Events
Date of Birth: about 1470?
Place of Birth: unknown.
In William’s inquisition post mortem, Joan is said to be aged 10 and more at her father’s death in 1480. However, it is possible that the date of death in the ipm is incorrect and should be earlier. (See William’s page.)
Date of Death: between 26 April 1525 and 12 February 1525/6.
Place of Death: unknown (probably Rustington, Sussex).
The dates are when Joan made her will and when it was proved.
Relationships
Father: William Howles.
Mother: Joan.
These relationships are given in Joan’s will. The relationship is given in the Victoria County History of Hampshire (5:sub Arreton), citing William’s inquisition post mortem. It states that Joan, married to Thomas Cooke of Rookley, was William’s only heir.
Spouse: Thomas Cooke. Married by 1480.
This relationship is given in Joan’s will.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Thomas Cooke (died before 1519).
Margaret Cooke married Edmund Threle.
Mary Cooke (probably buried in Racton, Sussex) married John Gounter.
Joan Cooke married John Covert.
Evidence
From the Victoria County History of Hampshire (5:sub Arreton):
In 1510 George Bramshott sold the ‘manor of North Budbrige’ to Thomas Cooke.
fn 42: During George Bramshott's minority the manor [of North Budgridge] had been claimed by Thomas Cooke in right of his wife Joan granddaughter of Elizabeth Bramshott (Early Chan. Proc. bdle. 125, no. 39).
The Victoria County History of Hampshire (5:sub Brading) notes that Joan Cooke possessed East Standen and West Milton, and leased the latter to William Howles in 1514.
from the National Archives catalogue:
C 43/2/26
2 Henry VIII [1520-1]
Parties: William Howles deceased, Joan wife of Thomas Coke daughter and heir.
Places: East Standon manor; Clyve, messuages land etc; Worde, moiety of manor; Cockpole, lands and rents.
County: Isle of Wight.
from the Sussex Sussex Lay Subsidy:
Rusytyton
1524
Mastres Joane Coke..L 30
John Gunter, gent..L 20
1525
Jone Cooke, gent., whidow..L30
Joan’s will:
In the name of god so be it/ The yere of our lord god mL vC xxv. I Jone Cooke widow late the wife of Thomas Cooke of Rustyngton within the Countie of Sussex Esquier of goode and hole mynde and p[er]fite remembraunce make my will and testament the xxvjti day of Aprill the xvij yere of king henry the viijth in this forme folowing First I bequeth my soule to almighty god to our lady saint mary and to all the holy company of hevyn my body to be buried in the Chauncell of our lady within the Church of Rustington at the south ende of our lady awter also I bequethe to the mother Church of Chechester vjs siijd Item I bequeth to the high awter of Rustington xxd Item I bequeth to Mary Gounter my daughter fyfty m’rcs sterling so as wt Cli to the said Mary bequethed by the said Thomas Cooke late my husbande and hir father she shalhaue to hir mariage in all CC m’rcs of money. Item I bequeth to our lady light within the Church of Rustyngton oon kowe/ as to fulfill and make the nomb’r of vij keyn the which I haue in my kepyng for the maynten’nce of the said light/ Item I will that myn executours make deliueraunce of them to Mary my doughter. and she to maynteyn the said light and to answere the stock agayn as I haue doon in my tyme/ Item I bequeth to William Upton my seru’nt/ xls./ Item I bequeth to Thomas Judde xls Item I will that myn executours bestowe xx li upon the selyng of our lady Chauncell in the Church of Rustington and in the making of a Cambe in the said Chauncell in the Dore place going up to the Rode Lofte in the wall couiryng noo Rome of the Chauncell wherin I will my husbands body be putt/ Item I bequeth to the rep[ar]acions of the Rode Lofte of the Church of Rustyngton xs/ Item I will that my executours bery me honestly according to my havyer/ and that there be as many prests at my said burying as they thinke conveniently so at the lest a Trentall may be there songe and saide and v masses of the v wounds that day or as shortely as can be for my soule with other dedes of charitie and almes to the value to v m’rcs to be gevyn in almes to pour people/ Item I will that other obsequies as placebo and dirige with com’endacion and psalmes of the passion be doon at the said burying and eu[er]y day after untill the monethes day as can be thought conuient and necessarye by myn executours also at the monethes day I will that my executours do kepe it as to haue a trentall of xxxti masses and fyve masses of he fyne woundes that day with dirige com’endacion and psalmes of the passion the nyght afore to euery prest synging masse by note sijd and to other prests that comyth to dirige and masse on the morowe xd and to other prests viijd without dyner with other dedes of charitie and almesse to the value of fyve m’rcs. Item I will that myn executors provide an honest prest of good name and good fame Immediatly after my deth to synge and praye for my said husbands soule and myn and our frends soules and all the soules the which we are bounde to pray for/ and this to be doon in the Churche of Rustington aforsaid by the space of fyve yeres next after my death. The said prest to haue euery yere x m’rcs of money for his salary and wagis. Item I bequeth to John Cooke my godsonne fyve pounds of money. Item I bequeth to Joane Browne my seru’nt xls, Item where I am sole executrix to the said Thomas Cooke late my husbonde as it apperith by the last wille and testament of the said Thomas Cooke which will as yet is in grete parte unp[er]formed. wherefor I will by this my present testament and last will that my executours in as shorte tyme as conuenient may be that they perourme and fulfill asmoch of the will of the said Thomas as is unp[er]fourmed at the tyme of the dethe of me the said Joane/ Item I will that all suche thinges as is comprised in the will of John Cooke nowe ded father to the said Thomas late my husbonde to whom the said Thomas was executor unto that myn executours doo fulfill and perfourme the will of the said John asmoch as is unp[er]formed and undoon therof. Item I bequeth to Joane Covert and Mary Gounter my doughters all my housholde stuffe lying and being in Rustyngton at the tyme of my dep[ar]ting owt of this present lyfe Except all my Corne and grayne all myn Oxen and all other Rother bests all myn horses mares and Colts and all myn hoggs and bakon and Reserved to myn executours for the performaunce of this my last wille And that the said housholde stuff to be equally distributed and dep[ar]ted betwixt my said doughters Immediatly after my monethes mynds, by thadurse and the deliueraunce of myn executours Also I will that myn executours do take and receyve all the Rents and profits of my said husbands londes terme yeres after my deth according to his last wille as in the last will of my said husbande more playnly it doth appere. and the money therof comyng to be to the p[er]fourmaunce of the wille of the said Thomas and the wille of John Cooke his father./
Also this is the last wille of me the said Joane Cooke as towching as these my Manors of Standen Pagham and Westmylton with their appurtenance in the Ile of Wyght in the Countie of Hampshire and also two meses and certeyn londes with their appurten’ce in the newe Forest called Balaxlee within the said Countie of Hampshire And all other my manors meses londes and ten’ts advowsons paytrynags Rents Reuersions and seruics in the Ile of Wyght aforsaid and within the Countie of Hampshire or ells where within the said Countie First I will that where by this my present wille and testament afore rehersed haue made large bequests and willed that the will of my husband and the wille of John Cooke his father and this my will shalbe substancially fulfilled and p[er]fourmed Therfor nowe I will that all my feoffees and other other persones having any interest or title in my forsaid manours meses londes and tenements Rents Reuersions and Seruics and other the premisses with all their appurtenancs or in any parcell thereof to the use of me the said Joane Cooke and of myn heires that Immediatly after my deth shall stonde and be seased by the space of tenne yeres then next ensuyng to the use of the performaunce of this my present testament and last wille And that my forsaid feoffees and all other persones aforsaid do suffer myn executours to take and p[re?]ecyve almaner of Rents and all other profits of the forsaid manours londes and tenements and other the premisses with all their appurtenances by the space of the said tenne yeres to thentent and effect afore rehersed without any vexaion of any persone or p[er]sones afore rehersed to the contrary. Item I bequeth to the vicar of Rustyngton lxvjs viijd for to pray for my soule. Item I will that where I the said Joane Cook haue late purchased half an acre of erable lande of oon John Seygrave gentilman lying in West Preston in the towne felde called Brembillym within the p[ar]ishe of Rustington as in the dede of purchas of the said John Segrave made unto me the said Joane Cooke more playnly doth appere/ Nowe I will that all my feoffees of the said half acre stonde and be seased of and in the said half acre to thuse of Will’m Marchall Clerk vicar of Rustington/ and to the use of his Successoures vicar there after him foreuermore to the use and entent folowing that is to say/ That the soules of Thomas Cooke and of Joane his wife/ John Cooke father unto the said Thomas William Howles and Joane his wife father and mother unto the said Joane Cooke late wife of Thomas Cooke and all their frends soules, so that they may be praid for in the pulpitt eu[er]y sonday in the yere that the bederoll is or shalbe rehersed by the vicar or by his Sucessours after him or debits for the tyme beying and that my forsaid feoffees doo suffre the said vicar and his successours to take and p[re(?)]ceyve all the Rents and profits of the said half acre without vexacion trouble or sute of my said feoffees and also it shalbe lefull unto the said vicar and to his successours that when soeuer it shall happen the forsaid feoffees of the said half acre to dye all salve thre two or one at the left/ that then the vicar for the tyme being to call the survivors of the feoffees afore him and then they two or he so survived to haue auctoritie to make a newe dede of feoffement to the use and entent aboue rehersed and the said vicar and his successours to be at the coste and charge of the making therof asoften as nede doth require it/ and this to contynue foreuermore to the use and entent aboue rehersed/ Item I will that myn executours do kepe an obite yerely tenne yeres after my deth and that obite to be kept on Wensday in the passion weke for the soules of Thomas Cook my husbond and the soule of me the said Joane and all our frends soules as I was wonte to doo. in my lyfe tyme, and to bestowed at euery oon of the said obits during the said terme to the valur of tenne m’rcs of money and money worthe/ Item I will that myn executours do kepe another obite yerely tenne yeres after my deth on the wensday after mighelmasse day for the soules of John Cook and Mary Isabell and Isabell his wyves. Thomas Cooke and Joane his wife Will’m Howles and Joane his wife with all their frends soules as it is rehersed in the bederall/ and to bestowe at eu[er]y oon of the forsaid obits during the forsaid terme to the valure of tenne m’cs of moeny and money worth/ Item I bequeth to eu[er]y seru’nt that is abyding with me at my dep[ar]ting owt of this worlde that is not afore rehersed ij s . Item I will and also I require my executours to deliuer all suche p[ar]dons as I haue purchased for my self and all other perdons that I haue the custody of that late were my husbands or his father to deliuer them to suche placs as they were purchast of Item I bequeth to Edmonde Threle my sonne in lawe fyve m’cs of money Item I bequeth to Philip Carpenter fyve m’cs of money. Item all the Residue of all my goodes and Catalls Rents and profits of my said husbands londes and myn during the said terme of tenne yeres not bequethed and willed this my present testament and last will substancially fulfilled and p[er]formed according to the tenure and effect therof I geve and bequeth to John Gounter my son in lawe and to Mary his wife and they to bestowe it as they do thinke hit most necessary for the welth of our soules aboue rehersed The whiche John Gounter I make my chief Executour of this my last wille and testament/ Edmonde Threle and Philip Carpenter Executours And the said Edmonde and Philip to haue for their payne and labour the forsaid tenne m’cs aboue bequethed In witnesse wherof I haue subscribed this my present testament and last will with myn own hande In the presence of Sir John Fereby prest Will’m Upton Thomas Baker John Saunder Richard Baker Thomas Woduiwood Thomas Brynkherst John Mainie and other Et ego henricus Symonds vicarious eccl’ie de Rustynton sacra auc’te ap’lica publicus notarious affirmo que hoc testamentum est verum et p[er]fectum testament Joanne Cooke de Rustynton predict’ vidue/
[proved 12 February 1525/6]
References
Cornwall, Julian. The Lay Subsidy Rolls for the County of Sussex 1524-1525. (Sussex Record Society, 1956).
Comber, John. Sussex Genealogies (1931). Online “Community Tree” at FamilySearch extracted from this work.
'Parishes: Arreton', in A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5, ed. William Page (London, 1912), pp. 139-151.
'Parishes: Brading', in A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5, ed. William Page (London, 1912), pp. 156-170.
'Racton', in A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4, the Rape of Chichester, ed. L F Salzman (London, 1953), pp. 113-118.
Will of Joane Cooke of Rustyngton. Proved 1525 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.