Note: This article supersedes “From Gossom’s End to the Grave: The 1659 Will of Thomas Hill – Babb Unabridged” as new information has come to light.
Analysis
This document is the last will and testament of Thomas Hill, a tanner from Gossoms End in the parish of Berkhamsted St Mary (also known as Northchurch) in the county of Hertfordshire, dated 14 February 1659. It includes legal declarations in both Early Modern English and Latin, typical of probate records of the period. The will outlines the disposition of land, tenements, and monetary bequests to various individuals, including members of the Babb, Coy, Arrowsmith, and Culverhouse families. The document also references deeds dated 14 May 1657, which are reaffirmed in the will. The Latin probate clause confirms the will was proved on 10 July 1661. Included in the document are William Babb Sr & Jr as well as the daughters of the younger William, named Martha & Mary Babb. The exact connection between Thomas Hill and the people he left things to. He appeared to be a grandfather, but I find no record that explicitly connects them. Whatever the bond, he clearly felt strongly about these two little girls he is leaving the bulk of his estate to.
Note
Below you will find first the direct formal transcription of the handwritten document as written without modification as much as is possible. Following that you will find a modern English version that is much easier to read. That will be followed by a list of Terms, People and Places mentioned in the document that may not be in the common vernacular of the 21st Century.
Formal Transcription (Latin & Early Modern English) of the Will of Thomas Hill (1659)
In the name of God Amen the fourteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one Thousand Six hundred and fiftie and nine I Thomas Hill of Goshams End within the parish of Barkhampsted St Mary ats Northchurch in the countie of Hertford Tanner being weake of bodie but of perfect sense and and memory blessed bee god, doe make my last will and testament in manor and forme following:
First and principally I give my soule in to the hands of Allmightie god my creator, hoping assuredly through the merritts death and passion of Jesus Christ my merciful redeemer to inherit life everlasting: And my bodie to bee decently buried according to the discreson of my Exeuto, here after mentioned when it shall please god to take mee out of this bale of misforid and as for the worldly estate wherewith god hath of his goodness bin pleased to inable mee I give and dispose thereof as followeth,
Imprimis whereas I the said Thomas Hill by a deed to bessos bearing date the ffourteenth day of may in the years of our Lord one thousdand six hundred ffiftie and Seamon made between mee the said Thomas Hill of the one side and William Hill the Elder of Barkhamsted St Peter in the said countie of Herford Tanner and William Babb the Elder of the same, Taylor of the other side fordinois tansos and considerations therein mentioned have given granted and confirmed, All those my three closes of land lyeing and being in the Parish of Barkhamsted St Peter aforesaid, to such person and persons and to such persons, intents, and purposes, as are therein expressed and declared, as in and by the said deed more at large it doth and may appeare now for the better strengthening and confirming the said recited deed and every thanke, grant, entitile, and thing therein contained, and to the ond the same may tonlinue remaine and bee in full force strength, and berhid, I doe by this my last will and testament, ratifie, approve, confirme and declare the same to be valid, firme, and Effortuall, and as my legal act and deed, provided that William Arrowsmith and his wife therein mentioned, and in case that Elizabeth Arrowsmith the wife of William Arrowsmith, in the said recited deed mentioned, shall depart this life without issue of her body lawfully begotten, as in the said deed is more at large expressed, that then according to the power, I have referred to my selfe of the three closes in the said deed, mentioned, I doe give and bequeath the said widow of those with the appurtenances to Alice Coy the daughter of John Coy of Barkhamsted St Peter aforesaid Brewer deceased, and to her heires forever, to have and to hold to her the said Alice Coy and to her heires according to the law reforme and efforts, of the said recited deed,
Item whereas I have by one other deed to dispose, bearing date the said ffourteenth day of May 1657 made between me the said Thomas Hill of the one side, and the said William Hill and William Babb of the other side for diuere considerations therein mentioned, I have given, granted, and confirmed, all that my messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances situate lying and being at Gosshams End aforesaid to such person and persons and to such for intents and purposes as are therein mentioned, expressed, and declared as in and by the said recited deed, more at large it doth and may appeare, how I likewise for the better strengthening of the said last recited deed, I doe by this my last will and testament, ratifie
Confirme and declare the same to be valid and firme to all intents and purposes therein mentioned and expressed, and whereas I have referred unto my selfe in and by the said deed full power to give and dispose of the sume of three score pound of currant money of England to bee paid out of the said messuage or tenement to such person or persons as I shall by my last will and testament, or otherwise give and bequeath the sa__ as more at large by the said recited deede it doth and may appeare, ten pounds of the said sume of three score pounds,
I do by this my last will acknowledge that I have recoied of William Babb the younger of Barkhamsted St Peter aforesaid Taylor, Since the making of the said recited deed, and doe likewise by this my last will ratified and confime the release which I have made unto him for the same As for the remaining ffiftie pounds, I give and devise thereof as ffollows
Ffirst I give and bequeath five and twenty pounts thereof until Alice Coy the daughter of John Coy afore in this my will mentioned to be paid unto her by William Babb the younger, and Mary Coy their herires or assignes in the said recited deed, nominated within twelve months after my decease,
Item, I give and bequeath tenn pounds more thereof to Martha and Mary Babb, the daughters of the said William Babb the younger to be paid likewise unto them within the time aforesaid
Item I give and bequeath tenn pounds more there of to William Arrowsmith of Barkhamsted St Peter aforesaid glazier, to bee paid likewise unto him within the said time,
Item I give and bequeath the other five pounds being the remainder of the said ffiftie pounds to Hannah Culverhouse the daughter of Mary Culverhouse of Gosshams End in the parish of Northchurch aforesaid will, to bee paid unto her within sex months after my decease,
Item I give and bequeath all that my messuage or tenement with the appurtenances, situate lyeing and being at Gosshams End aforesaid now in the tenure and occupation of Mary Culverhouse Widdow aforesaid to the said Mary Culverhouse to live in rent free for and during the parte of three yeares next ensuing after my decease and after the expiration of the said three years I give and bequeath the said messuage or Tenement with the appurtenances to Martha and Mary Babb the daughters of William Babb the younger aforesaid and to their heires forever, and my will and meaning is that the said William Babb, theire ffather shall have the ___ possession and benefitt thereof until the said Martha and Mary shall accomplish their respective ages of one and twenty years towards theire
Bringing up and further my will and meaning is in case I shall depart this life before any quarter day or rent day on which the respective tenants possessers or occupiers of my messuages lands or tenements or any of them are to pay their respective rents to mee for the same, that all rents and profits of all and every the said messuages lands and tenements shall bee paid to my Executor hereafter in this my will mentioned respectively and proportionally, for all such lyte and portion of time and times as I shall bee Surviving before the said quarter dayes or rent dayes aforesaid, for him to helpe pay and discharge my debts and ffunerall charges withal
Item I give and bequeath until Martha and Mary, the daughters of William Babb the younger aforesaid to each of them a pillowbeere, all the rest of my goods, debts, rights, Croditte, and shall ells whatfouwe unbequeathed my debts and legacies paid and ffuneralls discharged
I give until William Babb the younger of Baskhamsted St Peter aforesaid Taylor whom I make sole Execturo of this my last will & testament, and in wittnesse that this is my last will & testament, I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the day & yearew ffirst within written
Thomas Hill, Sealed, Signed, and acknowledged, in the presence of Thomas Dagnall Notory publiqs John ____ and William Babb Senior
[Latin] Probatus fuit huiusmodi testamentum apud Homilton post 10 die mensis Julij Anno Domini 1661. Jurata coram me Wilkinson clerico Surrogato honorabilis viri Samulis Brud Legum doctoris domini Mari et officialis in et per totum archinatus Huntingdon linos constitut viram executoris in eodem testamento nominat cui comissa fuit administratio de bonis etc. deboris etc. jurat etc. salvo juro cuiujibet.
Summa Inventarij: iij li. x s. vi d.
Modern English Translation of the Will of Thomas Hill (1659)
In the name of God, Amen. On the fourteenth day of February in the year of our Lord 1659, I, Thomas Hill of Gossoms End within the parish of Berkhamsted St Mary also known as Northchurch in the county of Hertford, Tanner, being weak in body but of sound mind and memory (blessed be God), do make my last will and testament in the following manner and form:
First and foremost, I give my soul into the hands of Almighty God, my Creator, trusting through the merits, death, and passion of Jesus Christ, my merciful Redeemer, to inherit everlasting life. My body I commit to be decently buried according to the discretion of my Executor, hereafter named, when it pleases God to take me from this world of sorrow. As for the worldly estate with which God has blessed me, I dispose of it as follows:
Whereas I, Thomas Hill, by a deed dated the fourteenth day of May 1657, made between myself and William Hill the Elder of Barkhamsted St Peter, Tanner, and William Babb the Elder of the same place, Taylor, have granted three parcels of land in the parish of Berkhamsted St Peter to certain persons for purposes stated in the deed, I now confirm and ratify that deed through this will. I declare it to be valid and binding. If Elizabeth Arrowsmith, wife of William Arrowsmith, mentioned in the deed, dies without lawful issue, then I give the said land with its appurtenances to Alice Coy, daughter of John Coy of Berkhamsted St Peter, Brewer, deceased, and to her heirs forever.
Also, by another deed dated the same day, made between myself and the said William Hill and William Babb, I granted my house and property at Gossoms End to certain persons for purposes stated in the deed. I now confirm and ratify that deed through this will. I also retained the right to dispose of sixty pounds from the value of the property. I acknowledge that I have received ten pounds from William Babb the Younger of Berkhamsted St Peter, Taylor, and confirm the release I made to him.
Of the remaining fifty pounds, I give twenty-five pounds to Alice Coy, daughter of John Coy, to be paid by William Babb the Younger and Mary Coy or their heirs within twelve months of my death. I give ten pounds to Martha and Mary Babb, daughters of William Babb the Younger, to be paid within the same time. I give ten pounds to William Arrowsmith of Berkhamsted St Peter, Glazier, to be paid within the same time. I give the remaining five pounds to Hannah Culverhouse, daughter of Mary Culverhouse of Gossoms End in the parish of Northchurch, to be paid within six months of my death.
I give my house at Gossoms End, currently occupied by Mary Culverhouse, Widow, to her rent-free for three years after my death. After that, I give the house to Martha and Mary Babb, daughters of William Babb the Younger, and to their heirs forever. Until they reach the age of twenty-one, their father William Babb shall have possession and benefit of the property to support their upbringing.
If I die before any rent day, all rents and profits from my properties shall be paid to my Executor for the time I lived before the rent day, to help pay my debts and funeral expenses.
I give to Martha and Mary Babb each a pillowcase. All the rest of my goods, debts, rights, and credits, after paying my debts and funeral expenses, I give to William Babb the Younger of Berkhamsted St Peter, Taylor, whom I appoint as sole Executor of this my last will and testament.
Signed and sealed by Thomas Hill in the presence of Thomas Dagnall, Notary Public, John [surname unclear], and William Babb Senior.
The will of this kind was proved at Hamilton on the 10th day of July in the year of our Lord 1661, sworn before me, Wilkinson, clerk and surrogate of the honorable Samuel Brud, Doctor of Laws, lord and official in and throughout the whole archdeaconry of Huntingdon, the executor named in the same will, to whom administration of the goods, debts, etc., was granted, sworn, etc., saving the right of anyone. Total value of the inventory: £3 10s 6d
Glossary of Terms
• Imprimis – Latin for ‘in the first place’; used to begin a list of items in a will.
• Messuage – A dwelling house with its outbuildings and land.
• Tenement – Any kind of permanent property, such as land or buildings.
• Appurtenances – Accessories or rights associated with property.
• Bequeath – To give or leave by will.
• Executor – A person appointed to carry out the terms of a will.
• Ratify – To confirm or approve formally.
• Deed – A legal document that is signed and delivered, especially one regarding the ownership of property.
• Issue – Offspring or descendants.
• Rent day – A scheduled day for payment of rent.
• Pillowbeere – A pillowcase.
Report of People’s Names
Thomas Hill – Testator.
William Hill the Elder – Party to land deeds.
William Babb the Elder – Party to land deeds.
William Babb the younger – Executor and recipient of bequests.
Elizabeth Arrowsmith – Named in deed, conditional heir.
William Arrowsmith – Husband of Elizabeth, recipient of bequest.
Alice Coy – Daughter of John Coy, recipient of land and money.
John Coy – Deceased, father of Alice Coy.
Martha Babb – Daughter of William Babb the younger, recipient.
Mary Babb – Daughter of William Babb the younger, recipient.
Hannah Culverhouse – Daughter of Mary Culverhouse, recipient.
Mary Culverhouse – Widow, tenant of Gossoms End.
Thomas Dagnall – Notary public.
William Babb Senior – Witness.
Wilkinson – Cleric, surrogate.
Samulis [Samuel] Brud – Doctor of Laws, official.
Report of Place Names
Goshams End: Gossoms End. A locality within the parish of Northchurch, Hertfordshire.
Barkhamsted St Mary (Northchurch): Berkhamsted St Mary. A parish in Hertfordshire, historically known as Northchurch.
Barkhamsted St Peter: Berkhamsted St Peter. A neighboring parish in Hertfordshire.
Hertford: County town of Hertfordshire, England.
Homilton: Likely a clerical or administrative location related to probate proceedings.
Citation
“Huntingdonshire, England records,” images, FamilySearch (https:// www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFS-G7LK-L?view=fullText: Aug 15, 2025), image 328 of 594; Church of England. Bishop of Lincoln. Commissary Court (Archdeaconry of Huntingdon).
Image Group Number: 008038347