View source for The Will of James Barber (1486 - 1558)

James was the son of [[James Barber]] (d. 1489) and his wife, Joan.

He was buried 6 January 1558, leaving a will dated 2 August 1558, referring to his wife, Alice, his sons, Nicholas and Robert (deceased), Henry Pratt, his son-in-law who had married an unnamed daughter, and five children of Henry Pratt. 

He refers also to Thomas Aldous who married his daughter Agnes, Richard Grinling (or Girling), who married his daughter Elizabeth, Agnes Barber, widow of his son Robert. (Agnes was alive at the date of the will, August 1558, but was buried on 5 January, 1558, the day before the burial of James. 

He also mentions grandsons James and Thomas Barber (sons of the deceased Robert), a grandson Francis (son of Nicholas) - all grandchildren of James, and the unborn child of Agnes (widow of Robert, deceased). This child was baptized 'William' on 14 November, 1558 (i.e. 3 months after the date of the Will and less than 2 months before his mother's death.)

The will is written on sheets of paper, each 12" X 18" and he has endorsed each sheet in his own hand, with the words, "''By me James Barber''." 

He owned considerable property: lands and tenement 'Bouchers' and 'Dads' meadow in [[Fressingfield, Suffolk|Fressingfield]]; a tenement named 'Cooks' in Mendham and Wetherfield (Withersfield); lands and tenements in Tetyshall (Tiveshall), Dekylburgh (Dickleburgh) and Gyssing (Gissing), in Norfolk, and lands in Lynstead (Linstead - Parva and/or Magna). Tetyshall is 10 miles from [[Fressingfield, Suffolk|Fressingfield]] and Linstead is 6 miles in the opposite direction.

His wife, [[Alice Barber|Alice]], who outlived him by 21 years, also left a Will, dated 15 May, 1579.

James' Will is written in secretary hand script, continuously on 5 sheets, each 12" X 18" - with a smaller sheet containing the endorsement granting probate. He wrote the Will in his own hand and signed the foot of each page, "''By me [[James Barber]]''" 
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==== Persons referred to in the Will ====

===== Relatives =====

# [[Alice Barber]] - wife of James, executrix of the Will
# [[Nicholas Barber]] - son of James, executor of Will
# Robert Barber, deceased - son of James
# Henry Pratt - son-in-law of James, husband of unnamed daughter, probably deceased
# Thomas Aldous - son-in-law of James, husband of Agnes Barber, executor of Will
# Richard Grinling (or Girling) - son-in-law of James, husband of Elizabeth Barber, executor of Will
# Agnes Barber - daughter-in-law of James, widow of Robert Barber, deceased
# James Barber - grandson of James, son of Robert Barber, deceased - under 21 in 1558.
# Thomas Barber - grandson of James, son of Robert Barber, deceased - under 21 in 1558.
# Francis Barber - grandson of James, son of Nicholas Barber, under 21 in 1558.
# Five children of Henry Pratt - grandchildren of James, all under 21 in 1558.
# All the grandchildren of James (unnamed) including 'unborn child of Agnes' - who when born was called Chr. William Barber)

===== Others =====

# John Bolding, late of Wingfield, who had sold Bouchers to James. (Or perhaps the land simply was to revert to him at time of James' death?)
# William Toppfield, deceased, who had sold Dads meadow to James. (ditto)
# Thomas and Catherine Rous, who had granted a 1,000 year lease of land in Lystead to James.
# The Poor of [[Fressingfield, Suffolk|Fressingfield]]

----Witnesses to the Will: James Woulnahe, Robert Aldous, James Barber, Roger Masterson, John Simson
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==== Property Referred to in the Will ====

# Lands and tenement called Bouchers in [[Fressingfield, Suffolk|Fressingfield]] - left to wife Alice, and after her death, to son, [[Nicholas Barber]].
# Dads meadow in [[Fressingfield, Suffolk|Fressingfield]] - left to wife Alice, and after her death, to son, [[Nicholas Barber]].
# Tenement named 'Cooks' in Mendham and Wetherfield (Withersfield) - left to grandson James at the age of 21, after the death of [[Alice Barber|Alice]] and, if James died before he was 21, to the unborn child of Agnes, if it was a son, at the age of 21.
# Lands and tenement inTetyshall, Dekylburgh and Gissing, in Norfolk - left to grandson Thomas at the age of 21 and, if Thomas died before the age of 21, to th unborn child of Agnes, if it was a son. If this son died before age 21, then to Francis Barber at age 21.
# A tenement named 'Sheep' (Shepys) was left to daughter-in-law, Agnes Barber
# Lands in [[Lynstead]] - left to son, Nicholas Barber

----With appreciation for information from [[Donald Caddick]]
[[Category:Wills]]