Robert Foote

     Robert was born circa 1551 in Royston, Hertfordshire, England.¹ Robert married Joane Brooke, daughter of John Brooke and Elizabeth Whetman, on 18 June 1576 in London, County Middlesex, England, at St. Leonard's Church [Nigh Eastcheap].² Robert was a citizen & fishmonger on Thames Street in the parish f oSt. Mary Boettals, London. Sometime later, he & his family moved to Wethersfield and then to Shalford, both in the District of Braintree, county of Essex and only two miles apart. Robert raosed hops to help support his family.^3,4 Robert made his will on 27 January 1608 at the parish of Shalford, County Essex, England.

In the name of God Amen, the seven and twenth day of January a thousand six hundred and eight, I, Robert Foote of ___ Shalford, in the county of Essex, yeoman, being sick in body and recomending my soul to the mercy of God in Christ do hereby dispose, ordain and make this my present last will & testament revoking all former wills in manner & form following, that is to say: Item: I give and bequeath to the poor inhabiting within the parish of Shalford, twenty shillings of lawful money to be distributed amongst them within one month after my death at the decision of the ______ and the ____ for the poor. Item: I further give and bequeath to the poor inhabiting within the parish of Wethersfield twenty shillings of like money to be paid and distributed among them in manner as is before appointed for the parish of Shalford. Item: I give and bequeath unto my welbeloved wief Joan ffoote, during her natural life, all such yearly rent 1s to me is ___ unto of my estate of certain commons which I hold for ____ years yet owning by the grant of Sir Robert Chester, knight and lying and being in th towne of Royston, the yearly rent to me aforesaid is at present eight pounds and the ____ the same yearly from the commons in such manner as by their lease they are charged to pay the same. Item: Further I give unto my said wife one yearly annuity of four pounds lawful money to be paid unto her during her natural life by my son, Robert ffote, twenty shillings every quarter. The first payment to begynne at the first __all quarter that shall happen after my decease. Item: I give & bequeath unto my son James ffote fifty pounds of lawful money of England to be paid unto him by my executor here under named within one month after my decease. Item: I give and bequeath my son Danyell ffoote forty pounds lawful money of England to be paid unto him by my executor when he shall accomplish the age of four and twenty yeares. Item: I give and bequeath unto my sonnne Nathaniell ffoote forty pounds lawful money of England to be paid unto him by my exexutor when he shall accomplish the age of four and twenty years. Item: I give and bequeath to ffrancis ffoote my son fortie pounds lawful money of England to be paid unto him by my executors when he shall accomplish his full age of four and twenty years. Item: I give and bequeath unto Josua ffoote my sonne fforty pounds of like money to be paid unto him by my executor when he shall accomplish the age of four and twenty years. Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth ffoote fforty pounds of lawful money of England to be paid unto her by my executor at the day of her marriage or when she shall accomplish the age of thirty years which of them shall first happen. And it is my will and mind that my executor shall allow and pay unto her yearly forty shillings of lawful money until such time as she shall receive the said legacy into her own portion to be paid unto her every half year. I __ always and it is my will and mind that if any of my five children before named shall happen to depart this life before such time that they shall accomplish their legall ages or day of marriage before _____ that then the legacy or oegacies is to them [of departed] before bequeathed shallbe equally and proportionably divided to and amongst all my children which at that time I shall have living, part and part like. Item: I give and bequeath unto Joseph ffoote my sonne all that my lease and farm of yeares which I have in a certain hopground called Plomley which I hold by lease from


page 2 -
by lease from Mr. Josyah Clarke and his wife for certayne yeares yet enduring and to come together with all my stock of hop poles being upon the same to ___the same at his own proper goods. And further, I give unto him two hundred and a half of my other hop poles which I have at home. Item: I give and bequeath to my welbeloved wife out of my moveable goods and household stuff asuchpart and portion as here after is particularly verified that is to say. Item my best bedsted, my best feather bed and bolster, two of my best pillows, the best blanket and to be … and four payre of my best sheetes with two of my best pillows, ___, two table clothes, and a dozen of napkins, two towellsm my best ___ cupboard in the parlor with my best table butone, one form and three stooles, one greate ___shrond. Item: three pewter platters, ffive pewter dishes, four pewter s___b, four pewter ____, & one pewter salt, Item: two pewter spoons, five brass ___. Item: my best chest. Item: further I give and bequeath unto my said wife to be delived unto her by my executor four cords of wood yearly, for as long tyme as she shall inhabit in my dwelling house to be delivered her out of my store of wood in my yard and from of the ground belonging to my tenement or dwelling house and there to be appended and not_____. Item: I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Ormes, my mayd servant twenty shillings of lawful money to be payd unto her within two months after my decease. Item: I give and bequeath unto ___ Tibbot, the wife of William Tibbot, four shillings in recompense of her paynes she hath taken with me. Item: I give and bequeathe unto Mr. Richard Rogers, preacher of God His Word twenty shillings of lawful money to be payed by my executor within two months after my death. Item: I give to the to the wife of George Elsing three shillings and four sponne. Item: I give and bequeath to Thomas Cott eleven shillings which somme he oweth unto me. Item: I give and bequeath unto Robert ffoote, my sonne and unto his heirs and assigns forever all that my free tenement or mansion house wherein I now inhabitwith th____ ____ together with all the land belonging to the same and as the same is now in my occupation with all my stock of hop poles being upon any of the hop groungs of the premises as _____. Provided always and _____ upon this condition that as he, the said Robert ffoote, is being executor & administrator do not according to confidmet and truth that I have ____ in him perform pay and I charge all such legacy payments and bequests as I have given or to any other. Then my will and my mind is such [being either my wife or any of my children as shall not be ___ and payed such legacies or legacies as I have hereby bequeathed unto them] shall enter upon the premises with the hop grounds and store upon the same pontill such time as they and all of them shall be satisfield their legacy or the ac___yes of any such shall be so payed. The residue of all my removeable goods and chattels whatsoever my debt payed and my lecacies performed and my body decently brought unto the earth. I do give and bequeath to and among all my children ____ unto them before named as unto any other of my children that shall be by me at the time of the giving of the ____. This my will to be payed to them part and portion alike that is to say to such of my children as herein before given legacies unto at such time and day as is before mentioned. And if it happen my daughter Mary Hewes to be departed then her part to be payed to her children. And for the executor of this my last will and testament I doe ordain, nominate and appoint my welbeloved sonne, Robert ffoote to be my sole executor and do so give my well beloved brother, John ffoote of London grocer and my son-in-;aw John Hewes of Royston to be my supervisors and to appoint to my executor concerning this my testament in witness whereof the said Robert ffoote _____ have hereunto set my hand and seale the day and year herein mentioned, written in the performance of the so named be here unto published by me Robert ffoote sealed and delivered in the presence of William Tibbett, and of me Edward Raymond.⁵

His will was probated on 15 February 1608/9. Robert departed this life before 16 February 1608/9 in London, County Middlesex, England.⁶ He was buried at County Essex, England, in the parish of Shalford.⁷