He made his Will the 19th July, 1441, and it was proved the 4th December, 1441. It is in Latin and very faded, and the following is a translation of the part which can be made out from a tracing obtained from the Registry at Bury:-
In the name of God. Amen. I, John Copenger of Buxhall, being of sound mind and perfect memory, this 19th day of July, 1441, make my Will in this way. In the first place, I bequeath my soul to Almighty God, the blessed Virgin Mary, and to all the saints, and my body to be buried in the Church of Buxhall aforesaid. Item, I bequeath to the high altar of the same Church for my tithes forgotten or too little paid and for the health of my soul iijs. iiijd., together with all the money to be found in the gilt vessel in the said house which I appoint to be distributed among the poor on the day of my burial and on the seventh day thence next following. Item, I appoint to Margaret, my daughter, a nun, vjs. viiijd., and to the Monastery of Thedford vjs. viiijd., to Sir Richard Dunham iijs. iiijd., and to the Friars of Babwell iijs. iiijd. To Robert Frere, chaplin, 6s 8d., and to Alice Rysby, my servant, 3s. 4d., and whatever residue there shall be of all my goods not bequeathed, and subject to the payment of my debts, I bequeath to Walter, my son, and in order that my debts may be honestly discharged, and that this my testament and last will in every particular may be fulfilled in due manner, and for the procuring the execution of this my testament and performing my last will, I ordaine, make, and constitute those dearly beloved to me in Christ, William Copenger and Walter Copenger, my sons, and Master Thomas Hyll, clerk, my faithful executors, that they may be active and assiduous for my soul as may seem most expedient to them and pleasing to God. In Witness whereof I have affixed my hand and seal the day and year above named. This is the last Will of me, John Copenger of Buxhall aforesaid, the 19th July, 1441. In the first place I, the said John Copenger, will that my testament and the last will of Master William Copenger my brother be in all things performed. Item, I will and appoint to Walter my son, all my lands and tenements, rents and services, with all their appurtenances in the Village of Buxhall, together with a certain rent which is called Welyrhinrente when it falls into possession, viz., after the death of Richard Savyle, and with a croft which is called Wodecrofte, lying in Rattlesden, when it falls, viz., upon the death of Margaret Copenger, nun, to have and to hold the same to Walter, his heirs and assigns, for ever, provided the said Walter pay or cause to be paid to his brothers who live near London certain moneys as it appears more plainly in the last Will of the said William Copenger, and that the said Walter pay or cause to be paid in addition to Alicia Copenger from that time, an annuity during the life of the said Alicia of 8 marks, usual money of England, at the feasts of the nativity of our Lord, at Easter, the nativity of St. John the Baptist and St. Michaels equally, and that the said Alicia have the chamber called the Chapel chamber, situate in ....... called ........ with the broken down chapel which was annexed to the chamber for her own proper use, with free egress and ingress to the same as often as she pleases for the whole life of the said Alicia, together with the utensils in the kitchen of the said tenement, and likewise egress and ingress to the hearth and to the pool there for drawing and having water with power to use the same and fish therein, and with liberty of going into the garden there for taking ........ and ........ according as she pleases, and she shall also have an annuity during life issuing out of the said tenements so bequeathed to the said Walter during the aforesaid term. And I appoint the said Alicia iiij ......... which she shall choose, and the silver cup with one half of the 12 pewter vessels, together with all the vessels ......... And after giving to the said Alicia a power of distress in respect of her annuity testator continues; Item, I will that the said Walter have a certain tenement called Smythes in Buxhall with the appurtenances. Testator then gives the residue of his goods to his son William and continues: I appoint to the said Thomas Hyll, clerk, 13s. 4d., in order that he may pray for my soul, and to Sir Thomas Drury, 13s. 4d., and to Master John Howard, clerk, 13s. 4d., and they shall have what may be necessary in order that they may carry out my testament and my will faithfully. Item, I appoint to Master John ........... chaplain, 20d., and to Master Roger Pryk, chaplain, xxd., and to Richard Sigeborne 10d. Item, I bequeath to the Guild of the Holy Trinity and to the guild of St. John the Baptist, to each of them 1 bz of corn and 1 bz of malt and oats, to John Byng out of the debts which are owing to me 20s., and I appoint to .......... my servant 1 coat .......... to Thomas Gold a fur tunic, to William .......... 1 bz of corn and 1 bz of malt, to Richard ........ a house ........ to Margaret Gold, Agnes Beneyt, and Alice Oswode to each of them 1 bz of corn. In Witness whereof I have to this my last will set my seal. Given on the day and at the place and in the year of our Lord above written.
In 1457, it is probable that John's son William was dead, for John Howard was in that year appointed Rector of Buxhall. John's daughter, Margaret or Margery, was a nun of the Benedictine or Black nuns of St. George in Thetford, and in 1466 was installed as prioress. On the 10th December, 1477, she resigned, and Lady Joan Eyton was elected by all the nuns and installed Prioress in her stead.[1]
The following is the extract from the books of Baldwin in the Register of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury (Harl. MSS., 294, p. 159b) relating to John's son Walter:-
Walterus Copynger (filius uti colligo Johannis Copynger supra memoravi) Alicia filia dicti Walteri cui Thomas Drury armiger aliquid legavit p test. dat. 4 April a 1444.
By an Inquisition post mortem taken 37 Hen. VI. (1459) it was found -
41 Walterus Coppynger Null' tenuit terr' neque ten' in com' Suff'
But this could hardly be the same individual.
[1] Blomf. Norfolk, vol. ii p. 92.
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