Cliddesden Probate Material 1601-20

Three wills and inventories from this period have survived. All three testators were prosperous farmers, two yeomen and probably one husbandman. A flock of 280 sheep and 30 a. of wheat are recorded, as is mention of a ‘common field’.

These transcriptions have been made from copies of original probate documents supplied by HRO.  Words have been modernized and punctuation added to make reading easier but names have been transcribed as written. Words in italics indicate omissions in the original document which have been added to make sense of the text. Words in square brackets indicate that they have been transcribed as seen but where the meaning is unclear. Cliddesden is described as being in the county of Southampton, the old name for Hampshire.

The wills of Cliddesden rectors are published in a separate section of Explore.

A glossary is attached of unusual words. Links to the documents are below.

• Edward Austin/Austine, yeoman, 1608 (Will and inventory)
• William Frie/Fry/Frye, 1612 (Will and inventory)
• William Barret, yeoman, 1613 (Will and inventory)