(9) John Copinger

He was a citizen and fishmonger of London, probably apprenticed to his cousin Sir William Copinger, the Lord Mayor.  He made his will on the 4th May, 1534, which is as follows : -

Will of John Copynger, 1534.

 In the name of God.  Amen.  The iiij day of May, the yere of our Lord god a thousand fyve hundred and xxxiiij and the xxvj yere of the reigne of our Souervaigne Lord King henry the viij.  I, John Copynger, citizen and ffishemonger of London, being of hole mynde and in good and pfcte remembraunce, laude and praising be vnto almigty god make and ordeyn this my present testament herein conteyning my last will in maner and forme folowing, that is to witt, ffirst and principally, I bequethe my soule to almighty god my maker and redeemer, to the most glorious Virgyn his moder our Lady saint Mary, and to all the holy company of heven, and my body to be buried wtin the parishe church of saint Nicholas Colde Abbey in olde ffishe strete of London.  Item, I wille that all suche debts or duties as I owe of right or of conscience to any psone or psones be well and truely contented and paid by myn executores hereafter named or else ordeyned for soo to be paide wtout any delay or contradiction, and after my debts paide and my funerall expenses pformed, I will that all my goods, catalls, and debts shalbe deuided into thre equall parts, whereof I will that Cecyll, my wif, shalhaue one parte to her owne proper vse in name of her purparte and reasonable parte to her of all my goods, catalls, and debts after the laudable custome of the citie of London belonging.  And the secunde equall parte of all my said goodes, catalls, and debts I bequethe to Rause Copynger, Willm Copynger, Thomasyn Copynger, Water Copynger, and Stevyn Copynger, my children equally to be devided amonge them, and to be delivered vnto them when they shall accomplisshe and com to their lauful ages of xxi. yeres or else be married.  And if it fortune any of the said Raus, Willm, Thomasyn, Walter, and Stevyn to decesse before they accomplisshe their said ages and before that tyme be not maried, then I bequethe his parte or her parte of them so deceassing to th other of theym they surviving equally amonge them to be devided, and to be deluered vnto them when they shall come to their said ages or else be maried.  And the thirde equall parte of all my said goodes, catalls, and debts I reserve vnto myselfe and to myn executrix  therwith to pfourme my legacies hereafter written,  that is to say, ffirst, I bequethe to the high awter of the prsh churche of saint Nicolas Cole Abbey aforsaid, where I am a prsher, for my tithes and oblacions foregoten or necligently witholden, yf any suche be, in discharge of my soule and conscience, xvjs. viijd.  Item, I bequethe to the blak ffrires wtin Ludgate of London, to thentent they shall com and bringe my body to my sepulture, and pray specially for my soule and the soules of my father and mother benfactoures and all Xpen soules, vs.  Item, I bequeth to euy order of the foure orders of ffrires in London, to thentent they shall pray specially for my soule and the soules abouesaid, iiis. iiijd.  Item, I bequeth to euery of the poure householders inhabiting wtin the said parishe of saint Nicholas Colde Abbey, by the discrecion of myn executrix, to pray for my soule and the soules abouesaid, xxd.  Item, I bequeth to the brotherhed or fraternitie of or Lady and saint Anne, founded and kept wtin the said prsshe Church of saint Nicolas, xs. and myne olde torches of wax.  Item, I will that myn executrix, shortely after my decesse, shall provide and ordeyn an honest preest, of good and honest disposicion, to singe and saye masse daily wtin the said prshe churche of saint Nicolas by the space of an hole yere next ensuing after my deceas, the whiche shall pray specially for my soule and the soules abouesaid.  And I bequethe to the said preest for his salary or wages in that behalfe, vili.  viiijs.  iiijd.  Item, I bequethe to my broder Thomas Copynger twoo of my gownes, twoo of my dobletts, and twoo Jaketts, suche as myn executrix shall thynke meat and conveneent.  And I bequeth to my said brother Thomas Copinger viij parcells of those xxxijli. sterlinge due by my brother Robert Copynger to me for the bargeyn and sale of certain landes and tenements, wt thappurtences, sett, lying, and being in Wolpytt, in the countie of Suff., which my said brother late purchased and bought of me.  Item, I will, geve, and bequeth to my said brother Thomas Copynger and his heires all my house or tenement, with thappurtenances, sett, lying, and being in saint Edmonds Burge, in the said countie of Suff.  Item, I bequethe to the churchewardeyns of the said prshe Churche of Saint Nicholas Colde Abbey, vjs. viid., to thentent they shall kepe an obite with masse and direige for my soule and the soules aboue rehersed, wtin the said prsche churche, wtin a moneth next ensuyng after my deceas.  Item, I bequeth to the mariage of my cosyn Margaret Copynger, nowe being in service with John Stowe, ffishemonger, vjli. viijs. iiijd., pcell of the said xxxijli. soo due by the said Robert Copinger of and for the said lands and tenements in Wolpett aforsaid.  Item, I bequethe to the mariage of my neece Agnes Laurence, xvjli. xiijs. iiijd., parcell of the said xxxijli.  Item, I bequethe to either of my brother Robert Laurence Draper and his wife a blak goune, and to either of Peter Lark and his wife a blak goune, and to either of Robert Wigndpole and his wife a blak goune.  Item, I will that the said John Stowe shalhaue the custodye and bringing vpp of Walter my sonne and shalhaue the custodye and keping of his porcion of my goodes wt him during his nonage soo that the said John Stowe shall accept and tak hym apprentice for the terme of vij yeres.  The residue of all my goodes, catalls, and debts, after my debts paide, my funerall expenses pfourmed, and these my legacies conteyned in this my present testament and last wille fulfilled, I hooly geve and bequeth to the saide Cecill, my wife, to her oune propre vse the whiche Cecyll of this my present testament, I make and ordeyn myn executrix and of thexecucion of the same I make and ordyn Raus Symonds, citizen and alderman of London, and the said John Stowe, ouerseers.  And I bequeth to either of them for his labour in that behalf a blak goune, and to either of their wife an other blak goune.  And I vtterly revoke and adnulle all and euery other former testament, wille, legacies, bequeste, executrix, and ouerseers in any wise before this tyme made, named, willed, and bequethed.  And I will that this my last testament and last wille shall stande remayne and perpetually abide for my very testament and last wille together wt all the legacies, bequests, executrix and ourseers by me here made, named, and bequethed, and none other nor otherwise. These psons hereafter named by me specially named and required at all tymes to testifie the trowthe of all the premisses and euery of them, that is to witt, Rause Symonds, Alderman John Stowe, and Robert Wygmerpole, ffishmongers, and other.

Proved 21 May, 1534.

He had a son named William, who was probably the William Copinger who in 1542 was a civilian of New College, and supplicated for the degree of Bachelor of Law. Whether he obtained it or not does not appear.  He was a Londoner, and afterwards an officer of Dr. Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, and bearer of the great seal before him while he was Lord Chancellor.  After Gardiner's death, which happened in 1555, he became one of the benedictine monks of Westminster, where continuing till Queen Elizabeth came to the throne, he was soon after committed prisoner to the Tower of London.  Here, as one (J. Fox) says, falling mad, he died a  short time after.^[1]  His son Walter died in 1570, and the following is a copy of his will:-

Will of Walter Copinger, 1570.

 In dei noie.  Amen.  The xxij day of May, in the yeer of our Lord god a thousand ffyve hundred threscore and tenne, I, Walter Copynger, of the citie of Wynchester, in the county of Southhampton, being sycke in body but of perfect mynd and remembraunce, thanckes be to god therefore, do make this my last will and testament in manr and fourme following : ffirst, I bequeth my soule to almightie god, to the blessed Vyrgine Mary, and to all the holy company of heaven, and my body to be buryed in Chestian buryal, by discrecon of my executrix.  I give also all and singular my goods and cattalles, moveable and unmoveable, whersoever they do remayne, to Eliz. my wife, whom I doo make myn onely Executrix of this my last will and testament to bestowe and vse the same to thonor of god, to the discharge of my debtes, for the welthe of my soule, and her comoditie.  I do ordeyne and make Richard hampden, of the Citie of Wynchester, and Thomas Platting, of the same citie, myn overseers to see to the pformaunce of the same.  In witness wherof I haue subscribed to this my last will, and sett my seall therto, the day and yere above wrytten, in the psence of Richard hampden and Thomas Platting, who are witnesses to the same.

Proved 8 Oct., 1570.