Gabriel Leggett

     Gabriel was born circa 1540 in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. This birth was during the middle of the reign of Henry VIII. Gabriel married Joan Woode circa 1565 in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. |. In 1565, Gabriel leased a house in Ely from Clare College Cambridge. This house was a former chapel therefore named "Capel House". The first reference to him appears in the records of Clare College of Cambridge University which leased him a house in 1565. In this record he is listed as a "laborer" which mean he owned little or no land. This house was part of the building of the midieval Hospital of John the Baptist, a former leprosarium granted to the college in 1561. Clare College converted the twenty-century chapel [a substantial structure [measuring forty-one by twenty-five feet] into a dwelling of two stories with four fireplaces. This building stil stands west of the town center. Here the Gabriel Legget family lived with both the Thomas & John families occupying it simultaneously. In 1584, the records of the church warden of St. Mary's show that Gabriel did not pay his tithes; Gabriel's reason for non-payment is unknown. This was the year after Archbishop Whitgift of Cambridge began to supress Puritanism. In the parish of St. Mary's there are no extant records for baptisms, marriages or burials prior to 1599. At the time of Gabriel's death, he owned his own house and fifteen acres of farm land. This land was probably in the vicinity of Grunty Fen, out towards Haddenham. He was called a "yeoman". Gabriel made his will on 20 October 1609 at the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.

In the name of God Amen. I Gabriyell Leggatt of the St. Marie's pishe in Elie beinge sick in bodye but in good & pfect remembrance the Lord be thanked for it doe make this my Last will & Testament in ye mannr & forme as followeth the xxieth [20th] daie of October Ano Dmi 1609: Ffirst I comitt my swle into the hands of Almightie god my alone Saviour and redeemer and my bodye to be
buryed in St. Marye's pishe Church yard in Elie. Imprimis I give unto my sunne Thomas Leggatt's three daughters that is Mary, Elizabeth and Margarett my randaughteren to either of them xiiis iiiid [13s 4d]. Item I give to Gabriell Legett my grandchild ii [2] roodes of wheat lying at the towne's end. Item I give unto John Leggatt my Sunne my T__e with bullocke and a yoek and all my apparrell and alsoe a half an Acre of wheate in the feild and alsoe my barlie in the Litle Barne and my pe_____ uppon the ____ providing to my Executor towardes the dischardge of my Legacies ___ [sum] before the paying ___ this ______ out of the Barne - And my will is that if John Legatt my Sonne shall refuse to pay this ______ to my Executor then __ ____ ___ Executor shall have the Power to _____ my Legacyies. Item I doe alsoe give unto John Leggett all my haie in the yard & a ____ y____. Item I give unto Thomas Leggatt's daughters my grandchildern to eit her of them xiiis iiiid [13s 4d] that is to Ann Marie and Alice when as they should come to the age of xxi's [21] years or daie of their marriadges if such should be first. And my will is that my Executor shall paie unto my Sunne John Leggett the ___ that ____ by ___ ___ unto his daughter __ this ___ ___ ___ that after my decease & my will is that uppon the paimt of the said gift that my Executor shall be fully dischardged of the said gift. Item I give unto John Leggett my grandchild _____ [sum] to be paid to him by my Executor as he shall come to one & Twentie years of age. Item I give to Gabriell Wood iiis [3s] & Henry Woode iiis [3s] and also Alice West field my daughter iiis [3s] & alsoe Woode my daughter in law xxis [21s]. Item I give unto Ane Leggatt my Grandaughter my Cubbord. All the rest of my goodes unbequeathed my Legacies discharged and my body reverently brought to the ground I give to Thomas Legget my Sonne whom I make my sole Executor. And this I ordaine for my Last will and Testamt. In witness whereof I have sette my mark published my name Sign Gabrielis Leggatt ____ and delivered in the presence of us _____ Donne?, Richard _________.

Gabriel departed this life on Monday, 2 November 1609 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, at the Chapel House. His will was probated on 13 December 1609.