A will from 1633 | Thriplow Society

Here is the will of Francis Peck, dated 1633:

Francis Peck 1633

And here is the transcription line by line:

In the name of God Amen the twentieth day
of November in the ninth yeare of the Reyne of our Souvraigne Lord Charles by the grace of God King of England
Scotland France and Ireland defender of the Faith Anno Dom 1633 I Francis Pecke of Triplow in the County of
Cambridge yeoman beinge weake in body but of perfect memory laud and praise be given to Almightie God doe ordayne
and make this my last will and testament in manner and form following First I commit my soule unto Almightie God
my maker and Redeemer and my body to the earth from whence it came And for my worldly and transistory goodes I doe
dispose as followeth First I will and bequeath to my sister Stoone and to my sister Kinge either of them five shillings
And to all their children twelve pence a peece Item I will and bequeath unto William Pecke of Trumpington five
shillings and to every of his children twelve pence Item I will and bequeath unto William Stary the Smith
of Great Shelford twelve pence and to all his children twelve pence a peece Item I will and bequeath unto Roase
Casboult my kinswoman twelve pence and to all her children twelve pence a peece to be paid unto them and to the
friends of the said children under age within one halfe yeare next after my decease I will and bequeath unto my man and my maide
twelve pence a peece Item I will and bequeath unto the poore of Thriplow aforesaid six shillings a year yearly for ever at Michaelmas
And for the sure payment thereof I doe give unto Ann my daughter and her heires my five acres of customary land belonging
to the Manor of Barrington and for fault of payment to the use of the poor to be disposed by the Lord of the said Manor I give
unto the Ringers two shillings Item I will and bequeath all the rest of my goodes and chattels whatsoever my debts and legacies and
funerall charges paid unto Ann my daughter And I doe ordayne and make High Harvey sole Executor of this my last will and make
gardian for my said daughter. In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale these being witnesses
the marke of Francis Pecke, Richard Goodwyn, Richard and Thomas Clarke.

The following information is taken from an article in volume 7.2, 1998 of the Thriplow Journal.

In his will of 1633, proved 1636, Francis Peck left land in Thriplow “to the use of the poor of Thriplow”. It is known by the Charity Commissioners as ‘Peck’s Charity’ and was administered by the churchwardens; the rent of the land brought in six shillings a year. This rose to 6s 2d and stayed as that until the twentieth century.

But who was Francis Peck? An entry in a Thriplow parish register records “Francis Peck tooke to wife Martha Godfrey the sixth daie of November 1628”. A year later the baptism of his daughter Ann is recorded. He was Churchwarden from 1619-21 and again in 1631. His burial is recorded on November 19^th 1633 only five years after he married. He is described as Husbandman and maltster. He held quite a large estate as he left his daughter what is now ‘The Green Man’ and all the land on that side of Fowlmere Road where the houses now are.