent free
Witnesses: Abraham Story, Thomas Cooper, Roger Phillips, Edward Vye
Probate granted: 5 October 1666 by Martha Toope, relict and executrix
Notes on related sources:
Lambeth Palace Library: reference: Arches A 5 (available on microfilm: MS Film 69). Toope v Toope, 1668. Mary Toope, alias Biggs v Martha Toope; legacy of Henry Toope, of Corfe, Purbeck, Dorset. Case number 9209: testamentary case
National Archives: reference: C 6/176/78: Toope v Toope. Plaintiffs: Martha Toope widow. Defendants: Henry Toope. Subject: will of the deceased Henry Toope, of Bermondsey, Surrey. Document type: bill, answer, replication. 1666.
The National Archives: Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/346, Henry Toope of St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey, Surrey, singleman, left all to Mrs Margaret Wilson (sister). Will proved 13 Oct 1674
Will in Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Ref PROB11/1667
Nicholas Diddams
[of Portsmouth Dockyard, Portsmouth, Hampshire, master
shipwright]
Will made 19 Dec 1814
Sarah (beloved wife): all property on the 8 per cent consolidated annuities in
the Bank of England consisting at this time of £11295,5,6 stock with household
furniture, goods etc except hereafter mentioned and money.
Also share of a house or houses in Plymouth Stonehouse and Plymouth Dock in
Devon for her use during her life 'in full confidence that she will in all
respects provide for and maintain Sarah Hill who I have hitherto
brought up under the denomination of my niece and that she will pay unto my
niece Lucy Skinner the sum of £30 a year for her support'.
After wife's decease:
Sarah Hill (aforesaid niece): £5000 stock in 3 per cent consols
Lucy Skinner (niece): £800 in the same stock
Residue that remains in the Bank of England over and above these sums to go to:
Ann Skinner, widow (sister): £650
Dorothy Diddams (sister): £650
Mary Hale (sister): £500
Pattey Wimpey (sister): £500
Lucy Harvey (sister): £500
George Diddams (brother): £200, wearing apparel and a silver watch and to his
wife £200
[following are the children of Benjamin Bower]
Elizabeth Stickland (niece) of Swanage: £350
Aaron Bower (nephew): £350
Sarah Bower (niece): £450
John Bower (nephew): £350
[following are the children of Petten Bower]
Petten Bower (nephew) of Plymouth: £200
Betsey Bower (niece) of Swanage: £200
Sarah Watson (not stated): £150
Nicholas Diddams Bower (nephew): £200 and 'all my drawing instruments, moulds
and draughts of ships and other descriptions'
Agnes Bower (niece): £150
Ann Bower (niece): £150
Mary Bower (niece): £150
Benjamin Bower (nephew): £150
Sarah Bower (sister in law) widow of Petten Bower of Plymouth deceased: £250
Petten Bower, Betsey Bower, Sarah Watson, Nicholas Diddams Bower, Agnes Bower,
Ann Bower, Mary Bower and Benjamin Bower (children of said Petten Bower
deceased): at death of my wife,
all right or share in a house in Plymouth, two
houses at Stonehouse and one at Plymouth Dock to share between them
Sarah (wife), Mr Aaron Bower of Swanage and Mr Thomas Radcliffe: executors, each
£10
Sir Robert Jeppings of Navy Office, Somerset House, surveyor in His Majesty's
Navy and Edward Knowles of the same gentleman - both knew and well acquainted
with Nicholas Diddams,
late Master Shipwright of his Majesty's Dockyard at
Portsmouth who died 2 January last, say that the whole body etc of the will in
the hand of Nicholas Diddams
1 March 1823 sworn before J Adams, surrogate and J R Burchett, notary public
Will proved 24 March 1823 by Aaron Bower and Thomas Radcliffe the surviving
executors
==========
Notes: his wife Sarah was formerly Bower (or Bowers) because he gives bequests
to nephews and nieces who were children of Benjamin and Petten Bower (outlined
above in the transcription
which were children of which). Nicholas and Sarah had
a few children at Plymouth and next door Stoke Damerel including Sarah Bowers
Diddams baptised in 1781 at Plymouth.
When Benjamin Bower died his will (1799) left to his sister Sarah Diddams of
Portsmouth as well as brother Petten Bower of Portsmouth.
There is a gap in baptisms of children of their parents Aaron and Elizabeth (nee
Petten) who married 12 Mar 1735/6 at Studland, Dorset,
between 1751 and 1758.
Sarah was born in the gap in c1755 (she was buried 9 April 1822, St Thomas
Portsmouth aged 67).
FRO Pr11/1774/330
John Cockram, Esquire
Dated 25 June 1813
- Mother: Interest of £600 for her life and after her death to William Cockram (uncle) of Poole
- Miss Sarah Cole of Newton: annuity of £50 paid out of 'Whiteclift' Estate and Lands for and during
her natural life provided she shall so long continue unmarried
- William Cockram (uncle): Estate, Lands at Newton for and during his natural life after decease of mother.
Estate and Lands at Whiteclift (...?) to the aforesaid charge of £50 for and during his natural life.
From and 'immedly' after the decease of William Cockram, all said Estates and Lands at Newton
and Whiteclift to male heirs of William Cockeram and his heirs and assignes forever
In default of male heirs, then Estates and Lands to be sold by Public Auction and amount divided between:
- Sarah Cockram and Elizabeth Cockram, daughters of William Cockeram (uncle)
- Charles Baskett, Robert Baskett, Charlotte Brinsden Everingham, Sarah Baskett
- Children of the late Jane Jones to have their mother's share
- Sons and daughters of my late Aunt Mary Baskett
- Residue and remainder of monies, goods, chattels, estate and effects to be divided between said
Sarah Cockram, Elizabeth Cockram, Charles Baskett, Robert Baskett, Charlotte Brinsden Everingham,
Sarah Baskett and the children of the late Jane Jones to have their mother's share between them.
Executors in trust: Joseph Willis of Norden, gent; Robert Dugdale of Wa..?
Witnesses: Hester Rawlins, Margaret Bower, Hester Ellery
Proved: 25 Aug 1830 by oaths of Joseph Willis and Robert Dugdale.