My Family Tree

Will of Humfrie Cole of Tillingham, Essex, Clarke
November 1623
Item. To be buried in the Chancell of Tillingham.
Item. To poore of Tillingham fower marks to be distributed by Overseers of the Poore.
Item. To sonne Robert Cole, student of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge, towardes his bringing up in learning all bookes, my wearing apparell both Linen and woollen, with sex yards of broad cloth upwards wch I bought of Mr. Purchase of Mauldon to make myselfe newe clothes together with five yardes of blacke Kersey a halfe wch I bought of a Widdow at Malden to make myself a newe suit. Also to Robert all Corne in house and hay in fieldes except two quarters each of Corne, barley, or mault, and oates for my beloved wife Hester Cole for housekeeping and Executor or Executrix and Overseers to sell advowson of Rectorie or Parsonage of Okeley magna, Essex, and money to sons etc.
Item. Sell (with consent of wife Hester two whom they are given for life) my free lands in Tillingham commonly called Hodgewattes, lately in tenure of John Bridge of Tillingham, husbandman, and the use of £80 to wife Hester for life and rest of money and £80 when due my sonns William, Thomas, Robert, and John.
Item. I do give unto William Cole now in Virginia (if he be livinge) my three acres of free hold more or lease with a newe barne built upon it called sewders head in Tillingham & next adjoininge to a Cottage & two acres of Coppihould land called Finches & Doth belong unto his brother Robert Cole. And if my said sonne William be not living at the time of my Death then I give & bequeath the same land & Barne to my second sonne Thomas Cole & his Heires forever.
Item. My plate, household stuffe & wch wife Hester shall enjoye for life by deed made by me to Sr John Sames, Kinght, and Mr. Blunt, Gentleman, and the other goodes to be divided to my sons at her death and my Keyne, horses, Sheep, lambes, Swine and debts due to be imployed for payment of my debts and except one spaid Mare colte of two years to wife Hester.
Executrix: wife Hester Cole. If she refuse then son Thomas Cole.
Overseers: my two sonnes in law Michaiah Wood, Person of much Okeley, and John George of Writtle, Essex, yeoman, giving to same Wood my clocke that hangeth in the Vickaredge Hall and to same John George three yeare ould coult to be sent to his house.
Witnesses: John Traske, John Moody
http://www.virginians.com/t.htm?14498
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Humphrey Cole, in his own words
If he could speak to us today, Humphrey Cole might describe his life as follows.

I was born about 1552, the son of William Cole and Elizabeth Dreads, and resided with my wife, Hester, in Tillingham, Essex, England, where I was the rector of Oakley Magna.
I made my will 4 November 1623, naming “my sonnes William, Thomas, Robert, and John” and “my sons-in-law Michael Wood, parson of much Oakley, and John George of Wirtle, Essex, Yeoman.” I was dead by the next spring, 17 May 1624, when they proved my will in court.
Son William, the ancestor of nearly a dozen congressmen, was a very prominent Virginian. Son-in-law John George, also later a Virginian, served in the House of Burgesses.
http://www.virginians.com/t.htm?14498