Are you planning to scan this will Bruce? This may be a break for me.
Kindest Regards,
Kim Hopkins
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce E Carpenter" <carp(a)tezukayama-u.ac.jp>
To: <CARPENTER-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2002 5:53 PM
Subject: [CARPENTER] will revisited
After looking at Henry's will a bit longer I could decipher a
good deal
more
in it. William Carpenter was not a son of Henry. Henry's children
are as
follows:
Robert
John
Andrew
Joan
Ann
Alice
The will uses the standard language for a youngish wife and stipulates
various options if she remarries. That Henry was probably young when he
died
can be seen from a long stipulation that "if any of his children
reach
lawful age". I don't think the lack of a Richard in the will discounts
Henry
from being the son of Reading Thomas. Richard might have just been
the
first
born of Henry and subsequently died before 1426. Reading Thomas
leaves him
a
token object(s) such as a "silver salt" something.
In the Henry will a William Carpenter and a Joan Carpenter are given token
behests. This William Carpenter's name (and Joan Carpenter's) has no
relationship designation attached to it and appears among those who
witnessed and officiated the will. I have a good guess for William's
identity. A John Carpenter appears in historical Reading documents with
Thomas. This John had a known son William who I have looked for previously
and couldn't find. John was still alive in 1533 and thus shouldn't have
been
a son of Reading Thomas. A brother probably.
The son Andrew in Henry's will seems to appear in Oxford in the later
1500s
as a brewer in Oxford. He left a PCC will.
Robert stayed in Berks. If John survived he should have been fairly
wealthy
and visible. In another county?
Henry's son Robert himself may have left a will. There is a notation for
Robert of Ginge in the Berkshire Wills and Administrations list. But this
may be the christening record of his son Robert for that year. Will
investigate that.
BC